By Ahmad Jabr

KUWAIT: Former finance minister Sheikh SalemAbdulaziz Al-Sabah called for reforming Kuwait’s subsi-dization program in order to achieve more justice in dis-tribution as well as save the state’s budget from animminent deficit. “While subsidization as a principle isadopted in many countries around the world, there isno doubt that the mechanism in which subsidies arepresented in Kuwait is flawed,” Sheikh Salem said in a

column published by Al-Raidaily yesterday. “Subsidiesgranted today contradict themain goal of subsidizationwhen they are presented toeveryone with the samebasics and prices, and for allpurposes and areas of uses(individuals, institutions,companies)”.

Meanwhile, the formerlongtime governor of theCentral Bank argued thatsubsidies can be improvedby being rationalized and

focused to serve the people who need them the most.The Cabinet on Monday reiterated earlier calls to curbcurrent expenditure and highlighted the risks on thenational budget from relying heavily on oil revenues.The Cabinet said in a statement following its weeklymeeting that current expenditure “may pose a very seri-ous flaw on the national economy in the present andthe future”. “The Cabinet discussed the various aspectsrelated to this subject, measures and actions to be tak-en to address the imbalances and to avoid further com-plications that would trigger the most serious impactsat various levels”, the statement read.

Continued on Page 13

newsin the

Refineries halted after power cut

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s three oil refineries, with a total produc-tion capacity of 930,000 barrels per day, halted operationsyesterday following a power cut, a spokesman for thenational refiner said. “The three refineries have stoppedoperations, with the exception of the gas plants, after apower cut,” said Khaled Al-Asousi, spokesman for thestate-owned Kuwait National Petroleum Company(KNPC) which owns the three refineries. Asousi said thatboth crude production and exports of crude oil andrefined products in the OPEC member have not beenaffected by the incident, which took place around noonKuwait time (0900 GMT). More than two-thirds of the out-put of the three refineries of Al-Ahmadi, Shuaiba andMina Abdullah is intended for export. Sousi said thatresuming operations at the refineries may take up to twodays. “We have already started the damage assessmentprocess and if everything is fine, production at the threerefineries is expected to start after 24 hours, (but) couldtake 48 hours,” Sousi said.

Biofuel from desert plants with seawater

PARIS: Aerospace giant Boeing and its research part-ners in the Middle East said yesterday they wouldstart field trials after recording progress in makingbiofuel from desert plants fed with seawater. TheSustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, affiliat-ed with the Masdar Institute of Science andTechnology in Abu Dhabi, will plant two hectares ofthe saltwater-tolerant plants called halophytes in theregion’s sandy soil and the plants will be fed withwaste water from a fish and shrimp farm. The plantshave seeds which are high in oil content, but theproject has found the shrub-like plants to be moreeffective than other crops in producing fuel due totheir cell structure. That is due to their very low levelof lingin, which binds plant cells together, meaning ittakes less energy to process the entire plant into fuel.The pilot project is expected to begin later in 2014and last three years.

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3Bullying,violencewidespread in schools 7

Five dead as Ukraine police launch assault on protesters 7

Bitter cold to linger as US digs out from snow 18

Benzema edges Real towards Cup semis

State to give increase as a grant, not a loan

conspiracy theories

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

By Badrya Darwish

It has been almost two weeks since we learntabout the visa scam. A few influential peoplewere caught trafficking visas. The numbers of traf-

ficked workers was shocking. As many as 140,000people were trafficked in the country illegally. Asusual, no names of perpetrators were mentioned.There were just hints.

The norm in Kuwait is to talk about a group ofuntouchables and call them hawameer (a hover oftrout). In this case it describes highly influential peo-ple. I do not know why they don’t call them sharks (itwould suit them better). Why are they named afterlovely and tasty sea creatures. Hamour is the bestfish and we all like it!

Whatever, back to my story. The essence of thestory is that no names were given and no moreexplanation was provided about what is going on.We only heard that files of fake companies were sus-pended. Maybe they will reopen in good time, I haveno idea. Currently, a thorough investigation is goingon in the ministries of interior and social affairs andlabour.

In the past three days, there have been manypolice checkpoints. It is like the crackdown cam-paign when they used to stop every car and checkIDs. I do not know if they are looking for those140,000 people. How would they know them?Another question comes to mind. Is it the fault ofthese 140,000 people? Did they know that theywere scammed? Actually, they paid good money tobuy the visa. Many of these poor people might havesold their belongings back home to be able to buythe visa, thinking that they are coming to a magicland with gold in the sand. Then the poor souls facereality.

My other question is: If the ministry of interiorcatches them, are they going to deport them with-out compensation? After all, whoever brought themalready cashed the money. If this happens, does thisnot mean that they are encouraging other people todo so too? Where is the crime and punishment? Thewhole crime would fall on those who bought thevisa.

Let it be a fair game. We need to know that thevisa traffickers will be investigated and they will payback at least the amounts they took from these poorpeople who were caught and face deportations. Isthere an authority that will defend these people orare they considered criminals now? Let’s hear that avisa trafficker was caught and he paid the price for it.This would help stop visa trafficking in Kuwait. Thenwe will not only hear that the ministry rounded upone or the other number of illegal residents anddeported them.

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday overwhelm-ingly passed an amendment to the housing law thatstipulates raising government’s subsidies on buildingmaterials for Kuwaitis to KD 30,000 per each familybuilding a house. The bill’s passage came after the gov-ernment told MPs that the increase will not have to berepaid but is free for all citizens who received a housingloan from the government to build their homes.

Initially, MPs had insisted that the government raisethe housing loan from KD 70,000 to KD 100,000 andthat the increase should be paid in cash to citizens.Under the law enacted in 1993, the housing loan is asoft loan that is repaid to the government in easy instal-ments over a period exceeding 50 years. After waitingfor several years, the government provides Kuwaiti fam-ilies with a piece of land, a loan of KD 70,000 and subsi-dized building materials worth KD 10,600. After theamendment, the loan will remain the same at KD70,000, but the amount of subsidies will be increased toa maximum of KD 30,000, effectively increasing housingbenefits by around KD 20,000.

Forty-nine MPs, including all Cabinet members pres-ent, voted for the amendment while MP Ali Al-Rashedabstained. The amendment was passed in the first andsecond reading and sent to the government for imple-mentation. MPs are still insisting that two more issues -raising the children’s allowance from KD 50 to 75 per

Continued on Page 13KUWAIT: MP Safa Al-Hashem gestures during a National Assembly session yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

UAE executes Sri Lankan for murder

SHARJAH: A Sri Lankan man has been executed by firingsquad in the UAE emirate of Sharjah for murdering anEmirati man eight years ago, media reported yesterday.The 26-year-old man was executed after the victim’s fam-ily refused an offer of ‘blood money’, the English-dailyGulf News said. The Sri Lankan had been convicted ofdeliberately running the Emirati man over with a vehiclein 2006 following a money dispute, the paper said. Rightswatchdog Amnesty International identified the con-demned man as domestic helper Ravindra Krishna Pillaiand said the killing occurred “accidentally” in Pillai’sattempt to escape the man, a friend of his employer, afterhe tried to sexually assault him. The London-based grouphad slammed the trial as “unfair”, saying Pillai had had noaccess to his government-appointed lawyer. Althoughthe law in the United Arab Emirates includes capital pun-ishment, executions are rare in the Muslim Gulf country,and death sentences are typically commuted to life inprison.

DAVOS: Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister RowschShaways talks to Kuwaiti politician Rola Dashti priorto a panel session during the World Economic Forumyesterday. — AP

Subsidization

program flawed:

Sheikh Salem

Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah

MONTREUX: (From left) Lakhdar Brahimi, John Kerry, Ban Ki-moon andSergey Lavrov join hands after their meeting yesterday. (Inset) KuwaitiForeign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah speaks during the so-called Geneva II peace talks. — AFP

MONTREUX, Switzerland: The biggest push yet toend Syria’s bloodshed was marked by fiery exchangesyesterday as the warring sides and global powersclashed over President Bashar Al-Assad’s fate at a UNpeace conference. After a day of formal speeches setto be followed this week by talks involving the twosides, UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged Syria’s regimeand opposition to finally work together to end thebloodshed. “Our purpose was to send a message tothe two Syrian delegations and to the Syrian peoplethat the world wants an urgent end to the conflict,”Ban said in a closing press conference at the talks in

the Swiss town of Montreux. “Enough is enough, thetime has to come to negotiate,” Ban said. “We mustseize this fragile chance.”

But official statements made by the delegationsyesterday gave no hint of compromise, as the twosides met on the shores of Lake Geneva for the firsttime since the start of the conflict in March 2011.Branding the opposition “traitors” and foreign agents,Syrian officials insisted Assad will not give up power,while the opposition said he must step down andface trial.

Continued on Page13

Nod to raise housing

subsidies to KD 30,000

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 RABI ALAWWAL 22, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

Trapped in the

hawameer net

Fiery exchanges over

Assad’s fate at talks

L O C A L

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

KUWAIT: Australian Ambassador to Kuwait Robert Tayson visited Kuwait Times yes-terday and discussed matters of mutual interest with Editor-in-Chief Abdul Al-Rahman Al-Alyan. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Kuwait Relief Organization(KRO) said it has raised a total of $9.4million in humanitarian assistance forthe Syrian people.

The sum is part of a three-dayKuwaiti national fund-raising cam-paign to help the Syrian people. Thecampaign came to a close Tuesdayevening.

KRO Director General Jaber Al-Wandah said that the Kuwaiti initiativereceived wide-scale response frommany societies.

The move, which was launched incompliance with an appeal by HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, reflectedofficial and popular support for theSyrian people, he said.

He urged philanthropists to contin-ue supporting the humanitarian initia-tive through charities sprouting out inKuwait for one month.

The fund-raising campaign waslaunched by the KRO Sunday in coop-eration with the Ministry ofInformation to raise funds to buildhouses for the war-traumatized Syrianrefugees.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s First DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign MinisterSheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah headed yesterday Kuwait’s dele-gation taking part in the opening ses-

sion of the Geneva-II conference onSyria in Switzerland.

The convention, that got underwaywith participation of delegations rep-resenting many states and key organi-zations, most notably the UN and theArab League, is aimed at implementingcommunique of the Geneva-I confer-ence on Syria, namely ceasing the vio-lence and reaching a comprehensivepolitical settlement to the Syrian crisis.

Attendees include delegations ofthe Gulf Cooperation Council memberstates, namely Kuwait, along withEgypt, Algeria, Morocco, Iraq, Lebanonand Jordan. They also include repre-sentatives of the major powers; theUnited States, Russia, France, China,India, Brazil and South Africa.

Among the participants are officialsrepresenting Turkey, Indonesia,Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan andSouth Korea. From Europe, the atten-dees include Cathrine Ashton, repre-senting the European Union, in addi-tion to delegates from Germany,Belgium, Denmark, Greece,Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Spainand Italy.

Also taking part in the crucial confer-ence are officials representing the Vatican,the Organization of Islamic Cooperationand the Arab Leagaue Secretary General,Nabil Al-Araby. — KUNA

Kuwaitis raise $9.4

million for Syrians

By Sunil Cherian

KUWAIT: Dr Mustafa Al-Mosawi, ConsultantSurgeon at the Organ Transplant Center, Kuwaitand Vice President of Kuwait Transplant Societyhas been trying to make people aware of theneed and importance of organ donation. “Asiansocieties generally tend to hesitate the idea oforgan donation”, Dr Mosawi said. However,people in the Middle East are comparativelymore open than the rest of Asia, the doctoradded. Dr Mosawi was in praise of the ME lead-ers than the Asian religious leaders who are notthat positive about organ donation. “The worldneeds 1 million kidneys today,” Mosawi said.“But on yearly basis, only 100,000 peopledonate their kidneys, meaning only 10 percentof the need is met. The rest just die.”

When Mosawi met the visiting Fr DavisChiramel, Chairman, Kidney Federation ofIndia, little did he realize that the two sharemany ideas in common. He was pleasantly sur-prised when Fr Davis, a Catholic priest whodonated his kidney to a Hindu patient fouryears ago, had shared the news that over thepast year, the Kidney Federation of India wasable to get 400,000 donation consent formssigned by volunteers.

Mosawi introduced Chiramel to a Kuwaiticitizen who is a recipient of heart transplantedat Apollo Hospital, Chennai. There was also aKuwaiti donor in the meeting who shared hisexperience of donating his kidney to his moth-er. “A donor, a recipient and a campaigningdoctor is all what you need in Kuwait to spreadawareness of donation,” the priest said.

“Europe has a donation culture”, Mosawisaid. “Here, for cultural and other reasons,some people think negatively of donatingorgans after death.

What we need is a campaign starting rightfrom the primary school level,” the doctor said.Kuwait has the record of having the first kid-ney transplant in the Middle East. A kidney can

be kept on a perfusion machine for 48 hours,but it only takes 6 hours for the transplant,Mosawi said.

In the meeting at the Kuwait TransplantSociety, Rawda, the donors, recipients andorganizers shared inspiring stories of organdonation. Mosawi recalled a television programin which a lady was shown doting on a younggirl. “This young girl must be your daughter,”says a character, to which the lady replies: “No,the girl has my son’s heart transplanted in her.”The Kuwaiti recipient said he thanked every

day and prayed for his donor’s family. MostIndian patients cannot afford to buy organs ormeet hospital expenses. As a result, mostorgans end up in overseas patients. KD 12,000is the approximate cost for a liver transplant,and KD 3,000 for a kidney.

Chiramel is in Kuwait for a seminar on organdonation organized by the Thrissur Associationof Kuwait tomorrow at Community Hall in JleebAl-Shuyoukh. The organizers also plan to get1,000 consent forms signed by volunteerdonors during the meeting on Friday.

Kuwait Transplant Society

welcomes India Kidney Fed

Organ donation seminar tomorrow

KUWAIT: Mustafa Al-Mosawi, Consultant Surgeon at the Organ Transplant Center, Kuwait andVice President of Kuwait Transplant Society (left) is presenting Fr Davis Chiramel, Chairman,Kidney Federation of India his donor card at Kuwait Transplant Society, Rawda.

KUWAIT: Director of Center for Gulf andArabian Peninsula Studies Dr. Yacoub Al-Kandari praised the distinguished efforts exert-ed by Kuwait New Agency in the media field,locally and globally, describing it as “bank ofinformation”.

He added during his meeting with thehead of KUNA center for strategic studies andnews analysis, Dina Al-Beajan, that establish-

ing such a center is a remarkable step in theprogress of the agency’s work, to further shedlight on the issues that matter Kuwait at thelocal, regional and international levels. Heexplained the tasks of Gulf and ArabianPeninsula Center that was established in 1994and its departments, besides the nature of thestudies it conducts by a group of distin-guished academics in various fields.

Al-Kandari expressed hope that cooperationbetween the Gulf center and KUNA would befruitful to best serve issues that concern Kuwaitthe most. Al-Beajan hailed the unlimited sup-port offered by Al-Kandari and all staff at thecenter in offering advices and recommendationto KUNA. The two sides discussed signing a jointcooperation protocol to conduct joint studies,conferences and training courses. — KUNA

Media cooperation protocol signed

KUWAIT: A driver died after he became trapped inside hiscar which caught fire following an accident on Tuesday. TheIranian man was pronounced dead from fatal burn injuriesafter firefighters extinguished the flames and removed hisbody from the car wreck. The accident was reported on theGhazali Road as firefighters, paramedics and police arrivedat the scene shortly after the accident was reported.Criminal investigators transported the body to the forensicdepartment after examining the scene. A case was filed forinvestigations.

Alcohol smugglingA Kuwait International Airport employee faces charges

after he was caught attempting to smuggling alcoholicdrinks for a friend. Airport detectives reportedly noticed theman, who is employed by the Directorate General for CivilAviation, escorting a passenger to an upper storey to avoidcustom checks after arriving to Kuwait. They received per-mission to follow the duo; who were soon put under arrestafter 19 liquor bottles were found in the passenger’s suit-case. They were referred to the authorities to face charges.

Camp workers die Two camp workers died after they left coal burning

inside their tent for heating before they went to sleepMonday night. Paramedics accompanied police to thescene located near Nuwaiseeb Road in response to anemergency call, and pronounced the two dead shortlyafter their arrival. A preliminary medical test revealedthat the Asian men died of carbon monoxide poison-ing in their sleep. The bodies were taken to the foren-sic department after criminal investigators examinedthe scene. A case was filed.

Drug addicts Two people were arrested for drug abuse and pos-

session while investigations are ongoing in claims thatone of them was kidnapped. Jahra police had arrivedat Subbiya Road where a man reported in an emer-gency call that his friend was kidnapped. Upon arriv-ing to the scene, the officer discovered that the callerwas under the influence of drugs, and after searchinghim, found heroin and other drugs in his possession.They were able to f ind his fr iend after an hour ofs e a rc h i n g, a n d t h e m a n w a s a l s o i n e b r i a te d. H eclaimed that he was able to escape a kidnap attempt,and gave a description of the alleged suspects forinvestigations.

One killed in Ghazali Road accident

KUWAIT: Parliament members engaged in a heated debate during yesterday’s National Assembly session aboutproposed increase to the housing loan and other topics, including children and rent allowances. The parliamentoverwhelmingly passed amendments to the housing loan which stipulate a KD30,000 subsidization for buildingmaterials. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

KUWAIT: Vehicle inspection department officers set up checkpoints at the press street yesterday as part of ongoing road safety campaigns carried out by the General Traffic Department in the Ministry of Interior. —- Photos by YasserAl-Zayyat

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Bullying, violence and fears of spoilingfamily reputations if parents report abuseagainst their children are prevalent in schools inKuwait. Ali, 14, is a student in a private non-Arabic school in Hawally and is waiting to gradu-ate. Although being a polite boy with high ambi-tions to become a surgeon, he was forced to bepart of fights in and out of school. “If I don’t fightback, the students won’t respect me and willthink I’m chicken. I was hurt sometimes but Ialways took my right. The students know manystudents from other schools, and mostly eachnationality has a gang and they fight afterschool. Inside the school they use pencils in theirfights, but outside they even use weapons,” hetold Kuwait Times.

His older brother was injured in one of thesefights when he came to protect him a fewmonths ago. “When boys from higher classesattacked me, my brother came after school forrevenge. The other boys also came and theirleader had a samurai sword and tried to hit mybrother in his face. When he put out his hand toprotect this face, he injured his hand and almostcut his finger. Now he has a permanent disabilityin his hand, yet the 16-year-old attacker is stillfree as the case is in the court. His parentsoffered my brother financial compensation, buthe refused and wants this criminal boy to bepunished,” added Ali.

Aggression and bulling is not the only prob-lem in this school. According to Ali, studentshave found empty bottles of alcohol in theschool yard. Narcotic pills are also sold for KD 1in the school. Because the school is coed, a boyhad a physical relationship with a female stu-dent in the school and she is now pregnant. Butit seems the school management is not veryinterested in these serious issues taking place atthe school.

The Ministry of Education supervises schools,and there is a special department in charge ofprivate schools. According to Abdullah Al-Basri,Director of the Educational Affairs and ActingDirector of the Private Education Department, ifany internal problem occurs at a school, thedirector of the school should investigate theproblem. “In Arabic schools, the director is a rep-resentative of the ministry, while in non-Arabicones, the representative works for the owner ofthe school and is of the same nationality as theschool. If such a director doesn’t take action ordeals with parents’ complaints, the parents cancome to our department at the ministry and filea written complaint,” he noted.

Many parents are afraid of complaining asthey think their children may be harmed or theirgrades may be affected. Basri assured the par-ents that their complaints will be confidential. “Ifthe management of the school doesn’t respondto a parent’s complaint, he should come to us

and file a complaint under his name. It shouldnot be a general one like ‘students are abused orbeaten’; it should be like ‘my son is being bullied’.The complaint has to be specific so the adminis-trative supervisors from the ministry investigatethe case, as we have previously received manyunfounded complains,” he explained.

The administrative supervisors then go to theschool and inspect the subject of the complainand write their report. “The supervisors will lis-ten to the testimony of students without thepresence of the teacher so they can speak freely.In case that the complaint is genuine, the legaldepartment at the Ministry will correspond withthe school on their violations and will decide thesanctions taken against the school. Also, allinvolved parties including the principal, schooldirector and others may be called for investiga-tion at the ministry. The ministry’s administrativesupervisors also go on random inspections todifferent schools and send reports to the min-istry and deal with any violations,” stressed Basri.

The Private Education Department at theMinistry has a team of specialists in psychologyto study aggression in schools. “The team stud-ies this and other phenomena to get to knowthe reasons behind them. Inspectors alsoobserve and study verbal or physical attacks onstudents by teachers. And if they find such inci-

dents, the school management should proveany sanctions taken against the guilty teacherwith documents. Corporal punishment of stu-dents may be normal in some cultures or coun-tries for instance, but it’s not acceptable inKuwait, so the teacher should be informedabout this,” he concluded.

According to Othman, a teacher at a publichigh schools for boys in Mubarak Al-Kabeer,such problems do not exist at the school wherehe teaches. “Our school is small and we haveonly 14 classes. So in general, the environment isfriendly. All students know each other, and fightsrarely happen. And if one breaks out, it’s endedquickly as the administration is very strict andrespected. They don’t allow any fights inside oreven outside the school. Also, all students areKuwaitis, so differences are slight,” he explained.

Manal, a mother of two boys, both studyingin a public school in Ahmadi, agreed that bully-ing and aggression exists in their school. “I heardfrom my sons that fights happened in theirschool and some students were injured withpencils. They once told me that a boy wasinjured in a fight where knives were used. But Ithank God that they never have never participat-ed in any serious fights. In the beginning, I wasafraid that something bad may happen to them,but later I felt they will be fine,” she hoped.

Bullying and violencewidespread in schools Reprisal stops parents from reporting bullying

KUWAIT: Students in a school in Kuwait are seen at the start of the school year. The file image isused for illustrative purposes only. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

News

Jazeera may invest in KACKUWAIT: Following the parliament’sapproval of a decree law to turn KuwaitAirways into a shareholding company,which opens the door for local aviationcompanies take part in its privatization,Jazeera Airways Chairman MarwanBoodai stressed that his company waskeen on making more investments inthe Kuwaiti aviation business in general,including in KAC. He added that likeany other investment opportunity,inventors have to run proper feasibilitystudies prior to making any decision. “Asfar as KAC is concerned, it had notissued an audited budget for the pastfew years,” he remarked underliningthat he was conservatively interested ininvesting in KAC.

Children vaccination KUWAIT: Informed health sources saidthat the health ministry has recentlyupgraded its child vaccination strategyfor children below five to use one vacci-nation shot against six diseases insteadof the five-disease one previously used.The sources added that the new vacci-nation would provide immunity againstpolio, diphtheria, whooping cough,tetanus, viral hepatitis and haemophilusinfluenza type B.

Shuaiba power problemKUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity andWater said yesterday that the powerwent off in some parts of Shuaibaindustrial area due to an electric fusemalfunction in one of the transformers.The ministry said in a statement thatthe malfunction which occurred at11:10 am was fixed and the power wasfully restored in the area by 12:45 pm,adding that the ministry is investigatingthe cause of the problem.

KPIOS employees stage protestKUWAIT: Dozens of employees at the

Kuwait Pipe Industries and Oil ServicesCompany (KPIOS) staged a sit in yester-day morning in protest for not beingpaid salaries for two months, accordingto their statements. They demonstratedat the company’s headquarters inSulaibiya near the Central Prison, Al-Aannews website reported yesterday. Theprotesting employees, who are expatri-ates and bedoons, expressed frustrationfor what they said was ‘empty promises’from company officials who theyaccused of repeatedly delaying theirpay.

Iraq’s oil fields KUWAIT: Well-informed oil sourcessaid that Kuwait Foreign PetroleumExplorations Co. (KUFPEC), a KPC sub-sidiar y, has recently qual i f ied fordeveloping I raq’s oi l f ields andreceived a letter from I raq in thisregard. Aside from the security situa-tions in Iraq, KUFPEC would face somechallenges such as hindrances to itsreserve increasing policy since manyIraqi oil fields refuse disclosing infor-mation about their assets and thenumber of barrels they produce, whichis against investment policies. “Thebest option would be to produce gasto be used in Kuwait ”, added thesources. Notably, during his recentvisit to Iraq, HH the PM asked his coun-terpart about the reason KUFPEC wasnot operating in Iraq, which broughtthe idea to both officials’ attention.Established by its parent companyKPC, KUFPEC is an international oilcompany, engaged in exploration,development and production of crudeoil and natural gas outside Kuwait,active in Africa, Middle East, Asia, UK,Norway and Australia. KUFPEC partici-pates in 60 joint venture prjects withsimilar companies in E&P of Oil andGas both as an operator and partner in14 different countries.

in brief

KUWAIT: A committee was formed at theMinistry of Social Affairs and Labor toprobe complaints and problems on visatrafficking in Kuwait in response to recentreports which suggested that a networkof employees was running a secret visatrafficking business and puts obstacles infront of efforts to fight the crime.

According to a source, the committeewas formed on the orders of Minister ofSocial Affairs and Labor and StateMinister of Planning and DevelopmentHind Al-Subaih.

“It was given a one-month ultimatumto finish collecting all complaints, evi-dence and information about visa traf-ficking in recent years in a bid to identifythe main sources of the problems and setthe proper direction to protect the rightsof both expatriate labor forces andemployers,” said the source who spoke toAl-Qabas on the condition of anonymity.

He gave good indications that thestep could help ident i fy suspec tsand then refer them to the publicprosecution.

Ministry probes visa trafficking

KUWAIT: In an interview with Kuwait’s local Arabic daily Annahar,Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi hailed bilateral relationsbetween Kuwait and Egypt.

Though he stressed his understanding of the political reasonsbehind it, he noted that Kuwait’s aid and support in the aftermath ofthe June 30 revolution was not up the Egyptians’ aspirations.

Al-Beblawi also stressed that Kuwaiti investors in Egypt were com-pletely protected and despite improving American-Iranian relations, thesecurity of the Arabian Gulf states will always be a priority for Egypt.Commenting on the situation in Egypt, Al-Beblawi said that the MuslimBrotherhood was dying out and that the coming parliamentary elec-tions will end them once and for all.

‘Detectives’ rob AsiansBy Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: An Asian expat told Rumaithiya police that he was kid-napped by an unidentified person who claimed he was a detectivebefore robbing him of KD 108. Meanwhile, another Asian toldShuwaikh police an unidentified person robbed him of KD 75 andhe also posed as a detective.

* At Mubarak Al-Kabeer police station, a Kuwaiti youth accusedan unidentified person of breaking into his car and stealing a bot-tle of perfume.

* Hawally police arrested a citizen after hearing her threateningto kill a man following a car accident and the verbal argument thatfollowed.

* Criminal detectives from Hawally arrested several Africans ofvarious nationalities who swindled and cheated a number of peo-ple. Several complaints were received by Salmiya detectives fromjewellery stores in addition to citizens and expats on the use ofcounterfeit dollars and fake gold. The suspects entered the coun-try on visit visas through hotels.

Kuwaiti aid to Egypt ‘not up to aspirations’

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality continued its inspection campaigns on food stores in the capital municipality areas yesterday. Director General of Food and MarketsNassar bin Lami said the campaigns resulted in issuing 217 citations in addition to closing three stores and sending 248 samples for laboratory tests. — Hanan Al-Saadoun

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

KUWAIT: President of Association of NationalOlympic Committees (ANOC) and Chairman ofthe Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh AhmadAl-Fahad Al-Sabah opened here yesterday theregional office of the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA). Speaking on the sideline of the ThirdConference of the Regional Anti-DopingOrganizations (RADO) which kicked off onTuesday, Sheikh Ahmad said that Kuwait waskeen on hosting the regional office for WADA duethe GCC country’s commitment to sports.

He noted that the WADA regional office willplay an integral part in informing the youth onthe dangers of doping in sports, saying that theOCA would cooperate with WADA in this aspect.

The Third Conference of the Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADO) began with theparticipation of representatives of 123 countries.The conference will last till Friday.

In a speech read out on behalf of OlympicCouncil of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, OCA Director General Hussein Al-Mussallam stated that combating doping is of agreat importance to sports. He noted that the useof doping threaten the very sense of fairness insports.

He pointed out that the 15 years-long cooper-ation between OCA and WADA proved very fruit-

ful in curbing doping in Asia, particularly duringthe Asian Games.

The number of athletes who used to test posi-tive for doping usage was between 50-60, butthrough cooperation with WADA, the OCA man-aged to take this number down to 15 only, Al-Mussallam unveiled.

He stressed that the OCA is keen on continu-ing cooperation with WADA and RADO to eradi-cate doping in Asia sport.

He called on all countries to take all necessarymeasures and to cooperate with internationaland regional organizations to put an end to sucha negative phenomenon.

He expressed hopes the conference wouldend up with resolutions and recommendations toachieve this important goal.

For his part, WADA Chief Craig Reedieapplauded the high level cooperation betweenWADA and OCA.

Holding this conference in Kuwait for the thirdtime shows WADA’s great interest in intensifyingefforts to combat doping in sport in Asia and thewhole world, Reedie said.

He stated that WADA aims to raise awarenessabout the dangers of athletes’ use of steroids insport and to encourage athletes to abide by rele-vant regulations.

He underscored the importance of coopera-tion among all relevant organizations and allmaking use of the best practices examples indoping control.

The four-day conference features various activ-ities that tackle wide array of key issues relevantto latest studies, approach, legislations and suc-cess stories as well as international conventions infighting doping in sports.

RADO are established by a group of countriesto coordinate, manage and implement doping-free sport programs in a specific region.

Member states pool financial resources andexpertise to implement quality anti-doping pro-grams that comply with the World Anti-DopingCode.

There are currently 15 RADO bringing togetherover 119 countries worldwide.

RADO can help international federations, majorevent organizations and other stakeholders with:in-competition and out-of-competition testingutilizing a global network of qualified DopingControl Officers, therapeutic Use Exemptions(TUE) through trained and functioning TUECommittees, results management and appealsthrough regional expert panels, and educationand awareness, using local languages and person-nel to deliver anti-doping messages. —KUNA

Anti-doping cooperation among world bodiesRegional office opened in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Dignitaries at the opening of ‘Auto Moto 2014’ exhibition.

KUWAIT: In line to being closer to youth’sand the general public’s interest in the everevolving and exciting automotive industry,Zain, the leading telecommunications com-pany in Kuwait, announced its Platinumsponsorship of the ‘Auto Moto 2014’ exhibi-tion that is being held from Jan 21 to 25 at360 Mall. The event is held under thepatronage of the Minister of Informationand the Minster of State for Youth AffairsSheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-HamoudAl-Sabah. This was Zain’s second consecu-tive year of sponsorship of this highlyattended event.

‘Auto Moto 2014’ exhibition will inspireyouth’s aspirations of the automotive worldwhereby the event accommodates 70

exclusive cars and bikes from 27International renowned worldwide auto-motive brands. The event additionallyexhibits various automotive modelsdebuts, whereby attendees can be able togo on test drives to try out their favoritecars and bikes.

Zain’s sponsorship of this event isindicative of its dedication to youth’s pas-sion and aspirations, sparing no efforts insupporting premium events that cater tothe younger generation.

Based on the exhibition’s previous suc-cess, Auto Moto has become Kuwait ’sbiggest automotive show providing anexcellent platform between the manufac-tures, local agents and local clients.

Zain platinum sponsor of‘Auto Moto ‘ exhibition

CAIRO: Minister of Information andMinister of State for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah saidyesterday that Kuwaiti leadership wasproud of Egypt ’s decision to nameKuwait as guest of honor at the 45thCairo International Book Fair.

“Kuwaiti leadership is proud of thischoice and considers it a great Egyptianand Arab honor for Kuwait culture,” theInformation Minister said upon arrival atCairo to partake in the opening ceremo-ny of the book fair.

Sheikh Salman, who doubles as chair-man of the National Council for Culture,Arts and Letters (NCCAL), expressed grat-itude for Egyptian Minister of CultureMohammad Saber Arab and Head of theGeneral Egyptian Book Organization(GEBO) Ahmad Majahed for their choiceof Kuwait as a guest of honor for CairoBook Fair.

He also lauded the historic and

deeply-seated political and cultural rela-tions between Kuwait and Egypt. Hepointed out that the Cairo InternationalBook Fair, which was launched in 1969, isone of the largest and most importantbook fairs in the Middle East.

“The fair is held this year amid specialpolitical and social developments whichhighlight central and important role ofintellectuals in writing the history ofnation,” the minister said. He stated thatKuwait pavilions in the book fair willremain open for two week.

The minister unveiled that Kuwaiticontribution to fair will include photogalleries and the latest publications ofthe Ministry of Information and theNCCAL. Moreover, Kuwaiti bands willperform a special operetta and folklorearts. Kuwaiti several writers and intel-lectuals will deliver a number of lec-tures and partake in the book fair semi-nars. —KUNA

Kuwait guest of honor at Cairo Book Fair

KIA top foreign investor in China

BEIJING: Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) hasbecome the biggest foreign investor in China’s renmin-bi (RMB or yuan) public market with a total USD 2.5 bil-lion investment quota, the Chinese government said.

According to the State Administration of ForeignExchange (SAFE), KIA received fresh quota of $500 mil-lion this week for direct investment in the Chinesesecurities market.

With the new allocation, KIA’s accumulated invest-ment quota as a qualified foreign institutional investor(QFII) reached $1.5 billion.

Separately, in 2012, KIA received a $one billion quo-ta under another program managed by China’s centralbank to invest in the domestic interbank bond market.

The latest announcement boosted KIA’s combinedinvestment quota in the Chinese stock and interbankbond markets to $2.5 billion, promoting KIA as top for-eign investor in China’s renminbi public market. Thiscame amid the yuan’s strengthening trend against thedollar, which makes it more difficult for foreigninvestors to get approval of quota.

The yuan has appreciated about 30 percent since2006. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Chairman of the Environment PublicAuthority Salah Al-Mudhi said the SupremeCouncil for Environment will soon hold its firstmeeting for 2014 with the presence of Minister ofOil and the council acting chairman, Ali Al-Omair.

Al-Mudhi said yesterday participants in themeeting will discuss the camping issue and EPA’splans on safeguarding the environment. They willalso examine a proposed law for a unified GCCsystem concerning materials that are harmful tothe Ozone layer, he noted.

The authority will organize a ceremony, onThursday, to honor those who participated in thesuccessful campaign to remove illegal camps inSouth Al-Ahmadi, said the Chairman. All 850camps were removed from the area, with about

3,500 tents, including other camps used to raiseanimals or for other commercial purposes, saidAl-Mudhi.

The team had faced many obstacles due tothe heavy rains, he noted, praising the coopera-tion between the authority, Kuwait Oil Company(KOC), the Council of Ministers and the Ministry ofInterior. The campers were cooperative with theteam, said Al-Mudhi, noting that the authorityhad previously given a deadline for them to evac-uate for safety reasons.

Removing camps in this area aims to protectcitizens from lethal gas or oil leakage, since Al-Ahmadi has oil refineries, he said, adding that it isalso a procedure to protect the country’s vitalprojects in that area. —KUNA

Environment Councilto hold meeting

report said.The report said, “The year 2013 saw

increased violations of free speech inKuwait. The authorities brought casesagainst at least 29 people whoexpressed critical views of the govern-ment over Twitter, Facebook, blogs,other social media platforms, and atprotests. HRW knows of nine cases in2012.”

Most of these cases have beenbrought under article 25 of Kuwait’spenal code of 1970, which prescribes asentence of up to five years in prisonfor anyone who publicly “objects to therights and authorities of the Amir orfaults him.” The article gives no detailon what constitutes an offense. Kuwaitwould have to demonstrate incitementto violence or similar crimes for thesecases to meet international standards

on permissible restrictions of freespeech. HRW documented eight casesof political commentary that did notamount to incitement to violence, butthat Kuwaiti courts in 2013 found vio-lated article 25,” the report said.

In Ramadan, His Highness the AmirSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahissued a pardon for all those beenjailed under article 25. “However, theauthorities subsequently broughtcharges against at least one individualunder that article, indicating that thepardon does not represent a change ingovernment policy,” the report said.

Migrant workersOn the topic of migrant workers,

HRW says, migrant workers make uparound 2 million of Kuwait’s populationof 2.9 million, including more than

600,000 domestic workers. In March2013, the government announced thatit intended to reduce the number ofexpatriate workers by 100,000 everyyear for the next 10 years, in order tobring the total down to one million.Kuwait has since adopted a number ofmechanisms facilitating quick, non-judicial deportations in order to reachits goals.

In April, Kuwait implemented a poli-cy of deporting migrants after they hadcommitted their first major traffic viola-tion. By September, according to localhuman rights organizations, theMinistry of Interior had deported 1,258expatriates for traffic violations. InAugust, the health ministry announcedthat it would deport any expatriateswith confirmed cases of infectious dis-eases, though Human Rights Watchhad not documented any such depor-tations at time of writing. These depor-tations occur without any judicialreview.

Kuwait has also adopted indirectmethods to push migrants to leave. InMarch, Kuwait adopted regulationsrequiring expatriates applying for adriving license to be 18 or over, pass adriving test, be a legal resident for atleast two years, have a universitydegree, and earn at least KD400 permonth. The report said that local mediareported in August that authoritiesbegan evicting expatriate tenants fromprivate homes owned by Kuwaiti citi-zens. According to local NGOs, residen-tial buildings that are rented out toexpatriates must be classified as“investment accommodations.”

Death penaltyOn June 18, 2013, Kuwaiti authori-

ties hanged two Egyptian men, oneconvicted of abduction and rape, andthe other on murder charges. It wasKuwait’s second round of executions in2013, and the first time it had appliedthe death penalty since 2007.

The report concluded, “The UnitedStates, in its 2013 US State Department’sannual Trafficking in Persons report, clas-sified Kuwait as Tier 3-among the mostproblematic countries-for the seventhyear in a row. The report cited Kuwait’sfailure to report any arrests, prosecutions,convictions, or sentences of traffickers foreither forced labor or sex trafficking, andweak victim protection measures.

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

HRW annual report blasts West on Syria

KUWAIT: New York-based HumanRights Watch slammed western gov-ernments for failing to put enoughpressure and end the slaughters inSyria, in the organization’s 2014 reportwhich was released on Tuesday. Theorganization criticized Gulf govern-ments for funding extremist groups inSyria.

“Governments in the (Middle East)region have also been unhelpful.Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt have report-edly refused to enforce Arab Leaguesanctions, sending oil to keep Syria’skilling machine running. Gulf countries,including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, havereportedly armed and funded extrem-ist groups that have been responsiblefor repeated atrocities, and along withKuwait, have closed their eyes to fund-ing by their citizens. Iran and Hezbollahcontinue to back the Syrian govern-ment,” the Human Rights Watch (HRW)World Report 2014 said.

The report said, “The Syrian govern-ment’s policy of waging war by killingcivilians, and increasing abuses byrebel groups, elicited horror in 2013but not enough pressure from worldleaders to end atrocities and hold per-petrators to account,”. The initial inter-national response was more effectivewhen several African countries facedmass atrocities.

The report which summarizes key

human rights issues in more than 90countries worldwide and draws on lastyear’s events contrasted the handlingof the conflict in Syria with the speedyreaction of the international communi-ty in Central African Republic, SouthSudan, and the Democratic Republic ofCongo. HRW executive directorKenneth Roth presented the report at apress conference held in Berlin,Germany- the country, Roth says, hasbeen a flashpoint of global outrageover the NSA’s operations. The reportfurther criticized Middle East govern-ments for failing to do the necessary.

The report said, “In many countries,a misguided equation of democracywith the presumed desires of a majorityprompted rulers to suppress minorityviews and groups, most notably inEgypt. The disclosures of the whistle-blower Edward Snowden showed thatthe US government’s mass surveillancehas eradicated much of our privacy in aworld that virtually requires electroniccommunication. But global outrage atthis assault on the right to privacyoffers some promise of change.”

“Despite a swiftly rising death tolland horrific abuses, Russia and Chinaneutered the UN Security Council andenabled the killing of Syrian civilians byboth sides,” Roth said. “As the Geneva IIpeace talks begin, with uncertainprospects of success, they shouldn’tbecome the latest excuse to avoidaction to protect Syrian civilians. Thisrequires real pressure to stop the killingand allow the delivery of the humani-tarian aid they need to survive.”

Russia, backed by China, has consis-tently protected the Syrian govern-ment from international action at theUnited Nations, whether explicit con-demnation, an arms embargo, or refer-ral to the International Criminal Court(ICC), HRW said. But for its own reasons,the United States has also been reluc-tant to push for justice via the ICC.“According to media reports, Gulf coun-tries and individuals are arming andfunding extremist opposition groupsresponsible for atrocities, while Iranand Hezbollah back the abusive gov-ernment of Bashar Al-Assad,” the reportsaid.

According to the report, despite thisfailure in Syria, the doctrine of a global“responsibility to protect” vulnerablepeople from mass atrocities, endorsedby the world’s governments in 2005,was strengthened by the reaction tothe prospect of mass atrocities in sever-al African countries, though muchmore needs to be done to avoid large-scale killing there, Human Rights Watchsaid. In the Central African Republicand South Sudan, the African Union,France, the US, and the UN reinforcedinternational missions in an effort toprevent the slaughter of civilians.Pressure from allies and an increasedUN peacekeeping presence convincedRwanda to stop its military support forthe latest in a succession of rebelgroups committing atrocities in theeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the report HRW said, “A notablenumber of governments paid lip serv-ice to democracy while mocking therights central to democratic rule. Newgovernments, including in Egypt andBurma, purported to enact the majori-ty’s will without regard to the limits onmajorities that are critical to any realdemocracy with respect to the rightsof dissenters and minorities. But peo-ple did not take such assaults ondemocracy sitting down, with wide-

spread protest in many countries,including Turkey, Thailand, andUkraine. In Egypt, both the MuslimBrotherhood government and the mili-tary-dominated government ignoredthe proper limits on governmentalpower, but the military’s overthrow ofits predecessor led to intensifiedoppression and the worst mass killingin the country’s recent history.”

The report also highlighted abusesin struggling democracies, callingEgypt the “most glaring example of theabuse of majoritarianism in 2013.” Thereport criticized the government of for-mer President Mohammed Morsi,which it said ruled “in a manner that leftsecular and minority groups fearingexclusion in an Islamist-dominatedgovernment.”

The New York-based group also saidthat in the wake of Morsi’s military-backed ouster in July, the interim gov-ernment of General Abdel Fattah el-Sissi had launched the “worst repres-sion that Egypt has known in decades,including by killing hundreds ofMuslim Brotherhood protesters.”

“Authoritarian governments adopt-ed the form but not the substance ofdemocracy, as if all that matters is avote on election day, not public debatefor the rest of the year,” Roth said. “Thisfeigned democracy rejects basic princi-ples: that laws apply to those in power,

and that governments should respectfree speech and uphold the rights ofunpopular minorities.”

Snowden’s revelations and reportingon the impact of targeted killings inYemen and Pakistan have underminedUS efforts to hide human rights abusesspawned in the struggle against terror-ism. That has led to intense publicscrutiny of global mass electronic sur-veillance and of targeted killings by aer-ial drones. While the exposure of abu-sive US counterterrorism practices hasnot stopped them, there is new interna-tional pressure for change, HRW said.

For the first time a HRW’s reportincludes a warning about data protec-tion. A major topic in the report con-cerned the revelations of mass surveil-lance by the United States made publicby fugitive and former National SecurityAgency (NSA) contractor EdwardSnowden. Spying on private communi-cations violates fundamental data pro-tection rights, said HRW, calling for aclear regulatory framework to keepintelligence services in check HRW said

the US was setting a dangerous exam-ple for the world with its sweeping sur-veillance programs.

Roth slammed US President BarackObama’s speech last Friday, in which hepledged surveillance reforms as notgoing far enough. “All Obama hasoffered us is some vague assurance thatpeople’s communications will be lis-tened to only if there is a national secu-rity interest at stake, which is a prettyfuzzy broad standard,” Snowden said. “Innone of this has there been a recogni-tion that non-Americans outside theUnited States have a right to the privacyof their communications,” he was quot-ed saying.

The report said that President BarackObama halted some Bush-era programssuch as its forcible disappearance ofsuspects to torture them in secret CIAdetention centers, but he has stymiedefforts to prosecute the people whoordered the torture or even to investi-gate their crimes. “In May, Obama sug-gested that the time was coming whendrone attacks should not be treated asan element of a global war on Al-Qaedaand its affiliates, and he outlined strin-gent policies to avoid civilian casualties.But it is not clear whether these policiesare being followed.”

Global outrage following Snowden’sdisclosures sparked a UN GeneralAssembly resolution stigmatizing indis-criminate global surveillance as deeply

harmful to human rights. A US presiden-tial reform panel called for an end to thebulk collection of metadata, more effec-tive judicial review, greater privacy pro-tection for non-Americans, andincreased transparency. Some govern-ments with poor records of protectingfree speech may respond by insistingthat user data stay within their borders,raising the possibility of increasedInternet censorship.

Focus on KuwaitIn Kuwait, the report said, recurring

political disputes between the govern-ment and Parliament paralyzed politicalinstitutions and the passage of mostnew legislation. A constitutional courtruling in June 2013 dissolved the parlia-ment formed in December 2012.However, the court upheld controver-sial amendments to the electoral lawthat had prompted the opposition’sboycott of the polls in 2012 andsparked violent street protests.Elections in July 2013 led to the forma-tion of a new parliament, including twowomen among its 50 members, oneless than in 2012.

The report says that Kuwait contin-ues to exclude thousands of statelesspeople, known as bedoon, from full citi-zenship, despite their longstandingroots in Kuwaiti territory. The govern-ment has aggressively cracked down on

free speech. HRW said, “A new effort to dramati-

cally reduce the number of migrantworkers in Kuwait has led to the imple-mentation of regulations to allow forswift and unlawful deportation.”

On the topic of minorities treatmentthe report said: “There are at least105,702 stateless people in Kuwait,known as bedoon. After an initial regis-tration period for citizenship ended in1960, authorities shifted bedoon citi-zenship claims to a series of administra-tive committees that for decades haveavoided resolving the claims.“Authorities claim that many bedoonare “illegal residents” who deliberatelydestroyed evidence of another nation-ality in order to get the generous bene-fits that Kuwait provides its citizens,” thereport said.

In March 2011, the governmentgranted bedoon certain benefits andservices, such as free health care andeducation, as well as registration ofbirths, marriages, and deaths. SomeBedoon have complained there are stilladministrative hurdles to accessingthese benefits. In March 2013 theParliament passed a law to naturalize4,000 “foreigners” in 2013, touting thisas a measure to address the citizenshipof bedoon. Activists in the bedooncommunity have said this measure hasnot benefitted their community, but isbeing used to grant citizenship to chil-dren born to Kuwaiti mothers and for-eign fathers. The government con-firmed to HRW that so far no bedoonhad benefited from the law. Somebedoon activists say that the real num-ber of bedoon in Kuwait is closer to240,000, reflecting the government’sfailure to update its statistics, the reportstated.

Members of the bedoon communityfrequently take to the streets to protestthe government’s failure to address theircitizenship claims, despite governmentwarnings that bedoon should not gath-er in public. Article 12 of the 1979 PublicGatherings Law bars non-Kuwaitis fromparticipating in public gatherings.

Women’s rightsOn women’s rights the report said

that in January, Kuwait gave women theright to apply for posts as prosecutors,which until then were only open tomale candidates. This will allow womento pursue careers as judges in thefuture. However women continue toface discrimination in many otheraspects of their lives, and large legalgaps remain in protections for women.Kuwait has no laws prohibiting domes-tic violence, sexual harassment, or mari-tal rape. In addition, Kuwaiti womenmarried to non-Kuwaiti men cannotgive their spouses or children Kuwaiticitizenship. Kuwaiti law does not letwomen marry a partner of their choiceif their father will not grant permission,the report said. “In May, the Kuwaitiauthorities announced that SaudiArabian women would not be providedwith drivers’ licenses while in Kuwaitwithout the permission of their maleguardians; women are not allowed todrive in Saudi Arabia,” the report said.

“On the issue of freedom of assem-bly, the report said that governmentforces responded with excessive vio-lence to multiple demonstrations bybedoon and Kuwaiti citizens. HRW doc-umented one case where special forcesofficers beat a demonstrator in April2013 when detaining him, and heardallegations of many more cases,” the

“Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have reportedly armed and funded extremist groups that have been responsible for repeated atrocities, and along with Kuwait,

have closed their eyes to funding by their citizens.”

Women in Kuwait continue to face discrimination in many otheraspects of their lives, and large legal gaps remain in protections

for women and the country has no laws prohibiting domesticviolence, sexual harassment, or marital rape.

Kenneth Roth

LO C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

Al-A

nbaa

Egyptians pin

hopes on SisiBy Osama Al-Sharif

In my view

Despite sporadic protests by MuslimBrotherhood (MB) supporters, Egypt man-aged to pass an important milestone last

week when it successfully held a two-day constitu-tional referendum. The poll was one of the mainobjectives of the military drawn road map that wasissued following last July’s overthrow of PresidentMohamed Morsi. It now opens the way for anothermajor goal, which is to hold fresh presidential vote, inMarch, to be followed by new legislative elections.

But turnout for the constitutional referendum wasless than what was expected by the media and polls:At about 39 percent of those eligible to vote. Still theresult was an overwhelming “yes” for the new consti-tution sending a message that Egyptians wanted sta-bility and security, six months after the overthrow ofMorsi. It was a blow to the Muslim Brotherhood andthose who support them since more people turnedout to vote for the new constitution than in 2012,when the MB drafted its own basic law.

Everything is relative really as Egypt inches slowlytoward restoring full democratic rule while recover-ing from the tumultuous events that marked thethree years following the unseating of formerPresident Hosni Mubarak. The election of Morsi divid-ed the Egyptians even when he was celebrated asEgypt’s first freely elected leader. Eventually his con-tentious policies and accusations of serving his fol-lowers at the expense of the rest of citizens forcedthe army to step in to save the country. A new figureemerged on the scene; that of the army’s top manGen Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. He has become the centralfigure in Egyptian politics and his popularity hasreached record levels as he contemplates calls to runas president in March.

He is expected to make his decision soon andpundits believe he will contest the presidential elec-tions. Egypt needs a strong leader now and while thelofty goals of the Jan 25 uprising may have beensidestepped, the priority now for most Egyptians isthe restoration of stability and the defeat of terror-ism.

Those who believe that Egypt has rid itself of sixdecades of military rule will be disappointed. Themilitary establishment will continue to play a central

role in Egyptian political life. The new constitutionhas given unprecedented privileges to the militaryestablishment and the defense minister. And thosewho think that the June 30 demonstrations againstMorsi’s rule have underlined the goals of the Jan 25uprising are also wrong. The fact is that a new coursehas been set for the country; one that resurrects theso-called “deep state” with its ruling and influentialelites who are allied with the military. It is not unlikethe era of Mubarak when an authoritarian cliquegoverned through artificial democratic institutions.

It is also a disappointment to a generation ofyoung and secular Egyptians who constituted thedriving force behind the uprising that eventually top-pled Mubarak. But the majority of Egyptians is tiredand wants stability. They are now willing to overlookthe reinstatement of the military’s rule in return foran end to chaos and economic stagnation. They alsoknow that a strong military is the only answer tospreading terrorist attacks that are slowly movingfrom far-away Sinai and into the heart of the NileValley.

Sisi knows that his decision to run for presidentwill be greeted by millions. He had hoped that a bigturnout for the referendum would justify his deci-sion. So far his candidacy is the only realistic scenariofor the future. But if he decides not to run, the politi-cal stage will have to be rearranged. There are nostrong candidates who can create a popular surgeand unify Egyptians. Political parties are small andineffective and with the absence of the Islamists,none of the remaining players can rally the crowds.There is a sense of urgency about concluding thegoals of the roadmap and restoring legitimate insti-tutions. The military-backed transitional governmenthas failed to alleviate economic burdens that havebecome Egyptians’ most important concern.

Naturally, Sisi knows that moving to the presiden-tial palace will not end Egypt’s huge challenges. Hissoaring popularity today may suffer a year or twofrom now if his government fails to revive the econo-my or defeat the terrorists. But this is a price he mustbe ready to pay. The path toward completing thegoals of the roadmap is open now and in fewmonths Egypt will move into a new post-Islamist era.

The unfinished revolutionary

In my view

By Mahir Ali

A lesson from India

By Dr Shamlan Yousuf Al-Essa

kuwait digest

Iam visiting the largest and most prestigious democracy inthe Third World. This multiethnic and multi-religious coun-try lives a quiet and peaceful life that is far from grudges,

hatred and unjustified violence. The Indian city of Mumbaicelebrated the New Year with noise, fireworks, music anddancing in the streets that lasted until 5 am. Mumbai’s cele-bration this year has a funny story that we citizens shouldbenefit from and follow. Commander of Mumbai’s policeordered hotels, restaurants, clubs and bars to conclude theircelebrations at 1:30 am, and the reason behind this is securi-ty, because this city witnessed terrorist operations during cel-ebrations twice, once in 1993 and another in 2008, and theresult was tens killed and wounded. Businessmen, the own-ers of hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs were to be harmedby the decision of the police commander and went to the topcourt in Mumbai, and the ruling was historic as it refused tolimit parties until 1:30 and decided to allow celebrations until5 am in all the places mentioned above.

What is the lesson to be learned from the Indian experi-ence in Mumbai? The first lesson is that in democratic coun-tries, the executive authority does take decisions that affectpeople’s interests and their private lives alone. In Kuwait, thegovernment issued a decision to ban New Year parties, andkept owners of restaurants, hotels and clubs from holdingparties, and there is no reason for this ban other that thegovernment’s attempt to appease Islamic parties and fac-tions in order to get their approval at the expense of citizens,particularly the Christians, and this is violation of the sim-plest of constitutional rules that allow celebration of reli-

gious occasions.The second lesson is that the civil society and citizens in

general bowed to the abusive policies of the government, asowners of hotels, restaurants and malls did not file com-plaints against the government because their interests wereharmed, because the legal culture is almost non-existent in alarge sector of citizens. The government lately cancelled apublic lecture about a well known Islamic personality with-out reason.

The third lesson: Kuwait’s government did not only vio-late the law by banning parties, but the encroachment onfreedoms principle and the people’s right to listen to lecturesand seminars, as long as they are peaceful, cultural and sci-entific. Policemen had the audacity to say they will raid tents,apartments, homes and farms where parties are to be held,without having the press, members of parliament or allthose defending freedoms saying anything that this is con-trary to the simplest principles of personal freedom, becauseno one has the right to raid a camp, house or flat with theaim of fighting vice and ban parties. The government - anygovernment - is not responsible for people’s behavior,because the morals issue is relative and differs from one indi-vidual to another.

Among the strange ironies in our country is that the issueof morals and religion is limited to private freedoms only,while the stealing of public funds, corruption in state depart-ments, bribery, wasta and influence are all accepted reli-giously and morally, but youth parties are prohibited andbanned. — Al-Watan

In a year marking the centenary of the outbreak of a land-mark European conflict that profoundly shaped the 20thcentury, the specific causes and wide-ranging conse-

quences of what was once commonly known as the GreatWar will no doubt be closely examined and hotly debated.Events in the Middle East are perhaps the most obviousinstance of how great-power machinations during thecourse of that war - the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement andthe following year’s Balfour Declaration, for example - con-tinue to influence current affairs.

For much of the 20th century, it was deemed uncontro-versial to consider the two Russian revolutions of 1917 -particularly the second one - as the most consequentialoutcome of the war in world-historical terms. The Februaryrevolution overthrew a feudal tsarist order that had with-stood challenges from below for at least a dozen years. TheOctober revolution sought decisively to bury the past forgood, and was facilitated in part by the fact that interimregime persisted with the folly of a war in which the poorlyequipped Russian army, allied with Britain and France, facedmassive losses against the Germans.

The man whose single-minded determination was cru-cial to the Bolshevik project died 90 years ago this week,barely six years after the Bolshevik seizure of power inPetrograd. “Even in the camp of his enemies,” noted thewriter Maxim Gorky, “there are some who honestly admit: InLenin the world has lost the man ‘who embodied geniusmore strikingly than all the great men of his day’.”

One of the more prominent figures in this camp, thefuture British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, is creditedwith the intriguing observation that if Lenin’s birth wasRussia’s worst misfortune, his death was its second worst.Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, to give Lenin his proper name, wasin many ways an unlikely candidate for elevation tosupreme power in the vast Russian realm. A fierce combat-ant at the intellectual level, his struggle was mainly con-ducted in European exile, and even among the emigreintelligentsia, he was a divisive figure. His thesis that Russiacould effectively skip the bourgeois-democratic phase tak-en for granted in Marxist circles and transition from a large-ly feudal economy to a socialist one was viewed with skep-ticism even by some of his closest comrades.

With the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, it is of course easy todismiss the experiment that Lenin initiated as a monstrousfailure. It’s equally easy to overlook the fact that Lenin andmany of his peers were convinced that the success of theirproject was contingent on similar revolutionary outbreakselsewhere in Europe, particularly in Germany. And, whilesuch outbreaks did indeed occur in the aftermath of theFirst World War, they were sooner or later crushed by theforces of the existing order.

It is impossible to say exactly how the trajectory of theSoviet Union - established in 1922, after an extraordinarilydestructive civil war in which a number of western powersintervened on the side of the anti-Bolshevik White Army -would have varied had Lenin remained at its helm forlonger. But there would no doubt have been significant dif-ferences. The Leninist concept of a heavily centralized van-

guard party has been thoroughly derided, sometimes withgood cause, but even the Communist Party would havebeen a rather different beast had it not been reduced to anintellectually impotent vehicle for one-man rule, as it wasunder Josef Stalin, who made sure he was the only memberof Lenin’s central committee left alive by 1940.

It has become commonplace over the decades to con-flate Leninism with Stalinism, and while the case for conti-nuity is simple to make, it is open to challenge at severallevels. Innumerable statues of Lenin have been toppledsince 1989, most recently amid the unrest in Ukraine, butreports of their demise almost never mention the fact thatthe personality cult around Lenin was strictly a posthumousphenomenon that served the purpose of Stalin and his suc-cessors. It is particularly potently exemplified by the prideof place still occupied in Moscow’s Red Square by the gran-ite mausoleum containing Lenin’s mummified corpse, atravesty that his widow failed to prevent in the face ofStalin’s insistence. The Lenin who left an abiding imprint onworld history, for better or for worse, deserves to be res-cued from a resting place he never chose and would proba-bly have abhorred.

A few years ago, the restless European intellectual SlavojZizek made a similar point when he noted: “One cannotseparate the unique constellation which enabled the revo-lutionary takeover in October 1917 from its later Stalinistturn: The very constellation that rendered the revolutionpossible (peasants’ dissatisfaction, a well-organized revolu-tionary elite, etc.) led to the Stalinist turn in its aftermath -therein resides the proper Leninist tragedy. RosaLuxemburg’s famous alternative ‘socialism or barbarism’ended up as the ironic identity of the two opposed terms:the ‘really existing’ socialism WAS barbarism.

“Consequently, to repeat Lenin does not mean a returnto Lenin - to repeat Lenin is to accept that ‘Lenin is dead’,that his particular solution failed, even failed monstrously,but that there was a utopian spark in it worth saving. Torepeat Lenin means that one has to distinguish betweenwhat Lenin effectively did and the field of possibilities thathe opened up, the tension in Lenin between what he effec-tively did and another dimension ... To repeat Lenin is torepeat not what Lenin did, but what he failed to do, hismissed opportunities.

Today, Lenin appears as a figure from a different time-zone: It’s not that his notions of the centralized party, etc.,seem to pose a “totalitarian threat” - it’s rather that theyseem to belong to a different epoch to which we can nolonger properly relate. However, instead of reading this factas the proof that Lenin is outdated, one should, perhaps,risk the opposite conjecture: What if this impenetrability ofLenin is a sign that there is something wrong with OURepoch? What if the fact that we experience Lenin as irrele-vant, “out of sync” with our postmodern times, impart themuch more unsettling message that our time itself is “out ofsync,” that a certain historical dimension is disappearingfrom it?”

There is certainly scope in that evaluation for, if nothingelse, a fruitful debate.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

Iraq PM calls for ‘stand’ against Anbar militantsPage 8

Mexican national’s lawyers want execution halted

Page 9

KIEV: A demonstrator throws a stone as protesters clash with police in the center of Kiev yesterday. At least two activists were shot dead yesterday as Ukrainian police stormed protesters’ barricades in Kiev, the first fatalities in twomonths of anti-government protests. — AFP

KIEV: Ukraine’s prime minister said yesterday that anti-gov-ernment protests had brought “terrorists” onto the streets ofKiev and pledged to punish all “criminal action”, even as pro-testers confronted police near government headquarters.Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, speaking to his cabinet, took atough line on the protesters, who yesterday massed anew intheir hundreds, inflamed by reports of at least five demonstra-tors dying overnight - two of them from gunshot wounds.

In words that appeared to foreshadow a police crackdown,Azarov said: “Terrorists from the ‘Maidan’ (IndependenceSquare) seized dozens of people and beat them. I am officiallystating that these are criminals who must answer for theiraction.” Azarov accused opposition leaders of inciting “criminalaction” by calling for anti-government protests, which he saiddestabilized the situation in Ukraine, a large former Sovietrepublic of 46 million people.

But in a move underlining US criticism of his government’sheavy-handed treatment of the protesters, the US embassy inKiev said it had revoked the visas of several Ukrainians linkedto police violence against protesters in November andDecember. It did not name the officials but said it was consid-ering further action against those responsible for the currentviolence. The European Union called on Ukraine’s governmentand opposition to “engage in a genuine dialogue”. “I stronglycondemn the violent escalation of events in Kiev overnightleading to casualties. The reported deaths of several protest-ers are a source of extreme worry,” EU foreign policy chiefCatherine Ashton said in a statement.

Weeks of protestsThe protesters have been out on the streets since

November, angered by President Viktor Yanukovich’s decisionto shun a trade pact with the EU and instead accept financialaid from Russia to prop up Ukraine’s ailing economy. Butevents took a violent turn on Sunday after a mass rally calledby the opposition to protest against sweeping new laws thatban any sort of anti-government protest. In continuedovernight violence into yesterday, two people died from gun-shot wounds, according to a statement by the general prose-cutor, and a third was said to have been killed in a fall from

atop the Dynamo football stadium. Fifty people were detained overnight and 29 of them were

officially charged with taking part in mass unrest, police said.A total of 167 police have been injured. There was no immedi-ate figure for civilians injured. Azarov said earlier that policedeployed on the streets did not possess firearms and the inte-rior ministry has denied that police have used guns during thecrisis. Yesterday’s violence erupted ironically as Ukrainemarked ‘National Unification Day’ - the day in 1919 whichbrought together that part of the country that had beenunder Russian rule with that which had been in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Battle zoneIn the worst violence that anyone can remember in Kiev, a

200-metre stretch of the city centre close to government build-ings and the parliament has been turned into a battle zone ashard-core protesters, ignoring opposition leaders’ pleas onlyfor peaceful demonstration, have bombarded police withpetrol bombs and cobblestones. Riot police have replied withrubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas. A group of priestsheld the two sides apart on Tuesday but the crowds were backyesterday after the deaths were reported.

Yanukovich has suggested he is ready for peace talks withthe opposition but these have yet to materialize and opposi-tion leader, boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, returned tothe barricades on Tuesday after Yanukovich refused to see him.In a Unification Day message, Yanukovich expressed the con-viction that 2014 would be a year of “mutual understandingand frank discussion about our common future”.

As snow fell yesterday, hundreds of protesters glared atpolice lines across a 40-metre ‘no-man’s land, beating on drumbarrels with sticks to mimic similar action by police on their riotshields. Riot police, known as Berkut, staged a baton-charge topush back protesters and seized canisters of harmful chemicalsthey said the demonstrators had been readying to use againstthem. After the Berkut withdrew, protesters returned to thespot. Earlier yesterday, police, using teargas, tried to dismantlea protest camp but were repelled by demonstrators hurlinghome-made petrol bombs, witnesses said. — Agencies

5 killed US revokes visas for ‘several’ Ukrainian officialsUkraine PM takes hard line on protests

WASHINGTON: Snow crews clear the sidewalk on Tuesday in Washington, DC. The DC area is embracing asnowstorm which could bring as much as 10 inches of snow. — AFP

NEW YORK: Millions of Americans braved a miserablecommute across the East coast Wednesday after a fiercestorm dumped more than a foot of snow from the Mid-Atlantic to New England. The federal government stum-bled back to work as bitter wind chills kept temperatures10 to 25 degrees below average with hundreds of flightscanceled and roads still icy. In New York, the mercurywould not rise beyond -10 Celsius but bone-chilling gustswould make it feel as low as -13 Fahrenheit, the NationalWeather Service said.

Schools were open and most subway lines ransmoothly but new mayor Bill de Blasio was roasted in thepress for bungling the second winter storm of his lessthan four-week administration. More than 1,700 plowswere to be mobilized across America’s biggest cityTuesday night to clear up to 10 inches of snow. But whenthe flakes hit earlier than expected Tuesday, residentsacross New York complained that road crews were tooslow to mobilize, causing a string of accidents and trafficgridlock.

“I can’t believe de Blasio could do this. He is puttingeveryone in danger,” Barbara Tamerin, 70, was quoted astelling The New York Post on the well-heeled Upper EastSide. “What is he thinking? I can barely get around - andI’m on snowshoes!” In Washington DC, it was back to workfor the federal government, which told civil servants - whoalready had Monday off for the Martin Luther King holiday- to stay home Tuesday.

Yesterday, federal agencies were to open two hours

late. Employees could also take unscheduled leave, andthose that can were allowed to work from home. Mostarea schools, in the city and neighboring Maryland andVirginia, were to remain closed again yesterday. The com-mute was slow, the glare of the sunshine combined withsand and salt on the roads mucking up windshields, mak-ing visibility poor and causing drivers to pull over on thehighway. Chicago residential areas were still digging outyesterday after being dumped with six to 12 inches ofsnow, canceling hundreds of flights and slowing trains, anAFP reporter said.

Philadelphia recorded up to 14 inches of snow onTuesday, the National Weather Service said. “On the EastCoast, the biggest snowfall event of the season thus far iswrapping up for the Mid-Atlantic and will persist until ear-ly Wednesday for southern New England,” it said.FlightAware, a website that monitors air traffic in real time,said more than 1,400 flights into, out of or within theUnited States had been canceled Wednesday and nearly3,000 Tuesday. National rail company Amtrak said it wouldoperate “a modified schedule” on its Northeast Corridorline between Washington and Boston, as well as on twoother routes in the hard-hit region.

In total governors of three states - Delaware, NewJersey and New York - declared states of emergency. NewJersey’s Chris Christie, who is battling allegations that hisoffice bullied political foes, also canceled a gala on EllisIsland in New York Harbor to mark the start of his newterm. — AFP

Bitterly cold US digs

out of northeast snow

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

NAIROBI: East African nations have approved a 5,500-strong military force for war-torn South Sudan to endweeks of bitter fighting that has devastated the youngnation, Kenya’s foreign minister said yesterday. Thousandshave been killed and half a million civilians forced to fleethe fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiirand rebels allied to his sacked deputy Riek Machar. “TheSecurity Council within IGAD has already adopted a reso-lution allowing 5,500 troops into South Sudan,” KenyanForeign Minister Amina Mohamed told reporters, refer-ring to the seven-member Intergovernmental Authorityon Development. IGAD is mediating deadlocked talks inEthiopia between the warring parties, to end a conflict in

which the United Nations says atrocities have been com-mitted, including mass killings, sexual violence and wide-spread destruction. Uganda, an IGAD-member, hasalready sent troops to South Sudan on its own and takena key role in the fighting in support of Kiir, and it was notclear if those soldiers would be included in the force.

Rebel chief Machar has demanded Kampala withdrawall forces, claiming Ugandan fighter jets have tried to killhim, and has questioned the neutrality of IGAD as a medi-ator. A draft cessation of hostilities deal seen by AFP andput to delegates in Addis Ababa proposes an IGAD-ledteam to monitor the proposed deal on the ground.Mohamed said the force would “support the monitoring

and verification of cessation of hostilities, to ensure thatpeace and normalcy return to the Republic of SouthSudan”. But she also said the force could be deployed“even before” a deal was agreed.

Mohamed said that Kenya-which deployed troops inSouth Sudan to help evacuate citizens trapped in thefighting-has been approached to send in troops as part ofthe force. “Some countries have already agreed to sendtroops, others are considering,” Mohamed said, initiallysaying Kenya would be willing to take part, but then latersaying a decision had yet to be made. The draft IGADceasefire accord presented to peace delegates meeting inAddis Ababa, notes the “scale of human suffering... with

great loss of human life”, since fighting broke out onDecember 15.

It also specifically highlights that both sides must“refrain” from attacking civilians, including summary exe-cutions, use of child soldiers as well as “rape, sexual abuseand torture”. Fighting has spiraled into ethnic killingsbetween members of Kiir’s Dinka people-the country’slargest group-and Machar’s Nuer. Many fear the conflicthas spun out of the control of the politicians who sparkedit. An emergency regional summit of IGAD leadersplanned for Thursday in Juba has been cancelled, but thesame issues of striking a deal will be discussed at theAfrican Union in Addis Ababa next week. — AFP

Regional nations approve military force for S Sudan

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calledyesterday for residents of the conflict-hit province ofAnbar to “take a stand” against anti-government fight-ers, as the UN warned of worsening displacement.

His call came as government forces pressed an offen-sive against militants, including those affiliated with theAl-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(ISIL), who overran parts of the Anbar provincial capitalRamadi weeks ago.

Diplomats have urged Baghdad to foster politicalreconciliation to undercut support for the militants, butwith elections looming in April, Maliki and others havetaken a hard line and focused on wide-ranging securityoperations.

“I ask the people of the province-the tribes, the nota-bles, and all who live there-to be ready to take a stand,to take serious action against those dirty people, with-out making any sacrifices,” Maliki said in his weekly tele-vised address.

He added, referring to Fallujah, another city in Anbarthat is entirely in the control of anti-government fight-ers: “It is time to finish this subject, and end the pres-ence of gangs in this city, and save the people fromtheir evil.”

Parts of Ramadi and all of Fallujah, both former insur-gent bastions in Anbar west of Baghdad, have been inthe hands of militants for weeks, the first time anti-gov-ernment fighters have exercised such open control inIraqi cities since the peak of the insurgency that fol-lowed the 2003 US-led invasion.

Soldiers, policemen and SWAT forces have combinedwith pro-government tribal allies in an offensive thatcontinued Wednesday against gunmen holding severalneighbourhoods of Ramadi, an AFP journalist in the citysaid.

The army said in a statement that 13 militants werekilled in firefights there. In Fallujah, meanwhile, shellingin southern and central neighbourhoods left one per-son dead and 10 people wounded yesterday, a medicsaid.

Residents of the city blame the army for the shelling,but defence officials say the military is not responsible.The government has tweaked its language in recentdays from referring to all anti-government fighters inAnbar simply as Al-Qaeda, and now uses terms such asgangs.

And while Fallujah residents and tribal sheikhs havesaid ISIL has tightened its grip on the city in recent days,several other militant groups and anti-governmenttribes have also been involved in fighting governmentforces in both cities in Anbar.

Iraqi security forces, meanwhile, have recruited theirown tribal allies to fight alongside them.

Over 22,000 families displacedThe United Nations warned on Tuesday of “an expo-

nential increase in the number of displaced and strand-ed families”, with more than 22,000 families having reg-istered as internally displaced.

The UN said the actual figure was likely to be higher,as not all those who fled had registered. It said of thosewho had left, most had found refuge elsewhere inAnbar, but some had gone as far afield as the northernKurdish region.

Fighting originally erupted in the Ramadi area onDecember 30, when security forces cleared a year-oldSunni Arab protest camp. It spread to Fallujah, and mili-tants moved in and seized the city and parts of Ramadiafter security forces withdrew.

Violence elsewhere in the country on Wednesday lefteight people dead, security and medical officials said.The deadliest incident occurred in Baghdad’s westernoutskirts, where three mortar shells slammed into a resi-dential neighbourhood, killing at least three people.

Attacks in and around the restive northern cities ofMosul, Tikrit and Kirkuk killed five others in all. The latestviolence brought to more than 700 the number of peo-ple killed so far this month, according to an AFP tally. Bycomparison, fewer than 250 people died as a result ofviolence in all of January 2013. — AFP

Iraq PM calls for ‘stand’

against Anbar militants

JOHANNESBURG: A new, 9-meter (29.5-foot) sculpture ofNelson Mandela is billed as the biggest statue of the SouthAfrican leader. It also has a tiny, barely visible quirk: a sculpt-ed rabbit tucked inside one of the bronze ears.

South African officials want the miniature bunny removedfrom the statue, which was unveiled outside the governmentcomplex in Pretoria, the capital, on Dec 16, a day afterMandela’s funeral. The department of arts and culture said itdidn’t know the two sculptors, Andre Prinsloo and RuhanJanse van Vuuren, had added a rabbit, said to be a discreetsignature on their work.

The bronze rabbit, sitting on its haunches with one floppyear, is about half the height of the ear canal. “It doesn’tbelong there,” said Mogomotsi Mogodiri, a departmentspokesman. “The statue represents what everyone in SouthAfrica is proud of.”

His department said in a statement that there are discus-sions on “how best to retain the integrity of the sculpturewithout causing any damage or disfigurement.”

Translation: pull the rabbit out of the ear without botch-ing the statue. The giant work stands with arms outstretched,symbolizing Mandela’s devotion to inclusiveness, outside theUnion Buildings, where the body of the prisoner whoopposed white rule and became South Africa’s first blackpresident lay in state after his Dec. 5 death at the age of 95.

TrademarkTelephone calls and emails sent by The Associated Press

to the artists were not immediately returned. Earlier thisweek, South Africa’s Beeld newspaper quoted the artists assaying they added the rabbit as a “trademark” after officialswould not allow them to engrave their signatures on the stat-ue’s trousers. They also said the rabbit represented the pres-sure of finishing the sculpture on time because “haas” - theword for rabbit in the Dutch-based Afrikaans language - alsomeans “haste.”

Paul Mashatile, arts and culture minister, said the sculptorshave apologized for any offense to those who felt the rabbitwas disrespectful toward the legacy of Mandela.

The government had appointed Koketso Growth, a her-itage development company, to manage the statue project.CEO Dali Tambo, son of anti-apartheid figure Oliver Tambo,said he was furious when he heard about the rabbit, and saidit must go. “That statue isn’t just a statue of a man, it’s thestatue of a struggle, and one of the most noble in human his-tory,” Tambo said. “So it’s belittling, in my opinion, if you thentake it in a jocular way and start adding rabbits in the ear.”

It would be, he said, like depicting US President BarackObama with a mouse in his nose. Tambo said the artists,

who belong to South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority,were selected for their talent but also in part because theproject was a multi-racial effort in keeping with Mandela’sprinciple of reconciliation. He said their signatures could beadded on the statue in a discreet place, perhaps onMandela’s heel. — AP

BAGHDAD: Burned cars sit at a car dealer’s shop a day after a car bomb explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday.Violence spiked in Iraq after the government staged a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest camp last April.Militants have also targeted civilians, particularly in Shiite areas of Baghdad, with coordinated car bombings andother deadly attacks. — AP

PRETORIA: In this photo taken Jan 16, 2014 a new, 9-meter (29.5-foot) sculpture of Nelson Mandela, with abarely visible sculpted rabbit tucked inside one of thebronze ears. The statue is billed as the biggest statue ofthe South African leader. Officials want the miniaturebunny removed from the statue, which was unveiledoutside the government complex in Pretoria, the capi-tal, on Dec 16, a day after Mandela’s funeral. — AP

Bunny in Mandela

statue causes stir

RIGA: Latvia’s parliament yesterday gave the green light to a newcentre-right coalition government led by its first ever womanprime minister. Laimdota Straujuma, 62, won the parliamentaryvote after Valdis Dombrovskis stepped down over a supermarketroof collapse that killed dozens in the capital Riga in November.The technocrat and former agriculture minister won by 64 votes to27 with 2 abstentions, in the 100-seat parliament. She heads abroad coalition commanding a solid 66-seats comprising four ofthe five parties represented, plus six independent MPs.

Straujuma vowed in parliament to continue Dombrovskis’s aus-terity-oriented economic policies during her nine months of powerin the runup to October’s general election. “The government willbe professional and enthusiastic. We are ready for lots of seriouswork. We’ll work together and work honestly,” she told lawmakers.Dombrovskis stepped down on November 27 saying he took“political responsibility” for the deadly roof cave-in that killed 54people and so far not disclosed his plans for the future.

The 42-year-old trained physicist then presided over Latvia’sentry into the euro-zone on January 1 — the central goal of hisadministration-in a caretaker capacity. Polls just prior to entryshowed only a fifth of people in the austerity-weary nation favoredthe changeover while nearly 60 percent opposed it. This can beexplained by the fact that Latvians were asked to a take steep paycuts amid a deep recession as the government pushed on to meeteuro-zone entry targets. Straujuma’s coalition adds the smallGreens and Farmers’ Union (ZZS) party to Dombrovskis’s previousright-of-centre trio including the Unity party, Reform Party and theNational Alliance.

Lawmaker Igors Pimenovs of the pro-Russian leftist Harmony

Centre party, now the sole opposition party, on Wednesdayslammed the coalitions plan to press on with tight spending. “It is aroad to nowhere and will lead to a dead end economy,” Pimenovssaid. But those policies have driven a spectacular recovery from theworld’s deepest recession in 2008-9 during the global financial cri-sis. Latvia is now expected to top the EU’s gross domestic product(GDP) growth rankings for a third consecutive year when 2013 datais released next month. President Andris Berzins has urged thenew government to steer clear of populism before the Octobergeneral election and European Parliament elections due in May.

“This is a government based on reasonable compromise,”Berzins said in a Tuesday endorsement. Straujuma served as agri-culture minister since 2011 — a key post in a country with a strongfarmers’ lobby. She is widely regarded as having done a good job indemanding a better subsidy deal from Brussels for Latvian farmersunder the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Straujuma, who hadheld the portfolio as a non-partisan, was given fast-track member-ship in the Unity political party in order to become their officialnominee for the head of government.

The portly technocrat is compared at home to German chan-cellor Angela Merkel and known for an endearing giggle andslightly professorial, absent-minded manner. Iveta Kazoka, an ana-lyst at the Providus centre for public policy, told AFP thatStraujuma’s future was in her own hands. “She is self-admittedly atechnocrat who has been placed in the highest political office inLatvia. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” Kazoka said.“The first weeks of her reign will tell whether there is any future forher in Latvian politics. If she is successful, then she will probablystay in that office for quite a long time.”— AFP

Latvia first woman PM

wins confidence vote

Diplomats urge Baghdad to foster reconciliation

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

KABUL: The Afghan government, increasingly atodds with Washington, is cracking down onadvertisements that promote keeping US troopsin Afghanistan after 2014 and has already shutdown a spot aired by the country’s most widelywatched broadcasters.

The commercials - some funded by a USorganisation - have drawn official crit icismbecause they urge President Hamid Karzai toabandon his refusal to sign a security pact withthe United States that would enable the troopsto stay.

Broadcasters, which ran the spots for severalweeks, came under investigation on grounds thattheir source of funding was unclear. All havepulled the advertisements off the air. “We havelaunched an investigation into broadcasters tofind out where they receive money from for such

advertisements,” Basir Azizi, a spokesman for theattorney general, told Reuters yesterday.

Despite Karzai’s refusal to sign the BilateralSecurity Agreement (BSA) unless several condi-tions were met, many Afghans are uncertain thearmy is able to fend off Taleban insurgents with-out help from the NATO-led ISAF coalition oftroops.

The commercials often include interviewswith rank-and-file Afghans calling on Karzai tosign the accord immediately. In one spot, thehead of a cultural association tells the president:“You should accept the people’s demand andsign this as soon as possible.” The crackdown isthe latest symptom of Karzai ’s hosti l i ty toWashington. Last week, he cited a deadly attackon a restaurant to accuse the United States ofdoing too little to fight terrorism.

Media freedomAfghanistan’s media watchdog said pressure

on broadcasters was hurting attempts to estab-lish the industry’s independence. “Such actions bythe government are a clear attempt to limit free-dom of speech and put at risk advances in themedia industry,” Mujib Khelwatgar, DirectorGeneral of NAI media watchdog, told Reuters.

Government figures show that more than 50private television stations, 150 radio broadcastersand about 1,000 newspapers have sprung upsince the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

Broadcasters were aware that the spots werefunded by ISAF or related groups, but saw “publicservice” advertising as a source of revenue.

These include media groups like Radio Killid.“Killid Radio is being paid 400 to 500 euros byISAF per minute to air adverts for the BSA on a

daily basis,” Najiba Ayubi, the director of RadioKillid, told Reuters.

Afghanistan’s most popular channel, Tolo TV, ispaid by Ads Village to run the spots, according toindustry sources. The company says it is fundedby ISAF and the U.S. state aid agency USAID.

“All adverts are treated with similar terms andconditions, whether it is on BSA or a brand ofmineral water,” Massood Sanjar, Tolo TV’s channelmanager, told Reuters.

Industry sources said that Tolo TV paid $700-$1,000 a minute to air the spots several times overa 24 hour period. The ISAF declined to indicatehow much it spends on advertising, saying:“Public information released... is intended toinform and educate the public on the mission andoperations of ISAF and our Afghan NationalSecurity Forces partners.” — Reuters

Afghanistan cracks down on commercials that favour US troops

WASHINGTON: In this Jan. 17, 2014 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks at theJustice Department in Washington. President Barack Obama is launching an initiative tocombat sexual assault, particularly on college campuses, turning the spotlight on a prob-lem that has devastated millions of Americans yet rarely receives such White Houseattention. — AP

CHICAGO: Victims of childhood sexual abuseby priests vowed to keep pushing for moreinformation on how allegations were handledby the Archdiocese of Chicago and otherCatholic orders, and are encouraging othervictims to come forward.

More than 6,000 pages of internal churchdocuments posted online Tuesday by attor-neys showed how officials at the highest levelof the third-largest US archdiocese tried tocontain the scandal, including by movingaccused priests from parish to parish whilehiding their histories from the public.

But the documents, released through set-tlements between attorneys for the archdio-cese and victims, cover only 30 of the at least65 clergy members for whom the archdiocesesays it has substantiated claims of child abuse.

St. Paul, Minnesota, attorney Jeff Andersonsaid he will push for documents involving theother 35 archdiocese priests. “This is a greatstep, but what is settled is far from what we’re

shooting for,” Anderson said Tuesday at anews conference. Archdiocese officials havesaid they’ll review and develop a process torelease documents on those 35 other cases.

Angel Santiago, who was abused in the1980s by one of the 30 priests singled out inthe documents, said he hopes more victims ofabuse come forward.”These files here repre-sent a lot for us survivors. For some of us it willbe answers, for some of us it will be peace ofmind ... for all of us, it’s a start,” Santiago said.“And the more that we find more survivors,the stronger we get and we can get more filesout of the archdiocese.”

Documents on abusive clergyOther victims said they also want the

Church to release documents on abusive cler-gy in other religious orders in the Chicagoarea. David Clohessy, national director of theSurvivors Network of those Abused by Priests,called on Cardinal Francis George to “disci-

pline or demote and denounce and evendefrock some of the members of his staff whoare responsible for these individuals beinghurt and ... at a minimum turned a blind eyeto these horrific crimes and worse, concealedthose crimes and enabled more crimes justlike them.”

He also said some priests who abused inthe Chicago archdiocese are working else-where now. Chicago attorney Marc Pearlmansaid he and Anderson have “many cases”pending with the archdiocese, which “allowsus to keep putting pressure on them.”

“There should be zero tolerance withinany diocese in country, and anyone foundto have shielded a sex abuser should bef ired,” Pearlman said. The documentsinclude more than 6,000 pages of internalcommunications between church officials,disturbing testimony about specific abuses,meeting schedules where allegations werediscussed and letters f rom anguishedparishioners. The names of victims anddetails considered private under mentalhealth laws were redacted.

Late Cardinals John Cody and JosephBernardin often approved the reassignments,the documents show. The archdioceseremoved some priests from ministry, butoften years or decades after the clergy wereknown to have molested children.

In a letter distributed to parishes last week,George apologized to victims and Catholics,and said the archdiocese agreed to turn overthe records to help the victims heal.

The archdiocese released a statementTuesday saying it knows it “made some deci-sions decades ago that are now difficult tojustify” and that it is “working hard to regaintrust, to reach out to victims and their fami-lies, and to make certain that all children andyouth are protected,” the statement read.

Officials in the archdiocese said most of theabuse detailed in the files released Tuesdayoccurred before 1988 but not after 1996, andthat the cases ultimately were reported toauthorities.

But victims’ lawyers argue many of the alle-gations surfaced after George assumed con-trol of the archdiocese in 1997, and some ofthe documents relate to how the church han-dled the cases more recently. — AP

Chicago priest sex abuse

victims demand more files

6,000 pages of church documents posted online

CHICAGO: Attorney Jeff Anderson, second from left, places his hand on the files of Catholicpriests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors in the Archdiocese of Chicago, prior to anews conference Tuesday, in Chicago. Joining Anderson is attorney Marc Pearlman, left, par-ents of and victims of abuse. Newly released documents offer the broadest look yet into howone of its largest and most prominent American dioceses responded to the scandal. — AP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama islaunching an initiative to combat sexualassault, particularly on college campuses,turning the spotlight on a problem that hasdevastated millions of Americans yet rarelyreceives such White House attention.

Obama planned to sign a presidentialmemorandum yesterday creating a task forceto protect students from sexual assault, with anew White House report declaring that noone in America is more at risk of being rapedor assaulted than college women. The report,“Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call toAction,” says that 1 in 5 women have beensexually assaulted at college but that only 12percent of student victims report the assault.

The report was compiled by the WhiteHouse Council on Women and Girls and wasbeing released yesterday, but the WhiteHouse provided an advance copy to TheAssociated Press. It says nearly 22 millionAmerican women and 1.6 million men havebeen raped in their lifetimes, with victimsmore likely to suffer from depression, sub-stance abuse and a wide range of physical ail-ments, including chronic pain and diabetes.

The report says rape’s prevalence is high-est at college, fueled by drinking and drug usethat can incapacitate victims. Obama is givingthe task force of administration officials 90days to come up with recommendations forcolleges to prevent and respond to sexualassault, increase public awareness of eachschool’s track record and enhance coordina-tion among federal agencies to hold schoolsaccountable if they don’t confront the prob-lem.

Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, chairof the Council on Women and Girls, said men

must be involved to combat the problem andthe president wants to lead a cultural shift ofmen speaking out. “The president is commit-ted to solving this problem, not just as presi-dent of the United States, but as a father oftwo girls” who will soon be heading to col-lege, Jarrett said in an interview.

The report also declares that the criminaljustice response to sexual assault is too ofteninadequate and lays out a goal of increasingarrest, prosecution and conviction rates with-out any specific targets. The report blamespolice bias and a lack of training to investigateand prosecute sex crimes for low arrest ratesand says the federal government should pro-mote training and help police increase testingof DNA evidence collected from victims.

The report mentions the wave of sexualassault in the military - Obama last monthgave the Pentagon a year to better preventand respond to the crime within its ranks orface further reforms. White House officials saythey want to set the example by turningaround the sexual assault epidemic in the mil-itary.

Obama is bringing Attorney General EricHolder, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel,Education Secretary Arnie Duncan and Healthand Human Services Secretary KathleenSibelius to the Oval Office on Wednesday topress them to work on the problem. Then heplans to join an ongoing meeting of hisCouncil on Women and Girls attended bymore Cabinet members in the East Room,where he is to sign the memorandum creat-ing the task force. Vice President Joe Biden,who authored the Violence Against WomenAct and has led other efforts to reduce sexualassault, also plans to attend. — AP

HUNTSVILLE: Mexican officials are incensed becauseTexas has opposed legal efforts and spurned diplomat-ic pressure to spare a prisoner who was in the US with-out legal permission when he was condemned forfatally shooting a Houston police officer two decadesago. Edgar Arias Tamayo, 46, was set to be executed bylethal injection Wednesday for the January 1994 slay-ing of Guy Gaddis, 24. Gaddis, who’d been on the forcefor two years, was driving Tamayo and another manfrom a robbery scene when evidence showed he wasshot three times in the head and neck with a pistolTamayo had concealed in his pants. The car crashed,and Tamayo fled on foot but was captured a few blocksaway, still in handcuffs, carrying the robbery victim’swatch and wearing the victim’s necklace.

Tamayo’s attorneys considered last-day attempts tokeep him from the death chamber after a federal dis-trict judge on Tuesday rejected their lawsuit challeng-ing what they argued was Texas’ unfair and secretiveclemency process.

They and the Mexican government also contendedthat Tamayo’s case was tainted because he wasn’tadvised under an international agreement that hecould get legal help from his home nation following hisarrest. Secretary of State John Kerry previously hadasked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to delayTamayo’s punishment, saying it “could impact the wayAmerican citizens are treated in other countries.” TheState Department repeated that stance Tuesday.

But Abbott’s office and the Harris County districtattorney opposed postponing what would be the firstexecution this year in the nation’s most active capitalpunishment state, where 16 people were put to deathin 2013. The Mexican government said in a statementthis week that it “strongly opposed” the execution andreminded that failure to review Tamayo’s case andreconsider his sentence would be “a clear violation bythe United States of its international obligations.”

Mexican officials and Tamayo’s attorneys contendhe was protected under a provision of the 1963 ViennaConvention on Consular Relations. Legal assistanceguaranteed under that treaty could have uncoveredevidence to contest the capital murder charge or pro-vide evidence to keep Tamayo off death row, they said.

Clemency“We are continuing to pursue our options for

appeal, and vindication of Tamayo’s right to review ofthe consular rights violation in his case,” said MaurieLevin, one of Tamayo’s lawyers. Tamayo’s appeal to afederal court in Austin sought an injunction againstGov. Rick Perry and the Texas Board of Pardons andParoles, which he appoints. The board can recom-mend Perry grant clemency, but it’s an action theyrarely take.

Levin and lawyer Sandra Babcock argued the state’sclemency procedures were “an affront to what clemen-cy is supposed to be, a ‘failsafe’ in our judicial system.”

Abbott’s office countered the procedures met U.S.Supreme Court guidance. “It doesn’t matter whereyou’re from,” Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said. “If

you commit a despicable crime like this in Texas, youare subject to our state laws, including a fair trial by juryand the ultimate penalty.”

Tamayo was in the US without legal permission andhad a criminal record in California, where he hadserved time for robbery and was paroled, according toprison records. “Not one person is claiming the suspectdidn’t kill Guy Gaddis,” Ray Hunt, president of theHouston Police Officers’ Union, said. “He had the samerights as you and I would have.

“This has been looked at, heard, examined and it’stime for the verdict of the jury to be carried out.” Legalchallenges about consular notification and Mexicannationals on Texas death row aren’t new. At least twoother inmates in similar circumstances were executedin Texas in recent years.—AP

Obama targets college

sexual assault epidemic

Mexican national’s lawyers

want execution halted

TEXAS: In this Jan. 19, 2014 photo, a woman holds up a sign showing a photo of Texas death-row inmate Edgar Tamayo that reads in Spanish “The town of Miacatlan offers you our sup-port, Edgar Tamayo Arias” during a protest demanding Tamayo’s pardon in his hometown ofMiacatlan, Mexico. Lawyers for 46-year-old Edgar Tamayo are suing Gov. Rick Perry and theTexas Board of Pardons and Paroles, challenging what they argue is an unfair and secretiveclemency process in Texas. Tamayo was set for lethal injection yesterday in Huntsville. — AP

NEW YORK: Philanthropists Bill and MelindaGates pitched an optimistic future for theworld’s poor and sick in their annual letterTuesday, arguing passionately against threemyths they say hurt efforts to bring people outof poverty, save lives and improve living condi-tions. In their sixth yearly letter, which in thepast has focused exclusively on the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual activities,the co-chairmen of the world’s largest charita-ble foundation seek to dispel notions thatpoor countries are doomed to stay poor, thatforeign aid is wasteful and that saving lives willcause overpopulation.

“All three reflect a dim view of the future,one that says the world isn’t improving butstaying poor and sick, and getting overcrowd-ed,” Bill Gates writes in the 16-page letter.“We’re going to make the opposite case, thatthe world is getting better, and that in twodecades it will be better still.”

Gates says GDP per capita figures, adjustedfor inflation to 2005 dollars, show that manycountries such as China, India, Brazil and evenBotswana that were once considered poornow have growing economies. And in Africa, aplace the Microsoft co-founder says is all toooften dismissed as hopeless, life expectancyhas risen since the 1960s despite the HIV epi-demic. Also, more children are going to schooland fewer people are hungry.

Generous donor“I am optimistic enough about this that I

am willing to make a prediction,” he said. “By

2035, there will be almost no poor countriesleft in the world.” Gates also argues againstclaims that foreign aid is wasteful because it istoo expensive, because it is stolen by corruptofficials receiving it or because countries whoreceive it become dependent on it.

He says that in Norway, the world’s mostgenerous donor of foreign aid, the amount ofits budget that goes to foreign aid is only 3percent. In the US, it’s less than 1 percent, orabout $30 billion per year, of which $11 billiongoes to vaccines, bed nets and other healthcauses.

Measles vaccinations, eradicating smallpox,controlling tuberculosis in China and a plan toeliminate polio in Latin America are all publichealth efforts achieved with aid funding.“Health aid is a phenomenal investment,” hewrites. “When I look at how many fewer chil-dren are dying than 30 years ago, and howmany people are living longer and healthierlives, I get quite optimistic about the future.”His wife, Melinda, wrote a section of the letterdispelling the myth that saving lives world-wide will lead to overpopulation. She points tocountries such as Brazil where both child mor-tality and birth rates have declined.

When more children survive, she says, par-ents have smaller families. “The planet doesnot thrive when the sickest are allowed to dieoff, but rather when they are able to improvetheir lives,” she says. “Human beings are notmachines. We don’t reproduce mindlessly. Wemake decisions based on the circumstanceswe face.”—AP

Gates says poor countries

not doomed to stay poor

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine govern-ment and the country’s largest Muslimrebel group yesterday began what theyhope will be the final round of talks onending a decades-long rebellion.Negotiators from the government andthe 11,000-strong Moro IslamicLiberation Front said they are guardedlyoptimistic they can iron out differenceson the final issues of rebel disarmamentand the extent of minority Muslim con-trol over resource-rich waters in the four-day negotiations that opened in KualaLumpur, Malaysia.

An agreement on those issues would

conclude the yearslong talks and lead tothe signing of a comprehensive peaceagreement, presidential peace processadviser Teresita Deles said. The proposedpeace pact would grant minorityMuslims broader autonomy in the southin exchange for ending more than 40years of violence that has killed morethan 120,000 combatants and civiliansand held back progress in the resource-rich but poverty-wracked region.

Disarming the guerrillas under anaccord called “normalization” is amongthe most delicate stages of the talks andinvolves convincing rebel commanders

to lay down their weapons in a restiveregion where some have had long-run-ning clan feuds outside of the insur-gency. A volatile mix of unlicensed guns,weak law enforcement and the presenceof many armed groups has long engen-dered a gun culture in the region.

Deles said the two sides have dis-cussed the thorny issue since last yearand need to thresh out the remainingdetails, including ways of helping formercombatants regain normal lives andestablishing independent commissionsto oversee the rebel “decomissioning”and the formation of a security force in

the broader Muslim autonomous region,to be called Bangsamoro.

“The last mile is always the hardest,”Deles said. While a final peace agreementcould possibly be signed soon, rebelnegotiator Mohagher Iqbal said moreneeded to be done afterward, includingthe crafting and passage of a law author-izing establishment of the more powerfulautonomous region.

Despite growing optimism, both sideswarned a peace pact would not immedi-ately end the violence in the south of thepredominantly Roman Catholic nationwhere at least three other armed Islamic

groups have opposed the Malaysian-bro-kered talks and vowed to continue anuprising for a separate Muslim homeland.

Rebels from one group, the MoroNational Liberation Front, took scores ofhostages in September and occupiedcoastal communities in southernZamboanga city in a bloody siege theylaunched after accusing the governmentof reneging on its commitments under a1996 autonomy deal.

Thousands of troops ended the week-slong uprising with a major offensive thatkilled more than 200 people, most ofthem insurgents. —AP

Philippines, Muslim rebels hope to sign pact soon

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses media at thevenue of his sit-in protest in New Delhi. Delhi’s “anarchist” chief ministerArvind Kejriwal faced savage press criticism yesterday after a two-dayprotest in the capital that could check the dizzying rise of India’s newpolitical star. —AFP

BEIJING: Prominent Chinese activist XuZhiyong was tried yesterday for his rolein anti-corruption protests but defiedthe court by refusing to speak, hislawyer said, calling the proceedings a“piece of theatre”.

Prosecutors called for Xu, founder ofthe New Citizens Movement, to be sen-tenced to the maximum five years in jailfor “assembling a crowd to disrupt orderin a public place”.

He was accused of being involved indemonstrations featuring banners call-

ing for asset disclosure by officials-seenas a key measure against graft. Dozensof uniformed and plain-clothes policesurrounded the court in Beijing, withsome physically pushing reporters away.

Several Xu supporters said at leastthree protesters nearby had beendetained. Xu’s lawyer Zhang Qingfangtold AFP he and his client had remainedsilent inside the court. “We don’t want to

take part in a piece of theatre, we are notactors, we can’t act,” he said.

“The court tried to persuade Xu tospeak... and spent 10 minutes trying topersuade the lawyers to speak,” addedZhang, who says the trial is procedurallyflawed and the evidence was not suffi-cient to prove the crime.

‘Xu silence throughout trial’The trial was completed in a six-hour

hearing, he said, adding no date was setfor the verdict. Xu is one of several New

Citizens Movement activists-includingbusinessmen and a lawyer-due to standtrial this week in what has been viewedas part of a government crackdown ondissent.

They are all almost certain to befound guilty by China’s politically con-trolled courts. The trials come despite amuch-publicised anti-corruption driveby China’s Communist party under Xi

Jinping, and overseas rights groupshave condemned the proceedings ashypocritical.

Also yesterday, an overseas investi-gation said relatives of top Chinese lead-ers leaders including President XiJinping and former premier Wen Jiabaohave used offshore tax havens to hidetheir wealth.

At least 20 supporters from acrossChina gathered near the courthouse,with a group of around 10 unveiling ared banner calling for officials to disclose

their assets-similar to the actions whichled to the charges against Xu.

“If you don’t expose your assets, itshows you must have a secret,” saidone of them, Wu Guangzhong.“Declaring assets is the most com-mon way of preventing corruption.”Zhu Jiaqi, from Tianjin, added: “Itshould be an open trial but it’s held insecret. Xu’s voice reflects the voice of

the basic and ordinary people.”

Repeatedly detainedForeign diplomats were allowed

into the court building, but were toldthey would not be permitted to attendthe hearing itself, one European repre-sentative told AFP. BBC footageshowed men wearing hoods wordless-ly forcing a journalist and cameramanbackwards along a pavement, while aCNN reporter said on Twitter that offi-cials broke his camera.

China’s foreign ministry spokesmanQin Gang said journalists entered “arestricted area, so the managing staffremoved them from the premises”. Xu’strial was “a reflection of China’s rule oflaw and judicial independence”, he said,adding: “China’s judicial bodies are try-ing him in accordance with the law.”

Between 20 and 40 people involvedwith the loose-knit New CitizensMovement have been detained sincelast year, according to members, whileat least three have previously been puton trial.

The arrests have been seen as part ofa wider campaign to enforce ideologicalunity since Xi became the head of theCommunist party in late 2012. Xutrained as a lawyer at one of China’s topuniversities and became widely knownin 2003 because of a campaign against aform of extra-legal detention that result-ed in the law being changed.

He was at the core of an emerginggroup of “rights defence” lawyers, whosought to use legal arguments and courtcases to push for political reform. ButChinese authorities, who do not permitindependent and organised forms of dis-sent, arrested him in 2009 on tax evasioncharges, which were dropped monthslater after a public outcry. In recent yearsXu-whose wife gave birth to a daughterthis month-lived under regular surveil-lance. He has been repeatedly detainedand held under house arrest by statesecurity agents, who even attended hiswedding in 2011.

Standing outside the courthouse,Ma Zhurong from the northern provinceof Shaanxi praised Xu for helping peoplelike her pursue individual justice. “XuZhiyong is just someone who helpedpowerless people using the law,” shesaid. “(He) wanted to speak up for thosewho suffered.” —AFP

China activist Xu Zhiyong in silent protest at trial

Three protesters detained

BEIJING: A supporter, center, of Xu Zhiyong is detained by policemen while she gathers with oth-er supporters near the Beijing’s No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court, where legal scholar andfounder of the New Citizens movement Xu stands trial, in Beijing yesterday. The trial of theprominent activist who has led a grassroots campaign demanding a fairer society and officialaccountability to better fight corruption started in Beijing, while police blocked journalists andsupporters from getting near. Xu stood trial yesterday on charge of disrupting public order. —AP

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s “anarchist” chief ministerArvind Kejriwal faced savage press criticism yester-day after a two-day protest in the capital thatcould check the dizzying rise of India’s new politi-cal star. The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaign-er, who took office less than a month ago amid awave of support for his ideals, called for massdemonstrations on Monday to press for policereform.

After two days and a night sleeping rough on apavement in the centre of the capital, he called offthe agitation late Tuesday with few of his demandsheeded and his credibility shaken. “It seemsKejriwal, who branded himself an anarchist, isunable to transform himself from rabble-rouser toa responsible chief minister,” the Hindustan Timessaid in an editorial yesterday.

Kejriwal formed his Aam Aadmi (common man)Party just over a year ago, and it made sensationalgains in Delhi’s state election in December with itsno-tolerance approach to endemic corruption.

Its core support came from the poor and theeducated middle-class who saw an alternative toIndia’s graft-tainted Congress party, in powernationally, and the opposition Bharatiya JanataParty.

After taking office, he won plaudits for shun-ning the VIP culture of Indian politics, taking themetro to his inauguration and travelling elsewherein his trademark small blue car.

Early moves such as providing abandoned bus-es for the homeless to sleep in earned favourableheadlines, as did pledges to provide cheap elec-tricity and free water. A flood of members, includ-ing entrepreneurs and a television anchor, joinedAAP and the party suggested it would contest upto 400 seats in national elections due by May.

But the radical tone of recent announcementsfrom Kejriwal, who threatened to disrupt theannual Republic Day military parade on Sunday,and his decision to protest in a city he was electedto run, were widely criticised.

The Times of India said the sit-in had been adistraction from an opportunity to improveDelhi and show good governance, adding that“the middle class is unlikely to fall for such gim-mickry”.

Others supported his cause and saw couragein his actions, meaning the episode might havelost him fewer voters than editorial writers in the

English-speaking media have assumed. “Who ishe fighting for? Us!” said Vishesh Sharma, whosells snacks on a street in central Delhi. “What hedid was right. These cops are corrupt and extortbribes from poor people like us.”

Samir Ahmad, who works in a parking lot inthe same area, said Kejriwal’s target was “a verygood cause”. “Take our case, whenever there isany controversy or conflict in the parking lot andwe call the cops, first they come late and thenthey try and extract money from us,” he said.

‘Defending vigilantism’Kejriwal launched his protest on Monday to

demand that five policemen whom he accusedof misconduct be suspended and the city’spolice force be put under his control, instead ofthe central government.

Some of the police he targeted were involvedin a late-night incident last week when Delhi’sstate law minister, AAP member Somnath Bharti,identified a house suspected of being used forprostitution and drug-dealing.

In front of the media, Bharti became angrywhen police refused to raid the property in theabsence of a warrant. Bharti and his supporterswere then accused of detaining four Africanwomen, trapping them in a car and forcing one o

r and a police complaint.The Hindu said in its yesterday editorial it was

“strange” that Kejriwal “should be defending vigi-lantism by his ministers”. “Forgotten here is thatIndian law does not permit arbitrary search andseizure, especially involving women in the deadof the night,” it added.

In a face-saving compromise, Kejriwal agreedto end his demonstration after securing anagreement-”a victory,” he called it-that two of thefive targeted police officers would be sent onleave.

How the episode will affect Kejriwal’s credibil-ity will be crucial for the national elections.

Most expect him to return to street protestsand direct action, as he attacks many of the insti-tutions he sees as upholding a corrupt systemthat has failed to deliver for the poor. But notimmediately. After two days exposed to the ele-ments, Kejriwal was reported to be suffering frombronchitis and underwent hospital tests. —AFP

New Delhi’s corruption-slayer stumbles with pavement protest

QUETTA: Gunmen opened fire on Pakistanipolice escorting a Spanish cyclist through avolatile province yesterday, killing six officers,while a bomb targeting a polio vaccinationteam killed seven people in the northwest.

The pair of attacks in two different parts ofthe country was the latest in a surge in violencethat left many questioning whether the gov-ernment has a plan to tackle the country’s stub-born militancy problem. Radical Sunni Islamicmilitants have stepped up attacks againstmembers of the minority Shiite Muslim sect inrecent years, and violence has been especiallybad in the impoverished southwesternprovince of Baluchistan.

Yesterday, gunmen opened fire at a group ofpolice escorting a Spanish cyclist in Baluchistan,killing six policemen and wounding the cyclist.The attack took place in the district of Mastung,police official Mohammad Ibrahim said, addingthat nine officers were also wounded in theshooting. Ibrahim said more than a dozen tribalpolicemen were escorting the Spanish cyclist,who was traveling from Iran to Pakistan. Thecyclist’s name was not immediately available.No one claimed responsibility for the attack butIbrahim said he suspected the same sectariangroup that targeted a group of Shiite pilgrimsreturning from Iran on Tuesday was responsiblefor yesterday’s incident as well.

CriticalPolice had said 20 people died when a

bomb exploded near the pilgrims’ bus, but yes-

terday, a local police official, Asad Cheema, saidthe death toll had risen to 28. Some of thewounded were still listed in critical condition.

Shiite Muslims rallied yesterday in Quetta,the capital of Baluchistan, demanding action tostop the continued violence against their sect.In a show of protest, they brought many coffinsout into the street with the dead from theattack on the pilgrims.

“We will not bury our dear ones until thegovernment acts against the attackers,” localShiite leader Agha Dawood said. In the north-west - where Islamic militants have repeatedlytargeted health workers carrying out anti-poliovaccinations and policemen who are supposedto protect them - a bomb rigged to a bicycleexploded next to a police patrol on its way toguard a polio vaccination team. Six officers werekilled as well as a boy who was nearby, said offi-cer Shafiullah Khan. The blast happened in theCharsadda district, just outside the provincialcapital of Peshawar. The bomb also wounded 11people, four of them tribal policemen, Khansaid. It was the second such attack in the past 24hours. On Tuesday, gunmen killed three healthworkers in an attack on a polio vaccination teamin the southern port city of Karachi.

Pakistan, one of only three countries in theworld where the polio virus is still endemic, hasseen relentless attacks on polio vaccinationteams. Militants oppose vaccinations againstpolio and consider such campaigns a cover forspying against Pakistan and a conspiracy toallegedly make male Muslim children sterile. —AP

Pakistan attacks kill 13 as violence surges

SURABAYA: A British woman was jailed for 14years yesterday but escaped the death penal-ty after admitting that she smuggled crystalmethamphetamine into Indonesia fromChina.

Andrea Waldeck had confessed to takingthe drugs through the airport in Surabaya, inthe east of Indonesia’s main Java island, hid-den in her underwear but claimed she wascoerced into carrying them.

After being found guilty and sentenced ata Surabaya court, the former police workerhung her head as she was led down to thecells.

The sentence was lower than prosecutors’recommendation of 16 years for the 43-year-old, who had smuggled 1.5 kilograms (threepounds) of crystal meth into Indonesia. Shecould have received the death sentence forsmuggling that quantity of drugs underIndonesian anti-narcotics laws, which aresome of the toughest in the world.

“Andrea Waldeck has been proven legallyand convincingly guilty of offering to sell orbecome a middle person to sell drugs,” saidpresiding judge Faturrachman, who like manyIndonesians goes by one name. He handedWaldeck a 14-year sentence and ordered herto pay a two-billion-rupiah ($167,000) fine.

But he said the sentence was lighter thanthe recommendation as Waldeck had “honest-ly admitted her mistake, which helped the tri-al proceed smoothly”.

After the verdict Waldeck said she was stillconsidering whether to appeal. Wearing awhite shirt, black trousers and red waistcoatof the type worn by prisoners in Indonesia,she looked nervous at yesterday’s hearing, bit-ing her bottom lip as she listened to a transla-tion of proceedings.

Waldeck admitted at a previous hearingthat she had smuggled the drugs intoIndonesia from China. She was arrested late

April at a hotel in Surabaya after she managedto sneak through airport security in the citywith the drugs hidden in four plastic bags inher underwear, according to her indictment.

Two members of a drugs gang had beenen route to the hotel to pick up the narcotics-but police knew about the plan and managedto get there first and arrest Waldeck, it said.

She claimed that her boyfriend in thesouthern Chinese city of Guangzhou hadasked her to traffic the drugs in exchange for$5,000, according to her indictment.

She had previously worked in southwest-

ern England as a police community supportofficer, a part-time member of the police withlimited powers. Foreigners regularly fall foulof Indonesia’s tough anti-drugs laws. Britishgrandmother Lindsay Sandiford was sen-tenced to death in January last year after shewas caught trying to bring $2.4 million worthof cocaine into the Indonesian resort island ofBali.

French drug smuggler Michael Blanc wasfreed from prison in Jakarta this week onparole after 14 years behind bars, a rare earlyrelease for a foreigner. —AFP

Briton gets 14 years for drug smuggling

SURABAYA: Andrea Ruth Waldeck, of Britain, center, is escorted by security officersafter her sentencing hearing at a district court in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, yes-terday. The court sentenced Waldeck to 14 years in jail yesterday after finding herguilty of drug smuggling and ordered her to pay a fine of $167,000. —AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014N E W S

Continued from Page 1

month and raising the housing allowance from KD150 to KD 250 monthly. The government has warnedthat it will not accept any of the draft laws because theywill constitute a huge burden on the budget.

Commerce and Industry Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej said the government arrived at the proposal withthe Assembly’s financial and economic affairs commit-tee and the amendment is more profitable for citizens.He said that increasing the housing loan to KD 100,000would only increase the debt of citizens who will con-tinue to repay the debt over a very long period of time.The minister insisted that it will be much better for citi-zens to receive all building materials required by themat a highly reduced rate, adding that the amendmenthas raised the area of a house that can receive statesubsidies from 600 sq m to 750 sq m. The amendmentstates that the extra subsidies will be given to citizenswho have obtained the housing loan and those who arealready building their homes.

During the debate and before the government told

MPs that the increase in the subsidies is a grant and nota loan, MPs insisted that the government must increasethe housing loan to KD 100,000 or at least allow citizensto choose whether to take the increase in cash or in theform of subsidies. But after learning that the increase isa grant, MPs overwhelmingly supported the proposal.The government had warned that the KD 30,000 loanincrease would cost state coffers around KD 6 billion,warning that this and other proposed increases wouldpose serious risks to the country’s finances.

MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said that the housing problemin Kuwait is “manipulated” to benefit real estate mer-chants, saying it is unbelievable that the price of asquare meter hit KD 1,000. Adasani said the price ofland in Kuwait is almost double the prices in other Gulfstates, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. MP Mubarak Al-Harees said that the housing loan of KD 70,000 wasraised in 1993 and since then, it has remainedunchanged, while the price of land and the cost of con-struction more than doubled. Assembly ApeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem then adjourned the session untilFeb 4.

Nod to raise housing subsidies to KD 30,000

Continued from Page 1

The International Monetary Fund(IMF) warned last year that expenditurecould exceed oil revenues, which makeup more than 90 percent of the nationalincome, as early as 2017. The govern-ment, meanwhile, warned that a budgetdeficit could become a reality by 2021.But cutting subsidies has been a politi-cal challenge for the government inrecent years as it failed to convince MPsof its pro-rationalization arguments. Infact, the parliament yesterday passed alaw that grants KD 30,000 in subsidiza-tion of building materials for each hous-ing application which already entitlescitizens to a KD 70,000 governmentloan. MPs quoted in an Al-Rai reportyesterday questioned the timing of thegovernment’s warnings, suggesting thatit was an indirect attempt to thwart lawsaimed to raise social benefits.

Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh saidin a statement two weeks ago that thegovernment “will continue a review ofits spending on subsidies” by focusingon achieving “a decrease in general, but[subsidies] will not be eliminated”. “It isonly to make sure that the subsidies aregoing to the right people, that they arenot going to people who do not needthe subsidies,” he added.

His predecessor Sheikh Salemechoed similar sentiments in his columnyesterday, saying that current subsidieslead to a ‘form of injustice’ as it mostlybenefits people with financial means.“Subsidies are supposed to be limited tolow-wage income individuals,” he said.“It must be redirected to serve thosewho are more eligible to it, keeping inmind that it does not affect the incomeof the majority of citizens”.

Identifying subsidies as a “main entryof the state’s financial reform process”,Sheikh Salem reiterated the “huge risk”

facing the national budget “unless itsstructural flaws are not promptlyaddressed”. “All studies and reportsreleased in this regard agree that thegeneral budget will face an inevitabledeficit if current spending continues toincrease in the same rates recorded dur-ing the past nine months,” he said afteridentifying current expenditure as “oneof the main reasons behind the bud-get’s structural flaws”. Sheikh Salemspoke more profusely on current spend-ing, “which grew in astronomical, unre-alistic and unsustainable rates until itreached around 85 percent of the totalexpenditure in the state’s current budg-et of nearly KD 21 billion”.

Current spending refers to the publicsector’s payroll, allowances and subsi-dies that the state provides. “Payroll andallowances increased from KD 3.2 billionin the 2004/2005 fiscal year to KD 10.4billion in 2013/2014, or by 325 percent,which means that it more than tripledduring this span,” he said. “Meanwhile,subsidies increased during the sameperiod from around KD 865 million toaround KD 4.8 billion, or by 555 percent,which means that it grew by five timesand a half”.

“By performing calculations based onfuture projections, subsidies are expect-ed to reach around KD 12.6 billion in the2029/2030 budget,” Sheikh Salemwarned. “That figure currently formsnearly 60 percent of the estimatednational budget for 2013/2014”. The vet-eran economist further outlined num-bers to show the significance of the risksat hand, indicating that the averageannual increase in subsidies during thepast nine years reached nearly 25.5 per-cent. “This rate surpasses the annualgrowth rates of population which is esti-mated at 3.15 million, nominal GDP,which increased 14.6 percent, real GDP,which increased 5 percent, and most

importantly, general revenues, whichincreased 16.2 percent,” he indicated.

In order to address this issue, SheikhSalem underlined the ‘critical and urgentneed’ to rationalize subsidies.“Rationalizing subsidies does not meaneliminating it altogether,” he clarified,“but restructuring it to achieve the fol-lowing goals: limiting subsidization to alimited group of basic goods and servic-es, as well as redirecting subsidies tobenefit those who are actually anddirectly eligible for it while eliminatingindirect subsidies”.

Kuwait’s welfare system includes pro-viding subsidized petrol and energy toall residents, in addition to food andhousing for Kuwaitis only. Subsidizationallowed Kuwait to maintain one of theworld’s cheapest electricity and waterrates for decades. Last November, PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said that the welfare state was‘unsustainable’ and mentioned the needto rationalize spending as key in order tomaintain decent welfare levels forKuwaiti citizens.

“It is our collective duty to take a seri-ous position on the issue and address itin a technical and realistic way in orderto maintain the level of luxury which wecurrently enjoy, so that the future gener-ations can enjoy it as well,” Sheikh Salemconcluded. Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah wasnot retained in the Cabinet announcedearlier this month, based on his requestciting health reasons. His tenure lastedfor five months only, but was character-ized by his views which advocate cuttingspending as a key factor to push devel-opment and avoid fiscal risks on thenational budget. Sheikh Al-Sabah wasthe Governor of the Central Bank ofKuwait from 1986 until he resigned inFeb 2012 following a period in which hewas highly critical of the sharp rise inpublic spending in the state.

Subsidization program flawed: Sheikh SalemContinued from Page 1

“Assad will not go,” Syrian Information Minister OmranAl-Zohbi said on the sidelines of the conference.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem wasted no timefiring a broadside at the opposition in his openingspeech, which went on long beyond the allotted time ofless than 10 minutes, forcing Ban to repeatedly ask him towrap it up. “You live in New York. I live in Syria,” -Muallemsnapped, ignoring the UN chief’s appeal. “They (the oppo-sition) claim to represent the Syrian people. If you want tospeak in the name of the Syrian people, you should not betraitors to the Syrian people, agents in the pay of enemiesof the Syrian people,” Muallem said. He insisted Assad’sfuture was not in question, saying: “Nobody in this worldhas a right to withdraw legitimacy from a president orgovernment ... other than the Syrians themselves.”

Ahmad Jarba, the head of the opposition SyrianNational Coalition, called on the regime to “immediately”sign a deal reached at the last peace conference inGeneva in 2012 setting out “the transfer of powers fromAssad, including for the army and security, to a transitiongovernment”. He said that would be “the preamble toBashar Al-Assad’s resignation and his trial alongside all thecriminals of his regime”. Syrian state television broadcastJarba’s speech in a split screen alongside footage of deathand destruction under the heading “Terrorist Crimes inSyria”.

Leading a series of sharp US accusations against theSyrian regime, Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Assadcannot be part of any transitional government. “There isno way, not possible in the imagination, that the manwho has led the brutal response to his own people couldregain legitimacy to govern,” Kerry said. US officials alsoslammed the Syrian delegation for its incendiary remarksand claims of improved aid access as “laughable”. “Insteadof laying out a positive vision for the future of Syria that isdiverse, inclusive and respectful of the rights of all, theSyrian regime chose inflammatory rhetoric,” StateDepartment spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Expectations are very low for a major breakthrough atthe conference, but diplomats gathered here believe that

simply bringing the two sides together for the first time isa mark of some progress and could be an important firststep. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned thetalks will “not be simple, they will not be quick” but urgedboth sides to seize a “historic opportunity”. About 40nations and international groups were gathered, but nodirect talks are expected until possibly tomorrow - whenopposition and regime delegations will meet in Genevafor negotiations that officials have said could last seven to10 days.

The UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi,told the closing press conference he would meet onThursday with both sides to discuss the next step in nego-tiations. “Tomorrow I am going to meet them separatelyand see how best we can move forward,” Brahimi said. “Dowe go straight into one room and start discussing or dowe talk a little bit more separately?... I don’t know yet.”

Erupting after the regime cracked down on protestsinspired by the Arab Spring, the civil war has claimedmore than 130,000 lives and forced millions from thehomes. Recent months have seen the conflict settle into abrutal stalemate - with the death toll rising but neitherside making decisive gains. With no one ready for seriousconcessions, world powers will be looking for short-termdeals to keep the process moving forward, including onlocalised ceasefires, freer humanitarian access and prison-er exchanges.

Notably absent from the table was crucial Assadbacker Iran, after Ban reversed a last-minute invitationwhen the opposition said it would boycott if Tehran tookpart. Pitting Assad’s regime, dominated by the Alawite off-shoot of Shiism, against largely Sunni Muslim rebels, theconflict has unsettled large parts of the Middle East. Therewere stark reminders of the conflict’s impact in the run-upto the talks, with continued fighting on the ground andnew evidence in a report alleging that Assad’s forces havesystematically killed and tortured 11,000 people. Theopposition called at the conference for an internationalinquiry into the allegations. “We have to stop this spiral ofviolence. We do call for an international inspection to visitplaces of detention and see the facts of torture that ourcitizens face every day,” Jarba said. — Agencies

Fiery exchanges over Assad’s fate at talks

The Jose Gasparilla is illuminated while at anchor in Hillsborough Bay on the evening of Jan 20, 2014 inTampa, Florida. — AP

By Paul Carrel

On the face of it, a combination of record lowinterest rates, ample liquidity and faster eco-nomic growth should sustain the world’s

recovery from financial crisis this year. Confidentthat the outlook for the world’s biggest economy isbrightening, the Federal Reserve has paved the wayfor an end to its stimulus program and, after a boutof market turmoil last year, investors seem preparedfor the shift. But the US central bank’s effort toreturn to pre-crisis policy settings still represents ahuge leap in the dark as it exits from an unprece-dented bout of money printing.

An ill-judged move could threaten economicrevival worldwide, just one of the dilemmas facingpolicymakers from America, Europe and Asia asthey gather for an annual meeting in Davos.Protagonists will include US Treasury Secretary JackLew, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, EuropeanCommission President Jose Manuel Barroso andcentral bankers Mark Carney, Mario Draghi andHaruhiko Kuroda. A “senior leader” from China isalso expected.

Broadly, the risks they face are slower-than-expected US growth, euro zone deflation, anabsence of structural reforms in Japan, and badloans in China. There will doubtless be others.“While the Fed is trying to normalize monetary con-ditions to avoid a credit bubble, China is trying toimplement financial sector reforms to bring one toan end,” said Michael Spencer, economist atDeutsche Bank. “Both potentially threaten the sus-tainability of growth.”

The balance of risks for this year may be tiltedtowards the United States and the euro zone,even if the policy challenges facing Japan andChina appear greater. Investors have alreadypriced in a lot of good news, with Europeanshares hitting a 5-1/2 year high last week. The risk

is that weaker-than-expected growth could knockmarkets and unsettle the global recovery. “Whatcould trigger a correction is that growth turns outto be weaker than markets have discounted,” saidAndrew Bosomworth, a senior portfolio managerat Pimco, the world’s largest bond fund. “In thecase of equities, markets have discounted somepretty rosy economic conditions.”

The Genie and the OgreThe challenge for policymakers in the United

States and Europe is to manage policy expecta-tions at a time when inflation is not performing asexpected. Some Fed officials worry tepid price ris-es mean the US recovery is not as solid as itseems. With growth and job creation should comeinflation. Given that uncertainty, US centralbankers must convince hesitant consumers thateven if the era of quantitative easing is drawing toa close, an interest rate rise remains a long way off.“The Fed’s next challenge is not over tapering, it’sover rates and guidance,” said Sassan Ghahramani,CEO of New York-based SGH Macro Advisors,which advises hedge funds.

If it fails to convince, market interest rateswhich often set the cost of borrowing could risetoo quickly and choke off recovery in the UnitedStates and beyond. If that happens, investmentwill leach out of emerging markets as US fundsreturn home lured by higher returns. “It’s a corol-lary of quantitative easing and easy money goingto emerging markets,” said Ghahramani. “Nowthat there is less of that QE and easy money,where does it come out of? It comes first out ofthose markets.”

If low inflation is a puzzle in the United States,prices could actually start falling in Europe. IMFManaging Director Christine Lagarde, who speaksat Davos on Thursday, expressed concern lastweek. “If inflation is the genie, then deflation is the

ogre that must be fought decisively,” she said.European Central Bank President Mario Draghi -feted at Davos last year as the euro zone’s saviour- draws a distinction between deflation as a pro-tracted fall in prices, and necessary internal priceadjustments in some countries allowing them tobecome more competitive. “The risk is that theinternal devaluations that need to be done inthese countries morph into deflation,” saidBosomworth.

Draghi is talking up the ECB’s readiness to actbut it shows little appetite to embark on a roundof Fed-style quantitative easing to stimulate theeconomy. In the meantime, the deflation threatstalks the bloc. Euro zone inflation is running at0.8 percent. That is well below the ECB’s target ofjust under 2 percent but it stands at almost minus2 percent in Greece. In Italy, the bloc’s third largesteconomy, the rate is just 0.7 percent and if Romegets serious about tackling its towering debts - at130 percent of GDP - inflation and growth couldevaporate and make paying down that debt evenharder. “We can’t just look at deflation risk in isola-tion,” said Bosomworth. “It’s linked at the hip todebt sustainability.”

Abenomics: Time to DeliverIn Japan, policymakers have had some success

with their efforts to fight deflation after years ofeconomic stagnation. Their plan - dubbed“Abenomics” - is to combine fiscal spending, eco-nomic reforms and monetary stimulus to pull theworld’s third-biggest economy out of its longslump. Premier Abe’s efforts have paid dividendswith Japanese growth outpacing its G7 counter-parts in the first half of 2013. However, some poli-cymakers beyond Asia see the policy cocktail as ahigh-risk strategy about which they have doubts,particularly as progress on reforms aimed atboosting the economy’s long-term growth poten-

tial has been slow.A Reuters poll of economists conducted last

week found a consensus that Japanese compa-nies are unlikely to raise wages much this yearand inflation will remain well below the officialtarget of 2 percent. With a few high-profile excep-tions, businesses are cautious about passing onhigher profits to their employees, which is seen asvital to Abe’s hopes for sustained growth. Abe hasalso yet to deliver on promised long-term reformsto counter the drag of Japan’s ageing and fallingpopulation and to reduce the country’s massivepublic debt.

Having said that, the poll predicted the econo-my will continue to recover this year as companiesand consumers rush to beat a planned rise in salestax. And unlike much of the world, Japan will avoidany US backwash from its policy shift, rather itsexporters will benefit if the dollar strengthens asUS market rates rise. “The Japanese rates marketdoes not track the US rates market at all, so theydon’t get hurt by rising US rates but they benefitfrom the rising dollar, so they get a nice free ridefrom the US,” said Ghahramani. Perhaps of evengreater importance than Japan’s policy mix isChina’s ability to take excess credit out of its econo-my without causing a crash. The Chinese economygrew 7.7 percent in 2013 but slowed in the finalthree months. There is little sign of a sharp tighten-ing in monetary policy, but rising money marketrates and bond yields in recent months indicate thePeople’s Bank of China is committed to removingexcessive debt from the economy. “Rumours of animminent financial crisis in China have been aroundfor years,” said Berenberg bank economist RobertWood. “But China can deal with these problems,” hesaid. The government seems ready to accept lowerrates of GDP growth as long as that growth is sus-tainable and does not cause politically dangerousmass unemployment.” —Reuters

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Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt only agreeto meet after sunset and are wary of everyoneincluding family members, as part of tactics to

outwit informants. Three years after Egypt’s revolt whichtoppled president Hosni Mubarak, their 85-year-old move-ment is now designated a “terrorist organisation” by thecountry’s military-installed authorities. The standing of theIslamist group has eroded dramatically in the face of acrackdown launched by the government since the mili-tary’s July 3 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

The Brotherhood, which has won all elections in post-Mubarak Egypt, is in complete disarray, with its top leader-ship behind bars and hundreds of members and support-ers on the run or living in constant fear. After severalapproaches, some of its members finally agreed to meetup with AFP at their homes or cafes in the capital. “Ibrahim”,23, played host at his residence in a Cairo neighbourhood,but only after assurances that his real name would not berevealed. At the gate of his building, Ibrahim cast worriedlooks around him, afraid that the doorman who he sus-pects of being “close to the security forces” would reporthim for meeting journalists.

And before he started to talk, his friend Mohamedremoved the SIM cards from mobile phones, saying the“security forces can tap conversations even when thephone is switched off”. Such precautions are essentialbecause “the authorities are trying to divide society andcalling on people to denounce” the Brotherhood, saidIbrahim. His biggest fear was neighbours made to feel itwas their national duty to report suspected Brotherhoodmembers to police. “Apart from neighbours, some feelthreatened by their own families,” said Amani, whose bestfriend Mona was arrested last week along with her hus-band, leaving behind three children aged between sixand 13.

Mona was arrested for wearing a full body veil, whileher husband sports a long beard, seen as trademarks ofIslamists, she said. “There is an anti-Islam racism in Egypt,”said Amani, who wore a long blue veil, blaming unrest inEgypt on an international conspiracy. Street clashes sinceJuly have left more than 1,000 people dead, mainly sup-porters and members of the Brotherhood, and the “terror-ist” tag has further tightened the noose. Brotherhood lead-ers are on trial facing charges which carry the death penal-ty, while those participating in demonstrations or possess-ing its leaflets face up to five years in jail.

Survival tacticsShaymaa Awad, 32, an Islamist activist whose family are

active members of the Brotherhood, said she and manylike her were always devising ways to outsmart the author-ities. “A friend uses a photo of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisias his mobile phone wallpaper for when police” stop him atcheckpoints, Awad said during a meeting at a cafe. Sisi,Egypt’s powerful army chief, ousted Morsi after massiveprotests against the Islamist’s one year in office, althoughhe himself was named defence minister by the electedpresident.

Three weeks later, Sisi called upon Egyptians to take tothe streets and grant him a “mandate” to break up two sit-in protests in Cairo by Morsi supporters demanding hisreinstatement. “My aunt demonstrated (after Sisi’s call). Shegave him a mandate to kill me as she knew I was at Rabaaal-Adawiya,” Awad said. She was referring to one of theCairo squares where more than 600 people were killed onAug 14 after police unleashed a brutal crackdown to endthe sit-ins.

Awad’s troubles began on July 4, a day after Morsi wastoppled. She and her family were staying at her father’s gov-ernment apartment in northern Egypt when they wereevicted because he was a senior Brotherhood member.Awad moved to Cairo and now rarely sees her family. “WhenI go (to see the family), I go at night and don’t stay longbecause I know the security forces have already visited ournew home looking for me,” she said. “My name is on their listof terrorists ... so I don’t tell anyone where I live. There are stillmany things I want to do, so I won’t allow them to get meeasily,” a determined Awad said with a smile.

And for that she uses modern technology. She hasinstalled an application on her mobile phone which whenpressed can instantly alert the family and human rightsactivists in case she is arrested. “I have also given pass-words of my accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Gmail todifferent people, so that in case I’m caught they can closethem down,” she said. —AFP

By Sarah Benhaida

Issues

Egypt Brotherhood members aim to

outwit informants

A N A L Y S I STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

By Juergen Baetz

France is sending business execu-tives by the planeload to Iran.German and Dutch entrepre-

neurs are taking courses on how toclose a deal in Tehran, and carmakersare drawing up plans for investment.Europe’s business community is abuzzwith preparations to rush back intoIran, an economic powerhouse in theMiddle East, as some sanctions aresuspended. And the interest is wel-come - Iran is desperate to revive itseconomy after years of internationalisolation. Under a deal with worldpowers, Tehran has agreed to curb itsnuclear program in exchange forsome sanctions relief and the unfreez-ing of about $4.2 billion in overseasassets. Iran and world powers nowhave six months to conclude a perma-nent deal.

As always, in business, it’s aboutgetting in first. Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani and his ForeignMinister Javad Zarif will meet with theworld’s business elite this week at theWorld Economic Forum inSwitzerland’s Davos ski resort, and arelikely to discuss trade opportunities.More hand-shaking will take placesoon thereafter in Tehran, whenFrance’s business lobby group flies inexecutives representing about 100firms for “exploratory” talks to takeadvantage of the sanctions’ suspen-sion, an official with the organizationsaid.

Their competitors are doing thesame, so firms from the oil and gassector, carmakers and other manufac-turing companies want to movequickly, added the official, who spoke

only on condition of anonymitybecause the subject remains sensitivewithin governments. “Everyone is inthe same state of mind,” she said.

The OpportunityFor businesses, getting into Iran is a

chance not to be missed. The countryboasts a well-educated population ofabout 75 million and some of theworld’s largest oil and gas reserves,much of which is still unexplored dueto decades of sanctions since the 1979Islamic Revolution. European coun-tries have historically strong trade tieswith Iran - more so than the US, whichhas had tougher sanctions in place forlonger. European sanctions onlybegan in limited form in 2007.

The recent, more punitive meas-ures had caused Iran’s currency totumble while unemployment soaredand ballooning inflation ate up thepeople’s purchasing power. But thisweek, some sanctions were lifted onthe export of petrochemical products,shipping, insurance and the trade ofprecious metals. The possibilities forgrowth are obvious judging by howmuch trade has fallen. Imports to the28-nation EU, Iran’s biggest tradingpartner, plunged from Ä16.5 billion($22 billion) in 2011 to Ä5.6 billion($7.6 billion) in 2012 and a mere Ä395million ($534 million) in the first half of2013. Exports from the bloc to Irandwindled from around Ä11 billion toÄ7.4 billion in 2012.

Executive InterestAmong the first signs that business

is ready to resume is the surge indemand for flights. Austrian Airlineslast week announced it will resume

five weekly flights to Tehran, and itsparent company Lufthansa said it’sthinking about adding more seats toits daily flights. Turkish Airlines, whichserves six Iranian destinations, is seek-ing permission to increase its routes’frequencies. Even though there arefears that sanctions could go back upwhen the current deal expires in six

months, companies are upbeat.“Optimism is predominating that

there has finally been something of arelaxation in political relations andtherefore in business possibilities,” saidVolker Treier, head of trade relations atthe Association of German Chambersof Commerce. The association lastweek held an event on doing businessin Iran and executives “filled the roomvery quickly”, Treier said. The sectorsrepresented included machinery, vehi-cle production, food, medical technol-ogy and pharmaceuticals. In the

Netherlands, the Dutch ambassadorto Iran, Jos Douma, last week heldwhat he called a “speed-date session”with companies interested in gettingback into business with Iran. Onefocus was to export spare parts forIran’s aging planes and agriculturalproducts. “They need all kinds ofthings,” he said.

OilFor foreign firms, the biggest

prize in Iran is undoubtedly its sanc-tions-crippled oil and gas sector. “Iranclearly has huge resources. Its pro-duction has been curtailed in recentyears,” oil company BP said in a state-ment. “It clearly has a lot of potential.”It cautioned, however, that “this islikely to be a very complicated politi-cal process.” Iran’s oil and gas indus-try is in poor shape since sanctionsoften made it impossible to upgradeproduction sites. Iran also needs to

modernize its business laws, saidHoward Rogers, the director of theNatural Gas Research program at theOxford Institute for Energy Studies.Other hurdles include the tight sanc-tions on financial transactions, whichmostly remain in place. “It’s unbeliev-ably difficult for companies to getpaid from in Iran,” Douma said.

Considering the big sums involvedin oil production, companies will becautious with investments. Whilemajor players such as France’s Total,Anglo-Dutch Shell or Italy’s Eni arekeen to get back in business, they arefor now sticking to a wait-and-seeapproach until the sanctions will belifted permanently. “My expectationwould be a rush of large players ifsanctions come down,” said Rogers.Iran’s oil minister is holding meetingsin Turkey this week to seek closercooperation. As an initial step, Turkeyhopes to boost crude imports byabout a third.

CarsThe other big opportunity is Iran’s

auto market, which had been impor-tant for European manufacturersbefore the sanctions hit. France’s PSAPeugeot Citroen and Renault, in par-ticular, stand to gain from renewingtheir once-sizeable Iran activities. Asrecently as 2011, Peugeot sold455,000 cars in Iran, making thecountry its second-largest marketafter France. The company is now fol-lowing the situation with interest,said spokesman Pierre-OlivierSalmon. “The group has renewedcontacts to prepare a possibleresumption of activities with Iran,” headded. —AP

How to help, not harm, world recovery?

Europe rushing to find Iran bonanza

In this April 20, 2011 file photo, a line of Peugeot 206s, contain-ing its hatchback and sedan, are on the production line at theIranian state-run Iran Khodro automobile manufacturing plantnear Tehran. —AP

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

LONDON: Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo will face a strong challenge for her LondonMarathon crown as the Olympic champion, the world champion and one of the great-est distance runners of all time line up against her on April 13.

Olympic champion Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia, world champion Edna Kiplagat ofKenya and double 10,000m Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia are thefront runners in a field that includes eight athletes who have run under 2 hours 25minutes. The world record stands at 2:15:25 and was set by Britain’s Paula Radcliffe inLondon 11 years ago. London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher, announcing the

field yesterday, said: “We are delighted to welcome back PriscahJeptoo. “Our champion was a deserved winner of the WorldMarathon Majors title and has shown with her performances overthe last two years that she will be extremely difficult to beat.”Jeptoo, who won an Olympic silver in London in 2012, producedthe world’s second fastest time last year to win in 2:20.15 and she

will need to reproduce that kind of form against an elite fieldthat also includes three athletes who have run quickerthan 2 hours 20 minutes. Jeptoo followed up her Londonwin with victory in the New York Marathon in Novemberwhen she clinched the World Marathon Majors title anda $US500,000 pay cheque. Dibaba, who has won threeworld 10,000m titles, two world 5,000 metres crownsand three Olympic titles, will be making her debut over26.2 miles (42.195kms). —Reuters

Tough challenge to keep crownLONDON: British Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott has won the battle to compete at herfourth Winter Olympics despite re-breaking a leg last August and being unable toprove her fitness before the selection deadline. The 31-year-old was named yesterdayin a 56-strong Team GB squad, Britain’s biggest since 1988, for next month’s Games inSochi. Alcott, who came 11th in the 2010 Vancouver super-combined and in the 2006Turin downhill, had faced an anxious wait after returning to full-time training only inNovember. She had been due to make her World Cup comeback in Cortina d’Ampezzoin Italy at the weekend, her last chance to demonstrate a return torace fitness, but the downhill was cancelled due to heavy snow-fall. The London-born skier has battled back from career-threatening leg breaks, including one in Canada in 2010 thatleft a bone sticking out of her skin. She has also had to con-tend with a loss of official funding. “Being able to compete inmy fourth Olympic Games is no less meaningful for me thancompeting in my first in Salt Lake City in 2002,” she said on herFacebook page.

“Since Vancouver I have done everything I could havedone to be in Russia. Preparations were far from idealbut with my self belief and confidence and the support Ihave from everyone I can’t wait to get into that Olympicstart gate.” — Reuters

Alcott heading for Games

LONDON: Galatasaray manager Roberto Mancini says he has no bit-terness towards his former club Manchester City and believes theirsuccess this season is partly due to the foundations he laid duringhis three-year tenure at the club.

Mancini was sacked at the end of last season despite taking Cityto their first major honors in three decades with an FA Cup victory in2011 and the English Premier League title the following year.

In an interview with the BBC’s World Service he also said that hisformer rivals Manchester United needed to restructure their declin-ing squad if they are to compete for the title.

The Italian, who made way for Manuel Pellegriuni and moved toGalatasaray after leaving City last year, said: “Chelsea changed andbought some new players, City bought four or five new players.

“After many years, it’s the time for United to refresh their team.”City are currently chasing four trophies this season. They reachedthe Capital One Cup final on Tuesday with a record 9-0 semi-finalaggregate victory over West Ham United and are second in thePremier League table, a point behind leaders Arsenal. They are alsostill involved in the Champions League and FA Cup having scored106 goals in all competitions so far. —Reuters

Mancini: City buildingon my foundations

COLUMBUS: RJ Umberger scored twice to leadthe Columbus Blue Jackets to their franchise-record seventh straight win, a 5-3 victoryTuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings.

Nathan Horton scored in his 600th NHLgame, Artem Anisimov had a goal and an assistand Ryan Johansen also scored for Columbus,with James Wisniewski picking up two assists.Sergei Bobrovsky moved to 8-0 in his past eightstarts with 26 saves.

Jeff Carter, Dwight King and Robyn Regehrhad goals for the Kings, who have lost three in arow. Mike Richards had two assists.

The Blue Jackets have been surging since get-ting Horton, who missed the first 40 games aftershoulder surgery, and Bobrovsky, who sat outmost of December with a strained groin, back onthe ice. They’re 8-1-0 with Horton, a big free-agent signing last summer from Boston, in thelineup.

MAPLE LEAFS 5, AVALANCHE 2Phil Kessel scored twice, James van Riemsdyk

had a goal and an assist and Toronto beatColorado for its sixth straight win. Nazem Kadrialso scored and James Reimer stopped 35 shotsfor Toronto.

The Maple Leafs are on their longest winningstreak in eight years after losing four in a row.Toronto has climbed to fourth in the EasternConference standings during its win streak.

Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored two goalsfor the Avalanche, and Jean-Sebastien Giguerehad 19 saves in relief of Semyon Varlamov.

Colorado generated more early chances butToronto scored first. Dion Phaneuf sent a puckfrom his own end off the backboards and Kessel,who got behind the Avalanche defense, put asoft shot past Varlamov 3:56 into the game.

ISLANDERS 5, RANGERS 3Thomas Vanek scored a power-play goal with

4:38 left, and the Islanders rallied from two goalsdown for a second straight day and beat theRangers.

Vanek capped the comeback as the Rangerswere trying to kill a penalty for too many men onthe ice. Colin McDonald and defensemanThomas Hickey scored in the second period toget the Islanders even.

Matt Martin scored a rare goal in the first, andFrans Nielsen added an empty-netter. KevinPoulin made 30 saves in the Islanders’ ninth winin their past 11 road games.

John Tavares had three assists and KyleOkposo added two in front of a nearly full crowdon a snowy night in New York.

Rick Nash scored twice in the first period forhis second straight multigoal game, and ChrisKreider added a goal for the Rangers, who hadwon three in a row. Cam Talbot made 32 saveswhile subbing for Henrik Lundqvist, who missedthe game due to illness.

JETS 3, DUCKS 2Ondrej Pavelec made 40 saves, Evander Kane

had a short-handed goal and an assist in hisreturn from a four-game injury absence, andWinnipeg ended Anaheim’s 10-game home win-ning streak.

Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd also scoredfor the last-place Jets, who also handedAnaheim its first regulation loss at home thisseason after a 20-0-2 start at Honda Center.

Bryan Little had two assists as Winnipeg hungon for its fourth consecutive win since coachPaul Maurice replaced Claude Noel.

Cam Fowler and Nick Bonino scored for theNHL-leading Ducks, who hadn’t lost at homesince Dec. 3. Anaheim has won 19 of 22 overall,but has lost two of its last three games.

Anaheim was just the fourth NHL team in 40years to earn a point in its first 22 home gamesto start a season. The Ducks were the only NHLteam that hadn’t lost in regulation at home thisseason.

CANUCKS 2, OILERS 1Rookie Kellan Lain and Zack Kassian scored

and Vancouver won its first game without sus-pended head coach John Tortorella in a victoryover Edmonton.

The Canucks have won just three of their past11 games. Roberto Luongo made 28 saves forthe win.

The Canucks were also without leading scor-ing Henrik Sedin, who missed his first game inclose to a decade with an injury.

The Canucks were also without Tortorella,who was suspended for 15 days by the NHL onMonday for an altercation during a game againstthe Calgary Flames on Saturday. Jordan Eberlescored for the Oilers, who have lost five in a rowand 10 of their past 12.

DEVILS 7, BLUES 1Mark Fayne and Ryan Carter scored 24 sec-

onds apart early in the first period to spark NewJersey Devils over St. Louis. Jaromir Jagr, RyaneClowe, Adam Henrique, Damien Brunner andEric Gelinas added goals and the Devils celebrat-ed a return to the snow-bound Prudential Centerafter losing three of four on the road. The sevengoals were a season high. It was the biggest out-burst by the Devils, and the most surrendered bythe Blues.

Cory Schneider, 3-0-2 in his past five appear-ances, made 26 saves. The game went on asscheduled despite a heavy snowstorm that heldthe crowd to an announced turnout of 2,000.

Alex Steen scored for the Blues who sportedtwo impressive marks coming in: they were 14-2-1 against Eastern Conference foes and 15-5-3on the road.

PANTHERS 4, SABRES 3Ed Jovanovski scored the go-ahead goal and

added an assist in his 1,100th career game,sparking Florida over Buffalo. Sean Bergenheim,Jesse Winchester and Nick Bjugstad also scoredfor Florida, which improved to 4-0-1 in its pastfive trips to Buffalo. Tom Gilbert set up two goalsin helping the Panthers overcome a pair of one-goal first-period deficits and then hang on forthe win.

Tim Thomas stopped 32 shots, including 15shots in the final period to improve to 7-3-2 inhis past 12 games. Drew Stafford scored twiceand Steve Ott also scored for the Sabres (13-28-7), who dropped to 0-2-2 in their past four.

SENATORS 2, CAPITALS 0Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza scored, Craig

Anderson made 34 saves and Ottawa beatWashington to hand the Alex Ovechkin-lessCapitals their sixth straight loss.

With NHL scoring leader Ovechkin sidelinedwith an unspecified lower-body injury,Washington generated few quality scoringchances, failing to convert on five power plays.During their six-game skid, the Capitals havescored just seven goals. It was the third timeWashington has been shut out this season, withall the games at home. Ottawa improved to 7-1-2 in its past 10 games.

STARS 4, WILD 0Erik Cole and Ray Whitney scored power-play

goals, and Dallas stopped a three-game losingstreak with a victory over Minnesota.

Kari Lehtonen made 18 saves as Dallas wonfor the second time in its past 11 games. It washis second shutout of the season and No. 24 forhis career. Jordie Benn scored on a penalty shot,beating Darcy Kuemper at 11:22 of the thirdperiod. — AP

Blue Jackets see off Kings

ITALY: Showing signs of a big jump inform just in time for the Sochi Olympics,American skier Julia Mancuso led down-hill training Wednesday ahead of fourdays of World Cup racing.

Mancuso, whose best finish this sea-son in any event was 12th, clocked 1minute, 38.87 seconds down the sunnyOlympia delle Tofane course.

Johanna Schnarf of Italy was second,0.06 seconds behind, and overall leaderMaria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany was third,0.29 behind. “I felt like I had a good run,”Mancuso said. “It wasn’t perfect every-where, but I was really going for it.”

Mancuso has always saved her bestskiing for the Olympics. She won gold ingiant slalom at the 2006 Turin Gamesand took silver in downhill and super-combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“Definitely my confidence is gettingbetter and better,” she said. The Cortinaschedule calls for super-G races Mondayand Sunday and downhill races tomor-row and Saturday. Two of the races wereoriginally scheduled for Cortina lastweekend but got wiped out by heavysnowfall. The other races were movedfrom Garmisch-Partenkirchen, due to alack of snow in the German resort.

Apart from World Cup finals, skiersrarely face four races in four days. Even atthe Olympics and world championships,there are days off between races.

“That’s not a problem for me since I’mdoing all events. I’m used skiing everyday,” Hoefl-Riesch said. “Of course fourdays in a row is a tough schedule. But it

shouldn’t be a problem.”However, there is a possibility of more

bad weather in the coming days. “I hopethat there’s not so much snow comingagain, because the slope is really goodright now. It’s perfect,” Hoefl-Riesch said.“It would be great to have nice and fairraces.” Hoefl-Riesch has two career winsin Cortina and seven podiums. Mancusowon a super-G in Cortina in 2007 and hassix second-place finishes on the Tofanecourse. But she hasn’t won a race since aparallel slalom in Moscow two years ago,and she feels her equipment has been abig reason.

“Even though we’ve had canceledraces I’ve been spending a lot of times onmy boots (free) skiing,” Mancuso said.“That’s the most important thing for me -to feel really comfortable and confidenton my equipment. ... I’ve put in the hoursI needed.”

With the US team set to name itsSochi squad on Sunday, two otherAmericans also fared well. Stacey Cookwas sixth and 21-year-old JacquelineWiles was 12th.

The Sochi Games open Feb. 7 andMancuso’s preparation over the past fewdays has included a lot of mental train-ing, visualizing the course and “justfocusing on really good skiing.” “I’m sureif I’m skiing well then the results willcome,” she said. “And it doesn’t even mat-ter what place I end up in the races goinginto it. Even today having a really goodtraining run that’s a really good confi-dence (booster) for me.” — AP

LONDON: Formula One’s new crop ofcars will look like something out of a sci-ence fiction horror movie with front endsthat are the stuff of nightmares, accord-ing to Caterham principal Cyril Abiteboul.

“It does remind me a little bit of themonster in ‘Alien’,” the Frenchman toldReuters when asked about the nose onhis team’s yet-to-be-revealed 2014 cre-ation.

The new cars will hit the track for thefirst time in testing at Jerez in southernSpain next Tuesday but some teams arediscreetly presenting them this weekonline.

Force India released a side-on imageof their VJM07 on Wednesday, showingoff a new, blacker livery while avoiding afront-end view. They said the front of thecar was a temporary solution and wouldlook very different for the start of the sea-son in March.

“It is going to be ugly,” Abiteboul saidof the Renault-powered Caterham, whichwill be unveiled in the Jerez pitlane onTuesday.

“Kids should be dreaming when theysee a Formula One car. I don’t know whatsort of dream or nightmare you will getwhen you look at those cars. “It doesremind me of Alien...with somethingcoming out of the mouth and whatever.It’s not very nice.”

The technical rules have changed sig-nificantly this season and cars have tocombine a high chassis and low nose tip,which can be much narrower than lastyear. There has already been talk of‘anteater-style’ solutions. “I think it’s a nat-ural consequence of the regulation and

the impact system at the front,” saidAbiteboul.

“It is what it is. Maybe we will have toaddress that as a collective issue ofFormula One because we need to be see-ing some dream,” he added. “I think it’sgoing to be a problem for Formula Onethat maybe Formula One will have toaddress.”

Formula One went through an ‘ugly’phase in 2012, when cars had steppednoses in response to a regulation changeintroduced for safety reasons to ensurethe high front end did not penetratecockpits and injure drivers in an impact.

To improve the look, teams wereallowed to use non-structural ‘vanitypanels’ to cover the broken noses lastyear but the rules have changed againfor 2014.

“Various solutions have been devel-oped which satisfy the regulations butalso try to recover some of the aero per-formance and that’s led to some struc-tures that are a little bit different,” saidCaterham technical director Mark Smith.

He recognised fans might not find thelack of flowing, continous lines to be aes-thetically pleasing.

“The regulation has obviously driventhe tip of the nose down to help in cer-tain types of impact situation,” he said.

“That has driven some solutions thatclearly may not be the solution you’dcome up with if you were purely lookingfor an aesthetic wing.”

McLaren are due to reveal their car ontheir website on Friday, with Ferrari fol-lowing in similar fashion on Saturday andSauber on Sunday. — Reuters

BOSTON: Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams (14) makes a move with the puck in this file photo. — AP

Mancuso tops in Cortina

F1 meets ‘Alien’ for new season

Julia Mancuso

LONDON: Captain Sam Warburton, who has notplayed rugby since suffering a shoulder injury inNovember, hopes to be fit to lead Wales’sdefence of the Six Nations championship whenthey will be seeking an unprecedented thirdsuccessive outright win.

Warburton suffered the nerve damage intheir 30-26 defeat by Australia but said at thetournament’s official launch on Wednesday thathe hoped to be available when his team get thetournament underway against Italy in Cardiff onFeb. 1. “I think I am going to be available forselection but we might decide if it’s better toplay a club game first he said.” Warburton, whoalso missed the final and decisive test of theBritish and Irish Lions’ series victory overAustralia last year, said the target of three SixNations titles in a row had been brought up ashis team sat dejected in their Cardiff dressingroom after suffering their eighth successivedefeat at the hands of the Wallabies.

“Shaun Edwards (assistant coach) talkedabout three in a row after that Australia match,”

he said. “He said to look for positives and to goaway and play ourselves into the squad for theSix Nations where we would have a chance tocreate history.” Several teams have won twosuccessive championship titles then taken ashare of a third - before points difference wasintroduced to split teams finishing level - butnobody has completed an outright hat-trick.The bookmakers are as unsure as anyone, withWales the tightest of favourites at 2/1 ahead ofEngland and France.

With away games against I reland andEngland on the horizon, it looks a difficult chal-lenge, especially in the light of Wales’s continu-ing dire form against the southern hemispheresides, but their incredible recent form in theworld’s oldest rugby tournament ensures theyremain real contenders. Their challenge takesplace, again, against a backdrop of political in-fighting with the regional teams at loggerheadswith the Welsh Rugby Union while also involvedin constant negotiations about the future of theHeineken Cup. —Reuters

Wales seek Six Nations landmark

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

BRUSSELS: It was the blunder of the VancouverGames. With Sven Kramer closing in on the 10,000-meter speedskating title, his coach sent him intothe wrong lane on a changeover. Gone was thechance for triple gold and the opportunity tobecome one of the top stars of the Olympics.

With the same coach still at his side, the domi-nating Dutchman plans to show in Sochi he canbounce back from the darkest moment of hiscareer.

He will only get over it if he gets gold in the 10Kin Sochi, Geert Kuiper, a trainer of Kramer at theTVM commercial team, said in a telephone inter-view with The Associated Press. If he does not winthere, it will only rub more salt into the wound.

Not that Kramer has any choice. He is alreadyestablished as one of the greatest skaters of hisgeneration and one of the greatest of all time withsix world and six European all-around titles. Butthere is another title he is after.

It is beyond question that I have to win, Kramer

told NOS Dutch network during a pre-Sochi train-ing camp. That is also the reason why I am intosports. And at 27, his time finally should be coming.

Like four years ago, nearly 17 million people inthe skating-mad Netherlands think likewise, count-ing on gold in the 5,000, 10,000 and team pursuit.

Even if Ireen Wust looks mighty strong for thewomens races, little compares to the attraction thenation feels for Kramer. The Olympic oval, though,is about the only place where he has let his fansdown. He was the most promising Olympic rookieat 2006 Turin Games, with confidence to match hispowerful build and giant strides.

His first gold seemed assured in the team pur-suit. Yet, Kramer made an error by clipping a mark-er to bring down the whole team. He left Italy onlywith silver, bronze b and heartache. He only had hisnose at the door in Turin, Kuiper said. In Vancouver,he could have won it all.

He started well enough, breezing to the 5,000gold. Then came the lane changeover which would

define his Olympic career. He was a few lapsremoved from gold in the 10,000 when coachGerard Kemkers inexplicably sent him into thewrong lane and, confused, Kramer followed hisadvice.

In that second, with that elementary error whichdefies belief, he became known for failure as muchas success. It has only made him more dogged inthe pursuit of Olympic gold. After Vancouver, aninjury in his upper right leg forced him to sit out ayear and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

He regrouped and became pickier in selectingwhen and where to race. An all-around title forces askater to be prolific from 500 to 10,000 meters, andin todays world with ever more international com-petition, that becomes tougher and tougher beven for Kramer.

So when he had to prepare for Sochi, he decid-ed to sit out the European championships in early-January, even though he could have become thesole record holder with seven golds overall.

Instead of going through four tough races overtwo days so close to the games, he went toTenerife, off the north African coast, preferringwarm-weather training to sub-zero Hamar inNorway.

He has learned to pick his moments better.There is no more pressure to win everything,Kuiper said.

And on top of that, competition gets tougher,especially from Dutch teammate Jorrit Bergsma,another long-distance specialist.

There might be some pressure for braggingrights at home, too. As things stand, Kramers girl-friend Naomi van As has two Olympic gold medalsas a player on the Dutch field hockey team fromthe 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games.

Van As also was in the stands four years agowhen she saw Kramer hesitate on the changeoverbefore following Kemkers advice to take the wronglane. He has given it a place in his life, Kuiper said,but the scar remains. — AP

After Kramer’s blunder, only gold counts in Sochi

HAMILTON: New Zealand beat India by 15 runsunder the Duckworth/Lewis method in the rain-shortened second one-day cricket internationalyesterday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-matchseries. Tim Southee claimed four wickets, includ-ing the critical one of Virat Kohli for 78.

Kane Williamson top-scored with 77 as NewZealand made 271-7 batting first in a matchreduced to 42 overs per side, and India, set arevised target of 293, was held to 277-9 in reply.

The second international mirrored the first asNew Zealand reached a competitive total afterbeing sent in and India’s chance of winningseemed strong until Kohli fell at a crucial stage.India’s second straight loss meant it forfeit theNo. 1 ranking in one-day internationals toAustralia.

Kohli made 123 in the first match on Sundaywhen New Zealand won by 24 runs. He was piv-otal again and the match tipped substantially inthe home team’s favor when Southee grabbedhis wicket in the 30th over with India still need-ing 129.

After Kohli was dismissed in the first over ofthe batting powerplay, India’s hopes fell on theshoulders of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Hemade 56 including a half century from 42 ballswhich was completed with a six off Southee.

But when he was out in the 40th over, skyinga catch to Williamson off Corey Anderson, Indiastill needed 40 runs from 17 balls, a task thatseemed beyond its remaining batsmen.

Anderson dismissed both Ravindra Jadeja(12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (11) to add threewickets to his rapid-fire 44, which was a key con-tribution to New Zealand’s total.

India needed 81 off the last seven overs, and50 from the last 24 balls. But when Dhoni fell,their winning target became oppressive andthey wilted under its weight.

They still needed 22 from the last over butthe rain which spoiled the match when itdelayed play for almost two hours during theNew Zealand innings, returned with three ballsremaining, when stumps was called. “I thinkwhen the New Zealand team was bowling therewas a bit extra in the wicket and it was nippingaround,” Dhoni said. “As the game progressed,even when the fast bowlers were bowling, it wasnot coming on nicely which meant it becamequite difficult to freely play the big strokes.

“Even somebody like Virat, who is in tremen-dous form, found it quite difficult to consistentlyhit.” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullumwelcomed a performance which saw his teamtake another step towards the consistency theyhave been seeking.

“With the bat it was a good performance toget that size total,” he said. “In a reduced gameagainst such a good batting lineup as India’s weknew we needed all of those runs. “It was atremendous game of cricket and it was great tobe on the right side of it.

“ The batting of Kane ( Williamson), Ross(Taylor) and Martin (Guptill) was critical in givingus a good platform to work from and then Corey(Anderson) came in and showed again howmuch he is learning at this level and what a dan-gerous player he is.”

Anderson slugged five sixes in an innings of

44 from 17 balls to give New Zealand a crucialboost late in its innings. Williamson steered theinnings through the crucial middle overs, reach-ing a half century from 52 balls and putting on89 for the second wicket with Guptill and 60 forthe third with Taylor.

Taylor, who made 57 for his 26th half centuryin one-dayers, joined Anderson in a lateonslaught in which they added 74 runs for thefourth wicket in 4.4 overs.

New Zealand’s innings was twice interruptedby rain: For only 10 minutes on the first occasion

but then for almost two hours from the 34thover when it was 170-2. It returned with eightovers trimmed from its allocation but copedwell, striking 101-5 runs in 8.4 overs.

The Kiwis were 248-4 when Anderson wasout in the 39th over, then lost five wickets forfour runs. Mohammed Shami produced anotheroutstanding display of bowling at the death,claiming the late wickets of Taylor and BrendonMcCullum (0) to finish with 3-55 from sevenovers. The third match is on Saturday atAuckland. — AP

N Zealand beat India by 15 runs in 2nd ODI

HAMILTON: Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India (right) fields as New Zealand’s Jessie Ryder bats dur-ing the second one day international cricket match against India at Seddon Park. —AFP

ADELAIDE: Diego Ulissi of Italy celebrates after winning stage two of the 2014 TourDown Under cycling race near Adelaide. — AFP

New Zealand M. Guptill c Shami b Raina 44 J. Ryder C Dhoni b Shami 20 K. Williamson st Dhoni b Jadeja 77R. Taylor c Dhoni b Shami 57C. Anderson c Dhawan b Sharma 44B. McCullum c & b Shami 0L. Ronchi not out 18N. McCullum b Kumar 1K. Mills not out 2Extras: (lb1, w7) 8 Total: (seven wickets; 42 overs) 271 Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Ryder), 2-114 (Guptill), 3-174 (Williamson), 4-248 (Anderson), 5-250 (B.McCullum), 6-251 (Taylor), 7-252 (N. McCullum)Did not bat: T. Southee, M. McClenaghan Bowling: Kumar 7-1-43-1, Shami 7-0-55-3 (2w),Sharma 6-0-46-1 (4w), Jadeja 8-0-46-1, Kohli 2-0-12-0, Ashwin 8-0-50-0 (1w), Raina 4-0-18-1IndiaS. Dhawan b Southee 12

R. Sharma c Ronchi b Southee 20V. Kohli c sub b Southee 78A. Rahane c Ronchi b McClenaghan 36M. Dhoni c Williamson b Anderson 56S. Raina c Southee b Mills 35R. Jadeja b Anderson 12R. Ashwin c Guptill b Southee 5 B. Kumar c N. McCullum b Anderson 11M. Shami not out 1I. Sharma not out 1Extras: (lb3, w7) 10Total: (nine wickets, 41.3 overs) 277Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Dhawan), 2-37 (R. Sharma),3-127 (Rahane), 4-164 (Kohli), 5-226 (Raina), 6-257 (Dhoni), 7-259 (Jadeja), 8-265 (Ashwin), 9-275 (Kumar)Bowling: Mills 9-1-50-1, McClenaghan 8-1-45-1(1w), Southee 9-0-72-4 (1w), N. McCullum 8-0-40-0 (3w), Anderson 7.3-0-67-3 (2w)Result: New Zealand won by 15 runs (D/Lmethod)

SCOREBOARD

HAMILTON, New Zealand: Completed scoreboard in the second one-day international betweenNew Zealand and India at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday:

MELBOURNE: Lampre-Merida rider DiegoUlissi staved off the challenge from localfavorite Simon Gerrans to claim the secondstage of the Tour Down Under yesterday.

Gerrans retained the leader’s jersey butIlissi could not be denied his seventh pro-fessional career victory which put the 24-year-old Italian in second place, seven sec-onds behind the Australian.

“I’ve never believed in my chances towin this stage because I had the impressionthat Simon Gerrans was by far thestrongest,” said Ulissi, who crossed the 150kilometre stage through the AdelaideHillsline in three hours 52 minutes and 15seconds.

“I thought he’d be unbeatable but Imanaged to beat him thanks to the help ofthe great team I have behind me.”Australian road champion Gerrans closedon Ulissi but could not overtake the Italian.

Far from being upset, the Orica-

GreenEdge rider was focussing on today’srace featuring the notorious Corkscrew Hillclimb shortly before the finish inCampbelltown.

“It was close but I can’t win them all,”said Gerrans. “He’s (Ulissi) a classy rider. ButI wasn’t expecting he’d pass me as fast ashe did. “... it’s a good result for me today as Ihave a bigger advantage over my otherrivals with the time bonus of the secondplace.

“Tomorrow is going to be the most deci-sive stage with the Corkscrew climb soclose to the finish.” Cadel Evans’ third placeon the stage helped the 2011 Tour deFrance champion jump from ninth overallto fourth, 13 seconds off the lead.

“I went too early, and got swamped atthe finish,” said the BMC rider Evans. “Ihope to get it right in the next few days, Ididn’t have the legs and timing to do ittoday.” — Reuters

Ulissi bags Tour stage

MELBOURNE: Cricket’s most powerful play-ers representative says planned reforms ofworld cricket will widen the gap betweenthe sport’s big three and smaller nations,undermining the competitiveness of theinternational game.

Paul Marsh, head of the Federation ofInternational Cricketers’ Associations whichcombines the player associations of seven ofthe International Cricket Council’s 10 fullmembers, described aspects of the leakedreform proposals as “disturbing,” saying theywill broaden disparities between cricket’s“rich and poor.” Although details of the pro-posals have not been made public, they arereported to give India, England and Australiacontrol over the ICC, test cricket, its revenue,and a greater say in when and where theyplay series. The three also would hold domi-nance over the ICC’s decision-making execu-tive board.

Marsh yesterday joined widespread criti-cism of the new regulations drawn up by aworking group of the ICC finance and com-mercial affairs committee. South Africa hasalready condemned the draft document as“fundamentally flawed.”

The proposed reforms would likely see

the revision or abandonment of the FutureTours Program which guarantees smallernations regular series against the big threesides. “The proposals relating to schedulingare disturbing,” Marsh said.

“Of significance is the section that offers aguarantee from Cricket Australia and theECB to play three tests and five ODIs percycle to each of the top eight members, yetthere is no mention of any such guaranteefrom the BCCI.”

Marsh said all ICC member nations,including Australia and England, rely heavilyon proceeds from India tours for the sustain-ability of the sport in their country.

“What chance do the majority of mem-bers have of survival if the BCCI decides notto tour their countries on at least a semi-reg-ular basis?” he said.

Marsh also raised concerns about the pro-posal’s recommendation that revenues bedistributed to ICC members on a pro-ratabasis, “based on commercial contribution.”

“The result of this will be the countriesthat need ICC income most will receive theleast while the ‘big three’ will get the lion’sshare even though they are already finan-cially healthy because of the value of the

rights to their bilateral series.“The role of ICC events should be to assist

in leveling the financial playing field by dis-tributing the proceeds from these eventsfairly, rather than further widening the gapbetween the rich and poor.”

ICC chief executive Dave Richardsonindicated there was still a long process tobe fol lowed before any reforms wereimplemented. “These are just recommen-dations that they have put together, it’s byour working group of members of ourfinance and commercial affairs committee,”he said. “They are representatives fromEngland, Australia and India. “Those pro-posals are still to be discussed in full by ourfinance committee as an example and thefull ICC board when it meets at the end ofJanuary.

“So at this stage it’s far too premature forthe ICC to make any comment on the con-tent of the proposals because as we speak,we’re still going through them, getting fur-ther clarifications, finding out exactly whatis intended, and then hopefully we will beable to have (a) proper discussion aboutthese at the board meeting at the end ofthe month.” — AP

International players’ chief lashes ICC reforms

KUWAIT: Kuwait Cricket’s venture in find-ing talented youngsters through grass rootlevel cricket saw four teams in close con-tention for the top spot in the ongoing U-16 school cricket tournament being playedat Gulf Consults ground at Jleeb. For thesecond year in a row, Future Star XI,Friends Cricket Club, Delhi Public School &International School of Pakistan will lockhorns to clinch a place in the final.

In all, twelve school and club teams tothe likes of Future Stars XI, Delhi PublicSchool, DPS Titans, Cricket Coaching Club,Cricket Coaching Club A, Gladiators,Allrounders XI, Omariya Cricket Club, RoyalCoast XI, Friends XI, International School ofPakistan and Emerging Buds participatedin the robin league round matches which

saw very keen tussle amongst the young-sters. Future Star XI and Delhi PublicSchool are the two unbeaten teams so farin the tournament while Friends XI andInternational School of Pakistan are equal-ly talented and one a given day they canupset the applecart of the favorites.

Jibran of Future Star Academy hasclearly been the batsman of the tourna-ment so far with two centuries under hisbelt and is running for the title of the high-est scorer of the tournament.

Future Star XI will play against FriendsXI in the first semi final & Delhi PublicSchool will face a stiff challenge from darkhorses International School of Pakistan inthe second semi final to be played at GCground on January 25, 2014.

KUWAIT: All-rounders XI, ISP school boys & CCC teams posing after the match.

Kuwait cricket’s U-16 school tournament

KUWAIT: Emerging Stars team posing with Delhi Public School Titans.

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

LAS VEGAS: Roger Goodell once had his beer freezewhile watching a game in Chicago, so sitting outsideat the Super Bowl shouldn’t be too much of a bur-den for the NFL commissioner.

But what if - and this is a very real possibility - thestadium is blanketed in the kind of blizzard-like con-ditions that wreaked havoc across the Northeast onTuesday? What if the NFL doesn’t get lucky and scorea chilly yet tolerable Super Bowl evening at theMeadowlands?

Even worse, what if snow, sleet, ice or any combi-nation in the first outdoor cold weather Super Bowldetermines who wins the big game?

Could happen, and Goodell and other NFL offi-cials won’t be the only ones poring over weatherforecasts leading up to Feb. 2. Oddsmakers in LasVegas will be keeping a close eye on it, too, as a pos-sible factor in whether the Denver Broncos can cov-er what is now a 21/2-point spread against theSeattle Seahawks.

“Probably the most important guy being inter-viewed next week will be (television weatherman) AlRoker,” said Jimmy Vaccaro, who runs the sportsbook at the South Point hotel.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if theforecast doesn’t include wind and snow or sleet.

Goodell has embraced the idea of cold, though hehad little choice in the matter after NFL ownersdecided to reward the owners of the Jets and Giantsfor getting a new stadium by giving them a SuperBowl. He’ll sit outside for the misery that couldaccompany the usual mastery of a Super Bowl. If allgoes according to plan, he will hand out theLombardi trophy to the best team in the land, andeveryone will go home happy.

But some who are in the business of making thepoint spread for the game believe that if somethinglike Tuesday’s storm hits the day of the game it couldtilt the game in favor a team that relies more onpower football and defense rather than finesse. Andin this Super Bowl, that would be the Seahawks.

“With the game being in New York and the earlyforecast for below normal temperatures in the teensthat certainly favors a defensive team and a runningteam,” said Jay Kornegay, sports book director at theLVH. “That would certainly be an advantage to theSeahawks.”

Partly because of that, Kornegay and his odds-makers made the Seahawks a 2-point favorite whenbetting opened Sunday for the game. But bettorsenamored with the idea of Peyton Manning winninga second Super Bowl quickly caused the odds to

shift to Denver’s favor with a flood of money on theBroncos. The knock on Manning, though, is that forall his greatness he’s not a good cold-weather quar-terback. He played much of his career inside inIndianapolis and is 4-7 in games that are belowfreezing at kickoffs, though some of those weregames where he played sparingly because the Coltshad already locked up playoff seeding.

Others were against New England, when thePatriots clearly had the better team. And Manningdid complete 39 passes for 397 yards and fourtouchdowns against Tennessee last month when thetemperature at kickoff in Denver was 18 degrees.

“I won’t try to answer it because I didn’t give itany validation in the first place,” he said afterwardabout his supposed cold-weather struggles.

Both football fans and oddsmakers found outhow unpredictable a big storm can make the gamelast month when winter weather made conditionsmiserable in several cities. It took players inPhiladelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore the first halfto get used to the conditions, then they respondedwith an unlikely series of wild plays and drama inlighting up the scoreboard in the second half.

That has oddsmakers scratching their headsabout what to do about this year’s game. They often

figure things out in advance with lines that comeremarkably close to the final result, but a Super Bowlin the snow would be something new to everyone.

“If it’s big snow you can take all the handicappingand anything we thought we knew and throw it outthe window,” said Johnny Avello, the book director atthe Wynn hotel.

The so-called sharps - those who wager thebiggest money in this gambling city - usually waituntil closer to the game to make their bets, and theymay wait even longer for this game. The 10-day fore-cast coming out this week will shed some light onthe possibility of a storm, but most will probablywait until the weather picture becomes clearer toput their money down.

“There will probably be more money on Seattle ifthe forecast is for colder than normal with rain orsleet,” Vaccaro said. “But the biggest thing that willmake the wise guys get off their wallets now is ifDenver goes to 3 (point favorite). If it’s 85 degreesout they will still take plus 3 with Seattle.”

It won’t be 85, might not even be 35. But thebookies and the NFL have at least one thing in com-mon for a Super Bowl that could be remembered forall the wrong reasons. Neither of them can do any-thing about the weather. — AP

Bookies and the NFL both wary of weather

OKLAHOMA CITY: Kevin Durant scored 11 ofhis 46 points in the final 3:23 to help theOklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland TrailBlazers 105-97 on Tuesday night.

Durant has scored at least 30 points for eightconsecutive games, the longest such streak ofhis career. He made 17 of 25 field goals, includ-ing 6 of 7 3-pointers.

Reggie Jackson added 15 points forOklahoma City (32-10), which took a one-gamelead over Portland in the Northwest Division.Portland had won the previous two meetingsthis season. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 pointsand 16 rebounds and Wesley Matthews added21 points for Portland (31-11).

HEAT 93, CELTICS 86LeBron James scored 11 of his 29 points in

the fourth quarter, Chris Bosh added 16 and theHeat blew an 18-point lead before rallying tobeat the Celtics.

Chris Andersen scored 13 points and made allfive of his shots for Miami, which ended thegame on a 9-0 run. Brandon Bass scored 15points, Kris Humphries had 14 points and 13rebounds, and Jeff Green had 12 points for theCeltics, who outrebounded Miami 46-33 butshot only 39 percent.

Rajon Rondo, stil l coming around afterreturning from knee surgery, missed all eight ofhis shots, plus missed a pair of free throws withthe Celtics down four with 44.4 seconds remain-ing. Avery Bradley, the Celtics’ other startingguard, was lost in the second quarter with asprained right ankle.

NETS 101, MAGIC 90Andray Blatche came off the bench and had a

team high 18 points and reserve forward MirzaTeletovic added 14 points as the Nets beat theMagic for their eighth win in nine games.

One night after routing the crosstown rivalNew York Knicks, the Nets kept up the surge.Their 8-1 start in January is a NBA best after adisappointing 10-21 start to their second seasonin Brooklyn. Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce eachhad 13 points apiece for the Nets.

KINGS 114, PELICANS 97Rudy Gay tied a career high with 41 points,

and the Kings cruised to a victory over thePelicans. Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and 11assists, while DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points,11 rebounds and four blocks for the Kings,who’ve won five of eight.

Gay hit 16 of 25 shots, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Tyreke Evans scored 17 for NewOrleans, which trimmed a 23-point first-halfdeficit to six shortly before halftime, only to fallbehind by 23 again in the third quarter.

TIMBERWOLVES 112, JAZZ 97Kevin Love had 19 points, 13 rebounds and

eight assists to help the MinnesotaTimberwolves run past Utah and sweep a home-

and-home set with the Jazz. Ricky Rubio hasreturned to his spontaneous, free-flowing styleand had 11 points and 13 assists for the Wolves,who snapped a seven-game losing streak inUtah. Corey Brewer scored 19 points and NikolaPekovic and Kevin Martin each contributed 18.

Each time the Jazz threatened to get close in thefourth quarter, J.J. Barea hit big baskets and had15 points to keep the Jazz at bay.

Gordon Hayward returned from a five-gameabsence to lead the Jazz with 27 points, but hewas the only starter in double figures. — AP

Thunder roll over Blazers

OKLAHOMA CITY: Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) fouls Portland Trail Blazers guard DamianLillard (0) as he drives to the basket in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game. — AP

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GB Toronto 20 20 .500 - Brooklyn 18 22 .450 2 NY Knicks 15 26 .366 5.5 Boston 14 29 .326 7.5 Philadelphia 13 28 .317 7.5

Central DivisionIndiana 33 7 .825 - Chicago 20 20 .500 13 Detroit 17 24 .415 16.5 Cleveland 15 26 .366 18.5 Milwaukee 7 33 .175 26

Southeast DivisionMiami 30 12 .714 - Atlanta 21 19 .525 8 Washington 20 20 .500 9 Charlotte 18 25 .419 12.5 Orlando 11 31 .262 19

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Oklahoma City 32 10 .762 - Portland 31 11 .738 1 Denver 20 20 .500 11 Minnesota 20 21 .488 11.5 Utah 14 29 .326 18.5

Pacific DivisionLA Clippers 29 14 .674 - Golden State 26 17 .605 3 Phoenix 23 17 .575 4.5 LA Lakers 16 26 .381 12.5 Sacramento 15 25 .375 12.5

Southwest DivisionSan Antonio 32 9 .780 - Houston 28 15 .651 5 Dallas 25 18 .581 8 Memphis 20 20 .500 11.5 New Orleans 16 25 .390 16

NBA results/standings

Brooklyn 101, Orlando 90; Miami 93, Boston 86; Sacramento 114, New Orleans 97; OklahomaCity 105, Portland 97; Minnesota 112, Utah 97.

DOHA: George Coetzee of South Africa hits his tee shot on the 7th hole during thefirst round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club. — AP

DOHA: Steve Webster shot a sensationalalbatross on his very first hole at the QatarMasters yesterday but despite his feat theopening round lead was held by SouthAfrica’s George Coetzee after a late birdieblitz. Englishman Webster, who started outon the par five 10th tee, saw his five-woodapproach from 254 yards disappear intothe cup.

But despite that feat he eventually hadto settle for a share of second place withDawie Van der Walt after Coetzee finishedwith three consecutive birdies to take aone-shot lead with an eight-under 64. Vander Walt had earlier carded a fluent 65 totake the provisional clubhouse lead butWebster was set to overtake him afterbeing four under after just three holes. Butafter a steady display, a bogey on his 15thsaw Webster end up in a tie for secondwith Van der Walt who had carded abogey-free round.

Webster’s albatross was the second ofthe season on the European Tour afterDutchman Joost Luiten produced one atthe Volvo Golf Champions in Durban earli-er this month. However, this was the firsttime at this level that anyone had shot analbatross on his opening hole. Websterwas pleased with what he called a “dreamstart”. “254 to the pin, wind slightly off theleft. I was going to say 5 iron but it was a 5wood. Hit a great shot obviously straight atit,” said Webster.

“Because I carry a big crowd followingme, there was about two people behindthe green and one of them started jump-ing up and pointing down. Thought, don’tknow whether it’s gone over the back tothe rocks, get up there and he starts clap-ping. Dream start.

“I played great after that and was justreally consistent, gave myself a lot of puttsand gave myself a lot of chances. I was

probably a l ittle disappointed with7?under to be honest. I should have fin-ished probably nine or ten, but it’s a goodstart.” Coetzee, who was tied second withSergio Garcia at last year’s Qatar Masterswon by Chris Wood, played a brilliant backnine which he began with an eagle on the548-yard 10th, where Webster had record-ed his feat.

However, he dropped a shot on the13th before three straight birdies from the16th helped him clinch the lead.Spaniards Rafa Cabrera-Bello and ElviroNacho shared fourth on 66 along withFrenchman Francois Calmels and England’sRoss Fishe.

A group of six players includingAmerican John Daly, South African greatErnie Els and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar,were a further shot down on 67.

Defending champion Wood had a for-gettable first round as he shot a 73 to be ina tie for 85th position. Van der Walt said hewill try to keep his focus in the latterrounds, drawing lessons from last week’sAbu Dhabi Golf Championship where hecarded an impressive 68 in the first roundbefore fading away to finish a poor 71st.

“I had a terrible week and looked like ablind squirrel, I couldn’t do anything right,”said the South African. Nacho, too, had abogey-free round, while FrenchmanCalmels dropped two shots that somewhatblotted an otherwise spectacular round inwhich he had six birdies and an eagle.

The 2006 champion and Europeannumber one Henrik Stenson hit form witha 68 after missing the cut last week in AbuDhabi while his playing partner JasonDufner of the US carded a 70.

Irishman Darren Clarke was forced tomiss out on his 500th European Tourappearance after pulling out with a muscleinjury. —AFP

Coetzee leads in Qatar

As the excitement around the upcoming2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil starts to gainmomentum, McDonald’s Middle East and

Africa announced details of its highly-anticipatedFIFA World Cup competition, in which millions ofprizes will be up for grabs.

As the official partner and restaurant of the2014 FIFA World Cup, McDonald’s brings all thethrill and excitement of football to millions of cus-tomers around the world.

McDonald’s in the Middle East and Africa isoffering 42 lucky customers the chance to win anall-expense paid trip to watch a match live inBrazil. The Big Match competition, launched inrestaurants on January 11th, will see one winnerfly to Brazil to watch a game with a friend, everyday during the campaign. Throughout the dura-tion of the promotion, customers who purchaseany large-size extra value meal will receive agame card entitling them to win instant prizesincluding Coca-Cola bandanas, key rings and icecube trays. In addition, diners will also have theopportunity to win thousands of prizes, such asthe Sony Play Station 4 (PS4), Sony PS Vita,Adidas-branded bags and caps, and a replica ofthe Brazuka, the official 2014 FIFA World Cup ball.The prizes are sponsored by other official 2014FIFA World Cup partners Sony and Adidas.

Adel Fahmy, Marketing Manager atMcDonalds’ Kuwait said: “As the official partnerand restaurant of the FIFA World CupTM,McDonald’s is passionate about delivering theexcitement of FIFA World Cup TM to its customers

in the GCC. “Football fans from around the worlddream of attending the 2014 FIFA World Cup andwe are proud to be able to offer our valued cus-tomers the opportunity to experience the thrill ofthe game at a live match in Brazil as well as mil-lions of other prizes.”

The daily draws are conducted under the

supervision of the Ministry of Commerce in theState of Kuwait to ensure complete transparency.

Promoting balanced and active lifestyles hasalways been a key objective for McDonald’s atboth a local and corporate level. McDonald’sworldwide has been part of FIFA World Cupthrough their partnership program since 1994.

McDonald’s launches World Cup daily prize give away

42 packages for two to watch a match in Brazil

NAIROBI: Top Kenyan athletes may considerdefecting to other countries if the east Africannation goes ahead with plans to tax athletes’earnings, they said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters in the North RiftValley athletics hub Eldoret, Wesley Korir, whowon the Boston City Marathon in 2012, and isnow a legislator, led a group of athletes whoare furious with the Kenya RevenueAuthority’s (KRA) plan.

“If this matter goes on like this, I will defectto another country which will appreciate myeffort,” said twice Berlin Marathon winnerFlorence Kiplagat. KRA said in a statementthat athletes should pay taxes like other tax-payers. “We are taxed abroad. Then we investour remaining earnings here although theGovernment does nothing to support us. Wework hard to give this nation a positive imageabroad yet we get nothing in return. I canchose to change my nationality now,” saidKiplagat.

“We would rather invest in other countriesthat appreciate our effort than in a countrywhere our earnings from our sweat is taxed,”the former Boston Marathon champion said.

Korir noted that majority of the athletesare civil servants and have invested heavily inreal estate and other businesses, whichattract taxation, saying a further taxationwould be double blow for the development

of athletes. The MP stated that the oil-richcountries pay handsomely for gold medalswon in competitions yet Kenya’s tax collectorwants to find ways of making money from theathletes’ earnings. “Qatar pays her goldmedallists 100 million Kenyan shillings ($1.17million) while this country is trying to deviseways of fleecing the athletes of their hard-earned money,” a furious Korir said. He saidthat, contrary to common belief, they earnhuge sums of money but pocket only 15 percent of their winnings.

“The breakdown for taxation and deduc-tions is as follows: 30 to 35 per cent for thecountry of origin, 15 per cent for the agent,10 per cent for the manager, and now theKRA wants to add salt to injury by slapping a30 per cent tax of that amount,” he said. “Thatis exploiting us.” KRA spokesperson MaureenNjongo said they would ensure athletes donot pay the same taxes in two countries.“Sportsmen should furnish us with details oftheir taxation abroad to be factored in ourrecords,” said Njongo. Twice world 1,500mchampion Asbel Kiprop said the taxation planwould spell doom for the already impover-ished athletes. “Athletes live in debt and payso many bills to those who make them run,including air ticket refunds that if the taxationplan is implemented, it will kill the sport,” hesaid. — Reuters

Kenyans threaten to defect over taxes

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

NEW DELHI: India’s football chiefs will set up ananti-corruption unit after reports emerged that an I-League club may have been targeted by illegal bet-ting syndicates, a top league official said yesterday.

Mumbai FC club official Atul Bagdamia told ajoint workshop organised by FIFA and Interpol inNew Delhi last week that he had been approachedby a businessman last year who offered to sponsora visit by his team to Malaysia to play a series offriendlies. When subsequent calls indicated that the

mystery Malaysian wanted to fix matches, the clubbroke off contact but did not report the matter tothe All India Football Federation.

The Indian Express newspaper quoted Bagdamiaas saying: “When they mentioned match-fixing, Iimmediately broke contact with them.”

I-League chief executive Sunando Dhar said thatalthough no damage was done, clubs had beentold to report all such approaches in future even asthe setting up of an anti-corruption unit was being

planned. “It could be a hoax, or an one-offapproach, but we have to be careful now,” Dhar toldAFP. “It is better to take precautions. Among themeasures being taken is the setting up of an anti-corruption unit.” Last month five players and threeteam officials from a Malaysian club were handedlife bans and fined 20,000 ringgit ($6,000) each afterbeing found guilty of match-fixing.

The I-League had not been known to be a targetof illegal bookmakers, who have usually been asso-

ciated with India’s most popular sport, cricket.A cricket-fixing scandal in 2000 saw three Test

captains, Hansie Cronje of South Africa, MohammadAzharuddin of India and Salim Malik of Pakistan,being banned for life by their respective boards.

The cash-rich Indian Premier League’s Twenty20tournament was embroiled in a spot-fixing contro-versy last year that led to life bans on three crick-eters, including former Test bowler ShantakumaranSreesanth. —AFP

India plans anti-graft unit after match-fix bid

BARCELONA: A first-half goal from KarimBenzema guided Real Madrid to a 1-0 win atEspanyol in the first leg of their Copa del Reyquarterfinal on Tuesday.

Nine days after Madrid eked out a 1-0 victoryat Espanyol’s Cornella-El Prat Stadium in theSpanish league, the visitors were again limitedto the narrowest of winning margins - despitedominating the first half, when CristianoRonaldo hit the post before Benzema headedhome in the 25th minute.

The second half was more evenly matchedand Espanyol’s Sergio Garcia came close to anequalizer before Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillasdenied Jhon Cordoba in a one-on-one in the83rd minute. “Espanyol played better in the sec-ond half and made us suffer, but that is normal,”Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “The tie isn’tdecided.” Casillas had a quiet first half, withEspanyol only mustering one clear scoringchance in the 18th when Luis “Pizzi” Afonsowasted Garcia’s pass by sailing his close-rangeshot over the crossbar. Early on, Ronaldoappeared eager as ever to add to his season tallyof 31 goals in all competitions.

He had four shots before halftime and hit thepost with one of them in the 21st minute, butthe new Ballon d’Or winner faded in the secondhalf. Benzema broke the deadlock when theFrance international headed a cross from AlvaroArbeloa that was flicked on by Gareth Bale.Goalkeeper Kiko Casilla got a hand on the ballbut couldn’t keep it out. Espanyol pressed for-ward after halftime and Garcia twice shot wide,while Casilla stopped Arbeloa twice beforedenying Benzema on the break. The closingstages swung back in Espanyol’s favor andCasillas was forced to rush out to stop substituteCordoba before weathering a final barrage of

corner kicks.Ancelotti praised Casillas, who only starts in

the Copa del Rey and the Champions League,while Diego Lopez plays in the Spanish league.

“I want to congratulate Casillas because he isplaying well,” Ancelotti said. “Iker is just as much

a starter as Diego Lopez.” In other first legs thisweek, Barcelona visits Levante on Wednesday,when third-tier Racing Santander plays at RealSociedad. Defending champion Atletico Madridhosts Athletic Bilbao today. The second legs willbe played next week. — AP

Benzema gives Real victory at Espanyol

ROME: Gervinho scored a late winner asRoma beat league leader Juventus 1-0 inthe Italian Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The Ivory Coast forward acrobaticallyfinished Kevin Strootman’s cross after awell-worked move with substitute MiralemPjanic to line up a two-legged semifinalwith either Napoli or Lazio.

It was a match between the top twosides in Serie A. Roma lost 3-0 in the leagueto Juventus earlier this month to slip eightpoints behind the two-time reigningleague champion.

“It was a win we wanted at all costs,”Roma captain Francesco Totti said. “Todaywe showed that we are at the same level asa great Juve side.

“For me, there’s not all this distancebetween us and them. But it’s normal thateveryone looks at the current table. We’redoing really well, but they’re going beyondthe limits.” It was also a matchup betweenthe two clubs which have won competitionthe most times, with both boasting nineItalian Cup victories.

Roma, which lost last year’s final to bit-ter rival Lazio, started well and had twogood opportunities inside the opening 11minutes but first new signing RadjaNainggolan and then Alessandro Florenzifired wide. Juventus players and staff called

furiously for a red card for Mehdi Benatiawhen he dragged down SebastianGiovinco as the forward was attempting torace onto Andrea Pirlo’s long ball. However,Benatia escaped with a booking.

The home side went close to taking thelead 10 minutes from halftime whenMaicon rolled a tantalizing ball across goaland past Juventus goalkeeper MarcoStorari - but there was no Roma player onhand to tap it in.

Juventus had the ball in the back of thenet in the opening minute of the secondhalf but Federico Peluso’s header was ruledout as Mauricio Isla’s cross had alreadygone out of play.

“Maybe we were a bit too timid in thefirst half but I don’t remember us sufferingparticularly,” Juventus coach Antonio Contesaid. “They scored when they had a goodchance, while when it happened to us theyruled out the goal.”

Conte clearly felt the refereeing deci-sions had not gone Juve’s way, startingwith Isla’s cross.

“The ball seemed in to me,” he said. “AlsoBenatia’s foul on Giovinco was that of thelast man but we accept the referee’s deci-sion. It’s disappointing to be knocked outof a competition, but I don’t have anythingto reproach the lads for.” — AP

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (third right) duels for the ball against Espanyol’s SidneiRechel (second right) and Raul Rodriguez (right) during a Copa del Rey soccer match. — AP

ITALY: Juventus’ Arturo Vidal (right) gets the ball past AS Roma’s Kevin Strootmanduring an Italian Cup, round of eight, soccer match. — AP

Roma defeat Juventus in Italian Cup quarters

PARIS: An injury to star striker RadamelFalcao overshadowed Monaco’s win againstminnows Chasselay in the round of 32 ofthe French Cup yesterday.

The Colombian crumbled to the groundfollowing a challenge inside the Chasselayarea-for which no penalty was given-justbefore the interval and needed lengthytreatment before being carried away on astretcher underneath a blanket.

He had given the principality club thelead just before the half-hour mark, tap-ping into an empty net after ValereGermain had headed down a cross, his11th goal in French football settingMonaco on their way to clinching a place inthe last 16.

Emmanuel Riviere replaced the formerAtletico Madrid striker after half-time andwent on to score two more goals in a gamethat was played at Lyon’s Stade de Gerland.

The injury to Falcao and the fall-outfrom it somewhat marred what shouldhave been a special occasion for fourth-tier

strugglers Chasselay and their star player,veteran former Monaco captain LudovicGiuly. “It is not possible for the referee toforget to show a yellow card, it’s not possi-ble,” complained Monaco coach ClaudioRanieri about the challenge on Falcao in apost-match interview with Eurosport televi-sion. “I hope that Falcao has nothing seri-ous.” Later on, Monaco released a state-ment in which they said: “ The playerRadamel Falcao was hit in the left knee.Must await further tests in the coming daysto clarify the exact nature of the injury.”Later yesterday, Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain entertain Montpellier at the Parcdes Princes, while holders Bordeaux areone of several top-flight sides in actionaway to lower-league opposition.

There was considerable drama onTuesday as Marseille lost 5-4 at home tosouth-coast rivals Nice at the StadeVelodrome while three other Ligue 1 sidesAC Ajaccio, Sochaux and SC Bastia-all lostto second-tier opponents. — AFP

Falcao injured in Monaco Cup win

NANTES: In this Dec. 24, 2013 file photo, Monaco’s forward Falcao falls as he tries toreach the ball during a challenge with Nantes’ defender Isaa Cissokho and goalkeep-er Remy Riou during their French League One soccer match. — AP

MADRID: A Spanish judge yesterday agreed tohear a case lodged against Barcelona presidentSandro Rosell over the signing of Brazilian strikerNeymar.

Judge Pablo Ruz of the National Court inMadrid issued a ruling accepting the case butadding that there was no “urgency or necessity”to hear Rosell’s testimony at this stage.

Barcelona have maintained since the signingwas made last May that the whole operationcost the club 57.1 million euros ($77 million), butthat they couldn’t divulge how much each of theparties involved in the deal had received on con-fidentiality grounds.

That led to a member of the fan-owned club,Jordi Cases, lodging a complaint last monthagainst Rosell alleging misappropriation

because members did not know the “real desti-nation” of 40 million euros supposedly paid toNeymar family business N&N.

Ruz subsequently demanded Barca handover the contracts involved in the deal, as well asthe club’s financial accounts for the past threeyears. And he said the contents of the complaintand documents received from Barcelona provid-ed “sufficient elements” for the case to proceed.

He ordered a commission of inquiry to travelto Brazil to obtain a copy of the 21-year-oldNeymar’s contract with former club Santos andfor the contracts lodged with football’s govern-ing body FIFA to be released. The judge alsoinstructed Neymar to submit a contract he hadsigned with N&N ceding future financial rights.

Reports in Spain have estimated that the

total cost of the transfer could be well in excessof the figure claimed by the club.

Ruz also ordered the club to hand over thedocumentation on a 7.9 million euro dealagreed for the Catalans to have first-option tobuy three Santos youth team players and anagreement for the two clubs to play two friend-lies for which Barca would pay the Braziliansnine million euros.

At a press conference on Monday, Rosell reit-erated that the total cost of the transfer was 57.1million euros and said he would welcome theopportunity to be called to give evidence to clar-ify matters. However, the judge said there wasno “urgency or necessity” to hear Rosell’s testi-mony until the preliminary inquiry was moreadvanced. — AFP

Spanish judge to hear case over Neymar deal

LONDON: Manchester City showed no mercy onbeleaguered West Ham by romping to a 3-0 vic-tory in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday, completing a 9-0 aggregatethrashing.

Alvaro Negredo scored twice and SergioAguero added the other goal to ensure City willcontest its first League Cup final since 1976,against either Sunderland or fierce rivalManchester United at Wembley Stadium onMarch 2. Having grabbed a hat trick in City’s 6-0win in the first leg two weeks ago, Negredoensured there would be no miracle turnaroundby heading in the opening goal at Upton Parkafter less than three minutes. Aguero clippedhome a deft finish in the 24th for his third goal inas many matches since returning from a calfinjury and Negredo powered through someweak defending to wrap up the scoring in the59th. It took City’s goal tally for the season in allcompetitions to 106 in 35 games.

Most neutrals will likely be hoping for an all-Manchester final, but Sunderland leads the oth-er semifinal 2-1 after the first leg. The returnmatch is at Old Trafford late yesterday.

British bookmakers were offering odds of500-1 that West Ham would complete an incon-ceivable turnaround. Many in the media dubbedit “Mission Impossible.”

And even though City fielded a weakenedlineup, the visitors maintained a professional,positive attitude to the second leg and had fartoo much class for West Ham, which hasendured a miserable season and is marooned inthe Premier League’s relegation zone.

It’s the biggest aggregate margin of victory ina League Cup semifinal. “It was important theway we reached the final, winning all ourgames,” Pellegrini said.

Pellegrini started with his first-choice strike-force and Negredo opened the scoring after justthree minutes, emphatically heading in a crossfrom 18-year-old Portuguese winger MarcosLopes.

Aguero, who was making his first start sincereturning from injury, ran onto a pass from theimpressive Lopes, beat his marker and chipped

the goalkeeper.Negredo then moved onto 23 goals for the

season - one more than the entire West Hamteam has managed in 22 games in the league -by muscling his way through the home defenseand applying a deft finish on the slide.

“We didn’t want to lose,” City defender JoleonLescott said. “We wanted to keep our winningstreak going.” The 60-year-old Pellegrini is nowthe brink of winning his first piece of major

European silverware, having left Spanish footballempty-handed after spells with Villarreal, RealMadrid and Malaga across nine years.

City is also in the running for three other tro-phies - it is second in the Premier League,through to the last 16 of the Champions Leagueand in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

To make matters worse for West Ham, mid-fielders Joe Cole and Mohamed Diame went offinjured in the second half. — AP

City through to League Cup final

LONDON: West Ham’s Alou Diarra (right) heads the ball with Manchester City’s Marcos Lopesduring the second leg of the English League Cup semifinal soccer match. — AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

1716Thunder roll over Blazers

After Kramer’s blunder, only gold counts in Sochi Page 16

N Zealand beatIndia by 15 runsin 2nd ODI

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a shot to Andy Murray of Britain during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship. — AP

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer fought back from a mid-match stumble against Andy Murray yesterday to set up aclassic Australian Open semi-final with Rafael Nadal, aswomen’s champion Victoria Azarenka became the lateststar to fall.

After Nadal battled through an unexpectedly toughquarter-final with Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, Federershowed both his vintage best and his fallibility in beatingMurray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3. The Swiss great was electricin the first two sets but he tightened as he neared the fin-ishing line, and was broken when serving for the winbefore passing up two match points in the third-settiebreaker.

However, he extended Murray in a 19-minute hold atthe start of the fourth set, then got the crucial break for 5-3and, after setting up a third match point, he grabbed theopportunity with an ace.

“I thought Andy did well, he kept the ball in play andput the pressure on me and unfortunately I couldn’t get itdone in the third set, with either the serve or the forehand

missing. So I am happy to get the win in four,” Federer said.“I am much higher than I was last year and that’s very satis-fying just because I have confidence in my movement.”

Federer, in his 11th consecutive Australian Open semi-final, will face the man who has become his Grand Slamnemesis, winning their last five encounters at major tour-naments. But a day after Novak Djokovic’s three-yearMelbourne reign was halted by Stanislas Wawrinka, Nadalalso flirted with disaster before getting out of jail againstrising Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion, troubled by a hugeblister on his racquet hand, went a set down against theexciting young prospect and, facing set points in the third,he was tottering.

But Dimitrov, 22, went just long on the first set pointand Nadal saved another before the Bulgarian gave him aone-set lead when, gifted an easy winner off a net cord, heballooned his forehand out. “I was so lucky,” admitted theSpaniard, who ran out a 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 winnerto set up a meeting with Federer in his 22nd Grand Slam

semi-final.Djokovic’s defeat by Wawrinka, who will play Tomas

Berdych in the other semi, ensures that one of them will beable to challenge either Nadal or Federer for their maidenGrand Slam title.

“I’m a bit shattered,” said Dimitrov, after his title hopesslipped away. “It’s tough losing that match, my first (GrandSlam) quarter-final. I came out expecting nothing less thanto win.”

The women’s contest has been even more up-endedand there was an air of resignation rather than shock whenAzarenka tamely followed Serena Williams and MariaSharapova out of the tournament.

The Belarusian world number two was unbeaten in twoyears at Melbourne Park but she was comprehensively dis-mantled by an inspired Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-0.

“I’ll be fine tomorrow. I’ll be working tomorrow. It’s notthe end of the world. But I’m not happy with what I didtoday,” said Azarenka.

It ends a sometimes unhappy run of 18 wins at the tour-

nament for Azarenka, whose loud grunting and perceivedgamesmanship has earned her critics as well as fans inMelbourne.

But it was a major scalp for Radwanska, who had lost allseven previous meetings with the Belarusian, and nowgoes into a semi-final with Slovak 20th seed DominikaCibulkova. “It’s hard to play someone I lost (to) so manytimes before. I knew she’s a great player. Especially here,she was playing amazing tennis,” said Radwanska.

The upset also ensures the tournament will have a newwomen’s champion with none of the semi-finalists-Radwanska, Cibulkova, Li Na and Eugenie Bouchard havingwon before.

Cibulkova reached only her second Slam semi-finalwhen she also won against a favoured opponent in fast-ris-ing Romanian Simona Halep.

Halep is set to break the top 10 in next week’s new rank-ings, but she froze in her first Grand Slam quarter-final asthe energetic Cibulkova dominated 6-3, 6-0 in one hourexactly. — AFP

Federer sets up Nadal classic

Preview

MELBOURNE: Stanislas Wawrinka has the opportunity totruly step out of Roger Federer’s immense shadow if hecan only overcome a stubborn Tomas Berdych in theirAustralian Open semi-final today. Wawrinka’s matchagainst the Czech is the highlight of three semi-finals atMelbourne Park today with women’s title favorite Li Nafacing exciting teenage prospect Eugenie Boucahrd inone of the women’s last four clashes.

Diminutive Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, who knockedout 2008 champion Maria Sharapova and destroyed 11thseed Simona Halep in the quarter-finals, will be seekingher second top-five victim when she faces fifth-seedAgnieszka Radwanska in the other women’s semi-final.

The eighth-seeded Wawrinka has spent his entirecareer as ‘the other guy from Switzerland’ as Federerchalked up 17 grand slam titles but he has cemented hiscredentials as a genuine top-10 player capable of any-thing over the last 12 months.

That was none more evident than on Wednesday witha thrilling five-set victory over four-time champion NovakDjokovic, the second successive year he and the Serbhave battled into a marathon deciding set at MelbournePark.

Unlike 2013, however, the 28-year-old Wawrinkaadvanced to the final four to reach his second successivesemi-final appearance in grand slams and the quietlyspoken Swiss has finally felt like he belongs in the game’selite.

“I’m enjoying for sure because I’m playing great ten-nis. It’s a different level if I compare to last year,” he said.“Now I’m number eight in the world. I’m making my sec-ond semi-final. “Beating Novak here for me, for sure it’sgreat ... but I’m still far from winning the tournament.”

Wawrinka is well aware of the challenge he faces fromBerdych, the man who he beat in the fourth round at lastyear’s U.S. Open before the Swiss lost the semi-final to

Djokovic, again in five sets. “He’s going to be a tough player to beat. He already

made one final in one slam,” Wawrinka added ofBerdych’s 2010 Wimbledon final loss to Rafa Nadal.

“So he’s there. He’s really close from the top, top guys.It’s going to be a tough battle, you know.” Berdych hashad a relatively comfortable run into the final four and,with Djokovic’s loss and Roger Federer and Andy Murrayplaying each other on Wednesday, the chance of a maid-en grand slam has never been more open.

“I’m going to give 100 percent into that match andreally not looking into the future,” Berdych said. “So reallyI will make everything what I have left. If it’s going to bethe lucky one, the winning one, I’m going to try to pre-pare myself somehow and be ready for the final.”

Fourth seed Li’s title chances have also increasedmarkedly and the 31-year-old Chinese’s recent record atMelbourne - she has made the semi-finals four times andthe final twice since 2010 - has made her a title favorite.

That tag has been increased by the early exits of thetop three seeds - Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka andSharapova - though she will face a supremely confidentteenager in Bouchard.

“It’s something I’ve been doing since I was five yearsold and working my whole life for and sacrificing a lot ofthings for,” said Bouhcard when asked if she could quitebelieve she had made her first grand slam semi-final. “Soit’s not exactly a surprise. I always expect myself to dowell.

“I’m just happy to have gone through this step. I’m notdone. I have a match on Thursday. I’m just looking for-ward to that.”

Li’s biggest challenge could come from fifth seedRadwanksa, who clinically took apart twice defendingchampion Azarenka in the quarter-finals yesterday.

The Pole, however, must first beat the dynamic

Cibulkova, who knocked out Sharapova then demolishedHalep in the quarter-finals. “A couple (of ) seeded (play-ers) are out,” Radwanska said of the unlikely semi-finalmakeup.

“Doesn’t mean it’s going to be easier and you have atitle right away, it means that other players are playinggreat tennis this week. “That’s why they beat the top seedplayers.” — Reuters

Wawrinka ready to step

out of Federer’s shadow

LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC)has dismissed the latest perceived terror scare to the SochiWinter Olympics after several Olympic Associations saidthat they had received a suspicious e-mail yesterday.

Federations from the United States, Britain, Italy,Germany, Hungary and Slovenia were among those thatindicated they had received emails or letters with similarcontent, which were passed to the IOC security advisers forinspection.

In a swift reply, the IOC said: “We have been in closecontact with Sochi 2014 on this matter and our line is asfollows-the IOC takes security very seriously and passes onany credible information to the relevant security services.

“However, in this case it seems like the email sent to anumber of NOCs contains no threat and appears to be arandom message from a member of the public.”

US Olympic Committee chief executive ScottBlackmun said his group had received the message andforwarded it to law-enforcement agencies.

“The safety and security of Team USA is our top priori-ty,” he said in a statement. “As is always the case, we areworking with the US Department of State, the local organ-izers and the relevant law enforcement agencies in aneffort to ensure that our delegation and other Americanstraveling to Sochi are safe.” In Britain, the director of com-munications of the British Olympic Association, DarrylSeibel, confirmed that they had received a suspicious e-mail but had been told by the IOC that there was “nothingof substance” to it.

“In addition we have had our own experts take a look atthis and they have responded in exactly the same way bystating that this is nothing credible.

“Organisations like ours receive correspondence ofevery type and it is not uncommon to come across some-thing like this that lacks credibility.”

The Sochi resort in Russia is at the foot of the Caucasusmountains. Islamist insurgents based in North Caucasusrepublics such as Dagestan are seeking their own inde-pendent state and have vowed to disrupt the Games in aneffort to undermine Russia’s President Putin.

Doku Umarov, the chief of militants in the Caucasus,threatened in July to stage attacks to stop the Games fromtaking place as planned from February 7-23. — AFP

IOC dismisses latest

Sochi terror scare

MELBOURNE: Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland ges-tures between points in this file photo.— AP

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait(NBK), the largest Kuwaiti bank, report-ed net profits of $844 million (KD 238.1million) for the year 2013 comparedwith $1,082 million (KD 305.1 million) in2012. Adjusting for the $289 million (KD81.5 million) exceptional gains recog-nized in 2012 on the consolidation ofBoubyan Bank, net profits recorded a6.5% year on year growth.

As of end of 2013, NBK Group’s totalassets reached $ 66.0 billion (KD 18.6billion) up 12.8% compared to year-end2012, while total shareholders’ equityincreased by 3.3% year on year to $ 8.4bil l ion (KD 2.37 bil l ion). Loans andadvances reached $ 37.9 billion (KD10.7 billion) at year-end 2013 up 8.5%compared to year-end 2012 and cus-tomer deposits reached $ 37.1 billion(KD 10.5 billion), up 10.2% compared tolast year. Asset quality ratios continuedto improve with Non-performing loans(NPL) to gross loans ratio dropping to1.96% in year-end 2013 from 2.75% in2012 and NPL coverage ratio increasingto 200% at year-end 2013 from 157%last year.

NBK’s board of directors has recom-mended a cash dividend of 30 fils pershare (30% of the par value) and 5%bonus shares. Ibrahim Dabdoub, NBK’sGroup Chief Executive Off icer said“NBK’s profits for the year affirm thegroup’s strong financial position, mar-ket leadership and its conservativestrategy, all contributing to the highcredit ratings ahead of regional andinternational financial institutions.”

Despite the challenges in the corpo-rate domestic market and the politicalinstability in some of the regional mar-kets, the bank managed to deliver astrong set of results. “We continued tofocus on core banking business acrossour locations. In the year 2013, exclud-ing the exceptional gain recognized lastyear, NBK’s net operating income grewby 10.2% year on year to $ 2,220 million(KD 626.3 million),” Dabdoub added.

Dabdoub also confirmed that thedomestic operating environment con-tinued to improve and the overall out-

look is turning more positive. “We havestarted witnessing some accelerationin the tendering, award and executionof some of the large projects as thegovernment proves determined toadvance the execution of the develop-ment plan.”

Strategically, Dabdoub also high-lighted that NBK is progressively imple-menting its income diversif icationstrategy. “Our regional and internation-al strategy remains on track. We arefocusing our efforts on the GCC coun-tries to leverage NBK’s strong franchisethere and to benefit from the strongeconomic outlook and the growthopportunities available. In 2013 NBKGroup’s international banking profitsgrew by 9.5% year on year confirmingthe strength of NBK’s internationaloperations. Moreover, our expansioninto Is lamic bank ing through theacquisition of 58.4% of Boubyan Bankcontinues to pay off as Boubyan’s con-tribution to the group’s profitabilityand balance sheet increases over time,”Dabdoub added.

NBK continues to enjoy collectivelythe highest ratings among all banks in

BusinessTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

China bullying economic

diplomacy may backfire

Page 22

US-EU free trade talks

spark food safety fears

Page 23BoJ says winning

deflation battle

Page 25Impact of Saudi labor crackdown spreads

Page 22

NBK reports a net profit of $844 million Total assets growth hits 12.8% YoY to $66 billion

Mohammed Al Bahar Ibrahim Dabdoub

the Middle East from the three internationalrating agencies Moody’s, Fitch Ratings andStandard and Poor’s. The Bank’s ratings aresupported by its high capitalization, pru-dent lending policies, and its disciplinedapproach to risk management, in additionto its highly recognized and very stable

management team. NBK was also namedamong Global Finance’s list of the 50 safestbanks in the world for the eighth consecu-tive time.

NBK enjoys the widest banking presencewith an international network reaching 170branches worldwide. NBK’s international

presence spans many of the world’s leadingfinancial centers including London, Paris,Geneva, New York and Singapore, as well asChina (Shanghai). Meanwhile, regional cov-erage extends to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq,Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE,and Turkey.

NEW YORK: News Corp said Lex Fenwickwas leaving as chief executive of DowJones, less than two years after takingthe helm, an abrupt departure that callsinto question the future of its news wiresand other products aimed at financialinstitutions. Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp, which owns Dow Jones, did notexplain the departure but said it wasreviewing the one-size-fits-all strategyFenwick had put in place for its newswires and other products.

The bundled product offering thatresulted, known as DJX, alienated someof the banks, hedge funds and retail bro-kers that were its main customersbecause of its rigid pricing structure.“We’re reviewing the institutional strate-gy of Dow Jones with an eye towardschanges that will deliver even more valueto its customers,” News Corp ChiefExecutive Robert Thomson said in a state-ment on Tuesday. News Corp said thatWilliam Lewis will take over as interimCEO. Lewis worked at News Corp’s Britishnewspaper unit and the Financial Times.

Fenwick, 54, was appointed CEO ofDow Jones - publisher of The Wall StreetJournal - in February 2012 after morethan two decades at Bloomberg LP anddid not immediately respond to arequest seeking comment. He was seenby some as a controversial leader, knownfor his hard-charging style and expletive-laced outbursts, who was tasked withoverhauling Dow Jones’ institutionalbusiness. Following his arrival, a signifi-cant number of senior executives left thecompany.

People familiar with Dow Jones saidthat Fenwick staked Dow Jones’ turn-around on a product that was supposedto challenge Bloomberg as one of thedominant suppliers of financial news anddata. Known as DJX, it essentially pulledall of Dow Jones offerings like news data-base Factiva and the real-time newswires on a single platform for one price.It was a risky move: customers were usedto cherry-picking from Dow Jones’ lineupof products and negotiating on price - amatter where Fenwick was unbending,taking a page from his former employer,where refusing to discount has paid off.

Thomson was quoted in the state-ment as saying the media company was“planning improvements to DJX” andsaid greater flexibility in its product offer-ings was likely in the near term. DJX waslaunched last year and had yet to gaintraction in the marketplace. During NewsCorp’s past earnings reports, the compa-ny had flagged weakness at Dow Jones’institutional division. Several financialcustomers expressed concern last yearover plans for DJX - especially its highercost, according to people familiar withthe matter.

Like Bloomberg, Thomson Reuterscompetes with Dow Jones in providingnews and financial data to banks andother financial institutions. Known for hispurple suits and taste for modern art,Fenwick imposed his flashy style on themore button-down atmosphere of DowJones. He tore down office walls to createan open floor plan, installed a low-hang-ing crystal chandelier, and providedpricey espresso machines that one per-son familiar with the matter said costabout $30,000.

Rob Copeland, a reporter at the WallStreet Journal quipped on Twitter afterthe news was announced: “.@newscorpCEO confirms: @WSJsnackbar coffeemachines sticking around.” Fenwickspent most of his career at Bloomberg,where he was known as a master sales-man who rose to the top ranks to leadthe financial news and data company. Hewas CEO of Bloomberg LP until 2008,when he was demoted to leadBloomberg Ventures.

It is unclear if Lewis will eventually getthe top job at Dow Jones where a searchis underway. Some people familiar withthe matter predict that Lewis will remainin the role. At a meeting where Thomsonintroduced Lewis to the newsroom,Thomson never used the word interim.Lewis was recruited to lead News Corp’smanagement and standards committeein the wake of the phone hacking scan-dal from 2011 to 2012. He was namedchief creative officer of News Corp lastyear when the company split from itscable T V and movie properties nowunder 21st Century Fox. — Reuters

Dow Jones CEO’s abrupt exit throws strategy into doubt

BEIJING: Mountains of Norwegian salmon leftrotting at port. A beachfront resort in Palauabandoned before completion. A sluggishresponse to a devastating Philippine typhoon:crossing China’s “red lines” can have painfuleconomic consequences. Beijing is looking tobuild up its political and diplomatic status as a“major responsible country” commensuratewith its global economic position, and improveits cultural reach worldwide.

As well as the world’s second-largest econo-my, China is its biggest trading nation in goodsand Africa’s biggest trading partner, a fact high-lighted last week by Japan’s attempt to presentitself as a competitor on the continent. Butexperts say Beijing’s tactical moves towardssmaller countries risk backfiring against itsbroader strategy.

Beijing has sought to punish Norway sincethe 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded tojailed dissident and pro-democracy activist LiuXiaobo-despite Oslo having no control over theprize committee’s decisions. Strict new importcontrols left Norwegian salmon wasting awayin Chinese warehouses, and its market share inthe country, once 92 percent, plummeted to 29percent last year. A musical starring Norwegian2009 Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak hadits tour cancelled, and Norwegians are exclud-ed from China’s 72-hour transit visa schemes.

“The ‘bully boy’ tactics China has adopted,especially with regard to small nations such asNorway... are typical of a passive-aggressivekind of personality,” Phil Mead, a British busi-nessman who helps small Chinese companiesin the European market said. Such behaviormakes Beijing “look petty and spiteful in theeyes of the world”, Mead said in a blog post.Norway is far from the only country subjectedto China’s wrath. Beijing is embroiled in a SouthChina Sea territorial row with Manila, and afterSuper Typhoon Haiyan struck last November-the most powerful recorded storm ever tomake landfall-it initially offered the Philippinesonly $100,000.

After a storm of criticism China upped itscontribution to $1.8 million and dispatched itsPeace Ark hospital ship, but the response paledin comparison to Japan’s $30 million, the UnitedStates’ $20 million-and even some private com-panies. “China lags Ikea in aid to Philippines,”one newspaper wrote, comparing Beijing’s ini-tial offer with $2.7 million from the Swedish fur-niture chain’s charitable foundation.

A year earlier, after a maritime stand-off,China suddenly imposed a raft of restrictions

on banana imports from the Philippines, claim-ing it had found pests in shipments. Tons offruit were left to rot at Chinese and Philippineports, with losses estimated at $23 million. Andin 2009, after the Pacific island nation of Palauannounced it would accept six Uighurdetainees released from America’sGuantanamo Bay military prison and consid-ered terrorists by Beijing, construction of aChinese-backed, 100-room beachfront resortwas abruptly halted.

‘The Dalai Lama effect’Exper ts say the “red l ines” that tr igger

Chinese threats and retribution are limited to a

tight set of very specific issues. They includerelations with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leaderthe Dalai Lama; criticism of China’s leadershipor human rights record; territorial disputes inthe East and South China Seas; Taiwan, whichBeijing considers a renegade province; andunrest in Xinjiang, the far western region hometo the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority.

“They have such a small, focused kind ofinterest, with the Dalai Lama visits in particular,”said James Reilly, professor of Northeast Asianpolitics at the University of Sydney, who hasstudied China’s unilateral sanction use. “China’s

pretty unique in that regard.” The pattern ofretaliation with the Nobel laureate is so well-established that in 2010, German researchersfound that countries whose leaders met himsaw their exports to China fall by an average12.5 percent over the next two years, a phe-nomenon they dubbed “the Dalai Lama effect”.

Qu Xing, president of the China Institute ofInternational Studies, dismissed the possibilitythat Beijing’s actions could damage its globalimage, arguing that “many people in Chinabelieve that our diplomacy could have beenmore assertive”. Yet polling suggests its reputa-tion has been hit: in a survey of 14,400 peoplein 14 countries, China’s own Global Times news-

paper found 29 percent of respondentsdescribed the country as “belligerent” in inter-national affairs.

Harvard University professor Joseph Nyesaid the problem largely stems from Beijing’slimited view of the impact its measures haveon its “soft power”, a term he coined to describethe ability to achieve outcomes through attrac-tion rather than payment or coercion. It “doesnot pay enough attention” to contradictionsbetween its aims and its actions, he said. “Chinatends to think of soft power in cultural ratherthan political terms.”— AFP

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.718Indian Rupees 4.591Pakistani Rupees 2.688Srilankan Rupees 2.167Nepali Rupees 2.888Singapore Dollar 222.600Hongkong Dollar 36.576Bangladesh Taka 3.643Philippine Peso 6.276Thai Baht 8.648Irani Riyal transfer 0.271Irani Riyal cash 0.273

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 75.684Qatari Riyal 77.982Omani Riyal 737.270Bahraini Dinar 753.820UAE Dirham 77.292

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 39.700Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.347Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.324Tunisian Dinar 173.300Jordanian Dinar 400.790Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.040Syrian Lira 2.022Morocco Dirham 35.463

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 283.700Euro 385.830Sterling Pound 468.810Canadian dollar 259.560Turkish lira 126.140Swiss Franc 312.620Australian Dollar 252.350US Dollar Buying 282.500

GOLD20 Gram 236.00010 Gram 120.0005 Gram 62.000

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 283.100Euro 385.650Pound Sterling 467.600Canadian Dollar 259.800Indian Rupee 4.575Egyptian Pound 40.345Sri Lankan Rupee 2.165Bangladesh Taka 3.642Philippines Peso 6.265Pakistan Rupee 2.686Bahraini Dinar 753.850UAE Dirham 77.100Saudi Riyal 75.600*Rates are subject to change

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007379 0.008379British Pound 0.458819 0.467819Czech Korune 0.005977 0.017977Danish Krone 0.047415 0.052415Euro 0.378102 0.385802Norwegian Krone 0.041998 0.047198Romanian Leu 0.081904 0.81904Slovakia 0.008145 0.018145Swedish Krona 0.039845 0.044845Swiss Franc 0.305450 0.314740Turkish Lira 0.130434 0.137434

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.240776 0.252276New Zealand Dollar 0.227712 0.237212

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.254129 0.262629US Dollars 0.279750 0.284100US Dollars Mint 0.280250 0.284100

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003570 0.004170Chinese Yuan 0.045692 0.049192Hong Kong Dollar 0.034512 0.037262Indian Rupee 0.004273 0.004674Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002647 0.002827Kenyan Shilling 0.003389 0.003389Korean Won 0.000257 0.000272Malaysian Ringgit 0.083257 0.089257Nepalese Rupee 0.002984 0.003154Pakistan Rupee 0.002495 0.002775

Philippine Peso 0.008511 0.006791Sierra Leone 0.000069 0.000075Singapore Dollar 0.219253 0.225253South African Rand 0.020230 0.028730Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001879 0.002459Taiwan 0.009418 0.009598Thai Baht 0.008378 0.008928

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.746461 0.754461Egyptian Pound 0.037574 0.040674Iranian Riyal 0.000078 0.000080Iraqi Dinar 0.000185 0.000245Jordanian Dinar 0.396139 0.403639Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000Lebanese Pound 0.000139 0.000239Moroccan Dirhams 0.023842 0.047842Nigerian Naira 0.001202 0.001837Omani Riyal 0.731241 0.736921Qatar Riyal 0.077256 0.078469Saudi Riyal 0.075057 0.075757Syrian Pound 0.002175 0.002395Tunisian Dinar 0.168180 0.176180Turkish Lira 0.130434 0.137434UAE Dirhams 0.076300 0.077449Yemeni Riyal 0.001289 0.001369

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 253.57 250.57Canadian Dollar 262.97 263.97Swiss Franc 315.94 313.94Euro 387.44 388.44US Dollar 283.25 286.25Sterling Pound 469.23 472.23Japanese Yen 2.78 2.80Bangladesh Taka 3.644 3.914Indian Rupee 4.611 4.911Sri Lankan Rupee 2.170 2.605Nepali Rupee 2.890 3.425Pakistani Rupee 2.693 2.790UAE Dirhams 77.19 77.65Bahraini Dinar 753.89 755.96Egyptian Pound 40.68 41.28Jordanian Dinar 403.13 408.78Omani Riyal 736.63 743.93Qatari Riyal 78.22 78.77Saudi Riyal 75.66 76.06

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 283.600Canadian Dollar 261.685Sterling Pound 466.275Euro 386.095Swiss Frank 311.250Bahrain Dinar 748.845UAE Dirhams 77.190Qatari Riyals 78.745Saudi Riyals 76.495Jordanian Dinar 399.680Egyptian Pound 40.678Sri Lankan Rupees 2.168Indian Rupees 4.607Pakistani Rupees 2.687Bangladesh Taka 3.643Philippines Pesso 6.276Cyprus pound 696.580Japanese Yen 3.715

Syrian Pound 2.985Nepalese Rupees 3.880Malaysian Ringgit 86.870Chinese Yuan Renminbi 47.290Thai Bhat 9.625Turkish Lira 127.300

DUBAI: The impact of Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on illegalforeign workers is spreading through its economy, mov-ing beyond the labor-intensive construction industry tosectors as far afield as banking and telecommunications.Nearly 1 million foreign workers, out of a total of roughly9 million, are estimated to have left Saudi Arabia betweenlast March and November, as authorities enforce workpermit rules and corporate quotas for employment oflocal citizens. It is the most far-reaching shake-up of theSaudi labor market in many years. In the long term it maywell be good for the economy, cutting the number ofmarginally productive jobs, reducing the jobless rateamong Saudis, and limiting the amount of money whichflows out of the country in the form of foreign workers’remittances. However, fourth-quarter earningsannouncements by listed Saudi firms since last week sug-gest the crackdown is now having a broad and seriousimpact on corporate profits, as companies struggle withlabor shortages and have to pay higher wages to hirelocal citizens.

While the Saudi stock market is still near five-yearhighs, it is up only 2.2 percent so far this year, the weakest

major Gulf Arab market. The labor issue is one reason. “It’sbeen a massive shock to the local economy,” said RamiSidani, Middle East head of investment at financial firmSchroders, referring to the exodus of foreign workers. Hepredicted some companies’ earnings would remainunder pressure for the next two quarters as domesticconsumption was hit, though equilibrium would eventu-ally return and the labor crackdown was essentially ashort-term issue.

EconomyThe level of oil production, the price of oil and size of

government spending remain the biggest factors for theoverall Saudi economy, which is still growing solidly;HSBC predicts growth of 4.0 percent this year after anestimated 3.8 percent in 2013. The oil sector is believed tobe largely insulated from the labor crackdown, as state-owned giants such as Saudi Aramco continue to obtainthe workers they need. The private sector still lookshealthy in many ways - December’s SABB HSBC SaudiArabia purchasing managers’ survey, which excludes oil,showed output rising at its fastest pace since April.

This seems to support the contention of Saudi author-ities that many of the foreign workers who have left wereemployed unproductively in the informal sector, andwere not vital to the growth of the economy.Nevertheless, the disruption felt by some individual com-panies is clearly considerable. The construction industrybegan reporting an impact early last year; it is the mostexposed because Saudi citizens tend to shy away fromtaking strenuous blue-collar jobs.

“Some of the contractors are asking for extension ondeliveries because of the labor shortage,” said FayyazAhmad, assistant director of advisory services for Saudireal estate at consultants Jones Lang Lasalle. Ahmad saidthe construction industry’s labor shortage had easedsomewhat since November as companies scrambled toobtain legal foreign workers by obtaining more visas, butthis solution was expensive, and the problem could dragon until July. Quantifying the delays and financial costsin the construction industry is difficult, partly becausefew of the sector’s firms are listed on the stock market.But the experience of one major firm, Abdullah A. M. Al-Khodari Sons Co, may be indicative. The company said on

Tuesday that its fourth-quarter net profit tumbled 69 per-cent from a year earlier to 8.5 million riyals ($2.3 million),partly because of a 28 percent jump in manpower costs.

BanksAs long as the impact remained limited to the con-

struction sector, investors could shrug it off. Now, how-ever, it has spread to banks, which account for about athird of the Saudi stock market’s capitalization. Lastweek Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia’s largest lender byassets and market value, posted a 19 percent slump infourth-quarter earnings, citing higher costs and miss-ing analysts’ forecasts. It cut its dividend for the secondhalf of 2013. Another major bank, Banque Saudi Fransi,posted a 66 percent decline in fourth-quarter profit,blaming general provisioning for bad loans. In bothcases, analysts believe the banks were preparing for thepossibility that construction firms’ labor issues coulddelay loan repayments or make some loans non-per-forming. The stock market’s banking index has risen 4percent since October, underperforming a 10 percentrise by the main index.—Reuters

Impact of Saudi labor crackdown spreads

China bullying economic diplomacy may backfire

BEIJING: China’s Vice President Li Yuanchao (right) talks with US Deputy Secretary of StateWilliam Burns during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

MUMBAI: Indian mortgage lender HousingDevelopment Finance Corp Ltd (HDFC),loved by global investors for its steady prof-it growth, faces an intensifying battle forbusiness and market share as banks aggres-sively push home loans. With India’s eco-nomic flu hitting corporate lending, bankshave cranked up efforts to tap into thecountry’s housing loan demand, which hasproven to be brick-hard by comparison.

Demand for homes, and loans, has beenstoked by a persisting housing shortage aslong-term demographic changes - urban-ization, rising incomes, more nuclear fami-lies - transform how and where people livein Asia’s third-biggest economy. With theireyes on the prize, banks such as state-runBank of India (BOI) and ICICI Bank, thebiggest private sector lender, are swarmingthe market with discounts and specialoffers, willing to even live with narrowermargins. They are also expanding into low-er-tier cities, a market that HDFC is nurtur-ing. “This is a very safe business. All ourbranches are working hard to grow homeloans. We want to grow faster than theindustry,” said Anil Verma, BOI’s chief finan-cial officer. BOI is setting up branches thatonly sell auto and home loans, taking fivedays to process a mortgage. It often takesbetween two weeks and a month to get ahome loan approved in India.

State Bank of India (SBI), whichdethroned HDFC as India’s top mortgagelender about two years ago, was chargingmortgage interest of up to 200 basis pointsabove its base rate in 2011. SBI is now offer-ing home loans at just 10-30 bps above thebase rate, underscoring the intensifyingcompetition. SBI’s home loans grew 20 per-cent in the September quarter from 13 per-cent a year earlier. ICICI doubled its mort-gage growth to 23 percent, while HDFCwas flat at 23 percent, according to a reportby Ambit Capital this month.

But the battle for mortgage borrowers isthreatening to squeeze net interest margins(NIMs). Analysts expect a 10-20 basis pointmargin decline for Indian banks in the yearending March 2014 from an average of 3.1percent in 2010/11. Brokerage Jefferiesexpects HDFC’s NIM to ease to 4.14 percentfrom 4.4 percent over the same period. Sofar, HDFC’s overall profitability hasremained unscathed, thanks to demand forhomes in smaller cities as well as incomefrom other businesses.

For the December quarter, net profitgrew 12 percent to 12.8 billion rupees($206.92 million), in line with estimates. Netinterest margin for the nine months endedDecember was at 4 percent, compared with4.06 percent a year earlier. Chief ExecutiveKeki Mistry said yesterday that the competi-tive pressure had not hurt HDFC’s marketshare. “We don’t believe that there has been

any change in market share numbers. Onepercent up, one percent down sometimeshappens on a month-to-month basis, butwe have not seen any change,” Mistry toldreporters after HDFC announced its results.

More agents, more marketsFor its part, HDFC, which counts

Blackrock Inc, the Singapore governmentand Aberdeen Asset Management amongits investors, is spreading into smaller citiesand towns and seeking more agents to findmore mortgage borrowers. It pays a fee topartners IndusInd Bank and Ratnakar Bankto bring in customers, and its share of busi-ness from the two banks and other agentshas more than doubled in three years to 17percent of its total loans in the Septemberquarter.

“We have to go out, we have to keepreaching out, we have to keep up the effortof finding more and more agents, more andmore partners who will source loans for us,”Mistry said in an interview last month.HDFC is also relying increasingly on otherbusinesses including insurance, asset man-agement and private equity to drive profit.In the year ended March 2013, the share ofprofit from subsidiaries and associate com-panies more than doubled to 27 percentfrom 13 percent in 2008.

HDFC’s stock has risen more than fivetimes over the last decade, compared witha 263 percent gain in the wider market. Italso has the highest concentration of for-eign institutional ownership of stocks in theSensex, at more than 74 percent, accordingto data on the Bombay Stock Exchange.Investors have long held it for its relativelystable returns. Its shares fell 4 percent in2013, but outperformed the bank index,which lost 9 percent.

Safe business?SBI, which accounts for a quarter of all

loans in India, expects to grow its mort-gage loans by about 20 percent in the cur-rent fiscal year. Smaller rival LIC HousingFinance, which posted a 38 percent profitincrease in the December quarter, alsoexpects to grow at 20 percent during theyear. HDFC has a similar projection. “With60 percent of India’s population beingbelow 30 years of age, all these people willin the next three, five or seven years needhousing and therefore housing loans,”HDFC’s Mistry said. While industry playerssay there is enough business to go around,some analysts are not as hopeful. “Weexpect NIMs of both LIC Housing Financeand HDFC Ltd to remain under pressureover FY14-15, owing to continued pressureon incremental spreads from higher com-petitive intensity,” wrote Pankaj Agarwal,analyst at brokerage Ambit Capital, whichhas a sell rating on HDFC. — Reuters

Norway punished for Xiaobo’s Nobel Peace Prize

Indian banks seeking refuge in home loans

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

BERLIN: Tractors make their way through the centre of Berlin during a protesttitled “We’re fed up with agribusiness! Good food - good agriculture - for all!”in Berlin. Around 30,000 people demonstrated against the agricultural policyof the German government, against industrial livestock farming and geneti-cally modified food. —AFP

LAGOS: Ochuko Oghuvwu is surpris-ingly chirpy for a man who spendsupwards of 30 hours a week in his car,commuting to and from his office inNigeria’s financial hub, Lagos. Thenagain, he has just started the workingweek after two whole days withouthaving to battle giant pot-holes, mon-ster traffic jams, roadworks, irate driversand police checkpoints. Oghuvwu’sstockbroking firm in the Ikoyi area ofLagos is only about 32 kilometers fromhis home in Ojo, due west towards theborder with neighboring Benin.

The drive to the office should onlytake 45 minutes to one hour. But thosedays are as rare in Lagos as 24 hours ofuninterrupted electricity from thenational grid. Instead, the trip normallytakes him three hours-even longer inthe June to September rainy season-despite him being behind the wheelfrom 5:30 am. “I wake up early to beatthe major traffic,” he said. “Those thatwake up later end up spending moretime. On a day like a Monday, if youleave the house at 6:30 am, you spendmore than four hours in the car.”

Sleeping on the jobOghuvwu, a marketing executive in

his early 40s, is far from a rare breed inNigeria’s biggest city. Hundreds ofthousands of people like him alsospend nearly as much time commutingas the statutory working week in coun-

tries such as France. He could even beconsidered a late riser. Others who livenearby set off a full hour earlier to beatthe infamous “go-slows”, as local calltraffic jams. “We get exhausted. We’realways tired. For somebody in my posi-tion, I just lock the door of the officeand have a little nap for 20 to 30 min-utes,” he said.

The time spent crawling bumper tobumper with other cars, motorbikesand battered yellow taxis, packed busesand overloaded trucks has taken its tollon his Volvo S90. The constant stop-start means brake pads need checkingevery other month and the services ofpanel beaters to smooth out theinevitable dents and scrapes from thequest to keep moving. But the gruelingcommute has also affected his sociallife and the amount of time he spendswith his family. Ughuvwu’s children,aged between six and 14, are usuallyasleep when he leaves the house andwhen he returns. “At the weekend Idon’t go out,” he added. “I mainly stay athome. I don’t want to face the traffic. It’sruined my social life.”

Integrated transport plan Officially, Lagos is said to be home to

some 12 million people. But many esti-mates put the figure at about 21 million,in a city spread over 350 square miles.New arrivals hunting a slice of Nigeria’seconomic growth heap pressure on the

already creaking infrastructure. Landshortages and a lack of housing haspushed up real estate and rental prices.Fuel subsidies and cheap, second-handcars often imported from Europe haveput more vehicles on the road.

As a result, a long commute is a nec-essary evil for all but the wealthiest. Themanaging director of the LagosMetropolitan Area Transport Authority(LAMATA), Dayo Mobereola, admitsthey need to act now to prevent totalgridlock. “This problem has been goingon for almost 40 years,” he said. “We’vestarted addressing it over the last fiveyears and we have a roadmap now toaddress the issues as they are todayand also to plan for the future as well. “Ifwe don’t do anything then in the nextfive years there’s almost going to be astand-still.”

LAMATA’s $20 billion, 30-year masterplan is based around integrated publictransport. Its proposals for nine desig-nated bus lanes and seven suburbantrain lines, built with Chinese money,are designed to get people out of theircars. Slum clearance is essential,although campaign groups claim thatresidents are given little or no warningthat their homes are earmarked fordemolition and no compensationafterwards. Work has slowed becauseof legal disputes, while some slumdwellers move on and set up homeelsewhere, to be cleared another day.

Delays and jamsMore affordable accommodation

within Lagos would help cut commut-ing times, suggested Oghuvwu, asprices where he lives are nearly two-thirds cheaper than in the city. Watertaxis along Nigeria’s southern,Atlantic coast and the lagoons thatstretch around the city could alsohelp tackle the gridlock. Failing that,businesses could relocate from thetraditional trading hubs of LagosIsland, Ikoyi and Victoria Island to the

suburbs, he added. For now, though, his life-and every-

one else’s-is dictated by traffic. In theafternoons, many workers are out ofthe office door and on their way homeas soon as the clock chimes four, carradios tuned to Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM to hear about tailbacks and acci-dents. Oghuvwu himself usually leavesabout 4:30 pm-and he’s all too aware ofthe consequences. “That extra 30 min-utes costs me an additional one houron the road,” he said. —AFP

Mega-city, mega-commute: Lagos and life on the road

LAGOS, Nigeria: Motorists queue in a long traffic jam in Lagos. —AFP

LONDON: Britain should build closer ties withthe European Union and devote more resourcesto Brussels to influence financial market reformand benefit the economy, the country’s leadingbanks said. The British Bankers’ Association (BBA)weighed into the debate over Britain’s role inEurope on yesterday, adding its voice to those ofother businesses that favor Britain continuing itsmembership of the 28-member trading bloc.

Prime Minister David Cameron has promisedvoters he would renegotiate the terms ofBritain’s EU membership before holding an in-out referendum by 2017 if his rulingConservatives win elections due next year.Finance minister George Osborne recentlywarned the EU it must reform if it wants Britainto remain a member.

“Given the significance of financial services tothe UK and the degree to which legislation is setat an EU level, there is an overwhelming case forthe UK to devote further resource and expertisein engaging in the European process to increasethe level of influence in priority areas,” the BBAsaid in a submission to a UK Treasury review intothe division of powers between London andBrussels. The BBA said membership of the EUenhanced Britain’s ability to influence interna-tional negotiations.

But the European Commission needed toensure plans for a euro zone banking union didnot mean the euro area became “a market withina market,” the BBA warned. It said the single EUmarket was a significant factor in London’s suc-cess as Europe’s financial hub and therefore ofconsiderable value to the economy. US bankCitigroup, which has a big presence in London,also warned against Britain opting out of the EUand said such a move could hurt the economyand reduce investment from international com-panies.

Jim Cowles, Citi chief executive officer forEurope, Middle East and Africa, told the FinancialTimes there was “mounting concern” amongclients about their ability to use Britain as aregional hub if the country exits the EU. “It is notthat international companies will stop investingin Britain, but their investment just will not be atthe scale we have become accustomed to,”Cowles told the newspaper. Citi confirmed thecomments were accurate.

European aerospace group Airbus, one ofBritain’s largest employers, on Tuesday voicedconcerns over the possibility of the country leav-ing the EU, saying the benefits of an alternativeeconomic model needed to be proven. TheLondon-based Centre for European Reform (CER)predicted last week that Britain would struggleto maintain trade with other EU member states -now 54 percent of goods trade - if it left the bloc.

Deflation risk in EuropeIn another development, the European

Central Bank should be ready to take measuresincluding quantitative easing to ward off thedanger of deflation in Europe, the OECD’s chiefeconomist said. “There is a deflation risk, but Idon’t know how large it is,” Pier Carlo Padoan ofthe Organization for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment told Austria’s Der Standard news-

paper in an interview published yesterday. TheInternational Monetary Fund also warned ofdeflation risks in an update to its WorldEconomic Report on Monday, saying its modelsshowed a 10 to 20 percent chance that pricescould start to fall in the euro currency bloc.

Inflation in the euro zone was just 0.8 per-cent year-on-year in December, well below theECB’s target of close to but below 2 percent.

Padoan said the ECB should be prepared to cutdeposit rates below zero, and added: “Newmeasures should also be taken. These include aEuropean form of quantitative easing. By this Imean massive interventions on secondary mar-kets.” “One could also consider an extension of(the bank’s) mandate to intervene in primarymarkets, like the Fed and other central banksare doing.” —Agencies

UK bankers push forcloser ties with EUOECD chief economist sees deflation risk in Europe

LONDON: Workers assemble Nissan cars on the production line at the SunderlandNissan plant in northeast England yesterday. Britain’s unemployment dropped faster-than-expected to a rate of 7.1 percent in the three months to the end of November,official data showed, further highlighting the nation’s economic recovery. —AFP

BERLIN: Food industry professionalsmeeting in Berlin this week voiced con-cerns over a looming US-EU free tradepact, fearing a transatlantic onslaught ofgenetically modified foods, hormone-treated beef and chlorinated chicken.Small farmers in particular worry about asoftening of European food safety stan-dards and a joint “race to the bottom” ifliberalized trade rules pit them againstAmerican agro-industry giants and foodmultinationals.

“If the Americans have the right to selltheir pork here, it won’t be easy for us,”Kathrin Seeger, a pig farmer from westernGermany, said at Berlin’s “Green Week”, aleading food, agriculture and horticulturefair. Heino Dwinger, an organic dairyfarmer from northern Germany, said “weare very critical of anything related toGMOs (genetically modified organisms)and mass food production”. His wifeSabrina Schaller added that the coupleshares this fear as producers and “evenmore as consumers”.

The EU and United States-whobetween them make up 40 percent ofglobal economic output-have held talksfor the past year on creating what wouldbe the world’s biggest free trade area,hoping to boost growth and jobs on bothsides. Under an ambitious timetable, theyaim to sign the Transatlantic Trade andInvestment Partnership (TTIP) by the endof the year. Before then they will have tohammer out common rules and regula-tions on everything from auto safety tobanking regulations.

Fears of ‘race to the bottom’Many of the most sensitive disputes in

the closed-door talks focus on food andagriculture, where the EU now bans, forexample, American beef treated with arti-ficial growth hormones and poultry thathas been disinfected with chlorinatedwater. The EU also strictly controls GMfoods, which have long been widely culti-vated and consumed in the United States,amid European concerns about their eco-logical and health impacts and the corpo-rate ownership of plant and animal DNA.

Many farmers and consumers also feara softening of environmental and animalwelfare standards regulating the condi-tions for battery hens and livestockreared in industrial-scale feed lots. “At themoment it ’s possible (in Europe) toencourage farmers to raise animals in

good conditions and to produce for thelocal market,” said Hubert Weiger ofGerman environmental group Bund.

“But if the free trade agreement goesahead, we will be subject to the rules ofthe global market, and the global marketdoesn’t care about protecting the envi-ronment and animals,” he said. “Morecompetition in the meat market will leadto more investment in giant farms,” hepredicted. As in other areas, such as dataprivacy protection, many Europeans feara transatlantic trade pact will spark a reg-ulatory “race to the bottom”, where bothsides settle on the lowest commondenominator, with the interests of corpo-rations trumping those of consumers.

On the sidelines of the January 16-26“Green Week”, 30,000 protesters marchedin Berlin last weekend to demand agreener, cleaner kind of agriculture, andthe TTIP was in the crosshairs for manydemonstrators. “The vast majority of peo-ple do not want chlorinated chicken, beefwith hormones and GMOs,” said JochenFritz, an organizer of the rally, which wassponsored by 100 environmental, farmersand consumer groups.

European agriculture is now subsi-dized to the tune of 60 billion euros ($80billion) per year under the EU’s CommonAgricultural Policy, which is driven by astrong political will to protect farmers onthe continent. Many producers knowthey would not be competitive in a fullyopen market, among them the dairyfarmer Dwinger, who shrugged that “I ama regional producer” who is already strug-gling to make ends meet. EU chief nego-tiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero has prom-ised that TTIP “will not be a deregulationagenda” or lead to lower consumer, envi-ronmental, health, labor or data protec-tion standards in either the EU or US.

However, concerns about the pact,including in the food industry, have beenfuelled by the secrecy of the talks inBrussels and Washington, which havebeen held out of reach of TV camerasand journalists’ microphones. Not every-one shares the anxiety, and someEuropean producers hope they will tri-umph in a liberalized market. “All thisdoesn’t worry me at all,” said BerndNeumann, a dairy farmer from the east-ern German state of Saxony. “I think thatin Europe we have the highest standards,and that’s what will determine who winsin the end.” —AFP

US-EU free trade talks spark food safety fears

LONDON: Britain’s unemploymentdropped faster-than-expected to a rate of7.1 percent in the three months to the endof November, official data showed yester-day, further highlighting the nation’s eco-nomic recovery. It fell from a rate of 7.4percent in the quarter through to the endof October, the Office for National Statistics(ONS) said in a statement. That was thelowest level for nearly five years, or since itstood at 6.8 percent in February 2009. TheBank of England, under governor MarkCarney, has stated that it will consider rais-ing its key interest rate from a record-low0.50 percent once the unemployment ratefalls to seven percent.

“The unemployment rate for Septemberto November 2013 was 7.1 percent of theeconomically active population,” the ONSsaid in a statement. But wages growthremained muted at 0.9 percent in the threemonths to November, helping to keep a lidon inflation and in turn a need to raiseinterest rates. On Tuesday, the InternationalMonetary Fund said it expected Britain’seconomy to grow by 2.4 percent this year,up from an estimate of 1.9 percent given inOctober. The IMF now expects Britain to beamong the fastest growing of the world’s

advanced economies during 2014, handinga major boost to British finance ministerGeorge Osborne’s deficit-slashing austeritypolicies.

Separately yesterday, the Bank ofEngland said that its policymakers had vot-ed unanimously two weeks ago to main-tain its main interest rate at 0.50 percentand to keep the level of stimulus pumpingaround the economy at £375 billion ($620billion, 458 billion euros). Minutes of itsJanuary policy meeting noted that “theunemployment rate was now likely toreach the seven percent threshold materi-ally earlier than previously had beenexpected” by the bank.

But the BoE also cautioned that it saw“no immediate need to raise Bank Rateeven if the seven percent unemploymentthreshold were to be reached in the nearfuture”. Its policymakers noted that “it waslikely that the headwinds to growth associ-ated with the aftermath of the financial cri-sis would persist for some time yet and thatinflationary pressures would remain con-tained. “Consequently when the time didcome to raise Bank Rate, it would be appro-priate to do so only gradually,” the minutesadded. —AFP

UK unemployment rate slides to 7.1%

BlackBerry shares lifted by big

Pentagon contractNEW YORK: BlackBerry shares have leapt more than ninepercent as the troubled Canadian smartphone maker gota boost from news of contract to supply the US militarywith 80,000 new handsets. The stock gained 9.36 percentto end at $9.93, capping a rally of some 30 percent so farin 2014 and more than 60 percent from its lows lastmonth, when the company reported a quarterly loss ofmore than $4 billion.

The latest gains came after last week’s announcementfrom the Pentagon that it will include some 80,000BlackBerry phones as part of a new “mobility” program forthe Defense Department, which also includes devices madeby Apple, Samsung and Motorola. BlackBerry shares starteda rebound last month after it announced plans to outsourceits handset production to Taiwan-based Foxconn, whichaccording to analysts could help the Canadian firm concen-trate on software and services and avoid many of the risksof the volatile smartphone segment.

Last year, the company said it was considering a sale orother strategic move, but later scrapped those plans andtold customers it was staying in the smartphone business.BlackBerry helped create a culture of mobile users gluedto smartphones, but lost its luster as many moved toiPhones or devices using Google’s Android software. It stillhas some 70 million subscribers worldwide, but most ofthese are using older handsets, with newer devices on theBlackBerry 10 platform unveiled a year ago failing to gaintraction. —AFP

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

MANILA: People walk by homeless man, Edison Masili, 30, as he rests on a bridge inManila yesterday. Masili earns 1 dollar a day by collecting recyclable materialsamong garbage. Optimism is soaring that the Philippines is finally becoming anAsian tiger economy, but critics caution a tiny elite that has long dominated isamassing most of the new wealth while the poor miss out. — AFP

LONDON: World stocks edged back towards 5-1/2 year highsyesterday as moves to cool lending-market tensions in Chinagave an extra boost to the brightening global economic out-look. An upgrade of the International Monetary Fund’s worldforecasts on Tuesday has lifted sentiment in equity marketsand some encouraging company earnings meant Europeanshares were quickly in their stride again as the rally in south-ern euro zone government bonds also resumed. With the USFederal Reserve expected to make a second small cut to itshuge stimulus program next week, the dollar remainedbroadly supported near a two-month high against a basketof currencies.

Grabbing the spotlight was the UK, as another sharper-than-expected fall in unemployment, to 7.1 percent, provid-ed fresh proof of a strengthening economy and bolsteredspeculation that a Bank of England rate rise may not be too

far off. Minutes from the Bank of England’s last meeting,released at the same time as the data, showed policymakersnow acknowledged unemployment was likely to fall to the 7percent threshold they have set for reviewing the bank’s poli-cy, “materially earlier” than expected.

The news sent sterling surging to its highest in a yearagainst the euro, up against the dollar while UK governmentbonds, or gilts, lost out as investors sought out higher-rewarding alternatives. “It will certainly be the big challengefor Bank of England governor Mark Carney and the MPC(Monetary Policy Committee) in managing the forward guid-ance,” said Michael Hewson, chief strategist at CMC Markets.“What does he do when it does hit 7 percent? ... I think theonly way is up for the pound.”

In Asian trading, Chinese shares jumped 2.6 percent asthis week’s moves by the country’s central bank to cool rising

bank-to-bank borrowing costs continued to buoy their recov-ery from a six-month low. An upside inflation surprise alsolifted the Aussie dollar as rate cut prospects faded, while theCanadian dollar sagged near a four-year low on bets the Bankof Canada could shift towards an easier policy stance later.

EMERGING TENSIONS Emerging markets were also in focus again as political

unrest flared back up in both Thailand and Ukraine. Ukraine’shryvnia currency hit its lowest level against the dollar sinceOctober 2009 and the country’s debt insurance costs spikedafter two demonstrators were shot as a new wave of anti-government protests spread in the capital Kiev.

In Thailand, the shooting of a pro-government activist hitthat country’s stock market and initially the baht, althoughthe currency recovered after the central bank resisted the

temptation to cut rates. “Thai financial markets are relativelycalm for now. But if the political standoff drags on, then therewill be delays in infrastructure investment and larger eco-nomic implications,” said Yukino Yamada, senior strategist atDaiwa Securities.

Markets in Turkey, meanwhile, steadied after what hadbeen another day of drama on Tuesday. The lira wasbreathing easier having plunged to a new record low,while stocks were up 1.5 percent and on track for a thirdday of gains. Among commodities, oil prices rose onexpectations that accelerating growth in industrializedeconomies would lift demand, with US crude futures rising0.6 percent to $95.61 a barrel, its highest since Jan 3.However, copper dropped and iron ore fell to its weakestlevel in more than six months as slow demand from topimporter China hit sentiment. — Reuters

Stocks edge back towards 5-1/2 year highsSterling shines after UK data, China lending calm helps shares

LONDON: Gold prices eased yesterday asthe positive start to 2014 looked to befading-leaving US growth prospects andexpectations for further Federal Reservestimulus reduction to dominate senti-ment. Spot gold was 0.1 percent loweron the day at $1,240.10 per ounce by1121 GMT, after falling nearly 1 percenton Tuesday - its biggest one-day declinethis year. Investors have shied away fromputting new money into gold as interna-tional economic recovery, led by theUnited States, is boosting stock marketsand hurting the metal’s appeal.

Dealers and analysts said concernsabout further trimming of US centralbank stimulus, which weighed on priceslast year, were back on the agenda. TheFederal Reserve holds its next policymeeting on Jan. 28-29 when marketsthink the US central bank will announcea second cut to its $85 billion monthlybond purchases, which had burnishedgold’s inflation-hedge appeal.

“There was already a lack of fresh buy-ing after the recent peak above $1,260,”said Alexander Zumpfe, trader atHeraeus Metals Germany. “This togetherwith the tapering “news” and expecta-tions that Asian physical buying mightslow after Lunar New Year was enough totrigger selling,” he added. TheInternational Monetary Fund raised itsglobal growth forecast for the first timein nearly two years, saying fading eco-nomic headwinds should permitadvanced nations to pick up the mantleof growth from emerging markets.

World stocks edged back towards 5-1/2 year highs as moves to cool lending-market tensions in China gave an extraboost to the brightening global econom-

ic outlook. In other market news, sourcessaid banks involved in the gold fix arereviewing the mechanics of its process totry to ensure that the benchmark com-plies with upcoming regulations. “Withall the scrutiny on benchmarks, startingwith Libor, it makes sense to make surethat the way the fixing is conducteddoesn’t leave itself open to accusations ofmanipulation,” one source said.

China premiums easeAsia-based traders said prices could

fall further as Chinese physical purchaseswere also slowing. Chinese premiumseased to $12 an ounce yesterday from$13 in the previous session. Premiumswere higher earlier in the year on strongdemand for the Lunar New Year holiday.Platinum was steady at $1,444.40, con-solidating after closing in on a three-month peak, as strikes were set to beginfrom Thursday at the South Africanmines of top producers. The move couldhit over half of global output of the pre-cious metal and bosses of the world’s topthree platinum producers accused SouthAfrica’s AMCU union of making “unaf-fordable and unrealistic” demands.

Despite the metal’s recent gains,HSBC analysts said the reaction has beensubdued. “A mining strike in South Africawould historically be bullish for thePGMs (platinum group metals) but themuted reaction more recently to theannouncement for a possible strike maybe due to investor awareness of produc-er stockpiling ahead of the wage negoti-ation period last year,” the analysts said ina note. Silver was flat at $19.85 perounce, while palladium lost 0.4 percentto $740.60. — Reuters

Gold loses steam Market turns gaze to US Fed

SINGAPORE: Brent futures rose above$107 a barrel yesterday as outlook reportsindicated global oil demand will rise morequickly this year due to accelerating eco-nomic growth in industrialized countries.Economic growth will absorb more supplyeven as US shale oil output reaches recordhighs, the International Energy Agency(IEA) said on Tuesday. The same day, theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) raisedits global growth forecast for the first timein nearly two years, saying advancednations could pick up the mantle ofgrowth from emerging markets.

Brent crude added 58 cents to $107.30a barrel by 0747 GMT. On Tuesday, Brenthit a nearly two-week high of $108.00 andended 38 cents up. US oil was up 68 centsto $95.65 a barrel to touch its highest inmore than two weeks. “Improvement inglobal industrial production will translateto higher energy demand,” MichaelMcCarthy, chief strategist at CMC Marketsin Sydney said. “Technical factors and bet-ter demand outlook are likely to keep oilprices supported.”

Oil demand growth has been boostedby a robust economic rebound in theUnited States, where the IEA has revisedup its 2013 demand estimate by 180,000bpd to 18.9 million bpd. The IMF alsopointed to the United States as one of thebright spots for the global economy. Theseforecasts and technicals will keep Brent

supported at around $105.50-$106 a bar-rel in the short term, and prices maybounce above those levels to about $108,McCarthy said. The US benchmark mayrise to around $96.50.

Those levels may be the staging pointfor further gains in Brent to about $110and $99.50 in US oil, McCarthy said.Beyond the improving demand outlook,geopolitical tensions in the Middle Eastalso continue to put a floor on oil prices.While progress in talks between the Westand Iran to end a decade-old nuclear dis-pute has removed some of the risk,investors remain worried about the crisis inSyria spilling across the region and disrupt-ing supplies. “Supply disruption worriesfrom the Middle East are still out there,”said a trader with a Western trading firm.“They will continue to support oil prices.”

STOCKS DATAInvestors are awaiting the latest oil

inventory data from the United States. UScommercial crude oil inventories likelyrose last week for the first time in eightweeks, by an average of 1.6 million barrels,a preliminary Reuters poll showed. In therefined products sector, distillate stocks,including heating oil and diesel fuel, wereforecast to have dropped 400,000 barrelson average. Gasoline stocks were seen tohave increased by 1.6 million barrels lastweek. — Reuters

Brent rises above $107

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

News

JetBlue, Etihad Airlines announce partnership

DUBAI: JetBlue Airways Corp. and thenational airline of the United Arab Emirates,Etihad Airways, have formed a partnership toallow passengers to fly on routes operated byboth carriers on a single ticket. A statementby the two airlines yesterday says that initial-ly, Etihad will codeshare on 40 JetBlue routeswithin the United States. The airliners saymore codeshare services are planned onJetBlue flights once Etihad commences dailyflights to Los Angeles this June. The agree-ment is subject to government approval.Etihad currently has non-stop daily flightsfrom Abu Dhabi to New York, Washington DCand Chicago. In late 2012, JetBlue formed acodeshare deal with the Mideast’s biggestairline, Emirates, which flies daily from its hubin Dubai to Jet Blue’s home base at NewYork’s JFK.

Iraq oil exports dip BAGHDAD: Iraq’s oil exports in 2013 declinedcompared with the previous year, new figuresshowed yesterday, despite the country’sefforts to dramatically ramp up crude sales tofund much-needed reconstruction. Exports inDecember recovered from multi-month lowsearlier in the year, but were still below theirpeak, with overall exports and revenues forthe year lower than similar figures for 2012,according to oil ministry data compiled byAFP. Overall, Iraq exported 72.6 million barrelsof oil in December, an average of 2.34 millionbarrels per day (bpd), bringing in revenues of$7.47 billion (5.5 billion euros). Those figureswere higher than in November, and also rep-resented marked increases on September,when Iraq managed to export just 2.07 mil-lion bpd. “ The exports and income inDecember was an increase... even thoughthere was bad weather and technical repairsin the southern ports,” oil ministry spokesmanAssem Jihad said in a statement. Jihad alsosaid efforts to remove remnants of decades ofwar from the Shatt Al-Arab waterway in southIraq, through which the country ships thelion’s share of its exports, had held back over-all sales.

Taiwan’s jobless rate falls to five-year low

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s jobless rate slid to a five-yearlow in 2013, but the figure indicates that theslowly growing economy has yet to fullyrecover from the global financial crisis, offi-cials said yesterday. The unemployment ratelast year stood at 4.18 percent, down from5.85 percent in 2009 when the export-relianteconomy was battered by the crisis whichbegan in the second half of 2008. The joblessrate fell to 4.39 percent in 2011 but since thenhas edged down marginally. “This indicatesthat the economy has yet to return to the pre-crisis levels,” an official with the DirectorateGeneral of Budget, Accounting and Statisticssaid. Hit hardest by the global sluggishnesswere employees aged between 15-24.Statistics released by the budget agencyshowed that the unemployment rate for thisage group remained at 13.17 percent, littleimprovement on the record high of 14.49touched in 2009. “Just like many of their peersin other countries, local enterprises are reluc-tant to hire young employees without experi-ence while the global economy still facesuncertainties ahead,” the official said.

SA inflation edges up JOHANNESBURG: South African consumerprices ticked up a tenth of a percentage pointto 5.4 percent in December, official datashowed yesterday. Statistics South Africareported a rise in petrol and home rentalprices helped push inflation slightly higher,although broadly in line with expectations.The average annual inflation rate for 2013was 5.7 percent. That is just shy of the SouthAfrican Reserve Bank’s upper target range ofsix percent, but will raise hopes that inflationhas topped out.

Las Vegas casinos to accept Bitcoin

LOS ANGELES: Two Las Vegas casinos willbecome the city’s first to accept the Bitcoinvirtual currency from this week, their ownersannounced Tuesday. The D Las Vegas CasinoHotel and the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino,which are owned by the same company,announced that as of Wednesday they wouldprocess transactions through BitPay, amongother regular payment options. “I’m proudthat the D and Golden Gate will be the firstcasino properties to accept Bitcoin,” said thetwo properties’ chief executive Derek Stevens,who said he decided to do so after severalcustomers asked him about using Bitcoin.Bitcoin will be accepted at five locations,including the two hotels’ front desks, a giftshop and Italian restaurant. The Golden Gate,built in 1906, is the oldest casino in Vegas-andhas a history of pioneering new technology,being the city’s first to install a telephone in1907, according to its owner. “We’re located inthe growing high-tech sector of downtownLas Vegas, and like all things downtown, we’requickly adaptive to new technology,” saidStevens. “The timing is right for us to launchthis initiative, and I’m happy to be able tooffer this to our customers.”

in briefBank Asya says ‘weathering’withdrawals in Turkey crisis

4 billion lira withdrawn in bid to sink bankISTANBUL: Turkish Islamic lender BankAsya said it had weathered mass depositwithdrawals, which the media said wereorchestrated by government supporters aspart of a backlash against a corruptionscandal blamed on an influential cleric.Turkish media say state-owned companiesand institutional depositors loyal to PrimeMinister Tayyip Erdogan have withdrawn 4billion lira ($1.79 billion), some 20 percentof the bank’s total deposits, over the lastmonth to try to sink the lender.

The government has declined to com-ment. Bank Asya’s chief executive AhmetBeyaz said the bank’s founders includedsympathizers of cleric Fethullah Gulen, whoofficials say is behind the corruption inves-tigation posing one of the biggest chal-lenges to Erdogan’s 11-year rule. But hesaid the bank was not at risk. “The depositwithdrawal was a significant sum, but newdeposits worth more than half that amount

were placed in the bank, making it possiblefor us to manage our liquidity,” Beyaz toldReuters in an interview late on Tuesday. Hesaid the new deposits came from ordinarycitizens, supportive of the bank and itsethos.

Despite being a sympathizer of the US-based cleric, Beyaz underlined that hisbank did not belong to Gulen’s Cemaat reli-gious community network: “This bank doesnot belong to the Cemaat. Its foundersinclude people close to the Cemaat.”Erdogan has reacted furiously to the cor-ruption investigation, decrying an attempt-ed “judicial coup” his supporters see asorchestrated by Cemaat. He has reassignedthousands of police officers, more than ahundred judges and prosecutors, andpurged official bodies of executives he sus-pects of being close to the cleric.

Beyaz declined to say how much moneyhad been withdrawn, but said the bank

had been “comfortably positioned” on liq-uidity due to expectations the US FederalReserve would cut the stimulus that sentcheap cash flowing to markets such asTurkey. “Some big companies withdrewtheir deposits upon request, but they maychange their minds in time and bring theirdeposits back. I don’t believe in animositiesin business,” Beyaz said. Bank Asya’sdeposits at the end of third quarter of 2013were 19.5 billion lira.

SMEAR CAMPAIGNSBeyaz warned “smear campaigns” about

lenders’ health would create systematicrisks for the Turkish banking system afterpro-government media speculated that hisbank could be seized by Turkey’s SavingDeposit Insurance Fund because it wasilliquid. “Bank Asya has a capital adequacyratio of 14.8 percent, is constantly super-vised and audited, and is without a single

negative report against it. Any actionagainst such a bank would be impossibleto explain to the world,” Beyaz said. Thepolitical turf war sparked by the corruptionscandal has driven investors away fromTurkish assets in recent weeks, sending thelira to record lows. The turmoil comes at abad time for Turkey, when the reduction inUS monetary stimulus is already hammer-ing emerging market assets.

Erdogan has cast both the corruptionprobe and anti-government protests lastsummer as part of a foreign-backed plot toundermine Turkey’s international standing.Beyaz said the bank expected little or noimpact from the deposit withdrawal on its2014 targets - Bank Asya expects loangrowth of 20 percent in 2014, asset growthof 22 percent and deposit growth of 18percent. The lender is also planning sukukissues worth $500 million and 800 millionlira this year. —Reuters

Turkish lira hovers near record lows

ISTANBUL: The Turkish lira hovered near record lows yes-terday as the central bank’s decision to avoid a rate rise andopt for stealth tightening was seen as a less effective sup-port for the currency and a nod to political pressure. Thebank kept its main interest rates on hold on Tuesday,including the overnight lending rate at 7.75 percent, butsaid it would fund the market at 9 percent on “additionaltightening” days, when it cancels repos and sells dollars atauction.

A corruption scandal shaking the government and fearsabout the impact of cuts to US monetary stimulus havesent the lira down 10 percent against the dollar over thepast month, and investors had been crying out for a ratehike to defend it. The bank’s decision did little to ease thepressure, with investors left wondering how frequently“additional tightening” days would be implemented andwhether the bank would have the resolve to prevent a fur-ther lira slide.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party ispreparing for local elections in March and a presidentialcontest in August, has railed against high interest rates,which would pose a risk to already slow economic growth,and played down the recent market turbulence. His econo-my minister said the day before the interest rate decisionthat the lira’s volatility did not pose a threat and said thecentral bank should not hike.

“The central bank once again seems to have invented away of hiking rates without calling them a “rate hike”,” BNPParibas-TEB said in a research note. “The frequency andduration of additional tightening days will be important asto the effectiveness of the central bank’s move ... As thecentral bank makes its policy tightening in a convolutedway, it gets less bang for the buck.”

The bank said yesterday it would implement two daysof additional monetary tightening on Jan 27 and 30, fund-ing the market at an interest rate of 9 percent instead ofthe usual 7.75 percent and selling $100 million at auctionon both days. That did not appear enough to reassure themarket. The lira, which fell to a record low of 2.270 to thedollar immediately after Tuesday’s rate decision, was onlyslightly firmer at 2.267 by 1057 GMT. “Added complicationsto the policy framework only serve to turn off investors,who are already uneasy about low visibility - both on thepolitical and monetary policy fronts,” said Finansbank econ-omist Inan Demir.

“We do not expect this decision to provide any respitefor the lira. On the contrary, we continue to see furtherdepreciation until we see the central bank forcefullydefending the currency.” The yield on the 10-year bench-mark bond was at 10.12 percent after closing at 10.19 per-cent in thin trade on Tuesday. The main Istanbul stockindex was up 1.39 percent at 67,230.35 points, outperform-ing the main global emerging market index, which gained0.39 percent. —Reuters

HONG KONG: In this file picture, an assistant (left) to the chairman of K Wah International Holdings Ltd,Lui Che Woo, bids for a plot of government land in Hong Kong. —AFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing has held on tohis title as Asia’s richest person, staying ahead of Macau casi-no mogul Lui Che-woo, according to Bloomberg. Li-whosefirms Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa con-trol global assets in property, telecoms, utilities, ports andretail-had a net worth of $29.5 billion this month on theBloomberg Billionaires Index calculated at the end ofThursday.

That was followed by Lui, the head of Macau casino oper-ator Galaxy Entertainment, whose fortune amounted to$23.7 billion, according to the index, a daily ranking of theworld’s richest people. Another rich list for 2014 released by

Forbes Magazine earlier this month, put Li’s net worth at $32billion while 84-year-old Lui’s fortune came in at $21 billion.

The 85-year-old Li, who started out in business as a plas-tic-flower maker, became Asia’s richest man in April 2012after he surpassed Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani,according to the Bloomberg index. Lui’s family fled war-tornChina for Hong Kong in 1934. He amassed his first fortuneafter World War II when he imported construction equip-ment left by US forces on the Japanese island of Okinawa.Lui’s Galaxy entered the Macau gambling market when itwas opened up in 2002, ending a four-decade monopoly byHong Kong businessman Stanley Ho. —AFP

Hong Kong tycoon still Asia’s ‘richest person’

TOKYO: The head of the Bank of Japan yes-terday said its monetary easing blitz waswinning the war on deflation as policymak-ers held off announcing any fresh measuresto stimulate the economy. The decision aftera two-day policy meeting was widely expect-ed with analysts predicting the BoJ wouldlaunch an expansion of its asset-buying planlater this year to counter the effects of anApril sales tax hike.

While the increase is seen as crucial tochopping Japan’s eye-watering nationaldebt-proportionately the worst among richnations-there are fears it will derail its eco-nomic recovery. The BoJ said the world’sthird-largest economy “continued to recovermoderately”, while it also stuck with a 2.0percent inflation target seen as crucial to thebank’s policy blueprint.

BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda unveiledthe vast asset-buying scheme in April as partof a broader plan by Prime Minister ShinzoAbe to reinvigorate the economy and eradi-cate years of deflation with a policy blitz,dubbed Abenomics. Both men are attendingthe Davos summit where the world’s politicaland business elite are gathering this week.Kuroda said yesterday that the bank wouldpress on with its policy plan, and added thathe was still confident the inflation targetwould be reached sometime next year-despite growing scepticism among analystsand even some BoJ board members. “Webelieve our expectations are right,” Kurodatold reporters in Tokyo.

However, London-based CapitalEconomics said it expected the BoJ to ulti-mately push back its inflation target byabout one year, as it unleashes further stimu-lus to counter any slowdown. “Barring somemajor economic or market shock, the Bankof Japan is likely to wait until the second halfof this year before announcing any furthermonetary stimulus,” it said ahead of the BoJ’smeeting. “This would allow the board togauge how the economy has weathered thisApril’s consumption tax hike.”

Yesterday, the bank slightly lowered itsgrowth forecast to 1.4 percent from 1.5 per-

cent for the fiscal year ending in March2015, which may suggest policymakersexpect consumer demand to weaken afterthe tax rise. “We have...penciled in Octoberfor the timing of any official acknowledge-ment that the original two-year deadlinewill be missed...This would probably beaccompanied by the announcement ofadditional monetary easing,” CapitalEconomics said. The yen got a boost afterthe announcement with the dollar weakerat 104.24 yen in afternoon trade, from104.28 yen shortly before the BoJannouncement.

Despite Abe’s much-lauded start sincesweeping national elections in late 2012,analysts have warned that Tokyo’s bold pro-growth program-a mix of big governmentspending and central bank monetary eas-ing-is not enough on its own without prom-ised economic reforms. Japan’s growthslowed markedly in the July-Septemberquarter-after leading G7 nations in the firsthalf of the year-as exports weakened andconsumer spending slowed.

More positively, a BoJ report last monthsaid Japanese business confidence hadsoared to a six-year high, while Novemberfigures showed a key inflation indicator ris-ing at its fastest pace since the late 1990s asJapan sank into years of deflation. But risingprices have largely been driven up by high-er fuel bills after the Fukushima atomic cri-sis, not surging demand for everyday goodssuch as vacuum cleaners and clothes whichpower the economy as a whole.

Since the accident, Japan has beenimporting fossil fuels to plug the energygap, a pricey option that has become evenmore expensive as the yen sharply weak-ened in the wake of the BoJ’s monetary eas-ing drive. While deflation may sound like agood thing for shoppers, it can be bad forgrowth because falling prices encourageconsumers to put off spending, knowingthey will pay less for a product if they wait.That makes it difficult for companies toinvest and discourages them from raisingwages, which, in turn, reduces consumerspending further. —AFP

Yahoo! users will be mostly mobile: CEO

DAVOS: Struggling Internet giant Yahoo! will seemore users accessing its services by mobile in 2014than classic desktops, chief executive Marissa Mayersaid yesterday at the Davos World Economic Forum.“2014 will be the year of the crossover,” Mayer saidwhile sitting on a panel regarding the world digitalcontext. “By the end of this year we will have moremobile users than we have PC traffic. You have to beprepared for that,” she said.

In DecemberYahoo was the mostpopular online ven-ue visited from USdesktop computersand the firm hasbeen under pressureto switch its core ofthe business to theincreasingly crucialworld of smart-phones. Mayer hasmade improvingYahoo’s popularityon smartphones andtablets a priority asthe faded Internetsearch pioneer is re-invented. Mayer,who was poached

from Internet rival Google in 2012, has run into roadbumps in recent weeks with the surprise exit of two topexecutives including her second-in-command. Chiefoperating officer Henrique de Castro walked away witha $20 million dollar (14.7-billion-euro) stock award andother compensation after just 15 months on the job.

In Davos, Mayer said hiring was key to the nextstage of the company’s development. “It is a matter ofhiring the right people and making sure these peopleare really informed,” she said. The departure of Castroamid continued poor ad revenue left analysts wonder-ing whether Yahoo! will disappoint in a quarterly earn-ings report due on January 28. Mayer said she arrivedto Yahoo! when the company had just suffered fiveyears of turbulence and the staff she discovered wereeager to turn the company around. The employees“had all this pent-up energy” she said. —AFP

TOKYO: Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda answersquestions during a press conference after a policy board meetingat the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP

BoJ says winning deflation battle

Marissa Mayer

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

ABB warns on Q4 amid weak power demand

Shares down 4 percentZURICH: Swiss engineering group ABB toldinvestors yesterday it would miss fourth-quarterprofit expectations due to weak orders at its pow-er division and delays on wind projects in theNorth Sea. ABB said its power division would take$260 million in charges, bringing its fourth-quar-ter net profit expectations to $525 million, wellshort of analysts’ average forecast of $924 million,according to Thomson Reuters data. Most of thecharges were due to storms delaying constructionfor offshore wind farms, which are among themost expensive renewable energy projects, while$50 million was due to past legal issues, lossesfrom selling and discontinuing some activities.

Chief Executive Ulrich Spiesshofer said ABB wasstill “seeing uncertainty in the market on the pow-er side”, with stiffer regulation and project delayscausing orders in the unit to soften last year. Thepower unit is also aiming to be more selectiveabout the offshore wind power projects it takes onto increase returns. “The division’s new leadershipis assessing the progress and targets of therealignment, and we expect to provide an update

when we announce the fourth-quarter and full-year results (on Feb. 13),” Spiesshofer toldinvestors.

ABB has appointed Claudio Facchin as unithead to replace Brice Koch, who began as boss ofOC Oerlikon last week. “This is a setback for ABB inturning around the power systems division,” saidBank J Safra Sarasin analyst Michael Studer, whosaid the unit may be “kitchen-sinking” charges intoits accounts following the management change.ABB’s shares were down 4 percent at 23.22 Swissfrancs at 0945 GMT, underperforming a 0.3 percentfall in the broader European industrial index.

ABB’s power rivals are having similar troubles.On Tuesday, shares in French heavy engineeringgroup Alstom, which is more active in large ther-mal power systems, tumbled when it cut its targetsfor profitability and cashflow after weak orders forpower equipment. Wholesale power prices haveplunged in recent years due to generation overca-pacity as Europe’s weak economy has curbed ener-gy demand. In addition, cheap US coal has beenpouring into Europe, making gas-fired generation

uncompetitive.European utilities have mothballed or closed

more than 21 gigawatts (GW) of capacity over thepast 18 months and focused on new sources ofincome, including renewables and energy efficien-cy. Like rivals Schneider Electric of France andGermany’s Siemens, ABB is also facing a dearth ofbig orders as industrial customers delay spendingin a weak global economy. For the period 2011-2015, ABB aims to increase overall sales at a com-pound annual growth rate of 7-10 percent organi-cally, aiming to outpace economic and marketgrowth.

After spending more than $10 billion on acqui-sitions in recent years, the group is now focusingon integrating those purchases, which include USgroups Baldor and Thomas & Betts as well as solarenergy company Power One. The company, whichmakes products as varied as robots, power grids forutilities, and transformers used on electric trains,hopes that expanding services such as mainte-nance and technical support will help shield itsbusiness from economic cycles.—Reuters

KUWAIT: Al Mulla Group, the official distrib-utor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Kuwait,announced the delivery of 1000 MitsubishiLancer vehicles (Fortis and JT) to Al ManarFinancing & Leasing Company in 2013 undera landmark agreement between the twosides which has been recently renewed, inwhich a similar number of cars will beresourced again in 2014. This unique agree-ment is considered to be one of the largestto be carried out in the local wholesale sec-tor for cars of a single model and the biggestdelivery of its kind in fleet services.

The renewal of the agreement took placeduring a special ceremony that was attend-ed by members of senior management ofboth the companies in which Hisham Fakih,Division manager of Al Mulla Group signedthe agreement on behalf of the Group andAbdullah Al Bader, CEO of Al ManarFinancing & Leasing Company signed onbehalf of the company. In addition, Mr.Ahmad Saade, Manager Vehicle Wholesale,and Wassim Makarem, Asst. ManagerVehicle Wholesale presented Al MullaGroup; whereas Dr Munir Afuni, ExecutiveVice President of Al Manar Group, Youssef AlZamqan, manager of Financing ServicesDept, and Ali Abdullah, head of FinancingDivision were also present at the occasion.

Al Mulla Group declared that this agree-ment reflects its underlying strategy toenhance its cooperation with its clients ofwhich Al Manar Financing & LeasingCompany is considered to be leading in thefinancing and leasing sector. Through this

agreement, both companies are aiming toprovide excellent service to their clientsthrough the ownership of Mitsubishi vehi-cles. According to Al Mulla Group, this deal isconsidered to be one of the largest in sellingand delivery of fleet vehicles of the sametype, and that buying of Mitsubishi Lancercame after many market studies and experi-ments where the Lancer proved to be supe-rior to its competitors in terms of price, qual-ity, specifications, safety and security.

Moreover, the fact of the increaseddemand for Mitsubishi Lancer from clientsinvolved in both fields of taxi and car rentalcomes as evidence of the vehicle’s credibilityand reliability which is required by clients inthe competitive local market. On the otherhand, as a leading company in Kuwait work-ing in the financing and leasing industry incompliance with Islamic Sharia laws, AlManar Financing & Leasing Co has built astrong relationship with Al Mulla Groupbased on trust and mutual understanding.

This encouraged Al Manar to invest in AlMulla vehicles in order to provide its widecustomer base with practical cars that covertheir needs and offer them a distinctivepackage of high quality services and specifi-cations which is the trademark of Al MullaMitsubishi vehicles. Choosing MitsubishiLancer comes as a result of its excellent rep-utation worldwide and also because of thesuperior quality of this global car in its cate-gory in terms of high quality and safetybesides to Al Mulla Group’s commitment inproviding the best after-sales service.

Al Mulla delivers MitsubishiLancer to Al Manar

Financing & Leasing Company

KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leading InternetService Provider in Kuwait, announced thename of the raffle draw winner of AUDI R8 GTcar in its latest campaign “The internet is onYou ... The Audi is on us”. As part of this compe-tition that lasted from September30th, 2013 till December 31st,2013, customers were offered thechance to win the grand prize forevery 10 KD spent for subscribingto residential internet packages, orfor upgrading, and renewing theircurrent internet subscriptions. Thelucky winner, Khaled Ebteehan Al-Duwaihes was awarded theexceptional Audi R8 with itsextremely elegant interior designstyle, striking silhouette and cut-ting-edge technology.

Commenting on this campaign, AbdulazizYaqoub Al-Babtain, Vice President ofCommercial Sales at FASTtelco said: “The keybehind FASTtelco’s success is that FASTtelco iscontinuously providing its new and existingcustomers with the best offers on the market,

and is always committed to meeting itspledged responsibilities towards the internetand communication industries. Al-Babtainfurther added: “FASTtelco will continue toprovide the best offers, products and services

to its valued customers by assem-bling the most talented team ofemployees and human capital inthe market and by adopting thelargest and the most advanceddata communication infrastruc-ture in Kuwait.”

As a result of its continuousefforts, FASTtelco has proven itsleading position amongst localInternet Service Providers thanksto its state-of-the-art infrastruc-ture and commitment to provid-

ing the latest communication solutions to itscustomers, catering both individuals andcompanies. In the end, FASTtelco congratu-lated the lucky winner, and recalled its com-mitment to creating and developing moreexceptional offers and promotions aimed toits loyal customers.

FASTtelco announces winner of Audi R8 GT

Amplats swings back into profit

South Africa strikes loomJOHANNESBURG: Anglo AmericanPlatinum (Amplats) swung back into profitin 2013 as it rebounded from a wave ofwildcat strikes but its recovery is threat-ened by looming strikes across SouthAfrica’s platinum belt. Maintaining profitmargins will be tough if the hardlineAssociation of Mineworkers andConstruction Union (AMCU) goes aheadwith its planned industrial action today atAmplats and rivals Impala Platinum andLonmin. Around 100,000 workers or a fifthof South Africa’s mining labour force coulddown tools in a stoppage that would hitover half of global production of the metalused to make emissions-capping catalyticconverters in automobiles.

Amplats, the world’s top producer, saidyesterday its 2013 headline earnings pershare were expected to be between 480and 590 cents, compared with a loss of 562cents for 2012, the first time the AngloAmerican unit fell into the red. Headlineearnings per share are the main profitgauge in South Africa. Amplats said itsreturn to profit stemmed from higher salesvolumes and a favorable rand/dollarexchange rate. AMCU’s threatened strikecould unravel its hard-fought return toprofit, especially if it is protracted.

The chief executives of the three affect-ed platinum producers said on Tuesday theindustry could ill-afford further productionand job losses, noting they had lost a com-bined 879,400 ounces of output to laborstoppages in 2012 and 2013. Companieshave also dismissed AMCU’s demands tomore than double the basic wage as “unaf-

fordable and unrealistic”. The governmenthas offered to mediate last-ditch talks toavert a strike. “The ministers of labor and ofmineral resources are fully engaged bothon the labor side and on the mining com-panies side,” South African Pravin Gordhantold local broadcaster Talk Radio 702 in aninterview from Davos.

Implats spokesman Johan Theron saidthe company would be willing to take partin talks, although AMCU leader JosephMathunjwa was equivocal, saying its mem-bership had to be consulted. “We will lookat those options,” he told Talk Radio 702.Fresh stoppages in the platinum and goldmines would hit key South African exports,putting more pressure a rand already near5-year lows and dealing a fresh blow toinvestor confidence in Africa’s biggesteconomy. President Jacob Zuma and theruling African National Congress (ANC) arealso keen to avoid labor unrest ahead ofgeneral elections expected in around threemonths time.

AMCU emerged as the dominant unionon the platinum belt after poaching tens ofthousands of members from the NationalUnion of Mineworkers (NUM) in a viciousturf war in which dozens of people werekilled. The union is also threatening to strikeover wages today at several gold minesoperated by AngloGold Ashanti, HarmonyGold and Sibanye Gold. Bullion producersare seeking a court order to halt the strikeon the grounds that a wage agreementsigned with last year with NUM - still themajority union on the gold mines - appliesto all workers in the sector. —Reuters

Hall appointed as The Avenues’ Mall director

KUWAIT: The Avenues manage-ment announced the appointmentof Robert Hall as the new MallDirector. Hall comes to TheAvenues with more than 20 yearsof management experience insome of the largest malls in theUnited Kingdom. Hall was involvedin the launch and operation of 13shopping malls during his career,including three years in managerialposts in six different retails centersfor Hammerson Properties. Mostrecently, Hall was Director at Milton Keynes for HermesProperty Management as well as Westfield London in theUK’s capital city.

Robert Hall expressed great happiness for joining TheAvenues team, assuring that The Avenues has set newbenchmark and standards throughout the industry forbeing one of the largest malls in the world, and continu-ously developed and enhanced the shopping experiencein the region due to its world class architectural design aswell as a home to both international and local brands rang-ing from mid end retail categories to trendy designers in aspacious leasable area.

Robert Hall

AbdulAziz Al Babtain

MoneyGram, Bank AlJazira sign deal

RIYADH: MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI), aleading global money transfer and pay-ment services company, announced anagreement with Bank AlJazira (BAJ) tooffer its services at multiple bank andremittance centers. The alliance gives con-sumers access to over the counter globalmoney transfers with the ability to sendand receive money in 10 minutes andconnect with friends and family aroundthe globe. “Our customers in Saudi Arabianeed quick access to places where theycan send and receive funds,” said GrantLines, senior vice president Asia Pacific,South Asia and Middle East atMoneyGram. “This alignment answers our

customers’ needs, not only in this region,but worldwide.”

Bank AlJazira offers personal, corpo-rate, investment and private bankingservices and it is renowned for its cus-tomer-centric philosophy and out-of-the-box thinking. “We are very excited to joinhands with MoneyGram,” says Nabil Al-Hoshan, CEO at Bank AlJazira. “We offerworld-class customer service in our Fawrimoney remittance centers. MoneyGramwill play a central role in helping to meetour goals in 2014.” Saudi Arabia is the sec-ond leading remittance-sending countryin the world, with an estimated $27.6 bil-lion of outward remittance in 2012.

IBM posts higher Q4 net income

ARMONK: IBM’s fourth-quarter net income grew 6 per-cent, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations even thoughrevenue declined. Its shares fell in extended tradingafter the results came out - and CEO Ginni Rometty saidshe’s recommending that senior executives, includingherself, forgo personal bonuses for the year. IBM Corpsaid Tuesday that it earned $6.19 billion, or $5.73 pershare, in the October-December period. That’s up from$5.83 billion, or $5.13 per share, in the same period ayear earlier.

Results benefited from tax audit settlements thatlowered IBM’s tax rate to 11.2 percent in the quarter,from 25.5 percent a year earlier. IBM’s adjusted earningswere $6.13 per share in the latest quarter. Revenue fell5.5 percent to $27.7 billion from $29.3 billion. Analysts,on average, had expected adjusted earnings of $5.99 pershare on revenue of $28.27 billion, according to FactSet.

IBM is the world’s largest technology-services com-pany. Its results provide a gauge of businesses’ appetitefor technology spending. The company’s business hasbeen fairly stable because many of its customers signlong-term contracts that guarantee regular revenue,even when the economy is tough. It also helps that IBMno longer has a direct connection to the slumping PCindustry. Hardware revenue plunged 26 percent to$4.26 billion in the fourth quarter. Revenue in the com-pany’s biggest business - services - slipped 3.6 percentto $9.92 billion, while software revenue increased 2.8percent to $8.14 billion.

The Armonk, NY, company is forecasting 2014 adjust-ed earnings of at least $18 per share. Analysts expect$18.02 per share. Rometty said IBM remains “on track”toward its adjusted earnings goal of at least $20 in 2015.For the full year, IBM earned $16.5 billion, or $14.94 pershare, compared with earnings of $16.6 billion, or $14.37per share, in 2012. Adjusted earnings were $16.28 pershare. Revenue fell 5 percent to $99.8 billion from $104.5billion. IBM’s shares fell $5.68, or 3 percent, to $182.75 inafter-hours trading. The stock had closed down $1.66 at$188.43 earlier.—AP

Sandberg a billionaire asFacebook hits new high

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook shares have climbed to anew high, catapulting chief operating officer SherylSandberg onto the roster of tech billionaires. Shares ofthe world’s leading social network closed the Nasdaqtrading day at $58.51, shedding a few cents in after-hours trade. Sandberg owns about $750 million worthof Facebook stock and is said to have sold about $300million worth of shares since the California-basedcompany became a publicly traded company in Mayof 2012.

The 44-year-old former Google executive is alsoreported to have stock options for nearly five millionshares that began vesting last year. The social mediagiant started by Mark Zuckerberg, which now hasmore than 1.1 billion users around the globe, had arocky debut after it went public at $38 a share with avaluation of $16 billion. Facebook shares droppedbelow $20 during the ensuing months and onlyclimbed back over their offer price in July of last year.Zuckerberg, who will turn 30 in May, has a personalfortune estimated at about $19 billion. Facebook willrelease its quarterly earnings figures next week. —AFP

DUBAI: Bank Dhofar, the Omani lender intalks to merge with smaller rival BankSohar, beat analysts’ estimates as it post-ed a 3.6 percent rise in fourth-quarter netprofit yesterday. Oman’s second-largestbank by market value made a net profitof 9.3 million rials ($24.2 million) in thethree months to Dec 31 compared with aprofit of 9.02 million rials in the prior-yearperiod, Reuters calculated from previousfinancial statements. Two analysts polledby Reuters had estimated a quarterlyprofit of 8.32 million rials and 8.76 millionrials respectively.

Reuters calculated fourth-quarter prof-it from previous financial statements. Full-year profit for 2013 was reported as 58.4million rials, according to a statement tothe bourse, much higher than the 37.7million rials the bank made in 2012. Theannual profit hike was fuelled by Oman’sPrimary Court returning 26.1 million rials

to Bank Dhofar in March after the coun-try’s appeals court overturned a judg-ment relating to a 2011 case involvingOman International Bank and Ali RedhaTrading and Muttrah Holding over theownership of 1,925,000 Bank Dhofarshares.

Net loans and advances grew 13.7 per-cent to 1.9 billion rials from 1.67 billionrials at the end of 2012. Deposits werealso up over the same period, rising 24.3percent year-on-year to 2.03 billion rials.In July, Bank Dhofar said it hadapproached Bank Sohar with a view tomerging the two entities and creatingOman’s second-largest bank, with the lat-ter saying it would consider the move. Thenew entity would have total assets worth4.49 billion rials, based on fourth-quarterfinancial statements. Bank Sohar reporteda 20.5 percent advance in fourth-quarternet profit on Tuesday. —Reuters

Oman’s Bank Dhofar posts 3.6% profit hike

t e c hnolo g yTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

SEOUL: South Korea, already one of the mostwired countries on earth, yesterday announced a1.6 trillion won ($1.5 billion) plan to roll out a next-generation 5G wireless service quick enough todownload full-length films in a second. The scienceministry said it aims to implement the technology-about 1,000 times faster than the 4G services cur-rently available-within six years. “We helped fuelnational growth with 2G services in the 1990s, 3Gin the 2000s and 4G around 2010. Now it is time totake preemptive action to develop 5G,” the min-istry said in a statement.

“Countries in Europe, China and the US are mak-ing aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology ...and we believe there will be fierce competition inthis market in a few years,” it said. Under theroadmap, a trial 5G service will be rolled out in2017 and a fully commercial service in December2020. Priority will be given to developing key fea-tures for the new network, including Ultra-HD andhologram transmission as well as cutting-edge

social networking services. Related industries willbe able to rack up sales of 5G-related devices andinfrastructure equipment worth 331 trillion wonfrom 2020 to 2026, the ministry estimated.

The government hopes to implement the planwith investment and cooperation from operatorssuch as SK Telecom and Korea Telecom as well ashandset makers like Samsung and LG. It also aimsto expand the telecom infrastructure equipmentindustry, which is relatively weaker than themighty mobile device sector. Led by Samsung-theworld’s top handset maker-South Korea has a lead-ing 30-percent stake in the global mobile devicemarket. “But the (telecom) infrastructure equip-ment industry has only a 4.4 percent share in theglobal market, with exports very limited,” the min-istry said.

Chinese equipment makers including Huaweihave expanded their presence in the global marketfrom 12 percent in 2007 to 26 percent in 2012.Huawei announced in November that it was look-

ing at a 5G commercial rollout by 2020, with a min-imum investment of $600 million to develop thetechnology. Seoul intends to take up to a 20 per-cent stake in the world’s telecom infrastructureequipment market by 2020, according to the min-istry.

New opportunitiesSouth Korea is renowned for being at the fore-

front of internet technology with broadbandspeeds that consistently out-pace those in Europeor the United States. 5G technology will allow usersto download a 800-megabyte movie file in one sec-ond, compared with 40 seconds using 4G, the sci-ence ministry said, adding that such speeds wouldhelp South Korean firms win overseas deals.Officials said the new service would also meanpeople on bullet trains running faster than 500kilometers (310 miles) an hour would even be ableto access the Internet, compared with 300 kph cur-rently.

“Bullet trains around the world keep gettingfaster, with some in China running as fast as 500and 600 kilometers per hour,” said one ministryofficial who declined to be named. “If we have thetechnology to allow fast Internet access in thesetrains, it can open new opportunities for us global-ly,” he said.

Samsung Electronics announced back in Maythat it had successfully tested 5G technology, man-aging data transmission of more than one gigabyteper second over a distance of two kilometers.

Samsung said it had found a way to harness mil-limeter-wave bands which have proved to be asticking point for the mobile industry to date. Thetest used 64 antenna elements, which the techtitan said overcame the issue of “unfavorable prop-agation characteristics” that have prevented datatravelling across long distances using the bands.However, it made clear that the technology wouldnot be available commercially before the end ofthe decade. — AFP

S Korea to launch 5G ‘movie-in-a-second’ service

BEIJING: Human error likely caused a glitch inChina’s Great Firewall that saw millions of Internetusers ironically rerouted to the homepage of a US-based company which helps people evadeBeijing’s web censorship, sources said. Hundreds ofmillions of people attempting to visit China’s mostpopular websites on Tuesday afternoon foundthemselves redirected to Dynamic InternetTechnology (DIT), a company that sells anti-censor-ship web services tailored for Chinese users.

The official Xinhua news agency on Tuesdayquoted experts as saying that the malfunctioncould have been the result of a hacking attack, anddomestic media was full of speculation alongthose lines. DIT is tied to the Falun Gong, a spiritualgroup banned in China which has been blamed forpast hacking attacks. During a daily news briefing,Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gangsaid he had “noted” reports of Falun Gong involve-ment, but said he did not know who was responsi-ble. “I don’t know who did this or where it camefrom, but what I want to point out is this remindsus once again that maintaining Internet securityneeds strengthened international cooperation.This again shows that China is a victim of hacking.”However, sources familiar with the Chinese gov-ernment’s web management operations toldReuters that a hacking attack was not to blame forthe malfunction. They declined to be identifieddue to the sensitivity of the matter.

They said the incident may have been the result

of an engineering mistake made while makingchanges to the “Great Firewall” system theCommunist Party uses to block websites it deemsundesirable - such as the DIT site. The state-runChina Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC) said “the attack” on the country’s Internetis under investigation, the official CCTV broadcast-er wrote on its microblog on Wednesday.

Mystery over how it happened CNNIC earlier said in a microblog post that the

outage, which lasted for several hours, was due toa malfunction in China’s top-level domain nameroot servers. These servers administer the country’sDomain Name Service (DNS), which matchesalphabetic domain names with a database ofnumeric IP addresses of computers hosting differ-ent websites, a sort of reference directory for theentire internet. Instead of matching the names ofpopular Chinese websites with their proper IPaddresses, Chinese DNS servers instead redirectedusers trying to access websites not ending with the“.cn” suffix to the IP address associated with DIT’shomepage.

It was unclear why users were being directed tothe DIT site specifically. Independent tests showedthat the source of the malfunction originated fromwithin China, and specifically from the GreatFirewall servers themselves. “Our investigationshows very clearly that DNS exclusion happened atservers inside of China,” said Xiao Qiang, an adjunct

professor at UC Berkeley School of Information inthe US and an expert on China’s Internet controls.

“It all points to the Great Firewall, because that’swhere it can simultaneously influence DNS resolu-tions of all the different networks (in China). Buthow that happened or why that happened we’renot sure. It’s definitely not the Great Firewall’s nor-mal behavior.” Checks by DIT suggested a similarroot cause for the overwhelming amount of traffictrying to reach the site, said Bill Xia, DIT’s founderand a member of the Falun Gong. “For such a largescale attack just targeting users in China, it can onlybe done by the Great Firewall,” Xia said.

“It’s even clearer this is not an attack of all theDomain Name Servers in the world, but the sameas the DNS hijacking technologies used by theChinese government to block websites they don’twant.” The outage, which began around 3:15 pmlocal time, redirected roughly 1 million requestsper second to the DIT site, said Xia.

Chinese web service providers have struggledto overcome recurrent performance bottlenecks inthe country’s massive but often rickety data net-work. The need to continuously censor domesticcontent and block foreign websites only compli-cates the matter. In addition to fending off hackingattacks, network providers face challenges findingexperienced server administrators and dealingwith government bureaucracies. Frequently,authorities have overlapping jurisdictions over dif-ferent aspects of Internet services. — Reuters

Internet mishap sparks Great Firewall scrutiny

SEOUL: A South Korean customer fills in an application form to cancel his credit cardat a branch of Lotte Card in Seoul yesterday. Tens of thousands of South Koreansflooded banks and call centers to cancel credit cards following the unprecedentedtheft of the personal data of at least 20 million people. — AFP

Internet users redirected to anti-censorship website

SEOUL: South Korean regulators yesterdayvowed harsh corporate penalties for datatheft, as angry customers swamped creditcard offices for a third day after 20 millionpeople had their financial informationstolen. “If an incident like this happensagain, the company in question will be shutand its executives will no longer be able towork in this industry,” Shin Je-Yoon, thehead of the Financial SupervisoryCommission (FSC), told reporters. Shin wasreacting to South Korea’s largest-ever leakof private financial data that involved threecredit card companies and at least 20 mil-lion clients out of a national population of50 million.

Credit card usage is particularly high inSouth Korea where the average adult hasfour or five cards. The data was stolen by anemployee from personal credit ratings firmKorea Credit Bureau who once worked as atemporary consultant at the three firms. Hewas arrested earlier this month. The stolendata included names, social security num-bers, phone numbers, e-mail addresses,home addresses, credit card numbers andeven personal credit ratings.

Angry customers Since Monday more than two million

victims have cancelled their credit cardspermanently or requested new ones.”Nowall my personal data is out there, includingmy home and office addresses and phonenumbers and even my annual income andhow many times I was behind on creditcard payments in the past,” said Grace Choi,a Seoul office worker. “I’m more than angry.I’ll join a class action suit if there is one,” shesaid.

Choi was one of hundreds of Lotte Cardcustomers who packed the company’sbranch in downtown Seoul to cancel theircards and request new ones. Most waitedfor hours, berating harried staff who hadbeen tasked with fielding complaints. “Icame here because their call centres wereconstantly engaged yesterday,” said WonJong-Hee, a Seoul housewife. “They say

there are some 500 people in line beforeme and I have to wait seven hours...this isridiculous,” she said.

All special call centres run by the creditcard firms were busy and some of theirwebsites could not be accessed due toheavy traffic. All three announced extend-ed operating hours and vowed to remainopen on weekends to handle cancellations.Shin said the FSC would devise harsherpunishments and heavier financial penal-ties on companies and their executives forfuture security breaches. “For instance, weare thinking of about 5 billion won ($4.6million) in fines, or even up to 1.0 percentof their total sales,” he said. The companiesinvolved in the latest data leak-KB KookminCard, Lotte Card and NH Nonghyup Card-will face “the highest level of punishmentlegally possible”, he said, suggesting a pos-sible three-month business suspension.

The companies would be banned fromaccepting new customers and offering cashadvance services to existing clients duringthe suspension. Shin sought to quell pub-lic concerns, saying the stolen data in thelatest case had not been resold to a thirdparty. He also promised that the credit cardfirms would be forced to make good on acommitment to fully compensate clientsfor any financial loss resulting from thetheft. Many major South Korean companieshave seen customers’ data leaked in recentyears, either by hacking attacks or theirown employees.

An employee of Citibank Korea wasarrested last month for stealing the person-al data of 34,000 customers. In 2012 twoSouth Korean hackers were arrested forstealing the data of 8.7 million customers atthe nation’s second-biggest mobile opera-tor. In November 2011 Seoul’s top gamesdeveloper Nexon saw the personal infor-mation on 13 million users of its popularonline game MapleStory stolen by hackers.In July the same year, personal data from35 million users of Cyworld-the South’ssocial networking site-was stolen by hack-ers. — AFP

South Korea vowsharsh penaltiesfor data leaks

SHANGHAI: Customers looking at Apple iPhones in a China Mobile store in Shanghai.—AFP

SHIMLA: Six snow leopards in the icyIndian state of Himachal Pradesh will be fit-ted with satellite-linked collars in a projectaimed at deepening understanding of theendangered mountain cat, wildlife officialssaid yesterday. The $40,450 project willhelp the state wildlife department studythe movement of the snow leopards in theHimalayas where climate change andhuman settlements are affecting their habi-tat. “Half a dozen snow leopards will betagged by GPS collars and the behavior ofthese elusive cats will be observed,” saidVivek Mohan, a senior state wildlife depart-ment official. The Indian northern belt ishome to as many as 700 of the world’s7,000 snow leopards, whose natural moun-tain habitat is fast depleting, according tothe conservationist group WWF.

Snow leopards are found across 12 cen-tral and South Asian countries, includingIndia, China and Pakistan. As a result, thewild cats are often left without prey,

poached by hunters for their luxuriantspotted coats and killed by livestock own-ers who see the leopards as a threat to theiranimals. Snow leopard bones and bodyparts are prized by smugglers who sellthem for use in traditional Chinese medi-cine. A research centre will also be set upby the state near the Tibet-bordering SpitiValley-considered an important habitat forthe mountain cats.

It is estimated that there are less than 30snow leopards left in Himachal Pradesh.The WWF launched a fund-raising cam-paign earlier this month to build awarenessthrough online media and improve conser-vation projects like camera traps and pred-ator-safe pens for livestock. In rare sight-ings, two snow leopards were caught oncameras late last year in northernUttarakhand state, springing hope inwildlife conservationists. Wildlife experts inNepal have been tracking a rare snow leop-ard since last December using a similar col-

Endangered leopardsto be tracked by GPS

DARJEELING: Ten year-old snow leopard, Nita, mother of two fifty-five day old cubsprowls at the Conservation Breeding Centre in the Himalayan Padmaja NaiduZoological Park in Darjeeling. — AFP

NEW YORK: A US appeals court gave Apple Inc areprieve from an external monitor appointed to overseeits compliance with antitrust laws after the companyhad been found liable last July for conspiring to raise e-book prices. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in NewYork on Tuesday granted Apple a hearing on whether tostop the monitor, Michael Bromwich, from doing his jobwhile the company pursues a formal appeal, whichcould last several months. In granting an “administrativestay,” the 2nd Circuit said a three-judge panel wouldhear Apple’s motion for a stay pending appeal as soonas possible.

The US Department of Justice did not oppose theshort stay but will fight Apple’s effort to get rid of themonitor or else disqualify Bromwich. It has until Jan. 24to file opposition papers. Apple has complained thatBromwich has been too intrusive, including by seekinginterviews with top executives and board members,and has been charging an inflated $1,100 per hour forhis services to rack up high fees. The Cupertino,California-based maker of the iPad, iPod and iPhone hassaid Bromwich’s activities could interfere with its abilityto develop new products.

Courts often appoint monitors in litigation to ensurethat companies comply with the law. But Apple has saidUS District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, who in anonjury trial found the company liable for a price-fixingconspiracy with five major publishers, improperly grant-ed Bromwich too much power. “The monitorship shouldnever have been imposed in the first place, and the bur-den and intrusion the monitor is imposing on Applecannot be remedied after the fact if the company pre-vails on appeal,” Apple said in a filing on Friday.

Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspectorgeneral, denied in a Dec 30 court filing that he was con-ducting a “broad and amorphous inquisition.” He saidApple had given him only “limited” access and that asenior antitrust executive had told him he would “see ‘alot of anger’ about the case that still existed within thecompany.” In a decision on Thursday, Cote defendedappointing a monitor, writing: “If anything, Apple’s reac-tion to the existence of a monitorship underscores thewisdom of its imposition.” The cases are US v Apple Inc,2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals, No 14-60; and US vApple Inc, US District Court, Southern District of NewYork, No 12-02826. — Reuters

Apple gets reprievefrom e-book

monitor oversight

NEW YORK: It doesn’t surprise experts thatsome debit and credit card numbers stolenfrom Target’s computer systems may have sur-faced among nearly 100 fake credit cardsseized by police in Texas this week. Even so,they say the bust is unlikely to lead authoritiesdirectly to the hackers behind the breach, giventhe vast, labyrinthine nature of the global mar-ket for stolen data. According to police inMcAllen, Texas, two Mexican citizens arrested atthe border used account information stolenduring the pre- Christmas Target breach to buytens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchan-dise.

But the US Secret Service said Tuesday itsinvestigation into the possibility of a linkbetween the Target data theft and the arrestsremains ongoing. Target says hackers stole

about 40 million debit and credit card numbersfrom cards swiped at its stores between Nov 27and Dec 15. The thieves also took personalinformation - including email addresses, phonenumbers, names and home addresses - foranother 70 million people.

In the aftermath of the breach, millions ofAmericans have been left to wonder what’sbecome of their precious personal information.Chester Wisniewski, senior security adviser forthe computer security firm Sophos, says in cas-es where such a massive amount of informationis stolen, criminals generally divide the datainto chunks and sell the parcels in online blackmarkets. In many ways, those markets behavemuch like any legitimate marketplace ruled bythe forces of supply and demand. Groups ofhigher-end cards are worth significantly more

than those with lower credit limits and so arecards tied to additional personal information,such as names, addresses and zip codes, whichmake them easier to use.

After thieves purchase the numbers, theycan encode the data onto new, blank cardswith an inexpensive, easy-to-use gadget. Orthey can skip the card-writing process and sim-ply use the card numbers online. Crooks oftenhave the option to buy cards last used in theirarea. That way, Wisniewski says, the cardsattract less attention from the banks that issuedthem. According to police, the pair arrested atthe US-Mexican border used cards containingthe account information of Target shoppersfrom South Texas. Police say the two usedfraudulent cards to purchase numerous itemsat national retailers in the area. — AP

Target hackers will be tough to find: Experts

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

BEIJING: A wire connected to his genitals, aChinese man says doctors administered repeatedelectric shocks as he watched a pornographic film-part of treatment he hoped would eliminate hissexual attraction to men.

“I thought I’d try and see if there was a chance Icould become a normal person,” said the 25-year-old, who asked to be identified only by his sur-name Zhang. “I didn’t want to cause my familytrouble, or disappoint them.”

Zhang’s treatment shows the extreme end of alucrative industry in China claiming to “correct” thesexualities of gay men and lesbians, who oftenface tremendous social pressures to live as hetero-sexuals. “If I had a reaction (to the films) I wouldreceive a shock,” said Zhang, who said he paid forthe initial treatments himself after deciding life as agay man would be “too tough”.

“It wasn’t a massive shock, but it was painful.”China officially classed homosexuality as a

mental disorder as recently as 2001, althoughsome attitudes-especially in larger cities-havebecome more tolerant in recent years.Nonetheless gay men and lesbians in China, whoare often only children, still have to deal with theirparents’ expectations of marriage and children.

“Conversion therapy”, as it is sometimes known,

has more than a century of history around theworld, but has fallen out of favour with medicalauthorities. It persists in countries from Singaporeto Britain and the United States-where reports ofelectro-shock use have added to momentum for aban. Zhang was treated three years ago, but fiveclinics contacted by AFP in the last month claimedto offer “sexuality adjustment” through variousmeans, some of them including hypnosis, drugsand electric shock therapy.

The Haiming Psychological Consulting Centrein Beijing touts the use of electricity on its website,saying: “After each shock, the person will quicklyinterrupt their thought, and separate from theirfantasies.” A member of staff at the hospital saidthat the shock treatment-in 30-minute sessionsevery few days-was used only “in extreme circum-stances”.

‘Not an illness’The American Psychological Association, which

judges same-sex sexual and romantic attraction tobe “normal and positive”, concluded in 2009 that“efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely tobe successful and involve some risk of harm”.

The Pan American Health Organization, theAmericas office of the UN’s WHO, said in a 2012

report that conversion therapies “lack medical jus-tification and are ethically unacceptable”.

California banned the practice-often linked toChristian groups who view homosexuality a sin-forminors last year, and other US states look set to fol-low its lead following an activist campaign.

Now Chinese groups are following their lead.Beijing’s LGBT Center said in a statement lastmonth that such methods “deeply damage homo-sexuals’ physical and mental health, and worseinfringe on their self-respect”.

‘I wanted to die’Two activists connected with the Center, which

is partly funded by the US and British embassies,posed with a sign reading “Homosexuality is notan illness” outside a clinic they said offered conver-sion therapy, and hope to persuade health author-ities to revoke such facilities’ licences.

Some clinics are moving towards counsellingand prescribing anti-depressant drugs, said WeiXiaogang, founder of the Beijing-based “QueerComrades” group. “Now it’s more like therapy, liketalking, because people want to make money, it’sall about business,” he said.

Several clinics said that they saw homosexuali-ty as changeable in people for whom it was not

“innate”. But Liu Wei, 21, a salesman in the south-ern province of Guangdong, said: “I have a lot offriends who received the treatment, it has madesome of them nervous wrecks”.

He visited a hospital last month to ask abouttreatment under pressure from his father, he said,and a doctor told him his sexuality could bechanged “if I made a decision to break up with mypartner, and dedicate myself to the method”.

The physician told Liu to “watch films and whenI fantasised, use an elastic band wrapped aroundmy hand to hurt myself”. Even the doctor admittedthe success rate was low, he said, but he was stillconsidering it because his family relationshipswere “very tense”.

For Zhang, the treatment first killed his sexdrive but went on to exact a greater toll-hebecame depressed, resigned from his job, wentinto debt to pay his medical fees, and eventuallyconsidered suicide, he said.

“I was suffering from headaches, I couldn’tstand it, I wanted to die, I wanted to stop.”

But ultimately he accepted that his sexualitycould not be changed, and came out to his father.

“Later I thought about my whole life, I was likethis from a young age,” he said. “Being gay isn’t aterrible thing, I think.” — AFP

Chinese come out against sexuality change therapy

HOUSTON: Anna Williamson, right, looks on as her daughter Kim Pappas, center,checks her Aunt Irma Myers-Santana’s makeup before a video interview Tuesday inHouston. The two sisters shared an operating room as they each received a lungfrom the same donor earlier in the month. — AP

NEW YORK: The average temperature of Earthmaintained its warming trend in 2013, despiteseasonal and regional variations that included ashrinking ice cap in the Arctic and a massivelygrowing one in the southern hemisphere, US sci-entists said yesterday. NASA said the planet’saverage temperature in 2013 was 58.3 degreesFahrenheit (14.6 degrees Celsius), tying 2006and 2009 for the seventh warmest year since1880 when global climate record-keepingbegan.

Using the same data but different analysisprocesses, the US National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration said 2013’s averagetemperature was 58.12 degrees Fahrenheit,which tied what NOAA considers to be thefourth hottest year on record.

The agencies differ in their analysis tech-niques. NASA for example uses more tempera-tures from Antarctica, but said the overall trendremains what has been measured every yearsince 1976 when global temperatures first sur-passed the 20th Century’s global average of 57degrees Fahrenheit (13.9 degrees Celsius).

“The patterns of temperature change arevery similar across the different analyses, but

rankings and the exact numerical value are afunction of some of the small differences thatwe have in the processing,” Gavin Schmidt,deputy director of NASA’s Goddard Institute forSpace Studies in New York, told reporters on aconference call.

Global temperatures began climbing in thelate 1960s, a phenomena that has been tied toheat-trapping greenhouse gases in Earth’satmosphere. NASA, or the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration, said the amount ofcarbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is highernow than at other time in the last 800,000 years.

Warmest temperature Carbon dioxide levels were about 285 parts

per million in 1880, the first year in the globaltemperature record. By 1960, levels reached 315parts per million. In 2013, the amount of carbondioxide peaked at more than 400 parts per mil-lion. The relationship between greenhouse gas-es and global temperatures is complicated. In2013, for example, the continental United Statesexperienced its 42nd warmest temperature onrecord while Australia had its hottest year ever,NASA and NOAA data shows.

Ice in the polar regions presents another puz-zle. The amount of Arctic sea ice in the northernhemisphere continued its ubiquitous and well-documented decline, while sea ice in Antarcticain the southern hemisphere increased a recordamount, scientists said.

“The situation in the southern hemisphere ismore complicated,” Schmidt said, noting thatwind patterns are impacted by the region’sozone hole and other factors.

“There’s a lot of complicated physics goingon,” he added. “It’s not a clean picture.”

Ocean temperatures, including El Nino andLa Nina warming and cooling patterns in theequatorial Pacific, also disconnect regional, sea-sonal and yearly temperatures with overall glob-al trends, the scientists said.

“The long term trends in climate are extreme-ly robust,” Schmidt said. “There are times, such astoday, when we can have snow, even in a global-ly warmed world. But the long-term trends arevery clear. They are not going to disappear. Itisn’t an error in our calculations.” A third study on2013 global temperatures is due to be releasedlater this month by the Met Office Hadley Centerin the United Kingdom. — Reuters

No relief for Earth

warming trend Difference in analysis techniques

HOUSTON: They quibble, joke and shareknowing looks, finishing each other’sthoughts and making snide comments - likemany sisters. But a recent heated argumentwas unlike any other they’ve had, and it end-ed in a most surprising way.

For months, 71-year-old Irma Myers-Santana and her younger sister, AnnaWilliamson, 69, had been debating who moreurgently needed a lung transplant, eachwanting the other to go first. Earlier thismonth, though, the sisters ended up in thesame operating room, each getting one lungfrom the same donor in what doctors atHouston Methodist Hospital say is a first fortheir facility.

“It’s never happened. ... We’ve transplant-ed siblings before, but years apart,” said Dr.Scott Scheinin, who did Myers-Santana’stransplant. “It’s a little bit of serendipity.”

The sisters both became ill about 10 yearsago with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lit-tle-understood scarring of the lungs thatoften requires a transplant and kills morepeople than breast cancer every year, saidScheinin.

Doctors, assisted by a computer program,look at blood type, height and severity of ill-ness to match a donor and a transplantpatient. The likelihood that Myers-Santanaand Williamson would meet all three criteriaat the same time was small, Scheinin said.

The sisters’ situation was further compli-cated because they insisted on a “bloodlesstransplant.” They are Jehovah’s Witnesses anddo not believe in receiving blood transfu-sions. They live in California, but HoustonMemorial is the only hospital in the countrythat does such transplants.

“The irony of this whole thing is that we’resisters, we’re both Jehovah’s Witnesses, wehave the same blood type and we got (thelungs) from the same donor,” Williamson said,her eyes tearing up as she sat next to her sis-ter, able for the first time in years to completea sentence without coughing.

“It’s a miracle to have all those things linedup like that,” Williamson said.

Hard to watch Until the transplant, Williamson coughed

all day and had to be attached to an oxygentank constantly. About a year ago, her doctortold her she needed a transplant. “I couldn’ttalk; I couldn’t laugh,” Williamson recalled.

So, Williamson and her husband headeddown to Houston 10 months ago. Within sixmonths, Myers-Santana, who had a sudden,violent decline in her health and could barelybreathe, joined Williamson, hoping she, too,would be a viable candidate for that type oftransplant.

Then the waiting began, with the sistershoused just 10 doors apart in a Houston RVpark. On a few occasions, each woman wasoffered a lung, but they bickered over whoshould take it. “If we hadn’t had the trans-plant when we did, she would be dead rightnow, dead,” Williamson said adamantly, hersister sitting beside her in the hospital room.

Myers-Santana agrees with that, yetbelieved Williamson needed to have the firsttransplant. “Her coughing just hurt to mycore. You can’t help someone that coughs likethat,” Myers-Santana said. “It’s so hard towatch, and so I felt she needed it more than Idid. “I can live with a cough, but she can’t livewithout oxygen, so I win,” Myers-Santana shotback, smiling at her sister.In the end, though,the individual lungs weren’t a match.

Now, less than two weeks after the sur-gery, Williamson has the right lung andMyers-Santana has the left. They have onmakeup, their hair is done, and they jokewith their doctors - extending an invitationto Santa Barbara for free manicures andpedicures at Williamson’s salon. Their hus-bands and children linger in the back-ground. Colorful balloons wishing themwell float above. They can talk, joke andlaugh without an oxygen tank. And theycan breathe easy. — AP

Two sisters get lung

transplants from same donor

BRUSSELS: The European Union setout new climate and energy goals for2030 yesteday, proposing less strin-gent targets than in the past in areflection of tougher economic cir-cumstances and a desire to limit risingenergy costs.

The bloc’s executive - the EuropeanCommission - said EU governmentsshould face a single binding target tocut their carbon emissions by 40 per-cent compared with 1990 levels.

That represents a doubling ofambition compared with an existing2020 target to reduce emissions by afifth, but is below what some scien-tists and environmentalists say isneeded to prevent the worst effects ofclimate change.

Current national targets designedto raise the share of renewable energyto 20 percent would not be renewedafter 2020. Instead, the Commission isrecommending a modest EU-widegoal of 27 percent renewables with-out hard and fast national targets.

That would allow Britain and othersto meet their emissions targets forexample by building more nuclearpower plants, which are carbon-freebut not renewable.

“What we are presenting today is

both ambitious and affordable,”Commission President Jose ManuelBarroso said.

Government subsidies designed topromote renewables have beenblamed for pushing up energy costs.Current national targets had notproved the most cost effective optionand ditching them would give gov-ernments more flexibility over how tomeet main emission cutting goal,Barroso said.

The policy outline is not expectedto be followed by formal legislativeproposals until early next year, andwould still require lengthy debate byEU governments and the EuropeanParliament to become law.

The one firm legislative proposalincluded in Wednesday’s announce-ment was a scheme to prop upEurope’s faltering carbon emissionstrading market, with the aim ofremoving carbon permits from circu-lation to support prices.

Under the proposal, theCommission would set aside up to 12percent of carbon permits from 2021,as long as certain conditions are met.Among the conditions is that thenumber of allowances to be set asidemust exceed 100 million. — Reuters

Sloth and moth

are loth to part

PARIS: Imagine a creature so slothful that it snacks off its ownfur and budges only once a week for a bowel movement. Well,there is one, say scientists, and it is a type of sloth. Havingcarefully studied the full extent of the animal’s idleness, ateam of biologists revealed yesterday that the sloth trulydeserves its adjectival name.

The three-toed variety in particular has perfected the art ofinertia through a carefully choreographed slowdance with aparticular species of moth. The sloths dwell in the forestcanopy, where they live mainly on tree leaves.

Once a week, however, the animal will descend from itstree to defecate on the ground-a risky endeavour that makesit vulnerable to predators, according to a study published inthe Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Why does it bother?When the sloth descends, the scientists found, the moths

that live in its fur lay their eggs in its dung, where the larvaedevelop before emerging as adults and flying up into the treeto join the rest of the colony in the languid animal’s coat.

The moths act as a type of fertiliser and boost nitrogen lev-els in sloth fur, which in turn boosts algae growth. The sourcecould be tiny amounts of dung that are brought up from bythe ground by the insects.

The sloth’s individual hairs have cracks that fill with rainwa-ter in which algae grow hydroponically. This creates algae-gar-dens that sloths consume to augment their limited, leaf-baseddiet, said the researchers. “This complex (symbiosis)... rein-forces fundamental aspects of the sloth’s behaviour and lifehistory, and may reinforce the slothfulness of sloths,” said astudy summary. — AFP

KAMPALA: Branded as “abnormal” and with politicians bayingfor blood, Uganda’s gay community is being pushed furtherunderground in what could be a setback for the fight againstAIDS, medical and rights activists say.

Last week Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni refused toapprove a controversial bill that would have seen homosexu-als jailed for life even after lawmakers removed an extremelycontroversial death penalty clause. The president’s decisionwas greeted with measured relief among gays. But far fromapproving of homosexuality, the president merely concededthat they have a right to exist, and branded them “sick” genet-ic freaks. He also said lesbians were victims of “sexual starva-tion” because of their failure to find a man.

For Frank Mugisha, one of Uganda’s most prominent gayactivists, homosexuals are being driven into leading danger-ous double lives and therefore indulging in risky sexual prac-tices. “The ones who wanted to come out will not dare tocome out anymore,” Mugisha said.“African culture dictates thatyou have to marry in a heterosexual relationship and havechildren. And gay people are not going to stop having sex,” hesaid. “HIV is going to be on the increase (and) people will startdying.” Uganda was once heralded as a success story in thefight against HIV. Museveni, one of the first African leaders to

speak openly about AIDS, mounted a highly successful publicawareness campaign in the late 1980s and 1990s, slashing theHIV infection rate from more than 20 percent to single digits.Gays are far from being the main vector for HIV transmissionin the country, health workers say, adding that heterosexualcontact, in particular sex workers, continue to be the maincause. But they say the ongoing debate in Uganda surround-ing the anti-gay bill, which has had the backing of influentialevangelical Christian and other religious groups, would dam-age their efforts to reach out to the gay community.

“We are going one step forward and then ten steps back,”said Milly Katana, a public health specialist and AIDS activistwho is herself living with HIV. “As far as HIV prevention is con-cerned, we are heading for a total disaster.

It’s a crisisEven if the law has been blocked, for the time being at

least, health workers were alarmed by parliament’s insistencethat it be mandatory to denounce anyone known to be homo-sexual. The provision was a reflection of what is already a reali-ty in Uganda, where tabloid newspapers frequently exposealleged gays. In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activistDavid Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a

newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays inUganda on its front page along with a yellow banner reading“Hang Them”.

AIDS prevalence “We have communities that are at risk of contracting HIV

and we put punitive measures in place against them and alsoagainst people who work with them. They will not be able totalk to people who are able to advise them on how to protectthemselves,” Katana said. “We public health workers cannot doour job,” she added. Bildard Baguma, deputy secretary generalat the Uganda Red Cross, agreed that there were conse-quences to the wave of homophobia. “The issue of accessbecomes a problem,” he said. “If these people go undergroundand can’t access services, then it is likely to have a negativeeffect on the epidemic.” At the AIDS Information Centre inKampala, staff have also been deeply worried over the impacton access to public health facilities for those most at risk-notably sex workers where HIV prevalence is 33 percent, andmale homosexuals where prevalence is 12 percent. “Whenthese communities blend with the population, they tend tocause transmission of HIV,” said Raymond Byaruhanga, a doc-tor who runs the centre.—AFP

EU sets out leaner 2030

climate, energy vision

Uganda activists fear AIDS setback amid gay clampdown

CALDAS: A picture taken on Sept 15, 2012 shows athree-toed sloth (Bradypus) at the Aiunau Foundation inCaldas, some 25 km south of Medellin. Imagine a crea-ture so slothful that it snacks off its own fur and budgesonly once a week for a bowel movement. — AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

BEIJING: A spate of bird flu cases since the beginning ofthe year in China has experts watching closely as mil-lions of people and poultry are on the move ahead ofthe Lunar New Year holiday, the world’s largest annualhuman migration. China has reported more than 50H7N9 infections in 2014 after the strain jumped frombirds to people for the first time last year. The virusremains hard to catch and most cases have been linkedto contact with poultry, but scientists worry that couldchange if it mutates into a form that allows it to spreadeasily among people.

For those who track influenza, the holiday, whichbegins Jan. 31, is always worrying because it comes dur-ing the winter months when flu typically rages. Add thatto hundreds of millions of people - and often birds -crammed together on buses and other forms of trans-portation going home, and it’s always a bit of a gamble.China estimates 3.6 billion trips will be taken over theholiday season. “This is the first winter we’ve seen H7N9.We are in uncharted territory,” said Gregory Hartl, WorldHealth Organization spokesman in Geneva. “We haveseen an upstart in cases, which we are attributing basi-cally to the fact that it’s winter. That combined with a lotof movement of people in crowded trains with chickenscould give rise to a lot more infections, but we’ve alsoseen in past years where it hasn’t.”

The first H7N9 cases were reported in late March nearShanghai, and more than 200 others have since beenidentified, including some 50 deaths. A 31-year-old doc-tor became one of the latest fatalities, raising fears hemay have been infected at the hospital where heworked, but none of his patients or other close contacts

have reported flu symptoms, according to the ShanghaiMunicipal Commission of Health and Family Planning.

There have been a handful of family clusters, butWHO says no sustained human-to-human transmissionhas occurred. However, scientists warn that the H7N9virus contains genetic markers that could help it infectmammals easier than other avian flus. Infected birds alsodo not show symptoms, making it harder to track the

disease. Cases declined in China over the summer, whichis typically slower for influenza viruses, after some locallive poultry markets were temporarily closed.

Long battleIn Hong Kong, which has logged three cases, officials

will test all poultry for the virus beginning later thisweek. Taiwan has reported two cases.

In past years, it was the H5N1 bird flu virus that spikedduring this time of year. That strain, which has killed atleast 386 people since 2003, is still circulating widely inpoultry stocks and kills about 60 percent of the people itinfects. On Tuesday, Vietnam, which has long battled thevirus, confirmed its first H5N1 death in nine months.Earlier in January, the first human case was reported inNorth America after a person traveling back from a tripto Beijing became ill and died in Canada.

Both bird flus cause high fever and respiratory prob-lems, including pneumonia and shortness of breath.Scientists have repeatedly warned that the viruses can-not be ignored because of their potential to possiblyspark a global pandemic. But after years of campaigningin countries where it’s common for chickens and pigs tolive closely with people, sometimes in the same house,that message is often a hard sell.

“After almost a decade of sitting on the proverbialedge of the H5N1 pandemic cliff and not falling off, peo-ple are beginning to think that we never will fall,”Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at theUniversity of Minnesota, said by email. “But the best sci-entific assessment of microbial genetics tells us we couldstill fall off of that cliff and if we do, the global conse-quences could be devastating.”

Poultry is a central part of many families’ dinner tablesduring the Lunar New Year festivities, and it’s oftenbought live and killed at home in China and elsewhereacross the region. The WHO urges care when slaughter-ing and preparing birds, including frequent hand wash-ing. However, well-cooked meat and eggs do not pose athreat. —- AP

Spate of bird flu cases in China

SHANGHAI: A vendor picks chickens at a wholesale poultry market in Shanghai. A spate of bird flu cases since thebeginning of the year in China has experts watching closely as millions of people and poultry are on the moveahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, the world’s largest annual human migration. —-AP

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

AnnouncementsTIES Center - Where cultures meet

The TIES Center is glad to announce that its Winter2 Arabic language courses continue tillWednesday March 5, 2014. We offer classes for all

levels, from beginner to advanced. Our classes are spe-cially tailored to meet the needs and requirements ofexpats living in Kuwait. You still have the chance to joinif you are interested. The TIES Arabic classes are intend-ed for all expats who wish to learn Arabic. Whether youwant to Learn Arabic for business or basic communica-tion or simply as a hobby, the TIES Center welcomesyou. Throughout the course, the students will learn howto read, write and speak Arabic in a friendly, relaxed andwelcoming environment.

TIES Arabic program highlights: Lessons are step bystep - ranging from basic to advanced level; Lessonsbuild confidence for speaking, reading, and writingArabic; Lessons combine language learning with cul-tural insights; Lessons are specially tailored for expatsliving in Kuwait. It is an opportunity to interact withother Westerners, who are taking the courses. For moreinformation, please e-mail: Hassan@tiescenter.net .”

Indian Overseas Congress Fest competitions postponed

Indian Overseas Congress, Kuwait to Arts Competitions-IOC fest 2014 is postponed to April 10-11, 2014 at UnitedIndian School. IOC, once again welcomea the growing

buds of Indian expatriate community in Kuwait from variousdisciplines to test their talents and competency in the fieldof arts. The winners of this prestigious competition will beawarded with Trophies and Medals. Kalaprathiba andKalathilakam prizes will be awarded for the top scorers inthe fest.

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AWL starts cookingclasses for members

The American Women’s League (AWL) in collaborationwith one of the restaurants in Kuwait has started acooking class for its members. The first class was held

on January 11 with about 25 members attending. A verynice breakfast buffet was served before the session started.After breakfast, members moved into a specially-designedkitchen classroom where the class was held. Chef Tony,showed the members how to make a variety of Mexicandishes. After each dish, a couple of members would comeforward to practice making the same dish. When the disheswere completed, the members delighted in sampling thefood. In addition, each AWL member was given an apron anda silver membership card providing special discounts eachmonth at different restaurants. The cooking class will contin-ue on a monthly basis featuring a different cuisine each time.There is only about room for 25 people at each session, sothe first 25 replying when an invitation is sent will be theones who get to attend.

Amega-exhibition ‘Transcend 2014’ washeld on January 9, 2014 at ICSKAmman Branch. The invited guests

included Rajan Daniel Hon Vice Chairman,ICSK, Vijay Karayil, and Hon Secretary ICSK,PAC members, Principals, Vice Principals andparents.

The inaugural function began with therecital from the holy Quran followed by theNational Anthems of Kuwait and India respec-

tively. Rajesh Nair C rendered the welcomespeech. The Hon. Vice Chairman to the BOT,ICSK Rajan Daniel gave the Presidentialaddress encouraging and motivating eachone presented. The chief guest Vijay Karayil,Hon. Secretary, BOT, ICSK inaugurated theshow by unveiling a wonderful tableaudepicting the past, present and future ofhuman progress and development in variousaspects of growth. Vijay Karayil then enlight-

ened the audience with his encouragingwords and declared the exhibition open. Voteof thanks was proposed by the academicsupervisor Sumitra Nandakumar.

The exhibits were placed in the basement,ground floor and the first floor of the school.Exhibits of various order in the form of work-ing models, still models, charts, posters mon-uments were displayed explaining differentconcepts of science, social science, languages,

mathematics, sports and computer science.An array of art work such as pencil shad-

ing, water color paintings, oil paintings, origa-mi, crafted items etc were displayed in theauditorium. A wonderful turnout of parentsand relatives and friends of students and staffkept the spirits high. An excellent opinionfrom different people from all walks of lifehelped in the successful conduction ofTranscend 2014.

ICSK Amman branch holds ‘Transcend 2014’

Institutes at India Education Exhibition are open to welcom-ing students from region due to better language skills.Students who are currently pursuing their education in

Kuwait feel that studying in India will open up opportunitiesthat they will ‘never experience here’. And it has become appar-ent that Indian expatriate students and parents still prefer Indiaas a destination for higher education. “It is not like there is adearth of opportunities here, but as far as we know, competi-tion is way more cut-throat in India, which is sometimes agood thing,” stated an Indian parent. Several students and par-ents interviewed said they prefer going back to India to pursuetheir higher education, owing to affordable fee structure andbetter career opportunities.

Organized by Indus Exhibition and Response Events andExhibitions, for the seventh successive year, the IndianEducation Exhibition will open tomorrow at the Holiday InnHotel in Salmiya. Among the exhibitors are over 15 leadingand highly reputed Indian educational establishments withmore than 75 institutions under them, offering more than200 programs. Some of the leading participants includeAnna University, Manipal University, SRM University,Hindustan University, Datta Meghe Medical ScienceUniversity, DY Patil University, KJ Somaiya Group ofInstitutions, Ramdeo Baba Engg College, AcharyaInstitutions, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Texila

American College, MVJ Institutions and others. All the partici-pating institutes are recognized by the AICTE, UGC andrespective government bodies in India.

Ram, the organizer from Indus said, “There is a huge Indianexpatriate population that eventually wants to return home. It

only made sense that we bring the fair to Kuwait. Indian edu-cation is on par with Western education standards. Educationis a sector that is very strong in India, high standards have tobe maintained in these colleges, otherwise they will not begiven a deemed university status by the government.”

Institutes at India Education Exhibition welcome students from Kuwait

KAMCO organizes blood donation drive

As part of KAMCO’s (KIPCO AssetManagement Company) active role incorporate social responsibility (CSR),

the company organized a blood donationdrive at its headquarters in coordinationwith the Central Blood Bank. Employeesfrom KAMCO and sister companies took partin the effort. Sana Al-Hadlaq, Senior VicePresident of KAMCO’s Client Relationshipand Marketing Department said, “We atKAMCO are very keen to support socialactivities, especially those that have ahumane side to them such as blood drives,which save lives and have various health

benefits for the donor. Our participation indonating blood came after receiving anemergency call from the Blood Bank to helpsave lives of citizens and residents, whichwas a main reason for us to host this drivethat saw a large number of donors from ourcompany as well as other companies.” Al-Hadlaq added, “We are delighted to havewitnessed this large turnout of volunteers,reflecting the generosity and sense of givingin our employees. Such humane and caringbehaviors are a vital part of KAMCO’s CSRagenda which focuses on matters of health,education and the environment.”

Indian expat and well-known Malayalamtheater actor Babu Chakola has won theprestigious ‘Pravasi Kalashri’ award, insti-

tuted by Kerala Sangeetha NatakaAkademi, a Kerala government organiza-tion. The award, instituted this year by theAkademi to recognize and honor artistsfrom the Kerala Gulf Diaspora, is conferredon Chakola for his substantialcontribution to the field oftheatre over the last 21 yearsof life in Kuwait.

Announcing the name ofChakola as the recipient of theaward at a press conference,Kerala Sangeetha NatakaAkademi Kuwait ChapterChairman Vijay Karayil saidyesterday (Jan 22) that theaward will be presented toChakola at an official functionin Trivandrum on March 27 this year.Welcoming Chakola to the dais, Karayil saidthe award consists of a memento, cashaward and a certificate.

Others who received the Pravasi KalashriAward from the Gulf region are V PRamachandran (Oman), Jaya Menon(Bahrain) and Udayachandran (Qatar).Chakola, who has acted in more than 14dramas over the last two decades in Kuwait,has bagged best actor awards in theatrecompetitions and directed many plays. He

has also acted in more than 15 Malayalamfilms and many television serials.

‘Keli 2014’KSNA Kuwait Chapter Coordinator

Sajeev K Peter said the chapter will host‘Keli 2014,’ a theatre festival for the KeralaGulf Diaspora in Kuwait on February 25 and

26 at the Indian CommunitySchool, Khaitan. Five plays byamateur theatre groups inKuwait-Thanima, Kalpak,KALA Kuwait, Nirbhaya andFuture Eye Theatre-will partic-ipate in the two-day festival.

A judging panel compris-ing three theatre experts Dr PV Krishnan Nair (KSNASecretary), T M Abraham andSanthosh Kumar and a KSNAExecutive representative and

theatre-film director Joshy Mathew fromKerala will be present during the festival,Peter added.

The three-week long GCC-wide theatrefestival will kick off in Muscat (Feb 10-15)and continue in Bahrain (Feb 16-24), Kuwait(Feb 25-26) and wrap up in Qatar (Feb 27-28). KSNA Kuwait Ad-Hoc committee mem-bers Babuji Bathery, Thomas MathewKadavil, B S Pillai, Sunil P Antony andJohney Kunnil were also present during thepress conference.

‘Pravasi Kalashri Award’ for theatre actor Babu Chakola

Peanut is a 4 month-old female DSH kit-ten. She is super

friendly, cuddly and justloves attention! She wouldbe a fun-loving addition toa family with kids over 10.For more informationabout Peanut call (+965)67001622 or emailinfo@kspath.org.

Adopt a pet

Misty is a 4-year-oldfemale Shepherdmix. She is super

sweet, friendly and loves togo for long walks! Shewould do best in a homewith kids over 10. For moreinformation about Mistycall (+965) 67001622 oremail info@kspath.org.

Dow’s Marine Conservation Program (DMCP)will hold its last clean-up for year 2013-2014on Friday January 31, 2014 at Sulaibikhat

beach, fondly dubbed by volunteers as ‘Mangrove’beach for its high ecological value as home to man-groves, flamingo, gerboa, several species of lizardand beetle, and many species of migratory bird. Thisfragile inter-tidal zone running down Sulaibikhatalong the bay of Kuwait sees high tidal deposition ofterrestrial marine waste, mostly plastic (PET, HDPEand PS/Styrofoam).

Dow’s Marine Conservation Program has workedrelentlessly to protect the habitat at Sulaibikhatsince April 2011, having conducted a total of 55clean-ups at this site to date. In 2013-14, DMCP heldeight clean-ups at Sulaibikhat, engaging total 325volunteers from 12 different volunteer groups andeducational institutions including AmericanInternational School (AIS), Al-Bayan Bilingual School(BBS), Kuwait National English School (KNES),Universal American School (UAS), AmericanUniversity of Kuwait (AUK), Kuwait English School(KES), The I Am Challenge Group, representatives ofthe US Embassy, Kuwait’s Motorbikers Club, K’S PATHand en.v. One of DMCP’s noteworthy accomplish-ments is mangrove regrowth along a 20 meters by 5meters stretch of formerly barren beach which wascleared of close to 2000 kgs topsoil plastic waste bya group of 20 volunteers from AmericanInternational School and K’S PATH in 2011. By sum-mer 2012, the once-barren stretch had given way tonew plant growth which withstood seasons and still

flourishes. To date DMCP has cleared over 14 tons of terres-

trial marine waste from Sulaibikhat. In 2013-2014,DMCP cleared 4912 kgs (close to five tons) wasteacross 518 heavy duty garbage bags from the samestretch as well as Kubbar island across 8 clean-upsconducted over a total of 22 hours. The Friday,January 31 clean-up will be held from 8 am to 10 amand will see the participation of four student volun-teer groups from:(1) The American International School, led by their

Environmental Club head Prof Elsa Baptista: Totalapprox 15 students and teachers

(2) The Bayan Bilingual School, led by Prof (to beconfirmed): Total approx 30 students and teach-ers

(3) The Universal American School, led by theirGreen Studies/Sustainability/GreenAmbassadors head Natalie Moore: Total approx15 students and teachers

(4) The ARTronauts, a group of university studentsand graduates who create art with a social mes-sage, led by their mentor Prof Roma Soni of BoxHill University: Total 15 members, who will createa live art installation using samples of plasticwaste found at the beach in SulaibikhatOther groups lending their support to the clean-

up include en.v and K’S PATH. The clean-up opera-tion will be complemented by a photo-exhibit onthe beach of before-after progress images from siteas well as species of flora and fauna documented atthis precious ecosystem over the years.

DMCP organizes lastclean-up for 2013-14

MACEAA to hold‘Sargotsav 2014’

Sargotsav is a children’s art festival of various compe-titions and cultural programs. It is organized everyyear by Mar Athanasius College of Engineering,

Kerala (MACE) Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter, one ofthe constituents of Kuwait Engineers Forum (KEF) havingmembership of over 1,500 engineers working in Kuwait.This year, Sargotsav will be held on January 23 and 24,2014 at Carmel School, Khaitan.

On behalf of the Organizing committee, MACEAAChairman Abdul Sageer and General Convener GeorgiMathai informed that Sargotsav, the Children’s Art Festival,provides an opportunity to bring out the talents of chil-dren of various Engineering college Alumni Associationscoming under the Kuwait Engineers Forum (KEF) fraterni-ty.

MACE Alumni Association, Kuwait chapter was formedin the year 1983 with the intention of cultural and socialinteraction among the families of MACEAA residing inKuwait. Sargotsav has its inception since 1999 and hasnow turned out to be a Mega Cultural Festival whichbrings out the literary and artistic talents of children bub-bling with so much of energy, enthusiasm and excitement.Various individual and group items such as elocution,painting, essay writing, mono act, fancy dress, dance,music, drama etc are included in this inter KEF Alumnicompetition to enhance their creative and artistic talentsand to include the values of team work, healthy spirit ofcompetition and sense of culture and integrity. Above 400children are expected to participate in various items.

All the events are judged by a panel of efficient judgesand the prizes for the winners will be given during thevaledictory function on 24th evening. Sargotsav 2014 sou-venir will be released by Suresh Krishnan, GeneralConvener, Kuwait Engineers Forum (KEF), during theInaugural Function. Sargotsav is a culmination of hardwork put in by the whole team of MACEAANS of Kuwaitchapter. The Chairmen/Presidents and all members ofconstituent Alumni Associations of KEF have voluntarilyextended their total support to this mega Event to make ita grand success.

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

Information

Embassy

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIAThe Embassy of Australia has announcedthat Kuwait citizens can apply for andreceive visit visas in 10 working daysthrough www.immi.gov.au. All other pro-cessing of visas and Immigration matters are han-dled by the Australian Visa Application Centre locat-ed in Al Banwan Building, 4B, 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area,Ali Al Salem Street, Kuwait City. Visit. www.vfs-au-gcc.com for more info. The Embassy of Australia doesnot have a visa or immigration department. All pro-cessing of visas and immigration matters is conduct-ed by the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai.Email: Info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VIS), immigra-tion.dubai@ dfat.gov.au (Visa Office), Tel: +971 4 2055900 (VFS), Fax: + 971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).Notary and passport services are available byappointment. Appointments can be made by callingthe Embassy on 22322422.

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EMBASSY OF US The US Embassy in Kuwait has new proce-dures for obtaining appointments and pick-ing up passports after visa issuance. We nowprovide an online visa appointment system,live call center, and in-person pick-up facilitiesin Kuwait. Please monitor our website and social mediafor additional information. This new system offers moreflexibility for travelers to the US and to meet the increasein demand for visa appointments.

The general application steps on the new visaappointment system are:1. Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/kw (if this is the first

time on ustraveldocs.com, you will need to create aprofile to login).

2. Please complete your DS-160 Online VisaApplication which is available atceac.state.gov/genNIV.

3. Please print and take your deposit slip to any BurganBank location to pay your visa application fee.

4. Schedule an appointment for your visa interviewonline at www.ustraveldocs.com/kw or by phonethrough the Call Center (at +965-2227-1673).

5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment,please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy toother applicants. For more information, please visitthe US Embassy website - kuwait.usembassy.gov - asit is the best source of information regarding thesechanges.

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EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICASouth African citizens, who are out ofthe country who are not already regis-tered and wish to apply for registrationto vote in the upcoming general elec-tions, are hereby invited to apply forregistration.

Registration is open daily during workinghours from 08h30 to 15h30 at the SA Embassy atVilla No 3, House No 91, Street 1, Block 10, Salwa.The last day for registration will be 7 February2014.

In addition, special registration will take placeon Friday, 24 January 2014, from 09h00 to 13h00,for those SA citizens who are not yet registeredand cannot come to register during normal work-ing hours.

To be eligible to register at the SA Embassy, aperson must:l Be a SA citizen and be 16 years of age and older;l Submit a valid green bar-coded Identity

Document, a valid Temporary IdentityCertificate (valid for 2 months) or a Smart Card;

l Submit a valid SA passport; andl Submit in person the application form, (avail-

able from the IEC website or at the Embassy),the identity document and a valid passport.NOTE: If you are already registered to vote in

SA but are now living abroad, you are NOTrequired to re-register - please check your regis-tration status on www.elections.org.za. For anyfurther enquiries, please phone Tel: 25617988during working hours or visit the IEC Website atwww.elections.org.za. Special RegistrationOfficers at the Embassy are: First Secretary, L vander Walt and Third Secretary, MC Kekae.

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EMBASSY OF INDIA India and Kuwait have enjoyed historical-ly close, warm and friendly ties. The visitof His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister ofKuwait to India in November 2013 has imparted anew thrust to the strengthening further of the bilat-eral ties. To facilitate travel of Kuwaiti nationals toIndia for business, tourism, medical and study pur-poses, the Embassy has adopted the following visastructure for Kuwaiti nationals with immediateeffect:S.No. Type of visa Duration No. of entriesRevised Indian Visa fee in KD(*) w.e.f 01.01.2014(i) Business 5 Years Multiple 63.500(ii) Business 1 Year Multiple 38.500(iii) Tourism 6 months Multiple 13.500(iv) Medical 1 year Multiple 38.500(v) Student Period As required 24.500

of study(*) In addition, a service charge of KD 3 will alsoapply for each visa service provided w.e.f17.12.2013.Please apply Indian visa online at www.bls-interna-tional.com and deposit visa application, with appli-cable visa fee and service charge, at either M/s. BLSInternational Services, Emad Commercial Centre,Basement floor Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, Sharq,Kuwait city (Telephone: 22986607 - Fax: 22470006)or M/s. BLS International Services, MujammaUnood, 4th floor, Office No. 25-26 Makka Street,Entrance 5, Fahaheel, Kuwait (Telephone: 22986607- Fax: 22470006)For additional information, pleasecontact Second Secretary (Consular) in the Embassyat sscons@indembkwt.org.

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EMBASSY OF VATICANThe Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of theHoly See, Vatican in Kuwait has moved toa new location in Kuwait City. Please findbelow the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2,Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel:965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066. Email: nun-tiuskuwait@gmail.com.

Kuwait National English School (KNES) tookadvanced positions in the Islamic competitionsheld by Private Education Ministry. Kuwait

National English School competed against more than

30 foreign schools in Kuwait.Kuwait National English School took third position

in both recitation and intonation of the Quranc com-petition, and recitation of the Hadith competition.

The School Director Chantal Al-Gharabally con-gratulated the students for fantastic results andthanked the Islamic Department for their excellentefforts.

KNES excels in Islamic competitions

Students from the American Universityof Kuwait (AUK) recently participatedin the 13th Regional Inter College

Environmental Public SpeakingCompetition in Dubai. The Competition,which was sponsored by the EmiratesEnvironmental Group (EEG), was held inKnowledge City, where the AUK team com-prising of Vincent Puyat, Jad Saab, andHussain Al-Sayegh, with Emannoel Cabildoon technical support, earned the SecondRunner Up title for their presentation“Global Challenges - Local Solutions”.

AUK was the only school to represent auniversity from Kuwait and the teams tookgreat pride in representing their university,as well as the state of Kuwait. The studentswere accompanied to by their coach, LisaWaite Trago, Speech and faculty member ofAUK’s Intensive English Program (IEP). Thisyear’s AUK team was honored to receivecoaching at home with former competitioncoach Don Prades, Speech and IEP faculty.

The students were chosen from the firstround elimination after spending theirsummer months researching their assignedenvironmental topics. The final teamsspent many hours last fall compilingresearch, writing, designing visuals andmemorizing their speeches, while alsoworking on their stage presence andspeaking skills.

“This was a learning year for our teams,”stated Waite Trago. “I couldn’t be more

proud of these four AUK students. Theyworked countless hours in perfecting theirenvironmental messages and all of themwere well received at the competition.”

Waite Trago pointed out that many ofthe schools had 5-8 member teams who

worked together on research, writing,visuals and stage presentations. In addi-tion, other teams thanked the campusdepartments that assisted in the finalpresentation. In contrast, the AUK stu-dents were fully responsible for every sin-gle aspect of their speeches - a fact they

are proud of.Puyat’s presentation included a heart-

felt tribute to the victims of TyphoonHaiyan. Puyat and Cabildo, both Filipinonationals, dedicated their presentation totheir country and the thousands of peo-

ple who died in the disaster. They urgedlisteners to be mindful of the effects ofGlobal Warming and the devastation inac-tion can cause for future generations.

Al-Sayegh presented his topic, “WhoLeft the Tap Open” where he explored theresponsibility of water waste in the GCC

region and solutions for reducing thewaste. Meanwhile, Saab explored “Artsand Environments: How Art Can Help OurEnvironment.” The students enjoyed inter-acting and competing against teams fromSaudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, andthe Emirates.

The students and their coaches feelindebted to many people at AUK whofunded and supported the team through-out the seven month preparation. Specialthanks go to Dr. Craig Loomis, EnglishDepartment Head and Dr. Carol Ross, VicePresident of Student Affairs.

“Hopefully, next year we will be able togo to the competition and be even betterprepared to represent AUK and help carryforth their inspirational environmentalmessages,” stated Waite Trago.

“We were pleased to have the threeteams from the American University ofKuwait at this year’s competition,” saidHabiba Al-Marashi, Chairperson EEG andBoard Member of the UN Global Compact.She added, “I am sure it has raised the cur-tain effectively on the talents and capabili-ties of our youth and earned them adeserving place in the movement to pro-tect and preserve our environment. We atEEG hope that the teams will keep up theirpro-active involvement in environmentalprograms and continue to advocate foreducation for sustainable development inthe region.”

AUK students represent Kuwait in environmental competition

Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwaitreceives InternationalEnvironmental Award

After only three months of operation,Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait hasreceived the Green Key Certificate,

becoming one of only two hotels in Kuwaitholding it. The Green Key Certificate is aglobal eco-label awarded to around 2,300tourism and leisure industry establishmentsin 44 countries worldwide. As a program of

the Foundation for EnvironmentalEducation, Green Key aims to raise theawareness of leisure establishment staff andclients, increase the use of sustainable meth-ods of operation and technology, run eco-logically sound and responsible businesses,and reduce resource and energy usage.

Philippe Pellaud, the Radisson Blu Hotel’sGeneral Manager was very pleased whenthe Green Key was approved, since responsi-ble business is high on his list of priorities.“Kuwait is going green and I’m glad we areone of the first who have jumped on thatboat. We will continue with our efforts tomake Radisson Blu as green as possible”, saidPellaud. Gaining Green Key certification isnot an easy task, as hotels have to fulfill adetailed list of environmental requirements,covering a wide range of criteria, such asenvironmental demands, availability ofaction plans, team and client education onsustainable development and environmen-tal awareness and communication.Obtaining Green Key proves the responsibil-ity of the establishment for its surroundingsand society, and after its application, hotelsare audited on their environmental perform-ance.

Philippe Pellaud poses with theGreen Key.

To help our children delve deep intothe annals of India’s political her-itage and its cultural diversity, a

crew of 8 students of Indian EducationalSchool, Kuwait is sent to enjoy the rareopportunity of being a part of the 65thRepublic Day Parade to be held in NewDelhi, the capital city of India. The teamled by Murugaiyan, the Physical EducationDirector and his colleague Deepa Antonycomprise Aibel Thomas, Arjun Sadanand,Keerthini Rajkumar, Sarah Koshi, andShawn Abraham of class 11, and D RPrathyusha, Akshaya Srinivasan andAnirudha Ramesh of class 10. Members ofthe crew were chosen on an unbiased cri-terion of scholastic brilliance and non-scholastic excellence.

Apolitical attitude, lack of socialization,dearth of social conscience etc havebecome the benchmark of the new gener-ation. Indian Educational School has gonean extra mile against this trend when theymanaged to procure permission from theMinistry of Defence, Government of Indiato arrange for this unique journey back totheir home country, especially when she isin a festive mood of the Republic Day

Celebrations. Proud are the momentswhen our country proclaims to the worldof all its cultural magnanimity and devel-opmental magnitude. Of late, we haveeven reiterated before the internationalcommunity our cryogenic technology.

Children in the gulf are not aware of theRepublic Day parade and its significance.Though it is telecast on the national chan-nels, seldom do the kids of this generationwatch the majestic marching contingentsof the three armed forces. The air show,the tableau from the various states, themissiles and rockets, the colorful dancesetc are a treat to watch live with digni-taries from all over the world. We considerthis special occasion as something ourkids would cherish for a very long time tocome. Such trips will enhance the patriot-ic feelings, and the feeling of being aproud Indian gets instilled in the youngminds.

In his briefing, principal, Premkumarwanted his students to get inspired by theamplitude of this pageant; especially bythe disciplined and adventurous ways theproceedings and processions are going tobe carried out.

IES students to attend Republic Day Parade in New Delhi

Over 300 Grade One students from the English Playgroup, Salwa visited thePorsche Road and Traffic Safety Program at Qadsiya Sports Club recently.Sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, the pro-gram provides a fun filled educational experience for children aged from 4to 8 years. The ‘Golden Rules’ of Road Safety encourage the children to fas-ten seat belts, keep arms and heads inside the vehicle, look and listen whilstcrossing the road and a reminder to the grownups not to use mobiles whilstdriving. Pictured are the “Drivers of the Day” prize winners with the pro-gram instructors Najem, Aisha, Shahruk, Sam, Hussam and Mike.

T V PR O G R A M STHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

THE BAY ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

A FEW BEST MEN ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY HD 

00:00 Eastenders00:30 Doctors01:00 Abandoned At Birth01:50 Life On Mars02:40 Case Sensitive: The Point OfRescue04:15 The Weakest Link05:00 Balamory05:20 Charlie And Lola05:35 The Green Balloon Club06:00 3rd & Bird06:10 Poetry Pie06:15 Balamory06:35 Charlie And Lola06:50 The Green Balloon Club07:15 3rd & Bird07:25 Poetry Pie07:30 The Weakest Link08:15 Last Of The Summer Wine08:45 Moone Boy09:15 Eastenders09:45 Doctors10:15 Abandoned At Birth11:05 Tess Of The D’urbervilles12:00 The Weakest Link12:45 Last Of The Summer Wine13:15 Moone Boy13:40 Eastenders14:10 Doctors14:40 Abandoned At Birth15:30 Tess Of The D’urbervilles16:25 The Weakest Link17:10 Eastenders17:40 Doctors18:10 Prison, My Family & Me19:00 One Foot In The Grave19:30 Absolutely Fabulous20:00 Stella20:45 Alan Carr: Chatty Man21:30 The Office22:00 The Shadow Line23:00 The Weakest Link23:45 Eastenders

00:40 Cash In The Attic01:10 Cash In The Attic01:35 Come Dine With Me02:25 MasterChef Australia03:10 MasterChef Australia04:00 The Little Paris Kitchen04:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea05:10 Cash In The Attic05:40 Cash In The Attic06:05 The Little Paris Kitchen06:30 Bargain Hunt

15:00 C.S.I. New York17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show19:00 Twisted22:00 Hannibal23:00 Sons Of Anarchy

00:00 A Few Best Men-1802:00 Slums Of Beverly Hills-1804:00 Celtic Pride-PG06:00 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot-PG1508:00 The Sisterhood Of TheTraveling Pants-PG1510:00 Asterix And Obelix-PG1512:00 Celtic Pride-PG14:00 Home Alone: The HolidayHeist-PG16:00 Asterix And Obelix-PG1518:00 Uptown Girls-PG1520:00 What’s Your Number?-PG1522:00 A Few Best Men-18

01:00 Cash-PG1503:00 Anna Karenina-PG1505:15 Hotel Transylvania-PG07:00 Bernie-PG1509:00 The Three Stooges-PG1511:00 A Monster In Paris-PG13:00 Remember Sunday-PG1515:00 Cirque Du Soleil : WorldsAway-PG17:00 The Three Stooges-PG1519:00 The Descendants-PG1521:00 Midnight In Paris-PG1523:00 Prometheus-PG15

01:45 50/50-PG1503:45 Saving Grace B. Jones-PG1505:45 Crisis Point-PG1507:15 My Own Love Song-PG15

00:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody00:20 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody00:45 Sonny With A Chance01:05 Sonny With A Chance01:30 Suite Life On Deck01:50 Suite Life On Deck02:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place02:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place03:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody03:20 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody03:45 Sonny With A Chance04:05 Sonny With A Chance04:30 Suite Life On Deck04:50 Suite Life On Deck05:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place05:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place06:00 Austin And Ally06:25 Austin And Ally06:45 A.N.T. Farm07:10 A.N.T. Farm07:35 Gravity Falls07:55 My Babysitter’s A Vampire08:20 Jessie08:45 Good Luck Charlie09:05 Dog With A Blog09:30 Disney Mickey Mouse Shorts09:35 Geek Charming11:05 Jessie

00:15 Unique Eats00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives01:05 Tastiest Places To Chowdown01:30 Easy Chinese: San Francisco01:55 Charly’s Cake Angels02:20 Unwrapped02:45 Unwrapped03:10 Unwrapped03:35 Unique Eats04:00 Unique Eats04:25 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts04:50 Iron Chef America05:40 Chopped06:30 Unwrapped06:50 Tastiest Places To Chowdown07:10 Food Network Challenge08:00 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam08:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin08:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives09:15 Iron Chef America10:05 Barefoot Contessa10:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes11:20 Easy Chinese: San Francisco11:45 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts

11:25 Wolfblood11:50 Suite Life On Deck12:15 A.N.T. Farm12:35 Austin And Ally13:00 Shake It Up13:25 That’s So Raven13:45 Jessie14:10 Good Luck Charlie14:35 Dog With A Blog15:00 Wolfblood15:25 Gravity Falls15:50 Jessie16:10 Violetta17:00 Mako Mermaids17:20 Austin And Ally17:45 Wolfblood18:10 Jessie18:30 Good Luck Charlie18:55 Dog With A Blog19:20 Violetta20:05 Jessie20:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire20:50 Wolfblood21:15 Gravity Falls21:40 Shake It Up22:00 Austin And Ally22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Good Luck Charlie23:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place

07:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea08:00 Bargain Hunt08:45 Marbella Mansions09:30 Masterchef: The Professionals10:20 The Little Paris Kitchen10:45 Come Dine With Me11:40 Come Dine With Me12:30 Gok’s Fashion Fix13:20 Fantasy Homes By The Sea14:10 Antiques Roadshow15:05 Design Star15:50 Design Star16:40 Bargain Hunt17:25 Cash In The Attic17:55 Cash In The Attic18:25 Antiques Roadshow19:20 Marbella Mansions20:10 Food & Drink20:35 A Taste Of Greenland21:30 Come Dine With Me22:20 Antiques Roadshow23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Colbert Report01:30 It ’s Always Sunny InPhiladelphia02:00 Family Guy02:30 The League03:00 Raising Hope03:30 Melissa & Joey04:00 Arrested Development04:30 The Tonight Show With JayLeno05:30 Arrested Development06:00 Two And A Half Men06:30 Friends07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon08:00 Arrested Development08:30 Arrested Development09:00 Raising Hope09:30 The Crazy Ones10:00 Trophy Wife10:30 Friends11:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno12:00 Two And A Half Men12:30 Arrested Development13:00 Arrested Development13:30 Friends14:00 Melissa & Joey14:30 The Crazy Ones15:00 Trophy Wife15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report

00:45 Beneath Hill 60-PG1502:45 A Christmas Kiss-PG1504:15 Treasure Island-PG1507:15 A Woman-PG1509:00 Beneath Hill 60-PG1511:00 Beastly-PG1512:30 Hindenburg-PG1515:30 Love Takes Wing-PG1517:30 The Wild Hunt-PG1519:30 Summer Coda-PG1521:30 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy-PG15

02:00 Vampire-1804:00 Year Of The Dog-PG1506:00 Dying Young-PG1508:00 The Rainmaker-PG1510:15 Jack The Bear-PG1512:00 StreetDance 2-PG1513:30 Year Of The Dog-PG1515:30 The Crucible-PG1517:30 StreetDance 2-PG1519:00 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold-PG1521:00 Internal Affairs-1823:00 J. Edgar-18

01:00 Hotel Transylvania-PG02:45 A Christmas Story 2-PG04:15 George Harrison: Living In TheMaterial World-PG1508:00 True Justice: One Shot, OneLife-PG1510:00 Mission: Impossible III-PG1512:15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: DogDays-PG14:00 Ice Road Terror-PG1516:00 True Justice: One Shot, OneLife-PG1518:00 Oz The Great And Powerful-PG20:15 Killing Them Softly-1822:00 Paranormal Activity 4-18

02:00 Futbol Mundial02:30 Inside The PGA Tour03:00 Live PGA Tour06:00 Cricket ODI Series Highlights07:00 PGA European Tour11:30 PGA Tour15:30 Futbol Mundial16:00 Live Snooker Masters21:30 ICC Cricket 36022:00 Live Snooker Masters

12:10 Tastiest Places To Chowdown12:35 Grill It! With Bobby Flay13:00 Reza, Spice Prince Of India13:25 Charly’s Cake Angels13:50 Siba’s Table14:15 Barefoot Contessa14:40 Healthy Appetite With EllieKrieger15:05 Food Network Challenge15:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin16:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives16:45 Chopped17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics18:25 Symon’s Suppers18:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives19:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives19:40 Siba’s Table20:05 Reza’s African Kitchen20:30 Tastiest Places To Chowdown20:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin21:20 Chopped22:10 Food Network Challenge23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives23:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives23:50 Roadtrip With G. Garvin

00:25 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors00:50 Animal Cops Houston01:45 Mermaids: The Body Found03:25 Lions Of Crocodile River04:15 Bondi Vet05:05 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors05:30 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors05:55 Animal Cops Houston06:45 Gator Boys07:35 Swamp Brothers08:00 Monkey Life08:25 Bondi Vet09:15 Wild France10:10 Growing Up...11:05 Lions Of Crocodile River12:00 Animal Cops Philadelphia12:55 Monkey Life13:20 Swamp Brothers13:50 Meet The Sloths14:15 Meet The Sloths14:45 Outback Rangers15:15 Outback Rangers15:40 Lions Of Crocodile River16:30 My Cat From Hell17:30 Wildest Arctic18:25 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors18:50 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors19:20 Pandamonium20:15 Bondi Vet21:10 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors21:40 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors22:05 Hippo: The Wild Feast23:00 North America23:55 Galapagos

00:30 Bear Grylls: How To Stay Alive01:20 Swimming With Monsters:Steve Backshall02:10 River Monsters03:00 Bush Pilots03:50 Border Security04:15 Auction Kings04:40 American Digger05:05 How Do They Do It?05:30 How It’s Made06:00 Sons Of Guns07:00 Bush Pilots07:50 Alaska: The Last Frontier08:40 Fast N’ Loud09:30 Border Security09:55 Auction Kings10:20 American Digger10:45 How Do They Do It?11:10 How It’s Made11:35 Bear Grylls: How To Stay Alive12:25 Swimming With Monsters:Steve Backshall13:15 River Monsters14:05 Border Security14:30 Auction Kings14:55 American Digger15:20 Finding Bigfoot16:10 Fast N’ Loud17:00 Ultimate Survival17:50 Dirty Jobs18:40 Bush Pilots19:30 Sons Of Guns20:20 How Do They Do It?20:45 How It’s Made21:10 Auction Kings21:35 American Digger22:00 You Have Been Warned22:50 Treehouse Masters23:40 Mythbusters

00:00 Chelsea Lately00:30 The Dance Scene00:55 The Dance Scene01:25 Style Star01:50 Style Star02:20 E! Investigates03:15 Extreme Close-Up03:40 Extreme Close-Up04:10 THS05:05 E!ES06:00 15 Remarkable CelebrityBody Bouncebacks07:50 Style Star08:20 Fashion Police09:15 Scouted10:15 Married To Jonas10:40 Chasing The Saturdays11:10 The Drama Queen12:05 Fashion Police13:05 Extreme Close-Up13:35 E!ES14:30 Style Star15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Kourtney & Kim Take NewYork17:00 The Wanted Life18:00 E! News19:00 Fashion Police20:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians21:00 The Drama Queen22:00 E!ES22:30 E! News23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:00 Rebuilding Titanic01:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic02:00 Battleground Brothers03:00 Diggers03:30 Diggers04:00 What Would Happen If04:30 What Would Happen If05:00 Naked Science06:00 Untamed Americas07:00 World’s Toughest Fixes08:00 Rebuilding Titanic09:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic10:00 Battleground Brothers11:00 Untamed Americas12:00 What Would Happen If12:30 What Would Happen If13:00 Evolutions14:00 Untamed Americas15:00 World’s Toughest Fixes16:00 Rebuilding Titanic17:00 Apocalypse: The SecondWorld War18:00 Battleground Brothers19:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska20:00 One Ocean21:00 Animal Autopsy22:00 Wild Russia23:00 Mystery Files23:30 Mystery Files

16:30 Two And A Half Men17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon18:00 Raising Hope18:30 How To Live With YourParents19:00 Guys With Kids19:30 Community20:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 It ’s Always Sunny InPhiladelphia22:30 Family Guy23:00 The League23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 NFL Gameday00:30 Live NFL 03:30 Live NHL 06:30 Futbol Mundial07:00 NFL 09:30 NFL 12:00 NHL 14:00 Top 14 Highlights 14:30 Darts 17:30 Cricket ODI Series Highlights 18:30 Futbol Mundial19:00 PGA Tour Highlights20:00 PGA European TourHighlights21:00 NFL 23:30 NHL

Sundance reviews

of ‘Skeleton

Twins’, ‘Infinitely

Polar Bear’

Sundance has long been a place for artiststo expand their repertoire, whether it’smusic video directors wanting to show

they can handle the rigors of feature filmmakingor Disney Channel starlets demonstrating theirrange by playing prostitutes with smudged eye-liner. And while Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig aren’texactly doing Eugene O’Neill in “The SkeletonTwins,” the movie allows them to plumb somedarker character facets without completelyabandoning their gifts as comedians. Directorand co-writer Craig Johnson gets the balancebetween the grim and the goofy just right in thissophomore effort, and his stars do as well.

Hader plays the suicidal Milo, who would be(in the character’s own words) “just another trag-ic gay cliche” were it not for the fact that his twinsister Maggie (Wiig) was on the verge of swal-lowing a bottle of pills herself when the hospitalcalled her about having just unsuccessfullyslashed his wrists. Reuniting after a decade-longestrangement, the siblings wind up being eachother’s only hope in working out their life prob-lems - he’s still hung up on a relationship fromthe past (with Ty Burrell’s character, who’s alter-nately excited and horrified to see Milo again),while she dodges entering parenthood withnice-guy husband Lance (Luke Wilson) withmeaningless affairs and a hidden stash of birthcontrol pills.

The heavier drama is leavened throughoutwith the twins’ odd sense of humor; the hilariousscene in which Milo cajoles Maggie into joininghim in lip-synching “Nothing’s Gonna Stop UsNow” was one of the festival’s most talked-aboutmoments. Johnson may go to ouchier placesthan previous Sundance crossover hits like “LittleMiss Sunshine,” but “The Skeleton Twins” promis-es to be an audience-pleaser nonetheless.

More divisive, based on an admittedly ran-dom sampling of Sundance audience members,is “Infinitely Polar Bear,” which stars Mark Ruffaloas Cam, a manic-depressive dad in Boston takingcare of his two young daughters while his wifeMaggie (Zoe Saldana) pursues her MBA in NewYork City. There are any number of movies thathave played mental illness for comedy, from“The Ruling Class” to “Silver Linings Playbook,”but “Infinitely” (set in the late 1970s) tries tomake bipolar disorder adorable - or, at least,Ruffalo does, taking off the brakes and playingeach moment at or past its bearable extreme.

Thankfully, he’s got Saldana (and, as thedaughters, Imogene Wolodarsky and AshleyAurderheide) anchoring the film with perform-ances that feel more down to earth. Just a pre-diction, but I suspect that audiences that love orhate “Infinitely Polar Bear” will be divided pre-cisely by how they feel about Ruffalo; for me,this usually reliable actor goes too big, and itsucks the oxygen out of the rest of the movie.Great collection of vintage Lacoste shir ts,though. Two very intense documentaries on thesubject of pedophiles hiding behind their posi-tions of power screened this year at Park City:“Happy Valley” at Sundance and “Who TookJohnny” at Slamdance. The former has the high-er profile, dealing with the Penn State scandalthat destroyed not only convicted child molesterJerry Sandusky but also his boss, beloved grid-iron icon Joe Paterno, who knew what Sanduskywas doing but reported it to university higher-ups rather than to the police.

“Johnny” examines a less well-known case,although it has its own place in history - JohnnyGosch, who disappeared in 1982, was one of thefirst missing children to be featured on a milkcarton, and the film points out how different thetreatment of such cases was in a world beforeAmber Alerts. “Happy Valley” director Amir Bar-Lev (“The Tillman Story”) has the advantage oftelling a story that’s been extensively researchedand investigated, but he scores key interviewswith Paterno’s family as well as Matt Sandusky,the adopted son who came forward as anotherof his father’s victims.

With Johnny Gosch still missing, directorsMichael Galinsky, David Beilinson and SukiHawley examine the impact that the boy’s disap-pearance had on his mother Noreen but alsoraise questions (without necessarily answeringall of them) about the possibility of child moles-ters in positions of power who use their clout todiscourage investigations or cover up theircrimes entirely. I t ’s not a crazy assertion -Sandusky, after all, used his football fame to hidein plain sight, starting charitable programs forunderprivileged children as a way to find vulner-able new victims.

One last thing: I saw about a dozen movies infive days at Sundance, a drop in the bucket giv-en the scope of the festival, but I wanted topoint out some strong performances by relative-ly little-known actors in a variety of films. “52Tuesdays” star Tilda Cobham-Hervey has a freshface and a mischievous glint; don’t be surprisedif the Australian actress becomes an in-demandgamine in English-language cinema.

Jackie Monahan and Lisa Haas, reuniting with“Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same”director Madeleine Olnek, deliver wonderfullydaffy performances in the absurdist sex-workerparody “The Foxy Merkins,” and Carmen Mooreand Jeremiah Bitsui are unforgettable as Navajoslooking for any way off the reservation in“Drunktown’s Finest.” Finally, while I’ve beenremiss in catching Cameron Monaghan’s workon the Showtime series “Shameless,” his empa-thetic and sensitive performance as a (literally)haunted teen in “Jamie Marks Is Dead” bodeswell for his ongoing film career. (Monaghan willturn up next on the big screen in “VampireAcademy.”) — Reuters

09:00 People Like Us-PG1511:00 Dirty Teacher-PG1513:00 When Love Is Not Enough-PG1515:00 Madea’s Big Happy Family-PG1517:00 People Like Us-PG1519:00 Rock Of Ages-PG1521:00 The Sessions-R23:00 Total Recall-18

01:30 Trans World Sport02:30 FEI Equestrian World03:00 HSBC Sevens World Series07:00 Golfing World08:00 Snooker Masters12:00 Futbol Mundial12:30 ICC Cricket 36013:00 Golfing World14:00 Amlin Challenge Cup16:00 FEI Equestrian World16:30 FEI Equestrian World17:00 Futbol Mundial17:30 Golfing World18:30 ICC Cricket 36019:00 Amlin Challenge Cup21:00 Golfing World22:00 PGA Tour Highlights23:00 PGA European TourHighlights

00:00 House Of The Rising Sun-1802:00 Backdraft-PG1504:15 The Fog-PG1506:00 Mission: Impossible III-PG1508:15 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG10:15 The Apparition-PG1512:00 Mission: Impossible - GhostProtocol-PG1514:15 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG16:15 Nitro Circus: The Movie-PG1518:00 Mission: Impossible - GhostProtocol-PG1520:15 The Bay-1822:00 Bunraku-18

ClassifiedsTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

Fajr: 05:19Shorook 06:42Duhr: 12:00Asr: 14:58Maghrib: 17:18 Isha: 18:38

Prayer timings

112

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 23/1/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeBBC 43 DHAKA 00:05JAI 574 MUMBAI 00:10JZR 539 CAIRO 00:40JZR 267 BEIRUT 00:40KLM 411 AMSTERDAM 00:30THY 772 ISTANBUL 00:45JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA 02:25QTR 1084 DOHA 00:55SAI 441 LAHORE 01:30GFA 211 BAHRAIN 02:10THY 764 SABIHA 02:15UAE 85 DUBAI 02:35ETD 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 02:45JZR 503 LUXOR 05:50JZR 529 ASYUT 06:20JAI 576 COCHIN 02:50MSR 612 CAIRO 03:10QTR 1076 DOHA 03:45MSC 401 ALEXANDRIA 03:45FDB 67 DUBAI 04:20THY 770 ISTANBUL 05:35DHX 170 BAHRAIN 05:40QTR 8524 DOHA 05:45QTR 8650 DOHA 05:45FDB 69 DUBAI 05:50BAW 157 LONDON 06:40KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 07:40KAC 362 COLOMBO 08:45KAC 352 COCHIN 08:10KAC 412 MANILA 06:45KAC 302 MUMBAI 07:55KAC 332 TRIVANDRUM 08:15IRA 617 AHWAZ 07:50QTR 1086 DOHA 07:50FDB 53 DUBAI 07:50SVA 512 RIYADH 08:15UAE 855 DUBAI 08:40ABY 125 SHARJAH 09:00ETD 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 09:20IRA 605 ISFAHAN 09:30FDB 55 DUBAI 09:40QTR 1070 DOHA 09:55IZG 4161 MASHAD 10:35GFA 213 BAHRAIN 10:40MSC 403 ASYUT 11:15MSC 405 SOHAG 11:20JZR 165 DUBAI 11:30MEA 404 BEIRUT 11:55JZR 561 SOHAG 12:55JZR 241 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 12:45SYR 341 DAMASCUS 12:30TBZ 5483 MASHAD 12:35UAE 871 DUBAI 12:50MSR 610 CAIRO 13:00MSR 579 SOHAG 13:05KAC 382 DELHI 13:05FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50QTR 1078 DOHA 13:55KAC 672 DUBAI 14:00KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 14:05

SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30JZR 257 BEIRUT 14:45KNE 472 JEDDAH 14:35KAC 562 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 14:50GFA 221 BAHRAIN 15:00KNE 460 RIYADH 15:05KAC 788 JEDDAH 15:10KNE 470 JEDDAH 15:35NIA 251 ALEXANDRIA 15:50JZR 535 CAIRO 15:50OMA 645 MUSCAT 15:55JZR 779 JEDDAH 16:05KAC 118 NEW YORK 16:35QTR 1072 DOHA 16:40UAE 857 DUBAI 16:40ETD 303 ABU DHABI-INTL 16:50RJA 640 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 16:55SVA 510 RIYADH 17:15JZR 787 RIYADH 17:00JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:55ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:25GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:30UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 18:00KAC 284 DHAKA 18:00JZR 135 BAHRAIN 18:00KAC 542 CAIRO 18:05JZR 177 DUBAI 18:20QTR 1080 DOHA 18:40FDB 63 DUBAI 18:45KAC 786 JEDDAH 18:45KAC 104 LONDON 19:35KAC 614 BAHRAIN 19:35KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25KAC 618 DOHA 19:00KAC 774 RIYADH 19:30KAC 176 GENEVA 19:15GFA 217 BAHRAIN 19:30OMA 647 MUSCAT 19:55TAR 328 DUBAI 20:00FDB 61 DUBAI 20:05MSR 618 ALEXANDRIA 20:05JZR 189 DUBAI 20:15JAI 572 MUMBAI 20:10AXB 393 KOZHIKODE 20:15ABY 129 SHARJAH 20:20KNE 480 TAIF 20:50DLH 634 FRANKFURT 20:55ALK 229 COLOMBO 21:10FDB 71 DUBAI 21:15MEA 402 BEIRUT 21:20JZR 181 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI 21:30ETD 307 ABU DHABI-INTL 21:35UAE 859 DUBAI 21:40GFA 219 BAHRAIN 21:45QTR 1074 DOHA 22:00KLM 417 AMSTERDAM 22:05JZR 239 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 22:20AIC 981 CHENNAI 22:30FDB 59 DUBAI 22:30UAL 981 BAHRAIN 23:10PIA 205 LAHORE 23:15JZR 185 DUBAI 23:20

Departure Flights on Thursday 23/1/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 GOA 00:05AXB 490 MANGALORE 00:15JAI 573 MUMBAI 01:10KLM 411 AMSTERDAM 01:45BBC 44 CHITTAGONG 01:45DLH 635 FRANKFURT 02:10SAI 442 LAHORE 02:30THY 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 02:55KAC 381 DELHI 03:50UAE 854 DUBAI 03:50ETD 306 ABU DHABI 04:00MSR 613 CAIRO 04:10QTR 1085 DOHA 04:15MSC 406 SOHAG 04:45FDB 68 DUBAI 05:00QTR 1077 DOHA 05:15KAC 283 DHAKA 05:30JZR 560 SOHAG 06:20FDB 70 DUBAI 06:30JAI 575 ABU DHABI 06:35JZR 164 DUBAI 06:55THY 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 07:05GFA 212 BAHRAIN 07:15QTR 8525 DOHA 07:15QTR 8650 DHAKA 07:15KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 07:15JZR 240 AMMAN 07:20THY 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 07:30FDB 54 DUBAI 08:30BAW 156 LONDON 08:45IRA 616 AHWAZ 08:50QTR 1087 DOHA 08:50JZR 256 BEIRUT 08:55JZR 534 CAIRO 09:00SVA 513 RIYADH 09:15KAC 787 JEDDAH 09:25KAC 561 AMMAN 09:25KAC 671 DUBAI 09:30ABY 126 SHARJAH 09:40KAC 101 LONDON 09:50UAE 856 DUBAI 09:55ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:05IRA 606 MASHHAD 10:20FDB 56 DUBAI 10:20JZR 778 JEDDAH 10:35QTR 1071 DOHA 10:55GFA 214 BAHRAIN 11:25KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30IZG 4162 MASHHAD 11:35KAC 165 ROME 11:50MSC 404 ASYUT 12:15MSC 402 ALEXANDRIA 12:20JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:25MEA 405 BEIRUT 12:55KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:00SYR 342 DAMASCUS 13:30JZR 786 RIYADH 13:35JZR 176 DUBAI 13:45TBZ 5484 MASHHAD 13:50MSR 580 SOHAG 13:50

MSR 611 CAIRO 14:00UAE 872 DUBAI 14:15FDB 58 DUBAI 14:30QTR 1079 DOHA 14:55JZR 134 BAHRAIN 15:00KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05KAC 617 DOHA 15:30KNE 473 JEDDAH 15:30JZR 188 DUBAI 15:40GFA 222 BAHRAIN 15:45KNE 481 TAIF 15:50SVA 505 JEDDAH 16:00KAC 773 RIYADH 16:05KNE 471 JEDDAH 16:30KAC 501 BEIRUT 16:30KAC 613 BAHRAIN 16:35NIA 252 ALEXANDRIA 16:50OMA 646 MUSCAT 16:55JZR 180 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL 16:55JZR 238 AMMAN 16:55ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:35QTR 1073 DOHA 17:40UAE 858 DUBAI 17:50JZR 538 CAIRO 17:50RJA 641 AMMAN 17:55ABY 128 SHARJAH 18:05SVA 511 RIYADH 18:15GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:20JZR 184 DUBAI 18:40JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:50UAL 982 BAHRAIN 19:15JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 19:20FDB 64 DUBAI 19:25QTR 1081 DOHA 19:40GFA 218 BAHRAIN 20:15FDB 62 DUBAI 20:45TAR 328 TUNIS 20:50KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM 20:55OMA 648 MUSCAT 20:55ABY 120 SHARJAH 21:00KAC 1801 CAIRO, EGYPT 21:00MSR 619 ALEXANDRIA 21:05JAI 571 MUMBAI 21:10KAC 351 KOCHI 21:10AXB 394 KOZHIKODE 21:15KAC 343 CHENNAI 21:30KNE 461 RIYADH 21:35KAC 543 CAIRO 21:40DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:50FDB 72 DUBAI 21:55ALK 230 COLOMBO 22:10MEA 403 BEIRUT 22:20ETD 308 ABU DHABI 22:20GFA 220 BAHRAIN 22:30KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:35UAE 860 DUBAI 22:50KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 22:55KLM 417 DAMMAM 23:05FDB 60 DUBAI 23:10QTR 1075 DOHA 23:10JZR 528 ASYUT 23:25KAC 411 BANGKOK 23:55KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR 23:55

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TUITION

GMC Acadia, 2012 model,golden color, full options,low mileage 10,000 km.Phone: 67669382. (C 4623)22-1-2014

Furnished room with sepa-rate bathroom in C-A/C bigflat available in HawallyTunis street near Sadiqueroundabout behindCommercial Bank, for singleexecutive or couple. Call:69302121. (C 4624)22-1-2014

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (23/01/2014 TO 29/01/2014)

SHARQIA-1PHILOMENA (DIG) 2:00 PMRAZE (DIG) 4:00 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 6:00 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 9:00 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 11:00 PMRAZE (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

SHARQIA-2THE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 12:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 2:15 PMFROZEN (DIG-3D) 4:15 PMTHE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 6:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 8:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 10:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 12:30 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

SHARQIA-3HOMEFRONT (DIG) 1:45 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 3:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 6:00 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 8:00 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:15 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MUHALAB-1PHILOMENA (DIG) 12:45 PMHOMEFRONT (DIG) 2:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 4:45 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 6:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 9:45 PM

MUHALAB-2JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 1:00 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 3:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 5:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 8:00 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-3THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 1:45 PMTHU+MONTHE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 1:45 PMFRI+SATTHE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 3:45 PMRAZE (DIG) 5:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 7:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 9:30 PM

FANAR-1THE NUT JOB (DIG) 1:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 3:15 PMTHE NUT JOB (DIG) 5:15 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 7:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 9:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 11:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-2HOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 1:15 PMFROZEN (DIG) 3:45 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 6:00 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 8:00 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 10:00 PMTHE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-3HOMEFRONT (DIG) 2:00 PM

HOMEFRONT (DIG) 4:15 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 6:15 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 9:15 PMHOMEFRONT (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-4RIDE ALONG (DIG) 12:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 2:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 4:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 6:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 8:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:45 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-5RAZE (DIG) 1:30 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 3:45 PMRAZE (DIG) 5:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 7:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 9:45 PMRAZE (DIG) 11:45 PMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-1THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) 1:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 4:15 PMHOMEFRONT (DIG) 6:15 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 8:15 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 10:15 PMTHE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-2RIDE ALONG (DIG) 1:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 3:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 5:45 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 7:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:00 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-3THE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 1:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 2:45 PMFROZEN (DIG-3D) 4:45 PMTHE NUT JOB (DIG-3D) 7:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 8:45 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 10:45 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-1JAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 12:30 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 3:30 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 6:30 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 9:30 PMJAI HO (DIG) (HINDI) 12:30 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-2HOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 2:15 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 4:30 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 6:45 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 9:00 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 11:15 PM

AVENUES-3JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 1:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 3:45 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 6:00 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 8:15 PM

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 10:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-4RIDE ALONG (DIG) 1:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 4:00 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 6:15 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 8:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 1THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 1:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 3:15 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 5:30 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 7:45 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 10:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 2PHILOMENA (DIG) 1:30 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 3:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 6:00 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 8:15 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 10:30 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 3FROZEN (DIG-3D) 1:45 PMFROZEN (DIG) 4:00 PMFROZEN (DIG-3D) 6:15 PMRAZE (DIG) 8:30 PMRAZE (DIG) 10:30 PMRAZE (DIG) 12:30 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.1THE NUT JOB (DIG) 2:00 PMTHE NUT JOB (DIG) 4:00 PMHOMEFRONT (DIG) 5:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 7:45 PMPHILOMENA (DIG) 9:45 PMTHE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) 11:45 PMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.2RAZE (DIG) 1:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 3:00 PMRAZE (DIG) 5:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 7:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 9:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) 11:00 PMRAZE (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.3JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 1:45 PMFROZEN (DIG) 4:15 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 6:30 PMJACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 8:30 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 10:45 PMRIDE ALONG (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.412 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 1:30 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 4:15 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 6:15 PMHOW I LIVE NOW (DIG) 8:15 PM

Kuwait

No: 16055

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

ARIESThis is a good time to consolidate and organize your affairs or rearrange

your living situation. You could be seen by others as just the person to be put in charge ofsome project requiring a conservative mind. You are able to see through to the truth ofmost situations and can ignore some difficulties that would upset or disturb most. Youhappily go about your own business and complete whatever you set out to accomplish.Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations now. This is a time toenjoy and appreciate your ties to others and to seek and promote harmony in the interac-tion between people. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today or

feel especially kind toward a friend or loved one. Good luck follows.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Clear decisions affecting others could be made in the workplace now. Ideasand thoughts will take on greater meaning and form. You may be very articulate or force-ful in communicating. People will understand just what you mean. Think about it; youcould run your own radio show about the subject matter that is your expertise. This maymean a radio show helping people with computers, home care, health care, job issues,finance, etc. Community issues are in the air and a round table discussion can becomeheated but fun. Perhaps the kids in the neighborhood want a community park and exer-cise or play equipment. This may take several meetings before everyone can agree ormoney issues can be tackled. This evening is good for a romantic book.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Make sure your expectations are realistic. Any area of improvement orchange can take place now through some form of discipline. Discipline for

you may mean the opportunity to stay focused with few interruptions—your thoughts orsomeone else’s. This may prove to be a good mind-training session, particularly if you cankeep your own mind focused. As for others, you cannot control their interruptions exceptto tell them you are heavily into your work and you will get back to them soon. This after-noon is a good time to have your car checked with, perhaps, an oil change. A happy homelife and a successful career are the goals you hold dear. Fun times are ahead this eveningwith friends—big plans are in the makings for a big get-together soon.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Today is one of your best days this month. You may find yourself in aremembering type of mood—thinking about old relationships, past vacations, pastreunions, etc. You may be easily persuaded to skip school, work or some other obligation.If you can insert some creative license into your daily routine, you will find that your tasksbecome more exciting. An outside event could shed light on some issues now—in a goodway. A boost of encouragement will come your way this evening and harmony will prevail.Family and home are in a flux for the positive. New habits, new friends and a new you willfind you looking forward to the goals of the future. This could mean some great ideas on

profession or travel or yearned for education.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Through challenges, blocks and obstacles, you learn how to manage andovercome most situations. Most of all, you learn acceptance of the people around you,along with the desire to guide others through example—which is truly, the only way. Youare a hero to many people as you go gently through your day. You are learning to ease upon the feelings of disappointment, realizing you are part of the whole. These things haveonly served to slow you down from moving forward. There is a feeling today of having lessfear and more confidence in your own choices. Understanding how the past fits in to yourgrowth and feeling at one with the universe are the things that give you a sense of satis-faction and completeness. Enjoy the evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Business is underway as usual today but forewarned is important and youmay want to be more attentive to the possibilities of change. Pure techno-

logical knowledge is no longer appreciated as it once was. Learning about new things andnot being afraid to take on new challenges will be the open door for new opportunities inthe work field for you. Opportunities prevail and you may find yourself wanting and ableto do almost anything. Today and tomorrow, you may be successful in getting a loan, get-ting an extension on a payment or having travel opportunities, and then enjoying quietevenings at home. The universe points to your taking the lead in whatever you decide todo. Set clear priorities to help eliminate the clutter in your mind and on your desk.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

You will earn a good living and you will slowly build up a sound base forfinancial security as you go along your steady pace. Review your options for investmentsand get guidance on which way to go with this endeavor. Your talents and capabilities aremany. Did you know it only you can deprive yourself of anything. Do not fight this under-standing, for it is truly the beginning of many bright sunshiny days. You are inventive, origi-nal and high tech. Power becomes a compelling idea, perhaps even an aphrodisiac—andyou have a stronger than usual supply of it now. Use it, do not abuse it—or you might findthat it is a two-edged sword! It is easy for you to attract love and money this evening. Youcould inherit something of great value.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

If you need to seek professional advice, today and the next day are excellenttimes to seek help. Business seems to be affected by absolutely nothing for

the next few days. This is a time for ideas and thinking. After you put some final changeson a business plan, you may see an increase in business, but generally, the flow of moneystays about the same. At least the tendency is not a downward spiral! Be careful of yourown expenses—something you thought you wanted today may hold no interest for youtomorrow. Any ongoing problem with a member of the family or a loved one will besolved today. A good book or movie is appreciated this evening. A busy day in the workworld calls for a little fantasy to help you relax later this evening.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Work gets underway with productive results. You are inventive and original.Learning and communicating are what it takes to move forward. On a per-

sonal level, you may find that the finances will start to get a bit sluggish—but not impossi-ble. Plan for budgets and when something attractive comes to your attention, you will beable to purchase it. Good humor wins out over anything confusing today. You may want toplan a get-together with some of your friends and stop by the gym on the way home for alittle physical workout. This workout would benefit you best if it could be regular. If you arewith a partner, get out and go to a fun play or movie this evening. Stay abreast of the hap-penings in your city through your internet connection.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You should find this a time of good fortune. Many opportunities are availablefor you to create a little good fortune. It is easy to see which path is the one to

take. Opportunities proliferate and you may find yourself ready to expand your knowledgeor help others to do the same. Taking on added risks can bring big rewards. The close per-sonal ties that you have with others could be very important to you at this time, particularlymarriage and other partnerships. These are all associations that could contribute to yoursuccess and happiness and could teach you some very significant lessons in the process.Nostalgia and domesticity will be strong now and could help you in some new understand-ings about how much you need security and a feeling of attachment.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

The work that you do or the job that you perform may be more meaningfulto you at this time. You feel a love of law and order and have a sense of appreciation forresponsibility and duty. Things that may have once been viewed as problems or obstaclesare merely used for the valuable lessons that they represent. Your viewpoint may be matur-ing in many ways. Certainly those around you could notice a remarkable change in yourattitude about many things. The good life, and all that is fine and luxurious, may be whatyou value for now. You could enjoy making your own way and finding solutions to whatev-er problems you have. Things just seem to be working together for your benefit. The com-petition of late is no longer a problem; relax.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You will need to act quickly and decisively to capture all the good opportuni-ties that flow your way today. Growth, happiness and prosperity are yours.

You will soon find that money will no longer be the sole yardstick you use with which tomeasure your success. Your sense of responsibility is so well developed that you end upmanaging most situations that you become involved with now. You are disciplined, workhard and are good at getting others to work with and for you. Essentials are what count.Others may think you are more educated than you are, for you tend to assume an authori-tarian stance. You may even enjoy the thought of having authority and probably treatauthority, the elderly and your teachers with great respect.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 437

ACROSS1. Being one hundred more than two hundred.4. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows gen-erally northward to the Atlantic Ocean.12. An antiviral drug used in the treatment ofAIDS.15. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant)note of a major or minor scale in solmization.16. Leader of Black Muslims who campaignedfor independence for Black Americans (1897-1975).17. Mature female of mammals of which themale is called `buck'.18. An organization of countries formed in 1961to agree on a common policy for the sale ofpetroleum.20. The craniometric point that is the mostprominent point at the back of the head (at theoccipital protuberance).22. Dearly loved.24. Bug of temperate regions that infests espe-cially beds and feeds on human blood.26. (plate tectonic theory) A hypothetical conti-nent including all the landmass of the earth pri-or to the Triassic period when it split intoLaurasia and Gondwanaland.29. A radioactive transuranic element producedby bombarding plutonium with neutrons.31. The cry made by sheep.32. Of or relating to the stomach and intestines.33. A white soft metallic element that tarnishesreadily.36. Informal or slang terms for mentally irregu-lar.38. A master's degree in fine arts.40. A stiff protective garment worn by hockeyplayers or a catcher in baseball to protect theshins.43. To make a mistake or be incorrect.45. Offensively discourteous.46. An ancient upright stone slab bearing mark-ings.48. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in theDali region of Yunnan.50. An actor's line that immediately precedesand serves as a reminder for some action orspeech.51. Cud-chewing mammal used as a draft orsaddle animal in desert regions.52. A fraudulent business scheme.56. Genus of tropical trees.59. A benevolent aspect of Devi.60. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous goodhealth.61. The elementary stages of any subject (usual-ly plural).62. Freedom from difficulty or hardship oreffort.64. Of or relating to or supporting Islamism.72. Title for a civil or military leader (especially inTurkey).73. Marked by simplicity.76. Greek mythology.77. A three-year law degree.78. Oldest known reptiles.80. Someone who engages in arbitrage (whopurchases securities in one market for immedi-ate resale in another in the hope of profitingfrom the price differential).81. Brief episode in which the brain gets insuffi-cient blood supply.82. A great raja.83. Type genus of the family Myacidae.

DOWN1. A compact mass.2. A strip of land projecting into a body of water.3. Relatively low in price or charging low prices.

4. After noon.5. A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent andunivalent) metallic element.6. United States parapsychologist (1895-1980).7. Wife of Balder.8. Type genus of the Amiidae.9. The United Nations agency concerned withinternational maritime activities.10. (law) The seat for judges in a courtroom.11. A public promotion of some product orservice.12. A city in southern Turkey on the SeyhanRiver.13. Pertaining to animals or animal life or action.14. A school teaching mechanical and industrialarts and the applied sciences.19. Infestation of the pubic hair by crab lice.21. An atom or molecule or radical or ion thatforms a complex around a central atom.23. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions ofthe Old World.25. A salt of any halogen acid.27. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of thealkali metal group.28. (computer science) A kind of computerarchitecture that has a large number of instruc-tions hard coded into the cpu chip.30. An additional tax on certain kinds of incomethat has already been taxed.34. Marked by blithe unconcern.35. Be compatible or in accordance with.37. An evergreen tree of the family Ulmaceaethat grows in tropical America and Africa andAsia.39. By bad luck.41. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celes-tial point measured westward along the celes-tial equator from the zenith crossing.42. A genus of temperate and arctic evergreentrees (see spruce).44. With no effort to conceal.47. United States tennis player (born inCzechoslovakia) who won several singles cham-pionships.49. A hospital unit staffed and equipped to pro-vide intensive care.53. Extreme mental retardation.54. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that wasformed by an explosion.55. (Greek mythology) The Titaness who wasmother of Helios and Selene and Eos in ancientmythology.57. Shrubby plant with aromatic grayish-greenleaves used as a cooking herb.58. The blood group whose red cells carry boththe A and B antigens.63. The capital and largest city of Yemen.65. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerineand grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.66. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that isthe top of an extinct volcano.67. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.68. A former communist country in easternEurope and northern Asia.69. (trademark) A tinned luncheon meat madelargely from pork.70. Suggestive of the supernatural.71. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.74. The longer of the two telegraphic signalsused in Morse code.75. A federal agency established to coordinateprograms aimed at reducing pollution and pro-tecting the environment.79. A person who announces and plays popularrecorded music.

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34s ta rs

Daily SuDoku

inf or m at ionTHURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

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

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

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

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

Al-Jahra 25610011

Al-Salmiya 25616368

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

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

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 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 Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

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

Neurologists

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

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 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 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 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345Central African 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689Gabon 00241Gambia 00220Georgia 00995Germany 0049Ghana 00233Gibraltar 00350Greece 0030Greenland 00299Grenada 001473Guadeloupe 00590Guam 001671Guatemala 00502Guinea 00224Guyana 00592Haiti 00509Holland (Netherlands) 0031Honduras 00504Hong Kong 00852Hungary 0036Ibiza (Spain) 0034Iceland 00354India 0091Indian Ocean 00873Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677

INTERNATIONALCALLS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

l if e s t y l eG O S S I P

The ‘Les Miserables’ actress was pictured apparently getting into difficulty in astrong rip current close to the beach on the Hawaiian island of Oahu earlierthis month but she insists her accident wasn’t as bad as it looked. The 31-

year-old beauty - who is married to Adam Shulman - said: “I’m fine. I really doappreciated everybody’s concern but that was a picture that had a false storyattached to it. The real story is not as interesting.” Anne’s next movie, ‘Song One’,

sees her play a woman estranged from her family who returns home after herbrother has a serious accident. As she deals with the changes in her life,

she explores the Brooklyn music scene. Though the role required her tosing, she didn’t feel any “pressure” to please the audience with her

vocal performance. Speaking to reporters at the Sundance FilmFestival, she said: “It wasn’t as much pressure because my

character is not a singer, a musician anything.“There’s no pressure to, I don’t know, to

please the fans of the music Iguess.”

Anne Hathaway

is fine after her holiday injury

Lady Gaga’sportrait makes her cryThe singer visited the Louvre art gallery in Paris - home to the Mona Lisa by

Leonardo Da Vinci - and became emotional when she saw portraits by USartist Bob Wilson. She Tweeted: “Me & @BrandonVMaxwell crying w BOB

WILSON’s portraits. That’s me on the wall!” Gaga later added on LittleMonsters.com:“I went to the Louvre today and saw the portraits Bob Wilson made of me. It wassuch a special moment. “I wore archive Gianni [Versace] and wore my hair in metal-lic braids. It was a day I’ll never forget.” The 27-year-old singer looked particularlystriking in the outfit she wore for the visit, which included a long silver braided wig,metallic chequered catsuit and huge black platform shoes. Robert’s exhibition atthe Louvre is titled ‘Living Rooms’ and features a fifty minute video of Gaga posingas different works of art, including ‘The Death of Marat’ by Jacques-Louis David and‘Head of St. John the Baptist’ by Andrea Solario. Speaking of working with the ‘BornThis Way’ star to create the portraits, Bob has said: “She’s sort of serious. Not yourordinary pop star. “She would look at the image and after a while she would look ather face in a mirror and something happened, and I would shoot her... There’s anobility to her. She’s a real princess.”

The seven-months pregnant ‘Scandal’ star is eager tokeep her cravings under-wraps but admits she isfeeling really good. Kerry, who married NFL star

Nnamdi Asomugha in an intimate ceremony in Hailey,Idaho last June, told E! News: “You know, it’s sort of likethe rest of my private life, I’m not talking about it thatmuch, but I feel really really blessed it just feels like a

really good time.” But the 36-year-old actress, who calledher baby bump “the best date” at the Golden GlobeAwards last Sunday is struggling to find things to wear tored carpet events. She said: “I look for things that fit.That’s the first rule - what fits.” She added: “Of course,yeah! I mean, Louboutins are great but this is the bestaccessory, I think this year.”

Kerry Washington feels ‘blessed’to be expecting

first child

Kelly Osbourne

in Forbes ‘30 Under 30’

Hollywood list

Kelly Osbourne is delighted to have been named in Forbesmagazine’s ‘30 Under 30’ Hollywood list. The ‘Fashion Police’host - who is the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and

Sharon Osbourne - thinks her inclusion in the respected publication’slist of the most influential young people in showbiz will make herfamily proud and proves she is a success in her own right. She tweet-ed: “Yeah I made the @Forbes 30 under 30 list this year! Dadda I toldyou I would make you proud! @OfficialOzzy!!!! #HardWorkPaysOff “Nocoat tails for me I did it!!!!!! (sic)” The exciting news for Kelly - who isengaged to chef Matthew Mosshart - came just a few days after sherevealed how excited she was about the potential 2014 holds for her.She wrote: “I am so happy today it feels amazing!#FreshYearFreshStart!” Meanwhile, actress Olivia Wilde - who turns 30in March - was also pleased to have made the list for the final timeshe was eligible. She tweeted: “So close to being too old for this.Thanks! @Forbes (sic)” — Bangshowbiz

Oprah Winfrey has a hard time filming Lohan’s

docu series

Oprah Winfrey admits filming LindsayLohan’s documentary series has been“bumpy”. The media mogul says work-

ing with the troubled actress on the show -which will air on her OWN network in March -hasn’t always gone smoothly, but insists therehas been nothing out of the ordinary with mak-ing the programmes. Asked if ‘Lindsay’ is stillfilming, she told E! News: “As far as I know weare - what do you know? There have beenbumps, that’s life. It’s been bumpy, but as far asI know we are still filming.” Despite reports the‘Mean Girls’ actress has caused problems forthe series’ shooting schedule, Oprah said shespoke with the 27-year-old star earlier thisweek after she initially received a text fromLindsay - though the talk show host didn’trealise she was in London when she called her.And asked where the actress is at the moment,Oprah joked: “You would know more.” In clipsfrom the eight-part series which were recentlyscreened for critics, Oprah could be seen fum-ing with Lindsay after she refused to take partin scheduled filming. In the footage, Oprahsays: “This is just what everyone warned mewould happen. And it is.” In August, Oprah satdown with Lindsay for her first TV interviewsince leaving a 90-day court-ordered stint inrehab, and it has been claimed the troubledstar received $2 million and the eight-episodeseries - which chronicles her attempts torelaunch her career and battle to stay sober - inreturn for the televised chat.

The Welsh songbird made her acting debut in2010 on cult sci-fi show ‘Doctor Who’sChristmas special, and says the experience

opened up the possibility of future acting work onmusical movies or TV programmes. Speaking at theannouncement of her new three-album deal withDecca Records held at London’s Ritz hotel, Katherinesaid: “ ‘Doctor Who’ took me out of my comfort zonemassively, but I did really enjoy it. I still think it needsto be something that combines acting and music.That’s what was lovely about that role, she was asinging character. “If it was a musical film... Maybesomething like ‘Glee’! I feel at the moment I have somany singing things and I don’t get them all. Itwould have to be something I really cared about to

take me away from that because singing wouldalways come first.” The 33-year-old mezzo-sopranoinsists she isn’t intimidated by scantily-clad pop actslike Miley Cyrus and Rihanna and has no plans tochange her “glamorous” classical music singer image.Quizzed whether she felt any pressure to sex up herimage, Katherine said: “What I do is so different. It’s aniche thing. I appreciate pop music, I’ve never feltany pressure to do that. “I certainly have alwaysappreciated the glamour side of music. Classicalmusic can sometimes be glamorous. I’ve always beena girly girl, so the record company has never had tomake that up, that was always [part of my image].”Katherine will be releasing her next album withUniversal-owned Decca Records in autumn 2014.

Katherine Jenkins wants to appear on ‘Glee’

Lindsay Lohan offers reward for missing computer

The ‘Mean Girls’ actress claims her laptop wasstolen from an airport in China and has issued anappeal for its safe return. The 27-year-old actress,

who was honoured with a Sohu Fashion AchievementAward wrote on Twitter: “It was great to be in Chinaand I want to thank everyone for their hospitality,however someone has stolen my computer at the air-port...”...offering a reward for anyone who can retrieveand rtn it, bummer to go home w/o it. xo L (sic)” Theactress flew to China after ringing in the New Year inNew York City. She was spotted partying in clubs inShanghai in recent days before attending the secondannual awards ceremony. It was recently revealed thatLindsay is working on her third studio album and isalso writing her memoir. Although the book is in itsearly stages, Lindsay started it as a series of journalentries while in rehab last year. The book is expectedto see Lindsay open up about every aspect of her lifeincluding becoming a child star, allegations of druguse, relationships with famous people - including herrelationship with DJ Samantha Ronson - legal troublesand rehab stints.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

l if e s t y l eG O S S I P

Jennifer Connelly would never “tor-ture” herself to be considered beau-tiful. The ‘Requiem for a Dream’ star

refuses to chase Hollywood ideals ofwhat is considered good looking, as shethinks they would make her go crazy.She told Allure magazine: “The thing thatreally matters to me is well-being andhappiness. Maybe it comes from know-ing people who have tortured them-selves trying to meet these strangelynarrow and rigorous definition of whatour culture thinks is beautiful.” The 43-year-old actress, who is married to fellowmovie star Paul Bettany, also talked

about her on-screen chemistry withRussell Crowe, who she appeared along-side in ‘A Beautiful Mind’ - for which shewon a Best Supporting Actress Oscar -and has reunited with for two forthcom-ing projects, ‘Noah’ and ‘Winter’s Tale’.She said: “We have an easy intimacy. Weact together like the best kisses. We bothbring equal passion.” Jennifer - who hasAgnes, two and Stellan, ten, with Paul, aswell as 16-year-old Kai from a previousrelationship - also recently worked withher husband, who directed the film‘Shelter’, in which she plays a homelesswoman. She joked how being so close tothe filmmaker has certain advantages,saying: “One couldn’t feel more safe asan actor knowing that the director’s yourhusband. It’s like, if I really make a fool ofmyself, I can just say, ‘Honey, can youplease not put that in the movie?’ Thatwas a great perk.”

JenniferConnellyrefuses tochaseHollywood

ideals

‘Fast and Furious 7’ ending changed after Paul Walker’s deathKurt Russell says the whole ending of

‘Fast and Furious 7’ is being changedin the wake of Paul Walker’s death.

The film franchise’s star was killed in a hor-rific accident on November 30 when the carPaul was traveling in careered off the roadand smashed, which has led to his final film- which was incomplete at the time - beingsignificantly altered. Kurt - who is joiningthe franchise playing a father figure to VinDiesel’s character, and had one day left offilming at the time of the tragic accident -told ETonline.com: “ They ’re having torewrite, they’re having to do whateverthey’re having to do to deal with the situa-tion. “Listen, it’s catastrophic. It’s the worst

thing that could happen to a movie, but it’snot as bad as what happened to Paul. Soeverything is in perspective. He was a terrif-ic guy. And life is full of curveballs.” The 62-year-old star added the fate of his owncharacter may now change in the new end-ing. He added: “Whether or not this guydies off in the movie, we don’t know, andthat may have changed now significantly,too.” It has previously been claimed Paul’scharacter - undercover police officer BrianO’Connor - will not be killed off in themovie and will instead be written out of thescript using existing footage of Paul in a bidto keep fans satisfied and allow for the fran-chise to continue in future.

The actor was so desperate toplay debauched stockbrokerJordan Belfort ’s sidekick,

Donnie Azoff, in Martin Scorsese’sOscar nominated movie that heaccepted a pay cheque of just$60,000. He made the admission onradio programme ‘The Stern Show’,which aired in the US, with the show’sofficial Twitter account posting: “Nowon H100 @jonahhill tells @howard-stern that he did the 7 month ‘Wolf ofWall Street’ shoot for $60,000 becausehe wanted the role so bad (sic)”.Jonah’s gamble has more than paidoff since the funnyman was nominat-ed for both a Golden Globe andAcademy Award for his stellar per-formance alongside Hollywoodheavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio. The30-year-old star also discussed hisinfamous 2013 interview with RollingStone magazine in which he refusedto answer the reporter ’s jokeyqueries. The ‘Stern Show’accountadded on Twitter: “#H100 @JonahHilldiscusses the 1 interview where hecame off like a jerk - in Rolling Stone -explaining he was going through abad time.. ./. . . in his personal l ife.@JonahHill also feels the reporter wasnot nice to him. But he regrets howhe came off #H100”. Jonah’s eyes“jumped out of their sockets” lastsummer when asked what kind offarter he was by the publication, towhich he scathingly replied: “I’m notanswering that dumb question! I’mnot that kind of person! Being in afunny movie doesn’t make me haveto answer dumb questions. It hasnothing to do with who I am.”

Jonah Hill takesa pay cut for

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’

Zac Efronis ‘in a great

place’ after rehab

The ‘That Awkward Moment’ star finished a stintin rehab last year for alleged cocaine and alcoholabuse, and says he’s never felt better since beat-

ing his demons. Zac - who was recently seen wearinga blue Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) chip, marking sixmonths of sobriety - told a press conference in New

York: “I’m so happy.I feel like I’m in agreat place and I’mglad that I’m reallyhere to share thismoment witheverybody and bepresent for all of it.“It was an interest-ing year. I learnedso many things. Somuch. The best partof it was being ableto reflect upon thatexperience andrealize how much Ihave learned aboutmyself and the kindof man I want tobe.” Zac, 26 addedhe felt great aboutreuniting with hisfriends, Michael B.Jordan and MilesTeller, who star

alongside him in the romantic comedy to promotethe film. He said: “This movie, these guys and comingback to it and to New York - just being here in thismoment, it just kind of exemplifies it. I couldn’t behappier. I’m in a great place.” As well as completingrehab, Zac, also had to take time to heal after sufferinga broken jaw - which resulted in him having to havehis mouth wired shut - after he accidentally slippedand fell on his face outside his home in Los Angeleslast November.

Katy Perrybelieves in aliens

The ‘E.T.’ hitmaker is convinced there are other life-forms in the galaxy and would love to ask USPresident Barack Obama what he believes on the

subject. She said: “I see everything through a spirituallens. I believe in a lot of astrology. I believe in aliens. Ilook up into the stars and I imagine: How self-impor-tant are we to think that we are the only life-form? Imean, if my relationship with Obama gets any better,I’m going to ask him that question. It just hasn’t beenappropriate yet.” The brunette beauty’s parents Keithand Mary Hudson are Christian pastors but Katyadmits her idea of faith has changed over the years.She told the new issue of America’s GQ magazine: “Ibelieve in a cosmic energy that is bigger than me. Idon’t believe in heaven and hell as a destination.” The‘Prism’ singer is proud of her natural look and thinksshe is a good role model because she hasn’t under-gone cosmetic surgery. She said: “I’ve never had anyplastic surgery. Not a nose, not a chin, not a cheek,nothing. So my messages of self-empowerment aretruly coming from an au naturel product.”

Vanessa Hudgens was a “complete disaster” afterfilming ‘Gimme Shelter ’. The 25-year-oldactress’ friends were left “concerned” for her

when she wrapped the movie because she hadimmersed herself so much into the role of homelesspregnant teenager Apple, she had lost her sense ofself and was in “a bit of a mess”. She said: “I didn’t real-ly know who I was - Vanessa was gone. I came homeand I was a complete disaster. “My best friend is stillso concerned about me when she thinks about thatday because I was just a bit of a mess. I wasn’t reallycomfortable in social situations and my self-esteemwas super low ‘cause I had no hair and I had put on allthis weight, so physically I didn’t feel attractive. And Iwas single.” However, Vanessa had an easy way to feelherself again. Asked what she did to return to herself,she told Flare magazine: “Extensions! Instant confi-dence boost!” Vanessa - who gained 15lbs for themovie - cut her hair off on camera during filming andenjoyed the challenge of transforming herself to feel“grimy and ugly”. She said: “The grimier and uglier Igot, the more I was like, ‘Hell yeah!.’ “ And the actressgot so into the role, she burst blood vessels trying toportray giving birth convincingly. She admitted: “Ipopped a bunch of blood vessels in my neck and facefrom pushing so hard.”

Vanessa Hudgens had self-esteem issues

Taylor Swift named‘Most Charitable’ celebrity

The ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ hitmaker topped DoSomething.org’sannual list thanks to good deeds including a $100,000 donation tothe Nashville Symphony and headlining the Duke and Duchess of

Cambridge’s fundraising event for homeless charity Centrepoint. In secondplace were One Direction, whose Comic Relief single ‘One Way or Another(Teenage Kicks)’ raised over £2 million to help those living in poverty, andbringing in $784,345 in donations for cancer research. Headlining theChime for Change concert in London saw Beyonce awarded third place onthe list, while fourth place went to late actor Paul Walker, thanks to hisReach Out WorldWide (ROWW) charity, a network of professionals with firstresponder skills - doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, and other disas-ter-survival specialists - who help out when natural disasters strike, andMacklemore and Ryan Lewis took fifth place thanks to award-winning track‘Same Love’, which “challenged the hip-hop community to adopt a cultureof acceptance”. ‘The Heat’ actress Sandra Bullock was placed sixth due toher ongoing work in education and disaster relief, while Kerry Washington -a member of President Obama’s President’s Committee on the Arts and theHumanities, which advocates nationally for arts education in low-incomeareas - was seventh. In eighth place, ‘The Vampire Diaries’ actor IanSomerhalder was praised for his animal rights and conservation effortsthrough his Somerhalder Foundation. Completing the top 10, RyanSeacrest came in at ninth place for the work his foundation does for chil-dren in hospitals, and Carrie Underwood - who donated $1 million of tourprofits to the Red Cross to help with tornado relief in her home state ofOklahoma - was tenth.

Matthew McConaugheyunderwent a ‘crazy’

transformation

Matthew McConaughey found it hard-er re-gaining the weight he lost for‘Dallas Buyers Club’ than he did losing

it. The 44-year-old actor underwent a crazytransformation for the physically demandingrole as aids sufferer Ron Woodroof, shrinkingfrom his ripped beach physique to a gauntfrail frame by losing around 50 pounds.Surprisingly, the ‘Failure to Launch’ star admit-ted that he found returning to his originalweight more difficult than dropping it. TheHollywood star - who is married to CamilaAlves - told Hollyscoop: “I gained 45 [pounds]of them back. The gaining was trickier thanthe losing. “It’s more fun, but it’s also trickier.The first big meal that you eat, your bodyremembers that it lived at 182 pounds and itwants to sprint back and you have to pull thereigns and go, ‘Woah! We gotta take it easy.’ It’sa marathon.”

While most other fashion designers may settle for the usual trap-pings of their business - a dark room, straight runway and phalanxof bored-looking models - Karl Lagerfeld likes to have fun. For

Chanel’s haute couture collection in Paris on Tuesday, creativedirector Lagerfeld presented no less than an orchestra, a revolv-ing stage, two curving staircases and over 60 suits and dressesin sorbet shades for Spring/Summer 2014. Under the soaringceiling of the Grand Palais, the rapt audience was treated to afrothy and oh-so-chic spectacle as models in sparkly sneak-ers skipped down the stairs to musical accompaniment.

“To give to very expensive, handmade, beautiful craftedclothes ... an attitude of something everybody wears indaily life, that brings couture, in a way, to reality,” saidLagerfeld after the show, explaining the choice offootwear. Silhouettes were cinched at the waist - noovereating for Chanel wearers this season - withcorset skirts under cropped jackets in creamy paleivories, lavenders and even a shocking PeptoBismol pink. A tight waist of black sparkles dra-matically separated four tiers of pleated ruffles inmetallic dove grey silk on the bodice of a dressfrom another ruffled cascade at the hem.

In pairing sneakers with the highly embel-lished haute couture looks, Lagerfeld gave anod to the prevalence of sportswear and dis-played his trademark sense of humour.Models emerged from an entrance at thecrest of the double staircase wearing silverelbow- and knee-pads - presumably to fend offthe hoards of women willing to kill for suchan outfit.

The Paris shows, which run until tomor-row, are a prestigious showcase for a selectgroup of couture houses whose garmentsare meticulously hand-sewn by highly skilledartisans. Haute couture - which due to its prohibitivecost is worn by only a few hundred of the richestwomen around the world - has a minimal effect ona luxury brand’s sales, but it is a major marketingdriver for the $275 billion global luxury industry.Privately owned Chanel does not disclose financialresults.

Glam hedgehogsThe tried and true design motifs from the House of Chanel such as Peter

Pan collars, black bows at the neck, crisp white cuffs and knubby fabrics allmade an appearance this season, but there was not a pearl in sight.

Lagerfeld interrupted his decidedly pretty collection of elegant looksfor Spring/Summer with a dose of show-stopping dresses that man-

aged to be both avant-garde and beautiful.Combining turquoise, purple and black plumes with glittery

tulle and thickly embellished fabric, the spiky, sparkly dressesturned their wearers into psychodelic punk hedgehogs - veryglam ones, of course. Another featured an iridescent sheerman-made fabric that resembled chic Saran Wrap. Hair was

spiky and worn in a tuft above the crown. “I like the idea ofsomething wild,” said Lagerfeld. “There’s a kind of fantasy up

there.” Lagerfeld played with lengths and fabrics, offering along narrow pink jacket with tiered bands of sequinsworn with skinny trousers, mid-thigh hotpants pairedwith a gamine and modest long sleeved top and a seriesof sheer dresses.

“There is a second dress, all embroidered andsequined, under the first dress. They look completelynaked. But they’re not,” Lagerfeld said. Paris fashionweek has already seen a crisp, clean and elegant Diorshow, punctuated by oversized eyelet silk, whileAtelier Versace gave a nod to 1980s singer GraceJones with hoods and draped silk jersey dresses inchartreuse and purple. But the most eagerly awaitedticket was Monday’s debut collection of Marco Zaniniat the head of the resuscitated Schiaparelli, the cou-ture house of the 1930’s doyenne of Paris fashion, ElsaSchiaparelli. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

l if e s t y l e

Chanel models in sorbet pink skip down stairs at Paris fashion show

Models present creations for Chanel during the HauteCouture Spring-Summer 2014 collection show at the GrandPalais in Paris. — AFP/AP photos

Models present creations for Maison Martin Margiela.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

l if e s t y l e

Fashion has its fair share of personalities as seen inTuesday’s high-octane Paris haute couture shows. KimKardashian nearly caused cars to crash when she arrived

late to one show, while Chanel’s front man Karl Lagerfeldproved that he doesn’t just design couture dreams, he alsospeaks politics. Here are some key moments:

She’s been around Paris in recent days, snapped with herpartner rapper Kanye West at Versailles Palace, once the seatof French monarchy. Now Kim Kardashian has hit Paris coutureweek, holding court herself in the front row of the StephaneRolland show. The reality star wore a flowing ivory cashmerecouture coat and satin pearl-gray pants by the French design-er and sported blond highlights. Although she arrived withoutWest, who was seen last week at Givenchy, and refused tospeak to the press, her arrival triggered a media storm, withphotographers pushing each other and shouting angrily toget a clear shot.

Lagerfeld: Hollande “cruel” for alleged affairPithy-tongued Lagerfeld often likes to pontificate on poli-

tics. On Tuesday he called French President Francois Hollande“cruel and heartless” over the allegations by a French maga-zine that Hollande had an affair with French actress JulieGayet. Hollande’s live-in partner and first lady, ValerieTrierweiler, was hospitalized for several days after the revela-tions due to stress. “When we talk about violence againstwomen, the way (Trierweiler) was treated I am very muchagainst,” Lagerfeld told The Associated Press. “You cannot do

that to a woman you’ve spent so many years with. This I thinkis cruel and heartless.” Trierweiler, who attended Chanel’s lasthaute couture show in July, did not appear at Tuesday’s show.Still, Lagerfeld said he liked Gayet, calling her “a nice person”with “a nice face.”

Giorgio Armani’s soothing coutureIconic Italian actress Claudia Cardinale was among the old

faithful at the Giorgio Armani Prive couture show. The exhaus-tive 54-look-strong collection had a vintage feel with head silkwraps that sometimes glistened with embroidered jewels.They endowed the slow walking models with a nostalgic,Hollywood glamour. But Armani, who has been going ethnicof late, chose to go East this spring-summer with the rest ofhis collection. Flat Asian necklines defined silken jackets, astwisted Thai-style check belts and scarves and long pleatedpants filed by. While deep indigos colors glistened in the - sig-nature - thick sumptuous jacquards. The show was set tosoothing, jazz music. The slow pace got the better of two old-er gentlemen on the front row who slept through the entireshow.

Stephane Rolland in search of sunshineRolland’s spring-summer couture show went in search of

sunshine. The designer, whose signature style venerates thenatural beauty of fabrics like fine silk gazars and organzas,channeled vivid cadmium and canary yellows in his show, setoff by a dash of white and black. But what defined this partic-

ular Rolland show was that it moved in a delicate direction,uncluttering the silhouette by doing away with the aggressivespiked appliques of previous seasons. Sweeps of silk flowedaway from the body, providing a beautiful architectural look.And the final bridal gown had a great, organic fabric flourishin the back that really it made it feel like couture week.

Bouchra Jarrar goes for asymmetry, textureMoroccan-born designer Bouchra Jarrar played with asym-

metry and texture with varying success. One cross grain-woven coat had appealing thick asymmetrical lapels thatflapped in front. But metallic pants were an odd choice to pairwith looks that featured several textures and styles, like oneblack, sleeveless fur coat with big red lines on the side. Still,the show featured some luxurious items like a long, plungingsilk gown in royal blue. — AP

Models present creations by Bouchra Jarrar.

Tardy Kim Kardashian causes media fight

Models present the Giorgio Armani collection.

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani acknowledges the public at the end of the Giorgio ArmaniPrive Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2014 collection show in Paris.

Kim Kardashianleaves after attend-

ing the StephaneRolland Spring-

Summer 2014 HauteCouture fashion col-

lection. — AP

39Tardy Kim Kardashian

causes media fight

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

In this photo, Jim Club performs with a tiger during the Award Gala evening of the 38th International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo inMonaco. — AP photos

All the world’s a stage

Long before Newsweek called her a “tarted-up floozy,”way before she married and had babies and adoptedbabies, and a lifetime before she opened an

Instagram account, Madonna was a young woman in NewYork trying to make it big. That ambition - and a good bit ofinnocence - can be seen in a collection of photos, art anddrawings that are on the auction block Feb 9 in StPetersburg, Florida. The collection is owned by the parentsof Martin Burgoyne, an artist, Studio 54 bartender andMadonna’s best friend during that time.

Burgoyne and Madonna befriended each other beforeshe became famous. They were roommates and he playeda huge role in Madonna’s early career. He managed her firsttour and drew the cover image of Madonna for her 1983‘Burning Up’ EP album cover. They partied with artists AndyWarhol, Keith Haring and others. He was raised in Englandand went to New York to study art at the Pratt Institute.

Madonna and Burgoyne also supported each otheremotionally and financially during hard times - after shewas raped and when Burgoyne contracted AIDS. Burgoynedied in 1986 after battling that disease. He was 23.Madonna wrote a song about him called “In This Life” thatwas on her 1992 album ‘Erotica.’

For decades, his parents have kept their son’s memora-bilia from that era private - until now. Mary Dowd, the co-owner of Myers Fine Art, said Burgoyne’s parents live in theTampa Bay area and are in their 80s. They are selling thecollection at an auction. “I think they came to a point intheir lives where they figured that it was time to do some-thing with the collection,” Dowd said. “And so they phonedus up and asked us if we would come take a look at it,which we did, and so we saw the breadth of the collection,it was really pretty incredible.”

There’s an original hand-drawn portrait of Burgoyne byAndy Warhol. There’s an original invitation to a fundraiserfor Burgoyne by Keith Haring - a party written about in theNew York Times in September 1986 as AIDS was devastat-ing a generation of mostly young gay men, includingBurgoyne. The story is heartbreakingly sad, not onlybecause of its foreshadowing of Burgoyne’s death, but ofprevalent attitudes in that era toward those with HIV andAIDS.

Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell noted in the story that“people could be in the same room with someone infectedwith the AIDS virus without contracting it.” Madonna wasat that party, the Times noted. But in Burgoyne’s collectionin Florida, there are no photos from that party, only fromthe earlier, happier years. And then there are the Madonnaphotos. Some are candid Polaroids of her making goofyfaces with Burgoyne. Others are black and whites, intendedfor an album cover, of Madonna looking poised and fragile.There are also numerous photos of Burgoyne, a handsomeyoung man in a white shirt and suspenders.

Some of the photos were taken by Burgoyne, saidDowd, while it’s unclear who took others. She said it’s pos-sible that Andy Warhol took some of the Polaroids, becausethey date to same years that he experimented withPolaroid portraits. Dowd said one of the more remarkableitems in the collection is Burgoyne’s sketchbook, in whichhe inked photo booth sessions of Madonna, and a full-col-or sketch for her ‘Burning Up’ EP album cover. The image istotally ‘80s, all bright block colors. Madonna sports shorthair and thick eyebrows.

“If you’re an enthusiast of entertainment back in theearly ‘80s - and that was a heyday and pivotal time I think -this is kind of a real step back in time to that period,” Dowdsaid. Dowd isn’t sure how much each piece will go for - theoriginal Warhol portrait of Burgoyne should fetch a goodprice, she thinks - but she’s secretly hoping Madonna her-self will hear about the auction and bid on some items. “Itseems like it’s something she should have for her historicalarchives,” said Dowd. “It’s a big part of her life, from thebeginning.” —AP

A St Petersburg firm will auction a collection of art and memorabilia from pop star Madonna’s old roommate,including an album titled “Burning Up” (pictured) in St Petersburg, Fla. — AP

Joy Gartner performs with an elephant. Russian artists of Desire of Flight, Valery Sychev and Malfina Abakarova, whoreceived a Golden Clown, perform. Dog trainer Rosi Hochegger, performs.