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KARACHI: Pakistani beauticians applyhenna designs to customers ahead ofthe Eid Al-Fitr holiday which marks theend of Ramadan at a beauty salon inKarachi yesterday. Muslims globallyhave been marking the month ofRamadan which ends with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. — AFP

EID GREETINGSKuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyanwishes HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah,Cabinet members, heads of states around the world,Kuwaitis, expatriates and our valued readers EidMubarak. Kuwait Times will not be published from July17 to 20. Our next issue will be on Tuesday, July 21.

L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Local Spotlight

The Kuwait airport customer review was allover social media lately and many Kuwaitisseemed unhappy with the criticism made by

most reviewers. I am not going to argue with thosewho clearly expressed their disappointment overthe airport’s condition for various reasons - someviews were logical and fair while some were exag-gerated. I respect all views, because at the end ofthe day, passengers want to feel safe and securetravelling to any destination. Whether you are com-ing to Kuwait for a short trip, transit or for work, youwant to be comfortable with the facilities providedto you by the country’s airport, staff and services.

Kuwait is a rich country and most reviewers werecomparing Kuwait airport with other airports in theGulf. I think they missed the point, that apparentlyKuwaitis are fully aware of the condition of Kuwaitairport. Maybe they are hoping for future improve-

ments or a new airport, but I don’t recall any dis-satisfaction locally with its condition.

In fact, when these reviews came to light onsocial media, some comments were defending theairport while some politicians were using it as away to criticize the government’s performance. Thisshows the complexity of matters in Kuwait, which isthe politicization of public issues, as the airportreviews were commenting on logistics, cleanliness,seating, queues and services in general and saidnothing against the government.

I need to say that Kuwait is usually compared toDubai or Doha because they are all links in the GCCchain, but this doesn’t mean that all Gulf statesshould be alike. Every country has its own mentalityand public attitude. Besides, Kuwait has beenthrough difficult phases in the past and even nowover security, population and infrastructure.

I agree that Kuwait airport fares poorly when itcomes to a first or final impression compared toDubai or Qatar and improvement is essential. Yet,we should not be sensitive over any criticismappearing in a review or elsewhere. These reviewscould be a great instrument for change andimprovement. I know this is difficult to do now withnearly everyone packing to leave town for summerholidays, but it could be a good start....

Happy Eid! Enjoy the holidays!

Kuwait airport and customer reviews

When these reviews wereshared to social media, some

comments were defending theairport condition while somepoliticians were using it as away to criticize the govern-

ment’s performance

Farewell, Ramadan Ramadan Kareem

By Teresa Lesher

Although the hardship of Ramadan is about toend and festivities of Eid are about to begin,there will be sadness in every devout Muslim’s

heart that Ramadan has passed. Barely having hadtheir last breakfast at sunset, they will immediatelystart looking forward to the next Ramadan and count-ing the months and weeks until it comes again. Theywill begin to greet one another with the phrase,“Aasakom min awadah,” which means, “May yourepeat it.” Some people may tilt their heads in confu-sion and wonder why would anyone look forward to amonth of daily 16-hour fast in 45-degree tempera-ture? What is so special about Ramadan?

First of all, Ramadan is an opportunity to expressyour devotion to Allah. Everything on the earth wascreated for us, according to many verses in the Quran(one example is 2:29). Many use their time and theearth’s resources to satisfy themselves through acquir-ing things, entertaining themselves and seeking sen-sual pleasures. Doing so is not necessarily forbiddenbut it shouldn’t be the goal of ones’ life. So why werewe created? Allah gave us life and He hopes that wewill voluntarily give it back to Him through worshipand submission to His will. Almost everything we doin life has some sort of return for us, even if it is donepurely for Allah’s sake. For example, when we givecharity, others benefit and we feel their happiness too.But fasting in Ramadan is a chance to show our devo-tion to our Lord, because nobody benefits from thefast. Nobody even knows if you are fasting, so thisexpression of faith is purely for Allah.

Another reason many people are sad to bidRamadan farewell is because the atmosphere of inten-sified worship and charity will pass, as well as theadded rewards that we are promised. ProphetMuhammad (PBUH) said that one who fasts inRamadan with faith and hope in Allah’s reward willhave his past sins forgiven and one who prays at nightin Ramadan with faith and hope in Allah’s reward willalso have his past sins forgiven; and only in Ramadancan we experience Lailat ul-Qadr, whose merit isworth a thousand months, according to the Quran.

These holy days and nights are treasures to devoutMuslims. And soon, this unique holy season will passand life will go on as usual.

I will miss Ramadan and all the lessons it teachesme. I have learned so much about myself - about howmy body can adjust to extreme circumstances, andabout how dedicated I can be when I am striving toaccomplish something important. I learn about myweaknesses too, and without the usual distractions, Iam able to pinpoint specific attitudes and habits that Ineed to change. I will miss Ramadan for the brother-hood and sisterhood that is so apparent as Muslimsjoin together in one great project, which is fasting fora month while striving to accomplish the most goodand expressing our gratitude and reliance through fre-quent prayer and supplication.

Everyone will miss this immense opportunity todraw closer to Allah. Once Ramadan has passed, thefocus on worship and charity will pass and mundaneduties and distractions will creep back into our lives. Iwill miss the feeling of lightness when my stomach isempty and my head is clear - when I am naturallydrawn to thoughts of God and His abundant bless-ings. I will miss the joy of breaking fast, and the cama-raderie of fellow fasters who gather for the meal. I willmiss the attention to the Quran, and waking up in thelast part of the night to pray. The moments ofRamadan are quickly slipping away, and the opportu-nity to demonstrate such devotion to my Lord is pass-ing.

Farewell, Ramadan, we will miss you. As we startcounting the days until your return, stay in our memo-ries and inspire us to carry on with our worshipthrough fasting, reading the Quran and praying late atnight. Be with us, Ramadan, throughout the comingyear.

Courtesy of the TIES Center: The TIES Center aims toempower Kuwait’s expats through social and educa-tional services that promote a positive and productiverole in society, and to facilitate opportunities for intra-and interfaith interactions that promote social solidar-ity. Website: www.tiescenter.net

KUALA LUMPU: A Malaysian Islamic authority official sets up his theodolite to perform the "Rukyah Hilal Syawal," thesighting of the new moon to determine the Eid Al-Fitr celebrations in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Eid al-Fitr festival marksthe end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. — AFP

L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

1436 - 2015

30. Which surah is called the heart of the Quran?

Surah Yasin

AlRahman

AlEkhlas

By Sahar Moussa

sahar@kuwaittimes.net

Just kiddin’, seriously

Yesterday was the last day of the holy month ofRamadan. Each and every person had his or her ownway of connecting with God this month. A lot of

Muslims prayed and fasted, others donated while otherstried to do good deed and virtues. Although fasting andpraying is the essential foundation of Ramadan, in my opin-ion, it is not enough to do so, because the core of the holymonth is kindness, love, forgiveness and generosity as well. Itis easy to give of what you have but true giving is when youtruly give of yourself.

As the Lebanese philosopher and poet Gibran KhalilGibran said, “You give but little when you give of your pos-sessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.There are those who give little of the much which they haveand they give it for recognition and their hidden desiremakes their gifts unwholesome. And there are those whohave little and give it all.”

That is the philosophy of giving, which means generosityis not only meant to be in Ramadan only but it should be anytime, for any person who is in need or even those not inneed, because we are not supposed to judge who deservesto give or not. Our obligation in life is to help others if wecan, be generous and kind with them in the name of humani-ty, first, then in the name of religion, second. I’m not perfect,and I was blessed to have people around me to teach mehow to give and help others if I can. It took me a while andyears to understand the true meaning of forgiveness, givingand helping others, to heal from selfishness and egotisticpersonality. But I finally got it. And I pray each and every daynot to lose my faith.

In the last ten days of Ramadan, Muslims around theworld pray and read a lot of supplications especially at LaylatAl-Qadr, or the Nights of Power, where Muslim worshippersspent the nights in prayer and devotion. Laylat Al-Qadrmarks the night Muslims believe the first verses of the Quranwere revealed to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) throughArchangel Gabriel. And by God’s will, all the prayers, if theyare sincere, will be heard.

On these days, I made special prayers for expats in Kuwaitin particular and to locals in general which goes like this:1- Almighty God, protect all the expats and locals in Kuwait. 2- Almighty God, help the underpaid workers and let the

locals increase their salaries in order to have a better anddescent life.

3- Almighty God, help the maids that are being abused andbe merciful with them.

4- Almighty God, let the locals working at the official depart-ments be nicer with expats when they are processing theirpapers.

5- Almighty God, let the locals treat expats in a modest andrespectful way and treat them as guests in their country,not as parasites.

6- Almighty God, let the doctors at the government hospitalsgive medicines other than Panadol or Paracematol topatients that need other medications.

7- Almighty God, please let the pro-government MP KamelAl-Awadhi change his mind on his proposed law thatexpats should pay five percent tax on remittances sentfrom Kuwait.

8- Almighty God, please let the locals give employees theirsalaries on time and in the end of the month not everytwo months.

9- Almighty God, don’t let the expats face every day with anew law that is making them unstable and unhappy.

10- Almighty God, don’t let the expats face injustice fromtheir kafeels (sponsor) and let all their sponsors be fairwith them.

11- Almighty God, help stop racism and discrimination.12- Almighty God, help stop the sectarian disease that is

causing death and sorrow. Amen. Happy Eid everyone.

Prayers forexpats in Kuwait

L o c a l17 Friday

July 2015

By Ben Garcia

If you have visited Arab homes, you mayhave noticed some scented bukhoorbeing burned in one corner of their

houses. Bukhoor are scented chips or bricksof a tree from various origins. These areprepared and are usually burned in amabkhara, a traditional incense burner.

Bukhoor is part of their tradition and agesture of hospitality. In fact, it is custom-ary to pass bukhoor among guests. Also,bukhoor is used on special occasions likeweddings or even during Friday prayers.Bukhoor supposedly has healing proper-ties: the scent of bukhoor can helpstrengthen body and spirit; but generallyaccording to some Arabs, they are just butperfume in the house.

In Mubarakiya Market, there are manyshops catering to bukhoor customers only.One of many is the Mabrook PerfumeCompany located in the middle of the mar-ket. Fadal Al-Rahman, a Bangladeshi sales-man has worked at Bukhoor Company formany years now, so long that one candescribe him as a bukhoor expert. “I knowevery scent of bukhoor available in themarket,” he said.

Most expensiveBukhoor from India is the most expen-

sive, Rahman said. Indian bukhoor is soldfrom KD 200 to KD 1,000 per kilogram.

“While Indian bukhoor is no longer avail-able in Kuwait, you can still get thembecause there are some shops with con-tacts back in India,” he said. Rahman clari-fied that Indian bukhoor is banned forexport by the Indian government, but ifthere are businessmen who want Indianbukhoor, they buy them when they go toIndia and bring them back to Kuwait. “Soit’s available, but few are selling them,” hesaid.

“You know, even the Sri Lankan bukhooris not allowed to be exported out of SriLanka, but you can find them here as well,”he added.

Bukhoor tree can be legally sourcedfrom Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar andCambodia.

FragranceBukhoor tree itself doesn’t release a fra-

grance, but the process and, most of thetime, the oldest trees or the dying agarwood trees do. Rahman said the bark andtrunk are selections from the agar woodtree that are available. “The more maturethe agar tree is, the more it is ready,” hesaid.

Rahman lauded Indian bukhoor as thebest. “They are the best because of theweather. The scent is being affected byweather and you know how good theweather is when it comes to bukhoor,” hesaid.

Various bukhoor scents may varydepending on one’s desired fragrance.“Arabs want something with a very strongfragrance because they are also connectedto the weather condition here. Besides, the

Not just a perfume, but a

sweet fragrance of culture,

hospitality and healing

A bowl of fresh store-bought bukhoor.Fadal Al-Rahman,

a Bangladeshi salesman who is also

a bukhoor expert.

17 FridayJuly 2015

ABK would like to inform its clients that during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, its Branches and the Head Office will be closedfrom Sunday 19th July to Monday 20th July as per theapproved guidelines set by the Kuwait BankingAssociation (KBA). The Bank will resume its regular workinghours on the first business day following the Eid Al-Fitrholiday, Tuesday 21st July 2015.

ABK’s online services and call center will be available 24hours a day during the holiday and can be reached by vis-iting www.eahli.com or by contacting an ABK representa-tive via ‘Ahli Chat’ or a customer service agent via ‘AhlanAhli’ at 1899899.

ABK would like to extend its warmest wishes to the Amirof the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince of KuwaitSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and to theKuwaiti government and its people.

ABK wishes everyone

in Kuwait a Happy

Eid Al-Fitr

stronger the fragrance of bukhoor, the bet-ter it will be because they can reuse themthe following day or perhaps they can skipa day before burning the new one,” headded.

Mamul is the most sought bukhoor formany in Kuwait right now. It releases thereal Arabian essence and is traditionallyused in many Arab homes. There aremachine and ready-made bukhoor in themarket but according to Rahman, they arenot as competitive as the natural bukhoor.

Tradition“The tradition here in Kuwait is that sim-

ple bukhoor should be burned and itssmoke scattered around every corner ofthe room,” Rahman said.

Bukhoor also has other uses. Abayas(garment worn by women) or dishdashas(garment worn by men) can be scented bywaving the clothing into the smoke tocatch the scent of bukhoor. Bukhoor canalso be used as body perfume by applyingdehan, a spreadable form of bukhoor, onthe hair. When using dehan, one shouldput dehan on the tip of one’s fingers andrun it through one’s wet hair.

You can also wave your hands close to thebukhoor burner to catch the scent. The closeryou are to the bukhoor burner, the morechances you’ll catch the fragrance,” Rahmansaid. A rich thick scented smoke can have along lasting smell to the recipients and thesmoke of the bukhoor can be absorbed byany fabric like curtains, sofas and carpets.

One of the many shops in Mubarakiya Market that specifically cater to selling bukhoor.

Bukhoor are scented chips or bricks of atree from various origins.

L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Kuwait Times is publishing daily reviews of threeof Kuwaiti soap operas aired on Al Rai TV. Here are thereviews of the 28th episodes:

‘Qabil lil Kaser’ Bu Fahad asks Mariam again about his proposal as he wait-ed for her for more than two months and she agrees tomarry him.

Jinan comes back to Kuwait and from the airport goesstraight to Raja’s house hugging her and saying shemissed her so much, and at this moment she seeSulaiman inside the house and she is shocked. She fightswith Raja who says she didn’t betray her and that shemarried Sulaiman after she knew Jinan doesn’t love himanymore. Raja again demands from Sulaiman to leaveKuwait but he refuses.

Jinan goes home and Ali leaves her there. She tells Wedabout Raja and how she betrayed her for so many years,and it was Raja who encouraged her to marry Ali. WhenYousef comes home he fights with Jinan and she tells himshe is pregnant. Yousef tells Jinan to leave the house andthat he and Wed filed a case against her to protect theirmoney.

Ali goes home and the maid told him about all theevents that happened during his absence. When Hadeelcomes, Ali asks her why she didn’t tell him that her fatherdivorced her mother and that her father agreed to let hermarry him without conditions. She said she was afraid hewill blame her for pushing him to marry Jinan as he wastelling her to wait.

When Fahad’s mother goes to sell the gold she tookfrom the suitcase, the gold shop staff tells her it’s fake andsome pieces are only gold plated and there are no dia-monds: it’s only crystal.

‘Ummina Rwehit Al Jannah’Nasser tells his grandmother the truth that he had to

lie as his mother Futuh threatened to leave him at thejuvenile prison that day for taking the ID from her wallet.Fatma then goes to Futuh and slaps her for what she did.

While waiting for the result of her pregnancy test,Fayza meets a female relative and tells her she is waitingfor Fawziya’s test and her ex-husband hears it and goesrunning to Fawziya to fight with her but Fayza tells himthe test is for her and Fawziya was covering for her.

Ghada took Taiba to the house of her brotherWaleed’s friend who played the role of her boyfriendwhen Farouq saw them. In front of his wife, the man tellsthe truth that it was just a play to make Farouq divorcehis second wife. Farouq hears this statement and hedivorces Taiba immediately. He then goes home withGhada, telling her that he will announce their marriage infront of everybody.

While the children are playing, a charged mobile phonestarts burning and they call Fatma to help them but shedoes not take it seriously as she thinks it’s another play ofFutuh. But when the firemen come, she realizes it’s trueand the glass falls from her hand and it breaks. She stepson the broken glass and injures her feet while looking forthe key to open the door. She then tells the paramedictreating her feet that she didn’t believe the children asthey did these tricks many times and asks her children if

they believe her and they did.Fahad takes Nouf to the old house and calls the police

telling them there are thieves at the house. When theyenter the house, Fawzy locks them in and the police arrive.

‘Thakira min Waraq’ Masha’el meets Fawaz to tell him that Nawaf wants to

marry Shouq, and Fawaz says he won’t agree. When Fawazleft the house, Shouq went to meet Nawaf who said he isfed up of meeting secretly and insists on getting marriedsoon.

Ali’s mother is happy that her plan worked and Najd isjealous.

Nawaf calls Fawaz, and said he wants to meet him. ThenFawaz goes to Shouq and takes her phone to see the SMSon her phone and fights with her. Nawaf comes to theirhouse proposing to marry Shouq and Fawaz closes thedoor in his face.

Fawaz meets Masha’el who tells him to refuse the mar-riage of Nawaf and Shouq. Fawaz asks her if she lovesNawaf and she denies it, so he proposes to marry her andshe agrees on one condition: not to allow Nawaf to marryhis sister.

The police come to arrest Ghanim and he runs away. Hegoes to Fajer’s house and breaks the window to get inside.He tells her to leave the house with him, since now he hasmoney.

Fawaz calls Hamad in Germany to ask if Masha’el lovesNawaf and Hamad denies it saying there is no relationbetween them. Hamad then calls Masha’el to tell herabout the phone call demanding Euro 10,000, and sheassures him she will send it.

Ramadan soap operas’ reviewThe cast of ‘Ummina Rwehit Al Jannah’ with the author Heba Hamada (sitting).

L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahreceived congratulations yesterday onthe advent of Eid Al-Fitr from HisHighness the Crown Prince Sheikh NawafAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker ofNational Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim, Chairman of National GuardSheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, DeputyChairman of National Guard SheikhMishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HisHighness Sheikh Nasser Al-MohammadAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah and His Highness thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah.

They expressed their loyalty to thedear homeland and the Kuwaiti people,

whishing HH the Amir good health andKuwait further progress and prosperity.HH the Amir, meanwhile, sent congratu-lations to them on the same occasion,expressing his gratitude for their goodsentiments.

Crown Prince receives greetings Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown

Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah received a phone callWednesday from Abu Dhabi CrownPrince and Deputy Supreme Commanderof the UAE Armed Forces SheikhMohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.During the conversation, SheikhMohammed expressed his congratula-

tions and blessings on the advent of EidAl-Fitr, praying to Allah Almighty to blessHis Highness the Crown Prince with ever-lasting health and wellness, the Kuwaitipeople with lasting development, pros-perity and progress under the wise lead-ership of His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, andArab and Islamic nations with blessingsand further progress.

In return, His Highness the CrownPrince thanked Sheikh Mohammed’sfriendly and true sentiments, wishing theleadership, government and people ofUAE further progress and prosperity underthe wise leadership of President SheikhKhalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. — KUNA

Amir receives Eid congratulationsfrom top officials

KUWAIT: Kuwait Portland CementCompany earned KD 5.2 million in theyear’s H1, 55.1 fils per share, comparedto KD 5.8 million, 61.12 fils per share inin H1 2014. The company said in astatement, posted on the KSE website,that its total assets reached KD 82.34million, liabilities KD 17.48 million inthe year’s H1, as compared to KD 15.15million in H1, 2014.

Meanwhile, Al-Kout IndustrialProjects Company said in a statement,also posted on the KSE website, that itearned KD two million in H1, 2015,21.08 fils per share, in contrast to KD3.06 million, 31.56 fils per share, thesame period of the past year. Its assetsreached some KD 30.34 million and lia-bilities KD 4.7 million. For its part, theUnited Real Estate Company earnedKD 3.6 million, compared to KD 3.5 mil-lion last year. USD is currently in therange of KD 0.302.

Session closes mixedIn other news, Kuwait Stock

Exchange (KSE) closed yesterday’s ses-sion with the three key indices per-forming in a mixed manner.Benchmark read 6,276.3, gaining 7.9points, while the weighted index

dropped by 2.34 points and Kuwait-15,9.47. Value of traded shares reachedKD 8.6 million, volume turnover some93.49 million shares, done in 2,158deals. — KUNA

Al-Ghanim had significant role

in supporting Iraq KUWAIT: Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Salim Al-Jabouri said thatKuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim had asignificant role in the decision to make Iraq the venue to hostthe Islamic Parliaments conference in 2016. Al-Ghanim has alsoprovided support for Iraq to host the parliamentary event nextyear, Al-Jabouri said an interview with the Kuwaiti-based Al-Majlis TV channel Wednesday on the sidelines of his current vis-it to the country.

Iraq sought to host the parliamentary conference out of itsdesire to be part of the Arab and Islamic system, Al-Jabouri said,asserting his country’s need for friends’ assistance in thisregard, notably Kuwait due to its closeness and interaction withevents in Iraq. He also said that his country has been isolatedfrom its Arab surrounding for a period of time, adding thathosting such events is necessary in order to attain unison withneighboring countries.

The Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations are distinctive and share a clearand united vision in facing the region’s challenges, the IraqiSpeaker said, noting that hosting the event in Iraq is a clear anddirect message by Islamic nations against terrorism.

Terrorist attacks On Iraq’s return to its pivotal role in the region, he said that

his country is still suffering from terrorist attacks, as well asinternational and regional interventions which affected theIraqi people and their relationships towards each other.

On the political system in Iraq, Al-Jabouri noted that thepolitical regime has not seen stability so far despite commit-ment in political dues such as parliamentary elections, govern-ment formation, and presidency, stressing the importance topreserve the country’s official and constitutional institutions, aswell as their elements. He also pointed out that elements ofcurrent chaos in Iraq are not only triggered by the Islamic Statein Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), but also from other militant militiasand armed groups, adding that the sectarian discrimination inIraq has affected aspirations of Iraqis due to some negativeactions by some politicians.

The Iraqi Speaker stressed the importance of political partici-pation in his country in order to attain demands and interestsof all components of the Iraqi society, confirming that the pointof understanding starts from a real partnership among the soci-ety’s components and an effective participation in building thecountry. On participation of the popular mobilization forceswith the Iraqi army in facing ISIL, Al-Jabouri said that there is alarge number of Iraqis who rushed to aid Iraqi security forces,many among whom died while defending the country. OnIraq’s future, the Iraqi Speaker confirmed that he is exerting allefforts in favor of Iraq’s unity and attaining harmony amongIraqis in order to overcome challenges. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker MarzouqAl-Ghanim and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Kuwait oil price risesKUWAIT: Price of the Kuwaiti crude oil rose 67 cents toreach USD 54.44 per barrel on Wednesday, as comparedto USD 53.77 pb on Tuesday, Kuwait PetroleumCorporation said yesterday. In the international markets,the Brent crudes dropped USD 1.46, 2.5 percent, reachingUSD 57.05 pb.

Meanwhile, the American crude price also dropped, byUSD 1.63, some three percent, settling at USD 51.41 pb.The crude prices on the international markets have moveddown despite fall of the American crude reserves, by some4.3 million barrels, last week, while the US refineries uppedoperations to record levels. — KUNA

Kuwaiti companies post earnings

Kuwait Stock Exchange

L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

String of fires around Kuwait

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a vehicle near South Surra, said secu-rity sources noting that firemen from Farwaniya rushed to thescene and managed to control the fire without reporting anycasualties. A similar fire broke out in another vehicle near Al-Bade. Salmiya firemen rushed to the scene and managed to con-trol the fire without reporting any casualties, said securitysources.

Jahra, Jleeb house firesA fire broke out in a Jahra house, said security sources noting

that firemen from Jahra rushed to the scene where they dividedthemselves into teams to evacuate the house, ventilate it andfight the fire. No casualties were reported. Another fire brokeout in a Jleeb building and when firemen reached the scene theyfound that the fire started in a third floor balcony. The wholebuilding had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure andthe flames were controlled without any casualties.

Abdullah school fireA fire broke out inside the room of a school security officer in

Abdullah Al-Mubarak area. Firemen managed to control the fireand rescue the security officers, who had been trapped inside theroom, preventing the fire from spreading to other parts of theschool.

People trapped in liftA few people were trapped inside a lift at Bayan co-op when

the power failed, said security sources noting that firemen fromMishref rushed to the scene and managed to release them. Noneof the occupants were severely traumatized but a few had casesof sustained breathlessness.

Deadly car crash A citizen was critically injured in a crash alongside the King

Fahad highway. Security sources noted that firemen had to be dis-patched to the scene to cut the wreckage open and release him.

KUWAIT CITY: Artec 3D, a global marketleader in 3D scanners, and Kuwait-based com-pany 3D Utopia, are unveiling the world’s firsthigh-speed full-body 3D scanner for 3D por-traits for the first time in Kuwait at Al RayaMall from 15th July 2015 onwards. ArtecShapify Booth will help customers experience3D technologies firsthand in a way that’s easy,fun and affordable. His Highness SheikhMohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah,Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, is expect-ed to attend the unveiling of the scanner.

Artec Shapify Booth offers a unique newway of capturing life’s most important mile-stones like graduations, marriages and preg-nancies in the form of a shapie - a 3D portrait.A shapie not only gives the one-of-a-kindexperience of being scanned in a full-bodybooth, but is a memorable gift or mementothat captures your unique style and self-expression. Photos are an all-too-commonsight in our homes and on our desks. Shapiesare a new way to preserve and display ourfavorite memories in high quality and vividcolor. Ideal for venues such as theme parks,shopping malls, outdoor and indoor attrac-tions, the Shapify Booth is perfect for capitaliz-ing on existing customer flows and drawingnew ones.

The booth includes 4 wide view high reso-lution 3D scanners which rotate around thecustomer, built-in lighting system, a highspeed processor and 3D modeling software.The Booth scans customers in only 12 sec-onds; in 5 minutes a detailed 3D model is cre-ated automatically, and in 15 minutes, thehigh-quality 3D-printable file is completed.These high-precision scanners, used in theaerospace, medical and manufacturing indus-

tries to guarantee quality control, captureeven the slightest specifics, down to wrinkleson clothes. Now with Shapify Booth and itsaccompanying user-friendly software, thescanners can be controlled by simply pressingone button.

“We are very excited to present ourShapify booth in Kuwait, especially after thepositive response we received at the DEALshow in Dubai earlier this year,” said ArtyomYukhin, president and CEO of Artec 3D. “TheShapify booth has been significantly popularin Asia, the US and Western Europe, and todaywe are thrilled to be sharing our 3D technolo-gies with consumers in the Middle East.Although 3D technology, specifically 3D print-ing, is widely heard of in the news, it has notreached the stage where it is easily accessible

to the average consumer. We aim to changethis and believe the Shapify Booth canbecome many people’s first interaction with3D technologies. Through Shapify booth, wealso endeavor to showcase the opportunitiesthat 3D scanning and printing technologypresents to enterprises and companies in theMiddle East”. Artec’s highly sophisticated soft-ware automatically merges together hun-dreds of generated images to produce a full-body 3D image file ready for 3D printing,without any post-processing. Finally, the digi-tal model is then sent to a 3D printing centerto make a full color mini-statue which can bedelivered to or collected by the customer. TheShapify Booth will be near (Alray ShoppingCenter) and will be available for customers totry starting from 15 July 2015.

KUWAIT: OnTime the most admired andtrendsetting designer watch retailer in theregion and Trinkets, the region’s leading fash-ion jewelry retailer will be showcasing select-ed exclusive pieces from their stunning newcollection at an interactive booth inspired bythe Holy Month of Ramadan at The AvenuesMall.

Brands such as Ferre Milano, DiciandMichael Kors from OnTime and EmporioArmani, Michael Kors and AignerfromTrinkets will be displayed at the booth. Anationwide Ramadan promotion is rolled outsimultaneously at all OnTime stores, givingcustomers the opportunity to walk away witha gift box on all purchases above KD75.

In an eclectic mix of traditional meets con-temporary, the Ramadan booth at TheAvenues Mall will feature an Oud instrumen-talist who shall mesmerize customers withtraditional tunes. For the first time in Kuwait,the event will be featuring a musician playingthe Hand pan, a new-age German instrumentplayed with the hands and fingers to createsoft and warm calming tones. Customers willalso be able to pose and be photographed in

a crescent-shaped chair, specifically custom-made for the booth this year and send outEid greetings to their friends and relatives.

“It gives us great pleasure in showcasingthe OnTime and Trinkets collection for ourfashion-conscious clientele through thisbooth which we believe aptly captures thevery essence of Ramadan. The ambience set

by the music, furniture and will provide cus-tomers with the perfect setting to browsethrough the collection with the spirit ofRamadan resonating in the background” saidJade Morwa, Marketing Head, Watches &Jewelry Division- Alyasra Fashion. The nation-wide promotion at OnTime stores will go onfrom July 10th to July 20th.

Artec 3D unveils world’s first highspeed full-body 3D scanner

KUWAIT: An interior ministry statementyesterday warned that all reports made byboth citizens and expats were being takenseriously and that security forces would,accordingly, deal very strictly with hoax,vexatious and frivolity calls and reports,especially those related to state securityand stability. The statement explainedthat security forces recently received a

report from an 11 year old child reportingthat a terrorist was outside a Subahiyamosque and on arresting another 14 yearold child, the informant admitted that hewas only joking with his friend.

The statement added that a Pakistanihanded over an envelope to the Imam of amosque at Abdullah Al-Mubarak area andon opening it, the Imam found a photo-

copy of another Pakistani’s ID withremarks that he was a terrorist who fledthe country before Eid. The statementstressed that on checking up about bothPakistanis, security forces found out thatthey had been having some unsettled oldscores and that they were both arrestedfor making hoax calls and were referred tothe relevant authorities.

MOI warns of hoax, vexatious reports

Ontime & Trinkets showcase exclusive designer pieces at The Avenues mall

The school in Abdullah Al-Mubarak area that caught on fire.

The car crash alongside the King Fahad highway.

18Japan lawmakerspass security bills despite publicanger16

Pakistan summons Indianenvoy after ‘spydrone’ shot down13

A year on,Ukrainian villagers recall horrors ofMH17 crash

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Iran’s conservatives take aim at nuclear deal

JERUSALEM: British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (L) holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the latter’s office in Jerusalem yesterday, following ameeting to discuss the recent nuclear deal between major powers and Iran. Hammond sought to reassure Israel over the nuclear deal, saying “robust measures” were in place to ensure its suc-cess. — AFP

DUBAI: Iran’s security hawks have begun snip-ing at their country’s historic nuclear deal,emboldened a day after Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei described some of theworld powers that signed it as “untrustworthy”.

Khamenei’s remark will be understood byIranians to refer largely to the United Statesand Britain, the “Great and Little Satans” longreviled by Iran’s revolutionary theocracy fortheir support of the Shah, overthrown in 1979.

The comment carries weight, because theconservative cleric is the ultimate arbiter ofhigh state policy under Iran’s unwieldy dualsystem of clerical and republican rule.

Khamenei did voice guarded appreciationof the deal, saying it was significant, and urgedcalm, perhaps alluding to surging popularhopes for an end to Iran’s isolation, or to strainsbetween the supporters of the deal and its crit-ics. But his downbeat, measured tone was incontrast to lavish praise for the agreementfrom pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani andhis Western-educated foreign minister,Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Figures close to Khamenei lost little time intaking aim at the accord, which lifts sanctionson Tehran in return for Iran accepting long-term curbs on a nuclear programme that theWest has suspected was aimed at creating anuclear bomb.

PACT WITH THE DEVIL?One saw worrying discrepancies between

the US and Iranian interpretations of what hadbeen agreed. “The Iranian fact-sheet of theconclusion of the deal issued by the foreignministry had significant differences with whatAmerica’s president mentioned in his remarks,”Mohammad Kazem Anbarlui wrote in an edito-rial for the conservative newspaper Resalat.

“The fact-sheet of the rival shows thatIranian red lines, particularly about the lifting ofsanctions, have not been observed. The phras-es and words used in the text contain paren-theses and it is loaded with interpretable,ambiguous or multi-meaning expressions,” headded.

Some conservatives believe reaching a deal

with Washington is tantamount to a pact withthe devil.

While Khamenei will have the last word onthe deal, hardliners want the text subjected torigorous scrutiny when it is submitted for con-sideration to parliament and the NationalSecurity Council.

These critics had a mild but visible presencein the streets on Tuesday when the deal wasannounced.

An eyewitness told Reuters that, in the Karajsuburb of Tehran, a man who was handing outsweets to people for “nuclear victory” wasshoved and roughed up by long bearded menwho looked like members of the hardline Basijmilitia.

Another eyewitness told Reuters that Basijon motorbikes made their presence felt in theaffluent Vanak Square in north Tehran to showdissatisfaction with street jubilations. Theywere outnumbered by young people dancing.No clash was reported.

Security hardliners such as the Basij and theleaders of the Revolutionary Guards Corps car-

ry real clout. Conservative leaders of theGuards opposed many policies of reformistpresident Mohammad Khatami, who servedfrom 1997 to 2005, and helped to scuttle hisboldest initiatives.

The Guards and the Basij also helped sup-press huge street protests that followed thedisputed re-election of hardline presidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

The two organisations are part of Iran’sunwieldy system of competing power struc-tures, some of which, like the Guards, havetheir own business empires.

Critics of Rouhani’s outreach to the Weststarted their political campaign last year,announcing their concerns about Tehran’s pos-sible concessions in nuclear negotiations. Aftera lavish conference titled “We are worriedabout a bad deal”, they have simply becomeknown as “The Worried”. While not a politicalparty, “The Worried” is an umbrella termdescribing those with a deep affiliation withhardline conservatives and those who criticiseRouhani’s government.—Reuters

Zarif seeks opening to the West but hawks fear capitulation

11I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

JERUSALEM: British Foreign SecretaryPhilip Hammond was in Israel yesterday fortalks on this week’s nuclear agreement withIran, a day after charging it would haveopposed any deal with its arch-foe.Hammond was due to meet Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, who has remained asdefiant as ever in his opposition toTuesday’s agreement between Iran and themajor powers, describing it as a “stunning,historic mistake”. But Hammond told theBritish parliament ahead of his visit thatthere was no agreement that the powerscould have struck with Iran that would havebeen acceptable to Israel.

“The question you have to ask yourselfis what kind of a deal would have beenwelcomed in Tel Aviv,” Hammond said onWednesday. “The answer of course is thatIsrael doesn’t want any deal with Iran.Israel wants a permanent state of standoffand I don’t believe that’s in the interests ofthe region. I don’t believe it’s in our inter-est.” Netanyahu has charged repeatedlythat the agreement will not block Iran’s

path to a nuclear weapon and has signaledIsrael could use military force to prevent it.He says Israel will not be bound by theagreement because “Iran continues to

seek our destruction.” He has warned thatIran will be flush with cash after the liftingof UN and Western sanctions that willallow it to boost its support to militants

around the region. “We shall diligentlyreserve our right to defend ourselvesagainst all our enemies,” Netanyahu toldIsraeli lawmakers on Wednesday. “Wehave great and mighty strength on ourside.” However, unilateral military force byIsrael appears highly unlikely for now andbehind-the-scenes talks could produceconcessions to compensate it for thethreat it says the deal poses.

After Hammond, US Defense SecretaryAshton Carter is due in Israel next week. Israeliopposition leader Isaac Herzog is also due tovisit the United States soon, in part to push forsecurity guarantees. Herzog said he planned“to demand that Israel receive a full-fledgedsecurity and military umbrella that will keepits qualitative and military edge in order to beable to challenge the risks entailed in thisagreement.” The United States currentlygrants Israel some $3 billion (2.7 billion euros)in military aid a year, in addition to support forother projects, including its Iron Dome missiledefense system. Israel is the Middle East’s soleif undeclared nuclear-armed power—AFP

British foreign minister in Israel to discuss Iran deal

BAGHDAD: As Iraqi forces prepare to try torecapture the city of Falluja, tens of thou-sands of civilians find themselves trappedbetween Islamic State militants ready touse them as human shields and a govern-ment suspicious of their loyalties. With thejihadists coercing them to stay, and a gov-ernment blockade and shelling closing exitroutes and cutting off supplies, there is “avice, a noose around the neck of the popu-lation”, Lise Grande, the UN humanitariancoordinator in Iraq, said.

Iraq’s Shiite Muslim-led government onMonday announced the start of operationsto “liberate Anbar”, the province west ofBaghdad whose Sunni Muslim cities andtowns along the Euphrates have since lastyear become strongholds of Islamic State.“Since military operations began, it hasbecome impossible to leave,” said one 42-year-old teacher. “They (Islamic State) haveplanted bombs at the entrance and exits tothe city and on the main roads to preventsecurity forces entering or citizens leaving.”

Communication with those still insideFalluja is increasingly difficult. The teacherwas afraid to let his name be used, and hiscomments were relayed to Reuters by afriend. Baghdad’s last military push againstIslamic State, to retake Tikrit in April, cameafter most citizens had fled. Leaders of theShiite militias fighting alongside Iraq’sarmy say Falluja’s civilians will be evacuat-ed before the final push, but, in a climate offear, residents are not confident. This week,hundreds of fighters who said they hadcome from Syria and the northern Iraqi cityof Mosul paraded through Falluja, said theteacher, whose account of Islamic State’stight control was echoed by other sources.Preachers in mosques were warning peo-ple not to cooperate with security forcesand, after prayers, Islamists were delivering“jihadist lectures”.

Papers confiscatedHisham Al-Hashemi, an Iraqi security

analyst, said Islamic State had this weekconfiscated the identity papers of up to

50,000 people to stop them leaving, andthat it was extremely difficult to escapeeither Falluja, seized by Islamic State earlylast year, or nearby Ramadi. The teachersaid the Islamists, who have declared acaliphate in Iraq and Syria, were in effectholding the population hostage to “attractthe sympathy of jihadists worldwide”when the government assault came.

A 49-year-old taxi driver inside the citysaid fruit, meat and vegetables werebecoming harder to find since roads intothe city were blocked. Umm Asma, ahousewife, said she was rationing food toher family in case there was a long siege.Some people are still managing to makeperilous escapes from Falluja, however;Reuters spoke to four families who saidthey had left this week.

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman, a 48-year-oldtaxi driver, said he had run the gauntlet ofheavy bombardment when he found anexit north of the city to bring out his wifeand two children three days earlier. “Westill can’t believe that we have left Falluja,”he said. “We have left everything behind:the car, the house and the furniture.” Theoutskirts of Falluja are at least spared airstrikes by a US-led coalition, because thegovernment forces advancing on the cityare mostly Iranian-backed Shiite “HashidShaabi” militias, which Washington isreluctant to support.

There is, however, air support for theIraqi army forces advancing on the provin-cial capital Ramadi, halfway betweenFalluja and Baghdad, from where thou-sands fled in April and May as Islamic Stateseized the city. There are no precise figuresfor the remaining populations in eithercity. Hashemi said Falluja still had aroundhalf its pre-crisis population of 370,000.Other estimates suggest far fewer remain.

SuspicionBut even those who safely make it out

of Iraq’s Sunni heartland, where IslamicState has in part been able to tap intolong-standing resentment of the Shiite-

led authorities in Baghdad, complain thatthey are met with suspicion in the capital.“All roads were closed off, as if we are ene-mies of the government,” said Saad Jaber,a 41-year-old who said he had been forcedto stay with his brother in a town south ofFalluja because he could not get toBaghdad. “The government was supposedto reward us and help us because wemanaged to escape from Daesh (IslamicState),” he said. “It’s not our fault that thegovernment is weak and unable to defendus.”

Authorities in Baghdad, which has suf-fered repeated waves of car bombingsclaimed by Islamic State, are wary ofadmitting a flood of displaced Sunni civil-ians, fearing that militants could slip inwith them. That led to many thousands ofpeople being blocked at a bridge acrossthe Euphrates in intense heat earlier thissummer.

While much of the focus has been onthe two main Anbar cities closest to thecapital, towns farther up the Euphratesvalley nearer to Syria are ever more isolat-ed and finding it harder to get food,Grande said. Haditha, one of the few gov-ernment-held towns in Anbar, is increas-ingly cut off by Islamic State fighters. “Wehave reports that food prices are increas-ing to the point where families can’t affordbasic commodities,” UN coordinatorGrande said.

But just as the United Nations preparesfor “what is likely to be a very difficult sum-mer” of humanitarian crisis across Anbar,she said it was running desperately shortof money. “Seventy-seven front-linehealth clinics are closing or dramaticallyscaling back,” she said. Even if securityforces are successful in Ramadi and Falluja,they will face further battles - and run intomillions more civilians - on the way torecapturing their ultimate northern target,Mosul, Iraq’s second city. “Many towns willbe impacted,” Grande said. Already the sit-uation is desperate, and it is getting much,much, much worse.”—Reuters

Noose tightens around thousandscaught in Iraq’s Anbar offensive

Residents say Islamic State trapping them in cities

Loyalists vie to secure Adenfor exiled government return

ADEN: Loyalist forces battled to oust Iran-backed rebels from theirremaining positions in Yemen’s second city Aden yesterday as exiledministers prepared to return to assess the damage from four months offighting. The planned visit by the three ministers would be the first sincethe Houthi rebels and their allies entered the southern port city in Marchforcing President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his government intoexile in neighboring Saudi Arabia. Since the launch of Operation GoldenArrow on Tuesday, Hadi’s loyalists have recaptured Aden airport andmuch of the surrounding Khormaksar diplomatic district, as well as theprovincial government headquarters, in their biggest counteroffensiveso far. Southern militiamen of the Popular Resistance, backed by rein-forcements freshly trained and equipped in Saudi Arabia, have alsogained ground in the Crater and Mualla districts of the city. The rebelsattempted to bring in reinforcements from the central province of Baidaovernight but they were bombed by a Saudi-led coalition which hasbeen waging an air campaign against them since March. Coalition war-planes also bombed rebel positions on Aden’s northern and eastern out-skirts and in other districts of the city, military sources and witnesses said.Pro-government fighters were using loudspeakers yesterday to offer theremaining rebels in Crater, Mualla and Khormaksar safe passage out ofthe city if they surrender, local officials said.

The loyalists overwhelmed rebels who had been holed up in theChinese consulate in Khormaksar and freed 22 of their comrades whohad been held captive, Popular Resistance spokesman Ali Al-Ahmadisaid. The retreating rebels again pounded Aden oil refinery withKatyusha multiple rocket launchers, sparking a new blaze at the facility,which has 1.2 million tons of crude in storage, an oil official said. Thicksmoke formed over the refinery-Yemen’s largest-and residents of nearbyareas were evacuated, witnesses said.

With the rebels in retreat, the exiled government announced planslate on Wednesday for Interior Minister Abdo Al-Houdaithi, TransportMinister Badr Baslama, and deputy health minister Nasser Baoum tohead to Aden. Government spokesman Rajih Badi said that they wouldleave Riyadh “in the coming hours... to assess the situation and the mag-nitude of the destruction.”—AFP

JERUSALEM: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shakeshands with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.—AP

ADEN: Yemeni fighters loyal to exiled President AbedrabboMansour Hadi evacuate an injured comrade during clasheswith Shiite Houthi rebels.—AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Future of BBC up for grabs as UK government kicks off review

Government says BBC could be smaller and cheaperLONDON: Britain’s newly electedConservative government signaled yester-day it would cut back the BBC, the open-ing salvo in a battle over the future of theworld’s biggest public service broadcaster.Any attempt to change the 92-year-oldbroadcaster provokes a fierce reaction inBritain, where it claims a unique culturalstatus from its role in showing everythingfrom royal weddings and sports events tolocal news and popular dramas. Settingout proposals for the biggest overhaul ofthe BBC in at least a decade, the govern-ment said changes in viewing habitsmeant the current scale, scope and fund-ing of the corporation may no longer beappropriate.

“With so much more choice in what toconsume and how to consume it, we mustat least question whether the BBC shouldtry to be all things to all people,” MediaSecretary John Whittingdale told parlia-ment. Supporters of the BBC say it is aprized national institution that projectsBritish culture around the world while pro-viding essential domestic and internation-al news.

But opponents as diverse as Scottishnationalists, media tycoons and some inPrime Minister David Cameron’s govern-ment say the BBC is a bloated organizationthat throttles commercial competition andfails to properly balance its news coverage.“We believe that this Green Paper wouldappear to herald a much diminished, lesspopular BBC,” the corporation said of thegovernment’s consultation document.“That would be bad for Britain and wouldnot be the BBC that the public has knownand loved for over 90 years.”

‘Diminished BBC’?Known affectionately as “Auntie”, the

BBC runs nine national TV channels, 10national radio stations and a comprehen-sive website. With an overall income of 4.8billion pounds ($7.5 billion) a year, itemploys nearly 19,000 people. It is currentlyfunded by a 145.50 pound ($226.92) licensefee paid by every TV-owning household aswell as by some commercial income.

After an unexpectedly decisive electionvictory, Cameron’s government is in astrong position to take on the BBC.Whittingdale said the government wouldexamine whether the BBC should bereduced in size, whether a subscriptionservice or home levy would become moreappropriate in time, and whether it needsstronger oversight from a new externalregulator. Its commercial arm, BBCWorldwide, which promotes and sells itsprogramming around the world, could beprivatized.

“Given the vast choice that audiencesnow have, there is an argument that theBBC might become more focused on anarrower, core set of services,” the gov-ernment said. “A smaller BBC could seethe public pay less for their TV licenseand would a lso be l ikely to have areduced market impact.” Long criticizedby successive British governments andsections of the r ight-wing domesticpress, the BBC says polling shows thataudiences think it produces a broadrange of high quality programs. “Would itnot be profoundly unpatriotic to seek todiminish the BBC and thereby diminishBritain?” said Chris Bryant, a lawmakerfrom the opposition Labor Party. “TheBBC is not a government play-thing,” hesaid.—Reuters

FRANCE: French President Francois Hollande and French Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve leave the Elysee palace.—AFP

PARIS: France has foiled a “terrorist” plot tocapture and decapitate a member of its armedforces at a military base, officials said. InteriorMinister Bernard Cazeneuve said securityforces staged dawn raids on Monday andarrested four people, aged between 16 and 23,who were “planning to commit a terrorist act”at a French military installation.

The youngest was quickly released but theother three are suspected of planning to kid-nap and behead a member of the military, pos-sibly on December 31 when the facility wasthinly staffed. The oldest of the group servedas a navy signalman at the base around thesouthern town of Collioure, which is also usedfor training by elite commando forces.

He was identified as Djebril and was recent-ly kicked out of the navy, said a source close tothe investigation who did not wish to benamed. The other key plotter was just 17, andwas already being closely watched by authori-ties due to his activities on social media andconnections to French jihadists in prison. Allthree of those still under arrest had been plan-ning to travel to jihadist-controlled areas ofSyria, the security source said, but the 17-year-old’s mother contacted authorities and he wasinterviewed by counter-terrorism officials.

No weapons were found during the arrests,the source said, although officials discovereddocuments on preparing explosives. The newsof the arrests followed a statement from

President Francois Hollande, who said attackshad been thwarted in recent days. “This week,we stopped terrorist attacks which could havetaken place,” Hollande said on a visit to thesouthern city of Marseille.

France remains on high alert more than sixmonths after jihadist attacks in January thatclaimed 17 lives and started with shootings atsatirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. At traditionalJuly 14 celebrations, Hollande said: “Everyweek, we are arresting, preventing ... terroristacts.” The suspected plotters are now in thecustody of France’s intelligence services, theDGSI, and anti-terrorist prosecutors in Parishave opened a probe, Cazeneuve said. “I wantto congratulate our security services for thisnew blow to the terrorists and for again foilingan attack,” said the minister.

Jihadist ‘hotline’ News of the foiled attack came just hours

after two blasts on Tuesday at a petrochemicalplant near Marseille, described by Cazeneuveas a “criminal act”. Investigators had yet to pindown a motive for the explosions and therewas currently “no link” with the foiled attackon the military base, he added. The govern-ment says there are 1,850 French citizens orpeople living in France who are “implicated” injihadist networks, with around 500 in Syria orIraq. France, which is home to Europe’s largestMuslim population, has beefed up security,

posting 30,000 police officers and soldiers out-side 5,000 sites deemed “sensitive” such asschools and places of worship. Authoritieshave also set up a hotline for friends or familyconcerned that someone could be tempted towage jihad-an effort that has yielded 2,500leads.

Following controversial “anti-terror” lawspassed last year, France is also preventing sus-pected jihadists from leaving the country-some 118 travel bans have been enforcedsince the legislation was passed in November.Cazeneuve said 29 people had been preventedfrom entering the country in that time.

A further 40 “preachers of hate, includingpseudo-, self-proclaimed imams” had beenkicked out of France. Paris has also tightenedsecurity around sensitive sites such as facto-ries, calling for “maximum vigilance”. Lastmonth, a man with a suspected link to theIslamic State group spiked his boss’s severedhead onto the fence of a US-owned gas factoryin eastern France. But experts have warned it isextremely difficult to defend against attacks onsuch sensitive sites. “There is no such thing aszero risk,” said Philippe Prudhon, a technicalexpert at the UIC union of chemical industries.“If someone really wants to cause harm, it willbe difficult to stop him or her. We have torealise that we have been in a fundamentallydifferent environment for the past threeyears,” Prudhon said. — AFP

France foils ‘terror’ attack on military

13I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

A year on, Ukrainian villagers recall horrors of MH17 crash‘I am already quite indifferent to this story’

HRABOVE: The field outside Hrabove, litteredone year ago with bodies and smelling ofburnt flesh and plastic, now smells of wild flow-ers. But the downing of Malaysian AirlinesFlight MH17 still haunts residents, who remem-ber the bodies that fell from the sky abovetheir sleepy village in eastern Ukraine. “Peoplecame out of their houses to see a boy withoutthe head, who was lying there” on the street,recalled villager Nadezhda Tsyb. “Then I saw agirl: she was coming down from the sky,whirling in the air, then she fell into my neigh-bor’s vegetable patch.” All 298 people onboardMH17 were killed when the plane was downedon July 17, 2014, over rebel-controlled territoryin eastern Ukraine, where government forcesand the Russia-backed separatists had beenfighting for months. Ukrainian and Westernofficials said the plane was shot down by arebel missile, most likely by mistake, and thatRussia supplied the weapon or trained rebelsto use it. Both the rebels and Moscow deniedthat.

A preliminary report released in theNetherlands last year said the plane had notechnical problems in the seconds before itbroke up in the sky after being struck by multi-ple “high-energy objects from outside the air-craft,” which could have been a missile. A yearafter the crash, the families of the victims arestill waiting for the results of the investigation,while residents of Hrabove keep finding per-sonal belongings and parts of plane in thearea. One local resident pointed to a piece offuselage, the size of a car hood, bearing theblue emblem of Malaysian Airlines The body ofthe boy that fell on the street next to Tsyb’shouse was lying there, in the summer heat, for

days. Villagers asked rebels who controlled thearea to take them away, Tsyb said, because “itwas too scary to go out.”

Rebel governmentThe West accused the separatists of ham-

pering the investigation by blocking access tothe site and tampering with evidence. Aviationexperts said at the time that the site was com-promised since investigators had no access toit during the first few days after the crash. First,rebel commanders blocked OSCE observersfrom reaching the area, then clashes along theroute to the site made it unsafe to travel there.The first sizeable team of investigators arrivedat the scene only two weeks after the crash.

Asked about claims that rebels removed oreven destroyed some of the bodies, AlexanderBorodai, a Moscow spin doctor who headedthe rebel government at the time, told TheAssociated Press that they had to take awaybodies because they were decomposing fast inthe scorching heat. “There is a moral, humandimension here: You could not leave the bod-ies for a long time, and many of the bodieswere fragmented,” he said. “We could not justleave them there.” Hours before the MH17went down, AP journalists saw a Buk M-1launcher moving through the rebel-controlledtown of Snizhne, carrying four 18-foot missiles.Three hours later and six miles west, the planewas shot down.

Western media organizationThe rebel denials have been increasingly

challenged by resident accounts, observationsof journalists on the ground and the state-ments of one rebel official. The Ukrainian gov-

ernment has also provided purported commu-nications intercepts that it says show rebelinvolvement in the downing. Borodai, speak-ing to AP in his first interview to a Westernmedia organization since returning to Moscowin October, dismissed eyewitness reports andphotographic evidence pointing to the rebels’complicity as fakes. But he seemed to drop hisguard in acknowledging that the separatistshad no idea that civilian planes were allowed tofly over the war zone. The rebels had shot downseveral Ukrainian transport jets in the weeksbefore the MH17 crash, including an Il-76 on

June 14, killing 49 people onboard. Borodai,who seems to live a comfortable middle-classlife in Moscow after going around Donetsk witha posse of burly Chechen gunmen, said he doesnot really care about the conclusions of the offi-cial probe. “Whether there will be a tribunal orany other official results of the investigation, Ihave to admit I am already quite indifferent tothis story,” he said, sitting in a posh Moscowrestaurant. “I just know that it is not our faultthat the Boeing went down. It is obvious to methat this is the result of some actions of theUkrainian side.”—AP

HRABOVE: In a Tuesday, July 14, 2015 photo, an employee of water station examineslarge piece of MH17 plane, which had not been taken away at the Malaysian Airlines MH-17 plane crash site toward Hrabove village, eastern Ukraine. — AP

14I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities aresearching hotels, hospitals and funeralhomes in a massive manhunt for fugitivedrug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman,while boosting operations at theGuatemala border, officials saidWednesday. The interior ministry said 101checkpoints have been placed on the mainroads and highways of 21 of the country’s31 states and the capital since Guzman fledprison on Saturday.

More than 100,000 leaflets with recentpictures of Guzman were distributed at tollbooths. Some 1,250 federal police officershave fanned out in special search units

around the Altiplano prison from where heescaped, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) westof Mexico City. In addition, more than 180special forces from the police gendarmerieare searching for the Sinaloa drug cartelkingpin. Some 8,200 federal police officersare on “maximum alert” in every state, theinterior ministry said in a statement.“Special operations are being conducted tocheck hotels, hospitals and funeral homes,”the ministry said. Every private flight isbeing checked at the nation’s airports, witha “rigorous inspection of passengers.”

Interior Minister Miguel Angel OsorioChong met with Guatemala’s ambassador

to review the measures both nations havetaken since Guzman’s escape on Saturdaynight. The two officials “agreed on addi-tional measures to strengthen land, mar-itime and air operations that have beenundertaken on both sides of the border.”

The two countries decided to “intensify”inspections at airports and border check-points. Guzman, 58 was first captured inGuatemala in 1993, but he escaped from amaximum-security prison in westernMexico in 2001. He was recaptured inFebruary 2014, but he broke out of prisonagain on Saturday through a 1.5-kilometer(one-mile) tunnel that was dug under his

cell’s shower, embarrassing PresidentEnrique Pena Nieto’s administration.

Osorio Chongo also met with USAmbassador Anthony Wayne on Tuesday.

Wayne said in a statement that severalUS law enforcement agencies were readyto “collaborate and exchange informationwith Mexican authorities” to recaptureGuzman, who faces criminal charges in theUnited States. The US Drug EnforcementAdministration played a key role inGuzman’s capture last year, providing intel-ligence to help Mexican marines catch himin a condo in the Sinaloa beach resort ofMazatlan. —AFP

Mexico police search hotels, hospitals for drug lord

FLAT GAP: They roam the banks of the swollencreek, looking for those who were lost when aflash flood ravaged this rural eastern Kentuckycommunity. They battle swarming mosquitoesand snake-infested creeks, piles of rubble 10feet tall and mud so thick it sucks the shoes offtheir feet. For two days, rescue crews havetrudged door-to-door across this ruggedAppalachian terrain, painting orange x’s oneach structure they search. Hope is fading forthe families who are watching them work.

“You talk to them and they say, ‘Right thereis where my house used to be,’” said RandallMulkey, a firefighter from a nearby county whovolunteered to help with the search.

He’s seen homes splintered into rubble, oth-ers split in half and cars strewn in places he nev-er could have imagined. Tromping through themud is exhausting, he said. It breaks his heart tosee people’s belongings - clothes, toys, photo-graphs - among the wreckage and know theylost everything they had.

Three are confirmed dead and another manis still missing. The fates of four more remainuncertain. Families reported them missing, butthey may have escaped safety or could bestranded in their homes, without power orphone service, police say.

Kevin Johnson believes his 34-year-old son,

Scott, is dead, but his body has not yet beenfound. Scott Johnson was last seen wadingthrough rushing floodwater with his 74-year-old grandmother on his back.

He had already guided his father, uncle andsister from the raging flood that inundated theircluster of trailers. He turned back one last timeto save his grandmother, whom he called Nana,and a 13-year-old family friend.

“We told him, ‘You can’t make it,’” his fatherrecalled. “He said, ‘I’m going to get her out ofthat trailer.” Standing in a cemetery on a hilloverlooking the creek that had swallowed hisson, Kevin Johnson was so overcome with griefhe sometimes struggled to speak. He hadwatched his son push the boy to safety in thebranches of a catalpa tree and hoist his Nanaonto his back, only to be swept away.

“Scott wouldn’t turn her loose, that’s why hedied,” said Veronica Marcum, Scott Johnson’ssister. Her brother had been a musician. Hewent by the stage name Scott Free, started hisown hip hop record label and released analbum in 2013 called “Welcome to Hollerwood.”He wrote on his website that he tried in hismusic to capture the Appalachian spirit and thestruggle to survive amid the grinding povertyand drug addiction that has long tormented hisnative state.

The grandmother he tried to save, Willa MaePennington, was found dead Tuesday amongdebris from the family’s shattered mobilehomes, Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisbyconfirmed.

Herman Eddie May Sr., 56, was also killed.His daughter, Amy Akers, said they lived nextdoor to each other. When the water started torise, he got in his car to search for a safe passageaway. He reached the top of the hill and turnedback to retrieve his daughter and two grand-children. A neighbor begged him to stay on dryland. But he refused, Akers said.

“He always said he would die trying to pro-tect his family, and that’s exactly what he did,”she said. The car stalled in the rising water andMay, a retired truck driver, got out. A neighborthrew him a rope, but a floating truck plowedinto the car, he lost his grip and the water car-ried him away, Akers said. Neighbors pulled himfrom the water, but it was too late.

The body of a third victim, 22-year-oldRichard Blair, was found Wednesday afternoonon a creek bank in a pile of tree debris down-stream from the rubble of a broken mobilehome, the coroner said. The arduous search,destruction and death wore on rescuers. As thewater receded, a crew found a car upside downand partially submerged in the creek.

Searching for flood victims among snakes, mosquitoes

FLAT GAP: Robbie Taylor, left, stares at the swollen creek which destroyed the trailer he shares with his girl-friend, Markita Trent, right, after deadly flooding in Flat Gap, Ky., on Tuesday. Flash floods in northernJohnson County outside of Paintsville destroyed homes and vehicles and residents were reported missing aday after the floods. — AP

Sex offender charged with murder of two sisters

WHEATON: Forty years after two young sisters vanished from a sub-urban Maryland mall, an imprisoned sex offender has been chargedwith murder, authorities said Wednesday, bringing some clarity to abaffling case that made parents afraid to let their children out of thehouse. Lloyd Michael Welch Jr., 58, told authorities he was with thegirls when they were abducted in March 1975 but denied any role intheir deaths. Sheila Lyon, 12, and Katherine Lyon, 10, had walked afew blocks from their house to the Wheaton Plaza Mall to shop forEaster decorations and eat lunch. They never came home.

After decades of investigating leads and periodically identifyingsuspects, a break in the case came in 2013, according to an affidavit.A cold-case detective uncovered an interview that Welch gave topolice in 1975. The detective compared a photo of Welch to a com-posite sketch from a witness who saw someone following the girls atthe mall, and he saw “a strong likeness,” the affidavit said.

Welch, who is serving a lengthy prison term in Delaware, wasindicted by a grand jury in Bedford County, Virginia, on Friday ontwo charges of first-degree felony murder, though the girls’ bodieswere never found. The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, says themurders were committed during an abduction with intent to defile.

“We know what Katherine and Sheila were like. ... These werewonderful, wonderful, naive, young children,” said John McCarthy,state’s attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland.

McCarthy and Randy Krantz, the commonwealth’s attorney forBedford County, said authorities believe the girls were slain inVirginia, although they did not detail the evidence that led to thatconclusion. Authorities began searching a mountainside in BedfordCounty, about 200 miles from where the girls vanished, last year fortheir remains.

The girls were killed sometime between March 25, 1975 - thedate of their abduction - and April 15, 1975, according to the indict-ment.

Polygraph test failedAt the time of their disappearance, Welch was an 18-year-old car-

nival worker and drifter who had been spending time in theWheaton area. Then, Welch told a mall security guard that he was atthe mall the day of the girls’ disappearance. Welch said he saw thesisters get into a car with a man. Welch spoke to police and failed apolygraph test, according to the affidavit, but investigators did notpursue him further as a suspect. He was later convicted in two bur-glaries and served prison time. In 1994, he pleaded guilty to molest-ing a 10-year-old girl in South Carolina and was sentenced to 18months. He is now sentenced for sexually abusing another 10-year-old girl.

In interviews from prison following the rediscovery of his 1975interview and the sketch, Welch told police that he left the mall withthe girls in a vehicle on the day they disappeared, and that the nextday, he saw his uncle, Richard Welch, molesting one of the girls athis home, according to the affidavit. Lloyd Welch said he left andnever saw the girls after that, according to the document. RichardWelch has been identified as a person of interest in the slayings buthas not been charged. Richard Welch’s wife, Patricia, was chargedwith perjury after testifying before the grand jury in December. Aperson who answered the phone at their home in Hyattsville,Maryland, on Wednesday said they weren’t home and refused totake a message.

The girls’ parents, John and Mary Lyon, who still live in the area,were at the news conference, but they left before it was over and didnot speak to reporters. Police asked that their privacy be respected.

“This was something that had an enormous impact on this com-munity and the feeling of safety for your children in this communi-ty,” Montgomery County police chief Thomas Manger said.— AP

15I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

US ex-president

George H.W. Bush

hospitalized

WASHINGTON: US ex-president George H.W. Bush felland broke a bone in his neck Wednesday, hisspokesman said, following reports that the formerleader had been hospitalized yet again.

“His condition is stable — he is fine — but he’ll be ina neck brace,” Bush spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted.

The 91-year-old former president, who fellWednesday morning in Kennebunkport, Maine, wasbeing treated at a hospital in the city of Portland some30 miles (50 kilometers away), CNN reported.

“We are not expecting a long stay,” McGrath told thechannel.

On Twitter, McGrath said that Bush “fell at home inMaine today and broke a bone in his neck.”

The oldest of the four living former US presidents,Bush, who uses a wheelchair, has seemed frail in recentpublic appearances.

In December the 41st president was admitted to aTexas hospital for breathing problems.

He was treated at the same Texas facility inNovember 2012 for bronchitis, spending nearly twomonths in the hospital.

The patriarch of one of America’s most prominentpolitical dynasties is father to former US presidentGeorge W. Bush.

Another son, Jeb, the former governor of Florida,jumped into the 2016 presidential race last month,announcing his bid for the Republican nomina-tion.—AFP

WASHINGTON: Hillary Rodham Clinton spentmore than $18 million hiring hundreds ofemployees in the first three months of her pres-idential campaign, creating a national opera-tion that vastly outpaces her rivals in both par-ties. She has the money for it, having raisedmore than $46 million for the Democratic pri-mary contest. Since announcing her WhiteHouse bid in April, the former secretary of statehas positioned staff in all fifty states - with themajority working out of a pricey 80,000-square-foot (7,432-million square meter) Brooklynheadquarters.

Beyond paying salaries for 343 employees,her campaign purchased lists of voters in fourearly primary states, paid six figures to a superpolitical action committee devoted to defend-ing her record and spent heavily on building adigital team, according to campaign financedocuments filed Wednesday with federal regu-lators. It’s a strategy aimed at a contest that’snearly a year away. The overwhelming favoritefor her party’s nomination, Clinton’s team hasset its sights on building the massive infrastruc-ture they’ll need for the general election.

The outlay is nearly four times what Clintonspent in the first three months of her last presi-

dential campaign, when she faced a far morecompetitive primary race against then-Sen.Barack Obama. During that 2008 campaign,Clinton and her team faced charges fromdonors that they were wasting money on inef-fective strategic choices - like spending nearly$100,000 for party platters and groceries beforethe Iowa caucus, a contest she lost.

This time, her staff has emphasized its“cheapskate” mentality - particularly to contrib-utors. At her first national finance meeting inMay, top donors were instructed to purchasetheir own lunches and fund their own trans-portation to various gatherings in Brooklyn.

ContributionsCampaign aides like to brag about taking

the bus from New York to Washington, ratherthan the more expensive Acela train. Even so,her campaign spent at least $8,700 on train tick-ets and just a few hundred dollars on bus fare,the Federal Election Commission report shows.

All told, Clinton has spent a far greater por-tion of her early funds during this campaignthan she did eight years ago.

During the first three months of her 2008bid, Clinton spent 14 percent of the $36 million

she raised, according to FEC documents. In thelaunch of this campaign, she’s burned thoughnearly 40 percent of what she has taken in.

Her campaign also reported that Clintonreceived more than 250,000 contributions, withan average donation of $144.89. About 17 per-cent of her contributions were $200 or less.

By comparison Vermont Sen. BernieSanders has fueled an insurgent challenge toClinton with small donations. He pulled in morethan $15.2 million through the end of June, andthree-quarters of his donations were $200 orless. Though they’ve highlighted their lower-dollar contributions, Clinton’s team alsoreleased a list of campaign bundlers who eachraised more than $100,000 for her primary bid.

Some of the donors included Clinton’s mostardent financial backers, including Hollywoodmedia mogul Haim Saban; Susie TompkinsBuell, a wealthy California investor who was amajor donor to the Ready for Hillary super PAC;Las Vegas publisher Brian Greenspun, a long-time friend and college classmate of Bill Clinton;billionaire J.B. Pritzker of Chicago; and AlanPatricof, a New York-based financier whoserved as Clinton’s finance chair when she firstran for Senate in New York. — AP

OKLAHOMA CITY: In his push for a fairer jus-tice system, Barak Obama is set to become thefirst sitting US President to visit the inside of afederal prison. As part of a focus on inequitiesin the US criminal justice system, Obama willmeet separately yesterday with law enforce-ment officials and nonviolent drug offenderswho are paying their debt to society at amedium-security prison for male offenders inthe state of Oklahoma. From shortening theprison sentences of nearly four-dozen non-violent drug offenders to advocating thereduction, or outright elimination, of severemandatory minimum sentences to visiting afederal prison, Obama has argued forcefullythis week for an alternative to the continued

lengthy incarceration of people convicted ofcrimes he said did not fit the punishment.

Obama has said that overly harsh prisonsentences, particularly for nonviolent drugcrimes, are to blame for doubling the prisonpopulation in the past two decades. Half a mil-lion people were behind bars in 1980, a figurethat has since quadrupled to its current totalof more than 2.2 million inmates.

“Mass incarceration makes our countryworse off, and we need to do somethingabout it,” Obama said in a recent speech.

White House press secretary Josh Earnestsaid “unique steps” will be taken to protectObama during the visit. He did not elaborate.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said

“comprehensive security screening” will beconducted, calling it standard practice.

Danny Spriggs, a former deputy director ofthe U.S. Secret Service, which provides thepresident’s security, said Obama’s prison tourlikely will be limited to critical areas, and thoseareas will be roped off so that access is givenonly to the warden and immediate staff sothey can explain what happens there daily.

“Those hallways will be clear,” Spriggs said.Earlier this week, Obama commuted the sen-tences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders, 14 ofwhom had been serving life in prison.

“If you’re a low-level drug dealer, or youviolate your parole, you owe some debt tosociety. You have to be held accountable and

make amends,” Obama said in a speech thisweek. “But you don’t owe 20 years. You don’towe a life sentence. That’s disproportionate tothe price that should be paid.”

Obama said taxpayers are the ones left topay the $80 billion annual cost of locking uppeople who otherwise could be in rehabilita-tive programs for less than the cost of incar-ceration. Or they could be workers paying tax-es, or be more involved in their children’s lives,or be role models and leaders in their commu-nities. Obama has also called for restoring vot-ing rights to felons who have served their sen-tences, and said employers should “ban thebox” that asks job applicants about their crimi-nal histories.—AP

Obama will visit US prison for fairer justice system

Hillary Clinton spends

$18m, hires hundredsSpent heavily on building a digital team

WASHINGTON: Republican presidential can-didate Donald Trump filed financial docu-ments with federal campaign regulatorsWednesday and set his personal fortune atmore than $10 billion with an annual incomeof more than $362 million. Trump is relyingalmost exclusively on his personal wealth tofund his White House bid. He has already lenthis campaign $1.8 million, according to federaldocuments he filed Wednesday. His fortunecould help maintain his status as a major play-er in the Republican presidential primary,much to the dismay of party officials who wor-ry that his hardline immigration statementscould alienate Hispanic voters.

Members of his staff had said that Trumpwould release the financial documents them-selves, but they issued only a press release thatannounced the filing and included a few finan-cial details. It provided little information abouthow he calculated his net worth.

The $10 billion figure - up nearly 15 per-

cent since the previous year, by Trump’s calcu-lation - would make him the wealthiest personever to run for president, far surpassing previ-ous magnates like Ross Perot, business heirslike Steve Forbes or private-equity investorslike Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nomi-nee.

Among the sources of Trump’s income hasbeen $214 million in payments from NBC relat-ed to 14 seasons of the business reality televi-sion show “The Apprentice.” NBC recently cutits ties with Trump following his controversialremarks about Mexican immigrants. Filing apersonal financial disclosure with the FederalElection Commission is one of the require-ments, set by the hosts, to participate in nextmonth’s televised Republican debate. Trump’sstatement Wednesday noted that a hypotheti-cal Trump building worth $1.5 billion wouldbe reported as simply worth in excess of $50million on the federal forms, which offer broadranges for asset values.— AP

Trump campaign sets his

personal fortune at $10bn

LAS VEGAS: In this July 11, 2015, photo,Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump speaks at FreedomFest inLas Vegas. In a state where early organi-zation is key to a successful presidentialcampaign, Trump’s New Hampshireoperation has the trappings of a legiti-mate political organization. — AP

Former US President George H. W. Bush

16I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

DHAKA: A special war crimes tribu-nal yesterday sentenced a man todeath on charges that he committedrape and murder in 1971 duringBangladesh’s war for independencefrom Pakistan. The tribunal’s headjudge, Obaidul Hassan, issued theorder against Forkan Mollick, sayinghe committed the crimes in southernPatuakhali district.

The man worked at a local officeof the Jamaat-e- Is lami party ,Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party,which had organized people to fightagainst the independence struggle.

He was a low-ranking activist ofanother party, the Muslim League, in1971. After Thursday’s verdict ,Mollick shouted from inside a prisonvan that he was innocent as police

took him away.“I am innocent, I was their employ-

ee, that’s why I have been punished,”he said, referring to Jamaat-e-Islami.

Bangladesh says Pakistani soldiers,aided by local collaborators, killed 3million people and raped 200,000women during the war in EastPakistan, which is now Bangladesh.

The defense plans to appeal the

verdict, which is part of a series ofdecisions by two separate tribunalsset up by Pr ime Minister SheikhHasina in 2010. More than 15 people,mostly leaders of Jamaat-e-Islamiparty, have been convicted of warcrimes. The party has rejected theverdicts, saying it is politically moti-vated, but authorities have deniedthat allegation. — AP

Bangladesh sentences man to death for murder, rape

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned theIndian ambassador yesterday after a “spydrone” was shot down in disputed Kashmir,as officials said five people were killed incross-border shelling between the twonuclear-armed neighbours.

The flare-up between the two countries,who have fought three wars since 1947,comes days after their prime ministers metin Russia in an apparent sign of a thaw inrelations.

The Pakistani military said Wednesdaythat troops had shot down “an Indian spydrone used for aerial photography” close tothe de facto border in Kashmir. A picture inPakistani media purportedly of the downeddrone showed a small lightweight model ofa type widely available for commercial pur-chase. The Indian Army and Air Force bothdenied any of their drones had been shotdown or had crashed, according to a PressTrust of India report. Following the inci-dent, Pakistan’s foreign ministry hauled inthe Indian high commissioner, or ambassa-dor, to hear a “strong protest over airspace

violation”, a statement said.The ministry said the intrusion of the

drone, which came down in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir, was a viola-tion of international law and territorialintegrity.

Pakistan also protested to the envoyover what it called “unprovoked ceasefireviolations” along the disputed border.

The two countries both control part ofKashmir, but claim the territory in full andhave fought two wars over the Himalayanregion. They agreed on a border ceasefirein 2003, which has largely held, though vio-lations are regularly reported from bothsides. Pakistani officials said Indian fire onWednesday and Thursday had killed at leastfour civilians, including one in Kashmir andthree near the town of Sialkot, which liesclose to the border.

For its part, India protested to Pakistanover the firing, a government source said.

The complaint was registered after Indiaclaimed one of its civilians was killed in firenear the undisputed part of the de facto

border in Jammu’s Akhnoor sector onWednesday, the source told AFP. “Our highcommission in Pakistan has lodged aprotest. This matter was also taken up withPakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit inNew Delhi,” the source said.

India said the latest flare up had killed a42-year-old woman and injured six others,including three border police.

Television footage showed Indian vil-lagers holding empty mortar shells and car-tridges, which they alleged had been firedby Pakistani rangers. Last Friday, IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi accepted aninvitation from his counterpart NawazSharif to visit Pakistan next year, raisinghopes of an improvement in perenniallydifficult relations. After months of stale-mate and recriminations, Modi and Sharifspoke for about an hour while visitingRussia for a regional summit.

It will be the first time that Modi-whohas a reputation as a hardline nationalist-has travelled to Pakistan since coming topower. —AFP

Pakistan summons Indian envoy after ‘spy drone’ shot down

Five killed in cross-border shelling

BHIMBER: This handout photograph released by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) yesterday,purportedly shows the wreckage of a small lightweight model drone of a type widely available for commer-cial purchase, lying on branches of wood near Bhimber, a district of Pakistani administred Kashmir. — AFP

Taj Mahal ‘suicide pact’

AGRA: An Indian couple forbidden to marry because of their different back-grounds are in hospital after slitting their own throats in an apparent suicidepact at India’s famed monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Police said the pair-named in the Times of India as Rajveer Singh and Shabnam Ali-were stableafter they were discovered in a pool of blood in the grounds of the Taj Mahalon Wednesday afternoon. “This couple, one of whom is a Hindu and the oth-er a Muslim, tried to commit suicide at the Taj,” said police deputy superin-tendent Aseem Chaudhary. “The girl cut her throat first followed by the boy.”Marriage outside caste or religion still attracts strong censure in parts of Indiaand can even lead to so-called honour killings, carried out to protect what isseen as family pride. “Both Shabnam and I tried hard to convince our parentsthat they should allow us to get married, but the boundaries of religionremained the biggest hurdle,” the Times of India quoted Singh as saying.“We did this after failing at all possible ways to be together.” The Taj-India’stop tourist attraction-was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb forhis beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631. It has drawna string of world leaders and royalty including former US president BillClinton, while Diana, the late British princess, was famously photographedalone on a marble seat there in 1992.

Landslide hits Nepal school

KATHMANDU: A landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains buriedparts of a school in western Nepal yesterday, killing a student and injur-ing 12 people. Police said the landslide buried three classrooms at theschool in Pokhara where students were sitting end-of-term exams.“One student was killed and 12 others, including three teachers, wereinjured,” district police chief Hari Bahadur Pal told AFP, adding thatmost students had already finished their exams and left when the land-slide hit. Pal said the injured were being treated at a local hospital andnone were in a critical condition. Scores of people die every year fromflooding and landslides during the monsoon season in Nepal. The lat-est incident comes a month after 35 people were killed in northeastNepal by a landslide, also triggered by heavy rains. Nepal is still reelingfrom a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that killed over8,800 people and destroyed nearly 600,000 homes this year, leavingthousands in desperate need of food, clean water and shelter. Themonsoon is already hampering delivery of relief supplies to mountain-ous villages and there are fears the monsoon could bring even moredamage to roads already hit by the quake.

Newsi n b r i e f

Bangladesh arrests man for ‘filming’ boy’s lynching

DHAKA: Bangladesh police said yesterday they had arrested a man onsuspicion of filming the brutal murder of a 13-year-old boy that pro-voked public outrage after the footage went viral. Police arrested NurMia, 20, on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Sylhet lateWednesday. “Nur Mia shot the video on his Nokia set at the instructionof Kamrul (Islam),” local police chief Akhter Hossain told AFP, referring toanother suspect in the case. “He then uploaded the video to Facebookand shared it with his friends,” said Hossain. Mia is the ninth person to bearrested over the July 8 killing of Samiul Alam Rajon, who was tied to apole and then subjected to a brutal assault in which he pleaded for hislife. Islam fled to Jeddah in the immediate aftermath of the attack butreports said he had been arrested by Saudi authorities.

Police said Wednesday they had arrested another man, MoynaChowkidar, calling him a “prime” suspect. The 28-minute video ofSamiul, which was widely circulated after being posted on social media,has prompted deep soul-searching among Bangladeshis as well as aseries of protests. Thousands of people demonstrated in Samiul’s homecity and across the country for days, demanding that the killers be sentto the gallows.— AFP

17I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

BANGKOK: A Thai court yesterday issuedan injunction allowing a television net-work run by the opposition “Red Shirt”movement to resume broadcasting after itwas taken off air for breaking a junta banon political programming.

Thailand’s sharply polarised politicalchannels were one of the first casualties ofthe censorship imposed after the May2014 military coup.

A ban on them was later lifted on thecondition they stayed clear of controver-sial issues, but in April Red Shirt mouth-piece Peace TV was ordered off air afterjunta leaders and the national broadcast-

ing regulator accused it of breaking therules.

But on Thursday the station won its bidto resume broadcasts.

“The Central Administrative Court hasrelaxed the decision of the National

Broadcasting and TelecommunicationsCommission which withdrew the licenseof Peace TV,” the Bangkok court said in astatement.

It added that the station must cooper-ate with the junta’s broadcasting rulesand that its injunction would come intoeffect Saturday.

Red Shirt chairman Jatuporn Prompan,

whose daily programme on Peace TV wasaccused of causing “divisions and misun-derstandings”, said he would suspend hispersonal show until the dispute was fullyresolved.

“We will take three days to prepare andbegin (TV) broadcasting again onMonday,” he told AFP.

His show can still be watched onYouTube where Peace TV also broadcasts.

The Red Shirts, officially known as theUnited Front for Democracy AgainstDictatorship (UDD), back the toppled gov-ernment of former premier YingluckShinawatra.

Post-coup, their leaders have eitherrenounced the cause, fled into self-exile or-like Jatuporn-agreed to abandon politics.

The military takeover last year was thelatest crisis in a kingdom that has been riv-en by bitter political divisions since 2006,when Yingluck’s brother Thaksin was oust-ed in an earlier military coup, backed bythe Bangkok-based royalist establishment.

The capital-based elites despise theShinawatras-wildly popular in the northand northeast and whose parties havewon every election since 2001 — accusingthem of poisoning politics with populism,corruption and cronyism. — AFP

Thai opposition ‘Red Shirt’ TV station to go back on air

BEIJING: China is preparing for “high-level political dialogue” with Japan,China’s top diplomat told the head ofJapan’s National Security Council yes-terday, fuelling speculation of a lead-ers’ summit as early as September.Sino-Japanese ties, long bedevilled byChina’s memories of Japan’s wartimeaggression and disputed islands in theEast China Sea, have improved sinceJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abemet Chinese President Xi Jinping at anAsia-Paci f ic summit in Bei j ing inNovember.

The two met for a second mini-summit in April at an Asia-Africa lead-ers’ gathering in Jakarta and Japanwants to keep the thaw on track, whileensuring China realises the risks of anincreasingly assertive maritime mili-tary policy. “China attaches greatimportance to your trip and is prepar-ing for high-level political dialoguebetween the two countries,” StateCouncillor Yang Jiechi, who outranksthe foreign minister , told vis it ingJapanese National Security Councilhead Shotaro Yachi, according to apool report. Yachi, who is a close allyof Abe’s, told Yang the bilateral rela-t ionship was improving and theirmeeting would be an important chan-nel.

Over the weekend, Chinese statemedia quoted China’s Vice ForeignMinister Cheng Guoping as saying Xihad already invited Abe to attendevents to mark the end of the WorldWar Two. Japanese governmentsources have said another Xi-Abemeeting could well take place thisyear, although some said China proba-bly first wants to see a planned state-ment by Abe marking the 70thanniversary of the end of the war.Abe’s critics worry he wants to dilutepast government apologies for Japan’swartime behaviour, though he hassaid he will uphold them.

But Yang also crit icised Abe forpushing through legislation in thelower house of par l iament onThursday, that could see troops sentto fight abroad for the first time sinceWorld War Two.

Yang told Yachi that Japan’s securi-ty bills “would fuel doubts and ques-tions among neighbouring countries

and the international community”over whether Japan was abandoningits defensive defence policy, accordingto a statement on China’s foreign min-istry website.

China is keeping a wary eye onAbe’s push for a more musculardefence policy that would ease thepacifist constitution’s constraints on

military activity abroad. Despite thoseworr ies , h igh- level dia logue hasalready resumed, including JapaneseFinance Minister Taro Aso’s recentmeeting with his Chinese counterpart.

A successful summit with Xi couldbolster Abe’s support at home, whichhas sagged over doubts about hissecurity policy. — Reuters

Japan, China preparing

for ‘high-level’ talks

Volcano shuts major

Indonesian airport

during holiday rush

SURABAYA: Ash spewing from an erupting volcano closed the air-port serving Indonesia’s second-biggest city yesterday, as millions ofpeople were travelling across the archipelago ahead of the Muslimholiday of Eid. The shutdown of the international airport servingSurabaya, on the main island of Java, came days after the airport onthe nearby resort island of Bali was closed by ash from the same vol-cano, stranding thousands of holidaymakers.

Authorities ordered the closure of Juanda Airport near Surabayabetween 1:30 pm (0630 GMT) and 8:30 pm due to increased activityfrom Mount Raung, which has been erupting violently in recentweeks, airport spokeswoman Liza Anindya told AFP. “The concern isthat the ash might affect flights,” she said.

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda announced all its flights to andfrom Surabaya would be cancelled while the airport was closed, whilebudget airline AirAsia axed all its flights to and from the city onThursday. The domestic airport serving the city of Malang on Javawas also closed by ash from Mount Raung, while another eruptingvolcano forced the closure of the airport on the remote, eastern islandof Ternate, the transport ministry said.

The closures came during peak holiday season in Indonesia, whenpeople in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country floodout of cities and head to their home towns and villages to spend Eidwith their families.

The celebration, which comes at the end of the fasting month ofRamadan, is expected to fall on Friday in Indonesia.

Authorities raised the alert status of Mount Raung, on Java about110 miles (180 kilometres) west of Surabaya, to the second-highestlevel last month as the volcano began emitting clouds of hot ash andlava. The airport on Bali, a top holiday destination that attracts mil-lions of foreign visitors each year, was closed twice last week duringpeak season, with the longest shutdown lasting two days.

Thousands of tourists were left stranded at the island’s Ngurah Raiairport as almost 900 flights were cancelled or delayed.Disasteragency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that Mount Raungwas hurling thick smoke up to 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the air onThursday. —AFP

SURABAYA: Passengers queue at airlines’ counters astheir flights are delayed or canceled following the closureof Juanda International Airport due to the eruption ofMount Raung, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, yester-day. Eruptions at two volcanoes yesterday caused clo-sures at three Indonesian airports, including one servingthe country’s second-largest city. — AP

BEIJING: Japanese National Security Adviser Shotaro Yachi (L) shakes handswith Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi during a meeting at the DiaoyutaiState guesthouse in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

BEIJING: A Chinese official said yester-day that a group of foreigners had beendetained for distributing “terrorist”materials after a South African charitysaid nine were being held.

Gift of the Givers, a humanitarianrelief organisation based in South Africa,said five of the detainees were SouthAfricans, three British and one Indian.

They were among a total of 20 visitorsheld on Friday at Ordos airport in China’sInner Mongolia region, it said, addingnone had been charged.

“Foreign tourists have been detainedby the police here, I heard they looked at

and propagated something about vio-lence and terrorism,” Zhang Xi, an officialat Ordos’s foreign affairs office, told AFPyesterday.

Local police declined to comment onthe case. The nine still held are at adetention centre, Gift of the Givers saidin a statement. “The Chinese have beenvery vague saying that someone in thegroup has some links to a suspected ter-ror group and that someone has somelinks to a banned group and that the realreason for the incarceration is that some-one was watching propaganda videos inthe hotel,” it said. The British embassy in

Beijing said five of those still being heldwere British citizens. Two of the originaldetainees were British-South Africandual nationals, it said earlier.

The South Africans held at the airportincluded several doctors and relatives ofprominent businessmen, Gift of theGivers said, adding that the travellers’planned 47-day tour of “ancient China”had gone “horribly wrong”.

African telecommunications giantVodacom confirmed that the brother,aunt and uncle of the company’s chiefexecutive Shameel Joosub were amongthem. Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz

Sooliman told AFP that Joosub hadasked it to assist as it has experiencewith international emergencies.

Several of the group held at the air-port on Friday have been released andhave left China. South African deputypresident Cyril Ramaphosa is on an offi-cial visit to China and Foreign MinisterMaite Nkoana-Mashabane told reportersin Pretoria that consultations withChinese authorities were ongoing.

“The matter has been raised at thehighest level possible, taking advantageof the deputy president’s presence inChina,” she said. — AFP

China says foreigners held over ‘terrorist’ materials

TOKYO: Controversial security bills thatopponents say will undermine 70 years ofpacifism and could see Japanese troopsfighting abroad for the first time since WorldWar II passed through the powerful lowerhouse of parliament yesterday.

The vote marks a victory for nationalistPrime Minister Shinzo Abe and other right-wingers, who have ignored popular anger ina bid to break what they see as the shacklesof the US-imposed constitution. They sayrestrictive clauses preventing Japan fromhaving a fully-fledged military serve as astraightjacket that stops Tokyo from doingwhat it must to protect its citizens, allies andfriends. Abe’s ruling coalition was left aloneto vote after all main opposition partieswalked out of the chamber in protest, amove intended to reflect widespread publicfury over the legislation.

“The security situation surrounding Japanis increasingly severe,” Abe told reportersafter the vote, in an apparent reference tothe rise of China. “These bills are necessaryto protect Japanese people’s lives and pre-vent a war before it breaks out.”

The vote came a day after as many as

60,000 people took part in a rally outside par-liament, after the bills-which will give Japan’stightly-restricted military greater scope toact-were pushed through a key lower housepanel. There were scuffles as police pushedprotestors back, and two men in their 60swere arrested on suspicion of assaulting offi-cers, local media said. Demonstrations inJapan are usually small and very orderly, butthe issue has galvanised opposition across awide swathe of the population. The bills-ahotchpotch of updates to existing provisionsthat will allow, amongst other things, Japan’smilitary to take part in non-United Nationspeacekeeping missions-now go to the upperchamber. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) and its coalition partner have a majorityin that house, but commentators say it is pos-sible the chamber could reject, or amend thebills. However, the lower house could over-turn those changes with a two-thirds majori-ty-well within the scope of what Abe controls.The legislation is expected to be enacted bythe autumn.

The prime minister, a robust nationalist,wants what he calls a normalisation ofJapan’s military posture, which has been

constrained by a constitution written by USoccupiers after World War II. Unable tomuster support to amend clauses enshriningpacifism, Abe opted instead to re-interpretthe document for the purpose of his bills,ignoring warnings from scholars and lawyersthat his bills are unconstitutional.

‘Nightmare scenario’ While Thursday’s vote was a win for Abe,

there are growing signs that the campaignhas taken a political toll-opinion polls showthe vast majority of the public is against thebills, and Abe’s once-sky-high approval ratingis dropping. Chief among the changes thatthe legislation will enable is the option for themilitary to go into battle to protect allies-socalled “collective defence”-even if there is nodirect threat to Japan or its people, somethingsuccessive governments have ruled out.

Protesters, which include a large numberof middle-aged and elderly people, say thatprovision will mean Japan gets dragged intoAmerican wars in far-flung parts of the globe.

But supporters say the bar for involve-ment in any conflict will remain much higherthan for many other nations. —AFP

Japan lawmakers pass security bills despite public anger

TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C-blue suit) shakes hands with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister TaroAso (3rd R) after controversial security bills passed through a lower house plenary session at the parliament in Tokyo yester-day. Controversial security bills that opponents say will undermine 70 years of pacifism and could see Japanese troops fight-ing abroad for the first time since World War II, passed through the powerful lower house of parliament. — AFP

Vote marks a victory for PMi Abe

S Korean court orders trial for

convicted ex-spy chiefSEOUL: South Korea’s Supreme Court yesterday ordered a new trialfor a former spy chief convicted of directing an online campaign tosmear a main opposition candidate in the 2012 presidential election.The top court granted Won Sei-hoon a new trial after rejecting a keypiece of evidence that was used to convict him in the original trial,according a court statement.

Won has been serving a 3-year sentence for ordering his under-lings to post online comments that praised the then-ruling party can-didate and current President Park Geun-hye and slandered her chiefliberal rival, Moon Jae-in.

The Supreme Court said files containing work-related writingsand hundreds of Twitter accounts cannot be considered evidence inthe case. Prosecutors had said the Twitter accounts were used tospread the negative comments about Moon.

The spy service has said its agents were only trying to counterNorth Korean cyberwarfare that included messages that praised theNorth and spread rumors about South Korean policies.

The court said in its statement that the text files could not bedefinitively linked to the smear campaign because similar filesweren’t found in other agents’ email accounts and the files also con-tained personal information.

The court rejected Won’s request to be released on bail whileawaiting the new trial. Court officials don’t yet know when a new trialwill begin. Won was sent to prison in February when the Seoul HighCourt convicted him for violating an election law and another lawbanning the National Intelligence Service from engaging in local poli-tics. Last year, he received a suspended prison term when a districtcourt found he was guilty of violating only one of those two laws.

It’s unclear if or how much the online campaigning helped Parkwin the 2012 election. She hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoingand took office in February 2013 for a single five-year term. The spyservice was founded by Park’s father, Park Chung-hee, who ruledSouth Korea with an iron fist for 18 years until his 1979 assassination.Under the elder Park’s rule, spy agents detained, tortured andallegedly killed his political opponents. Similar abuses continuedunder his successors.

KAESONG: South Korea’s chief delegate Lee Sang-Min (L),a senior Unification Ministry official, shakes hands with hisNorth Korean counterpart Pak Chol-Su (R) during theirmeeting at the Kaesong Industrial District ManagementCommittee in Kaesong yesterday. North and SouthKorean officials on July 16 opened rare talks over a pro-tracted wage dispute at the jointly operated Kaesongindustrial zone in the North. — AFP

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A picture taken early yester-day from the Abraj al-BaitTowers, also known as theMakkha Royal Hotel ClockTower, shows Muslim wor-shipers praying at the GrandMosque in the Muslim holycity of Makkah, a day beforethe end of the fasting monthof Ramadan. The GrandMosque, which containsIslam's holiest site theKaaba, can now hold 1.85million people. — AFP

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts

Gyllenhaal, Watts drama‘Demolition’ gets April release date

Fox Searchlight has opted to keep Jake Gyllenhaal-NaomiWatts drama “Demolition” out of this year’s awards sea-son, dating the film for an April 8, 2016, release. The film

is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee from a screenplay by BryanSipe. Producers are Lianne Halfon, Russ Smith, Molly Smith,Trent Luckinbill, Sidney Kimmel and Vallee. Gyllenhaal portraysa successful investment banker who struggles after losing hiswife in a tragic car crash. He continues to unravel despite pres-sure from his father-in-law, portrayed by Chris Cooper. Hischaracter then forms an unlikely connection with a customerservice rep and single mother, played by Watts, after writing acomplaint letter to a vending machine company.

Newcomer Judah Lewis plays Watts’ son in the movie.Vallee directed “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Wild.” FoxSearchlight bought the US rights to “Demolition” while it wasstill in production in New York last October. Gyllenhaal has apair of potential awards films opening soon with TheWeinstein Company’s boxing drama “Southpaw” launchingJuly 24 and Universal’s mountaineering drama “Everest” open-ing on Sept 18. He plays expedition leader Scott Fischer in“Everest,” which recaps the disastrous 1996 climbing seasonon the world’s highest mountain. — Reuters

Indian film composer MS Viswanathan,who composed tunes for hundreds ofTamil and Malayalam pics, died July 14 in

Chennai, India, at age 88. Partnering with TKRamamoorthy, Viswanathan composedsongs for such classics as “Paasamalar”“Server Sundaram,” “Ayirathil oruvan” and“Enga veetu pillai.” After 1965 he startedworking on his own, although the two part-nered on an unsuccessful film in 1996.

Maniyanga Subramanian Viswanathanwas a child prodigy whose life was nearly cutshort when his poverty-stricken motherdecided to end both their lives after hisfather died. However, his grandfatherstepped in and stopped the attempt,

Viswanathan told a biographer. He learnedmusic by listening in at local maestroNeelakanta Bhagavathar’s lessons. Takenunder the latter’s wing, Viswanathan gavehis first singing concert at age 13 inKannanur, Kerala. He had worked as a childactor and later at odd jobs at Jupiter Studios.

His big break came with composing musicfor “Jenova,” starring MG Ramachandran, theTamil matinee idol. After teaming with toplyricists of the day like Kannadasan,Viswanathan composed for films of all theleading stars, who, besides Ramachandran,included Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan (norelation) and Nagesh.

While the bulk of his composing was for

Tamil helmers, he also worked with the topdirectors of the time in Kannada, Telugu andMalayalam films including CV Sridhar, KBalachander, KS Gopalakrishnan, KS PrakashRao, NT Rama Rao, Visu, Mouli and KomalSwaminathan. Such tunes as “YezhuSwarngalukkul Ethanai Padal” in “Apoorvaragangal” won singer Vani Jairam theNational Award.

He also composed “NeerarumKadalodutha,” which became the stateanthem for Tamil Nadu. Among later com-posers who worked with Viswanathan areIllayaraja and AR Rahman. Viswanathan issurvived by four sons and three daughters.His wife preceded him in death. — Reuters

MS Viswanathan, Indian film composer, dies at 88

Julianne Moore has exited NicoleHolofcener’s drama “Can You EverForgive Me” due to creative differ-

ences, Variety has learned exclusively.The Fox Searchlight project, also starringChris O’Dowd, had been set to startshooting in about a week and executiveshave begun seeking a replacement forMoore. Anne Carey is producing.Holofcener is directing from her ownscript, based on the 2008 memoir of thesame name by journalist

Lee Israel. In 1992, Israel had fallen onhard times and began selling letters thatshe had forged from deceased writersand actors. When the forgeries started toraise suspicion, she turned to stealing the

actual letters from library archives andsold them. In 1993, Israel pleaded guiltyto conspiracy to transport stolen proper-ty and served six months under housearrest. She died last year.

The film would have been Moore’sfirst since her best actress Oscar win for“Still Alice.” She will be seen next inOctober in the drama “Freeheld” withEllen Page and Steve Carell and inNovember in “The Hunger Games:Mockingjay-Part 2.”

Moore has also completed productionon romantic comedy “Maggie’s Plan,”which also stars Greta Gerwig, EthanHawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph andMonte Greene. — Reuters

Moore leaves ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me’

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Disney is developing “Genies,” alive-action comedy prequel to its1992 animated hit

“Aladdin.”Tripp Vinson is on board toproduce “Genies” through his VinsonFilms banner. Damian Shannon andMark Swift are writing the script for theprequel, which will center on a genietrapped in Aladdin’s lamp. The originalAladdin story is contained in “TheBook of One Thousand and OneNights” (“The ArabianNights”), in which a sor-cerer persuades theyoung Aladdin to retrieve apowerful oil lamp from amagic cave.

Vinson’s creditsinclude exec produc-ing “San Andreas”and producing“Journey 2: theMysteriousIsland.”He’salsodevelop-ing“BobtheMusical” forDisney with Michel Hazanaviciusdirecting, as well as a Prince Charming

movie for Disney. (Fun fact: Vinson’sbachelor party was true-life inspirationfor 2009’s “The Hangover.”)Shannon and Swift’s creditsinclude 2009’s “Friday the13th” and the upcom-ing comedy“O’Lucky

Day” with Peter Dinklage starring.Disney has been mining its library

of animated movies for live-actioninspiration, evidenced by recent

reboots “Cinderella,” “Maleficent,”“Alice in Wonderland,” theupcoming “Jungle Book” and“Beauty and the Beast” withEmma Watson starring. It’s also

developing live-action versions of“Pinocchio,” “Winnie the Pooh,”“Mulan” and “Dumbo.” Disney’s“Aladdin,” with Robin Williams voic-ing the blue genie, grossed more

than $500 million at the worldwide boxoffice. Shannon and Swift are repped byUTA and attorney Jeff Frankel at

McKuin, Frankel. The news wasfirst reported by the Hollywood

Reporter. —Reuters

Disney developing live-action ‘Aladdin’ prequel

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Lana Del Rey debuts

song to online buzz

The pop noir singer Lana Del Rey enjoyed a flurry of inter-est as she debuted a song from her upcoming albumthat returns to themes of rough, troubled love.

“Honeymoon,” the title track from the New York-born singer’supcoming album, soared Wednesday to the top of theBillboard Trending 140 list within hours of its release. By latein the day, “Honeymoon” was overtaken by the latest single ofteen pop star Austin Mahone on the chart, which ranks songsby the frequency of shares on Twitter.

Del Rey had long been hinting at the release of“Honeymoon” after critical acclaim for her last album, 2014’s“Ultraviolence,” which brought darkly fatalistic themes and amelancholic air to tunes rooted in classic American pop. Shepursues similar subject matter on “Honeymoon,” with versesthat include: “We both know the history of violence that sur-rounds you / But I’m not scared, there’s nothing to lose nowthat I’ve found you.” In an interview earlier this year withBillboard, Del Rey said that “Honeymoon” would also featurea cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by jazz and blueslegend Nina Simone.

Lana Del Rey arriving on the red carpet for the 72nd annualGolden Globe Awards. — AFP

Pop celebrity Justin Bieber says he is developing a “futuristic”sound for “very personal” songs as he completes a long-await-ed album. The 21-year-old Canadian singer revealed that he is

performing both drums and guitar on the album, on which he is col-laborating with electronic producer Skrillex, legendary rap and rockproducer Rick Rubin, and rap giant Kanye West. “I’m at a place whereI’m really happy and I’m ready to share my music,” he told lifestylemogul Martha Stewart in Interview magazine.

“Skrillex is on a really new wave and has found a way to take myvocals and mix them and play with them and pitch it up to make ithigher with these cool effects that sound really futuristic,” he said.Bieber-who has been known as much for his colorful life as his musicsince his last album “Believe” came out in 2012 — said that the albumwill be about “stuff that I’ve been through.” “It’s just very personal.People will be able to really get into where my heart is,” he said.

Bieber, however, did not offer a timeline for the album’s release.“I’m really not worried about when it’s finished, I just want it to beperfect, so we’re taking our time with it,” he said. Bieber also toldStewart, who has developed a friendship with the young singer, thathe is single. When Stewart told him that “after this interview, every girlin America will want you,” he replied unabashedly: “I think so, too. I’ma pretty lucky guy.”— AFP

Justin Bieber promises personal, ‘futuristic’ album

Justin Bieber arriving for the Costume Institute Gala Benefitat The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. — AFP

Jah Cure delivers certified

classic with ‘The Cure’

Jah Cure, one of Jamaica’s most talented contemporaryartists, brings musical therapy to your ears with his latestalbum, “The Cure.” Cure, who co-produced the album,

branches out of his comfort zone with a mix of reggae and loversrock infused with pop and R&B elements. The 13-track record fea-tures the dancehall anthem “Life We Live” - where Cure encour-ages listeners to “turn the world off and turn the music on” - aswell as his impressive cover of John Legend’s No. 1 hit, “All ofMe.”

Cure sings from the heart throughout the album: “Set MeFree” is a sweet groove; “Show Love” is tender; and “That Girl”features his captivating vocals. “The Cure” showcases an evolvedsound from Cure’s previous albums, and his poetic messages ofempowerment and love make this a classic. — AP

‘Paper Towns’ soundtrack

has modern, retro feel

As soundtracks go, “Paper Towns” comes close to perfec-tion in the job it performs. It works as the optimum sea-soning to the main dish - the movie - but its enchanting

composition also works as a stand-alone amuse-bouche. Theyouthful energy of the protagonists is the common threadthroughout the 16-track playlist, with sparkly contemporary elec-tro pop beats and ‘80s-suffused chords. If one were to peel backthe modern beats - say the exotic brass from Santigold’s “Radio”or the languid drums from Sam Bruno’s “Search Party” - onewould end up in the perfectly respectable world of a JohnHughes’ film soundtrack. Galantis’ urgently upbeat “Runaway (U& I)” adds the most contemporary feel to the album, whileKindness’ “Swinging Party” takes one on an eerie trip. The WarOn Drugs’ “Burning” is the Springsteen of the soundtrack with anatural rock swagger, and Haim’s “Falling” is a crowd-pleaser. Butit is Son Lux’s wailing and ticking on “Lost It to Trying” thatbecomes the belle of the ball. — AP

This CD cover image released by Atlantic Records showsthe original motion picture soundtrack from, ‘PaperTowns.’ — AP This CD cover image released by VP Records shows ‘The

Cure,’ a release by Jah Cure. — AP

Neil Young is getting ready to remove hismusic from streaming services like Spotifyand Apple Music: “Streaming has ended

for me,” the rock legend said in a Facebook postWednesday. Young isn’t the first musician todeny subscription music services the rights tostream his songs. Taylor Swift made headlineslast year when she removed her music fromSpotify because of what she argued was insuffi-cient compensation for ad-supported streams.

However, Young’s beef isn’t the money, as hesaid Wednesday. Instead, he’s unhappy with theaudio quality of music services. Said Young: “Idon’t need my music to be devalued by theworst quality in the history of broadcasting orany other form of distribution. I don’t feel rightallowing this to be sold to my fans. It’s bad for

my music.” When contacted by Variety, Young’steam confirmed that he will be removing hismusic from streaming services but declined tocomment further. Much of Young’s music,including his latest album, “The MonsantoYears,” remained on Spotify at the time of writ-ing. A Spotify spokesperson didn’t immediatelyrespond to a request for comment. Neil Young’sobsession with audio quality isn’t just focusedon streaming: The musician is also headingPono, a company that sells a portable HD audioplayer by the same name and also runs a musicdownload service. — Reuters

Young to take his music off streaming servicesNeil Young

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan,Muslims are called on to reflect on theirfaith as they conduct their daily fast. This

past month, some clerics and scholars reflected onways to reform the religious discourse in Islam tokeep up with modern-day challenges and opposeextremism.

A popular Egyptian religious figure used his dai-ly TV show to talk about ways to renew interpreta-tion of Islam’s holy book, the Quran. The UnitedArab Emirates hosted a series of Ramadan mosquelectures by dozens of clerics, including many fromAl-Azhar, Egypt’s premier Sunni Muslim center ofthought and learning, and a popular Americansheikh, who warned that renovation is needed inIslam after centuries of neglect in thought left theMuslim world in disrepair.

On one level, the religious reform effort - knownin Arabic as “tajdeed,” or “renewal”- is aimed atdrawing the faithful away from extremism at a timewhen militant violence has escalated in the regionwith the spread of the Islamic State group. A com-mon theme among renewal-minded clerics is a callfor greater emphasis on tolerance of others. Onanother level, the movement faces a struggle inrevamping how the faith is practiced without alter-ing its foundations.

Talk of change rose to the fore in January, whenEgyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi called for arevolution in Islam, saying outdated interpretationsmade the Muslim world a source of destruction. Heurged government clerics and the 1,000-year-oldAl-Azhar to carry out this change. On Tuesday, hebroached the subject again, saying “tolerance isdisregarded by extremist interpretations” of Islamictexts.

Critics of El-Sissi have accused him of using thiseffort to purge religious institutions of his MuslimBrotherhood opponents and control another armof the state’s levers, in this instance a religious insti-tution that is already weighed down by bureaucra-

cy and government meddling.

Counterterrorism lecturesBut he also has strong regional support from

the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s seat ofgovernment. The UAE’s counterterrorism lectures,organized by Abu Dhabi’s Islamic Affairs authorityduring the month of Ramadan, which ends Friday,drew more than 300 speakers, many of them fromCairo’s Al-Azhar. Among the best known speakersin the lectures was an American from California,Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, who converted to Islamalmost 40 years ago. He is a founder of ZaytunaCollege in Berkeley in 2008, the first accreditedMuslim college in the United States.

Speaking to a crowd of mostly young profes-sionals of various ethnic backgrounds in the UAE,he acknowledged that “our scholars have notresponded properly” to current challenges quicklyenough. He urged a return to the core tenet ofmercy in Islam. People in the audience asked himquestions ranging from how Muslims should reactto the US Supreme Court’s gay marriage decisionto whether “Catcher in the Rye” was appropriatesummer reading material for a ninth grader.

Need of renovationSpeaking to The Associated Press later, the 58-

year-old Yusuf described Islam as a house that hasbeen neglected and is in need of renovation. “Thewater taps aren’t working, the plumbing’s notworking. The house is in disarray. It’s derelict,” hesaid. “The house is dilapidated. You don’t destroy it,you don’t set it aside. You renovate it.” He saidMuslims should not oppose even strong reforms,nor feel that everything needs to be changed.“Because of the urgency of the situation, some peo-ple are waking up ... and thinking we better dosomething,” he said.

In his sermon at an Abu Dhabi mosque, SheikhMaher Amer, a scholar of Shariah at Al-Azhar,

An Imam leads evening prayers during the month of Ramadan at the Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai, UnitedArab Emirates. — AP photos

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf speaks during a fund raising event atthe Alliance Francis.

Muslims arrive to offer prayers at the Sheikh Zayed GrandMosque in Abu Dhabi.

Muslim scholars use Ramadan

to push for an Islamic renewal

Muslims offer evening prayers during the holy month of Ramadan at the Al Farooq Omar binAl Khattab Mosque.

A man takes a photo at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as others offer afternoon prayers inAbu Dhabi.

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Kneeling under a midday sun on mats laidover an unfinished pavement, Fakhruddinplaces his hands and head to the ground

in prayer. He joins hundreds of other devotedIndian Muslims in a lot surrounded by toweringresidential apartments outside of a Muslimshrine that has become a makeshift mosque.

Fakhruddin, 45, who operates a roadside bar-bershop, is an Indian Muslim and a minority inpredominantly Hindu India. Like many Muslimsworldwide, Fakhruddin is currently observingRamadan - a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. He answerssome questions about his faith and Islam’s holi-est month:

AP: How important is prayer to you?Fakhruddin: It’s the core of Islam. It’s more

important than anything else. I do not say that Ipray five times a day and seven days a week butI always try my best to pray wherever I am.

AP: Do you always pray here?Fakhruddin: I always pray here whether it’s

Ramadan or not. Prayers are not mandatory onlyin Ramadan, but throughout the year. Only thereward is greater if you pray in a mosque in acongregation in Ramadan

AP: If you could change anything aboutRamadan, what would it be?

Fakhruddin: I wish the weather was (more)pleasant. It is very trying to fast when tempera-tures soar as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113degrees Farenheit). I work in the open. We prayin the open no matter how hot it gets. Allahnever fails its servants.

AP: What is the most important thing toyou about being a Muslim in India?

Fakhruddin: My identity. There are few visi-ble things that a Muslim is supposed to follow,like sporting a beard, a skullcap. Other thingscannot be seen, for example; being helpful,good behavior etc. But unfortunately, we areforced to conceal our visible identity. A beardedman with a skullcap is seen as a threat in Indiaand therefore subjected to humiliation. Therewas a time when I also had beard but had toshave it off. To be honest I am running my busi-ness here in front of the mosque so that I couldfeel secure. — AP

Indian Muslims observe

holy month ofRamadan

Muslim worshippers offer Friday prayers in a lot used as a makeshift mosque in the compoundof the shrine of Syed Abdullah Khan.

An Indian Muslim father and son break their fast as they sit on a road divider.

Fakhruddin prays after breaking his Ramadan fast at amakeshift mosque, in Noida.

Indian Muslims Irshad Ali (left), Fakhrunnisa Ali (center) andAamir Irshad break their fast at their home during the monthof Ramadan in the old quarters of New Delhi. — AP photos

Muslim worshippers offer Friday prayers in at lot at theshrine of Syed Abdullah Khan.

underlined traditions of tolerance betweenMuslims and Christians. Al-Azhar has come undercriticism, even from some supporters of theEgyptian president who call its teaching methodsoutdated and its efforts at change slow. Amerdefended the institution, saying “all the sons anddaughters of Islam, Arabs and Westerners, come tolearn at Al-Azhar, to learn its moderate and peace-ful doctrine.”

Efforts to reform Islam are nothing new. For cen-turies, Muslim theologians, jurists, poets and scien-tists advanced not only their understanding of howIslam applied to the times, but also advanced philo-

sophical debates and the sciences like medicineand math. But one of the Arab world’s most famousMuslim televangelists, Amr Khaled, who dedicatedhis TV show through Ramadan to discussing waysof reform, pointed out that it has been at least 70years since the last great work on Islamic jurispru-dence was written.

Life situationSome of the most widely sold books of Quranic

interpretation today are 1,000 years old, he said.“Life is running forward, but our understanding ofreligion is stagnant,” Khaled told viewers. That first

episode garnered more than 240,000 views onYouTube and potentially millions more on TV. Hethen called on young people across the Arab worldto join him in online discussions. He sought toapply Quranic teachings to life situation. For exam-ple, he dedicated three episodes to discussing howMuslims are called on by their faith to be dedicatedto their work, but noted, “We are a society that doesnot produce or work.” “The whole idea of the showis that we can’t know how to reform unless we seewhere life stands,” he said. “How can you ask ‘Whatcan religion offer life?’ when you don’t know wherelife stands?”— AP

An Imam leads evening prayers after breaking their fast during themonth of Ramadan at the Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque.

Muslims offer afternoon prayers at the Sheikh Zayed GrandMosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

17 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

With the Eid celebrations on, we can’t stop ourselves from salivating over the food that is synonymous with this holy festival. Take a look at someamazing sub-continental Eid recipes that are sure to delight the entire family.

4 mouth-watering

Indian Eid recipes

Ingredients250 grams mutton1 cup wheat1/4th cup channa dal (split gram)1/4th cup moong dal (green gram)1/4th cup masoor dal (red lentils)Salt, coriander powder and chilli powder as per tasteGinger garlic paste.

PreparationSoak the wheat overnight and keep it pounded and husked. Soak the channaand moong dal for 40 minutes. Put eight cups of water in a vessel and bring itto boil. Add the wheat, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder and chilly pow-der and salt. Mash the mutton pieces and add it to the mixture. Cook over amedium flame till the mutton is tender.

Haleem (meat stew)

Ingredients1/4 cup nuts like almonds, cashews, chiroli (sun-flower seeds), dried grapes (kishmish) and pista-chios eachGhee and sugar as per tasteFlavored essence of RoseKesarReady-made Saivaiya

PreparationSoak the almond and pistachios overnight.Remove the skin and cut into small pieces.Depending on how much you want to serve, takemilk and bring it to boil. In another vessel, cookthe saivaiya on a low flame in ghee till it turnsgolden. Add all the nuts and the flavored essenceto it. Let it cook for a while. Add the milk to thismixture and let it boil. Now add the sugar. Onceboiled, let the milk remain on a low flame till itbecomes thick. You may also add milkmaid to themeva, however ensure that you limit the sugarinitially, or else it may become too sweet.

Sukha Meva (Dry Fruit Porridge)

Ingredients2 pounds lamb chunks2 teaspoons Ras El Hanout (Blend ofspices including cardamom, clove, cin-namon, ground chili peppers, coriander,peppercorn, and turmeric, all groundand mixed)4 tablespoon honey1/2 cup almonds and raisins each.

Preparation Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees. Take thelamb chunks and glaze the Ras ElHanout on them well. Place this in a dishand add water and the honey to it. Bakein the oven for two hours, howeverensure to cover the dish. Now drain outthe excessive oil and remove the lambfrom the stew. Add the almonds andraisins to the stew. Boil this mixture untilit thickens. Now place the lamb chunksagain in the stew and leave it to boil fora few minutes. Serve with bread.

Mro

uziy

a

Mutton Biryani

Ingredients2 cups Rice1 kg Mutton10 grams Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cummin seed40 grams Ginger, garlic, salt and chilies as per taste2 LemonsCurd and Ghee.

Preparation Wash the mutton well. Grind the ginger garlic, chilies, and otherspices and add it to the mutton. Add curd to this mixture. Boil 6-8 cupsof water in a vessel and then add rice to it. Place the mutton mixture ina pressure cooker. When the rice is ready, spread it over the muttonmixture. Let it cook for 30 minutes on a low flame.

17 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

After three days of nonstop panels at San Diego’s waterfront convention center, fivemovies distinguished themselves as the clear winners of Comic-Con 2015.

The five moviesthat won San

Diego Comic-Con

The trailer for this R-rated superhero film won a standingovation from the Hall H audience, who chanted, “Onemore time! One more time!” until Fox played it again.

Pretty impressive for a movie that almost didn’t happen. Thefilm stars Ryan Reynolds as Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth, andoh was he mouthy in what is sure to be a red-band trailer, slat-ed to be released to the general public in three weeks.Reynolds called the film (and its R-rating) “a miracle.” And

director Tim Miller said he was shocked at how much freedomthe studio gave him. “They didn’t question anything we dideven though they should have.” Judging by the Comic-Conaudience’s feverish response, it’s safe to say Fox doesn’t havemuch to worry about.

Deadpool

10 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

Three months after director JJ Abrams showed off the first full-length trailer for Episode VIIat Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, the legacy actors and newcomers once again tookthe stage to give fans a glimpse of the movie, only this time, Harrison Ford was there. “It

should have felt ridiculous,” Ford said about returning to the franchise 30 years later. “But I cantell you that it felt great. I wasn’t so sure it would, but the company was the right company. Thedirector was the right director. Larry [Kasdan], you wrote us a wonderful story. And I was proudand grateful to once again be involved.” The panel also featured an appearance by a trio of newvillains, a demonstration of remarkable puppetry, and a three-minute behind-the-scenes video.And at the end, all 6,000+ attendees were given access to a San Diego Symphony Orchestraperformance of John Williams’ Star Wars music.

X-M

en: Apo

caly

pse

Bryan Singer’s sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past is only five weeks intofilming, but that didn’t stop the director from bringing a trailer to Comic-Con’s biggest stage. The film’s star-studded cast reunited for the panel,

and X-Men newcomers Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones’ Sansa), Lana Condor,Olivia Munn and others offered insight into their characters, along with veteranslike Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy. Wolverine actorHugh Jackman called the role “the greatest part I’ve had in my life.” And at theend of the panel the entire X-Men cast, plus the casts of Fantastic Four andDeadpool, Gambit actor Channing Tatum, and Marvel icon Stan Lee gatheredfor what might be a record-setting superhero selfie. Excelsior!

Honorable mentions include a steamy moment between James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe during the presentation for Victor Frankenstein; a surprise appearance by BillMurray, in character for Rock the Kasbah; Guillermo del Toro’s colorful preview of his upcoming Tom Hiddleston-starring gothic romance Crimson Peak; and The HungerGames’ farewell to Comic-Con. (www.ew.com)

At Comic-Con 2013, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder announced to the Hall H audiencethat the film’s sequel would star both of DC’s keystone superheroes. After two years ofoffering rare and limited glimpses at the closely-guarded project, Snyder once again

took to Hall H to shine a spotlight on the movie, unveiling a first trailer that gave fans a nicelong look at Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne, a peek at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and a hint of apossible Joker appearance. Stars Affleck, Gadot, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg,Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter joined Snyder on stage, and Affleck shared some advice he gotfrom previous Batman actor Christian Bale. Missing from the panel? Any mention of plans forAffleck to direct and star in a standalone Batman film.

Batman v Superman:Dawn of Justice

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Suicide SquadThe long-awaited Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may have been the headliner for

Warner Bros’ panel, but it was Suicide Squad that stole the show. The film unites DC’s badboys and girls for an all-star villain team tasked with using less-than-heroic tactics to save

the world - and taking the fall if it all goes south. “All this good vs. evil sh- is played out,” direc-tor David Ayer told Hall H. “It’s time for bad versus evil.” The film’s cast appeared onstage, andthe film’s trailer - which was officially released after leaking online - earned exuberant cheers.We can’t wait to see more of Jared Leto’s Joker and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Cyprus brims with emptyhillside trails and someof the Mediterranean’sbest dive sites. Sure, youcould just flop out on thebeach with the crowds,but the rugged terrain ofthis sunshine-splashedisland just begs to beexplored. From scenicmountain-bike runs toparagliding thrills, hereare the best Cypriot out-doors experiences.

Paraglidingover Agia

Napa’s NissiBeach.

WILD

T r a v e l

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

On the trailsThere are oodles of trails to dis-

cover, from day-long hikes travers-ing tall pine forests between cob-blestone villages to epic multi-daytreks linking castle ruins across thecraggy Kyrenia Range.

In the South: The TroˆdosMountains are one of the bestregions to pull your hiking boots on.Mix a touch of culture into a scenicwalk through the Adelfi Forest onthe Asinou-Agios Theodoros trail,which begins at the Byzantine-fres-coed Panagia Forviotissa church, orloop around Mt Olympus on theArtemis Trail. Out west, the wildAkamas Peninsula is prime hikingterritory if you’re partial to a goodview, with the Aphrodite Trail offer-ing up panoramas of the peninsu-la’s jagged shoreline as it bites intothe blue sea.

In the North: While walks inSouth Cyprus are well marked,North Cyprus is more rough andready, which for many hikers isexactly what they’re looking for. Thecoastline strip quickly gives way to afurrowed spine of peaks formingthe Beparmak and Kyrenia moun-tain ranges criss-crossed by oldshepherd tracks. Hike the Be?par-mak Range Trek from the heights ofBuffavento Castle to the abbey atBellapais (Beylerbeyi) and revel inrolling views stretching out to thesea. Don’t forget to congratulateyourself for finding a hiking Arcadiathat, so far, seems to be mostlyignored by walking fans.

On a bikeCompact size - tick. Diverse ter-

rain - tick. Lack of strong headwinds- double tick. Biking in Cyprus cantake you from the sea shore to themountain flanks on a half-day ride.Road biking is already a popular

activity, while mountain bikers willfind a growing network of trails thatprovide dramatically scenic runs.

In the South: Cycling has takenoff hugely in the Republic of Cyprus,with biking routes leading out from

the main towns and coastal resortsand offering everything from a half-day jaunt to entire cycling holidays.For scenic mountain-biking runs,the Trodos Mountains with theirdipping valleys and mountain

slopes offer plenty of twisty pine-forested dirt tracks with panoramicviews. In the North: The island’sbest-kept biking secret is the out-stretched finger of the Karpas(Krpaa) Peninsula in the far north-

east. Traffic on even the main roadsis minimal, while exploring the ruraltracks, rimmed by olive and carobtrees connecting itsy-bitsy villagessnuggled into the hillside, is a sliceof slow and rural Cyprus life.

Hiking in theAvgas (Avakas)

Gorge on theAkamas

Peninsula

Wreck of EdroIII, sea cavesnear Pafos.

T r a v e l

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Underwater wonderlandExperienced divers already flock

to Cyprus to dive the world-famousZenobia wreck. The shallow reefsjust offshore mean that this is agreat place for complete novices totake the plunge as well.

In the South: More than a fewvessels have come a-cropper justoffshore, making the wreck divingoff the South’s coastline among thebest in the Mediterranean. InLarnaka, the Zenobia (Swedish car-go ship sunk in 1980) is rated as oneof the world’s top 10 diving wrecks,while the Vera K (Turkish cargo shipsunk in the 1970s) is a particularlyhaunting sight for wreck divers offthe coast of Pafos. Head to Pafostoo for a spot of underwater historyand dive the Amphorae Reef,strewn with ancient pottery shardsand home to abundant soft corals.

In the North: Kyrenia (Girne) andthe holiday resort town of Alsancakare the centre of North Cyprus’ div-ing community. For a history lessonunderwater, the well-namedAntique Shop site is scattered withbroken amphorae. Amateur under-water archaeologists shouldn’t missdiving the Ancient Wreck site, offthe coast of the Karpas Peninsula.This is a unique chance to see theleftover excavation site of a Greekmerchant ship which sank off thecoast here in approximately 300 BCand is the oldest shipwreck ever tohave been recovered from theseabed.

Water-based activitiesSure, the sandy beaches are

what brings folks flocking, but activ-ities on the water provide amplereasons to get off your beach towel.Steady winds and sun-kissed weath-er provide peak conditions forkitesurfing and windsurfing, while

fishing remains a popular pastimefor Cypriots as well as visitors.

In the South: Novice wind- andkitesurfers can learn the ropes atMakenzy Beach in Larnaka, whilethe holiday village of Pissouri Bayprovides excellent facilities for bothcomplete beginners and theadvanced. Keen anglers looking tobring home the catch of the day canorganise fishing excursions fromany of the coastal resorts, while win-ter is the best time for freshwater

fishing in the South’s reservoirs. TheAsprokremmos Dam near Pafos,with its yield of trout, carp and bass,is one of the most popular spots tothrow out a line.

In the North: Fishing jaunts canbe arranged easily in Kyrenia har-bour with g¸let (traditional Turkishwooden yacht) captains. Anglingenthusiasts should arrange tripswith Aphrodite Boat Charters orLadyboss Fishing, whose captainsknow the best spots to cast a line.

Experienced wind- and kitesurferswith their own equipment shouldmake a beeline straight to the lone-ly beaches along Morfou Bay on thewest coast, where they’ll find someof the best wind and sea conditionson the island.

In the airCyprus has a couple of tandem-

paragliding opportunities for adren-aline junkies who want to scopebird’s-eye views over the island’s

craggy terrain. In the South, CyprusFly Adventures (cyprusflyadven-tures.com) offers learn-to-fly cours-es as well as tandem jumps fornovices, while in the North, HighlineTandem has its jump site in theBe?parmak Range offering ridersaerial views with serious ‘wow’. Ifyou’ve already explored at groundlevel, taking to the sky for some air-side thrills is an ideal way to soak upthis island’s wild beauty in full.(www.lonelyplanet.com)

Fishing from asea cave near

Agia Napa.

Venetian bridgein the Trodos

Mountains.

L e i s u r eFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

ACROSS1. A numbered compartment in a post office where mail is put to be

called for.4. (usually plural) The state of having reflex spasms of the diaphragm

accompanied by a rapid closure of the glottis producing an audiblesound.

12. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.15. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.16. Provide with military equipment.17. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern

Nigeria.18. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.20. Support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or

descending a stairway.21. A watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates

through the vascular system of a plant.22. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and

husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).23. A tributary of the Rhine.25. A zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere between Taurus

and Cancer on the ecliptic.27. A member of the Algonquian people living in Wisconsin the Fox

River valley and the shores of Green Bay.29. In a foreign country.31. Bundle of rods containing an axe with the blade protruding.34. United States film maker who was the first to use flashbacks and

fade-outs (1875-1948).37. (Greek mythology) The rarified fluid said to flow in the veins of the

Gods.39. Type genus of the Amiidae.40. A student enrolled in (or graduated from) Eton College.42. Failing to detonate.44. A Mid-Atlantic state.45. Happening unexpectedly.47. Dressed in a habit.51. A slight amount or degree of difference.52. A port in southwestern Scotland.53. An early French settler in the Maritimes.54. Midwife toads.58. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.60. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.61. The Mongol people living the the central and eastern parts of Outer

C R O S S W O R D 9 6 6Mongolia.

65. Of or relating to Iraq or its people or culture.68. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.70. A human limb.71. Surround so as to force to give up.73. A former French coin of low denomination.76. Water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere.77. A number that is added to another number (the augend).79. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.80. The phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid.81. Softened by the addition of cushions or padding.82. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN1. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.2. Large elliptical brightly colored deep-sea fish of Atlantic and Pacific

and Mediterranean.3. English monk and scholar (672-735).4. An ugly evil-looking old woman.5. (Greek mythology) Son of Daedalus.6. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.7. A piece of metal covered by leather with a flexible handle.8. Angered at something unjust or wrong.9. A reptile genus of Iguanidae.10. An African amulet.11. Of or concerning this.12. Sect of Orthodox Jews who follow the Mosaic Law strictly.13. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.14. A member of the South American Indian people living in Brazil and

Paraguay.19. Run away.24. A monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British

Isles.26. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.28. The lofty nest of a bird of prey (such as a hawk or eagle).30. Loud confused noise from many sources.32. Presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible.33. Cheap and shoddy.35. Infections of the skin or nails caused by fungi and appearing as itch-

ing circular patches.36. Austrian composer who influenced the classical form of the sympho-

ny (1732-1809).38. Being the only one.41. Squash bugs.43. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.46. A period of time containing 365 (or 366) days.48. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.49. The content of cognition.50. A light strong gray lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used

in strong light-weight alloys (as for airplane parts).55. Very attractive.56. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore

of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and west-ern New York.

57. Feeling mild pleasurable excitement.59. English monk and scholar (672-735).62. Wild or domesticated South American cud-chewing animal related

to camels but smaller and lacking a hump.63. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with veg-

etables.64. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.66. Located in or toward the back or rear.67. The largest continent with 60% of the earth's population.69. European freshwater fish resembling the roach.72. A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures.74. Used of a single unit or thing.75. A castrated tomcat.78. A doctor's degree in religion.

Yesterday’s SolutionYesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

You want to buckle down and take care of businesstoday, but everyone seems to have their own tale to tell. Obviously,you have a personal agenda as well, but your priorities are differentthan everyone else’s. The bottom line is you don’t have the patienceto deal with people’s trivial concerns when there’s serious work tobe done. In the most diplomatic manner possible, inform everyonethat success must be earned and there’s no time like the present toget busy. Leading by example is the best way to get your messageacross.

S t a r sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

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 0062Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218

Lithuania 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 0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672N. 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 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Serbia 00381Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates 00976United Kingdom 0044Uruguay 00598USA 001Uzbekistan 00998Vanuatu 00678Venezuela 00582Vietnam 0084Virgin Islands UK 001284Virgin Islands US 001340Wales (UK) 0044Yemen 00967Yugoslavia 00381Zambia 00260Zimbabwe 00263

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

COUNTRY CODES

Placing your dreams of adventure temporarily on holdmay be necessary today because there are the needs of others totake in consideration, too. Unfortunately, another person’s depend-ence on you is in direct conflict with your current yearning for free-dom. You don’t like the fact that you can’t just run off and followyour bliss. Although you value your independence, you’re willing toaccept your current position of accountability to maintain healthyrelationships. Try an empathetic approach by putting yourself insomeone else’s shoes before taking a hike in your own.

On the surface it appears that you’re just anothermember of the group, however, you might actually be subtlypulling all the strings. Others don’t even realize you’re the masterpuppeteer behind the scenes. Just be careful that you don’t get soenamored with being in control that you forget the plot. Your pri-orities may need sorting out today, but everything will be alright ifyou remember the collective cause is more important now thanyour personal dreams. Participating in the show instead of tryingto run it increases your chances of being on the winning team.

Your own special version of honesty may be too muchfor most people to handle today. Even if your intentions are well-meaning, you might harm more than help if you speak before youthink. Maintaining a safe distance from others until your blood is nolonger boiling seems like a sensible way to minimize collateral dam-age. However, burying your feelings is an invitation to disasterbecause they will gain power and inconveniently express, anyhow.Your real work isn’t about changing your message; it’s aboutincreasing your awareness. It’s easy to criticize someone else, raisethe bar and improve your game, instead.

You’re waiting for someone to say the wrong wordtoday so you can pounce on them in defense of your position.You’re probably unaware of your true motives; you’re not evenconscious of how intense you sound now. Although you are morebark than bite, people still might take your intensity at face value.There’s little to gain by protecting your boundaries from imaginaryenemies. Lowering your voice and letting others speak is a simpleyet straightforward way to realign the tense dynamics. Take adeep breath and count to ten before you act in anger.

It feels like your loved ones are pushing your buttonstoday just to see how far they can go before you push back. Itseems like it’s one thing after another and you are overwhelmedwith all their demands on your time. At first, you’re eager todemonstrate your good will by rearranging your schedule, but itprobably won’t be enough to satisfy everyone. But even the mosteasygoing of Bulls have their limits and you may soon reach yourboiling point. Although you just want to reclaim your personalspace, you might have to make a big commotion to get others tonotice. Speak softly and carry a big stick.

Subjectivity rules the day. You and a friend or lovedone may find it difficult to find common ground in a disagreementover a difference in values. Your two positions couldn’t be moreopposite today and finding points of understanding may end upbeing an exercise in futility. The most direct route to creating reso-lution might be going your separate ways for a while. Walkingaway takes courage but it’s an integral part of the peace processnow. Above all, be kind in all your words and deeds or you willhave a wider gulf to cross down the road.

There isn’t even a split second between your thoughtsand your reactions today. Being so fast on your feet might beadvantageous in a crisis situation but could be problematic for rela-tionships. You might do something foolish before you think aboutthe impact of your behavior. It may sound impossible to do now,but you must stop and reevaluate your present situation beforeyou speak or act in a way you will soon regret. Don’t snap at theones who care the most.

You can take a simple comment from someone atwork today and turn it into a soap opera melodrama.Unfortunately, you’re not processing your thoughts now; you’rejust blindly reacting from a place of fear or pride. Don’t bite some-one’s head off if he or she just asks you a simple question. Startingthe day off with a bit of self-reflection through meditation, yoga orprayer might bring you enough awareness to move through theday with grace and gratitude. Keep the roar to a minimum and youshould be fine.

You Virgos know quite a bit about self-sufficiency andyour survival skills may be put to the test today. Paradoxically, youcould feel the loneliest when you’re in the midst of a crowdedevent or a group of friends. However, you might be better offspending time alone and doing things that further your spiritualpath. Looking to others for a solution only adds unnecessary stressto your relationships when what you really need now comes fromwithin. Personal growth is a journey you must do alone.

There’s no denying that you have a lot of chores onyour plate today. Paradoxically, the more you accomplish, themore there is to do. No matter how hard you work, people expectmore. To make matters worse, you can’t seem to concentratenow as you continue to float off into inner space. Although youmight not be able to prevent drifting in and out of focus, youcould capitalize on your imagination by applying a splash of cre-ativity to your daily routine. A little change will do you good.

You’re having trouble fitting in with the group todayand you’re not even sure you want to try. You feel the need toresist the peer pressure to conform because you don’t want tolose your creative edge. But don’t be afraid to take a risk and try awhole new strategy. You might get away with pacifying others,so do whatever you can to accommodate their wishes as long asit doesn’t compromise your beliefs. If everyone sees you as avaluable member of the team, you’ll end up having plenty of lati-tude to express yourself in your own unique manner.

H e a l t hFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

PARIS: The unprecedented degrada-tion of Earth’s natural resources cou-pled with climate change could reversemajor gains in human health over thelast 150 years, according to a sweepingscientific review published yesterday.

“We have been mortgaging thehealth of future generations to realizeeconomic and development gains inthe present,” said the report, written by15 leading academics and published inthe peer-reviewed medical journal TheLancet. “By unsustainably exploitingnature’s resources, human civilizationhas flourished but now risks substantialhealth effects from the degradation ofnature’s life support systems in thefuture.”

Climate change, ocean acidification,depleted water sources, polluted land,over-fishing, biodiversity loss-all unin-tended by-products of humanity’s driveto develop and prosper-”pose seriouschallenges to the global health gains ofthe past several decades”, especially inpoorer nations, the 60-page report con-cludes. The likely impacts on globalhealth of climate change, ranging fromexpanded disease vectors to malnour-ishment, have been examined by theUN’s panel of top climate scientists. Butthe new report, entitled SafeguardingHuman Health in the AnthropoceneEpoch, takes an even broader view.

Danger of bee decline The “Anthropocene” is the name

given by many scientists to the period-starting with mass industrialisation-inwhich human activity has arguablyreshaped Earth’s bio-chemical make-up. “This is the first time that the global

health community has come out in aconcerted way to report that we are inreal danger of undermining the coreecological systems that support humanhealth,” said Samuel Myers, a scientistat Harvard University and one theauthors.

A companion study on the world-wide decline of bees and other pollina-tors, led by Myers and also published inThe Lancet, illustrates one way thismight happen. The dramatic decline ofbees has already compromised thequantity and quality of many nutrient-rich crops that depend on the transferof pollen to bear fruit.

Pollinators play a key role in 35 per-cent of global food production, and aredirectly responsible for up to 40 percentof the world’s supply of micro-nutrientssuch a vitamin A and folate, both essen-tial for children and pregnant women.The complete wipe-out of pollinatingcreatures, the study concludes, wouldpush a quarter of a billion people in thered-zone of vitamin A or folate deficien-cy, and cause an increase in heart dis-ease, stroke and some cancers, leadingto some 1.4 million additional deathseach year. A 50 loss of pollination wouldresult in roughly half that impact, theresearchers found.

Scientist are still debating exactlywhy pollinators are dying off, but thereis no disagreement that all the possiblecauses-pollution, insecticides, land-loss-are related to human activity. A secondcompanion study examines for the firsttime the impact of decreased zinc levelsin staple crops such as wheat, rice, bar-ley and soy caused by higher levels ofcarbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the

main driver of global warming.

At risk Already, nearly a fifth of the world’s

population is at risk of zinc deficiency,which can cause pre-mature delivery,reduce growth and weight-gain in chil-dren, and compromise immune func-tions. By 2050, projected CO2 emissions

could place an additional 150 millionpeople at risk, according to the studypublished in Lancet Global Health.

“Our civilizations may seem strongand resilient, but history tells us that oursocieties are fragile and vulnerable,”Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of TheLancet and a co-author of the mainreport, said in a statement. Introducing

the concept of planetary health, thereport calls for urgent action, startingwith a paradigm shift in the way weunderstand the relationship betweenour environment, social or economicprogress, and human health. The reportwas released by The RockefellerFoundation-Lancet Commission onPlanetary Health. — AFP

Earth’s degradation threatens major health gains ‘Mortgaging the health of future generations’

GLETSCH, Switzerland: People stand next to the Rhone Glacier which have been wrapped up withinsulating foams as a protection against the sun on July 14, 2015 near Gletsch. A second heatwave is forecast to hit Switzerland in the next few days. — AFP

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I n f o r m a t i o nFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

BusinessFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Saudi bond issues to soar; government plugs deficitPAGE 41

Asian stocks up after Greece deal

PAGE 38

TEHRAN: Iranians sit at a bus station in the Tajrish Bazaar in the cap-ital Tehran yesterday. Earlier in the week, Iran signed a historic dealwith world powers in the Austrian capital after marathon talks onTehran’s controversial nuclear program that has poisoned interna-tional relations for 12 years. — AFP (See Page 40)

SINGAPORE: The world’s top crude oil exporter Saudi Arabia has turneditself into a major power of refined fuels, offering customers millions ofbarrels of diesel and potentially triggering a price war with Asian com-petitors as its exports feed into a glut. Saudi Arabia, a leading memberin the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), alreadypledged last November to keep crude output high to defend its marketshare against higher-cost producers.

While the strategy has kept crude markets well-supplied and priceslow, the Kingdom has seen mixed success in defending its market shareas global production remains high despite low prices. Saudi Arabia isnow processing more of its crude at home as its massive refineries turnit into the world’s fourth-largest refiner, in a tie with Royal Dutch Shell,that allows the Kingdom to export more fuel products than ever before.Aramco Trading Co, a subsidiary of state oil giant Saudi Aramco, offeredvia tenders 2.8 million barrels of ultra low sulphur diesel for loading inlate July to early August, trade sources said, enough to meet Japanesedemand for three-and-a-half days.

“We are already seeing the impact in the Asia-Pacific,” said SureshSivanandam, principal analyst for refining and chemicals at WoodMackenzie. “This year there is not a single drop of diesel exported fromSingapore to the Middle East,” he added, referring to a once populardiesel export route. The ramp-up mainly of ultra low sulphur diesel toEurope sees the Saudis compete head on with big Asian dieselexporters India and South Korea and reduces Asia’s gasoil margin to thelowest in five years. The flurry of shipping activity out of Yanbu has alsopushed up freight rates for long-range tankers by nearly 20 percentsince last week, a shipbroker said.

Distillates monsterSaudi Arabia opened its newest 400,000-barrels per day refinery in

Yanbu in April, reaching full capacity within two months. “Yanbu hasbecome a distillates monster,” a shipbroker said, referring to the hikein exports from the Red Sea port. At least seven long-range vesselshave been provisionally booked to load diesel from Yanbu headed forEurope, shipping fixtures showed. One of them is the 120,000-tonneSuezmax tanker Atina, carrying diesel to Europe, an unusually big shipto transport the fuel that showcases the scale of the new Saudi opera-tions. Exports from the Gulf are expected to rise further as its owndemand is set to fall at the end of summer when power generationdrops.— Reuters

Saudi triggers potential fuel price war

38B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

LONDON: Oil prices rose yesterday after a pow-er outage closed the UK’s largest oilfield andfollowing data showing a fall in crude invento-ries and strong demand from refineries in theUnited States. Brent crude for August was up 80cents at $57.85 a barrel by 1320 GMT. US lightcrude, also known as West Texas Intermediateor WTI, was up 50 cents at $51.91.Britain’sBuzzard oilfield, the most important source ofcrude oil underpinning the global benchmarkBrent, was closed after power supplies failed,traders said.

It normally pumps 170,000 to 180,000 bar-rels per day (bpd) but went down in the early

hours of yesterday, traders said. A spokes-woman for Buzzard operator Nexen, a unit ofChina’s CNOOC, declined to comment. “Therewas a trip last night,” said one crude oil trader,who declined to be identified. Buzzard is thesingle biggest contributor to the Forties crudestream, one of four crude grades underpinningthe price of over-the-counter Brent, which islinked to Brent futures. Brent’s front-monthAugust futures contract, due to expire later,moved to a premium of 30 cents a barrel abovethe September contract on the Buzzard news,its highest premium for more than two months.

US crude inventories fell by 4.3 million bar-

rels last week, according to the EnergyInformation Administration (EIA), as refineriesboosted throughput to a record level. The datasuggested demand in the United States, theworld’s biggest oil consumer, was holding upwell and still absorbing fuel at a time of ampleglobal production. Olivier Jakob, head of Swissenergy consultancy Petromatrix, said US oildemand remained strong, driven by gasolineconsumption, which was helping keep USrefineries working at full tilt through the north-ern hemisphere summer.

But the market might not be quite as wellbalanced later in the year, when maintenance

shuts some refineries. “US crude oil stocks arestill at a high level and at risk of seeingincreasing builds once refineries go intomaintenance in the fall,” Jakob said. Oil priceshave fallen steadily over the last two monthsand both crude benchmarks are down morethan 15 percent from June peaks. TheOrganization of the Petroleum ExportingCountries is now producing about 2.5 millionbpd more crude than needed, analysts say,filling inventories worldwide. OPEC oil supplymay be about to rise as Iran increases outputfollowing a deal with six global powers overits nuclear program. — Reuters

Oil up on UK oilfield outageUK’s biggest oilfield shut by power outage

Gold holds

near 4-month

low as US rate

hike looms

MANILA: Gold hovered near its lowest levelsince March yesterday after Federal ReserveChair Janet Yellen reiterated that a US interestrate increase is likely this year, buoying thedollar at bullion’s expense. Yellen said the UScentral bank remains on course to raise inter-est rates this year, with labor markets expect-ed to steadily improve and turmoil abroadunlikely to throw the US economy off track.Yellen’s comments were in line with her recentremarks along with the most recent policystatement by the Federal Open MarketCommittee, which will meet next on July 28-29. Yellen is expected to repeat those com-ments when she testifies before the SenateBanking Committee on Thursday.

Spot gold was off 0.3 percent at $1,145.85an ounce by 0241 GMT, close to Wednesday’strough of $1,143.43, its weakest since March17. A potential US rate hike has been dis-cussed in financial markets as early as 2013,and gold has already fallen as a consequence,said HSBC analyst James Steel. “This leads usto conclude that most of gold’s declinesbased on a rate rise have already occurred,and that gold’s reaction to the rate hike -whenever it comes - and subsequent hikes,may be muted or short-lived,” Steel said in anote. “This reinforces our view that goldprices are likely to stay above $1,100/ozalthough they may remain weak due tomomentum selling near term.”

A looming US rate hike boosts the dollar,putting dollar-priced assets such as gold outof favor as they become more expensive forbuyers holding other currencies. US gold forAugust delivery eased 0.2 percent to $1,145.20an ounce. Spot silver dropped 0.5 percent,platinum eased 0.9 percent and palladiumdipped 0.6 percent. There was more evidenceof US economic growth improving, withindustrial production rebounding last monthand factory activity in New York state pickingup in July. Premiums for physical gold on theShanghai Gold Exchange picked up slightly to$2-$4 an ounce over spot, although analystssay a slowing economy could cap demandfrom China, the world’s top gold consumer.Gold imports by No 2 consumer Indiadropped 37 percent in June from a year earlierto $1.96 billion, the country’s trade ministrysaid on Wednesday. —Reuters

HONG KONG: Asian markets rose yes-terday as Greek MPs voted in favor ofan austerity-laden bailout package,while the dollar extended gains afterFederal Reserve chief Janet Yellenreaffirmed a US interest rate hike byyear end. Volatility returned toShanghai and Hong Kong as better-than-expected growth data reducedthe chances of fresh economy-boost-ing measures from Beijing, while therewere fears a recent rout in mainlandmarkets could resume. Tokyo gained0.67 percent, or 136.79 points, to20,600.12 with the weaker yen alsoproviding support. Seoul added 0.72percent, or 14.98 points, to 2,087.89and Sydney gained 0.59 percent, or33.4 points, to close at 5,669.6.Shanghai ended 0.46 percent higher,adding 17.47 points to 3,823.18 whileHong Kong closed up 0.43 percent, or107.02 points, to 25,162.78. The twomarkets swung throughout the day,having both opened sharply lower inthe first few minutes.

Against a backdrop of violenceoutside parliament, lawmakers inAthens early yesterday voted in favorof the unpopular proposals-includingreforming taxes, pensions and laborrules-putting it on the path to a euro-zone rescue. However, while Prime

Minister Alexis Tsipras won the day, hesuffered a major mutiny in his ownparty. Now the agreement must gobefore the domestic parliaments ofsome of the other 19 members of theeuro-zone, with all eyes in particularon EU powerhouse Germany, which isset to vote today. Only after that canthe tough talks to finalize the long-awaited deal, expected to take muchof the summer, begin in earnest. Thenews pushed the euro higher in earlyAsian trade, rising to $1.0963 from$1.0947 in New York and 135.88 yenfrom 135.51 yen. However, it retreatedto $1.0904 and 135.22 yen in the after-noon. The dollar also firmed to 123.92yen from 123.79 yen. The greenbackwas boosted by Yellen’s commentsindicating a US rate hike is just aroundthe corner.

US rate rise nears In testimony to Congress, Yellen

stuck to the position of the Fed policymeeting that a hike would come “atsome point this year” if “the economyevolves as we expect”. Her commentscame as the Fed’s closely watchedBeige Book showed the world’s num-ber one economy grew in May andJune, with all 12 of the bank’s districtsenjoying expansion. Most analysts

predict a rate rise from record lowseither in September or December.

The Dow ended marginally lower,the S&P 500 lost 0.07 percent and theNasdaq shed 0.12 percent. “Macrothemes will not and cannot beremoved from the headlines,” EvanLucas, a markets strategist inMelbourne at IG Ltd., wrote in an e-mail to clients. “The fact the greyclouds that are China and Greece havecleared slightly only brings a sharperfocus on the biggest macro cloud of2015 — Fed lift off,” he said, accordingto Bloomberg News. In Shanghai,shares moved in and out of positiveterritory, with Wednesday’s grossdomestic product report unable tosettle investors after a month-longplunge wiped 30 percent off the com-posite index, amounting to trillions ofdollars in valuations. It had surgedmore than 150 percent in the yearleading up to its June 12 peak. Thesell-off came to an end last week afterthe government unveiled a series ofstrict rules to avert a crash.”A lot ofdomestic investors are still in a gam-bling mode,” said Yen Chiu, a HongKong-based trader at ShenwanHongyuan Group Co.

“That’s how the market is veryvolatile. We are quite conservative at

the moment and the shrinking vol-ume confirms trading is becomingmore cautious overall.” Oil prices weremixed after sinking Wednesday onfears about the impact of more Iraniancrude hitting markets after its land-mark nuclear deal. US benchmarkWest Texas Intermediate for Augustdelivery rose 13 cents to $51.54 a bar-rel after tumbling $1.63 Wednesday.Brent eased five cents to $57.00. Thecontract, which expired yesterday,had fallen $1.65 the previous day.Gold fetched $1,144.42 comparedwith $1,154.88 late Wednesday.

In other markets:Mumbai rose 0.88 percent, or

247.83 points, to end at 28,446.12.Axis Bank rose 4.14 percent to end at608.75 rupees, while miner VedantaLimited fell 1.17 percent to 143.70rupees. Malaysia’s key index lost 0.03percent, or 0.53 points, to 1,726.73.Tenaga Nasional dropped 2.37 percentto 12.36 ringgit, Sime Darby fell 0.12percent to 8.59 while Genting Malaysiagained 0.71 percent to 4.23 ringgit.Bangkok slipped 0.37 percent, or 5.48points, to 1,481.26. Coal producerBanpu fell 2.91 percent to 25.00 baht,while Airports of Thailand dropped2.30 percent to 297.00 baht. — AFP

Asia stocks up after Greece

deal; Yellen boosts dollar

BEIJING: Two women rest outside a store selling fruit in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

Google winsdismissal of

Android privacylawsuit

CALIFORNIA: Google Inc won the dismissal ofa lawsuit by Android users who said the com-pany violated its own privacy policy by disclos-ing their names, email addresses and accountlocations to third parties without permission,to boost advertising revenue. In a Wednesdaynight decision, US Magistrate Judge PaulGrewal in San Jose, California, said the usersfailed to show that Google transmitted theirown personal data or that they would suffereconomic harm if it occurred.

Last July, Grewal had let the plaintiffs pur-sue breach of contract and fraud claims,assuming they showed that the data-sharingcaused economic harm by depleting their bat-tery power and bandwidth. But the judge saidthe plaintiffs abandoned that argument intheir amended complaint filed in February. Asa result, he said the plaintiffs lacked standingto sue, having “managed something some-what unusual: they pled themselves out of acase.” He added: “With no allegation of dis-semination or improper receipt of information,any profit or loss made from any alleged dis-closure, let alone a potential disclosure, is con-jectural.”

Google said $15.51 billion, or 90 percent, ofits $17.26 billion of first-quarter revenue camefrom advertising. Mark Gardy and JosephSabella, lawyers for the plaintiffs, did notimmediately respond on Thursday to requestsfor comment. Google did not immediatelyrespond to a similar request. The MountainView, California-based company also operatesits namesake Internet search engine. PlaintiffsRobert DeMars of California, Michael Goldbergof Ohio and Scott McCullough of New Jerseypursued their nationwide class action onbehalf of consumers who bought Androidapps through the Android Market or GooglePlay Store between February 2009 and May2014.

Grewal said it would unfairly prejudiceGoogle to let the plaintiffs amend their lawsuitagain. “You might think that after three yearsof complaints, motions to dismiss, orders onmotions to dismiss, leave to amend, amendedcomplaints and more, at least the fundamentalquestion of plaintiffs’ Article III standing topursue this suit would be settled,” he wrote,referring to part of the US Constitution. “Youmight think that, but you would be wrong.”The case is In re: Google Inc Privacy PolicyLitigation, US District Court, Northern Districtof California, No 12-01382.— Reuters

39B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

NEW YORK: US homebuilders’ confidencein the market for new homes is back up tolevels not seen since the height of thehousing boom a decade ago. The NationalAssociation of Home Builders/Wells Fargobuilder sentiment index released yesterdayrose this month to 60, the highest levelsince November 2005. The latest reading isunchanged from May, which was revisedupward one point from 59. July’s reading isup from 53 a year ago. Readings above 50indicate more builders view sales condi-tions as good, rather than poor. Builders’view of current sales conditions and theiroutlook for sales over the next six monthsalso rose. A measure of traffic by prospec-tive buyers fell slightly. “As we head into

the second half of 2015, we should expecta continued recovery of the housing mar-ket,” said Tom Woods, the NAHB’s chair-man. The builder survey follows a reportlast month showing sales of new homesaccelerated in May to the strongest pacesince February 2008 after a sluggish start tothe year. Sales rose 2.2 percent to a sea-sonally adjusted annual rate of 546,000. Alltold, new home sales are up 24 percentthrough the first five months of this year.June home sales data are due out nextweek. Strong job growth and relatively lowmortgage rates have fueled the increase insales. Borrowing costs are low by historicalstandards, though they have been rising inrecent weeks.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said yes-terday the average rate on a 30-yearfixed-rate mortgage increased to 4.09percent from 4.04 percent a week earlier.The new level is the highest since lastOctober. The big question is whether theheightened optimism will make builderswilling to build more homes on “spec,” orbefore they’re sold. Builders typicallyinvest in putting up more spec homeswhen they feel good about the likelihoodthat the homes will be snapped up soon-er, rather than later. “We’ve been seeing alower amount of speculative buildingthan we usually do,” said Stephanie Karol,a US economist at IHS Global Insight.

More spec-home construction would

also help alleviate a drop in the numberof new homes for sale. Rising demandhas caused the supply of new homes todwindle to about 4.5 months, comparedto the six months’ supply generally asso-ciated with a healthy market. Manybuilders also struggle with shortages oflabor and land ready for home construc-tion. Builders broke ground on fewerhomes in May, though the pace of con-struction remains significantly higherthan a year ago. Housing starts are up 6percent through the first five months ofthe year. They reached a seasonallyadjusted annual rate of 1.04 millionhomes in May. Home construction fig-ures for June are due out Friday.— AP

US homebuilder sentiment hits highest level since 2005

ATHENS: Europe moved to re-open funding toGreece’s stricken economy yesterday after theparliament in Athens approved a new bailoutprogram in a fractious vote that left the govern-ment without a majority. The European CentralBank increased emergency funding for Greeklenders, although capital controls will have toremain to avoid a bank run when they reopen onMonday. European Union finance ministers alsoapproved 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in bridgingloans to keep Greece afloat, allowing it to make abond payment to the ECB next Monday and clearits arrears with the International Monetary Fund.

The loans will be finalized today providedGermany’s parliament approves a Berlin govern-ment request to open talks on a three-yearbailout program - Greece’s third in the past fiveyears - worth up to 86 billion euros. The twin life-lines were a reward for Greek Prime MinisterAlexis Tsipras after he won the backing of parlia-ment in the early hours of yesterday for the toughreform measures demanded by creditors led byGermany. But Tsipras was left weakened by arevolt in his left-wing Syriza party and is expectedto reshuffle his cabinet to replace four ministersand deputy ministers who rebelled.

Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said a snapelection could be held in September or October,“depending on developments”. German Finance

Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, one of Greece’ssternest critics, questioned whether Athenswould ever get a third bailout, even after the par-liamentary vote. He suggested its financingneeds were spiraling and a debt “haircut” orwrite-off outside the euro zone might be a bettersolution. “We will now see in the negotiationswhether there is even a way to get a new pro-gram, taking into account financing needs, whichhave risen incredibly,” Schaeuble toldDeutschlandfunk radio.

The move by the Greek parliament wasenough to persuade the ECB to raise EmergencyLiquidity Assistance (ELA) for the banks by 900million euros for a week to nearly 90 billion euros.“Things have changed now,” ECB President MarioDraghi told a news conference in Frankfurt. “Wehad a series of news with the approval of thebridge financing package, with the votes, variousvotes in various parliaments, which have nowrestored the conditions for a raise in ELA.” Draghisaid it was difficult to make decisions on Greecegiven the constraints of an ELA program whichwas never meant to provide unlimited andunconditional support. A senior banker saidGreek banks would reopen on Monday - threeweeks after they were shut when Athensimposed capital controls. Cash withdrawals, limit-ed to 60 euros a day, are likely to remain rationed.

‘Timeout’ better?Finnish and Lithuanian lawmakers gave their

approval to begin negotiations, a day before theGerman Bundestag is due to decide on the issue.Schaeuble said he would vote to open talks but under-lined the risks still surrounding the negotiations thatwill be conducted over the next few weeks, saying atemporary Greek “timeout” from the euro may still be abetter option. After a warning from the IMF this weekthat Greece’s massive public debt could not be man-aged without a significant writedown, Schaeuble saidthat a debt haircut was incompatible with euro mem-bership and would mean Greece would have to leavethe euro, at least temporarily. “But this would perhapsbe the better way for Greece,” he said.

European finance ministers said after a conferencecall yesterday morning they agreed “in principle” tostart talks with Greece on the new bailout and alsocalled on Athens to adopt a second set of reforms byJuly 22. All 28 EU countries are expected to contribute,despite the reluctance of non-euro members such asBritain and the Czech Republic, after a compromisewas found to use euro zone funds to guarantee theirring-fenced contributions.

The Greek parliament comfortably approved theagreement Tsipras struck on Monday with the eurozone that demands austerity measures and liberal eco-nomic reforms tougher than those rejected by votersin a July 5 referendum.— Reuters

Europe to restore Greece funding after bailout vote

ECB raises emergency funding for Greek banks

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank (ECB) is pictured prior to a press conference following the meeting of theGoverning Council in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany yesterday. — AFP

40B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

TEHRAN: Iran’s president has pointed toanother possible windfall from the nucleardeal with world powers - his country maysoon be able to buy badly needed newplanes for its aging fleet, the official IRNAnews agency reported. Hassan Rouhanisaid Iranian negotiators came away fromthe talks in Vienna with “achievementsbeyond the nuclear” agreement and suc-ceeded in having “aviation sanctionsremoved.”

His remarks were carried by the officialIRNA news agency late Wednesday. Thelandmark deal, struck Tuesday betweenIran and six world powers after marathon

negotiations in the Austrian capital, ismeant to prevent Tehran from acquiringnuclear weapons capability, in exchangefor sanctions relief. According to the deal,key economic sanctions - such as those onIranian energy and financial sectors - wouldbe lifted once Iran implements the restric-tions on its nuclear program.

International and specifically US sanc-tions have prohibited the sale of Westernplanes and some spare parts to Iran, makingit impossible for Iran to buy new planes anddifficult to keep the aging Boeings andAirbuses it does use safely flying. The lasttime Iran bought new aircraft directly from a

Western company was in the early 1990sfrom the Dutch manufacturer Fokker, whichlater went bankrupt. Beyond referring to theremoval of “aviation sanctions,” Rouhani didnot elaborate but Iran’s TransportationMinister Abbas Akhoundi has said therehave been talks with Boeing and Airbus andthat initial agreements will likely come in afew months’ time. “We will provide new air-craft for Iran,” Akhoundi said.

Last month at the Paris Air Show,Akhoundi said Iran was prepared to spendabout $20 billion to purchase about 400new planes over the next decade. Duringthe sanctions regime, Iran tried to circum-

vent the measures by buying second-handcivilian aircraft from third companies andmanaged to keep its national carrier andother airlines going by renting aircraft fromothers. In May, the US Treasury said it wasimposing punitive actions on an Iraqi and aUAE company that helped Iran buy second-hand aircraft . Tehran had earl ierannounced that it obtained severalyounger planes to rejuvenate its civil avia-tion. In 2013, it however allowed Boeingand General Electric to provide limitedamount of spare parts for engines of US-made planes that were in service in Iransince the 1970s.—AP

After nuke deal, Iran eyes new planes

TEHRAN: Iranians shop at the Tajrish Bazaar in the capital Tehran yesterday. — AFP

Iranians prepare for life after sanctions

TEHRAN: For book lovers at a recent exhibition inTehran the “Buy Direct From Amazon” postersummed up their plight: if something seems toogood to be true, it usually is. Iranian consumers,unlike millions who use the US online retail giant’sglobal websites every day, cannot click and buy.Besides lacking credit cards, they are sealed offfrom international banking because of sanctions.But if their pockets are deep enough, there isanother way: Iranian middlemen, who profit fromsmuggling in a black market of highly desirablegoods. The removal of sanctions under Iran’snuclear deal with the West is bad news for them,but they’ve long had it good.

At the Tehran Book Fair it wasn’t Amazon thatwas advertising but a local firm offering the latestEnglish-language best-sellers-bought and sold onat around three times the original online price. Thesame applies to other Western goods, be it smart-

phones, cosmetics or clothes. Traders, lackingopen competition, jack up prices and cash in ondemand. For Mohammad Gholi Yousefi, an eco-nomics professor at Allameh Tabatabai Universityin Tehran, the nuclear agreement can only be posi-tive, bringing better deals and more choice.

“The economy is like a phone line and the morecountries you have a connection with, the bettertrade can be,” he said. “If goods are importedfreely, we can have constructive relationships withthe manufacturing countries in Europe or Americaand get rid of the middlemen.” Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani made the same point when push-ing for a nuclear deal, saying in April that sanc-tions-busters operating in the black market“should now think about a new job.” A combina-tion of UN, US and European measures imposedsince 2006, dubbed by experts as the world’s mostsophisticated sanctions regime, has frozen Iran out

of the world’s formal economy. But with a popula-tion of 78 million, the country is seen as untapped.Since nuclear talks restarted in 2013, Western com-panies have visited Tehran in droves. Contractualtie-ups are now expected.

Young tech-savvy market Iran already has online retailers, such as Digikala,

and a domestic debit card system has shown thepotential that can be unlocked when the barriers tointernational transactions come down. As sanctionsend, Iran will also gain access to modern technologyand equipment previously deemed off limits thatcould transform its oil sector, manufacturing andother industries. But for retailers it is the country’syoung and technologically savvy population thathas long-term potential - 56 percent are aged under30 and most are avid users of the latest Westerntechnology.— AFP

Egypt extends rally on positive newsLiquidity dries up in Gulf

DUBAI: Egypt’s stock market continuedrebounding yesterday from 15-monthlows, buoyed by positive corporate news,while Gulf bourses moved little as Eid al-Fitr holidays began in the region. TheCairo benchmark added 1.8 percent to8,023 points as property names, beatendown in a series of sell-offs earlier thisyear, led gains. Palm Hills Developmentgained 4.4 percent after saying a sub-sidiary had obtained a 750 millionEgyptian pound ($96 million) loan fromlocal banks to refinance debt and acceler-ate development of its major HaciendaBay project by two years, with comple-tion now scheduled for 2017.

Amer Group last traded at 1.03Egyptian pounds, up 3.0 percent and lev-el with its June and early July peak; itcame off an early high of 1.08 pounds.Arab Cotton Ginning rose 1.4 percentafter the government said late onWednesday that it had reversed a deci-sion to halt cotton imports. The stockdropped 10 percent last week when theban was announced. The Egyptian mar-ket tumbled 25 percent from its peak inFebruary to its trough of 7,527 points lastweek because of a range of worries,including foreign exchange and energyshortages and attacks by militants inEgypt.

It is still unclear whether the markethas begun an extended rebound. Tradingvolume rose to its highest level in sixweeks yesterday, a positive technicalsign. But the index faces major technicalresistance between 8,125 and 8,261points, the December and May lows.Qatar’s stock market edged down 0.1 per-cent as l iquidity shrank with mostinvestors in the region already celebrat-ing Eid al-Fitr. But Aamal, which hasassets in property, retail and wholesaletrade, manufacturing and services suchas cleaning, was up 1.1 percent and themost heavily traded stock after it report-ed a 39 percent increase in net profit forthe first half of this year. The companysaid its industrial manufacturing division,which contributes almost 60 percent ofAamal’s gross sales, saw a 39 percentjump in sales and more than doubled itsprofit thanks to higher margins. GulfWarehousing Co climbed 2.4 percentafter posting a 30 percent profit increasein the first half. Stock indexes in Kuwaitand Bahrain barely moved, while othermajor Middle Eastern markets wereclosed for Eid.— Reuters

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

WASHINGTON: When are workers employ-ees? When are they contractors? The LaborDepartment issued new guidance Wednesdaythat could limit the ability of many companiesto designate their workers as contractors. Thatcould spell trouble for sharing-economy firmssuch as Uber and TaskRabbit, which rely onindependent workers, often for short-termprojects. It comes amid a wave of lawsuitsagainst companies such as FedEx, ride-hailingservice Lyft and online cleaning serviceprovider Handy, brought by workers who saythey should have been treated as employeesrather than contractors.

Labor unions and activists have for yearsargued that companies in many industries -construction, hotels, and janitorial services,among others - have sought to hold downlabor costs by calling workers independentcontractors. Contractors aren’t eligible forovertime pay, unemployment insurance orworkers’ compensation. They typically pay alltheir Social Security taxes, compared withemployees, who split that cost with employ-ers. The guidance was issued by the Labor

Department’s wage and hour division, headedby David Weil. It doesn’t represent new regula-tion or have the force of law, but is intended toclarify how companies and courts shouldinterpret the rules.

“We very much believe that misclassifica-tion is a problem that has been growing,” Weilsaid. “It undermines all the legitimate employ-ers who are doing the right thing ... but theyare put at a competitive disadvantage.” Yetattorneys that represent employers say thedirective reflects a very broad interpretation ofwhat constitutes an employee, and will likelyencourage more lawsuits. “It is an unapolo-getic effort to restrict the use of independentcontractors,” said Richard Alfred, a partner atSeyfarth Shaw, a law firm that typically repre-sents employers. The guidance “ignores manyof the realities of the modern workplace, anddifferent relationships that workers and busi-nesses want to have.”

The issue has also emerged in the presi-dential campaign, after Hillary Clinton prom-ised earlier this week to “crack down” on com-panies that wrongly classify workers as con-

tractors. She praised the “gig economy” for“creating exciting opportunities” but also saidit is “raising hard questions about workplaceprotections.” The move comes as the depart-ment steps up its enforcement of classificationrules. Last year, it forced companies to pay $79million in back wages to 109,000 workers inthe janitorial, temporary help, food services,day care and hotel industries.

The Economic Policy Institute, a liberalthink-tank, estimates that 10 percent to 20percent of employers misclassify at least oneworker. The department’s directive empha-sizes that a worker who is “economicallydependent” on the employer should be treat-ed as an employee. By contrast, a worker mustbe in business for himself or herself to be anindependent contractor. That is a broaderstandard than guidelines followed by manystates and the IRS, according to Michael Droke,an employment law partner at Dorsey andWhitney. They generally focus on how muchcontrol a company has over how a workerdoes the job. The directive also says that anagreement between an employer and worker

that designates the worker as an independentcontractor “is not relevant” to the classificationquestion. That is an “extremely surprising”view, Alfred said. Such agreements should atleast be considered, he added. Prior to takingthe post at Labor in May 2014, Weil was a pro-fessor at Boston University and wrote a booktitled “The Fissured Workplace,” which exam-ined ways that companies have sought to out-source or subcontract many functions. Thathas increased the misclassification of workers,Weil said.

Uber lost a high-profile case in Californialast month when the state’s labor commissionruled that a driver for the company was anemployee, not an independent contractor.The case was limited in scope, applying to onedriver who sought unpaid wages and expens-es and was awarded $4,152. Uber is appealingthe decision. The company has said that itsdrivers like its business model, which enablesthem to choose when and how much to work.“The No 1 reason drivers choose to use Uber isbecause they have complete flexibility andcontrol,” the company said last month. — AP

Employee or contractor? Labor seeks to clarify rules

Tata Steel may

cut up to 720

jobs in Britain

LONDON: Tata Steel, Britain’s largest steelmaker,may cut up to 720 UK jobs in a revamp of its spe-ciality and bar business, which has been hit bycheap imports and high energy costs, it said yes-terday. Most of the jobs at risk are at the compa-ny’s operations in Rotherham, northern England.“We have invested more than 20 million poundsin recent years in our speciality steels business.We want to play our role in reinvigorating theUK’s manufacturing industry, but increasingimports and high energy costs have furtherundermined the competitiveness of foundationindustries,” Karl Koehler, chief executive of TataSteel’s European operations, said in a statement.The speciality and bar business is being refocusedon high-value markets such as aerospace, asBritish and European steelmakers in generalstruggle to make profits on commodity gradesteels which can be imported cheaply from China.

Tata Steel, Europe’s second-largest steelmaker,said it would work with staff and trade unions toredeploy affected employees if possible and mini-mize compulsory redundancies. The Communityunion said it would oppose compulsory redundan-cies. “This is a smack in the face for the workforce.Since 2009 the business will have gone throughthree restructurings, which if this proposal goesthrough, will have seen the loss of 2,500 jobs,”Stuart Sansome, Community’s national executivecouncilor, said in a statement. Tata Steel has beenforced to slash costs since 2007 when it boughtAnglo Dutch producer Corus for $13 billion. It cur-rently employs around 17,000 people versus some25,000 in 2008. The UK steel sector currentlyemploys about 20,000 people directly, down fromas many as 200,000 in the 1970s.

The government, in its bid to diversify theeconomy away from financial services, has imple-mented numerous measures to help heavy indus-try, but both Tata Steel and the unions believethey are not enough. “Now is the time for govern-ment to act. Foundation industries like oursurgently need a competitive business environ-ment and a government willing to strengthen UKmanufacturing supply chains,” said Koehler. RoyRickhuss, general secretary of Community, calledon the government to support energy intensiveindustry. “It is clear the UK steel industry is in aperilous state and Tata Steel is particularly affect-ed. We have been saying for years that uncom-petitive UK energy costs are damaging the UKsteel industry,” he said. — Reuters

DUBAI: Bond issues by Saudi Arabia’s govern-ment are expected to be worth tens of billions ofdollars by the end of 2015 as the state ramps updebt sales to plug a hole in finances created bylow prices for oil exports. Central bank governorFahad Al-Mubarak announced last week thatRiyadh had sold its first sovereign bonds since2007, a 15 billion riyal ($4 billion) issue, afteryears paying down its debt to some of theworld’s lowest levels. Mubarak gave no detailsand, while he said more issues were on the way,did not elaborate. But bankers expect heavyissuance in coming months that could changebanks’ balance sheets and eventually help to cre-ate an active domestic bond market.

“We expect the Saudi government to fund its2015 deficit by raising 200 billion riyals from thedomestic bond market, besides drawing downits foreign currency reserves,” said Fahad Alturki,chief economist at Jadwa Investment, a majorinvestment bank in Riyadh. Low prices have sad-dled the world’s top oil exporter with a huge fis-cal deficit. Mubarak said last week it wouldexceed an originally projected 145 billion riyalsthis year; the International Monetary Fund thinks

it will be about 20 percent of gross domesticproduct, equivalent to roughly $150 billion. Untilthe recent issue, Riyadh was funding the deficitentirely by running down its financial reserves;Mubarak said it had withdrawn 244 billion riyalsfrom reserves in 2015.

In theory, the government could continuerelying completely on reserves for many moremonths. Net foreign assets at the central bank,which serves as the kingdom’s sovereign wealthfund, totaled $672 billion in May.

But bankers and investors believe the recentissue signals the government’s intention tolaunch regular debt sales, which will find readybuyers among local institutions. “The appetite isthere from our side, as we are struggling to findlong-term bonds with reasonable yields from agovernment entity. The market is ripe for them,”said a source at an institution which participatedin the initial issue.

Private placementThe first issue comprised 7- and 10-year con-

ventional bonds sold at yields of 2.57 and 2.88percent, sources said. The bonds were privately

placed with quasi-sovereign Saudi institutions,contrary to initial local media reports which sug-gested banks had bought them. Bankers expectthe government to issue riyal-denominatedbonds according to a formal calendar, placingthem with a wider investor base. Some think itmay start issuing Islamic bonds as well as con-ventional ones, though officials have not saidthis. “The market should expect larger govern-ment issuance tranches by the end of summer.Only government and semi-government fundswere allowed to participate in the first bond, butwhen the quantum of issuance increases, banksand asset managers will be allowed to invest,”Alturki said. State issues will quickly dwarf otherdebt sales; Saudi issuance of sukuk in all curren-cies totaled $7.8 billion in 2014, while no conven-tional bonds were issued. Significant amounts ofthe new bonds are unlikely to find their way intothe hands of foreign investors; local institutionstend to hold bonds to maturity, and yields aretoo low to interest many foreigners. But the newissues could help to extend the Saudi yield curve,which at present is largely illiquid above fiveyears. —Reuters

Saudi bond issues to soar;

government plugs deficitNo tightening of banking liquidity any time soon

KOLKATA: An Indian street vendor cuts fruit to sell to Muslim devotees to use to break the Ramadan fast at Iftar in Kolkata yesterday. — AFP

42S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

Rugby Preview

All Blacks wantmore from Carter

ahead of World CupCHRISTCHURCH: The pressure is on Dan Carter toreignite his running game against Argentina today asthe All Blacks count down to their World Cup titledefense. The Argentina clash in Christchurch opensthe fourth edition of The Rugby Championship, a tour-nament the All Blacks have always won and in whichthey have an impressive record of 16 wins, one drawand one loss from 18 games. South Africa, the secondmost successful team, travel to Brisbane to playAustralia on Saturday in the other opening roundmatch of a tournament which this year loses some lus-tre to the bigger prize of the World Cup.

All four coaches will be juggling combinationsthrough the southern hemisphere competition to bestprepare for the global tournament in England inSeptember-October. With Argentina fielding arenowned forward pack, conditions are ripe for atense, tight battle in temperatures expected to bearound freezing point. But All Blacks coach SteveHansen is keen to see Carter, the world’s leading Testpoints scorer, up the pace of the game and bring morevariety to his play. Carter won the world player of theyear award when his peerless running game helpedthe All Blacks trounce the British and Irish Lions 3-1 intheir 2005 Test series.

It is part of his game that has drifted off in recentyears and if the All Blacks telegraph anything beforethe World Cup it will be Hansen’s drive to bring it back.“I think he can create more danger by carrying andonce he gets that back into his game then he’s a very,very dangerous attacker because he can carry, he canpass and he can kick,” Hansen said. The All Blacks havemade six changes to the side that under-performedagainst Samoa last week, including the introduction ofwing Waisake Naholo, the top try scorer in SuperRugby this year. Naholo and fellow wing Julian Savearun off the end of a backline that features a powerfulcentres pairing of Ma’a Nonu and Sonny Bill Williamsoutside Carter.

Match going to be massiveArgentina coach Daniel Hourcade, whose side have

only one win at home against Australia from threeyears in the competition, fears his team face a backlashfrom an All Blacks unit embarrassed by being held to a25-16 win by Samoa last week. “Surely, they are goingto correct what they have done. That’s why they arethe best team in the world,” he said. Argentina captainAugustin Creevy said his side would have to be at thebest to get near the All Blacks, which will not be easywith the Pumas forced to rest some players, includingstar playmaker Juan Martin Hernandez, who have justcompleted an arduous season in Europe.

Their run-on side includes three players-SantiagoCordero, Facunda Isa and Guido Petti Pagadizabal-who have not experienced Rugby Championship pres-sure before. South Africa head to Brisbane with nineplayers added to the squad that crushed a World XVlast weekend, while captain Jean de Villiers has beenleft at home to continue his recovery from a kneeinjury. Schalk Burger is back in the starting line-upafter impressing off the bench last week, while coachHeyneke Meyer has made four other changes in thereserves as part of a planned rotation in their WorldCup build up.

“I’ve said last week that we will make changes, butit’s also important to keep some form of momentum.Saturday’s match is going to be massive in the contextof our season and we have to ensure we tick the rightboxes,” said Meyer. With a huge contest expected atthe breakdown, Burger will partner Francois Louw andMarcell Coetzee against Scott Higginbotham, ScottFardy and Michael Hooper who held off former cap-tain David Pocock for the number seven jersey. TheWallabies have recalled Toulon-based Matt Giteauafter a four-year absence and reunited half-backsQuade Cooper and Will Genia.—AFP

SYDNEY: Australia have turned back the clockin the hope of making a winning start to aRugby Championship campaign for the firsttime when they meet a patched up South Africaside at Lang Park in Brisbane tomorrow. TheWallabies last won their opening match of the

southern hemisphere championship when theyclaimed the final Tri-Nations title in 2011, a simi-lar truncated tournament to this one as it alsofell in a World Cup year. Coach Michael Cheikahas turned to the driving force behind thatcampaign, the halfback partnership of Will

Genia and Quade Cooper, to fire a backline thathas failed to score more than two tries in any oftheir last eight meetings with South Africa. MattGiteau’s international exile was already a yearold when the Wallabies won that Tri-Nationsand, after an eligibility rule change, he returnsfrom France to offer the benefit of his experi-ence outside Cooper in the number 12 shirt.Whatever quality there is in the Wallabies back-line, however, both sides know that they will beunable to show off their skills if Genia does notget clean, quick ball in the right parts of thepitch.

Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer, whosesquad has been ravaged by injury, is clearly ofthe opinion that the breakdown will decide thecontest and has picked his back row according-ly. In the absence of the injured number eightDuane Vermeulen, Meyer has recalled SchalkBurger to join Marcell Coetzee and FrancoisLouw in a mobile but combative loose forwardunit. Cheika, meanwhile, chose Michael Hooperat openside flanker and benched David Pocock,whose ball-poaching performance against theSpringboks in the quarter-finals of the 2011World Cup is the stuff of legend.

Lineout dominationThere is at least one throwback element to

the Springboks side with 38-year-old lockVictor Matfield captaining the team in his122nd test while Jean de Villiers continues hisrecovery from injury. Matfield and EbenEtzebeth will be out to make the lineout theusual launch-pad of the Springbok attack andthe selection in the Australia second row ofWill Skelton, who is too heavy to lift, shouldhelp them in that endeavor. Skelton, whoweighs in at around 140kgs, has been includedfor his ball-running skills in attack and big hitsin defense, not to mention his proven skill atstopping rolling mauls. — Reuters

SUVA: Injury-hit Fiji host Tonga to kick off thePacific Nations Cup tomorrow as the Pacificand North American teams begin their shake-down ahead of the World Cup. In the tourna-ment held across three nations, this weekend’sother opening round fixtures will be played inSan Jose, where Canada face Japan and Samoameet the USA. Later matches will be played inCanada. When they meet their island nationrivals in Suva, Fiji will be without flying wingerNemani Nadolo and skipper Akapusi Qera whowere injured during the narrow 27-26 loss toNew Zealand Maori last week.

Nadolo, a key points scorer for Fiji, tore anabdominal muscle and will play no part inthe Pacific Nations Cup. Fiji coach JohnMcKee said Qera, who has a knee injury,could have played against Tonga but thedecision was made to rest him for Fiji’s sec-ond match against Samoa in Californiatoday. “Our target is to be the fittest team forthe Rugby World Cup and we have got twomonths to work on that,” McKee said. Undera new Pacific Nations Cup format, the sixteams play three matches each with the twobest-performing sides meeting in the final.

“I’m expecting three very challenginggames,” said McKee, whose side will play theWorld Cup opener against England on

September 18. “Tonga always have a verystrong squad in Rugby World Cup year andthere is a fierce rivalry between the two coun-tries on the rugby field. “Samoa showedwhat a strong team they are in their strongperformance against the All Blacks. Japan arethe big improvers in the Pacific region withsome very impressive results over the past 12months,” he added. The Pacific Nations Cupwill give the United States some valuableinsight into two of their World Cup poolrivals-Samoa and Japan.

“The Samoa game will be an interestingone, for sure, with both teams no doubttesting each other out before the WorldCup,” said Saracens-based USA captainChris Wyles. “And the same goes for Japan,who we narrowly lost to in a high-scoringgame (37-29) in last year’s competition.Tonga is always a tough game too,” headded. Although the Pacific Nations Cupfeatures second-tier teams, World Rugbychairman Bernard Lapasset said it “takes onextra significance with Rugby World Cup2015 just two months away”. Samoa, three-time champions of the regional tourna-ment, are ranked ninth in the world, aheadof Fiji (11), Tonga (12), Japan (13), USA (16)and Canada (17).—AFP

Fiji lose injured Nadolo for Pacific Nations Cup

SYDNEY: In this file photo, Australia’s Matt Giteau (right) fails to handle the ball with pressure from Samoa’s George Pisi duringtheir rugby union test match in Sydney, Australia. Matt Giteau’s exile is over, the 92-cap veteran earning a recall for theWallabies for the first time in four years to take on South Africa in the opening round of the Rugby Championship. — AP

Wallabies step back to leap forward in opener

S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

LANNEMEZAN: While the battle for the yellowjersey should be dominating thoughts aheadof Thursday’s final Pyrenean stage, it has beendoping, the heat and even Lance Armstronghogging attention at the Tour de France Aftertwo baking hot days in the mountains inwhich several riders-including AlbertoContador and Vincenzo Nibali-complained ofbeing unable to breath, Thursday’s 195kmstage 12 from Lannemezan to Plateau de Beillepromises to be even hotter, and harder.

The peloton has been feeling the strain, los-ing already 21 riders and with more than half ofthe remainder already more than an hourbehind Froome. The 30-year-old Briton has notbeen having an easy time of things, off-courseat any rate-his performances on the bike so farhave been astonishing. Following his stage 10

victory at La Pierre-Saint Martin on Tuesday,Froome had to bat away numerous questionsabout doping. The Team Sky leader hasremained calm in the face of tense questioningbut did demand more “respect” claiming peo-ple should show some “proof before... makingaccusations”. Inevitably, though, another domi-nant performance on Thursday’s terrificallytough stage with four categorized climbs-a sec-ond, two firsts and an hors category to finishwith-will obviously not silence the critics.

While much of the press, and certainlysocial media, are fuelling the speculation,Froome’s rivals at least seem to be on hisside.”Froome is better than the others,” admit-ted Contador, 32, the two-time former winnercurrently sitting sixth, more than four minutesback from the Englishman. Third-placed Nairo

Quintana, just over three minutes back, is alsomerely concentrating on beating the 2013champion, to whom he finished second then.“Froome has an advantage but I feel good andas long as there are still mountains to come Iwon’t be throwing in the towel,” said the 25-year-old Colombian.

Yet the sceptics are many, such as Belgianjournalist Karl Vannieuwkerke who likenedFroome’s style to that of disgraced drug-cheatArmstrong. “I can’t help it but every pedal-stroke by Froome makes me thing ofArmstrong’s pedal rate,” he wrote onTwitter.Cracks in the Sky armour started toshow as he was subsequently blocked fromFroome’s page, with Vannieuwkerke replyingthat Armstrong had done likewise. Sky back-tracked quickly and apologised before

unblocking Vannieuwkerke’s access toFroome’s Twitter account.

The Tour, and Froome, cannot escape fromArmstrong’s dark shadow, though. TheAmerican is taking part in a charity ride to raisemoney for leukaemia sufferers. The ride,organized by former England internationalfootballer Geoff Thomas’s charitable founda-tion, covers each Tour stage a day before ithappens. Armstrong was due to ride the 13thand 14th stages on Thursday and Friday, butFroome, who many believe is paying for theTexan’s past crimes, dismissed it as a sideshow.“I wish Geoff Thomas and the guys all the bestin raising as much money as they can,” saidFroome. “(But Armstrong) is not on the linewith us here, we’re not going to see him, it’s anon-event for us.” — AFP

Heat, doping and Armstrong cause Tour trouble

Froome challenges detractors to prove doping allegations

CAUTERETS: Tour de France leader Chris Froome has challengedhis detractors to prove he has been doping before making unsub-stantiated accusations against him. The 30-year-old has had toput up with a barrage of questions about doping since a stunningvictory on the Tour’s 10th stage on Tuesday, when he decimatedhis rivals to open up an almost three-minute lead over the rest ofthe field. With several other mountain stages still to come, somepeople believe Froome could end up winning this year’s race by alandslide.

It means he’s had to fend off questions about his legitimacywhile someone allegedly hacked his Sky team’s computers andstole some training data which was then published on the internet.“Those people should come and see us train, see how hard we workand see how I live my life,” said a defiant Froome followingWednesday’s 11th stage, in which he maintained his lead. “Then tellme I’m not clean!” He added: “People should have some proofbefore they start making accusations.”

A video of Froome’s famous victory on Mont Ventoux during his2013 Tour-winning year was published on the internet showingthat his heart-rate remained stable at 160 beats per minute despitehim accelerating away from his rivals. Many people reacted incred-ulously to that, believing it to be impossible. But Froome dismissedany such concerns. “I’ve put that data out there myself in my book. Isaid my maximum heart-rate is only 170,” said the Kenyan-born rid-er. “After two weeks of the Tour on Ventoux it’s quite surprising it’s160, it’s normally a bit lower than that. “That’s normal, two weeksinto a Grand Tour, 10 beats off my maximum when I’m going ashard as I can-for me anyway.” Sky manager Dave Brailsford hasbeen at pains to try to demonstrate that his team is clean but, likeFroome, he said the suspicions were to be expected. “I think withthe past we’ve had in cycling, it’s reasonable,” he said. “My job is tobe here, be open, speak to everyone, take responsibility. “We’re ateam trying to be at the front of everything (anti-)doping. “It’s nor-mal that people ask questions, my job is to be here, be open andanswer those questions.”

Gallopin surprise Brailsford also pointed out that the gaps between Froome and

some lesser lights on Tuesday’s stage were nothing to be alarmedabout, quite the opposite in fact. Tony Gallopin, a Frenchman notnoted for his climbing ability, and Adam Yates, a 22-year-old Britonriding his first Tour de France, both finished just two minutesbehind Froome. But because the likes of reigning championVincenzo Nibali and two-time former winner Alberto Contador lost4min 25sec and 2min 51sec respectively, tongues started wagging.It was perhaps exacerbated amongst the locals by French hopesJean-Christophe Peraud, Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet-second,third and sixth respectively last year-losing between five-and-a-halfand ten minutes. “The surprise was the performance of the others,which wasn’t to the level we expected,” said Brailsford. “It’s trueChris had a good day but the others weren’t really on top form.”And in a pointed remark to French accusers, he added: “The bigperformance (on Tuesday) was Gallopin coming seventh (actually

ninth, he’s seventh overall). “He had a great performance, oryoung Adam Yates did great (finishing seventh). We didn’t see agreat Contador or Nibali but (Nairo) Quintana was ok, if not bril-liant.” Quintana finished just over a minute behind Froome to leavehim third overall at 3min 09sec-maybe be leave he is the only riderwith any chance of denying Froome a second Tour crown. — AFP

INDIANAPOLIS: Shavonte Zellous scored 16points, and Tamika Catchings had 11 pointsand 11 rebounds, becoming the WNBA’sthird all-time leading rebounder, as Indianabeat Tulsa 83-80 on Wednesday night, theFever’s fifth straight win. It is Indiana’slongest winning streak since 2012. Indiana’sMarissa Coleman hit the first of two freethrows with 10.9 seconds left to make it atwo-point game. Catchings grabbed theoffensive rebound of the second and made 1of 2 free throws with 7.1 seconds left. Tulsa’sRiquna Williams missed a 3-pointer from thewing. Layshia Clarendon added 13 points forIndiana (8-6). Catchings (3,022) moved pastTaj McWilliams-Franklin and trails TinaThompson (3,070) and Lisa Leslie (3,307).Williams made four 3-pointers and had a sea-son-high 31 points for Tulsa (10-5).

LIBERTY 84, STARS 68Reserve Essence Carson scored 16 points

to lead New York to its first win over SanAntonio since 2011. Tina Charles had 14points and Sugar Rodgers and Epiphanny

Prince added 13 apiece for the Liberty (8-5).Prince made her Madison Square Gardendebut as a Liberty player before a camp daycrowd of 18,617. It was the largest crowd atMSG for a game since 2002. DanielleRobinson led the Stars with 18 points andSophia Young-Malcom and Danielle Adamshad 11 each.

The Stars (3-11) had just nine playersavailable because of injuries. The Liberty led39-30 at the half. The Stars cut the lead tofour points in the third quarter, but theLiberty built a 20-point lead in the fourthquarter, helped by eight points fromRodgers.

SKY 85, MYSTICS 57Allie Quigley scored 15 points as Chicago

rolled to its fourth straight win. Elena DelleDonne, the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game, was only 4 of 11 in finishing with11 points, more than 14 under her average.She did grab 11 rebounds, eight in the firsthalf, to post her eighth double-double thisseason much to the delight of the 16,304

camp day fans. The Sky broke open a closegame with a huge second quarter to take a51-32 lead. Clarissa Dos Santos, in her firstcareer start, scored all 11 of her points andCappie Pondexter 10 of her 14 in the period.Jamierra Faulkner finished with 12. Chicagoled by as many as 31 in the second half.Stefanie Dolson led Washington (6-6) with 15points and 10 rebounds.

STORM 68, SPARKS 61Jewell Loyd scored 13 points as Seattle

ended a five-game losing streak. CrystalLanghorne added 12 points and RamuTokashiki had 10 for Seattle (4-12). Three ofthe Storm’s four victories have come againstthe Sparks (2-11), who are winless in sevenroad games. Los Angeles didn’t have its twocurrent leading scorers - Nneka Ogwumikeand Kristi Toliver - in the first two losses. TheSparks hit 11 of their first 15 shots to open upa 31-19 lead, but they were done in by toomany turnovers. Los Angeles had 25 miscuesthat led to 26 points for the Storm.Ogwumike finished with 12 points. — AP

Indiana overwhelm Tulsa 83-80 in WNBA

NEW YORK: New York Liberty’s Avery Warley-Talbert (right) drives the basket past San Antonio Stars’ Kayla Alexander duringthe second half of a WNBA basketball game on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. The Liberty defeated the Stars 84-68. — AP

44S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

WASHINGTON: He says that he is the only reporter to ever bebarred by FIFA president Sepp Blatter-and veteran investiga-tive journalist Andrew Jennings wears it as a badge of honor.No more so than on Wednesday when the grizzled Britonwent before a US Senate subcommittee on Capitol Hill scruti-nizing FIFA and the litany of corruption allegations convulsingfootball’s world governing body. Jennings, who has made along and fruitful career out of ruffling feathers, has spent 15years pursuing Blatter and other high-ranking football admin-istrators. So he made no effort to hide his glee when USauthorities in May charged 14 football officials and sportsmarketing executives over more than $150 million of bribes.

Blatter was not among them, but shortly afterwards theman synonymous with FIFA largesse said he would stepdown-not that Jennings thinks the Swiss has any intention ofdoing so. Jennings, reveling in the opulence of his surround-ings and with all eyes on him, did not miss the chance to twistthe knife further into Blatter and Co at Wednesday’s hearing.The star witness-who had flown in from Britain-branded FIFA“sleazebags,” “low lifes” and “a smelly shell,” his broad Britishaccent incongruous in a room full of Americans. “Once upon atime FIFA officials walked down the street with their FIFA blaz-er, the FIFA logo. ‘I’m from FIFA. I’m important,’” said Jennings.“Who would do that now? Who would dare do that now?None of them.”

‘Not alone any more’He may have helped bring FIFA close to its knees, but

Jennings, an author who has also made documentaries for theBBC, had a long and varied journalism career before homingin on the beleaguered footballing body. He has reported inwar zones-Beirut, Chechnya and Central America-and gone“nose-to-nose” with mafioso in Palermo, as he put it to thesubcommittee hearing. Nor is FIFA the first major sports bodyhe has successfully gone after, having helped expose corrup-tion at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the1990s.

After that he had FIFA firmly in his sights and he describedWednesday how he had experienced attacks on his comput-ers and legal threats, and how he met US special agents whowanted to know what evidence he had of alleged FIFA wrong-doing. “I was not alone any more, the real people had arrived,”he said. He handed over to them financial documents andother papers about Chuck Blazer, he said, at one point themost powerful man in North American football and a keyBlatter ally. Blazer is now disgraced, facing jail time andbanned from football for life after admitting to US investiga-tors that he took more than $11 million in bribes from 2005 to2010.

Making enemiesHe may be in his seventies now, a grandfather and his hear-

ing not what it once was, but Jennings shows scant sign ofslowing down-or of being in the slightest bit concerned atmaking more enemies. Also in his crosshairs Wednesday wasthe US Soccer Federation (“massive, massive deficiencies”) andits absent president Sunil Gulati, who is also a top FIFA execu-tive. “I note the absence of your FIFA delegate Mr Sunil Gulati,”Jennings said in the direction of US Soccer CEO Dan Flynn,another giving testimony, his tone rich in irony. “That’s onecrucial question today,” Jennings went on, his voice gettinglouder. “Where is Sunil? Where is he?” Jennings has gobbledup and spat out FIFA, but FIFA has consumed him too.—AFP

Investigativejournalist who

hunted down FIFA

Andrew Jennings

BEIJING: Brazilian veteran Robinho willjoin Luiz Felipe Scolari’s GuangzhouEvergrande, the Chinese championsannounced yesterday, re-uniting thepair after the ex-Real Madrid player wasleft off Scolari’s World Cup roster. ‘BigPhil’ enticed the 31-year-old to China“for a contract period of six months”, astatement on the website of theGuangdong outfit said, after weeks ofspeculation. The statement gave nomention of Robinho’s salary, but it islikely to be a lucrative deal, followingon from Scolari ’s 14 mill ion euro($15.7m) capture of fellow BrazilianPaulinho last month.

Robinho was one of the big namesleft out of Scolari’s squad for the 2014

World Cup in Brazil, despite playingagainst Chile in a friendly only twomonths before the team wasannounced. He has since been recalledto the national squad by Scolari’s suc-cessor, Dunga, and scored last month inBrazil’s final Copa America match, a dis-appointing quarter-final exit toParaguay.Robinho arrives in China fromBrazilian club Santos, where he spentlast season on loan from Italian power-house AC Milan. He joined Milan fiveyears ago from Premier League big-spenders Manchester City, following aspell at Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Guangzhou, who are in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League,are aiming to clinch a fifth successive

Chinese Super League title this year,and sit second in the CSL, one pointbehind leaders Beijing Guoan. Robinhowill line up alongside Paulinho - whoarrived from Tottenham Hotspur-andfellow compatriot and CSL record sign-ing Ricardo Goulart, who joinedGuangzhou for 15 mill ion euros inJanuary. The free-spending side haveled a resurgence in Chinese footballsince 2009, when they were demoted aspart of a wide-ranging corruption crack-down. Former coach Marcello Lippitook them to the pinacle of Asian foot-ball, a Champions League victory in2013. The CSL, the most-watchedleague in Asia, this year runs fromMarch to October.— AFP

Robinho re-united withScolari at Guangzhou

LAUSANNE: US athlete Reese Hoffa competes in the men’s shot put event during the Lausanne Diamond League athlet-ics meeting in this file photo. — AFP

IOC preserves a centuryof Olympics history

LAUSANNE: The archives captured some ofthe most iconic, and curious, moments inOlympic history, from pictures of the first mod-ern-era games in Athens in 1896 to a sack racein St. Louis, Missouri eight years later. Sitting ina basement at the International OlympicCommittee’s (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne,some 33,000 hours of video, 500,000 picturesand 2,000 documents among other archivesrisked decay and being lost forever. But after aseven-year and 30 million euro ($33 millionUSD) conservation project involving expertsfrom across the globe, the IOC has rescuedmuch of its precious audiovisual archive.“There was an urgency to save this legacy,” saidPhilippe Laurens, an official with the IOC’sPatrimonial Assets Management (PAM) pro-gram, which spearheaded the project.

History under threatWhen the preservation effort was

launched in 2007 under former IOC presi-dent Jacques Rogge, the organization dis-covered that a large portion of its archivesfaced destruction. Faded photographswere deteriorating and some films werebeing destroyed by the so-called “vinegareffect”, where chemicals in the films com-bined with moisture to cause corrosion.While some of the video materialremained in good condition, the hardwareneeded to play it had become obsolete,meaning the video needed to be refor-matted to make it compatible with mod-ern devices.

A team of archivists first tried to identi-fy all the available material, a job estimat-ed to have taken 100,000 hours of work.But, they uncovered images that had pre-viously been unpublished. The groupfound a long tracking shot of the EiffelTower taken during the 1900 games in

Paris, and spectacularly, footage of the vic-tory lap Greek runner Spyridon Louis tookafter winning the marathon in 1896 inAthens. The IOC worked with expertsfrom Switzerland, France, Canada, theUnited States and Thailand to documentand repair the archives. “Everyday,between 40 and 125 photos and between15 and 20 hours of recordings were treat-ed,” Laurens said. Some of the materialrequired highly specific attention, like 400hours of footage on 16 mm and 35 mmfilm that had to be recopied onto new filmto be preserved for another century. Inlate 2012, the basement of the IOC head-quarters that housed the archives floodedfollowing heavy storms, raising fears thatthe project had suffered an unexpectedsetback. But heavy storage safes protectedthe material from water damage and therestoration work continued.— AFP

45S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

CHARLOTTE: Cuba defied the oddsand booked a berth in the Gold Cupquarter-finals against regional power-house United States with a 1-0 winover Guatemala in their final game ofgroup stage on Wednesday. In athril l ing night match, YohanceMarshall scored in the final seconds ofinjury time as Trinidad and Tobago ral-lied from a pair of second-half deficitsto earn a 4-4 draw with Mexico in oneof the wildest matches in tournamenthistory.

Maikel Reyes scored on a perfectly-timed header as the short-handedCubans overcame a disastrous start tothe tournament which saw thembesieged by goals. Cuba gave upeight goals in their first two contests,including a 6-0 rout in the opener toMexico. They suffered the embarrass-ment of having two players, KeilerGarcia and Arael Arguellez, go missingand they are believed to have defect-ed. Cuba is also without midfielderAricheel Hernandez, who has had visaproblems. Reyes crashed his waybetween two defenders to drive homea perfect cross from teammate AlbertoGomez in the 73rd minute at Bank ofAmerica Stadium.

Reyes’ strike was the only goal ofthe group stage for Cuba but it was allthey would need to reach the round ofeight for the second straight time andthird overall. Cuba’s victory sets up anintriguing match on Saturday againstdefending champions US as the twonations have been bitter enemies fordecades but recently agreed to renewdiplomatic relations. After a half-centu-ry of enmity following the CubanRevolution of 1959, both countriesannounced this month the formalopening of embassies.

Mexico draw Trinidad and Tobago had to come

from behind twice in a furious secondhalf Wednesday. They trailed 2-0 earlyin the half but then scored three unan-swered goals to take a 3-2 lead in the67th minute.

Mexico then scored two goals justtwo minutes apart to regain a one-goallead heading into three minutes ofinjury time. That helped set the stagefor Marshall’s heroics on the last playof the game. The sequence startedwith Trinidad and Tobago midfielderJoevin Jones taking a corner kick.

Despite being pelted with waterbottles thrown by Mexican fans, he gotthe kick off and it eventually ended upin the middle of the penalty areawhere Marshall was able to get hishead on it. “This was bitter sweet. Butwe had the fighting spirit to comeback in the end,” said Trinidad andTobago forward Kenwyne Jones.Marshall’s equalizer gave Trinidad andTobago first place in Group C with sev-en points. They advance to playPanama on Sunday in New Jersey. Thefour goals was the most Mexico hadever given up in a Gold Cup game andit was also the highest scoring tie intournament history. Mexico finishedsecond and will face Group B runner-up Costa Rica on Sunday.— AFP

Cuba book Gold Cup quartersTrinidad, Mexico draw in wild affair

CHARLOTTE: Cuba’s Alberto Gomez (left) is fouled by Guatemala’s Carlos Figueroa during their CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C football matchin Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 15, 2015.— AFP

CARSON: Giovani dos Santos is the next star in theLA Galaxy. The defending MLS Cup championssigned the versatile Mexican scorer Wednesday,bolstering their already powerful lineup with anoth-er international talent. The 26-year-old dos Santosspent the last two seasons with Spain’s Villareal,scoring 12 goals in 58 La Liga appearances. He hasplayed professionally in Europe since his childhood,but dos Santos also has played for Mexico in twoWorld Cups during eight years with El Tri. “Giovani isa special player,” said Bruce Arena, the Galaxy’scoach and general manager. “He has experienceand success competing at the highest level, and webelieve he will only continue to develop.”

After four years of courting dos Santos, theGalaxy finally signed the highest-profile Mexicanstar in their history to a designated player contract,paying a reported $7 million transfer fee. Alongwith dos Santos’ playmaking skills, the MLS powerhopes he’ll attract new fans for the Galaxy amongSouthern California’s large Latino population and inMexico. “He’s a player that the world has known,and he’s a player that we’ve known about for sometime,” said Galaxy President Chris Klein, who hasbeen pursuing dos Santos since 2011. “It’s the righttime for the Galaxy, and it’s the right time forGiovani to come and put on a Galaxy shirt, andwe’re very excited about what the potential is.”

Dos Santos’ legal representative has said theGalaxy contract runs through the 2019 season. Theclub didn’t disclose terms. One season after LandonDonovan’s retirement and 2 1/2 years after DavidBeckham’s departure, the Galaxy have reloaded the

midfield of MLS’ glamour franchise. They addedEnglish midfielder Steven Gerrard to their lineup lastweek, but dos Santos - likely still in his prime - couldslot perfectly into the playmaking role vacated by

Donovan last winter. “Giovani coming in at the timeof his career where he’s just entering his prime is areally important statement for the Galaxy, and a real-ly important statement for MLS,” Klein said.—AP

LA Galaxy sign Mexican star Giovani dos Santos

SINGAPORE: Former Liverpool midfielderPatrik Berger believes Manchester City over-paid for England winger Raheem Sterling butthe Czech is worried his old employers aregaining a reputation as a selling club. Sterling,20, who rejected contract offers of around100,000 pounds ($156,150) a week fromLiverpool, joined City on Tuesday with localmedia putting the price tag at 49 millionpounds, a record for a British player. Berger,who played for Borussia Dortmund and SpartaPrague before spending seven years atLiverpool after joining in 1996, was takenaback by the price. “If he doesn’t want to signa new deal, such a great deal, then Liverpooldid the right thing, they sold him for an unbe-lievable amount,” Berger told Reuters inSingapore on Thursday.

“I think even 30 million pounds wouldprobably be a good price, so to sell him for 50million is an amazing price and I think it’sgood business for Liverpool.” But the Czech,in Southeast Asia to launch the SingaporeICONS of Football Cup golf tournament, was

worried about the negative impact the depar-tures of Sterling and Luis Suarez last seasoncould have on the club. “In the last few years,they have been selling their best playerswhich is not a good sign for the fans or theclub,” the 41-year-old said. “If you want toattract players to Liverpool, they can look upwho they bought and sold in the last fewyears and they sold their best players, which isnot a good sign.”

Berger said the Premier League title wouldbe beyond Liverpool’s reach next term butchallenging for the Champions League berthwas more realistic. A fit Daniel Sturridgewould make a top-four finish likely but Bergersaid the injury-prone striker could not berelied upon. “I like him, he is a great player, Ithink he can be the difference but he hasn’tbeen fit for years,” he said. The Czech saidwinning a trophy should be the priority forLiverpool, who finished sixth last term andwere knocked out in the semi-finals of thedomestic cups and made limp exits of bothEuropean competitions.— Reuters

City overpaid for Sterling: Berger

46S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

TORONTO: Holley Mangold of the United States falls during her last lift in the women’s +75kg weightlifting final on Day5 of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada. —AFP

TORONTO: Canada feels the power ofthe home-field advantage at the Pan AmGames, and Brazil - the host of theOlympics next year in Rio de Janeiro - iswatching. Canada has topped the medaltable through the first days of the eventand, although it’s sure to relinquish itslead to the powerful Americans, thefrenzied home crowds in Toronto aredriving the medal count. “Knowing thatmost of those people in the stands arethere for you is a tremendous confi-dence builder,” Curt Harnett, head of theCanadian delegation, told TheAssociated Press on Wednesday. “Itgives you a significant sense of - I’ll usethe word: swagger.”

Canada’s got it. Brazil will need it ayear from now. And the Americansalways seem to have it at the big events.Host countries always get a boost at theOlympics, or in large regional events likethe Pan Am Games. China did in 2008 inBeijing, and Britain caught Olympicfever three years ago in London.Canada’s going all out to justify spend-ing $2 billion on the most expensive PanAm Games in history. It’s treating thegames like the Olympics - newspapersare displaying the medal count on thefront page - and some see it as a preludeto an eventual Olympic bid.

The hemisphere’s three powers aretaking slightly different approaches tothe 17-day event. Harnett said Canada isfielding its “A Team” and its 719-mem-

ber delegation is the largest of thegames, and almost twice as big as itsPan Am team four years ago inGuadalajara, Mexico. Canada is buildingon its success at the 2010 WinterOlympics in Vancouver, where it toppedthe gold-medal count. “Canadiansfound their collective voice and pride atVancouver, and that surge has carriedover here,” Harnett said.

Harnett won three Olympics medalsin track cycling, but he’s best known formaking a shampoo commercial justbefore the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.“I probably became better known as theshampoo guy who went to theOlympics, rather than the Olympic guywho did the shampoo commercial,” saidHarnett, a 50-year-old who still has long,curly blond hair. Brazilian officialsdescribe their Pan Am team as a “mix”with perhaps 70 percent from the “ATeam.” The goal is to be in the top threein Toronto, and then to start thinkingabout Rio.

Brazil won 17 medals three years agoin London. Adriana Behar, the deputyhead of the Brazilian Pan Am delega-tion, said the Olympic goal is to reachthe top 10 in the total medal count,which probably means winningbetween 27 and 30. “We know that athome we have the pressure, with every-one anticipating the results,” said Behar,who won back-to-back Olympic silvermedals in beach volleyball in 2000 and

2004. “We notice how Canada has donehere at home,” she said. “I can tell you,for me as an athlete, it makes a hugedifference with everyone supportingyou; the fans, the atmosphere, to be in aplace you are used to.”

Alan Ashley, head of the Americandelegation in Toronto, said he expectsBrazil to get a “good bump” next year inRio. “The home-field advantage for theBrazilians next year will be significant,”he said. “It’s an unbelievably greatopportunity. You get to enter in somesports you might not have entered, andyou have that incredible enthusiasm ofthe crowds.” Ashley, who is chief ofsport performance for US OlympicCommittee, described his team as a“real mix” between world and Olympicchampions, “and B and C team athletesthat are really still on their way upthrough the pipeline. So it’s all over themap.”

He used the example of a rowingteam that had never rowed together,racing in Toronto after a few days ofpractice. “It ’s a broad mix.” TheAmericans have won twice as manymedals as any other country at the PanAms since the games started 64 yearsago. He said no one needed motivationto continue the dominance. “The levelof athletes that come to these events,they are the type of people that youdon’t need to tell them they need to dowell. They’ve figured that out.”— AP

TORONTO: Four Cuban rowers ended their Pan AmericanGames by defecting to the United States on Wednesday whilea wave of support continued to carry Canada to the top of thepodium at the pool and on the rowing course. With theHenley rowing venue just a few kilometres from the US,Leosmel Ramos, Wilber Turro, Manuel Suarez and OrlandoSotolongo all made the short trip to the border but at differ-ent times according to the Canadian BroadcastingCorporation.

Gymnasts Jossimar Calvo Moreno of Colombia andCanadian Ellie Black turned the attention back to the sports asthey signed off with a Games’ high five medals. Disappointedat not being able to successfully defend his all-around crown,Moreno added apparatus gold on the parallel bars and hori-zontal bar on Wednesday to the pommel horse gold and twobronzes he won in the individual all-around and team compe-titions earlier.

“From the time I came here, I came with the mindset ofwriting history individually and as a group,” said Moreno, whowon the all-around title at the 2011 games aged 17. “Its beena long process but we came here and we did it. “The groupwon a medal and it’s the first time Colombia has a medal as ateam.” Black also struck double gold on the beam and floor onthe final day of the gymnastic competition to go along withgold in the all-around, silver in the team and bronze on thevault.

The US swim team got their first gold of the Games withOlympic champion Allison Schmitt storming to victory in the200 metres freestyle. Schmitt, who won five medals at theLondon Olympics, clocked one minute, 56.23 seconds todemolish the old Pan Am record that had stood since 1979 bymore than two seconds. The Americans, however, had littleother else to celebrate with Sean Lehane their only other goldmedal winner in the 200 backstroke. Adding to the US frustra-tion was the men’s 4x200 freestyle relay team was stripped ofthe silver medal when Michael Weiss was disqualified forswimming with tape on his fingers elevating Canada.

Kierra Smith also took gold in the women’s 200 breast-stroke while her team mate Hilary Caldwell won the 200 back-stroke. Canada also continued to dominate the rowing, pick-ing up gold in the men’s eights, women’s quadruple scullsand men’s lightweight coxless fours. Canadian rowers endedthe competition with 11 total medals, including eight golds.No other country had more than two. Canada leads after thefifth day of competition with 33 gold but the Americansbegan to narrow the gap and finished the day a close secondwith 28. The US have the most total medals with 85 followedby the home nation on 82.— Reuters

Cuban rowers defect as Canada still on top

Earn your place, van Gaal warns United’s new boys

SEATTLE: Louis van Gaal on Wednesday warned his raft of newsignings they would have to fight for their Manchester Unitedplaces as the Premier League giants prepared to kick-off theirpre-season tour of the United States. United arrived in Seattlein buoyant mood after bolstering their squad with a slew ofhigh-calibre new arrivals led by Bayern Munich midfielderBastian Schweinsteiger and France international MorganSchneiderlin.

With highly rated Dutch international Memphis Depay andItaly defender Matteo Darmian also joining in the close season,van Gaal is confident he can build a team to re-establish Unitedas title challengers. But the veteran Dutchman warned that allof the new signings would need to prove they deserved a placein United’s starting line-up. “I have to say to the players, youhave to fight for your position,” van Gaal said. “Never is it securein top sport-even my position is not secure. “But also the play-ers, the players have to fight. Morgan Schneiderlin has to fightwith Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick, Daley Blind-these are theplayers who can play in the centre of midfield.

“Matteo Darmian has to fight with (Antonio) Valencia, heknows that but Valencia knows that also.” Darmian, who joinedfrom Torino, would help to shore up United’s defense while alsoproviding an attacking threat, van Gaal said. “He has a verygood orientation and with that he can cooperate with our cen-tral defenders,” van Gaal said. “He is fast. He is also a reasonableheader so that is also a plus. He can build up and he can see afree man and he is in an attacking way a good player.” Van Gaalmeanwhile praised United chief executive Ed Woodward forhelping get the bulk of the club’s transfer business done beforethe pre-season. —AFP

Canada feels power of home-field advantage

S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015

IRVING: Dez Bryant has the long-term contract he said hewouldn’t play without, and the Dallas Cowboys can quit worry-ing about whether he really would skip games. The All-Proreceiver signed a five-year, $70 million deal Wednesday, aftermonths of posturing from both sides and less than an hourbefore a deadline that would have required him to play undera one-year agreement. “There was never a doubt in my mindthat we wanted a long-term deal with Dez,” Cowboys ownerJerry Jones said. “We just had to get the pot right.”

To do that, Jones flew to New York on Tuesday with sonand executive vice president Stephen Jones to meet withagent Tom Condon and representatives of Jay Z’s Roc Nationtalent agency. The elder Jones said they were up until 3 amWednesday discussing terms, and he went to bed confident adeal was all but done. A person close to the negotiations pro-vided contract terms to The Associated Press because theyweren’t announced. The deal, which includes $45 million inguaranteed money, is similar to one Denver receiverDemaryius Thomas signed about the same time as Bryant. Atan average of $14 million annually, Bryant and Thomas are nowthe second-highest paid receivers behind Detroit’s CalvinJohnson ($16 million).

The 26-year-old Bryant, who led the NFL with 16 touch-downs receiving last season, had threatened to skip training

camp and regular-season games without a contract to replacethe $12.8 million offer for one year he had under the franchisetag. Once the sides got close enough, Bryant rode to the team’sValley Ranch headquarters. He was pictured there signing thecontract with his son in his arms. “I smiled the whole way overhere. I couldn’t even say nothing but just smile and laugh,because I couldn’t believe it,” Bryant said in a story on theteam’s website. “All I could just think about is that it’s a dream -a dream come true. I think the only thing that’s missing is aSuper Bowl.” Now the Cowboys can focus on defending theirNFC East title and trying to make a deeper playoff run after onethat essentially ended with Bryant’s much-debated catch thatwasn’t in a divisional round loss to Green Bay. The deal alsoended the contract-related drama that filled the offseason forthe Cowboys. First, they decided not to match Philadelphia’soffer on running back DeMarco Murray in free agency, and letthe NFL rushing leader go to a division rival. Then the focusturned to Bryant, who has the most touchdowns receiving inthe league since 2010, when Dallas drafted him late in the firstround after his stock fell over concerns about off-the-fieldissues.

The Cowboys believed they could let Murray walk becausethey’ve assembled one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, bol-stered by three first-round picks in the past five drafts. The last

of those, Zack Martin, was the first rookie All-Pro for Dallas sinceCalvin Hill in 1969. But the prospect of playing without Bryantwas more daunting. He has more catches (381), yards (5,424)and touchdowns (56) through five years than any receiver infranchise history - a list that includes Hall of Famers MichaelIrvin and Bob Hayes.

“We know what he means to the team in many differentways and he’s evolved to his credit, he’s evolved into a playerwhere he’s indispensable to us,” Jerry Jones said. “This is a realcornerstone as we look at the pieces that we’re putting togeth-er.” In the months before the deal was reached, Bryant wouldoccasionally use Twitter to express frustration over not havingwhat he thought was a suitable offer. He also was miffed bysuggestions that the Cowboys didn’t want to commit becauseof concern over issues from his first two years in the league,including an arrest in a domestic case involving his mother.The most pointed message came Monday, when Bryant tweet-ed he would “not be there if no deal.” It was a clear a referenceto training camp coming up in two weeks, if not another threatto sit out games, which would have cost him about $750,000for each game he missed under the franchise tag. “I’m a verypassionate person,” Bryant told the team’s website. “I am thatguy that, I have to stand by my word, because that’s how Iwant to raise my babies. It was all me. It was honest.” — AP

Cowboys and Bryant beat deadline with $70 m deal

ST ANDREWS: American whizzkid JordanSpieth, hoping to make it three major victoriesin a row, got into his stride quickly in the firstround of the 144th British Open yesterday.While the 21-year-old was flying high at the topof the leaderboard on six-under-par through 12holes, former world number one Tiger Woodslooked a shadow of his old self as he crashed tofive-over through 10. American Robert Strebwas sharing the lead on six-under 66 in the club-house with South African Retief Goosen, the pairhaving taken full advantage of benign condi-tions featuring barely a breath of wind. All eyeswere on Spieth, though, and he gave an earlystatement of his intent by ramming in a six-footbirdie putt at the first. The world number two,looking dapper in a grey sweater and whitetrousers, continued to play smart golf andadded a second birdie when he rolled in a 12-foot putt at the next.

Spieth, bidding to emulate the feat of compa-triot Ben Hogan who won the US Masters, the USOpen and the British Open in 1953, showed hewas human by missing from eight feet at thethird. A birdie hat-trick from the fifth sent himsprinting through the field and another silky put-ting stroke at the 11th earned him his sixth birdieof a flawless round. Playing partner DustinJohnson, who was pipped for the title by Spiethafter three-putting the 72nd green at the USOpen last month, was also six-under out on thecourse along with South African Charl Schwartzel(14 holes) and Briton Paul Lawrie (12).

Woods, looking to end a seven-year wait fora major victory, made a wretched start when hissecond shot at the opening hole found theSwilcan Burn that guards the front of the green.The 14-times major winner also bogeyed thesecond hole when he underclubbed by about40 yards with his approach shot and was unableto salvage his par. Woods, who has slumpedfrom first to 241st in the world in the last 14months, then seemed to let out a profanity afterjarring his wrist while playing a three-wood froman awkward lie in the rough at the fifth hole.Another bogey there left him toiling at three-over and the 39-year-old American’s shouldersreally started to droop when he dropped moreshots at the seventh and 10th.— Reuters

Spieth makes fast start; Woods toils

ST ANDREWS: US golfer Tiger Woods waits on the 11th green during hisfirst round 76, on the opening day of the 2015 British Open GolfChampionship yesterday. —AFP

Dollars and sense:In the NBA, money

is explodingLAS VEGAS: To understand how the business model of NBA salariesis unlike ever before, consider the cases of Reggie Jackson, KhrisMiddleton and DeMarre Carroll. They’re not All-Stars. They’re notexactly household names, either. Nonetheless, the trio got a com-bined $210 million in deals this summer: Jackson got $80 millionover five years from the Detroit Pistons, Middleton a five-year, $70million deal to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Carroll a four-year contract worth nearly $60 million to join the Toronto Raptors.

Only a couple years ago, such deals would have been consid-ered baffling. These days, they seem quite fair. “The numbers youhear out there, they seem crazy to think about,” Miami Heat centerHassan Whiteside said. Thanks to a $24 billion television deal thatkicks in before the 2016-17 season, already skyrocketing salaries willsoon reach a new stratosphere. It’s hard to fathom that a leaguethat dealt with serious labor strife four years ago and might be look-ing at another work stoppage in a couple years is about to becomeflush with so much cash.

“One of the things we’re learning is that there is so much that’sunpredictable when the cap is moving so dramatically as it did - as itwill next year and the year after that,” NBA Commissioner AdamSilver said. “We’re continuing to study how our system is absorbingthe money.” Despite all the contract riches, Silver offers a majorword of caution - the NBA still insists that plenty of teams are losingmoney. “A significant number of teams are continuing to lose mon-ey and they continue to lose money because their expenses exceedtheir revenue,” Silver said.

And yet to many, the riches seem richer than ever. The salary capfor this coming season was supposed to rise considerably to $67million; it went even higher, to $70 million. The salary cap for the2016-17 season might be $90 million. For the season after that,maybe $110 million or more. These days, players that might nothave been considered stars are getting what would recently havebeen star-level deals. John Wall - one of the league’s elite pointguards - of the Washington Wizards aired his complaints earlier thisweek. “I’m getting the same as Reggie Jackson,” he lamented, asquoted by CSN Washington.

Wall, a two-time All-Star, is going into the second year of a five-year, $85 million deal. Jackson cashed in after averaging nearly 18points in 27 games with Detroit this past season, a breakout thatfollowed 3 1/2 seasons of largely unheralded work. “That new CBAkicked in at the right time,” Wall said. Sure, but it seems like all play-ers are reaping benefits. Under the current CBA, player salaries aresupposed to make up about 50.4 percent of the league’s basket-ball-related income. This past season, income grew more thananticipated and that meant the league wrote a check to theNational Basketball Players Association to cover the difference -roughly $57 million. Silver thinks that might look like peanuts nextyear. “We could be writing a check moving close to half a billion dol-lars to the players association,” Silver said. “That’s not of course theideal outcome from our standpoint.—AP

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Canada still on top at Pan Am GamesCanada still on top at Pan Am Games

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TORONTO: Flavia LopesSaraiva of Brazil competes on the beamduring the women’sartistic gymnastics apparatus final at thePan American Games inToronto, Canada. — AFP