28 May 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Romania unfurls largest flag in the world

150 FILS

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www.kuwaittimes.net

RAJAB 18, 1434 AH

Iran’s vote brings receding Web access

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US typewriter aficionados rewrite history, slowly

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Nadal survives French Open scare

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40 PAGES

NO: 15822

Barrak jail term quashed, oppn vows poll boycott

Amir accepts Hussein’s resignation, Shamali to stand in

Max 41º Min 27º High Tide 02:37 & 13:08 Low Tide 07:55 & 20:50

By B Izzak

Amir urges national unity

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah performs a traditional dance as he holds hands with Falah bin Eid bin Jame’ and other dignitaries at a dinner banquet held in his honor by bin Jame’ yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 4) KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with the attendance of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, attended yesterday a dinner banquet held in his honor by Falah bin Eid bin Jame’. In a brief speech on the occasion, the Amir expressed satisfaction to meet with his compatriots and urged Kuwaiti people to protect their national unity. “I am glad to meet my dear compatriots, from all walks of life, and around the table of brother Falah bin Eid bin Jame’,” the Amir said. “This meeting shows clearly the close and candid relations between Kuwaiti people and ruler.”

The Amir noted that the meeting, interaction and consultation between the ruler and people were longrespected traditions based on Kuwaiti people’s “religious teaching and democratic experience”. Sheikh Sabah urged Kuwaiti people to continue their hard work for the welfare and progress of their homeland.

“The challenges we face are many and our ambitions and aspirations are great which require hard and sincere work for serving and achieving the prominence of our homeland.”

Sheikh Sabah underlined the importance of national unity among Kuwaitis. “I urge my compatriots to retain the one family spirit to protect national unity and to counter any attempt that aims to instigate sectarian or tribal sedition among Kuwaiti people,” he stressed. He called for upholding the state of law and the respect of judicial verdicts. “The law should be applied on all without any exception,” he said. The Amir reiterated his adherence to the democratic approach and respect of the state constitution. He thanked bin Jame’ for the kind invitation, and prayed to Allah the Almighty for Kuwait’s safety, glory and progress. — KUNA

Summiteer seeks to inspire SHARJAH: Adventurer Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi woman and youngest Arab to conquer Everest, urged women in the conservative Muslim kingdom of the Gulf to “challenge themselves” as she arrived back in the region. Her group of four, including a Qatari royal, a Palestinian and an Iranian, was greeted with cheers and garlands of flowers on arrival from Nepal late Sunday at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. “It was unbelievable,” an emotional 25-yearold Moharrak, covered from head to toe in a black cloak or abaya, told AFP. “I’m the first but I really hope I’m not the last,” she said. “I hope it awakens the intention in (Saudi) women to challenge themselves more.”

Moharrak reached the peak of Everest on May 19, in a first for Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive and where their sporting activities are severely restricted. She left her home in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on April 3 after a year and a half of rigorous training. By reaching the highest point in the world, she said she has now achieved her ambition of climbing nine mountains, including in Europe, Tanzania, the South Pole and Argentina.

Speaking to AFP by telephone from Jeddah, her father Hassan said: “I’m very proud of her... It’s great what she managed to tell people here and everywhere.”

Moharrak, who had worked hard to convince her family to allow her to scale the 8,848-m (29,029-ft) Continued on Page 15

Saudi climber Raha Moharrak poses with her country’s flag on Mount Everest on May 18, 2013. — AFP

KUWAIT: In fast-paced developments yesterday, the appeals court nullified the five-year jail term against opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak and ordered a retrial, as the resignation of Oil Minister Hani Hussein was accepted, sparing him from facing a grilling over the $2.2 billion penalty payment to US’ Dow Chemical.

National Assembly Speaker Ali Al-Rashed meanwhile said the government will attend today’s session which could discuss the interior minister grilling, while after a lengthy meeting, opposition ex-MPs declared they have decided to boycott any future election if the constitutional court confirms the controversial amendment to the electoral law.

The ruling by the appeals court nullified the verdict against Barrak by the criminal court, saying the trial proceedings were illegal. But the appeals court did not send the case back to the criminal court and decided to conduct the retrial itself. The court also agreed to hear the testimonies of the witnesses demanded by Barrak’s legal team and denied by the lower court and who include Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah, but it was not immediately known if the premier will actually be summoned to testify. The appeals court set June 9 for the first hearing in order to inform the witnesses.

Barrak was handed the harsh sentence last month by the criminal court even after his lawyers had walked out of the trial in protest against the judge’s refusal to summon a number of witnesses, including the prime minister. The criminal court jailed the former opposition lawmaker on charges of insulting HH the Amir during a speech at a public rally on Oct 15. The appeals court also reduced a two-year jail term against opposition tweeter Rashed Al-Enezi to 20 months on charges he insulted the Amir on Twitter. Enezi has been in jail since January and he still has the right to challenge the ruling in the cassation court. Enezi is also on trial in two other similar cases.

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Kuwait Airways denies flouting rules in jet deal KUWAIT: In response to newspaper reports on whether a new deal in which Kuwait Air ways Corporation (KAC) intends to purchase 25 new aircraft to update its fleet went through the right channels, KAC’s media office yesterday issued a press statement to confirm that no laws or rules had been violated and that the deal was more than necessary to update and upgrade the carrier’s planes in the course of development.

The press release stated that according to article 11 of law 6/2008 that stipulates turning KAC into a shareholding company, and according to the fatwa and legislation department, KAC was exempted from the supervision and monitoring of the Audit Bureau and the Central Tenders Committee (C TC).

“Accordingly, KAC violated no monitoring laws by directly contacting the manufacturers,” stressed the statement, pointing out that article 2 of law 21/1965 on KAC’s aims included authorizing the board of directors to purchase, sell, charter and lease airplanes, spare parts and other equipment. The release also stressed that KAC’s board of directors had been authorized by Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) to take all measures needed to upgrade the carrier’s fleet and sign necessary relevant contracts.

Continued on Page 15

in the

news

Kuwait grants Oman $2.5bn aid MUSCAT: Kuwait will finance development projects in Oman worth $2.5 billion as part of pledges made two years ago by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the non-OPEC sultanate announced yesterday. Based on the framework agreement signed by representatives from both countries’ governments in Muscat, Oman will receive the funds in 10 years with $250 million to be granted annually, Oman’s state news agency ONA reported. The money will be used to finance joint construction and infrastructure projects, such as water, electricity and rail projects, said ONA. At a meeting in Riyadh in March 2011, the six GCC states decided to establish a $20-billion fund to finance development projects in Bahrain and Oman, which have limited energy resources. The measure was taken in the wake of protests that swept several countries as part of the Arab Spring, which also hit Bahrain and to a lesser extent Oman.

Bahrain bans contact with ‘terrorist’ Hezb DUBAI: Bahrain yesterday banned opposition groups from having contacts with Hezbollah, as the Sunni-ruled kingdom moves to limit the Lebanese Shiite movement’s suspected influence on its restive Shiite majority. Last month the Gulf state listed Hezbollah as a “terrorist organisation” in line with the US - following a recommendation by the parliament that is boycotted by the opposition. “Political associations are prohibited from having any form of contact with the Hezbollah organisation,” Justice Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ali Al-Khalifa said in a ministerial decree.

A second clause in the decree stated the Iran- and Syriabacked group was a “terrorist organisation”. Al Wefaq, the main Shiite opposition party in Bahrain, said it had no formal contact with Hezbollah. “Contacts between Al Wefaq and Hezbollah do not exist,” Al Wefaq member Hadi AlMoussawi told Reuters. “There is no cooperation between us. Our concerns are internal and do not require us to be in contact (with them),” he said.

Saudi monarch turns guard into ministry RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah yesterday upgraded the National Guard, the kingdom’s parallel army seen as a pillar of the ruling royals, to a ministry to be headed by his son Prince Mitab. The decisions were announced in a decree by King Abdullah, the state news agency SPA reported. Sandhursteducated Prince Mitab, who heads the force, has been appointed Minister of National Guard, the decree said. King Abdullah had himself led the National Guard from 1962 to 2010, when he handed its command over to Mitab. The body is formed of recruits from the tribes who have traditionally backed the rule of the Saud dynasty since it spread its rule in the Arabian Peninsula. The National Guard is a trained army of around 200,000 men, divided into infantry units, mechanised brigades, special units, and military police. It operates in parallel, and as a palace-directed counter balance, to the Saudi ground forces. Its duty is mainly to support the interior ministry in preserving security, combatting terrorism, and protecting vital installations across the kingdom.

Bahrain jails 14 for killing Pakistani DUBAI: A top Bahraini court upheld a 15-year jail term for 14 Shiites yesterday after they were convicted of killing a Pakistani in Manama during the 2011 uprising, a judicial source said. The Court of Cassation announced its verdict in the presence of 12 of the accused, the source said, adding that the remaining two had been tried in absentia. A court convicted the defendants of beating the victim to death “for terrorist purposes”, the source said, citing the charge sheet. A semi-military court established under a state of emergency in 2011 had originally sentenced the men to life in prison. But an appeals court reduced the sentence to 15 years in December last year.

Lawyers for the defendants said their clients were “tortured” while in custody in 2011, and no action has been taken in response to their complaints. Scores of Shiites have been jailed over accusations of involvement in violence since protests against the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty erupted in Feb 2011.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait hosts first Social Media Summit ‘Insights into trends enhancing electronic media’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The social media and modern technology is interfering in all domains of our daily life. It is the most important tool and instrument in modern life and has entered the world of business also. Some people are dependent on it to expand their business and spread information. In view of the ever increasing importance of these new world technologies, Kuwait is hosting its first Social Media Summit at the JW Marriot Hotel from May 27-28, 2013.

Kuwait ’s most high-profile social media experts gathered at the summit titled ‘Insights into trends enhancing electronic media.’ This event is being organized with the support of Central Agency for Information Technology.

Experts from both, public as well as private sector, are pooling their brainpower together to elevate the nation to the forefront of social and electronic media.

Underlining the growing importance of social media, Facebook users in the Arab world have tripled in just two years from 16 million to 45 million, with a 50% boom in the past one year alone, according to the Arab Social Media Report.

Meanwhile, Twitter remains a reliable barometer of the region’s biggest talking points, with approximately six million tweets per day, about 70 per second.

However, despite this progress, some challenges remain. One imbalance is that the overwhelming majority (70%) of the region’s social media users are youth (aged 15-29); therefore governments are keen to encourage a more equitable usage of social media among diverse age groups, making it a more accurate reflection of the population. Another area for growth is language usage. Arabic is the fastest growing language in Twitter’s history, making it vital for governments to engage their populations in their own language.

The Summit was launched yesterday with Salah Mansour Al-Mubaraki, Undersecretar y of the Ministr y of Information, delivering the opening address on behalf of Sheikh Salman AlHamoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs. In that address, he said that the Kuwaiti government and business organizations should not only move ahead with time but actually stay a step ahead by anticipating social media trends and planning accordingly.

“The biggest challenge that we are facing at the Ministry in the world of social media is to ensure the security of the information exchanged between the depar tments and the individual. We should make sure that this information must not be hacked and criminals must not be able to access this information and misuse it. The issues of suitable jurisdiction should be decided in this matter,” added Al-Mubaraki.

The number of Facebook users has dropped in Kuwait. “According to a latest study in March last, Kuwait is the only Arab countr y where the number of Facebook users dropped by about 14 percent, while the number of Twitter users increased at a rate highest in the world.

This means that people in Kuwait tend to go for the latest social media tools and refrain from using older ones. Any government plan should take into account this fact and react as quickly to any change as individuals do. Also, some people are misusing the social media to break laws and commit crimes,” he further said.

According to Abdullatif Al-Suraie,

Electricity consumption hits 10,050 megawatts

KUWAIT: (From left to right) Qusai Al-Shatti, Eddie Coates-Madden, Dr Hassan Dawood and Ibrahim Al-Badawi are pictured during the first Social Media Summit at the JW Marriot Hotel yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

General Manager of CAIT, social media has become an effective tool with which official government bodies can communicate with their citizens. He said, “I hope this Summit encourages government organizations to be more proactive, responsive, and progressive.”

The media has its importance in social, security, economic and educational domains. “The information technology has provided more abilities and opportunities for the private media, thus ending the government ’s monopoly of the media. The private media has proven that it was better than its public counterpart when it comes to making revenues. We all know that social media is attracting advertisers as the number of people using it has reached one billion in a record time, thanks to Twitter, Facebook and others,” added Al-Suraie.

He emphasized that the younger gen-

cations, having created a vast world where users can exchange information instantly, monitor reactions, view the news and read polls in one place - all in a transparent environment,” explained AlSuraie.

In words that sent a strong signal about the summit’s importance, the Conference’s Chairman, Ibrahim El Bawadi, who is eGov and Social Media Consultant, said, “Governments can no longer afford to be reactive, and must now be proactive.

That means preventing any miscommunication or misconception before it even occurs, through regular two-way dialogue on social media.” These sentiments were echoed by Biju Saith, Conference Director from the organizers of the event Streamline Marketing Group.

He stressed that “it’s not about hosting another summit; it’s about strategic

KUWAIT: Photo shows some of the participants at the first Social Media Summit at the JW Marriot Hotel yesterday.

eration knows how to handle mobile technologies smoothly due to their access to advanced gadgets and their proficiency in the English language.

“They are using their mobile phones as their primary means of communication and information exchange, and they expect others to be able to engage with them via social media,” he pointed out.

“Twitter and Facebook are the most successful models of social media appli-

thinking, it’s about the future of Kuwait.”

Social media has grabbed global headlines for its role in the region’s politics, and panelists explored how it can be harnessed as a constructive tool in government and business organizations. On behalf of Wataniya, one of the co-sponsors of the summit, Fatma Dashti, the Head of Marketing, said, “We are always keen on participating and investing in social events and initiatives that are

focused on the development of Kuwait.

Wataniya wants to be a key contributor to our ever changing and dynamic society.

By sponsoring the Kuwait Social Media Summit, we will help create platforms that will help the community to engage in an open dialogue, provide an easy access to information, opinions and interactive communications.”

From a business perspective, the region’s LinkedIn users surged by 20% in six months. Surprisingly, most are not graduates or fresh jobseekers as is normally expected, but young professionals and entrepreneurs. This is welcome news, considering that SMEs contribute over 40% of the region’s employment and, in some cases, over 90% of total economic activity.

Microsoft Corporation in Kuwait’s participation in this event revolves around highlighting the advantages for government and private organizations to embrace the enterprising social tools that will drive real business results with social networking, and are “transforming the businesses.”

Ehab Mostafa, Microsoft Kuwait Country Manager, said, “Microsoft has an exciting vision for Enterprise Social. We want to help companies transform their business with Enterprise Social. Our vision consists of three parts: Connected Experiences - Social must be a natural part of how we work, it has to be seamlessly woven into the tools you use every day to get your work done. Connected Platform - in order to be successful, social must be a part of a platform that IT can rely on to manage and secure. Social Layer allows embedding social anywhere where people are getting work done, whether it’s a different device or a different application.”

Wassim Hamad, Public Sector Director, Microsoft Kuwait added, “Social has clearly rewired the way we communicate in our personal lives, and we believe it will have a similar impact on the way people get things done at work.” “The impact social technologies can have on the ability of a company to transform and be agile is huge. In fact, more than 64% of the organizations that successfully go through a transformation use social media to engage and energize people, while driving great communication and involvement.”

KUWAIT: Kuwait recorded the highest electricity load this year on Sunday at 10,050 megawatts with temperatures beginning to rise, signaling the start of Kuwait’s hot and dry summer. Moreover, a Ministry of Electricity and Water official quoted yesterday by a local newspaper revealed that Sunday’s consumption rate exceeded the rate recorded on the same day last year by 600 megawatts. “The fact that consumption rates reached this level at this time of the year indicates that electricity production is likely going to barely meet expected record-breaking consumption rates this year,” said the source who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity.

Weather forecasts predicted temperatures to reach as high as 53 C degrees sometime this summer, mainly between the second half of July and the first half of August. “The MEW has plans to run all units at full capacity at that time to meet the projected demand,” the source assured. Meanwhile, the source underlined the importance of signing the necessary contracts for the South Zoor and Subbiya power plants’ tenders, hoping that these can add 10,00 megawatts to the state’s production by next summer “when consumption is estimated to increase by eight percent.”

Meanwhile, other ministry insiders blamed “a deficit in water production that resulted due to maintenance operations at the desalination units” as the reason behind water disconnections reported recently in Farwaniya and other places in Kuwait. “A number of units at the Shuaiba and West Doha plants were out of service due to required maintenance, which resulted in a deficit of 44 million imperial gallons of water when it came to the state’s daily production rate,” explained the sources who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity. They added that the ministry resorted to the country’s strategic reserve of water in order to compensate this shortfall in production.— Al-Rai

—Photo by Maha Al-Hadi

Girl killed in bus accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti girl was killed yesterday afternoon after a bus driven by an Indian expat ran over her opposite her school at Umm Al-Hyman area. Security sources said that the girl died on the spot after the accident. The driver was detained.

In another development, the operations center received a report yesterday morning about a house fire in the Saad Al-Abdullah area. Firefighters from the Jahra fire station rushed to the site and evacuated the two families living there. The families consisted of a total of 10 people, most of them being children. Many of those children suffered from suffocation and were taken to hospital. The fire started from under the staircase, where various materials were stored. The fire was brought under control in a very short period of time, before it could spread to other parts of the house. The fire department’s public relations officials urged house owners to avoid a “time bomb” by not storing things at random without meeting safety requirements, and to always keep a fire extinguisher at home.

Kuwait lawmaker criticizes ‘Islamic Education’ study KUWAIT: A lawmaker criticized a recently published academic study about the Islamic education curricula in Kuwait, saying that it contained “several misleading notions” mainly with regards to claims that religious teaching methods were outdated. “The study was based on an incorrect basis, and the results reflected that,” said MP Dr Abdurrahman Al-Jeeran, who is a member of the Educational Affairs and Culture Committee in the parliament. The study, carried out by Dr Fawzi Ayoub and published by Al-Qabas on Sunday had indicated that Islamic studies teaching in Kuwait’s schools depended chiefly on making students memorize information rather than utilizing ideas to their benefit.

The study also said the Islamic studies domain also needs to face challenges such as accepting the multitude of jurisprudential ideologies, accepting differences in religion, sectarian groups and ideology, as well as balancing Islamic legislation and the bill of human rights. MP Dr Al-Jeeran questioned an issue mentioned in the study that claimed that the curricula focus on a single topic that hasn’t changed in years. “It is common knowledge that Islam is regarded by Muslims as God’s religion, and that all Heavenly Religions have the same contents and beliefs, which is monotheism,” he said. Moreover, Dr Al-Jeeran pointed out certain contradictions that he said he found in the study. “At one point, the researcher claims that the curricula are exaggerated and were not commensurate with students’ minds. At the same time, he recommends that textbooks include information taken from different jurisprudential schools, just as comparative jurisprudence is taught in institutes of higher studies,” he explained.— Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Cabinet approved the resignation of oil minister Hani Hussein in their weekly Seif Palace session yesterday thanking him for his “loyal efforts, memorable achievements and reforms.” — KUNA

Impotent Kuwaiti wins divorce case Wife gives birth 3 months after wedding KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti man, whose wife delivered a baby just three months after their marriage, won a divorce through a court order. The plaintiff’s attorney explained during the recent hearing at the Court of Personal Status that his client never consummated his marriage with the woman since he was impotent, and provided documents indicating that the man was undergoing psychological treatment for his condition. He also explained that his client was not aware of his wife’s pregnancy since she was obese. A birth certificate of the newborn that the lawyer presented during the hearing showed that the child was born only three months after the marriage. The lawyer also argued that the woman plotted to claim paternity for her child after luring the man into marrying her by promising that she will support him during his psychotherapy. The man refused an offer of money made by her to drop the legal suit.

Suicide attempted A man was arrested after he tried to commit suicide but was thwarted by a last-second intervention by a family member. Police rushed to a Hawally house on Sunday after a girl reported that her father had attempted to shoot himself. She further explained that a family member was able to give a shove to the man’s hand a split second before he pulled the trigger, making the bullet go astray and miss its target. The man, who is a government employee, fled the scene by the time police arrived.

Officers questioned his wife who confirmed her daughter’s version of events. Meanwhile, the man’s brother handed over to the police the pistol used in the incident.

Investigations were on in search of the man.

Drugged man charged Police arrested a man on Sunday after he entered a house with a knife in hand while being under the influence of drugs. Officers rushed to a house in Qortuba after a Kuwaiti woman reported a stranger barging into her house. The woman locked herself up inside the bedroom and called the police as soon as she saw the suspect in her living room. The man was arrested since the police discovered he was heavily intoxicated. An identity check revealed that the suspect was Kuwaiti and had a history of criminal conduct. He was charged with entering the house with the intent to commit a crime, as well as drug abuse, a fact proven by medical examination. He will remain in custody pending legal action. (Rai) Jahra conman nabbed Jahra police arrested a conman wanted in six separate cases in which he collected more than KD35,000 through scams. The man had come to strike a deal at a store in Amghara but was caught red-handed since police had reached there based on prior information. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect used to claim he was the owner of shops to make agreements with suppliers looking to sell their merchandise in the market. In all the six cases reported in Al-Jahra, the complainants claimed that the suspect disappeared after obtaining the goods with the promise of paying for them later. The man was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Bullets found Investigations were on to determine the circumstances leading to the discovery of a large number of

KUWAIT: Some workers and drivers are pictured at Shuwaikh Industrial area. Kuwait City and Friday Market used to be a crowded place every Fridays and Sundays. Expats have deserted Kuwait City and Friday Market because of the ongoing crackdown. — Photos by Ben Garcia

Charge for ‘helper’ up as crackdown continues

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Hasawi and Jleeb used to be the go-to places for hiring marginal labour if you want to paint your house or add bricks to your wall. This is not the case anymore. In the past two weeks, the places once flocked by labourers look abandoned since the government’s crackdown on illegal workers started.

Kamil is one of those workers who used to wait by the side of the road every day to get part-time employment on a construction project in someone’s house. Kamil, a Bangladeshi helper, is now trapped in his house and avoiding places frequented by authorities. Police nowadays are stopping cars and buses, as well as checking worksites, to sniff out illegal expatriates. “I have a friend who was caught by the police early this month and was deported. He was living illegally in Kuwait. He was caught on the bus while returning home. Then, he was detained for some days - and now he is back home in Bangladesh,” Kamil said. “I don’t want to end up

like him, so I don’t go out,” he added.

Kamil’s residency status is legal; he is a 20 Visa holder. But 20 Visa now allows holders to work in domestic environments, in the capacity of gardener, family cook and driver. If holders of 20 visa are caught working outside their respective sponsors, they will be subjected to deportation. “That is why I am very careful nowadays. As long as possible, I don’t want to be checked by police because I just got this visa. Because I already got this (visa), whatever happens to me is not the responsibility of my sponsor anymore and they’ll never intervene,” he said.

In Salmiya, particularly at Shara Amman (Amman Street), a place where plenty of labourers such as cleaners, helpers and even construction workers could be found earlier, is now virtually empty. “They were coming only for some extra money and some of them were illegal workers-but now they are hardly found. There are some who turn up but are very careful,” a source from a Bakala nearby told Kuwait Times.

The ongoing crackdown is affecting low-income expatriates. Many of them had entered Kuwait through bogus employers or companies, and are now facing difficulties in defending their rights.

Another per-hour employee has a similar destiny. Muhamad Rahim was working as truck driver in Shuwaikh. He is a legal worker and is never afraid to be checked by the police. But he has a complaint.

Hiring helpers is an expensive affair, and they are also hard to find. “We used to have many Bangladeshi helpers in this place who were helping us do our job fast and easy.

Now, besides being expensive, they are also hard to find. They are not coming here now like they used to a few weeks back,” admitted Rahim, who is stationed at the Shuwaikh Industrial area. Rahim, a full-time driver and a holder of Visa 18, is working with a private transport company and driving a waneet (4X4 truck). He says, “The holders of 20 Visa are not allowed to work as helpers, so they are ver y much afraid of the police and are not coming now.”

Kuwait urges citizens in UK to be ‘cautious’ LONDON: The Kuwaiti Embassy in the UK has asked its citizens in Britain to keep a low profile. The embassy warned nationals to be cautious and to keep away from planned gatherings in various British cities in order to keep

their safety. It also urged Kuwaiti citizens to contact it once they are in trouble, affirming that its employees are on standby to provide all types of help to Kuwaitis at any time. The warning by the Kuwaiti embassy came after a

group of far-right Britons said they would stage demonstrations in London and several other cities over the recent killing of a British soldier with a meat cleaver by two suspects who were reportedly of the Muslim faith. —KUNA

bullets found recently near a company premises in AlArdhiya. Police reached a place described by a Kuwaiti man who made the emergency call. They collected 934 rounds of AK47 assault rifle that were found scattered all around.

Reckless driver costs father KD3000 A Kuwaiti man had to pay KD3000 in speeding tickets for violations committed by his son using his car. While checking his traffic violations’ status online, the man was shocked to discover that he was required to pay KD3000 for multiple incidents of over speeding. He realized that his son was responsible for the violations after learning that all these violations were committed at the Second Ring Road which was his favorite driving destination.

The man was given the option to contest the tickets in court but opted to pay instead in order to ensure that the suspension order imposed on his transactions at government departments was lifted.

Doctor assaulted A doctor practicing internal medicine filed a case against a patient who reportedly beat him up inside his office at the Sabah Hospital recently. Police reached the medical facility in response to an emergency call made after a noise was heard from the doctor’s office followed by the doctor calling for help. The suspect managed to escape and drove away before the police arrived, but officers obtained his car’s license plate number from eyewitnesses. The doctor headed to the Shuwaikh police station where battery assault charges were pressed.

News

in brief

KOC employees demand review KUWAIT: Several employees at the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) contested in the administrative court certain decisions taken by the KPC appointments committee set up by Oil minister Hani Hussein. Claiming that these decisions were tarred with discrimination, they demanded a review.

They said the appointments committee issued its report in which it discriminated between employees who were promoted. It retained 18 and revaluated 38 who were promoted, thus proving that the selection criteria adopted were not fair and needed revision. Meanwhile, an official source in the committee said all the procedures regarding appointments and promotions were adhered to as per approved rules and laws, and all decisions were in compliance with competence tests.

Agency to help Bedoons A total of 22 NGOs, political factions, committees and student movements announced the formation of a National Agency for Supporting and Resolving the Issue of those without Nationality. In their statement marking the founding of the new body, they said they agreed on the importance of bring this long drawn issue to a logical conclusion after it has lingered for more than 50 years without any serious moves or deep rooted solutions to ameliorate the sufferings of nearly 120,000 human beings. They said any resolution will also help boost Kuwait’s reputation in the human rights domain.

KOC wins int’l awards Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has been awarded for its distinguished health, safety and environmental standards by British regulators RoSPA and the British Safety Council on Sunday. KOC was handed the Occupational Health and Safety Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Safety Award from the British Safety Council in two separate ceremonies at London and Birmingham. The awards were handed to the Kuwaiti stateowned holding company and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) subsidiary for its export and marine operations “in appreciation of the company’s distinguished efforts in redeveloping its policies related to health, safety and the environment,” said the company statement.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with the attendance of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, attends yesterday a dinner banquet held in his honor by Falah bin Eid bin Jame’. —KUNA

Traffic dept collects KD5 million in April Year’s income from traffic violations could hit KD50m KUWAIT: Kuwait collected nearly KD5 million from traffic tickets last month, posting a significant increase that security sources attributed to the extensive campaigns led by the General Traffic Department during the past number of weeks. The insiders who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity believe that this year’s income from traffic violations could reach KD50 million, which

will be nearly double the average annual revenue from traffic tickets, normally pegged between KD25 million and KD30 million.

The extra efforts by the General Traffic Department to collect dues from companies and individuals have also been credited by the source for encouraging quick payment of fines. “Fines reaching up to KD3000 have to be paid before any company or individual can fin-

ish transactions, including those about licenses, insurance, etc,” the sources said.

In other news, Minister of Communications Salem AlOthaina announced that the ministry soon planned to introduce a new system that will help fight ‘theft of international phone signals,’ or cases in which people make calls internationally using methods other than those author-

ized by the ministry. Al-Othaina, who is the also the Minister of Housing Affairs, did not provide details about the plan or how the system was going to “reduce the number of international calls made illegally,” a claim he made in a statement to Al-Qabas on Sunday. A report last March indicated that ‘theft of international calls’ costs the MOC at least KD50 million annually.— Agencies

Iraq’s FM to visit Kuwait over chapter 7’s closure KUWAIT: Kuwait Journalists Association Secretary Faisal Al-Qanaei received News and Communications Manager at the Arab League, Consultant Faleh AlMutairi, and Director of the Technical Secretariat for the Arab Information Ministers Council, Yasser Abdulmunem Abdulatheem, who are visiting Kuwait on an invitation from the Ministry of Information.

KUWAIT: Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zeebari will soon visit Kuwait to discuss the issue of chapter 7’s closure, the undersecretary at Iraq’s foreign ministry, Labeed Abawi, said. He said based on the talks in the past, and the ones on the anvil, the UN Security Council

will take a decision to lift the restrictions imposed on Iraq under the chapter 7 rules. Abawi said, “Iraq has met all its commitments in regards to chapter 7 and these have reached their conclusion.” He added that “Iraq was waiting for the meetings that will discuss its exit

from the restrictions under this chapter, and the foreign minister will go to Kuwait to discuss this issue.” An official source at the Kuwait foreign ministry said the issue of maintaining the border markings between the two countries stood closed after the UN

Security Council approved a proposal to transfer the money Kuwait had deposited with the UN fund to compensate Iraqi farmers to the Iraqi government.

These farmers were affected by maintenance operations of border markings.—Agencies

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

LOCAL

Boubyan Bank lauds ITQAN Academy KUWAIT: A number of Boubyan Bank’s staff praised the role played by Boubyan ITQAN Academy, which was established in cooperation with Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST) in developing their scientific level and enhancing their professional experience; which will be reflected in the future on performance level and customer service in the Bank to make it the Islamic bank of choice in Kuwait. At the beginning, GM Human Resources Group, Adel AlHammad said that the partnership between Boubyan and GUST opened new vistas, whether in terms of the types of provided programs or distinguished lecturers, the fact that will contribute to the continuous development of staff.

Al-Hammad pointed out that the number of staff joining the Academy since its launch last July is 112 employee including 56 in MBA program and 56 in Bachelor’s program at GUST College of Business Administration. Al-Hammad added that this large number, despite the short history of the Academy, proves staff’s care to develop their scientific capabilities and expertise as well as enhancing their practical experience, which will have significant impact on customer service in the future.

Noteworthy is that in cooperation with GUST under the Bank’s strategic partnership with the University, the Academic Partner, the Academy provides a number of training programs for the Bank’s staff, which give them the opportunity to get 55% of the of MBA credits, and 50% of bachelor’s credits. Since it has started to implement its new strategy in 2010, the Bank takes into consideration that developing and enhancing the skills and expertise of its human resources should be the corner stone for achieving all the Bank’s goals and make this strategy successful, noting that the top executive management regards this as a priority.

On his part, Hussein Khalifa (Executive Manager at Boubyan Bank) said that one of the key trends of Boubyan Bank is the care paid to human resources as manifested in supporting and developing the same through continuous training for staff in order to develop skills and enhance their capabilities, indicating that ITQAN is the best example for the Bank’s support to staff and its care to prepare them to face work challenges by providing them the best internationally accredited courses. “The key distinctive aspect of ITQAN program is that they are not confined to training program for high-level staff, but rather encom-

pass all staff from all levels; the fact that reflects the Bank’s vision towards staff, who are considered one of its key pillars that should be maintained and invested.”

Meanwhile, Fahad Al-Bader (Manager at Boubyan Bank) said that the Academy strives to upgrade and enhance the level of the Bank’s human resources by providing all the moral and material means, as

advanced educational tools, relying on its partnership with GUST, which gives its curricula a professional impression.”

On his part, Khaled Al-Rahmani (Manager at Boubyan Bank) said: “The current policy adopted by the Bank of encouraging staff to develop their educational level reflects the its social responsibility towards staff and its care for their future, as the encour-

Hussein Khalifa

Fahad Al-Bader

Khaled Al-Rahmani

Rehab Al-Tawari

Faisal Al-Ahamd

Firas Al-Qaddoumi

Boubyan has a unique approach in facilitating and overcoming the obstacles that encounter the staff willing to get higher or university degrees, stemming from the Bank’s belief in the key role of science and knowledge in enhancing productivity and creativity.

Al-Bader added: “ITQAN Academy enjoys high capabilities and distinguished cadre, through which it provides its students with the best scientific experience using the most

agement and support provided to us by the Bank gives us strong motivation to complete this program.”

“In view of the increasing work pressure, it has become difficult to combine the requirements of work and study. However, Boubyan’s support in providing the appropriate atmosphere for study as well as putting the requirements of work in mind will enable us, God Willing, to complete the program and obtain the required scientific knowledge

while maintaining our career development,” he added.

Rehab Al-Tawari ( Senior Specialist at Boubyan Bank) also commented: “Joining GUST to continue my study and obtain the MBA with the support of Boubyan Bank is a fact that makes me proud of belonging to this institution paying care to its human resources and their development.”

Al-Tawari added: “I appreciate that the Management has given me the opportunity to join the MBA program out of its belief in the importance of investing in human resources and its impact represented in enhancing the academic level of staff and consequently performance quality, especially considering that GUST is one of the most prestigious and technologically advanced universalities, expressing her pride of Boubyan Bank, which will always be pioneering in developing staff capabilities and investing in them.”

On his part, Faisal Al-Ahamd (Branch Manager at Boubyan Bank) expressed his thanks ITQAN Academy’s team including executives and academic lecturers from Boubyan Bank and GUSt, indicating that the Academy represents an example of the unique and fruitful academic cooperation that combines both scientific and practical study.

Al-Ahmad added, “When the MBA when was offered for us in Boubyan Bank, I did not hesitate to join it, as the key advantage of this Academy is that it will enhance both our scientific and practical expertise at the same time, in addition that it includes a distinguished group of lecturers with high academic expertise.”

Meanwhile, Al-Ahmad advised all those having the ability, willingness and ambition to join Boubyan ITQAN Academy.

Firas Al-Qaddoumi (Senior Manager at Boubyan Bank) said that ITQAN Academy made a qualitative leap in the area of professional training, whether on the level of Kuwait or the whole region, noting that since his joining the Bank in the early inception in 2005, no such developments were witnessed in the area of training in the Bank before the establishment of ITQAN Academy.

Al-Qaddoumi praised the Academy’s care to solicit lecturers with the highest degrees of professionalism and perfection and its strive to provide all the requirements for improving staff performance in manifestation of the Bank’s belief the human factor is the cornerstone of the success of any institution and that staff are the true wealth and investment.

Banks to implement rules of governance

KUWAIT: Vice Chairman of the Rumaithiya Co-operative Society Khalid Jermen (right) receives a check from the Commercial Bank of Kuwait and presented by Regional Manager - Banking Management Department, Lina Darweesh (center) and Rumaithiya Branch Director Fahad Al-Khalifa.

The financial contribution comes as part of the CBK’s efforts to support social activities and events held in local communities.

‘Think.Eat.Save’ KPC, UNEP to mark World Environment Day KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has announced that it would be celebrating, in cooperation with United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), World Environment Day (WED) on June 5 under the theme “Think.Eat.Save”.

The event will create awareness on the environmental impact of food waste and loss across the food supply chain, according to the UNEP website.

The latest statistics in Kuwait showed the “astonishing” facts, that the countr y ’s food wastes are estimated at around 50 percent of the total general waste, M ohammad AlFarhoud, Managing Director for Planning and Finance at KPC said in a press statement, adding that around 38,000kgs of unconsumed food are being destroyed on a daily basis. These “worrying” numbers pushed KPC and its subsidiaries to take a positive stance through launching an awareness campaign that aims at decreasing wasteful food consumption. KPC encourages members of the society to take part in limiting this negative phenomenon, said Al-Farhoud.

He indicated that the slogan title for KPC’s media campaign would be “M ak ing a Difference”, in which its media messages and announcements are centered around instilling a sense of personal responsibility towards preserving the environment through adopting new attitudes on consumption, donating excess food, and spreading awareness to limit the waste of food. KPC was recently awarded a cer tificate of appreciation by UNEP for its efforts on raising public awareness and preserving the environment. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti banks will start implementing the rules of governance from midJune as stipulated by the Kuwait Central Bank. The banking sources said the Central Bank was serious about making all banks implement the governance standards without any exception. They said banks expressed readiness to operate as per the governance standards at any time designated by the Central Bank.

The source said that the banking sector, whether traditional or Islamic, was ready to comply with the standards and there were no more obstacles since the banks had begun preparing for the move two years ago. Such a head start will make it easy for them to implement the standards at the designated time. Central Bank Governor Dr. Mohammad Al-Hashel said that the chairmen of various banks have shown the initiative to start implementing the governance standards in order to safeguard the banks from potential risks and obstacles. The governance program will help banks avoid unnecessary obstacles, difficulties, and losses. Also, the banks’ working will stand regulated properly and they will be able to work as per a permanent growth plan, besides avoiding tripping due to any unforeseen problems.— Al-Watan

Industrial sector ‘essential pillar of Kuwait economy’ KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary for Company Affairs and Commercial Licenses Dawood Al-Sabej has stressed the importance of providing the necessary support for the industrial sector as an “essential pillar of the Kuwaiti economy.” The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Public Authority of Industry supervised by Minister Anas Al-Saleh turned their attention toward supporting the industrial sector to provide an appropriate environment for industrialists, Al-Sabej said after the opening of a Kuwaiti industry conference and exhibition yesterday at that the

Kuwait International Fair in Mishref.

He added that the Public Authority of Industry is planning a special distribution of approximately 3,000 industry sites for the next four years. With regard to the participation of companies and institutions at the exhibition, Al-Sabej said that the event will include many of the country’s local industries, who by doing so - will aim to showcase their products, describing the event as “encouraging to the industrial sector.” More than 30 industrial companies and institutions in Kuwait are set to take part in the exhibition.— KUNA

Kuwaitis, Palestinians ink MoU on Gaza healthcare GAZA: The Ministry of Health of the deposed Palestinian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kuwaiti Al-Rahma Society for Relief and Development, a Kuwaiti non-government fundraising agency on Kuwait’s financing of several health projects in the Gaza Strip. The MoU was signed by Dr Mohammad Al-Kashef, Director General of the International Cooperation Department of Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, and

Ahmad Sharaf Director of Al-Rahma society in the Gaza Strip, in the presence of other officials from the Ministry of Health. The MoU included a completion project including equipping a central washing and sterilization unit in Al-Shifaa medical complex in Gaza. The two projects would be funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Reconstruction of Gaza Program and managed by Islamic Development Bank (IDB) of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.— KUNA

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

Not really a ‘dewaniya’

Better solutions

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

y fellow columnist Emad Al-Seif has commented on a recent column in which I had criticized officials’ traditional visits to the dewaniyas. I found his comment understandable given his position as a lawyer of former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, who is currently the subject of a campaign that is neither responsible nor innocent as it has to do with the welcome he receives at dewaniyas and by tribal chiefs.

I had in a generic sort of way criticized the dewaniya visits such as those made by senior state officials during the early days of Ramadan, to weddings, funerals and on special occasions. Since he is no longer a state official now, Sheikh Nasser has every right to spend his time the way that best serves his interests. What I had pointed out in my column was a new phenomenon that has emerged in recent years in the form of heads of tribes inviting top state officials to luncheons and similar events.

While such invitations are currently being extended only by tribes, there is nothing to stop sectarian groups, families and even individuals from doing the same in the future. After all, everyone is equal in a supposedly democratic and society.

While invitations are currently being sent to the Head of State, I am certain that the trend is going to spill over and the same will be extended to the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, the Parliament’s Speaker, etc. Soon enough, invitations will become a tradition similar to officials’ tours around dewaniyas on certain occasions, something that was feasible when Kuwait had only a few dozens of these dewaniyas compared to the hundreds that dot the country today. In fact, dewaniyas in their current form are considered a ‘new’ phenomenon that is not part of Kuwait’s old heritage.

In pre-oil Kuwait, only the Nokhatha (captain of a pearl diving ship) had dewaniyas where he could meet with his sailors, and where pearl divers coming from the desert or nearby villages could stay before the beginning of the seasonal pearl diving trip. Back then, Kuwaitis worked from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and went to bed directly after the Isha (evening) prayer.

This means that dewaniya gatherings in their current form were never an original Kuwaiti tradition, but rather a product of a rentier society. The original dewaniya was expected to fade away as the economic situation in the society in which originated changed. The current form of dewaniya could not have been compatible with the pre-oil era society in which Kuwaitis worked hard during the day and slept during the night. But it fits perfectly with today’s society in which no one works, or at least the majority does not work in the comprehensive sense of the word. Most people in industrial and manufacturing countries sleep around 8:00 pm and wake up at 4:00 am or 5:00 am to make sure that they make through the traffic to reach their place of work in time. Here, children sleep past midnight and adults go to work whenever they feel like it. It is no wonder then that dewaniyas have become a necessary tradition. — Al-Qabas

By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

D

kuwait digest

Take it easy, UAE. We are on the way.............slowly!

By Hamad Salem Al-Marri

T

he e-government services launched by the UAE both citizens and expatriates. In this, Sheikh Mohammed government via smart mobile phones, facilitating considered the UAE government as a hotel and its users both citizens and expatriates to access these any- as the hotel’s tenants who should be able to enjoy best time and anywhere, is a giant leap forward, coming on hospitality and quality services at the drop of a hat. This the heels of similar initiatives in the past that have placed vision of one leader made the UAE people adore their the UAE ahead of all the countries in the region. This leadership and defend it as if they were all one big family. remarkable development has made the UAE a global For them, the government is but a guardian that spares no effort in achieving their welfare and security. tourist attraction as well as a promising economic power.

At a time when the UAE is moving fast-forward to Although, like many other regional states, the UAE ensure welfare and developwas also in a state of slumber, ment of its people, our minthanks to its lethargic bureauAside from being blessed with a istries here in Kuwait are still cracy, it began to develop substantially by the mid-1990s and young leadership that keenly living in the 1980s and it takes a citizen agonizing efforts to has been posting outstanding development in various fields responds to the feedback it receives get one single transaction ever since. Thanks to the from the people, another secret done as he runs from pillar to Almighty and to its young lead- behind the UAE’s advancement is the post, especially when a single ministry’s different departership that is highly competitive and innovative instead of speed and decisiveness in decision- ments are located in various merely imitating, it has become making. This was why the Dubai gov- areas all around Kuwait. A citia landmark for technical, ernor and UAE premier, Sheikh zen often sets out early in the morning but only to get stuck human and real estate development among the Arab coun- Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, in traffic congestions. Finally, gave a two-year grace period to all when he reaches his destinatries.

Aside from being blessed governmental officials to execute the tion an hour or more late to start his marathon run with a young leadership that between offices, he is somekeenly responds to the feed- ‘Smart Government’ project. times told to come back the back it receives from the people, another secret behind the UAE’s advancement is the following day. Often, he also finds out that the concerned speed and decisiveness in decision-making. This was why clerk or official is late for work or is absent.

Eventually, it takes him days to finish his transaction. the Dubai governor and UAE premier, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, gave a two-year Often when he is asked to approach another departgrace period to all governmental officials to execute the ment, it means yet another drive through the city traffic ‘Smart Government’ project. He promised that those who to get that elusive signature before coming back to failed to meet that deadline would have a farewell party square one. Although the government here has also launched its e-government project, it is still in its prelimiawaiting them at the end of that period.

Having executed the e-government project, Al- nary stages and a lot of work still needs to be done manMaktoum thought of taking advantage of the software ually in routine. So, unless and until our officials give due installed in the smart phones, and worked towards estab- care to development issues to ensure welfare of the peolishing a ‘smart government’ accessible through mobile ple, we can only beg the UAE to take it easy so as not to phones. This would facilitate government transactions for embarrass us.— Al-Watan

kuwait digest

Make it look like the truth

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

I

n Kuwait, we cover up political truth reason. Yes, at least without any reason with tons of flattery, because we do that can justify the rise since we have not call things by their real names. no industry or operational powers in Do you believe that due to the new reality except a few companies.

National Assembly Council, which All that is happening is based on some people refer to as the ‘council of just speculation and money is virtually achievements’, the wheels of corrup- raining. Once this rain stops, speculation have stopped moving or at least tion too will stop and the rise in the they are now grinding at a slower stock exchange index will stop too. pace? Believe me, the answer is a clear Our stock exchange index has resounding: No. In fact, corruption has exceeded the 8000 points for the first only increased in a way that no one can time since 2009. This is not a sign of imagine, and when a new council good political health, but mostly a sign comes in, whether after the month of of political sickness. Our KSE, contrary June or after three years, the size of to other international stock exchanges, mega thefts will be known. has nothing to do with our political A British wisdom reality.

Things says: when you make A British wisdom says: might be upside a mistake once, you when you make a mistake down, and there are excused but are grilling when you make the once, you are excused but motions pending. same mistake again, when you make the same Political opponents then you are to be mistake again, then you are are feuding but blamed. It is so to be blamed. still we find the because the mistake index is greener in the first place was than the verdant a fate accompli, but committing the house garden. I am not spilling out any same mistake for the second time is a secret if I say that the government, or matter of choice. more accurately the authority, pumps The Kuwait Stock Exchange market in money into the stock exchange never saw a catastrophe bigger than whenever the political situation Al-Manakh, but till this moment we do becomes complicated and reaches a not know the reasons, nor who were its critical point. This is not a secret, and to champions. In 2008, the second KSE this extent, the rule says: “If there is tsunami came but till now we have no grilling...sell.” idea what happened. What we know is NOTE: For a minister, it is impossible to that we blame it on the “international speak the truth even if he tries. To him, I financial crisis.” say: “Politics is not always about telling Billions have disappeared and most lies, but about being very good at this of these from the pockets of the mid- game; so good, in fact, that you must dle class. Today, KSE rises without any make it look like the truth.” —Al-Anbaa

etention centers are full, transfer of sponsors is not allowed more than twice, and the Ministry of Interior has resumed conducting raids. These are the steps being taken by authorities concerned to fight illegal employment and deal with uncontrolled rise in the number of illegal residents. I think we are in the age of information explosion, in which great software can help record the entire population’s data in a portable hard disk.

We need to quickly start the review process for the 100/10 plan, to teach a lesson to those responsible for the current problems. It is not fair when innocent people are arrested because of mistakes made during the issuance of arrest orders, which in turn happen as a result of names and descriptions getting mixed up, or because civil IDs or passports were left behind at home or with the Mandoob for the purposes of the making of Iqama papers.

Also, the inspection campaign to arrest residency law violators and others involved in various crimes should be conducted very delicately, within the parameters of law enforcement requirements and international standards. Such steps will ensure a high level of security for people living, working and travelling in Kuwait. Homes must be made safe from thefts and burglaries, usually done by people who are jobless and hungry.

For developing the long awaited financial hub, transportation must be modernized through the construction of new roads and underground transport systems. Everybody will be happy when such jobs are well done, which will make homes and workplaces perfect. No doubt, we all just want to guarantee the security of people’s lives and money.

Above all, we want to return home from work safe at night.

kuwait digest

Dignity of a nation

By Najat Al-Hashash

T

he countdown has begun for June 16, when the Constitutional Court is set to pronounce its highly anticipated ruling on challenges to an emergency decree that reduced the number of votes a citizen can cast from up to four to only one.

The court is also expected to issue much anticipated verdicts on challenges against the decree to dissolve the 2009 parliament, as well as challenges against membership of some current MPs accused of lacking qualification of enjoying a ‘good reputation’.

All attention will shift to the Constitutional Court that day to see whether its ruling will result in dissolution of the ‘single-vote’ parliament or allow it to continue. The Constitutional Court is the highest judicial body in Kuwait as it features top consultants and judges who determine the constitutionality and legitimacy of controversial laws; a field with

Everybody is required today to understand that the Constitutional Court’s rulings are not affected by public pressure or demonstrations calling for change. Instead, they are based on regulations and articles of the Kuwaiti Constitution, the source of all legislation for the judiciary. a long history of crucial decisions. In the meantime, Kuwait is a democratic state with impartial judiciary, and having educated people aware of what freedom means. All of these dictate that we all must have full respect for and commitment to the Constitutional Court’s ruling, regardless of whom it favors.

Everybody is required today to understand that the Constitutional Court’s rulings are not affected by public pressure or demonstrations calling for change. Instead, they are based on regulations and articles of the Kuwaiti Constitution, the source of all legislation for the judiciary. Kuwait will be in the international spotlight on June 16, and therefore I wish that Kuwaitis harboring different political views reflect a praiseworthy image that improves Kuwait’s reputation worldwide, and helps each Kuwaiti around the world to earn the respect of the people around them. Showing respect to the law is showing respect to the entire nation and other nations.

That is why it is important that everyone realizes that June 16 is not a date for the ‘final battle’ between two bitter rivals, but a day when the reputation of a whole country will be on the line.

Kuwaiti can earn a good reputation if Kuwaitis respect the law and do not question the integrity of the court. A final word for a certain group of columnists who ‘fish in muddy waters’ to achieve personal gains: remember that staying behind the red lines means a lot to the society, and that the nation’s dignity is the biggest gain any citizen must aspire to achieve. — Al-Rai

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Americans gather to honor fallen service members

India anti-terror agency probes Maoist attack Page 11

Page 10

PARIS: Anti-gay marriage demonstrators face riot police, not seen, while teargas canisters smoke during clashes in Paris, France, Sunday. Tens of thousands of people protested against France’s new gay marriage law in central Paris on Sunday. The law came into force over a week ago, but organizers decided to go ahead with the long-planned demonstration to show their continued opposition as well as their frustration with President Francois Hollande, who had made legalizing gay marriage one of his keynote campaign pledges in last year’s election. — AP

Thousands protest gay marriage in Paris PARIS: At least 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Paris to protest a new law allowing gay marriage, a largely peaceful gathering that later turned violent as riot police battled hundreds of right-wingers.

Police said they had made a total of 293 arrests and that six people were injured in the course of Sunday’s demonstration: four police officers, an AFP photographer and a protester.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls, in a statement, blamed the “extreme right” for the violence.

“These incidents were provoked by several hundred individuals, most from the extreme right and the (nationalist) Identity Bloc, who violently attacked police,” he added. The rally came as the jury at the Cannes film festival in southern France on Sunday awarded its Palme d’Or top prize to the sexually graphic lesbian love story “Blue is the Warmest Colour” by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche.

The main demonstration on Sunday saw three separate processions converging on the Invalides esplanade, filling the huge promenade with pink and blue-the colours adopted by the anti-gay marriage movement.

Police said 150,000 people turned out to protest, a figure immediately contested by organisers who said one million opponents of the law had shown up. Some of the far-right activists briefly unfurled a banner at the ruling Socialist party’s headquarters urging President Francois Hollande to resign.

As the protestors dispersed, after a largely peaceful march, police said up to 500 people began attacking them by throwing metal barriers, smoke flares and beer bottles. The youths shouted slogans against the government such as “Socialist dictatorship” and also threw objects at journalists covering the event.

Late Saturday, police had detained 50 people involved in an anti-gay marriage protest on the busy Champs-Elysees avenue. Fears of unrest at Sunday’s protest had been fuelled by violence that erupted earlier this month during celebrations marking football club Paris SaintGermain’s league victory, which saw tourists attacked and shop and car windows smashed.

Some 4,500 security forces were mobilised for Sunday’s demonstration that was billed as a last-ditch show of force by opponents of the bill allowing same-sex marriage and adoption, which was voted into law on May 18 following months of bitter protests.

But those in the protest ignored the recent tensions, bringing their children along as others had in previous demonstrations. “We keep hearing about a far-right movement, I can see only families here,” said one man called Raoul, who came from the city of Dijon.

Onlookers were instead treated to creative forms of protest. One man dressed in black held a scythe and wore a mask of Hollande as he stood behind a coffin containing a mannequin dressed as Marianne, the emblem of France.

“Hollande, your mother isn’t called Robert”, shouted some of the demonstrators in a slogan that gained in popularity as the afternoon progressed. Supporters and opponents of the bill began protesting last autumn when it was adopted by the cabinet, and continued to do so at regular intervals throughout the country during the legislative process.

The definitive vote in the French parliament came on April 23 when the law was passed legalising both homosexual marriages and adoptions by gay couples. — AFP

Kosovo war veterans rally against EU crimes probe PRISTINA: Thousands of Kosovo Albanians, mainly veterans from the country’s 1998-99 separatist war with Serbia, protested yesterday against an EU war crimes probe into former guerrilla fighters.

The protest comes after the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) last week detained seven former fighters with the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

The seven are being probed for war crimes against civilians held in a KLA detention centre in the central Kosovo municipality of Srbica, EULEX said in a statement.

The detention centre was located in the northwestern Drenica region, the wartime stronghold of the ethnic Albanian guerrillas. “EULEX is tarnishing the most prominent personalities of our freedom war,” said Smajl Elezi, head of the war veterans’ union in Pristina.

Among those arrested were Sylejman Selimi, a former KLA commander in the area, and current ambassador to Albania, and central Kosovo town Srbica mayor Sami Lushtaku, a top official of prime minister Hashim Thaci’s ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo.

They were ordered to ser ve 30 days under house arrest despite a request by Italian prosecutor Maurizio Salustro for them to be held in prison pending the outcome of his investigation.

It was unclear whether Selimi would keep his ambassadorial post and Kosovo’s foreign ministry was not available for comment. Protestors in Pristina chanted “KLA, KLA!” and carried photos of the seven suspects as they marched peacefully along the main streets of the capital.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Just months later,

Brussels launched the EULEX mission to strengthen the rule of law and assist the local judiciary in tackling the most sensitive cases or even pursuing them independently.

KLA guerrillas fought the armed forces of then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic during a 1998-1999 war. They are still considered heroes among Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanian population of almost two million.

Last month, a top former KLA commander Fatmir Limaj, also an official from Thaci’s party, went on trial for war crimes along with nine lower-ranking KLA fighters.

The war, which claimed around 13,000 lives, ended when a NATO-led air campaign halted Milosevic’s crackdown on the proindependence Kosovo Albanians and ousted his forces from the territory in June 1999. —AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

Peacekeepers cannot protect civilians in S Sudan’s east JUBA: The United Nations peacekeeping force in South Sudan lacks sufficient troops and aircraft to protect civilians affected by fighting in an eastern region, the UN envoy said yesterday.

Tens of thousands of people have been uprooted by clashes between the army and rebel forces in Jonglei state.

Almost all of the 10,000 residents of

Pibor town in Jonglei have fled their homes, aid agencies say, following looting by the state security forces and rebel threats to attack it. The head of the UN mission, Hilde Johnson, said she has doubled the number of peacekeeping troops in Pibor.

“We can not sustain a presence with the logistical capacity that we have, with the

problems we have with air transport and by road. So we can not protect civilians in big, big, big numbers,” Johnson told Reuters. The UN mission has 6,560 troops to cover a country the size of France with barely 300 km (200 miles) of paved roads.

Seasonal rains have turned the region, where the government hopes to drill for oil with France’s Total, into a swamp, severing

road access. On April 9, gunmen ambushed and killed five UN peacekeepers and seven civilian staff in Jonglei.

Earlier this month President Salva Kiir said he would punish ill-disciplined members of the security forces engaged in acts of violence against civilians in Jonglei and also those who gave the orders. Johnson also dismissed criticism by a Dutch think-

tank, the Clingendael Institute, which said the UN mission steered clear of confrontation with the government and failed to fulfill its role as a watchdog. “If you come as an outsider with no history, and you come waving the whip, I can assure you that the outcome is not necessarily going to be the most positive one for your cause,” the Norwegian envoy said. — Reuters

Neighbors in Lebanese city fight Syrian proxy war

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shares a light moment with Jordan’s Prince Hassan bin Talal in Amman, yesterday. Kerry unveiled a plan to boost the Palestinian economy by attracting $4 billion in private investment, saying it could transform the lives of the people. —AFP

Iran, an increasingly burning issue for world powers PARIS: A controversial nuclear programme, suspected growing involvement in the Syrian conflict and tightly-controlled presidential elections-Iran is an everincreasing source of concern for Western powers. Tehran last week excluded most would-be candidates from its June 14 elections, keeping only those loyal to the allpowerful supreme leader, dashing any hopes that a more moderate president would be voted into power. And as world powers concentrate on rallying support for a June peace conference on Syria, the role of close Damascus ally Tehran in the bloody conflict is coming under increasing scrutiny.

“We see... that day after day Iran’s forces are strongly engaged on the side of (Syrian President) Bashar Al-Assad, and this is certainly not the way to advance peace,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday. The issue is likely to come up at a Monday meeting in Paris on the Syria conference -planned for June in Genevabetween Fabius and his US and Russian counterparts. Iran is accused by Western and Arab countries which back rebels fighting Assad of supplying weapons and sending military forces to the Syrian military, in a conflict that has claimed some 94,000 lives since 2011.

A top US official has said that Iranians are working alongside their Shiite Lebanese ally Hezbollah fighters to back Syrian troops battling to retake the rebel stronghold of Qusayr, near the Lebanese border. But Iran has denied this, saying it has never sent military forces to Syria “and will never do so”.

France has expressed reservations over any involvement of Iran in the peace conference, and Fabius said Sunday that Tehran’s participation risked “preventing a political solution rather than favouring one.”Any hope that Iran’s presidential election would bring about a change of tack was dashed last week when the country’s Guardians Council barred hundreds of would-be candidates from taking part in the vote.

The unelected election watchdog cleared just eight individuals loyal to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s ultimate decision maker. Most significantly, it

rejected Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate ex-president who had held huge political sway.Analysts say the move indicates that Khamenei is tightening his grip and eliminating any potential in-fighting ahead of a new government.

“The lack of transparency makes it highly unlikely that that slate of candidates is either going to represent the broad will of the Iranian people or represent a change,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday.

Alireza Nader of the US-based non-profit research organisation RAND Corporation said “there was some hope that a more moderate figure like Rafsanjani could be elected and soften Iran’s stance on the nuclear issue.” But he said the eight candidates allowed to contest the polls are almost all “tightly linked to Khamenei. So we must not expect much if one of them becomes the next president.”

Western powers accuse Tehran of developing an atomic bomb under cover of a civilian nuclear programme, which Iran has always categorically denied, and the two sides have for years been locked in negotiations on the issue.

These talks-involving Iran and the socalled P5+1 group that includes the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany-have not delivered any breakthroughs so far.

And the IAEA, the UN atomic agency, said this month that Iran was making significant progress in expanding its nuclear programme and had accelerated the installation of advanced uranium enrichment equipment at its Natanz plant. Khamenei’s attempt to consolidate more power comes at a time when Iran is struggling to cope with harsh economic sanctions over its nuclear programme, targeting its vital oil exports.

According to a top official at the US Treasury, Iran loses 3 to 5 billion dollars per month due to these sanctions that have pushed inflation in the country above 30 percent. One Western diplomat who refused to be named said there should be even more pressure on Iran.

“Either we bring them to their knees economically, or there will be a military strike, which we would like to avoid,” said the diplomat. — AFP

Israeli school children study in a shelter of their school during a simulation rocket attack as they take part in national exercises in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth yesterday. Israel launched a national civil defense drill, which the army said will this year focus on the threat of unconventional weapons at a time of growing regional tensions. —AFP

TRIPOLI: In a rundown district of Lebanon’s second largest city, residents have adapted to waging war with their neighbors. Whenever violence breaks out, they string large cloths across intersections to block snipers’ view, sleep in hallways to take cover from mortar shells and abandon apartments close to the front line.

The sectarian fighting between the two neighborhoods stretches back four decades to Lebanon’s civil war. But it has become more frequent and increasingly lethal since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. The two districts support opposite sides.

The latest round between Bab Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen over the past week has been the bloodiest yet, leaving at least 28 dead and more than 200 wounded.

Bab Tabbaneh is mostly Sunni, while Jabal Mohsen is home to most of Tripoli’s Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam. An 18-yearold with a patchy black beard and a Kalashnikov assault rifle had nothing good to say about Jabal Mohsen. “They don’t fear God, they are bad people,” he said of his neighbors.

The teen said he is one of 10 brothers who have taken up arms, including one who tried to join the Syrian rebels but was captured and killed by Assad’s troops.

Lebanon, a fragile patchwork of more than a dozen religious and ethnic groups, has withstood many sectarian flare-ups since its 15-year civil war ended in 1990.

But there are signs the spillover from the Syria conflict is getting more serious. In addition to the Tripoli fighting, gunmen from rival religious sects are increasingly engaged on opposite sides in Syria.

Over the weekend, Lebanon’s Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, said it would do battle until victory over Syria’s rebels, most of them Sunni Muslims. On Sunday, two rockets struck Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, apparent retaliation for Hezbollah’s support of Assad.

In Syria, Shiite-dominated Iran and Hezbollah have lined up behind Assad, an Alawite, while Sunni states like Saudi Arabia support the rebels.

In Bab Tabbaneh, many say they are caught in the same kind of proxy war between the region’s Sunni and Shiite powers.

“Their problems are being played out here,” Bab Tabbaneh resident Mohammed Bukhari, 53, said. Bukhari’s second-floor apartment faces Jabal Mohsen, just a few dozen meters (yards) away. On May 19, when fighting broke out again, Bukhari moved with his wife, five children and two grandchildren into an empty apartment facing away from Jabal Mohsen.

“My own apartment is very dangerous,” he said, pointing to bullet holes in a wooden cabinet and an interior door. Many leave for safer areas during the fighting. Those who remain behind try to cope. They’ve strung large sheets of tarpaulin across streets that are otherwise exposed to snipers from Jabal Mohsen, blocking their aim. One family, near the Bukharis, climbs out a second-floor back window and down a ladder to reach the street because the front entrance faces the front line. Tempers flare quickly. On a recent morning, a young bread vendor who tried to set up his tray of goods near the local Harba mosque was quickly spotted as an outsider. A crowd of men, shouting and pushing him, accused him of being a Syrian spy and marched him to the mosque, where he was locked in a room. Jabal Mohsen sits on a slope above Bab Tabbaneh. The Lebanese army has set

up checkpoints around the Alawite neighborhood. Heading there is risky because of snipers.

Bab Tabbaneh is more safely accessible from the center of Tripoli. The Lebanese army moved two armored vehicles to the edge of Bab Tabbaneh over the weekend, but the deployment seemed largely symbolic.

During a visit Friday, local gunmen controlled the streets. Some sat in groups on plastic chairs along the sidewalk of Syria Street, a main thoroughfare just a block from Jabal Mohsen. They were on a break, smoking and talking. Most of the fighting takes place after dark, when combatants fire machine guns, mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades at each other.

Their current battle coincides with an offensive by Syrian troops and Hezbollah on Qusair, a predominantly Sunni town in western Syria. The fighters offered a range of reasons for shooting at their neighbors, from defending their district to taking revenge for previous bloodshed or letting off steam against Assad and Hezbollah. But beyond inflicting as much pain as possible on the other side, there seemed to be no clear objective to the fighting.

Khaled Shahsheer, a 42-year-old taxi driver

Tripoli’s Alawites feel they face an existential threat. “The Alawites are being subjected to an organized campaign that aims to eliminate them on all levels,” Ali Feddah, a community leader, said earlier this month.

Alawites make up just 2 percent of the population in Lebanon and are surrounded by a large Sunni majority in Tripoli, a city of half a million people about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Beirut.

In Bab Tabbaneh, some said they can empathize with those on the other side. “They also have children,” 45-year-old Bab Tabbaneh housewife Sahar Ashrafiyeh said of the Alawites.

Bullets have hit her balcony and bedroom wall, and her exposed kitchen has made it hard for her to cook for her family of nine.

The Ashrafiyehs fled the neighborhood in 1985, after her husband Mahmoud was shot in the leg, she said. The family settled in Germany but returned in 1992, a decision her husband now bitterly regrets, she said.

Lebanese leaders have expressed concern about the risk of escalation. Referring to the clashes in Tripoli, President Michel Suleiman warned last week that “with our own hands we

United Nations peacekeepers stand next to their armored vehicles on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel, opposite the northern Israeli village of Metulla (background), on May 27, 2013. The Israeli army was investigating the possibility that projectiles were launched at the northern Israeli border village from Lebanon overnight, after residents reported hearing explosions. — AFP wearing camouflage, said unemployment and poverty in Bab Tabbaneh are feeding sectarian tensions. Two others, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they are also settling old scores.

“We have a long blood account open with them,” said a 28-year-old money changer with an M-16 sniper rifle. “It’s not just about Qusair.”

The neighborhood forces clashed repeatedly during Lebanon’s civil war. They fought again in 2008, after Hezbollah overran several Sunni neighborhoods in Beirut for a week and Tripoli’s Sunnis retaliated. Since the start of the Syria conflict, there have been more than a dozen rounds of fighting. The money changer’s sniper position - a sandbag-reinforced hole poked into the wall of the neighborhood’s dilapidated “Andalus” cinema - goes back to the 2008 fighting. He said his grandfather was killed in clashes with Jabal Mohsen in 1979.

Bahrain jails 14 Shiites for killing Pakistani DUBAI: A top Bahraini court upheld a 15-year jail term for 14 Shiites yesterday after they were convicted of killing a Pakistani in Manama during the 2011 uprising, a judicial source said.

The Court of Cassation announced its verdict in the presence of 12 of the accused, the source said, adding that the remaining two had been tried in absentia.

A court convicted the defendants of beating the victim to death “for terrorist purposes”, the source said, citing the charge sheet. A semi-military court established under a state of emergency in 2011 had originally sentenced the men to life in prison.

But an appeals court reduced the sentence to 15 years in December last year. Lawyers for the defendants said their clients were “tortured” while in custody in 2011, and no action has been taken in response to their complaints. Scores of Shiites have been jailed over accusations of involvement in violence since protests against the ruling Sunni AlKhalifa dynasty erupted in February 2011.

Despite a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces in mid-March 2011, supported by Saudi-led Gulf troops, protesters quickly returned to the streets, mainly in Shiite villages, where they frequently clash with police.

At least 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since February 2011, according to the International Federation for Human Rights. Strategically located across the Gulf from Shiite Iran, Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is a major offshore financial and services centre for its Arab neighbours in the oil-rich Gulf. — AFP

are turning Lebanon into an arena (of conflict).”

The Lebanese army has not been able to act decisively, in part because of Lebanon’s complex political constellations and because it does not have a monopoly on power - Hezbollah’s militia is a powerful rival.

In Tripoli, the government is particularly weak and the army, perceived here as Shiite-dominated, has to ensure local political support before moving in. Some in Bab Tabbaneh take the fighting in stride. A Syrian refugee family living in two small rooms next to the Andalus cinema said Tripoli is still preferable to Homs, the battered Syrian city they fled 18 months ago.

In Homs, no one was safe from raids by proregime forces, said the father, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to endanger relatives back home. “It’s better here,” he said. “They attack each other, but everyone stays in their place.” — AP

Kenya president faces salary reform rebellion by MPs NAIROBI: Kenya’s new President Uhuru Kenyatta faces an early test of his reform plans to cut spending and create new jobs, with lawmakers seeking huge pay hikes for themselves.

Kenyatta, who won a closely-fought March 4 election, has backed a move by a state agency to cut salaries for members of parliament, among the best-paid legislators in the world, whose pay is a source of popular anger.

The lawmakers are to vote as early as this week on a motion to overturn a reduction in their pay decided by the state’s Salaries and Remuneration Commission, arguing that the pay cut was against the law. Kenyatta, 51, son of the nation’s founding president, spoke of the need for slimmer government in a speech to mark the opening of parliament last month, and of economic reforms meant to deliver on a campaign pledge to achieve double-digit growth. Officials say the economy will grow 6 percent in 2013, up from 4.6 percent the previous year. A lawmakers’ salary increase could also trigger wage pressure from representatives in the country’s newly-demarcated counties, as well as teachers, police, and doctors.

Kenyatta’s Jubilee coalition, which controls parliament, has promised to deliver free maternity care, laptops to primary school children, better roads and a million new jobs a year, in a country where the unemployment rate stands at 40 percent.

Moses Kuria, a strategist for the coalition, said Kenyatta was urging his coalition to tone down members’ pay demands.

“These are not small promises, they are quite substantial, and Kenyatta knows that by allowing higher pay for MPs there could be a spiralling effect among other public servants, who will demand more pay and this could destabilise his agenda,” said Kuria.

The president wants to cut a public sector wage bill that is now 50 percent of annual tax revenue. The International Monetary Fund puts the global benchmark at about 35 percent.

The commission set the lawmakers’ pay at 532,000 shillings ($6,300) per month to try to trim the public wage bill after MPs’ numbers rose to 350 from 222 previously following the creation of new constituencies before the March elections.

Ignoring Kenyatta’s repeated pleas to be frugal, the MPs want to be paid 851,000 shillings - similar to what their predecessors earned during the last parliament - as well as higher perks to pay for their cars and other allowances. That would guarantee them more than 130 times the legal minimum wage of 6,498 shillings.

Many Kenyans view members of parliament as symbols of an “it’s our turn to eat” political culture, in which officials view public office as an opportunity for personal gain, which has poisoned Kenyan politics for decades since independence.

“Legislators must work for us first, not demand more pay before they even start their term. They should go to the villages to see real poverty,” said George Wafula, 37, a security guard in a wealthy suburb of the capital. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

Trio arrested over London attack released on bail Two women released without charge LONDON: Three people arrested over the grisly murder of a soldier in London have been released on bail, British police said yesterday, while the two main suspects remain in hospital.

Detectives are trawling through CC T V footage, social media, forensic evidence and intelligence reports relating to the hacking to death of 25-year-old Lee Rigby near a barracks in Woolwich by two Islamists.

They have arrested a total of nine people, but have yet to formally interview the prime suspects because of the men’s injuries sustained in police gunfire at the scene. Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, both British Muslim converts from Nigerian Christian families, remain under armed guard at separate London hospitals.

They are “in a stable condition and will be formally interviewed when it is possible to do so”, Scotland Yard said yesterday. Three men arrested

on Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder have been bailed. Another man arrested for the same offence on Thursday was also bailed, while another remains in custody.

Two women arrested last week were released without charge. “This remains an ongoing investigation, focussed upon pubic safety and identifying any others that may be involved,” said Stuart Osborne, Scotland Yard’s head of counterterrorism. “The investigation is progressing well, but there is still a lot more work to be done.”

Separately, police won judicial approval on Sunday to question a 31-year-old man for another five days on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Abu Nasaybah was arrested on BBC premises late Friday shortly after giving an interview about his friendship with Adebolajo, in which he claimed MI5 had tried to recruit the murder suspect. Last week’s brutal attack by two men

spouting Islamist rhetoric has raised concerns about a backlash against Muslim communities.

Despite calls for calm from Prime Minister David Cameron and Muslim and Christian leaders, one charity said it had recorded a huge spike in antiMuslim incidents, while there have also been a number of attacks on mosques in recent days.

An Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby in northeast England was hit by petrol bombs on Sunday night, although police said it was “too early to speculate” on why the fire was started.

Two people have been arrested over the attack, which did not result in any injuries, and police said they were monitoring messages posted on social networking sites that “appear to be an attempt to incite trouble”.

Eleven teenagers aged 16 or 17 were arrested for attacking the Grimsby mosque and cars parked outside on Thursday night after a party nearby got out of control, police said. — AFP

Mozambique deploys riot police amid medics’ strike MAPUTO: Riot police and soldiers deployed at Mozambique’s main government hospital yesterday amid high tension following the arrest overnight of the leader of a week-old strike by the country’s medics.

Around a dozen helmeted police patrolled the parking lot of Central Hospital in the capital Maputo while unarmed soldiers kept a watchful eye in the hospital’s corridors as the strike by doctors, nurses and support staff entered its second week.

On Sunday night police arrested the leader of the Mozambican Medical Association, Jorge Arroz, holding him for four hours, local media reported. Authorities said police took him in for questioning and denied local media reports that

he had been charged with sedition.

He was arrested during a meeting with his striking colleagues.

Police believed some of their plans “were damaging to human rights,” the head of operations in the police force, Antonio Pelembe, told state radio. Both the government and the striking medics accuse each other of using intimidatory tactics.

The government says strikers have been locking clinics and hospitals to prevent anyone entering, while the strikers say their members have been the victims of “physical and psychological torture”.

Despite the wage dispute by doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, cleaners and laboratory staff, the health ministry claims to have the situation under control. Medical workers, many of whom earn under

$600 (460 euros) a month, want their salaries doubled. They are dissatisfied with a 15 percent-raise they received last month following a strike in January. There were no doctors in sight at the emergency rooms of the Maputo Central Hospital yesterday morning.

“We have been waiting here for three hours. They don’t seem to have emergency doctors. We don’t know whether to stay or leave,” Adelina Taimo, who had brought in an injured friend, told AFP. Mozambican authorities have had to call in military and foreign doctors and volunteers from the international Red Cross, as well as drafting in nursing students to fill in the gaps. Several retired nurses told AFP they had agreed to come back to work to help out. — AFP

BERLIN: The Prime Minister of China, Li Keqiang, right, talks to the chairman of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), Sigmar Gabriel, second right, and the top candidate of the SPD for the federal elections in 2013, Peer Steinbrueck, left, during a meeting in Berlin, Germany, yesterday. — AP

Azerbaijan using drug charges to stifle dissent BAKU: Azerbaijan is increasingly using false charges of drug possession to arrest government critics in a bid to stifle dissent ahead of presidential polls in October, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

Four activists critical of strongman Ilham Aliyev’s government were detained between March and May this year on “bogus” drug charges as part of a growing crackdown on civil society groups in the former Soviet

state, the New York-based rights group said in a statement.

“The latest cases are part of an intensified government campaign against its critics as elections grow near,” Giorgi Gogia, senior

South Caucasus researcher at Human Rights Watch, was quoted as saying in the statement.

“These arrests and beatings send a very clear message to anyone who wants to engage in serious activism.” The four men-a prominent blogger, an opposition activist, a youth movement member and an imam-were detained by police after they were allegedly found in possession of small amounts of narcotics.

The activists, who remain in pre-trial detention, all deny the charges and three of the four say they have been badly beaten by security officials while in custody, the rights group said.

Any display of public discontent or political dissent usually meets a tough government reaction in Azerbaijan, an oil-rich nation on the Caspian Sea ruled by Aliyev since 2003.

Earlier this year security officials ruthlessly suppressed a rare spate of protests, including one against alleged hazing in the army, and detained scores of activists across the country.

Aliyev has been in power since succeeding his father Heydar, a former KGB officer and Communist-era boss.

He looks almost certain to win the presidential election in October. Human Rights Watch says authorities have previously used unfounded allegations of drug and weapon possession to detain critics, arresting five activists on drug charges between August 2011 and May 2012. — AFP

MOSCOW: A picture taken on May 23, 2013, shows Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (R) walking near a helicopter during his interview to NTV channel presenter Vadim Takmenyov (C) in Moscow. — AFP

Nigeria’s ‘war on terror’ wins tentative support MAIDUGURI: Nuradin Mohammed used to resent and fear the troops who swept past his fish stall in this northeast Nigerian city on the trail of Islamist insurgents Boko Haram. Now, for the first time, he thinks they may be on his side.

“We are pleased the president has finally recognised our peril and we pray his plan works,” Mohammed said, frying fish by the roadside as a crowd of young children looked on hungrily and trucks packed with troops rumbled past. President Goodluck Jonathan took a gamble when he launched a big offensive this month on Boko Haram’s four-year-old attempt to establish an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria.

The crackdown risks stoking, rather than quashing the rebellion, but has so far met with a surprising degree of support in a region that has long accused the oil-rich Christian south of neglect. “We felt let down and ignored.

We are afraid soldiers will come bullying the public, which makes people want to join the Boko Haram, but we hope this time is different,” Mohammed said. Only a few months ago, Jonathan was telling foreign leaders that Boko Haram was a small prob-

lem that would be over soon. In declaring an emergency on May 14 in Borno, Yobe and Adawmawa states and ordering thousands of troops and air strikes on suspected Islamist camps, he said they were “terrorists” whose “declaration of war” could not go unanswered.

Civilians like Mohammed appear to have had enough of being caught in the crossfire of a rebellion that has killed thousands in Africa’s No. 1 oil producer and provoked fears of a descent into chaos in one of the continent’s most dynamic economies.

Even usually critical northern governors and elders have been cautiously supportive of Christian southerner Jonathan’s new firm tactics, which include the offer of an amnesty to any militants who willingly surrender.

“I now fully understand the strategy: show strength and be magnanimous at the same time,” previously critical northern opposition politician Alhaji Bashir Tofa told Reuters.

But it will take more than just firmness to win against a movement that has proved remarkably resilient under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, a fiery militant who likes to make fingerwaving Internet videos holding a Kalashnikov. Ousted from Nigeria’s city

centres in an earlier crackdown last year, the Islamists, whose name in the Hausa language means “Western education is sinful” withdrew to the remote semi-desert region of the northeast bordering with Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

In this isolated zone, they scared off local officials and took de facto control of at least 10 out of 27 council areas.

This recalled what happened in 2012 in Mali, where al Qaeda-allied Islamist rebels seized control of the Sahel country’s Saharan north before taking several cities and towns. A French military offensive drove them back earlier this year. In the past two months Boko Haram mounted some of their boldest attacks to date, including one that killed 55 people.

Jonathan’s administration knows that just sending in more troops will never totally defeat a foe that can hide among the civilian population, even if that population has been put off by Boko Haram attacks on churches, universities and markets. “In some ways youths had more in common with Boko Haram than soldiers and wealthy politicians,” said Borno public servant Ali Shuwa. Behind him, scrawny goats chew on a rubbish pile. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

Guatemala ex-leader due in US court today NEW YORK: Guatemalan ex-president Alfonso Portillo, jailed in New York after being extradited from his home country, will face his first US court hearing today, officials said.

The 61-year-old, who faces charges he laundered $70 million of swindled government funds through US banks, was the first former Latin American leader ever to be extradited to the United States.

After arriving in the US on Friday, he was taken first to a hospital for a medical

check, but was quickly discharged and transferred to a jail in southern Manhattan, the consulate said.

US prosecutors in Manhattan have so far not confirmed the hearing date indicated by Guatemala’s foreign ministry.

Consul Oscar Padilla planned to return to the detention facility on Sunday to visit Portillo, who suffers from heart and lung ailments, after he was unable to see expresident the night before for unspecified reasons.

Portillo was picked up unannounced

on Friday from a military hospital in Guatemala City, where he had been convalescing in recent weeks, and rushed to the main Air Force base south of the capital under heavy protection, where he was flown to New York.

Washington welcomed the extradition as “an important affirmation of the rule of law and due process in Guatemala.” Portillo, who ruled Guatemala from 2000 to 2004, was indicted by a US grand jury on charges of embezzling tens of millions of dollars

of public funds and laundering the money through US and European banks, including $1.5 million intended for Guatemalan school children.

He faces a sentence of up to 20 years if convicted. But the ex-president, who has been fighting extradition since it was approved by then president Alvaro Colom in 2011, has called the case against him “political persecution.”

“They have acted illegally against me from the beginning. They have violated all my rights,” he declared as he boarded

the plane headed for the United States, adding that the government was “responsible for anything that may happen to my health.”

Although he is the first to be extradited, Portillo is not the first Latin American ex-leader to wind up in the US facing criminal charges.

Panama’s former dictator Manuel Noriega was ousted by US troops in 1989, convicted on drug trafficking charges and jailed in Florida for 20 years. — AFP

Americans gather to honor fallen service members Obama to lay a wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier

WASHINGTON: In this Jan. 16, 2013, file photo, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk from the White House to the Treasury Department in Washington. With his political future tied irrevocably to Obama, Biden is still working to preserve his own, distinct identity as he contemplates a third presidential run in 2016. — AP

Tied to Obama, Biden forges his own distinct identity WASHINGTON: With his political future tied irrevocably to President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden is still working to preserve his own distinct identity as he contemplates a third presidential run in 2016.

With nearly four years left in Obama’s second term, it would be untoward for Biden to be openly self-promotional, and his advisers say he’s focused on his current job. Still, with the jockeying for 2016 nominations already well under way, there’s an advantage to staying part of the conversation. So the freewheeling man from Scranton, Pa., is polishing a reputation carefully nurtured over four decades in Washington, playing up his own strengths even as he stays fiercely loyal to his current boss.

“The good news is my dad understands that he works for the president, first and foremost,” said Beau Biden, the vice president’s son and Delaware’s state attorney general. “I hope he takes a real, hard look at running, but now’s not the time.”

That time will come soon enough. In the meantime, the vice presidency has afforded Biden ample opportunities to keep his name in the spotlight without seeming overtly political. He’s hit the pavement, keeping a strenuous schedule that would wear out many 70-year-old men.

On a Monday earlier this month, Biden hosted religious leaders for hours at a White House meeting on gun control, even though efforts to revive a failed bill had stalled. On Tuesday, he spoke about voting rights at an African-American think tank.

He talked immigration with AsianAmericans at an awards dinner Wednesday, and the Boston bombings in a keynote address to firefighters on Thursday. By Friday, he was preparing to return home to Delaware, where he spends many weekends. “Part of the challenge of being president is you have to be president. It doesn’t give you time to go out and travel the country as you’d like,” said Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff. He said the ability to deploy Biden as a surrogate for

Obama has been a major asset for the White House.

As he moves from issue to issue with fluidity and unchecked enthusiasm, it’s easy to see how the Biden brand - blue-collar, solidly liberal, disarmingly candid - could have distinct advantages when Democrats select their candidate for 2016.

Whether Democrats, in picking their first nominee to follow Obama, will sour on the notion of an “old, white guy” as their standard-bearer is an open question. Another factor in Biden’s equation - and every conversation about 2016 - is Hillary Rodham Clinton, who Democratic insiders say would start out a heavy favorite if she seeks the nomination.

A match-up with his former Senate colleague, 2008 primary opponent and West Wing teammate would test the loyalties and relative influence of a number of key Democratic constituencies.

Fiercely popular with women and with strong bipartisan appeal, Clinton stands to gain from fond memories of a booming economy under her husband’s presidency.

Like Biden, she also lays claim to the Obama legacy. But Biden, on many issues, also has cast himself to the left of Obama, staking out ground that could make him an attractive alternative to Clinton for the party’s liberal base in presidential primaries. “ When he takes on gun control or comes out ahead of the curve on gay marriage, he is also right where people are,” said John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who worked on Obama’s re-election. “He’s evolved just like everyone else.”

Unlike Obama, whose appearances are carefully choreographed to leave nothing to chance, each of Biden’s public events has an element of suspense.

His supporters say his seeming inability to hide his true feelings about an issue speaks to an honesty and candor that are at the heart of his appeal. But White House officials have privately griped about the fallout and distractions when he struggles to stay on message in a highly politicized environment. —AP

ATLANTA: Americans planned to gather at cemeteries, memorials and monuments nationwide to honor fallen military service members on Memorial Day, at a time when combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindles.

President Barack Obama was expected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington. Earlier in the morning, he and first lady Michelle Obama planned to host a breakfast at the White House with “Gold Star” families of service members who have been killed.

In one of several ceremonies honoring Americans killed in Afghanistan, the city of South Sioux City, Neb., planned to unveil a statue honoring Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara, a dog handler for the SEALs killed in a 2011 helicopter crash. His service dog was also killed in the crash and is memorialized beside him in the statue.

At the American Airpower Museum on Long Island, N.Y., a program was planned to honor Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, who tested and ferried completed aircraft from factories to bases during World War II. Thirty-eight died during the war, including Alice Lovejoy of Scarsdale, N.Y., who was killed on Sept. 13, 1944, in a midair collision over Texas.

“It’s very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women’s history,” said Julia Lauria-Blum, curator of the WASP exhibit at the museum. “These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women’s aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day.”

WASHINGTON: Motorcyclists ride past the US Congress during Rolling Thunder 2013 in Washington on May 26, 2013. The 26th Annual Rolling Thunder rumbled into the US capital to show support for veterans and those who have fallen in past and present wars. Some one million riders are expected to gather in Washington DC during the Memorial Day weekend. — AFP Another wreath-laying ceremony was planned at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City.

The park is a tribute to President Roosevelt’s famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the US vacation season. AAA, one of the nation’s largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year. Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $3.65 a gallon Friday. — AP

Commanders should be fired for sex assault WASHINGTON: From Congress to the White House, pressure is mounting to hold military commanders accountable for the rising number of sexual assaults in the armed services.

The extent of the assaults came to light when the Pentagon released a report earlier this month estimating that as many as 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year and that thousands of victims are unwilling to come forward despite new oversight and assistance programs. That figure is an increase over the 19,000 estimated assaults in 2011.

Several recent arrests have added to the military ’s embarrassment. A soldier at the US Military Academy at West Point was charged with secretly photographing women, including in a bathroom. The Air Force officer who led the service’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response unit was arrested on charges of groping a woman. And the manager of the Army’s sexual assault response program at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was relieved of his post after his arrest in a domestic dispute with his exwife.“This needs to end,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said Sunday. “When a victim comes forward, they should have an advocate to walk them through the military justice system, and commanders who allow this to continue to allow this to flourish quite frankly should be fired.”

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said the military’s future includes both men and women in leadership, and cultural changes are needed “when it comes to the command structure” to make sexual assault and harassment “unacceptable, intolerable; and those who engage in it should pay a price.”

Retired Marine Gen. John Allen, who retired in February after 19 months commanding allied forces in Afghanistan in order to attend to his

wife’s health issues, encouraged commanders to address the issue and tell subordinates exactly what was expected.

“Commanders can’t be ambiguous about this. We can’t not talk about that,” Allen said Sunday. “Commanders (have) got to stand in front of their units and tell the people what they expect. Because silence isn’t good enough. This is an opportunity to lead, and we should be seizing it.”

The comments from Durbin, Graham and Allen capped a week of attempts to address the Pentagon’s findings. President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel raised the issue separately in graduation speeches at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and the US Military Academy at West Point.

“Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime; they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong,” Obama said Friday. “That’s why we have to be determined to stop these crimes, because they’ve got no place in the greatest military on Earth.” Hagel called on the graduating West Point cadets Saturday to use their leadership to address the epidemic.

“This scourge must be stamped out. We are all accountable and responsible for ensuring that this happens. We cannot fail the Army or America. We cannot fail each other, and we cannot fail the men and women that we lead.”

Members of a House panel on Wednesday approved legislation that would strip commanding officers of their longstanding authority to unilaterally change or dismiss court-martial convictions in rape and assault cases. The bill would also require that service members found guilty of sexual offenses be dismissed or dishonorably discharged. The legislation will be folded into a broader defense policy bill that the full House of Representatives will consider in the coming weeks.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has acknowledged the severity of the problem. He said recently that military leaders are losing the confidence of the women who serve that they can come up with solutions.

But Dempsey said in a May 20 letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Ser vices Committee that any legislative remedies must maintain the commander’s role in the military justice process. Cutting them out or limiting them too severely would undercut their authority to enforce discipline and execute their duties, he wrote.

“Good order and discipline is essential to military efficiency and effectiveness,” Dempsey said in the letter to Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Removing commanders from the military justice process sends the message to everyone in the military that there is a lack of faith in the officer corps and the serving commanders. Conveyance of a message that commanders cannot be trusted will only serve to undermine good order and discipline.”

Dempsey and the chiefs of the military services are scheduled to testify June 4 before the Senate Armed Services Committee on legislation to prevent sexual assaults.

Sharon Disher graduated from the Naval Academy in 1980 in the first class that included women. She said Friday she’s disappointed the military is still grappling with sexual assault issues but applauded the president for raising the subject.

“The more we talk about it, the more we’re going to do something about it, and that’s the thing we never did,” she said. “I guess we’ve just got to keep the conversation going until we fix the problem.” Durbin and Graham spoke on “Fox News Sunday.” Allen appeared on ABC’s “This Week.” — AP

One dead, 10 hurt in car-party bus crash

ANCHORAGE: An officer in the Anchorage jail court removes the paperwork that Jerry Andrew Active was using to shield his face during his arraigned on charges of murder and sexual assault of a minor on Sunday, in Anchorage, Alaska. — AP

Man charged in double homicide ANCHORAGE: A man has been charged with killing an elderly Anchorage couple and sexually assaulting their 2-year-old great-granddaughter.

Police say the man refused to identify himself and is being held without bail.

Police on Saturday night were summoned by a 911 call to an apartment in the 400 block of North Bragaw Street by a woman who said a man had murdered her grandmother.

The suspect - wearing boxer shorts and socks - was captured a block from the scene. Police discovered the bodies of 71year-old Sorn Sreap and his wife, 73-yearold Touch Chea. Both had been beaten and police say Chea had been sexually assaulted.

The couple’s granddaughter had left her 2-year-old in their care. Police say the toddler underwent surgery for sexual assault injuries. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: A car whose driver had been drinking crashed with a party bus on a San Francisco Bay Area highway Sunday, leaving the driver critically injured, his wife dead and nine others hospitalized with minorto-moderate injuries, authorities said.

A red Honda coupe driven by 43-yearold Raul Padilla appeared to have slammed into the center divider of U.S. 101 before it came to a stop facing oncoming traffic, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said. After the Honda stopped, the front end of the party bus, which had 18 people on board, hit the disabled car. Two other cars were also involved in the collision. “We’re still trying to figure out who came into contact with what,” Montiel said. The woman killed was a 36-year-old passenger in the Honda and married to Padilla. Her name has not been released while officials try to contact other family members. Padilla was hospitalized in critical condition. He was wearing his

seatbelt, but his wife was not, according to the CHP. Padilla and his wife had “consumed alcohol” before the crash, but toxicology tests would have to be conducted to determine if Padilla had been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, Montiel said. “If it is determined he was under the influence, he could face felony DUI charges and manslaughter charges,” Montiel said. Initially, based on their driver’s license information, authorities had said the woman was from San Mateo and Padilla was from Oakland, but the information may have not been updated, Montiel said. The bus was equipped with seatbelts, but Montiel did not know how many, if any, of the passengers were wearing them at the time of the crash. Bus passengers in California are not required to wear seatbelts, Montiel said. The bus was towed to an impound yard, but Montiel did not know the name of the company. — AP

MOORE: President Barack Obama is greeted as he tours a tornado affected area on Sunday in Moore, Oklahoma. Obama is in the Oklahoma City area to survey damage from the tornado which struck a week ago and meet with victims and first responders. — AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

Japan, India to discuss military plane sales TOKYO: Japan is close to signing an agreement to supply amphibious planes to India, a report said yesterday, in what would be the first sale of hardware used by the military since a weapons export ban was imposed. During a four-day visit to Tokyo by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, starting today, the two sides are set firm up plans for Delhi to purchase the US-2, a domestically-developed aircraft used by Japan’s armed forces.

The sale, reported by the Nikkei business daily, would be the first of a finished product made by Japan’s homegrown defence industry since rules were imposed restricting the export of weapons systems and other equipment.

It would also mark a strengthening of the alliance between Japan and India, which both see rising China as a threat to regional stability. Experts say the

Pakistan police rescue Facebook kidnap teen KARACHI: Police in Pakistan’s biggest city Karachi yesterday rescued a teenage boy who was kidnapped for a half-million dollar ransom after apparently being lured through Facebook, officers and relatives said.

Officers raided the gang’s hideout to the west of the sprawling city, which is plagued by gang violence and extortion rackets, Mustafa killing four of the abductors in a shootout and arresting a fifth.

The kidnappers started chatting to their 13-year-old target, identified only as Mustafa, six months ago, senior police officer Niaz Khoso said. They enticed him to a meeting on Friday.

The youngster, the son of a senior customs official, was whisked away to the town of Hub outside Karachi in restive Baluchistan province, and his family received calls demanding 50 million rupees ($508,000) in ransom.

Police said they used mobile phone records to track the kidnappers to the hideout in Hub and rescued him yesterday morning. Mustafa’s mother made a tearful plea to parents to supervise their children’s use of social media.

“This is my request to all the parents to never let their children make friendship on Facebook,” she told media, sobbing as she sat beside her son. “I beg you for God’s sake that you never do.” — AFP

aircraft must be classed as for civilian use if it is to comply with Japan’s 1967 self-imposed ban on arms exports, part of the post-World War II anti-militarist drive.

The US-2, which was developed by ShinMaywa Industries and has been sold to the Japanese navy at a price tag of roughly 10 billion yen ($99 million), has a range of 4,700 kilometres (2,900 miles) and can land in seas with waves of up to three metres (nine feet).

“If the US-2 is exported to India for civilian use, that would be the first case of exports of Japanesedeveloped weaponry used by the defence ministry for civilian use,” a trade ministry official in charge of arms sales told AFP. ShinMaywa opened a sales office in New Delhi last year and has been promoting the plane there, a

The reported talks on sales “are based on policy decisions made a few years ago that Japan has to support its defence industry by diverting military technology to civilian use for export”, said Takehiko Yamamoto, professor of international relations at Waseda University.

Otherwise, major Japanese firms such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries “will not able to maintain their pool of engineers to develop military technology that is essential for the defence of Japan”, he said.

Boosting exports from Japan’s manufacturing behemoths is a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to revive the economy.

Abe and Singh are scheduled to meet on Wednesday for a summit expected to concentrate on trade and investment. — AFP

India anti-terror agency probes Maoist attack ‘The buck has to stop somewhere’ RAIPUR: India’s chief anti-terrorism agency is investigating a Maoist rebel attack that killed 24 people including top local politicians in the insurgents’ deadliest strike for three years, officials said yesterday.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrived at the scene of Saturday’s bloody ambush in the central state of Chhattisgarh, where a hunt for the Maoists is under way, officials said.

“I have asked the NIA to launch a probe. The buck has to stop somewhere,” junior home minister R.P.N Singh told reporters.

Hundreds of heavily-armed rebels ambushed a convoy carrying local leaders of India’s governing Congress party as it travelled through the forested Sukma area, about 345 kilometers (215 miles) from the state capital Raipur.

They detonated a land-mine before opening fire on the convoy, spraying 25 cars with bullets, then dragged people out and killed them, police said.

Among those killed were state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, and former state home minister Mahendra Karma-who had set up a controversial anti-Maoist militia group in 2005.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who rushed to Raipur along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the ambush, condemned what she called a “cowardly act.”

The attack was the most brazen since 2010, when a rebel assault killed 76 police. It is the lat-

est in a decades-long conflict that pits the insurgents against authorities in the forests of mainly central and eastern India.

Maoist rebels, who have been described by premier Singh as the country’s most serious internal security threat, are demanding land and jobs for the poor. Security forces have launched a major search for the guerrillas in the thickly forested region, said a senior police official.

“Commandos and a large number of security forces have began the operation against the Maoists,” said Rajinder Kumar Vij, who heads the anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh. A NIA official said on condition of anonymity that the rebels took advantage of lower than normal levels of security for the convoy.

“We will investigate every aspect of the latest attack. The rebels used sophisticated weapons in the attack to target politicians. Their security was not handled seriously by the local cops,” the official told AFP. Vishwaranjan, a retired police chief of Chhattisgarh, described the latest attack as “a clear result of intelligence failure”. The targeted convoy had been returning from a political rally in the area. Security forces should have been extra-vigilant against the possibility of an attack given that Maoists openly oppose such organised political events, he said.

“The Maoists are against any political or development activity pursued by the government in the region,” said Vishwaranjan, who uses one name.

Karzai’s brother plans to run in Afghan election KANDAHAR: Afghan President Hamid K arzai’s older brother Qayum will run in next year’s presidential election, their younger brother said, as the country’s most powerful family seeks to maintain a political hold in Afghanistan.

President Karzai is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term when the country votes for a new head of state on April 5.

“Qayum will announce his candidacy soon and will represent our political movement ... the party will run his election campaign,” Mahmoud Karzai told Reuters in an interview at his home in the southern city of Kandahar.

Qayum K arzai will have the backing of De Woles De Mulatar Baheer, or the Movement for the Support of the People, which is dominated by the country’s powerful Pashtun ethnic group. The group has no affiliation with the incumbent president.

Neither Qayum nor Hamid Karzai’s office could be reached for comment.

Kabul-based political analysts said, however, that the president would likely support his bid, as it

spokesman for the company said.

“We hear there is some demand from the Indian government but decline to comment further as we have yet to reach a contract,” he added. The Nikkei said India is looking to acquire at least 15 of the aircraft.

Japan has sought to expand the market for its defence industry. It has previously exported technology or parts of military hardware, but has not sold any finished products.

The plane could be deemed to have a non-military-for example, search and rescue-purpose if “friend-or-foe” identification systems were disabled, officials said, making it eligible for export.

In 2011 Tokyo eased the decades-old ban on arms exports, paving the way for Japanese firms to take part in multinational weapons projects.

would guarantee he would not be investigated for mismanagement or corruption during his time as leader.

“President Karzai wants someone to succeed him who should not review his performance (while in power) and there is no doubt he will support his brother Qayum,” said independent analyst Ahmad Sayeedi.

But some analysts say that Qayum’s decision to run without his power ful brother ’s backing could indicate a family rift. Across his two terms as president he has had a rocky relationship with many of his close family members.

Last week, Mahmoud told a gathering in the family’s birthplace, Kandahar, that if Qayum was elected a top priority would be ending the widespread corruption.

“If Qayum comes to power we will take the corruption issue very seriously; it has defamed us to the whole world,” he told the crowd.

After more than a decade of war and billions of dollars in aid, corruption in Afghanistan is rampant.

In January a report by the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime said cor-

ruption was costing Afghanistan $2.5 billion a year, equivalent to about a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product.

Afghanistan relies on foreign aid for the bulk of its spending, but many international donors say they are reluctant to channel aid through Afghanistan because they fear it will be stolen by corrupt politicians and officials.

Mahmoud Karzai, who reportedly dropped his US citizenship early this year in order to pursue an Afghan political career, was a key shareholder in Kabul Bank during the period marked by a $900 million fraud case.

That case saw the bank collapse in 2010, though Mahmoud was spared a jail sentence following a presidential decree that granted immunity to those who repaid funds. Mahmoud denied any wrongdoing and said he repaid $22 million.

The credibility of next year ’s vote will be vital to the security and stability of the country, with NATO withdrawing most of its combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. — Reuters

KABUL: Afghan university students and independent civil society activists take part in a demonstration in support of passing the Elimination of Violence against Women law in front of Parliament in Kabul yesterday. The Afghan parliament on May 18 cut short a debate on a bill to protect women from violence after complaints from some traditionalist MPs that it was against Islamic teaching. — AFP

AHMADABAD: Supporters of India’s ruling Congress party burn an effigy representing Maoist rebel during a protest in Ahmadabad, India, yesterday. — AP According to the government, the rebels believed to have cost tens of thousands of lives. number between 8,000 to 12,000 hardcore In 2009 government forces launched a huge fighters who have laid land-mines in the miner- anti-Maoist offensive known as “Operation al-rich state and resist mining activity potentially Green Hunt”, but the often poorly-trained police worth billions of dollars. have had to contend with a deadly series of The Maoists, who have been fighting since attacks. Critics believe attempts to end the revolt 1967, want to establish a communist society by through security offensives are doomed to fail, overthrowing what they call India’s “semi-colo- saying the real solution is better governance and nial, semi-feudal” form of rule. The revolt is development. — AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

South Korea dismisses North dialogue ‘offer’ ‘We need to see N Korea’s sincerity in its actions’ SEOUL: South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se brushed off yesterday a reported North Korean offer to resume nuclear disarmament talks, saying he would first need to see evidence of its sincerity.

“Our stance is that there should not be dialogue for dialogue’s sake,” Yun said in his first press briefing since taking office in the new government of President Park Geun-Hye. “ The important thing now is for North Korea to show its sincerity to the international community by implementing its past denuclearisation pledges,” he added. Yun’s remarks followed a visit to China by a top North Korean envoy, who brought a personal letter from leader Kim Jong-Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese state media said the letter stated the North’s willingness to resume long-stalled sixparty talks on denuclearisation involving China, the two Koreas, the United States, Russia and Japan. The reported message was greeted with scepticism in South Korea, where observers saw it as an effort by the North to appease its key ally Beijing rather than a genuine signal of intent.

North Korea has repeatedly declared that its programme to develop a viable nuclear deterrent is not open to negotiation. Seoul and

Washington, meanwhile, insist that the North must demonstrate its commitment to abandoning its nuclear weapons programme in order for formal talks to begin.

“We need to see North Korea’s sincerity in its actions,” Yun said, adding that all outward signs were of Pyongyang going in the opposite direction and strengthening its nuclear arsenal. The North Korean state media’s coverage of envoy Choe Ryong-Hae’s visit to China made no mention whatsoever of a dialogue proposal. Of the letter handed to Xi, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said only that it conveyed Kim’s desire to deepen the “traditional friendship” between North Korea and China.

China is North Korea’s key economic benefactor and diplomatic protector, but it signed off on UN sanctions punishing Pyongyang for its nuclear test in Februar y. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said North Korea needed to set its priorities straight.

“If the North genuinely wants dialogue, the first step should be responding to our repeated call for working-level governmental talks on the Kaesong industrial complex,” said spokesman Kim Hyung-Seok.

Kaesong was the highest-profile victim of

two months of elevated military tensions that followed the North’s nuclear test. Established just north of the border in 2004 as a rare symbol of cooperation, the showpiece project had more than 120 South Korean firms employing some 53,000 North Korean workers.

The North barred South Korean access to the zone and pulled out its workers in early April.

Seoul withdrew the last of its nationals early this month. The South has called for talks on securing the raw materials and product stocks left by the departing South Korean managers, but the North has so far refused. The unification ministry also criticised the North for a recent personal attack on Park Geun-Hye, in which it labelled South Korea’s first female president a “confrontation maniac”.

“For the sake of healthy inter-Korea relations, the North needs to control and restrain itself... and immediately stop such remarks that are too unspeakable for us to quote here,” spokesman Kim told reporters.

Park, who is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with President Xi next month, said yesterday she would seek to “work more closely with China in order to resolve North Korea issues”. — AFP

Communist rebels ambush Philippine police, kill seven MANILA: Communist guerrillas set off a roadside bomb and opened fire on a truck carrying police in the northern Philippines yesterday, killing seven and wounding seven officers. The members of the elite police Special Action Force were en route to a hospital for a regular medical test when the rebels, hiding in the bush along the road, detonated the explosive device and sprayed the vehicle with gunfire, said the regional police director, Chief Superintendent Rodrigo de Gracia.

Such hit-and-run attacks are common throughout the 44-year rural-based Marxist insurgency, which has claimed an estimated 120,000 lives. Philippine security forces have been stretched thin by fighting communist rebels while also battling Muslim militants in the south. On Saturday, al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf guerrillas killed seven marines in a clash on Jolo Island in an operation aimed at rescuing six foreign and Filipino hostages.

The government recently suspended peace talks brokered by Norway after the communist rebels rejected an immediate cease-fire. De Garcia said the police commandos returned fire but were overpowered by the rebels, who later fled with weapons from the slain officers.

The seven wounded managed to escape on foot and were rescued by government troops in the Ballesteros Municipal Hospital in Cagayan province, more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) northeast of the capital, Manila.

Troops set up roadblocks and dispatched reinforcements to track down the assailants, police spokesman Generoso Cerbo said in Manila. The New People’s Army rebels accuse successive Philippine administrations of subservience to US interests and failing to improve the lives of the poor. Their numbers have dwin-

MANILA: Relatives mourn at the wake of seven Philippine Marines killed Saturday in a clash with Abu Sayyaf militants in Jolo, southern Philippines, at the Philippine Marines headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines yesterday. — AP dled to an estimated 4,000 fighters amid battle setbacks, surrenders and factionalism. They are listed as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.

Chief government negotiator Alexander Padilla said early this month that the exiled rebel leader, Joma Sison, had himself proposed to fast track the talks by establishing a cease-fire and a committee with the government to discuss political and economic reforms. But Sison later backed off and blamed the government for the

impasse. In Saturday’s clash in the south, seven guerrillas also were killed. Six marines and about 10 gunmen were wounded, marine Col. Jose Cenabre said Sunday. Government troops backed by assault helicopters were hunting down the fleeing militants, who were believed to be led by Jul-Aswan Sawadjaan, an Abu Sayyaf commander accused in the kidnappings of a Jordanian journalist and two European bird watchers who are still being held by the militants. — AP

Sydney nurse pleads guilty to 11 murders SYDNEY: A man accused of deliberately lighting a deadly blaze that ripped through a Sydney nursing home in 2011, killing 11 elderly residents, pleaded guilty to murder yesterday. Roger Dean, 37, was a nurse at the facility and entered 11 guilty pleas to murder on the first day of his trial in the Supreme Court.

He also admitted eight counts of causing grievous bodily harm to other mostly infirm residents of the home, some of whom suffered from dementia or were blind. Three residents perished during the inferno Dean started and eight others died later from their injuries. The court has previously heard Dean started the blaze at two separate

points in the building, which was badly damaged.

At the time Dean was described by locals as a friendly but quiet man who kept to himself and he was initially hailed a hero after fronting media outside the home as firefighters battled to contain the flames.

He told reporters then that he

SYDNEY: A file photo taken on November 18, 2011 shows nurse Roger Dean (2nd R) receiving oxygen after a fire at a rest home killed 11 residents in the outer Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill. Dean was a nurse at the facility in Quakers Hill and entered 11 guilty pleas to murder on the first day of his trial in the Supreme Court in Sydney yesterday. — AFP

“just quickly did what I could to get everyone out”. “The smoke is just overwhelming but, you know, we got a lot of people out, so that’s the main thing,” he said in 2011.

Reports said family members of the victims in the packed court room wiped away tears and one woman was left sobbing. Others were seen weeping outside. Elly Valkay, whose 90-year-old mother Neeltje Valkay was killed in the fire, said the guilty plea was the best outcome they could hope for.

“My perfect scenario was that he would stand up in court and say guilty to all charges. My prayers were answered,” she told reporters, adding that she still had nightmares over the way her mother died.

“There has been upheaval in our family because we miss her so much. There has been nights of no sleep ... I still have nightmares.” The fire led to the New South Wales state government ordering a review of criminal screening of staff at nursing homes and an audit of buildings at all aged care facilities.

Although the home had fire doors and fire extinguishers, it did not have a sprinkler system.

Dean will be sentenced at a later date. — AFP

TOKYO: Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, second right, walks off after a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo yesterday. The outspoken Japanese politician apologized yesterday for saying US troops should patronize adult entertainment businesses as a way to reduce rapes, but defended another controversial remark about Japan’s use of sex slaves during World War II. — AP

Outspoken Japan politician apologizes for sex comment TOKYO: An outspoken Japanese politician apologized yesterday for saying US troops should patronize adult entertainment businesses as a way to reduce sex crimes, but defended another inflammatory remark about Japan’s use of sex slaves before and during World War II. Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who is also the co-head of an emerging nationalistic party, said his remarks two weeks ago rose from a “sense of crisis” about cases of sexual assaults by US military personnel on Japanese civilians in Okinawa, where a large number of US troops are based under a bilateral security treaty.

“I understand that my remark could be construed as an insult to the US forces and to the American people” and was inappropriate, he said at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Tokyo. “I retract this remark and express an apology.”

Hashimoto had created an uproar with comments to journalists two weeks ago about Japan’s modern and wartime sexual services. They added to recent anger in neighboring countries that suffered from Japan’s wartime aggression and have complained about the lack of atonement for atrocities committed during that time.

Hashimoto said on May 13 that on a recent visit to the southern island of Okinawa, he suggested to the US commander there that the troops there “to make better use” of the legal sex industry.

“If you don’t make use of those places you cannot control the sexual energy of those tough guys,” he said.

He also said that Japan’s wartime practice of forcing women from across Asia but mostly from South Korea and China to work in front-line brothels was necessary to maintain discipline and provide relaxation for soldiers.

He didn’t apologize for those comments yesterday, and insisted that Japan’s wartime government did not systematically force girls and women into prostitution.

“If only Japan is blamed because of the widely held view that the state authority of Japan was intentionally involved in the abduction and trafficking of women, I will have to inform you that this view is incorrect,” he said.

Hashimoto also urged the government to clarify Japan’s landmark apology in a 1993 statement by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, and clearly state that Japan’s government did not systematically force women into prostitution for its

wartime military. Hashimoto has previously supported the view by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government denying official proof of coercion but open to further investigation.

Before taking office in December Abe had advocated revising the Kono statement, but has said recently he stands by that statement and won’t revise it. He said the murkiness of the Kono statement has contributed to longstanding disputes between Japan and South Korea. “ We should bring an end to irrational debate.”

Hashimoto did call the use of so-called comfort women an “inexcusable act that violated the dignity and human rights of the women, in which large numbers of Korean and Japanese were included.”

Still, he claimed he had been quoted out of context to say that he personally believed that the use the system was necessary. He was trying to say that armed forces of nations around the world “seem to have needed women” in past wars and also violated women’s human rights during wartime.

Singling out Japan was wrong, as this issue also existed in the armed forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the former Soviet Union during World War II, he alleged, without elaborating.

“Based on the premise that Japan must remorsefully face its past offenses and must never justify the offenses, I intended to argue that other nations in the world must not attempt to conclude the matter by blaming only Japan and by associating Japan alone with the simple phrase of ‘sex slaves’ or ‘sex slavery,’” Hashimoto said in the statement.

Hashimoto said any forms of sexual exploitation of women at conflict, whether it is commercial or military run, is inexcusable. Historians say up to 200,000 women, mainly from the Korean Peninsula and China, were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers in military brothels. While some other World War II armies had military brothels, Japan is the only country accused of such widespread, organized sexual slavery.

Hashimoto, 43, has become well-known in recent years for his outspokenness. Last year, he formed a conservative party, the Japan Restoration Party, with former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, a strident nationalist. The party is now an opposition party in the parliament. — AP

KAILI: This picture taken on May 26, 2013 shows villagers pushing their van along a flooded street in Kaili, southwest China’s Guizhou province. China is stepping up monitoring of water levels in its rivers and reservoirs, the government said, after rainstorms hit the south earlier this month and left dozens of people dead or missing. — AFP

Taiwan, Philippines swap shooting probe investigators TAIPEI: Taiwan and the Philippines swapped teams of investigators yesterday following weeks of acrimony over the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman.

A team of eight Philippine officials including experts from the National Bureau of Investigation flew to the island and were promptly whisked away upon arrival at Taoyuan airport in the north. A Taiwanese team of experts also flew to the Philippines.

Both teams will review how 65-yearold Hung Shih-cheng was shot dead by

the Philippine coastguard on 9 May, an incident which has sharply raised tensions between Manila and Taipei and prompted economic sanctions by Taiwan.

“The (Philippine) visitors will have a look at the autopsy report on Hung Shihcheng this afternoon,” a spokesman for Taiwan’s justice ministry told AFP. Before leaving on Friday, the Filipino team will also inspect evidence from local prosecutors, visit the fishing boat, review voyage data records onboard the vessel and inspect ballistic evidence, the

spokesman said. Taiwan said its team in the Philippines would visit the coastguard vessel, inspect the guns used to fire on the vessel and review video footage. A spokesman for the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation confirmed the Taiwanese team had arrived but would not comment on what they were doing or how long they would stay.

The Philippines has claimed that the fishing boat intruded into its waters and that coastguards were forced to open fire when it tried to ram their vessel. The Taiwanese authorities have released the

boat’s voyage data record and insist that the ship was fishing within its exclusive economic zone when the shooting took place. The zones claimed by the two sides overlap in some areas.

Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has termed the killing “cold-blooded murder” based on an initial inquiry report by Taiwan, which showed that the fishing ship was studded with more than 50 bullet holes and displayed no sign of having rammed the coastguard vessel.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has personally apologised for the inci-

dent but Taiwan has rejected his apology and introduced sanctions against the Philippines.

The measures include a ban on the hiring of new workers, recalling its envoy and staging a naval drill in waters off the northern Philippines. Taipei has repeatedly pressed Manila to issue a formal government apology, to compensate the fisherman’s family and to apprehend the killer. Philippine officials say the issue of a formal apology is complicated by the fact that Manila officially recognises Beijing over Taipei. — AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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

Myanmar Rohingya two-child rule ‘discrimination’ YANGON: Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday criticised a ban on Rohingya having more than two children in strifetorn Rakhine state as counter to human rights, in rare comments on the plight of the Muslim group.

The opposition leader, who has been accused by activists of failing to speak up for the marginalised Rohingya, said she opposed the controversial rule, imposed by the previous junta and reaffirmed recently by local authorities in the wake of deadly unrest.

“It is not good to have such discrimination. And it is not in line with human rights either,” the veteran democracy activist told reporters in Yangon, adding she could not confirm whether the policy was being implemented.

Rakhine authorities on Sunday told

AFP that the rule had been reaffirmed in two Muslim-majority townships in the state. Win Myaing, spokesperson for the Rakhine government, said the order was designed to “enforce monogamy and not to have more than two children”.

He said the policy had previously been put on hold because of fears over “conflicts among communities” in the state. Up to 140,000 people -mainly Rohingya Muslims-were displaced in two waves of sectarian unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine last year.

Human Rights Watch has accused the authorities of being a party to ethnic cleansing over the violence, which killed some 200 people and saw mobs torch whole villages.

It described the population policy as

“abhorrent, inhumane” and “completely contrary to human rights”. An official commission’s report in April into the unrest suggested voluntary family planning to stem a high birthrate among the Rohingya that it said stoked tensions.

Local authorities have previously been accused of tr ying to restrict birthrates among the Rohingya by refusing to acknowledge any more than two children per married couple-thereby denying them legal rights and access to services.

Myanmar views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship. They are considered by the United Nations to be one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. —AFP

YANGON: Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi delivers a speech during the National League for Democracy (NLD)’s first Central Executive Committee meeting in Yangon yesterday. — AFP

Australia’s Catholic cardinal says abuse claims have fallen Church slow to address victim suffering

HONG KONG: Protesters carry a mock grave that reads “Grave of Freedom” during a rally in downtown Hong Kong yesterday, ahead of the 24th anniversary of the June 4 military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Beijing. — AP

CANBERRA: The head of the Catholic Church in Australia yesterday blamed a former culture of silence for the cover-up of child abuse by clergy, making it difficult to know the full extent of abuse, but added that the number of cases had dropped significantly since the church started taking stronger action. Cardinal George Pell, an adviser to Pope Francis on Vatican reforms, told a parliamentary hearing the church had been slow to address the suffering of victims and again issued an apology.

“I am fully apologetic, and absolutely sorry,” said Pell in a tense hearing marked by at times angry questioning over the church’s compensation and investigations. Pell was questioned for more than four hours.

Pell said the number of reports of abuse by clergy members peaked in the 1970s and 80s, but had fallen as the church changed its approach. “ The evidence of misbehaving, crimes, has been significantly reduced. I hope the worst is behind us,” Pell said, adding 300 people in Victoria had received compensation for abuse.

Child abuse scandals have haunted the Church for more than two decades in Australia, Europe and the United States, with Ireland shutting its embassy to the Vatican in 2011 due to strained relations over the

Japan nuclear lab accident affect 30 TOKYO: The number of researchers exposed to low-level radiation in an accident at a nuclear laboratory in Japan last week has hit 30, officials said yesterday, with human error likely worsening the problem.

The accident happened on Thursday as 55 people were working at a laboratory in Tokaimura, 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) said. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority condemned site operator JAEA for lacking a “culture of safety” and said it was a “Level 1” event, the lowest of an international scale measuring nuclear incidents and accidents.

The disaster at Fukushima in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami was a “Level 7”, the most serious on the scale. The researchers were carrying out an experiment that involved firing a proton beam at gold when the accident happened, it said.

The agency, which had initially said six researchers were exposed to radiation, announced late Sunday that 24 more people were affected. There was no widespread radiation leak, although two researchers were exposed to up to 1.7 millisieverts of radiation, a dose roughly equivalent to a strong medical X-ray.

“None of them required medical attention,” a JAEA spokesman said. JAEA has come in for criticism, from a public already wary of nuclear energy after the Fukushima crisis, for reportedly continuing with the experiment despite an alarm warning of abnormality and for waiting more than 30 hours before reporting it.

According to the agency, radiation was accidentally released during the experiment “due to overheating, which we suspect was caused by some technical problems”.

Radiation then leaked from the facility after workers used fans to reduce levels of radioactivity in the laboratory, it said.

The agency spokesman said the fans should not have been used, adding: “We don’t know why they switched on the fan. We suspect some wrong decisions were made by workers concerned.”

Nuclear safety is a particularly sensitive issue in Japan, which in 2011 experienced the world’s worst atomic accident in 25 years when a tsunami crippled a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority criticised JAEA for releasing radioactive materials when it knew their facility was contaminated. “It operated ventilation fans and released radioactive materials outside when it acknowledged contamination inside the building,” the authority said. “It has failed to appropriately control radioactive materials and shows the absence of a culture of safety.”

Tokaimura is the site of Japan’s previous worst nuclear accident in 1999, when workers at a uranium processing plant poured too much uranium into a precipitation tank, sparking a nuclear chain reaction.

Two of the workers who triggered the disaster later died from their injuries in hospital, while more than 600 people were exposed to radiation. — AFP

China Nile relic vandal hunted down: Report BEIJING: A Chinese tourist who defaced an ancient Egyptian monument was hunted down by Internet users who prompted his parents to apologise, state media reported yesterday. A photo posted on Chinese social networking service Sina Weibo showed crudely drawn Chinese characters written over an ancient sandstone panel lined with hieroglyphics, the Global Times newspaper said.

According to the China Daily, the vandalism took place in a temple at Luxor, on the banks of the Nile River. Internet users hunted down the perpetrator, a 15-yearold boy named Ding Jinhao, and hacked the website of his school, forcing users to click on a sign parodying Ding’s graffiti before entering.

The online furore prompted his parents, who said Ding had “cried

all night” after learning of the cyberattacks, to issue an apology in a local newspaper. The incident highlights fears over perceptions of the growing number of Chinese heading abroad for their holidays.

“This incident is not just about the problem of one person but has everything to do with national quality,” one Weibo user wrote.

“People must die if they lose face for the nation,” another said.

Earlier this month a top official said the dire manners and “uncivilised behaviour” of some Chinese tourists overseas were harming the country’s image, as he lamented their poor “quality and breeding”, according to staterun media.

Wang Yang, one of China’s four vice premiers, singled out for condemnation “talking loudly in public places, jay-walking, spitting and

wilfully car ving characters on items in scenic zones”.

China has seen rapid growth in outbound trips in recent years, and Chinese travellers are now the biggest source of international tourism cash in the world, according to a the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Renaud de Spens, a Beijingbased independent exper t on both the Chinese Internet and Egyptology, told AFP that commenting on the case gave ordinary posters the opportunity to “denounce the behaviour of their elites”.

“Chinese media feel compelled (to) draw a moral from this... It amounts to propaganda, with the message: ‘Be careful, citizens.

When you are abroad you represent China. Be loyal, wherever you are,’” he said. — AFP

abuse issue. Pell was giving evidence to a Victorian state inquiry in Melbourne, in relation to his role as Archbishop of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001 when he implemented protocols for dealing with abuse complaints.

Before a packed public gallery, with many in tears during his testimony, Pell issued another apology to the victims of sexual abuse, and said church leaders in the past had been reluctant to share information about

accused priests. “So I don’t think many persons in the leadership of the Catholic church knew what a horrendous, widespread mess we were sitting on,” he said. But since the 1990s, the church was more open in dealing with the issue, and conducts stronger background checks on people joining the clergy, he said. He also denied acting like “Pontius Pilate” in brushing aside claims and rejected accusations from MPs that his past references to the

SYDNEY: This file photo taken on November 13, 2012 shows Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell holding a document during a press conference in Sydney. Fear of scandal had prompted the cover up of some sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church, Australia’s top ranking Catholic Cardinal Pell said in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

church being “bled to death” by abuse inquiries referred to concern about compensation payments.

“In my mind it was a secondary consideration, the financial consideration. Whatever the legislature decides is appropriate, we will pay,” Pell said. The parliamentary inquiry has heard child abuse by members of the church was covered up, and that the Catholic church was more concerned with protecting priests than protecting victims.

It has been told that Pell’s predecessor as Archbishop of Melbourne, Frank Little, dealt with complaints confidentially, kept no records, and moved accused priests to new parishes where some continued to sexually abuse children.

Little died in 2008. But Pell acknowledged Little covered up the issue and did not discuss it with advisers or other bishops. “He inherited a situation where there were no protocols, no procedures. And he never spoke to anybody about it. He didn’t know how to deal with it,” Pell said. Pell has also been criticised by victim support groups for his decision to accompany an accused paedophile priest into court in 1993, but said the action was not meant as a slight against abuse victims. The priest, Gerald Ridsdale, was convicted and jailed for 19 years for molesting and raping 40 children between 1961 and 1987. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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Issues

Film trends to watch post-Cannes

By Richard Ingham hat films will we be watching in the near future, and how will we be watching them? Here’s a snapshot of trends that emerged in the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, a weathervane of the movie industry:

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TV, NOT CINEMA Hollywood’s grip on big movies is being broken by TV, to which big-time directors, actors and money are migrating.

Dark, offbeat critical and commercial successes like “The Wire,” “Mad Men,” “The Sopranos” and “Game of Thrones” show what happens when bold programming and videoon-demand (VOD) come together. At Cannes, there was no greater symbol of the change than “Behind the Candelabra,” a biopic that has Michael Douglas as the flouncing entertainer Liberace. “Too gay” for Hollywood, the movie was financed by HBO - which means it cannot even be considered for an Oscar if it premieres to the public on television.

“TV is really taking control of a conversation that used to be the exclusive domain of movies,” said director Steven Soderbergh. “(...) I think it’s a second golden age of TV that’s happening in the States now.” Richard LaGravenese said creative types found TV refreshingly experimental compared to Hollywood studio films. “TV is where a writer can write his novel. You can have episodes that are purely character-driven (...) that are just about nuance and about shades of the human condition that you can’t do in film anymore.”

GREY IS GOLD Expect more and more films that cater to ageing Baby Boomers, the biggest and wealthiest population bulge in history. Robert Redford made a screen comeback with “All is Lost,” about a retired-but-virile yachtsman caught in a storm.

Senior-friendly projects that were announced or touted at Cannes include “Life Itself,” a marriage comedy starring Morgan Freeman, 75, and Diane Keaton, 67; “And So It Goes,” with Douglas, 68, who is introduced to the granddaughter he never knew he had; and “Look of Love,” where Annette Bening, 55, falls for a man (Ed Harris, 62), who happens to look like her dead husband. “You really need elements that appeal to the older audiences,” The Hollywood Reporter quoted Mimi Steinbauer, an executive with Radiant Films International, as saying. “These actors have fans in those demographics. That is very important.”

LOOKING TO ASIA Asian markets and money, as well as Asian content, are exerting a widening influence. China is at the forefront.

“China is coming on strong not just as a market place for international motion pictures, but coming on strong as a creative force,” Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg told a press conference. Big-budget US-Chinese co-productions such as “Kung Fu Panda 3” are sometimes shot with a Chinese location and storyline. In the case of “Iron Man 3,” producers included two Chinese characters for a version released only in China: a character named DrWu, played by Wang Xueqi, and a woman close to him, performed by actress Fan Bingbing. Some co-productions are being voluntarily submitted to Beijing’s censors in the early stage of the creative process to avoid rejection further down the line, according to the industry press. Asian-made movies can make it big in Europe and the United States provided they move out of a narrow cultural range and address universal themes, say some. “I find film from India can be sold in Latin America, in Europe, in parts of the world we never thought of before because human emotion and drama are the same everywhere,” said US-based film producer and distributor Raaj Rahhi.

DOCUMENTARIES They are the biggest growth area of films, driven by interests in content ranging from social and environment issues to history, sports and music. “People today want more than escapism,” said Martijn te Pas, in charge of programming at Amsterdam’s International Documentary Film Festival. Driving the trend are cheap digital technology for content makers, niche markets for non-fiction programming ranging and the Internet as a form of distribution. “If you own a Mac and a camcorder, you can make a documentary, basically,” said Tyler Konney of Taylor & Dodge, which is marketing “After Porn Ends,” about actors who struggle to resume normal life after a career in pornographic films.

Another push for documentaries and low-budget fiction is crowd-sourcing, where Internet sites such as Kickstarter bring small investors and creators together. “Kickstarter is something that harnesses people for a project which has great ideas but no money,” said Toby Rose, a British writer seeking 10,000 pounds ($15,100) for a movie idea, “Fashion Victim: The Musical.” — AFP

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Syria contagion strikes deep into Lebanon

By Dominic Evans wo rockets fired at Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut bring Syria’s escalating civil war deeper into the heart of Lebanon and closer to unrestrained regional conflict. The two-year-old conflict in Syria has already tumbled into Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, exploded into deadly street fighting in its northern city of Tripoli and driven half a million refugees across the same porous border to escape the bloodshed. But Sunday’s rocket attack, which wounded five people in a Shiite neighbourhood of Beirut, marked the first apparent targeting of Hezbollah’s stronghold in the south of the capital and raised memories of years of civil war in the city.

The rockets struck hours after a defiant Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed that his guerrilla group, waging war alongside President Bashar Al-Assad against Syrian rebels, was fighting for victory whatever the cost. Both events were milestones in the creeping contagion of a conflict which has already killed 80,000 people within Syria’s borders and fuelled sectarian tension from Beirut to Baghdad. It has sucked in regional rivals Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Iraq and Israel and polarised major powers - the US and Europe siding with the opposition and Russia and China with Assad.

“It is hugely alarming. It points to the fact that there are a decreasing number of brakes that can be applied to this situation,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “It’s spiralling out of control, moving deeper and deeper within Syria but clearly now across Lebanon and the region.” No one claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack but it was widely assumed to be a response to Nasrallah’s speech by Syrian rebels or their sympathisers. One Syrian rebel described it as a warning to Lebanese authorities to rein in the Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim group, which is armed and financed by Iran, or face further consequences. By dropping any ambiguity about Hezbollah’s determination to keep Assad in power, Nasrallah may have been laying down a marker to the Syrian leader’s Western and Arab foes that any increase in support for rebels would be futile.

The European Union is considering whether to amend sanctions on Syria to allow EU states to send weapons to the rebels and a US Senate panel voted last week to arm them - though it is not clear whether any such bill could ever get through Congress. “The message Hezbollah is trying to send is a signal that both Iran and Hezbollah are willing to match any increase in support to rebel groups,” said Ayham Kamel, Middle East

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analyst at the consultancy Eurasia Group. “If the conflict is expanded, Hezbollah and Iran are willing to support the regime no matter where it leads”.

Nasrallah’s comments also follow weeks of counter-offensives by Assad’s forces around the capital, in the southern province of Deraa and around the town of Qusair on the Lebanese border, which have strengthened Assad’s hand ahead of planned peace talks which Damascus says in principle it is ready to attend. Kamel said Hezbollah’s impact on the Syria’s civil war was not as dramatic as believed in some Western capitals and that reorganising Assad’s armed forces, most likely on the advice of his international allies, to confront the rebels had been a greater factor behind his recent battlefield gains.

“There has been a strategic plan to restructure the Syrian military and its divisions to make them more effective for urban warfare and to establish new forces,” he said referring to units which had been formed out of local militias and which together added up to additional forces of tens of thousands.

“The restructuring is important ... the additional forces have been important, and I’d put Hezbollah third on that list. All are indispensable for the regime, but there are different levels,” Kamel said. The number of Hezbollah fighters in Syria so far was likely to be in the “low thousands”, Barnes-Dacey said, with plenty more in reserve. Nasrallah himself said on Saturday Hezbollah could summon “tens of thousands” with a couple of words. “I don’t think Hezbollah would leave themselves exposed in their own backyard to secure Assad, but clearly they have a significant fighting force and could increase what they are sending to Syria to quite a large degree before they have to make those choices,” Barnes-Dacey said.

Assad’s Western foes are already reluctant to commit to intervention in Syria or military support for the rebels, who include al Qaeda-linked groups equally hostile to the United States and Europe as they are to the Syrian president. Closer to Syria, Assad’s enemies are less constrained. Sunni Muslims from the Lebanese port of Tripoli cross into Syria to fight Assad while their city itself has endured a week of fighting in which 25 people have been killed, showing how Syria’s neighbours can simultaneously suffer from the spread of its conflict and further fuel the fighting within its borders.

“When Hezbollah sent fighters to Syria and occupied Sunni villages, that provoked the Sunnis,” said Sunni Muslim preacher Sheikh Salem Rafei, referring to the area around the Syrian border town of Qusair where Hezbollah fighters and the

Syrian army are waging a week-long assault to drive out rebels. “Our brothers in Qusair appealed for our help, so it was our duty to call on those who could do so to perform jihad to support them,” Rafei told Reuters in Tripoli. Banners in a Tripoli square celebrating the “martyrdom” of local fighter Ahmad AlShihab in Qusair highlight how the two towns are effectively twin battlegrounds in the same war. “There’s no doubt that what is happening in Tripoli is an echo of what is happening in Syria, especially Qusair,” Rafei said.

Both Rafei and Nasrallah urged Lebanese fighters to keep their battle within Syria, reflecting near universal anxiety in Lebanon to avoid a repeat of its ruinous 1975-1990 civil war.

“Those who want victory for the Syrian regime and those who want victory for the opposition should go and fight in Syria instead. Leave Tripoli to itself,” Nasrallah said on Saturday.

Lebanon, a Mediterranean state of 4 million people, made up of a mosaic of Christian, Sunni and Shiite Muslim sects, is struggling to cope with an estimated million Syrians including refugees, labourers and their families.

Still saddled with a heavy debt burden from its post-war reconstruction and suffering a sharp slowdown in economic growth, Lebanon is also in political limbo after the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati two months ago. Mikati’s successor, Tammam Salam, has so far failed to form a new government and squabbling over a parliamentary electoral law means next month’s election will be delayed - threatening the country with political vacuum.

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Sunday parliament should be extended for at least a year, since political stability was a priority if Lebanon was to overcome its security challenges. “There is still some minimal level of commitment by the mainstream Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim and Christian parties not to let Lebanon become a battleground,” Kamel said. “But this has become a regional conflict, so the risk of uncalculated scenarios has gone up.”

For now, Hezbollah’s unquestioned military ascendancy in Lebanon itself means that the group which fought Israel to a standstill in a 34-day war seven years ago is unlikely to face a sustained challenge from domestic rivals. But its deepening war in Syria may prove more challenging than anything it faced in three decades fighting Israeli troops, said Peter Harling of the International Crisis Group. “Hezbollah will soon realise that this conflict is far bloodier than anything it has seen before. This is a very deadly conflict. If they go all in, they will have huge losses”. — Reuters

Iran’s vote brings receding Web access

By Nasser Karimi and Brian Murphy rom a computer keyboard in London, an Iranian emigre plays the role of counselor, social media guru and all-around adviser for Internet users back home seeking ways around the cyber-blocks set up by authorities in Tehran. These have been busy days. His Twitter account - which goes under the handle of Nariman Gharib - registers a steady stream of calls for help from Iran and responses about new proxy servers, dial-up modems and other possible workarounds.

The goal is to defeat Iran’s Internet clampdowns, which have intensified in the approach to presidential elections on June 14. “Here is a new link for Siphon,” he wrote, describing a site that directs users to a server outside Iran. Minutes later, replies stream back that it worked on Android systems but not PCs. He sent a tweaked Web address.

“Hope this works,” he wrote.

State controls on the Internet in Iran are nothing new. Authorities have steadily tried to choke off social media and political opposition sites - among others since they became tools for protesters alleging vote rigging after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election four years ago. Now, with the election to pick Ahmadinejad’s successor looming, the constraints are drawing even tighter.

Iranian authorities appear to be stepping up their efforts to block the pathways to servers outside Iran that open access to outlawed sites such as Facebook, the BBC’s Persian service and websites from what’s left of Iran’s opposition Green Movement.

The Internet squeeze signifies more than a display of widening state controls before an election that is almost certain to bring an

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establishment-friendly winner. It’s also another showcase of Iran’s expanding online prowess led by the powerful Revolutionary Guards. A special Web-watching corps established two years ago has the mission of patrolling the domestic Internet and fighting suspected cyberwars with the West and its allies. Some say it even creates false activist profiles to try to ferret out dissidents.

Iran is believed by many security experts to be behind computer-virus attacks last year on Saudi Arabian state oil giant Saudi Aramco and Qatari natural gas producer RasGas. Last week, The New York Times reported that Iran is considered a chief suspect in a series of malware breaches into US energy companies, citing American officials and corporate security experts. Iran has repeatedly denied similar claims. But Iran also has been hit by viruses it

claims were launched by the US and Israel. A date-siphoning program known as Flame forced Iran’s Oil Ministry to completely shut down its computer system last year. Three years ago, Iran’s uranium-enrichment labs were penetrated by a virus called Stuxnet, which was tailored to disrupt Iran’s nuclear centrifuges.

On Sunday, Iran inaugurated a 5,000-km fiber-optic line running to Germany via Russia. Iran’s North Korean-educated communications minister, Mohammad Hasan Nami , said it will boost the “security” of telecommunications as part of Iran’s wider efforts to seek a self-contained Internet with its own Google-style search engines and vetted websites such as Twitter and Facebook accounts attributed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Iranian authorities are getting

Iranians surf the web at an Internet cafe in Tehran yesterday. — AP

better at controlled cyberspace,” said Theodore Karasik, a security and political affairs analyst at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. “But Iran’s Internet generation is very clever at beating them at their own game.”

The legions of well-educated and highly Web literate Iranians under 30 are the backbone of a kind of cyber-underground. Names and Web addresses of proxy server sites that allow users to sidestep controls are passed around like hot gossip. Lately, however, authorities appear to be gaining the upper hand. Each morning, Hossein Razaei, a mechanical engineer who runs a small engineering company in Tehran, checks up on the best-working path to beat the censors.

Sometimes that means scanning banned news sites such as Voice of America or connecting to foreign engineering firms to look at new ideas. “Nowadays,” he laments, “we cannot open many sites.”

Iranian authorities have not commented directly on any possible new Web controls.

Some lawmakers have suggested that Web restrictions are needed to prevent “enemies” a reference to US and allies - from influencing the election. But Iran’s leaders certainly have factored in the chaos in 2009, which marked Iran’s worst domestic unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It also was a precursor to the Arab Spring in the use of social media.

Sites such as Facebook and Twitter - still relatively obscure in the region at the time - were essential to organizing protests and giving accounts of crackdowns after blanket media restrictions were imposed. A YouTube video of a dying protester, Neda Agha Soltan, became an iconic image of the demonstrations.— AP

NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUCHAREST: An aerial picture shows a huge Romanian flag on the Clinceni Airfield south of the capital yesterday. — AP

Romania unfurls world’s largest flag Summiteer seeks to inspire Continued from Page 1 mountain, is also the youngest Arab to reach the peak of Everest. Her parents had “faced disagreements from family members and people in Saudi Arabia in general,” she told AFP. “As a Saudi girl, it’s normal that I get negative feedback, but it was minimal and the good outweighed the bad,” she added.

Awaiting her arrival at Sharjah airport was the Saudi embassy’s cultural attache in the UAE, Abdul Mohsen AlHarthi. “This is a message from a woman who wants to say ‘I have reserved a place for myself among you men’,” said Harthi.

“The message is for men in Saudi saying that ‘I, a daughter of this country, have achieved top positions and am capable of doing whatever men can do’,” he said. Saudi Arabia, which implements a strict form of Islam and imposes segregation of the sexes, this month gave the green light for girls at private schools to take part in sport, but only under certain conditions. Under pressure from international sports bodies, Saudi Arabia sent two women athletes to the London Olympics last summer. “I did nothing against my culture and religion,” said Moharrak, a slim and tall brunette. “You don’t have to go

against society to achieve amazing things.” Moharrak, like many other Saudi women, hopes that “we do drive one day,” but if this is difficult to bring about, “there are so many other more important things you can be great at.”

Her Palestinian co-climber Raed Zidan said he had left behind a political message on Everest. “We spent a long time on the mountain... We met climbers from all over the world,” he told reporters. “I told them about the Palestinian cause, about our prisoners in the jails of the Israeli occupation.” Zidan is only the second Palestinian to summit Everest after Suzanne Al-Houby completed the feat in 2011, becoming the first Arab woman to reach the top. With Moharrak and Zidan was Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Thani - a young member of Qatar’s ruling family and the tiny emirate’s first to make the climb. Their Iranian companion, Masoud Mohammad, suffered from frostbite in his foot which will take months to heal. All four, graduates of the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, climbed Everest to raise funds to help educate Nepalese children. Thani said they have succeeded in raising “one million dollars”. — AFP

Barrak jail term quashed, oppn vows poll...

Continued from Page 1 The court also confirmed a twoyear jail term against tweeter Jamal Al-Dhawi but ordered the sentence to be suspended for three years.

Opposition activists expressed anger against the rulings against Enezi and a large number of other tweeters and called for a gathering late yesterday in the heart of Kuwait City. In addition, the appeals court upheld the conviction of former pro-government MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel for insulting the Mutairi tribe but increased his jail term from three months to eight months. Juwaihel has been in jail for about a month.

In a related development, about 30 former opposition MPs said yesterday that they will boycott any future elections under the controversial amendment of the electoral law that triggered the current political standoff in the country. Speaking on their behalf following a lengthy meeting that continued until the early hours of yesterday, former MP Faisal Al-Mislem said that the former lawmakers agreed that they will not contest any election under the amended law even if the constitutional court confirms it.

Last October, the government amended the electoral law to reduce the number of candidates a voter can pick from four to just one and as a result, the opposition boycotted the

December polls. Mislem said the opposition will contest parliamentary polls only if the elections are held on the basis of the original electoral law issued in 2006.

Meanwhile, an Amiri decree was issued yesterday accepting the resignation of oil minister Hussein who resigned apparently to avoid a grilling over his alleged role in the payment of the huge penalty to Dow and over other alleged irregularities. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said a second Amiri decree was issued appointing Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali as acting oil minister.

Hussein had been in the post for just over 15 months as he was appointed to the Cabinet formed following the Feb 2, 2012 elections. He was retained in the Cabinet formed following the Dec 2012 elections.

Barely one week before quitting, Hussein made the biggest shakeup in the history of oil sector that included the removal of a number of senior executives from Kuwait Petroleum Corp and the top managers of the eight subsidiaries.

The resignation will certainly spare the minister of having to face the grilling filed by three MPs which was scheduled to be debated in today’s session. A number of MPs however vowed that they will press for legal action against Hussein even after his

resignation. MP Yacoub Al-Sane, one of the three lawmakers who filed to grill him, said Hussein remains responsible legally for the payment of the Dow penalty and action must be taken against him and other officials.

MP Safa Al-Hashem strongly criticized the minister’s reshuffle of the oil sector and said MPs will take action to rectify the situation.

Earlier yesterday, Al-Qabas newspaper quoted Hussein as saying he hopes “the new oil minister will provide the political cover for the massive change” introduced to the oil sector last week. “I am comfortable by all standards, I have per formed my duties... I hope the oil sector will be relieved of political pressures,” he told the newspaper.

Speaker Rashed said the government will attend today’s session after boycotting the sessions on May 14 and 15 in protest against the filing of two grillings against the oil and interior ministers. Asked if the Assembly will approve an expected government request to delay the grilling of the interior minister, Rashed said the Assembly will deal with any request within the framework of the constitution. Rashed’s comments came amid reports that the debate of the interior minister’s grilling will most likely be postponed until after the crucial ruling of the constitutional court on June 16.

BUCHAREST: A Romanian village yesterday unfurled what is the largest flag ever made, Guinness World Records said. It took about 200 people several hours yesterday to roll out the flag, which measured about 349 m by 227 m, about three times the size of a football field, according to Jack Brockbank, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records who measured the flag before pronouncing it the biggest flag in the world. “It gives me great pleasure to recognize a new Guinness World Record title,” he said after measuring the flag.

“Congratulations Romania!” He said Romania’s red, yel-

low and blue flag covers an area of about 79,290 sq m, downing Lebanon which had held the previous record.

The five-ton flag was displayed in Clinceni, 35 km southeast of Bucharest. Workers struggled to keep it firmly planted on the ground because of windy conditions and had to use small sandbags. Adrian Dragomir, manager of the Flags Factory which created the flag, says it took weeks to sew and 70 km of thread was needed. A military brass band played as Prime Minister Victor Ponta and other ministers arrived in the village to view the flag. — AP

More than 70 killed in wave of Iraq bombings BAGHDAD: More than 70 people were killed in a wave of bombings in markets in Shiite neighbourhoods across Baghdad and northern Iraq yesterday in worsening sectarian violence in Iraq.

No group claimed responsibility for the blasts. But Sunni Muslim Islamist insurgents and Al-Qaeda’ s Iraqi wing have increased attacks since the beginning of the year and often target Shiite districts. More than a dozen blasts tore into markets and shopping areas in districts across the Iraqi capital, including twin bombs just several hundred meters apart that killed at least 13 people in the capital’s Sadr City area, police and hospital officials said. “A driver hit another car and left pretending to bring traffic police. Another car rushed to take him away and right after his car exploded among people who had gathered to see what was happening,” said bystander Hassan Kadhim. “People were shouting for help and blood covered their faces.”

Two of the blasts, both involving vehicles rigged with explosives, went off near used car dealerships in Habibiyah, destroying dozens of cars as Iraq’s national football team were playing Liberia in a friendly at Shaab stadium a short distance away. “Guards are here, and a car explodes here,” screamed Fadhel Hanoun, a used car dealer who lamented that not only had people died, but many had lost their savings, locked up in cars they had hoped to sell. “How can we understand this?” he said, adding: “This is a failed state.” Another man walked past, crying

and shouting, “You must know, this was an organised operation.” “Checkpoints, they do not actually check the cars entering here,” he said, alluding to the multiple searches vehicles had to pass through to get to the dealerships.

Tensions between the Shiite leadership and the Sunni Muslim minority are at their worst since US troops left in Dec 2011, and the conflict in Syria is straining Iraq’s fragile communal balance. More than 700 people were killed in attacks in April, according to a UN count, the highest monthly toll in almost five years. Thousands of Sunnis began staging street protests last December against Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, whom they accuse of marginalising their sect since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the 2003 invasion. The latest surge in violence began in April after a raid by the Iraqi army on a Sunni Muslim protest camp in the town of Hawija led to clashes with the security forces and more attacks. Bombings on Shiite and Sunni mosques, security forces and Sunni tribal leaders over a month-long surge in violence are heightening worries Iraq risks returning to the level of sectarian violence that killed thousands in 2006-2007.

Baghdad has been hit by a number of bombings, often in Shiite areas, so far this month, in which dozens of people have died. Elsewhere, shootings in the disputed province of Kirkuk killed an anti-Al-Qaeda militiaman and a private generator operator, while a roadside bomb in the main northern city of

Mosul left a police colonel dead. Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region wants to incorporate oil-rich Kirkuk over the federal government’s strong objections - a dispute diplomats and officials say is a major threat to the country’s long-term stability.

The areas of north Iraq where the attacks occurred are home to substantial populations of Sunni Arabs, the community that has for months held demonstrations against alleged government targeting and discrimination.

While the government has made some concessions aimed at placating protesters and Iraqi Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, underlying issues have yet to be addressed. And an April 23 security forces raid on a protest site that sparked clashes in which dozens died sent tensions soaring higher still.

Analysts say government policies that have disenfranchised Iraqi Sunnis, coupled with Shiite-led authorities’ refusal to make any major concessions to the protesters, have given militant groups fuel and room to manoeuvre among the disillusioned community.

With the latest attacks, more than 500 people have been killed in May. Maliki last week ordered a shake-up of top security officers in the country’s provincial security commands and division-level leadership. One of those changes was to sack the head of the Baghdad Operations Command, which is responsible for security in the capital. — Agencies

Kuwait Airways denies flouting rules...

Continued from Page 1 The statement also refuted an example given about cancelling the foundation of another company for violating its authorizations according to an Amiri decree, noting that unlike that company which was still in the process of foundation, KAC already exists and is operational. “KAC only turned from a public establishment into a shareholding company,” it highlighted.

Moreover, the press release pointed out that KAC had been through exceptional experiences in view of its ageing fleet - especially after cancelling a similar deal in 2007 under pressure amid similar media and parliamentary criticism - high operation costs due to maintenance and a drop in revenues and the carrier’s market share. It also explained that in order to remain operational with minimum cost and to

improve its performance, KAC went directly to Airbus in search of integrated solutions to develop the current fleet and replacing it.

KAC also said that a contract was made with Airbus to charter planes until the new ones are delivered. “This contract ensures having additional maintenance services and privileges other charter companies do not offer,” stressed KAC, noting that it could not go on operating the same old 20-plane fleet and jeopardize its passengers’ safety, lose its market share and lag behind all other regional and international carriers because of not purchasing modern planes. In addition, KAC explained that Airbus would shoulder the cost of any possible delay in delivering the new planes.

Furthermore, KAC underlined that operation of the current ageing fleet had overburdened the national carrier

with KD 200 million in debts to local banks and annual KD 100 million operational losses in addition to some problems with insurance companies and some European airports. KAC also stressed that turning losing carriers into profit-making ones, such as the Middle East Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Egypt Air, necessitate restructuring and fleet updating in order to be able to compete with peers and make profits.

In further defense of the current deal, KAC stressed that the purchased planes would be state-of-the-art ones with economic fuel consumption, more comfortable seats and more onboard safety and entertainment facilities. It also noted that purchasing only two types of planes, short range and long range ones, would save expenses by hiring less pilots, flight engineers and spending less on spare parts and maintenance.

BAGHDAD: Iraqis gather at the scene of a car bomb attack at a used car dealer’s parking lot in the Habibiya neighborhood of eastern Baghdad yesterday. — AP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Dutt named Bremen coach

Best gets Lions call

Cotter to coach Scotland

GERMANY: Robin Dutt was named as the new coach of Werder Bremen yesterday after the German football association agreed to release him from the post as their sporting director.

The 48-year-old will replace Thomas Schaaf who was the country’s longest-coaching top flight coach when he was sacked by the four-times German champions earlier this month after 14 years. “I’m very happy to take my place on the bench again,” former Germany defender Dutt told the club’s official website (http://www.werder.de.”Werder Bremen is a great club and it’s a very interesting task.”

Dutt made a name for himself after guiding Freiburg into the Bundesliga in 2009 and keeping them there until his departure in 2011 for a season at Bayer Leverkusen. “With Robin Dutt we have signed our preferred candidate for the trainer’s job and are convinced that we can make a successful new start,” said sports director Thomas Eichin. Schaaf led Werder to the 2004 German league and Cup double and two more German Cup wins and two runners-up places in the Bundesliga. But the club struggled this season, finishing 14th in the 18team table and only three points clear of the relegation playoff spot after failing to win any of their last 13 match.

Schaaf’s ties with Werder stretched back to 1972 when he joined as an 11-year-old before embarking on a 17-year playing career at the northern club. —Reuters

LONDON: Ireland hooker Rory Best admits he has gone from a low ebb to one of the best moments of his career after earning a late call-up to the British and Irish Lions’ squad for the tour to Australia. Best was devastated to have been omitted from the original 37-man squad for the Australia trip when it was announced at the end of April.

The 30-year-old Ulster star was considered unfortunate to have lost out to England’s Dylan Hartley for a place among the three hookers. But just as Best was coming to terms with another hammer blow in Saturday’s Celtic League final defeat by Leinster, news filtered through that Hartley had been sent off for abusing referee Wayne Barnes in the English Premiership final earlier that afternoon. An 11-week suspension was issued to Hartley on Sunday and Best was handed a reprieve by the Lions as he was brought into the squad as his replacement.

Best, who has been capped 67 times, had been appointed captain of Ireland’s tour to North America, but instead he is now due to fly to Hong Kong with the Lions on the first leg of their tour. “When the initial squad was announced that was as low as I’ve felt. We were training at Ulster at the time and more and more people on our management were avoiding eye contact with me,” Best said. “Nobody avoids you when it’s good news, so I had an idea from that. It was bitterly disappointing and on that Tuesday afternoon I allowed myself to dwell on it and think deeply about the whole thing. —Reuters

SCOTLAND: New Zealander Vern Cotter, who has been with French club Clermont Auvergne since 2006 and led them to this year’s Heineken Cup final, will take over as Scotland coach next year.

“Vern is rightly regarded as one of the top coaches in the world and to have secured someone of his calibre is a coup,” Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Mark Dodson said in a statement yesterday.

“He was our first choice and we are pleased to have secured him on a two-year contract taking us up to and beyond the Rugby World Cup in 2015. We compiled a short list of world-class candidates in December and Vern was top of that list.” The 51-year-old Cotter, who led the Canterbury Crusaders to successive Super 14 titles in 2005 and 2006, will honor his contract with Clermont and stay at the club until the end of next season. He will assist temporary coach Scott Johnson during the November internationals and next year’s Six Nations before taking over as head coach for Scotland’s June tour.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to have been appointed,” Cotter said. “Mark Dodson and the team at Scottish Rugby have a strategic vision and a determination to do something very special ... and working with them and a talented group of players and coaches I look forward to the team growing in competitiveness and stature. “We will build a winning team together.” Australian Johnson, who took over the team in November after Andy Robinson resigned, was appointed Scotland’s director of rugby three weeks ago.—Reuters

Nationals pound Phillies

KANSAS CITY: Scott Downs No. 37 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim throws in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. —AFP

Angels down Royals KANSAS CITY: Josh Hamilton started the Angels’ comeback when he homered leading off the seventh inning, and Los Angeles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 Sunday for its eighth straight win.

The Angels were unable to get into their dugout until about 90 minutes before the game because bees swarmed into it. A beekeeper was summoned to solve the problem.

Jerome Williams (4-1) then allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for the Angels, on their longest winning streak since taking eight straight from May 2229 last year. Kansas City has lost nine of 10 and 16 of 20, dropping to 21-26. In only three of those 16 losses have the Royals scored more than three runs.

Los Angeles trailed 2-0 before Hamilton homered on the first pitch of the seventh from Wade Davis (3-4), giving the former AL MVP home runs in consecutive games for only the third time since signing with the Angels during the offseason.

RED SOX 6, INDIANS 5 In Boston, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a game-ending, tworun double on Joe Smith’s first pitch, capping a fourrun, ninth-inning rally that lifted the Red Sox over the Indians. Boston won three of four against Cleveland, managed by Terry Francona in his first series back at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox after the 2011 season.

Cleveland led 5-2 entering the ninth, when Chris Perez (2-1) walked Dustin Pedroia leading off. David Ortiz doubled, and Mike Napoli and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit consecutive RBI groundouts.

Walks to Jonny Gomes and Jose Iglesias around Stephen Drew’s single loaded the bases. Perez fell behind Ellsbury 2-1 in the count and left with an arm injury. Ellsbury then doubled to left-center. Craig Breslow (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in two innings.

OAKLAND 6, HOUSTON 2 In Houston, Bartolo Colon struck out a season-high nine in seven scoreless innings, and the Athletics won their ninth straight against the Astros this season.

Oakland’s Nate Freiman, who was with the Astros in spring training as a Rule 5 selection, had a double and home run with three RBIs for the A’s.

Dating to 2007, Oakland has won 11 straight against Houston, tied for the third longest winning streak against one team in A’s history. Colon (5-2) won his second straight start, scattering nine hits two day after turning 40. The Astros are 14-36 in their first year in the AL, their worst 50-game start in club history.

After leaving runners on third in two of the first three innings, Oakland sent nine batter to the plate in a five-run fourth against Dallas Keuchel (1-2).

TIGERS 6, TWINS 1 In Detroit, Max Scherzer pitched six solid innings to remain undefeated this season, and Avisail Garcia broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple, leading the Tigers over the Twins. Scherzer, who retired his last 22 batters in a win at Cleveland on Tuesday, allowed a run and three hits Sunday in improving to 70. He struck out six and walked three.

Torii Hunter homered for the Tigers, and Prince Fielder drove in a run with a fourth-inning double.

Garcia, pinch-hitting in the sixth, cleared the bases to

make it 6-1. Mike Pelfrey (3-5) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out five. Minnesota has lost 11 of 12.

BLUE JAYS 6, ORIOLES 5 In Toronto, Munenori Kawasaki hit a game-ending two-run double in a four-run ninth inning, lifting the Blue Jays to a victory over the Orioles.

Trailing 5-2 to begin the ninth against Orioles closer Jim Johnson (2-5), the Blue Jays got a leadoff double from Edwin Encarnacion, a single from Adam Lind and an RBI single by J.P. Arencibia. Brett Lawrie flied out and Anthony Gose walked to load the bases for Mark DeRosa, who made it 5-4 with a fielder’s choice. That brought up Kawasaki, who lined a double up the alley in left-center, scoring Arencibia and DeRosa from first with the winning run. The blown save was Johnson’s fourth of the season and fourth in five chances. Steve Delabar (4-1) got the win despite allowing Matt Wieters’ two-run double in the ninth.

RAYS 8, YANKEES 3 In St Petersburg, Alex Cobb took a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning and led the Rays to a win that extended CC Sabathia’s winless streak to five, one short of his career high. Cobb (6-2) lost his shutout bid when Brett Gardner homered leading off the ninth and he wound up allowing two runs and five hits in 8 1-3 innings with eight strikeouts.

Sabathia (4-4) dropped to 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA since he beat Toronto on April 27. He allowed seven runs and seven hits in seven innings and is 10-11 in 31 starts against the Rays, including a 3-10 mark since joining the Yankees. His overall ERA is 3.96.

Sabathia’s career-high streak for consecutive winless starts is six, from July 3-Aug. 1, 2002, and March 31April 27, 2003, according to STATS. MARINERS 4, RANGERS 3 In Seattle, Jason Bay hit a two-out RBI single in the 13th inning, lifting the Mariners to a victory over Texas that snapped an eight-game skid.

Bay came through after he was robbed of a gamewinning homer in the 11, when David Murphy leaped above the fence in left-center field to catch Bay’s drive.

Raul Ibanez tied it at 3 earlier in the 11th with a home run. AJ Pierzynski had given Texas a 3-2 lead in the top half with a pinch-hit RBI single off Oliver Perez.

Yoervis Medina (1-0) worked out a jam in the top of the 13th. Michael Kirkman (0-1) was the loser.

INTERLEAGUE WHITE SOX 5, MARLINS 3 In Chicago, Dayan Viciedo and Alex Rios each threw out a runner at the plate, and the White Sox beat Alex Sanabia and Marlins to sweep their weekend series.

The White Sox have won five of six and nine of 12 to climb back to .500 for the first time since they were 4-4 on April 10. Dylan Axelrod (3-3) benefited from a two-run homer by Adam Dunn and a tiebreaking tworun double from Alejandro De Aza to pick up his third consecutive victory.

Sanabia (3-7) pitched into the seventh inning against the Phillies to end a personal five-game losing streak. But he was unable to sustain that success against Chicago (24-24). —AP

WASHINGTON: In a showdown of aces with disappointing records, Stephen Strasburg and Cole Hamels matched each other until the Washington Nationals scored five runs in the seventh inning of a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

Strasburg (3-5) allowed five hits in eight innings, walked none and struck out a season-high nine, giving up a run in the eighth on his first big league balk.

Making his latest no-support start, Hamels (1-8) struck out six and allowed only three hits through six innings. Ryan Zimmerman’s infield single started a rally that included a pair of errors and Steve Lombardozzi’s two-run double.

Hamels has lost five straight starts, has had only 20 runs of support scored all season when he’s been in the game and hasn’t pitched with a lead since April 7.

CUBS 5, REDS 4 In Cincinnati, Alfonso Soriano hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth inning and Welington Castillo had a goahead double in the 10th, helping the Cubs rally from a four-run deficit in a win over the Reds that stopped a seasonhigh, six-game losing streak.

Soriano singled in the seventh and scored Chicago’s first run off Johnny Cueto on Luis Valbuena’s two-out single.

Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double against Logan Ondrusek in the eighth - his third double in two games - and Soriano followed with his fifth homer of the season and first since May 13, a 394-foot drive to left-center.

JJ Hoover (0-4) walked Scott Hairston with two outs in the 10th, and Castillo followed with his double into the leftfield corner. Kevin Gregg (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings, stopping the Reds’ five-game winning streak.

METS 4, BRAVES 2 In New York, Ike Davis busted out of his prolonged slump with a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Mets rallied past the Braves to end an eightgame losing streak at home.

Shaun Marcum struck out a careerhigh 12 and Lucas Duda homered for the Mets, who stopped Atlanta’s eightgame winning streak and avoided a three-game sweep. The Braves had won 15 of 18 against New York and five in a row at Citi Field.

Pinch-hitter Justin Turner led off the eighth with a single against Cory Gearrin (1-1). David Wright struck out but Duda punched a ground-rule double to left and John Buck’s run-scoring single tied it at 2. Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Davis, who pulled a two-run single through the right side for a 4-2 Mets lead.

LaTroy Hawkins (1-0) worked a scoreless inning and Bobby Parnell struck out two in the ninth for his seventh save. It was a spirited and heartening win for the Mets heading into their Subway Series against the crosstown-rival New York Yankees beginning Monday night.

PIRATES 5, BREWERS 4 In Milwaukee, Wandy Rodriguez won his fourth consecutive start, Pedro Alvarez had a two-run double and the Pirates built an early four-run lead before holding off the Brewers.

The Pirates have won 13 of 15 and are a season high 12 games over .500.

Rodriguez (6-2) gave up three earned

WASHINGTON: Bryce Harper No. 34 of the Washington Nationals hits a ground ball into a double play to end the sixth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. —AFP 14 attempts. Kershaw (5-3) gave up four runs, seven hits and three walks in seven innings and struck out five as his ERA rose from 1.35 to 1.68.

start a season 8-0. Eric Chavez homered for the second straight game, Prado drove in a run in the seventh inning after getting three hits the night before and Heath Bell worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save. Carlos Quentin hit a tworun homer and Kyle Blanks also had two RBIs for the Padres.

runs on seven hits in five innings to earn the victory. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth for his major leagueleading 20th save.

Pittsburgh got to Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo for a run in the second on Jordy Mercer’s two-out triple, which scored Michael McKenry, who walked.

Gallardo (3-5) labored through just four innings.

GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 3 In San Francisco, Brandon Belt hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the fifth inning to back a shaky outing by Matt Cain, and the Giants rallied past the Rockies.

Buster Posey homered and Andres Torres added two hits and an RBI to help the Giants close a six-game homestand with consecutive wins. The defending World Series champions play 14 of their next 18 games on the road.

Cain (4-2) matched his season high of five walks but allowed only two runs and two hits in five innings. In his first appearance at AT&T Park, Jon Garland (3-6) allowed five runs - two earned seven hits and four walks in five innings. —AP

CARDINALS 5, DODGERS 3 In Los Angeles, Matt Carpenter drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single and Pete Kozma hit a three-run double against Clayton Kershaw, leading the Cardinals to a victory over the Dodgers.

The Cardinals improved the major league’s best record to 32-17 and increased their NL Central lead over Cincinnati to 1 1/2 games.

Seth Maness (4-1) got credit for the victory in relief of starter Shelby Miller despite retiring only two of the six batters he faced. Edward Mujica pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 14th save in

DIAMONDBACKS 6, PADRES 5 In Phoenix, Patrick Corbin worked six innings without his best stuff to become the first Arizona left-hander to start with eight straight wins, Martin Prado matched a career high with four hits and the Diamondbacks beat the Padres.

Corbin allowed more than two runs for the first time this season, but helped himself with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning off Tommy Layne (0-1) to become the third Arizona pitcher to

MLB results/standings Toronto 6, Baltimore 5; Detroit 6, Minnesota 1; Chicago Cubs 5, Cincinnati 4 (10 innings); Boston 6, Cleveland 5; Washington 6, Philadelphia 1; Tampa Bay 8, NY Yankees 3; Chicago White Sox 5, Miami 3; LA Angels 5, Kansas City 2; Pittsburgh 5, Milwaukee 4; Oakland 6, Houston 2; San Francisco 7, Colorado 3; Seattle 4, Texas 3 (13 innings); St. Louis 5, LA Dodgers 3; Arizona 6, San Diego 5; NY Mets 4, Atlanta 2.

NY Yankees Boston Baltimore Tampa Bay Toronto

American League Eastern Division W L 30 19 31 20 27 23 25 24 21 29

Central Division Detroit 28 20 Cleveland 27 22 Chicago White Sox 24 24 Kansas City 21 26 Minnesota 19 28

Texas Oakland LA Angels Seattle Houston

Western Division 32 18 28 23 23 27 21 29 14 36

PCT .612 .608 .540 .510 .420

.583 .551 .500 .447 .404

.640 .549 .460 .420 .280

GB 3.5 5 9.5

1.5 4 6.5 8.5

4.5 9 11 18

Atlanta Washington Philadelphia NY Mets Miami

National League Eastern Division 30 19 26 24 24 26 18 29 13 37

.612 .520 .480 .383 .260

4.5 6.5 11 17.5

St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Milwaukee Chicago Cubs

Central Division 32 17 31 19 31 19 19 29 19 30

.653 .620 .620 .396 .388

1.5 1.5 12.5 13

Arizona San Francisco Colorado San Diego LA Dodgers

Western Division 28 22 28 22 27 23 22 27 20 28

.560 .560 .540 .449 .417

1 5.5 7

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli United Bank was crowned as the winner of the 2013 KBC Bowling Cup which concluded recently at the Cozmo Bowling Hall in Salmiya. The win comes after Al-Ahli United defeated Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait in a match that was attended by senior Kuwait Banks Club officials including Chairman Ahmad Sultan, Vice Chairman Mahmoud Bastaki, Assistant Secretary Jassem Haidar, and Head of the Social Committee Reem Al-Wuqaiyan.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Danger levels high for America’s Cup sailors SAN FRANCISCO: The margin for error is exceedingly small for a sailor sitting three stories above the San Francisco Bay on the side of a high-tech catamaran as it leans toward the water literally flying along the surface like a giant stingray at 40 mph.

It doesn’t take much for these top-heavy craft to topple - it’s already happened twice in these waters since October. That’s why these America’s Cup sailors are suited in padded body armor and crash helmets. It’s the reason they carry emergency oxygen tanks.

The days of tanned sailors in Sperry TopSiders boat shoes, baseball caps and shorts furiously changing sails amid a spaghetti mess of ropes are long gone. They’ve been replaced by billionaire Larry Ellison’s madefor-television vision of fixed-sail yachts equipped with cutting-edge technology controlled by professional athletes who rely more on computers than ropes.

Following a sailor’s death two weeks ago after a capsize during an America’s Cup training run on San Francisco Bay, even more safety gear is being mandated and gladly donned by sailors, some of whom privately predict more capsizes and crashes before a winner is crowned in September.

New safety regulations proposed last week addressed capsizes at length and eased competitive rules in favor of assisting an overturned yacht. The number of round robins in the first round of sailing among the challengers has been reduced from seven races a series to five.

On Friday, three of the four America’s Cup entries took to the water for the second day of practice runs since Andrew “Bart” Simpson’s death on May 9. Each of the 72foot catamarans on the water was followed closely by an armada of chase boats carrying scuba divers, doctors and other support personnel in case one of the space-age vessels capsized. Simpson died when he was trapped under the wreckage of Artemis Racing’s capsized boat.

No one was hurt when Oracle Racing’s yacht capsized in October, but it required millions of dollars in repairs after its sail was destroyed.

Since Ellison’s boat won the last America’s Cup in 2010, the Oracle Corp. founder designed the race course and boats that would compete this summer. When he unveiled the plan to race some of the world’s fastest sail boats on a tight course between San Francisco’s iconic Alcatraz

Island and Fisherman’s Wharf, he had hoped as many as 12 challengers would sign up to face him. Only three materialized. Those that passed said they were put off by the cost and the complicated specifications of the catamarans powered by airplane-like wings instead of traditional, flapping sails.

Each boat costs upward of $10 million and three of the four teams built two yachts apiece. Each team employs about 100 fulltime workers at water-front bases equipped with giant cranes and other heavy equipment to move the boats from their storage berths to the water and back again for every training run. “It’s too expensive,” Team New Zealand leader Grant Dalton grumbled before heading out for the team’s first sustained practice on the bay in light winds Friday morning.“It’s too complex.”

Dalton promised to simplify the next America’s Cup if his teams’ derisively dubbed “sailing billboard” for all of its NASCAR-like advertising beats Ellison’s boat in September.

“We don’t have a billionaire backer,” said Team New Zealand spokesman Hamish Hooper. The team is the only America’s Cup entry to receive government backing with lawmakers in sailing-crazed New Zealand

chipping in about $32 million, about the third of the cost of supporting a team.

The other three teams are backed almost entirely by a single wealthy funder: Ellison pays for Oracle Racing, Swedish oil magnate Torbjorn Tornqvist backs Artemis Racing and Prada owner Patrizio Bertelli funds the Luna Rossa Challenge.

One of Artemis’ two boats capsized and broke into pieces, trapping Simpson under wreckage under water for more than 10 minutes. Artemis chief executive Paul Cayard said his team still plans to compete for the cup, but only if conditions are deemed safe. Artemis has not sailed since the accident while the other three teams returned to practice this week after observing a brief moratorium on sailing after Simpson’s death.

On Friday morning, the winds were light and stubbornly refusing to pick up, fluttering between 8 and 12 knots. The recreational sail boats out on the bay not using their motors were bobbing with the current in the sunshine. The America’s Cup catamarans, on the other hand, were each reaching speeds of 30 knots as they whizzed up and down San Francisco’s waterfront with the flotilla of motor boats

opening their throttles wide to keep up.

Though this was only New Zealand’s second run on San Francisco Bay, they’ve completed more than four dozen practice runs at home. They’ve mastered “foiling,” the technique of lifting the 7-ton boat’s hulls out of the water so it can skim along the waves on four small fins known as “foils.” Foiling reduces the drag on the boat and increasing speed dramatically.

On Friday, New Zealand’s black-clad rigger was being hoisted in the air to affix the catamaran’s front sail when Ellison’s 2003 America’s Cup entry came into sight.

Called USA 76, the single-hulled boat with the mainsail and jib setup of a traditional sloop now serves as tour boat and the grinning guests aboard eagerly waived and yelled their hellos to the kiwis.

Someone asked Team New Zealand’s David Thomson the difference between the 2003 boats and the entries of today.

“That’s a dog,” said Thomson, gesturing toward the USA 76. He then turned and pointed at New Zealand’s sleek catamaran with the rigger back on deck, the jib sail in place and the boat picking up as it glided toward the Golden Gate Bridge. “And that’s a cat.” —AP

Weekley ends title drought

BAHAMAS: South Korea’s Ilhee Lee receives the trophy after winning the Bahamas LPGA Classic golf tournament at the Ocean Club course in Paradise Island. —AP

Lee bags first LPGA Tour win PARADISE ISLAND: Ilhee Lee never stopped smiling, even in the most trying times during a most bizarre week on the LPGA Tour.

When the course was closed for two days because of severe flooding, she swam in the ocean and spent five hours in the pool one day, taking endless trips down a glass tube slide through an aquarium of sharks at the Atlantis Resort. At night, she headed to the casino and counted minimal losses over four nights. “I lost 45 bucks. That’s it,” she said. “Not bad, huh?”

And when the Bahamas LPGA Classic finally got started on a course that had to be shortened to 12 holes, she was never more excited, especially when it was over.

With three great birdies to start her round, a clutch par putt toward the end and a final birdie that was merely a bonus, the 24-year-old from South Korea had her first professional win.

“This week I was very happy because I can play golf. I can swim. I can play. I can gamble,” Lee said.

“This is the best job in the world. I love golf.”

Lee closed with a 5-under 42 for a two-shot win over Irene Cho, who had her own brand of excitement Sunday by holing out from the fairway for eagle and then playing a shot off the beach for an amazing par save.

Perhaps most amazing of all is that this inaugural tournament was in the books as the sky darkened and showers pelted the course for a final act. How fitting.

The flooding came from a foot of rain in about five hours Tuesday night that turned a lake into a lagoon in the middle of the course. One green was completely submerged. Water nearly covered the tee sign on the 18th. The crew at the Ocean Club wound up pumping 45 million gallons of water off the course. Despite a start to her round that indicated this might be Lee’s day, she had to look at her yardage book to remember not how she made birdies, but where.

The LPGA Tour was determined to play with two new title sponsors, Ohio-based Pure Silk and the Bahamas Tourism Ministry, so they found a 12hole route that would allow them three rounds to reach 36 holes and make it an official event.

All the players started on No. 10, and then moved to a stretch of holes on the front nine before going to the back nine, and then returning to the front nine. As confusing as that was, it changed on Sunday when the par-5 18th hole drained well enough to be used in competition.

Officials eliminated the fourth hole from the routing - a par 5 that had been converted to a par 3 because a bunker had caved in from the rain meaning par went from 45 to 47 on Sunday. For the record, Lee finished on 11-under 126. She was three shots out of the lead going into the final round, and was thinking 4 under might do the

trick. Then she felt the wind, gaining strength by the hour, and figured even par might be the best she could do. Her thinking changed quickly.

Lee opened with a 30-foot birdie putt from just off the green. On the next hole, she chipped in from 60 feet for birdie. And even after running into trouble off the tee on her third hole, she hit a 5-iron for her third shot on the par 5 to 10 feet for another birdie that gave her a share of the lead.

“After the third hole I was thinking, ‘Maybe this is the day to win,’” she said. Lee hit 9-iron to tap-in range on her eighth hole to take the outright lead, but she left a long birdie putt from the fringe some 5 feet short. With a one-shot lead, she couldn’t afford a bogey, and Lee drilled the par putt right in the center and lightly pumped her fist leaving the green. “The most important putt,” she said. Cho, who teed off two hours before Lee, got into the mix by holing a 9-iron into the wind from 118 yards on the par-5 11th hole - the fifth hole her round - and birdied three of the last five holes for a 7-under 40. The 7 under matched the low score of the week.

Anna Nordqvist had a 2-under 45 to finish alone in third. Cristie Kerr, coming off a win in Kingsmill two weeks ago, was in position for so much of the day and couldn’t make a putt, the strength of her game. She even laid flat on her stomach for a 7-foot attempt on her ninth hole, only for it to bump off line. Kerr had to settle for a 46 and a five-way tie for fourth that included Paula Creamer (45) and Mika Miyazato (45).

“They did the best they could,” Kerr said.

“Today was brutal with the wind. I didn’t putt well enough and I couldn’t steady myself in the wind.

I’m glad the week is over. It was weird playing the 18th hole for the first time all week. I haven’t seen it since Monday. I hope we get to play the whole golf course next year.” Cho’s eagle from the 11th fairway was but a small part of her exciting round.

Two holes later, her shot drifted onto the sandy beach and she figured she might as well try to play it. “It was in the beach, and there was some water around it,” Cho said. “And I was like, ‘Shoot, I’m going to pull out a little Bill Haas and just try to get this up and over.’ I got it out perfect.”

She saved par, just like Haas did in a playoff at the Tour Championship in 2011 that led him to win the FedEx Cup. As hard as the wind was blowing over the final hour, and as the sky began to darken, it looked as though Cho’s score of a 9under 128 might be enough to win, but Lee was simply flawless. Most first-time winners get showered with beer after it’s over. In the rain, Lee was sprayed with shaving cream. “I can’t believe it right now,” she said. “It feels amazing. Awesome.”

Lee won $195,000 and was asked if she was going back to the casino. She smiled and showed two thumbs-up. —AP

FORT WORTH: Boo Weekley enjoyed hearing his name yelled again and again while he was on the golf course. What will mean even more is seeing it engraved on Colonial’s famed Wall of Champions along with the likes of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Weekley got his first PGA Tour victory in five years Sunday, closing with a 4-under 66 that included three consecutive birdies midway through his round and a momentum-seizing 22footer at the par-3 13th hole. “It’s unreal,” he said.

“Ever since I’ve been coming here and looking at that wall, and you see all of them names on the wall, and finally I get to have my name up there, it don’t get no better than that.” Finishing at 14under 266, Weekley won by a single stroke over Matt Kuchar, the second- and third-round leader who closed with a 68.

Defending champion Zach Johnson, who also won in 2010, shot a 66 to finish third at 12 under his first top-10 finish this season. It was his fifth consecutive top-10 at Hogan’s Alley, where he has played 19 of his last 20 rounds under par. Weekley was at the 13th hole before he finally glanced at a leaderboard and saw his name on top.

When his birdie putt dropped to get him to 14 under, Weekley thrust his putter above his head and acknowledged the loud chorus of “Boo!” coming from the often rowdy crowd surrounding the picturesque hole on a back edge of the property. He then finished with five consecutive pars, even missing a pair of 4-foot putts before a 29foot birdie try at No. 18 lipped out of the cup.

By moving to No. 55 in the world ranking, Weekley is now eligible for the US Open. Both of his previous wins had been at Harbour Town, in 2007 and 2008. Like the Heritage winner, the Colonial champion gets a plaid jacket, though the 2008 Ryder Cup team member wasn’t able to compare any differences between them. “I couldn’t tell you, it’s been so long,” he said.

Weekley’s check of just more than $1.1 million matched what he earned over his previous 14 tournaments this season while making 12 cuts and finishing in the top 10 three times. He never trailed after consecutive birdies at Nos. 810, those coming about the same time Scott Stallings - who had a front-side 6-under 29 made double bogey with three shots from bunkers at No. 15 to drop out of the lead. The win for Weekley came the same week he went to see a doctor about the problem he has had recently maintaining focus in his left eye, sometimes causing bad twitches and making it problematic reading greens.

“I had a few out there. It was coming and going in that wind,” Weekley said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re going to get home and work on it.”

Kuchar, at No. 13 the highest-ranked player in the field, was 12 under after a 55-foot birdie putt at the 436-yard 12th hole. Kuchar punched his right arm into the air to punctuate the shot that got him within a stroke of Weekley for the lead.

Johnson was at No. 17, where a 19-footer for his second consecutive birdie also got him to 12 under and led to his own fist pump.

Almost as quickly, their one-stroke deficit was back to two after Weekley’s birdie at No. 13.

“I played well, that’s all you can do and whoever wins, tip of the cap,” said Johnson, who is the first player with five consecutive top-10 finishes at Colonial since Gene Littler did it six times

FORT WORTH: Boo Weekley poses with the trophy after his one-stroke victory at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. —AFP from 1963-68.

Stallings’ closing 66 put him in a tie for fourth at 11 under with John Rollins (68) and Matt Every (69). The best round of the day was a 62

by Web.com Tour player Franklin Corpening, a Fort Worth native who grew up at Colonial and played at TCU. He finished at 8 under and tied for 14th, earning an automatic invitation to play again next year.

Kuchar made an 11-foot birdie putt off the back fringe at No. 2 before a bogey on the next

hole, when he took two shots from a greenside bunker. Then came a steady stream of pars until rolling in that long putt at No. 12. He didn’t have another birdie until a closing 20-footer put him alone in second place for his sixth career runner-up finish.

“It’s a bummer for me. This is a tournament, and this is a golf course, that I love,” said Kuchar, a five-time PGA Tour winner. “It’s difficult at the moment coming just one shot short but you can’t control what other guys do.” —AP

Idoki wins Senior PGA title

ST LOUIS: Kohki Idoki of Japan poses with the Alfred S Bourne Trophy on the 18th hole green after winning the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Bellerive Country Club. —AFP

ST. LOUIS: Japan’s Kohki Idoki clawed back a five-stroke deficit to win the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday following a final round collapse by Kenny Perry.

Idoki shot a final-round 65 to vault past the field on his way to a two-stroke victory at the Bellerive Golf Club in St. Louis. The 51-year-old charged with four birdies on the front nine and two more on the back to finish on 11-under-par 273. It was more Major disappointment for Perry, who endured playoff defeats at the 2009 Masters and 1996 PGA Championship.

The 52-year-old ended on nine under, tied for second with Jay Haas and just ahead of Mark O’Meara (eight under) and Kiyoshi Murota (seven under). Perry had entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and built momentum with three birdies on his first five holes before falling apart on the back nine.

He made a double bogey on 13 that dropped him into a tie with Idoki, then fell out of the lead with a bogey on 16 and added another on 17. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Kanaan wins Indy 500 INDIANAPOLIS: With a good luck charm he had given to a sick child back in his pocket, Brazilian Tony Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to end a decade of disappointment at the famed Brickyard. The former IndyCar champion captured the crown jewel of North American motor racing in his 12th attempt to complete his resume, taking the checkered flag under caution after defending champion Dario Franchitti crashed with just over two laps to go.

“This is it man, I made it,” Kanaan said before he dumped the traditional winner’s bottle of milk over his head. “Finally I am going to put my ugly face on that trophy.”

Colombia’s Carlos Munoz crossed the finish line second in his IndyCar racing debut fol-

lowed by American Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Marco Andretti, grandson of former Formula One champion and Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, finished fourth in a furious and frenetic race that featured a record 68 lead changes, double the previous mark set in 2012.

One of IndyCar’s most popular figures, Kanaan had known nothing but bad luck at the sprawling 2.5 mile oval speedway, coming close but never able to reach Victory Lane.

Kanaan’s luck, however, changed when he received a package four days before the race containing a good luck charm he had given to a young girl nine years ago just before she was about to undergo brain surgery.

The woman, now 24 years old and healthy, returned the charm back to Kanaan along with

INDIANAPOLIS: Indianapolis 500 Champion Tony Kanaan of Brazil, driver of the Hydroxycut KV Racing Technology-SH Racing Chevrolet, kisses the Borg Warner Trophy at the yard of bricks during the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Trophy Presentation. —AFP

a note that read: “Here’s your good luck charm back. Now you take it and win the Indianapolis 500.”

As Kanaan drove his Dallara-Chevy into a packed Victory Lane he pulled the medal out of his race suit and held it high before he was mobbed by team mates and friends, including former series champion Alex Zanardi.

Kanaan, who ran at or near the front most of the afternoon, holding the lead 15 times, was sitting second behind Hunter-Reay with six laps left when a caution flag came out after Graham Rahal slammed into the wall.

On the restart, Kanaan blew past HunterReay when his luck took a dramatic change as Franchitti’s crash further back in the field brought out the yellow, allowing the 38-yearold Brazilian to coast unchallenged to the checkered flag.

“I have to say, the last lap was the longest lap of my life. I wanted the pace car to hurry up so bad,” said Kanaan. “I got a little bit of luck today.”

Zanardi, who had both legs amputated above the knee after crashing in a 2001 race, also brought Kanaan some luck, turning over the gold medal he won at the 2012 London Paralympics in hopes that some his good fortune would rub off on his friend.

“Alex Zanardi gave us some luck today. He gave us his gold medal from London and told us, ‘Rub this all over the car,’” said Kanaan’s team owner Jimmy Vasser. “Tony took the medal to his motorhome with him for an hour.”

The day began under dreary, grey skies but the race got off to an uplifting start as runners who were unable to finish last month’s Boston Marathon were given a chance to symbolically complete the distance. The runners were unable to finish the Boston Marathon as the race was halted when two bombs left at the finish line exploded, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

A massive crowd packed in the home straightaway grandstands stood and cheered as runners, who started at Turn Four and finished on the front stretch, crossed one of the most famous finish lines in all of sport — the Yard of Bricks.

The crowd, estimated at close to 250,000, was back on its feet a few minutes later when drivers were given the command to start their engines and pole sitter Ed Carpenter led the 33car field into the first turn of the 200-lap race.

Carpenter, IndyCar’s only owner driver, set the pace until the first caution came out on the fourth lap when JR Hildebrand, who famously crashed in the final turn while leading the 2011 Indy 500, spun into the wall bringing out the yellow flag.

The day featured just five cautions and the low number of yellow flags helped make it the fastest Indy 500 ever with Kanaan posting an average speed of 187.433 mph. —Reuters

Pakistan battle back to defeat Ireland DUBLIN: Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz led the Pakistan fightback as the tourists secured a two-wicket victory in the second one-day international against Ireland in Clontarf on Sunday.

Set 230 for victor y, Pakistan slumped to 133 for seven at the end of the 37th over but Akmal, with a classy 81 from 85 balls and Riaz, with a hard-hitting 47 from just 35, with

DUBLIN: Pakistan players react during their match against Ireland which they won by two wickets during their One Day Cricket International at Clontarf Cricket Club. —AP

SCOREBOARD DUBLIN: Final scoreboard in the second one-day international between Ireland and Pakistan yesterday: E. Joyce not out 116 Pakistan Imran Farhat c K O’Brien b Johnston 5 N. O’Brien c Kamran Akmal b Wahab Riaz 29 Nasir Jamshed lbw b Murtagh 0 G. Wilson c Hafeez b Abdur Rehman 5 Mohammad Hafeez c Wilson b Murtagh 2 K. O’Brien c Jamshed b Abdur Rehman 38 Asad Shafiq c K O’Brien b Johnston 4 J. Shannon b Mohammad Hafeez 2 Misbah Ul-Haq c & b Cusack 24 T. Johnston lbw b Abdur Rehman 1 Shoaib Malik lbw b Dockrell 43 A. Cusack c Imran Farhat b Abdur Rehman 0 Kamran Akmal c Porterfield b K O’Brien 81 T. Murtagh c Misbah Ul-Haq b Junaid Khan 8 Abdur Rehman c K O’Brien b Cusack 7 G. Dockrell not out 3 Wahab Riaz not out 47 Extras (7lb 2nb 17w) 26 Junaid Khan not out 2 Total (9 wickets, 50 overs) 229 Extras (1b 5lb 9w) 15 Fall: 1-2 (Stirling), 2-4 (Porterfield), 3-69 (N. Total (8 wickets, 48.4 overs) 230 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Farhat), 2-10 (Jamshed), 3-13 O’Brien), 4-84 (Wilson), (Hafeez), 4-17 (Shafiq), 5-60 (Misbah), 6-112 5-178 (K. O’Brien), 6-186 (Shannon), 7-188 (Johnston), 8-198 (Cusack), 9-222 (Malik), 7-133 (Rehman), 8-226 (Akmal) Bowling: Murtagh 10-2-54-2 (1w), Johnston 9.4- (Murtagh) 0-35-2, K O’Brien 8-0-39-1 (4w), Cusack 9-0-48-2 Bowling: Junaid Khan 9-0-59-2 (2w 1nb), Asad Ali 10-4-26-1, Wahab Riaz 7-0-45-1 (5w 1nb), (3w), Dockrell 10-1-32-1 (1w), Stirling 2-0-16-0.

Mohammad Hafeez 10-0-33-1 (2w), Abdur Rehman 10-1-48-4-1 (1w), Shoaib Malik 4-1-15Ireland W. Porterfield c Kamran Akmal b Asad Ali 1 0-2 (2w).

P. Stirling c Asad Shafiq b Junaid Khan 0 Result: Pakistan beat Ireland by 2 wickets

eight boundaries took the game away from Ireland in a stunning partnership of 93 in 62 balls.

Akmal, named man of the match, was out with four needed for victory, but by then Pakistan finished the job with two wickets and eight balls left.

A superb new ball spell by Trent Johnston and Middlesex’s Tim Murtagh reduced Pakistan to 17 for four in the 10th over, but Misbah-ulHaq (24) and Shoaib Malik (42) started the recovery.

The loss of Malik, leg before to the impressive George Dockrell, was quickly followed by a superb catch in the covers by Kevin O’Brien to dismiss Abdur Rehman and at that moment even the Pakistan contingent in the crowd expected an Ireland win.

But while Akmal and Riaz kept their heads, the Ireland bowlers panicked, the four-balls became more frequent and the experienced batmen didn’t miss out.

Earlier, Ed Joyce scored his first one-day international hundred for Ireland in Ireland’s 229 for nine in conditions much improved on the cold and wet weather the teams experienced in the thrilling tie on Thursday.

Joyce came to the middle in the first over after Paul Stirling, the Ireland century-maker in the first game, was caught off a mistimed pull at midwicket for a duck and the Sussex captain stayed for the remainder of the innings, finishing on 116 from 132 balls with 12 fours and a six.

He gave one chance, on 61, in the first over of the powerplay, to Mohammad Hafeez at backward point, a juggling effort which should have been held, and he and Kevin O’Brien made Pakistan pay scoring 53 in the next five overs.

O’Brien’s innings was cut short on 38 by Rehman, one of three changes to the Pakistan team from the first game. Out went the world’s leading one -day bowler Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil, an in came Riaz, Asad Ali and Rehman.

Asad Ali made an immediate impression when he had Ireland captain William Porterfield caught behind in his second over for one and Riaz also got among the wickets when Niall O’Brien also gave a catch to wicket-keeper Akmal for 29.

Rehman was the pick of the bowlers with four for 48 from his 10 overs ripping through the middle order. Murtagh stayed with Joyce to add 33 for the ninth wicket, but in the end it wasn’t enough and Ireland are still waiting on their first home win over a major Test nation. —AFP

Photo of the day

Mark Webber of Australia and Infiniti Red Bull Racing drives during previews to the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. —www.redbullcontentpool.com

Swann spins England to brink of Test victory LEEDS: Graeme Swann bowled England to the brink of victory against New Zealand in the second and final Test at Headingley yesterday.

The off-spinner took four for 61 in 21.4 unchanged overs, extending his match haul to eight wickets, before bad light ended the fourth day with New Zealand 154 for six. That left the Black Caps still needing a further 310 runs to reach their victory target of 468.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was nought not out and Tim Southee four not out. The most any side has ever made in the fourth innings to win a Test is West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

And the corresponding record for New Zealand is the 325 for four they posted against Pakistan in Christchurch in 1993/94.

It seemed only forecast rain for today ’s final day could now deny England victory and a 2-0 series win.

In that case, they might rue both captain Alastair Cook’s decision not to enforce the follow-on on Sunday and indeed bat on after lunch on Monday in a match where the whole of Friday’s first day was washed out without a ball bowled.

Jonathan Trott, who pressed on to 76 yesterday after taking 69 balls Sunday to make 11 not out, defended England’s approach. “We’ve had a great day with bat and ball and we’re in a really strong position,” he told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

“If we’d taken the weather into consideration we might have made them follow on,” the South Africa-born batsman added. “ We’re 1-0 up in the series so there’s no need to chase the game, but we want to win every Test we play.

“You look at time and runs and you want to get it spot on, and I think we’ve done that.”

For New Zealand, only former captain Ross Taylor, with a stylish 70, offered much in the way of significant resistance yesterday before he was yorked by Swann to leave New Zealand 154 for six.

“England put the ball in the right areas and asked us questions, but we should be in a lot better position than we are at the moment,” Taylor said.

“It’s another day tomorrow and we’ll have to see what the weather gods have in store for us, but hopefully Brendon and Timmy can bat out time as we’ll see what will happen.”

In their first innings, New Zealand collapsed to 174 all out-although this was an improvement on the 68 they managed in the second innings of their 170-run first Test defeat at Lord’s.

Stuart Broad, who took a Test-best seven for 44 at Lord’s, removed Peter Fulton for five on Monday after he fended a rising delivery to Ian Bell in the gully.

Swann, who’d taken four wickets in

LEEDS: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor (right) is bowled out by England’s Graeme Swann (not pictured) as England’s Matt Prior (left) looks on during the fourth day’s play in the second cricket Test match between England and New Zealand. —AFP New Zealand’s first innings, needed just nine balls to strike again Monday when Kane Williamson was lbw on review.

Swann then grabbed his second wicket in three overs when left-handed opener Hamish Rutherford was caught off bat and pad by Joe Root at short leg for 42. That left New Zealand 65 for three and in danger of suffering yet another top-order slump.

Taylor, however, counter-attacked by cover-driving Swann for four and came through reviews on 47 and 60, while receiving solid support from Dean Brownlie in a fourth-wicket stand of 79.

Brownlie was eventually dismissed for 25 when, swaying away from a Steven Finn bouncer, he gloved to Bell before Martin Guptill (three) edged Swann to Trott at slip.

Then 153 for five became 154 for six when Taylor, who batted for more than two-and-a-half hours, fell to Swann.

Earlier, Cook scored 130, further extending his England record for Test centuries to 25, before declaring the hosts’ second innings on 287 for five.

Cook, 88 not out overnight, was out when he was caught at mid-off off the bowling of part-time spinner Williamson. —AFP

SCOREBOARD LEEDS: Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth day of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley yesterday: England 1st Innings 354 (J Root 104, J New Zealand 2nd Innings P. Fulton c Bell b Broad 5 Bairstow 64; T Boult 5-57 42 New Zealand 1st Innings 174 (G Swann 4- H. Rutherford c Root b Swann K. Williamson lbw b Swann 3 42, S Finn 3-36) R. Taylor b Swann 70 England 2nd Innings (overnight: 116-1) D. Brownlie c Bell b Finn 25 A. Cook c Southee b Williamson 130 M. Guptill c Trott b Swann 3 N. Compton c Rutherford b Williamson 7 B. McCullum not out 0 J. Trott c McCullum b Wagner 76 T. Southee not out 4 I. Bell c Guptill b Williamson 6 Extras (lb 6) 6 J. Root c Guptill b Wagner 28 Total (6 wkts, 54.4 overs, 240 mins) 158 J. Bairstow not out 26 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Fulton), 2-40 M. Prior not out 4 (Williamson), 3-65 (Rutherford), 4-144 Extras (b8, lb1, w1) 10 (Brownlie), 5-153 (Guptill), 6-154 (Taylor) Total (5 wkts dec, 76 overs, 320 mins) 287 Fall of wickets: 1-72 (Compton), 2-206 To bat: D Bracewell, N Wagner, T Boult (Cook), 3-214 (Bell), 4-249 (Trott), 5-268 Bowling: Anderson 11-4-28-0; Broad 8-219-1; Swann 21.4-7-61-4; Finn 11-1-43-1; (Root) Did not bat: S Broad, G Swann, S Finn, J Root 3-2-1-0.

Match position: New Zealand need a furAnderson Bowling: Boult 2-1-2-0; Southee 15-4-51-0; ther 310 runs to reach their victory Wagner 17-3-67-2; Williamson 24-4-68-3; target of 468 with four second innings wickets standing.

Bracewell 13-3-49-0 (1w); Guptill 5-0-41-0.

Police arrest six bookies in Goa PANAJI: Indian police said yesterday they have arrested six bookmakers in Goa state who were part of a syndicate betting on Indian Premier League cricket matches.

The IPL tournament has been reeling from a spot-fixing scandal which has led to the arrest of three cricketers and 11 bookies, but police said the Goa arrests did not appear to be connected to that case, based on initial probes.

“We have arrested six persons in connection with cricket betting activity,” Goa’s deputy inspector general OP Mishra told AFP, adding that investiga-

tions were still in progress.

He told reporters that equipment including laptops and mobile phones had been seized from the Goa premises where the bookies, all from Mumbai, had been staying for the last 45 days-since the IPL tournament began.

They did not appear to be involved in spot-fixing from the initial evidence, police said. Betting on cricket is illegal in India, while spot-fixing is the illegal practice of rigging specific parts of a match for financial gain.

On Sunday the son-in-law of India’s cricket board chief was suspended

from any involvement in the sport pending an inquiry into his role in the spot-fixing scandal.

Gurunath Meiyappan, part of the management team of IPL team Chennai Super Kings, was arrested by police in Mumbai on Friday for allegedly betting on matches in connivance with bookies and a Bollywood actor.

The three cricketers are accused of deliberately bowling badly in specific overs in return for tens of thousands of dollars, after striking deals with bookmakers. This year’s IPL tournament ended on Sunday night. —AFP

19

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

SPORTS

Phillips fires Palace into Premier League

MEXICO: America’s Christian Benitez (center)and Diego Reyes (left) hold up the Mexican national soccer league trophy after beating Cruz Azul during the final match of the Mexican soccer league.—AP

Cruz Azul lift Mexican title MEXICO CITY: Ten-man America beat Cruz Azul 4-2 on penalties to win a record-equalling 11th Mexican league title on Sunday, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat after two late goals forced extra time. The Eagles trailed 1-0 from the first leg of the final and were quickly a man down at the Azteca after midfielder Jesus Molina was sent off in the 14th minute.

They fell behind on the night, and 2-0 on aggregate, to a 20th minute goal by Colombia striker Teofilo Gutierrez and looked set for defeat before staging a miraculous late salvo at two corner kicks.

Colombian centre back Aquivaldo Mosquera headed America’s equaliser in

the 89th minute from Argentine Rubens Sambueza’s corner.

In the third minute of added time, America goalkeeper Moises MuÒoz came up into the Cruz Azul box for another corner and his header was deflected by defender Alejandro Castro into the net to force an extra 30 minutes.

There were no goals in extra time leading to penalties with Cruz Azul, who been so close to their first championship since 1997, starting the shootout badly when striker Javier Orozco had his penalty saved and Castro slipped and sent his over the bar. America equalled archrivals Guadalajara with their 11th crown.—Reuters

Lyon secure third place PARIS: Olympique Lyon clinched a Champions League spot when goals by Lisandro Lopez and Clement Grenier secured a 2-0 home win against Stade Rennes and third place in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Lyon, who have 67 points, will take part in the third qualifying round of Europe’s premium club competition while surprise packages Nice qualified for the Europa League playoff round after claiming fourth place with a 2-0 win at AC Ajaccio.

Nice finished with 64 points, one point ahead of St Etienne who drew 1-1 at sixthplaced Lille. Troyes were relegated after a 2-1 defeat at Valenciennes, joining Nancy and Stade Brest in Ligue 2.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the first player to score 30 goals in a single season since Jean-Pierre Papin reached that tally when playing for Olympique Marseille in 1989-90.

The Sweden striker chested in a Kevin Gameiro cross in the 51st minute and his team mate then netted a double as champions PSG beat Lorient 3-1 away.

Third choice keeper Ronan Le Crom, in his only appearance of the season after coming on a as a second-half substitute, was sent off 10 minutes from time.

With no goalkeeper left on the bench, France centre back Mamadou Sakho fulfilled that role but could not stop Arnaud

Le Lan’s penalty. First choice keeper Salvatore Sirigu was suspended.

At Lyon’s Gerland stadium, Onyekachi Apam’s handball earned the hosts a penalty that was converted by Lisandro midway through the first half.

Grenier doubled the tally with a jawdropping 35-metre free kick that went under Benoit Costil’s bar. Lyon’s arch-rivals St Etienne, who qualified for the Europa League third qualifying round by winning the League Cup, settled for fifth after being held at Lille.

Salomon Kalou tapped in from a Ronny Rodelin header two minutes from the interval to put the northeners ahead only for Romain Hamouma to equalise with a deft curled shot shortly before the hour. Josuha Guilavogui was sent off in the 67th minute after picking up a second yellow card as St Etienne finished with 10 men.

The result benefited Nice, who snatched fourth place courtesy of goals by Dario Cvitanich and Eric Bautheac at Ajaccio.

Second-placed Olympique Marseille ended the season with a disappointing goalless draw at home against Stade Reims.

Ten of the 18 players who were on the team sheet when Marseillewon the Champions League in 1993 stood in the middle of the pitch as they were celebrated by the crowd on the 20th anniversary of the 1-0 win against AC Milan. —Reuters

LONDON: Veteran striker Kevin Phillips came off the bench to score a superb extra-time penalty as Crystal Palace returned to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Watford in the Championship play-off final yesterday.

Phillips, 39, struck mid-way through extra time on a sunsplashed day at Wembley Stadium, after Manchester United-bound winger Wilfried Zaha had drawn a tired foul from Watford right-back Marco Cassetti. The Championship playoff final is said to be the richest game in world football and promotion to the English elite will reportedly swell Palace’s revenue by up to £120 million ($181,000, 140 million euros). “We’re in the Premier League now, so God help us,” said Palace manager Ian Holloway, who was appearing in his third play-off final in four years.

“It’s absolutely massive for the club and I’m delighted for everyone connected. I feel very privileged.” Palace last played in the Premier League in 2005, the last of four single-season stints in the top flight, and join Cardiff City and Hull City in graduating from the Championship this term.

Phillips, who began his career at Watford, said he was yet to decide whether or not to play on next season. “To come on and get the winning goal against the club where it all started is a fairytale,” said the on-loan Blackpool striker, who had tasted defeat in three previous play-off finals.

“If that is my last game, what a way to sign off. I’m going to have a break now. Every bit of my body is aching. I’ll see what the future brings.”

Zaha was a torment to the Watford defence throughout a scrappy game and will now link up with United, in a move that could be worth up to £15 million, having fulfilled his ambition of

LONDON: Crystal Palace’s English striker Kevin Phillips takes a penalty during the English Championship Play Off final football match between Crystal Palace and Watford at Wembley Stadium.—AFP guiding Palace to promotion. was the electrifying star turn. He before plunging to his left to “I’m exhausted and speech- produced three dazzling runs grasp a Mile Jedinak header in less. It’s a dream come true,” he down the right flank, the last of stoppage time. said. “This is a all I wanted, leav- which culminated in a cut-back Watford made the more entering Palace knowing they are in for Owen Garvan, whose shot was prising start to extra time, Palace the Premier League.” blocked. By that stage Palace had goalkeeper Julian Speroni Watford coach Gianfranco already lost Kagisho Dikgacoi to superbly swatting the ball away Zola, the former Chelsea star, was an apparent calf injury, with from Troy Deeney, before gracious in defeat. “It has been a Stuart O’Keefe coming on in his Almunia’s resistance finally gave great season for us as we have place. way. done something not many peoIt was not until the 57th Zaha’s dart into the box prople expected,” he said. “Games minute that Watford substitute voked a rash swipe from Cassetti like this are very much on the Alex Geijo produced the first shot and after referee Martin Atkinson day, and the better team was on target, but as the game wore pointed to the spot, Phillips Crystal Palace.” on, Palace began to turn the swept an unerring penalty into A crowd of 82,025 turned out screw and Watford goalkeeper the top-left corner. for the final game of the English Manuel Almunia was called upon Fernando Forestieri almost season, with Real Madrid coach with steadily increasing frequen- sent the game to penalties at the Jose Mourinho among those in cy. The former Arsenal player death, but although his shot beat attendance, fuelling speculation thwarted Palace on five occasions Speroni, Joel Ward was on hand that his return to Chelsea is now in the closing stages of normal to head the ball off the line and only a matter of time. time, saving from O’Keefe, Garvan safeguard Palace’s return to the In a cautious first half, Zaha and Aaron Wilbraham, twice, big time.—AFP

Newell’s rout Boca ahead of decider BUENOS AIRES: Newell’s Old Boys opened a three-point lead in the Argentine championship by crushing Boca Juniors 4-0 on Sunday, three days before their decisive Libertadores Cup quarter-final clash. The points gap for coach Gerardo Martino’s side was helped by Lanus’s first defeat, 3-1 away to San Martin in San Juan.

Lanus’s defeat enabled River Plate, who wore a new black strip to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their Monumental 1978 World Cup stadium, to climb above them into second place after they beat Atletico Rafaela 3-0.

With four matches to go in the Clausura championship, Newell’s have 32 points, River 29 and Lanus 28. Newell’s, at their Marcelo Bielsa ground in Rosario, met Boca in the second of three clashes in a week between the two sides.

Both fielded a number of reserves, resting key players for Wednesday’s second leg of their Libertadores Cup quarter-final at the same venue.

Thursday’s first leg at Boca’s La Bombonera was a 0-0 draw. Peru midfielder Rinaldo Cruzado gave Newell’s an early lead with a penalty after he had been fouled by goalkeeper Sebastian D’Angelo. Boca had Lisandro Magallan sent off just before halftime for stamping on forward Maximiliano Urruti and were then brushed aside in the second half by goals from Horacio Orzan, Martin Tonso and Urruti.

The only possible joy Boca could have taken from the match was that the result did not benefit their arch-rivals River, now Newell’s closest challengers for the title.

River, in their best performance of the championship, wrapped up their win in the opening half hour, starting in the eighth minute with left back Leonel Vangioni’s searing drive from 25 metres that goalkeeper Guillermo Sara got a hand to but could not stop. “It’s a special day for all the fans, (the

ARGENTINA: Boca Juniors midfielder Walter Ervitti (left) and Newell’s Old Boys midfielder Pablo Perez vie during their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal match. —AFP win) is a prize for them,” River coach Ramon Diaz told reporters. “It was one of our best first halves. ... We needed a show of what the team is capable of,” he added. River got the second when Rafaela defender Eduardo Dominguez deflected the ball into his own net in the 14th minute trying to defend a low cross close to the goalline, while the third came when winger Juan Manuel Iturbe beat his marker for pace and then crossed to Carlos Luna, who headed past Sara.

The match at San Martin turned on a blunder by Lanus goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin in the 70th minute when he let an apparently

easy high ball slip from his grasp and defender Damian Ledesma steered it into the net.

Ledesma then took off his shirt to celebrate, earned a second yellow card and was sent off. Striker Gaston Caprari had put the home side in front in the seventh minute and midfielder Fernando Barrientos equalised in the 28th. Claudio Riano hit a fine late third for San Martin.

“Everything is so even in Argentine football that the top team can lose to the bottom. We knew (San Martin) were strong at home,” Lanus coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto. —Reuters

Relegation battle goes into final match day

FRANCE : Rennes’ Ghanaian defender John Mensah (left) fights for the ball with Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette during a French League football match. —AFP

MADRID: Valencia edged ahead of Real Sociedad in the race for Spain’s last available Champions League berth and Barcelona moved a step closer to equalling the La Liga record points total in the penultimate round of matches on Sunday.

Valencia’s 1-0 victory at home to Granada lifted them above Sociedad into fourth, two points clear of the Basque club who drew 3-3 with second-placed Real Madrid in San Sebastian.

Champions Barca, missing the injured Lionel Messi, coasted to a 2-0 win at city rivals Espanyol that put them on 97 points and victory next Saturday at home to Malaga would mean they equal Real Madrid’s record total of 100 set last term.

Real’s draw at Sociedad means Barca are now 15 points ahead of their arch rivals, three more than the biggest winning margin in La Liga history set by Barca in the 2005-06 season.

Valencia’s bid to qualify for the Champions League foundered when they lost 4-2 at Sociedad at the end of last month but four straight victories have put them back in pole position to secure fourth spot and a place in the qualifying round of Europe’s elite club competition.

Their final match is at ninth-placed Sevilla next Saturday, who have nothing to play for, while Sociedad are at relegation-threatened Deportivo La Coruna.

“It was very important for us to get ahead of Sociedad as it means we have our fate in our own hands,” Valencia coach Ernesto Valverde told a news conference.

“The Sevilla match is going to be tough as they are very strong at home,” he added. After the Espanyol players applauded their Barca opponents onto the pitch before kickoff in recognition of their fourth La Liga title in five years, Alexis Sanchez fired the champions

ahead in the 14th minute.

With several key players watching from the bench, Barca comfortably controlled the game and Cesc Fabregas hit the post before Pedro exchanged passes with fellow substitute Xavi to make it 2-0 four minutes from time.

At the other end of the table, a 3-1 defeat for 17th-placed Depor at Malaga means that all three teams in the relegation places - Celta Vigo, Real Zaragoza and Real Mallorca - still have a chance of avoiding the drop.

Celta, in 18th on 34 points, won 2-0 at Real Valladolid, Zaragoza, who also have 34 in 19th, were thrashed 4-0 at Real Betis and Mallorca, in 20th and last place on 33 points, drew 0-0 at third-placed Atletico Madrid. Deportivo, who host Sociedad next weekend, have 35 points.

In other matches on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao played their last La Liga game at their storied San Mames stadium before they move to a new facility close by, losing 1-0 to Levante.—Reuters

Weekley ends title drought

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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Kanaan wins Indy 500

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Phillips fires Palace into Premier League

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FRANCE: Russia’s Maria Sharapova serves to Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh during the French tennis Open first round match at the Roland Garros stadium. — AFP

Nadal survives scare in Paris Sharapova brushes aside Hsieh PARIS: Rafael Nadal’s bid for an historic eighth French Open title was almost spectacularly derailed yesterday by big-hitting German Daniel Brands.

But there were no such problems for defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova who eased past Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei in just 54 minutes, surrendering only eight points on serve.

Seven-time champion Nadal dropped the opening set of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career before he prevailed 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3 against a player who had lost all four of his previous matches in Paris.

The Spaniard, who before this year had only lost once in 53 outings at Roland Garros, came into the tournament having won six titles in eight finals since he returned from a seventh-month injury lay-off.

But the 26-year-old was caught cold by world number 59 Brands who unleashed a fearless barrage of attacks off both sides to leave the third seed reeling.

It was almost a carbon copy of the tactics employed by Robin Soderling, the only man to beat Nadal in Paris four years ago, and Lukas Rosol, who dumped the Spaniard out

of Wimbledon last year.

Brands even led 3/0 in the second set tie-breaker as he appeared poised to deliver the first defeat of a men’s champion in the opening round in tournament history.

But Nadal eventually found his rhythm to steady the ship as the 25-year-old German eventually ran out of firepower.

“He was playing unbelievable. I tried to find my game and tried to resist his fantastic shots,” said Nadal, who will face Martin Klizan of Slovakia for a place in the last 32 “He played a great match and put me in a tricky situation.” Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych was the biggest casualty of the day when the 2010 semi-finalist fell to French wildcard Gael Monfils. Monfils, whose career has been plagued recently by a knee injury, triumphed 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 in a shade over four hours.

The flamboyant 26-year-old Frenchman, a semi-finalist in 2008, will next tackle in-form Ernests Gulbis. “There was the adrenaline and the match and the crowd, but I didn’t think I would do this well,” said Monfils, who was fresh from a runners-up place in Nice at the weekend. “It was a match up there in my top five.”

Sharapova brushed past hapless world number 42 Hsieh, 6-2, 6-1 and will next face Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard.

Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam in Paris in 2012, fired 25 winners to Hsieh’s eight and kept her unforced errors to just four against 24.

The Russian second seed had her match shifted to Court Suzanne Lenglen while Monfils and Berdych slugged it out on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I wanted to finish tonight; it was a good decision to switch courts especially when I saw the guys were still playing,” she said. Sharapova was joined in the next round by three former champions-Li Na, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Francesca Schiavone. Li, the 2011 champion, enjoyed a 6-3, 6-4 win over Anabel Medina Garrigues, the experienced Spaniard playing in her 38th consecutive Grand Slam event.

Li, who had lost all of her three previous meetings on clay against Garrigues, goes on to face Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States.

Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, put out fellow Russian, the 22nd seeded Ekaterina Makarova, 6-4, 6-2. Italy’s

Napoli appoint Benitez as coach

Heat stop Pacers INDIANAPOLIS: The Miami Heat rediscovered its offensive punch and beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James profited from a tactical switch, scored 22 points and got plenty of help as the Heat reclaimed the home-court advantage they lost two nights earlier.

Dwyane Wade had 18 points, and Udonis Haslem added 17.

“I made a conscious effort to get down in the post tonight, to put pressure on their defense,” James said. “The coaching staff wanted me to be down there tonight, and my teammates allowed me to do that.” It was a move reminiscent of when the Los Angeles Lakers played Magic Johnson in the post in place of the injured Kareem AbdulJabbar during the NBA Finals more than two decades ago. And it worked just as well.

James rebounded from the two late turnovers that cost Miami in Game 2 by scoring 22 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists. Hours after Dwyane Wade learned he would only be tagged with a flagrant foul from Game 2 and not a suspension, he finished with 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Chris Bosh added 15 points and three rebounds and all five Miami starters reached double figures.

The move allowed Miami to outscore Indiana 56-32 in the paint. Perhaps that should be expected from a team with so much scoring punch and that has won 23 of its last 24 on the road, but there were more surprising statistics in other areas.

Miami committed a playoff franchise-low one turnover in the first half and finished with only five. James finished with none.

The Heat shot 54.5 percent against a team that finished the regular season with the NBA’s best defensive field goal percentage and also made 24 of 28 free throws.

They matched the highest scoring output in a quarter during this season’s playoffs with 34, broke the franchise playoff record for points in a half (70) and fell one point short of tying the third-highest point total in a playoff game in franchise history.

But the biggest difference between the first two games and Sunday’s comfortable win was what James’ work on the inside.

“It was something we wanted to get to just to help settle us and get into a more aggressive attack,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“We wanted to be a little more aggressive, a little more committed to getting into the paint and seeing what would happen.

LeBron was very committed and focused not to settle.”

Now, with Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday, it’s the Pacers turn to adjust. David West led Indiana with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Roy Hibbert had 20 points and 17 rebounds. Paul George finished with 13 points and eight assists, not nearly enough to keep the Pacers perfect at home in the postseason.

Indiana, which fell to 6-1 at home in the playoffs, must win its next home game to even the series again. “He (James) was in the post doing a lot of work, and we have to do a better job of helping Paul out,” Hibbert said. “LeBron can’t get five or six dribbles to get a post move. ... We have to make adjustments.”

Miami took advantage of a wild first quarter to build a 34-30 lead, then turned the game with James taking control in a 12point second quarter.

He scored half of the points in an 8-2 run that gave the Heat what was then their biggest lead of the series, 42-32. A few minutes later, James did it again, making a 15footer with 1.3 seconds left in the half to give Miami a 70-56 halftime lead and the franchise first-half scoring record. — AP

Schiavone, the 2010 title winner, saw off Hungary’s Melinda Czink 6-0, 7-6 (7/1).

Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who has never got beyond the last 16, breezed past Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1 and will face America’s Mallory Burdette in the next round. She is scheduled to face younger sister Urszula, who knocked out Venus Williams on Sunday, in the third round.

Elsewhere in the men’s event, French sixth seed JoWilfried Tsonga, who is looking to become the first home player to win the men’s title since Yannick Noah in 1983, started confidently enough with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia.

“My groundstrokes pretty solid from the baseline. I played pretty well, but my service was really low quality,” said Tsonga.

In the women’s singles, there was a first ever win in the majors for Slovakian 20-year-old Zuzana Kucova who defeated German 24th seed Julia Goerges 7-6 (10/8), 6-0.

Qualifier Kucova is ranked at 1,152 in the world and had lost in qualifying on 21 occasions before making her breakthrough this week. — AFP

INDIANAPOLIS: Roy Hibbert No. 55 of the Indiana Pacers shoots over Chris Bosh No. 1 of the Miami Heat during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals. — AFP

ROME: Rafael Benitez was appointed coach of Serie A side Napoli yesterday the club president announced.

The 53-year-old Spaniard - whose previous experience in Serie A was a painful short-lived spell with Inter Milan - had been widely expected to be named and Napoli supremo Aurelio De Laurentiis tweet confirmed that to be the case.

“Rafa Benitez is the new coach of Napoli,” tweeted De Laurentiis, whose side finished runners-up in the recently finished Serie A season.

“He is a man of experience and a true leader.”

Benitez, who had also been linked with French champions Paris Saint-Germain, had a successful spell in charge of Chelsea after replacing the sacked Champions League winning coach Roberto di Matteo.

The Spaniard guided Chelsea to the Europa League crown and also helped them qualify for next season’s Champions League after being brought in on a shortterm basis.

However, despite being popular with owner Roman Abramovich he never won over the supporters, who verbally abused him from the stands from the start.

The Chelsea fans yearned for the return of their adored Jose Mourinho, after he largely failed at Real Madrid, and appear likely to get their wish.

According to the Spanish press Benitez was to sign a two year contract with the option of extending it by a further year and an annual salary of 3.5million euros.

Benitez replaces Walter Mazzarri, widely rumoured to be heading to Inter Milan next season.

Ironically, Benitez’s last Italian adventure was at Inter but lasted only six months and ended just after having won the Club World Cup. His team had struggled in the league and he had forced officials’ hands by telling them to strengthen his squad or find another solution, which they did.

Although his joining Chelsea was hugely unpopular with many fans, he has a good record.

He won two Spanish titles and the Europa League with Valencia while he led Liverpool to Champions League success in 2005. — AFP

Business

Abu Dhabi fund ADIA turns to new markets Page 22 Crisis-hit Italians swap cars for bikes despite dangers Page 23

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

World markets mixed after Japan market dip

Al-Zayani Kuwait welcomes arrival of Jaguar F-TYPE Page 23 Page 26

BERLIN: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (left) delivers a speech next to the Chairman of the Asian-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) Peter Loescher (second left) German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler (second right) and Chinese Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng (right) yesterday. — AFP

Germany says ‘no’ to EU tariffs against China EU accuses China of selling solar panels below cost BRUSSELS: A majority of EU governments oppose a plan to impose hefty duties on solar panel impor ts from China, a sur vey of member states s h owe d ye s te rd ay, u n d e r m i n i n g efforts by Brussels to pressure Beijing over its trade practices.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive, accuses Chinese firms of selling solar panels at below cost in Europe - a practice known as “dumping” - and plans to impose duties, making it far harder for China to gain market share.

The duties, averaging 47 percent, will come into force from June 6 for a trial period and could be withdrawn if both sides can reach a negotiated settlement. Chinese officials were holding talks with EU officials in Brussels yesterday. The case is the largest trade case the Commission has undertaken, with around 21 billion euros of Chinamade solar panels sold in the EU. The duties are being proposed by the EU’s trade commissioner, Belgian lawyer Karel De Gucht.

But fear ful of losing business in C h i n a , G e r m a ny, B r i t a i n a n d t h e Netherlands are among at least 14 member states who oppose the sanc-

tions, diplomats told Reuters. The EU’s 27 countries had until Friday to submit a for m a l, w r i t te n re s p o n s e to D e Gucht’s plans. While the trade commissioner would still have the right to impose the duties, doing so in the face of member states’ opposition would be hard.

Provisional duties will more than likely still go ahead on June 6, once they are published in the European Union’s official journal, officials say, but the pressure to roll them back before they become permanent in December will be intense. The split underlines the depth of division in the EU over how to deal with China, a critical market for many EU exporters and the region’s second biggest trading partner over all.

Reuters spoke to 21 of the EU’s 27 countries and confirmed that 15 - a majority - opposed the duties while six supported them.

The other six either declined to say or were unreachable. France and Italy are leading a group of countries who say De Gucht is right to go ahead with sanctions, arguing that China’s rapid rise in solar panel output to more than the world’s entire demand could not

have happened without illegal state support. Chinese companies have captured more than 80 percent of the European market from almost zero a few years ago. De Gucht met China’s deputy commerce minister for informal talks in Brussels yesterday, a day after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meeting in Berlin, called for an end to the dispute, as well as another conflict over Chinese telecoms companies accused of dumping in Europe.

Germany initially suppor ted De Gucht’s plans for duties, and it was a German company, Solar World, which first raised the complaint against Chinese dumping. But rather than punitive measures, M erkel now appears to favour a negotiated solution, wary of the potential impact on German exporters if China were to take retaliatory steps. “There is no need for more sanc tion measures,” German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler told a news conference yesterday after talks with Li. Trade chief’s strategy Although De Gucht says he had no intention of damaging European busi-

ness interests in China, he wants to show Beijing that the Commission is serious about preventing dumping and that China must play by international trade rules. France holds the same view.

“We want to see a balanced relationship between China and the European Union,” said French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg. “Countries that use protectionism, and China is one of them, should accept reciprocal rules,” he told reporters.

EU officials told Reuters earlier this year they were frustrated with the Chinese leadership’s lack of engagement. By levying provisional duties, the Commission feels it has leverage because under EU law, the sanctions could be cemented for up to five years from December if no solution is found.

According to a copy of the Commission’s solar investigation obtained by Reuters, the Commission found clear evidence of dumping by Chinese producers.

“The Commission was presented with prima facie evidence that dumping occurred. They can’t just ignore that,” said Stuart Newman, a legal advisor to the Foreign Trade Association, a lobby group based in Brussels.— Reuters

OPEC almost off radar of risks for oil market LONDON: Oil traders should not lose too much sleep worrying about what OPEC, often unpredictable and quarrelsome in the past, will do when it meets next week. The producer cartel, say delegates who attend meetings, is odds on to leave output policy unchanged. As a risk factor for oil markets, its May 31 gathering in Vienna barely features on traders’ radar. One reason is that Brent oil prices are very close to top producer Saudi Arabia’s favoured $100 a barrel. While that is expensive by historical standards, it is well below the $125 price that sounded alarm bells for major consumer countries last year.

In fact, the shale revolution in the United States, still the world’s biggest oil consumer ahead of China by a big margin, has raised hopes among importers, that the relentless rise in fuel prices over the past decade may be at an end.

Annual nominal average world oil prices rose more than four-fold on average in the decade from 2002 from $25 a barrel to a record $111 a barrel in 2012. This year on average to date they are down, if only a little, and Brent was trading at just over $102 a barrel on Friday.

An International Energy Agency

report released earlier this month forecast US shale oil supply will help meet most of the world’s new demand in the next five years, leaving little room for OPEC to lift output without risking lower prices. “OPEC is in a hard situation,” said Chakib Khelil, Algeria’s oil minister from 1999 to 2010. “The demand for OPEC oil is going down, while increasing demand is being met by others, not by OPEC.” North America’s supply growth will cause a decline in demand for OPEC oil until the end of the decade and a build-up of its spare capacity, said Christof Ruhl, chief economist at BP. “OPEC has its work cut out already,” Ruhl said. Only a year ago, the shale boom was dismissed by OPEC as of little concern. Kuwait’s oil minister Hani Hussein said producers would “wait to see more research to get a better idea about the impact of shale oil” and his Venezuelan counterpart Rafael Ramirez said: “I’m not worried at all, they are only projections.”

By the end of the year, the US had recorded the biggest annual increase in oil output since it first became an oil producer in the early 1860s. The 850,000 bpd increment was more than each of

OPEC’s two smallest producers, Qatar and Ecuador, produce in total. Some of that shale oil is among the most expensive globally to produce, but Saudi Arabia - holder of most OPEC spare capacity - shows no sign of opening the taps to bring down prices and curtail that output by making it uneconomic.

Far from it, Saudi Oil Minister Ali AlNaimi in a speech last month in Washington hailed the U.S. energy renaissance as “good news.” Shale’s impact is felt most by those in OPEC who relied heavily on exports to the United States.

The rise in domestic U.S. supplies has put a squeeze on Nigeria and Algeria in the US market, forcing them to cut prices and send more oil further afield.

OPEC delegates say the 12-member group’s meeting will stick with an output target of 30 million barrels per day (bpd).

“The price is still reasonable, and not less than $100,” said a delegate from one of OPEC’s Gulf members. “So it looks very straightforward. Continue with the official production ceiling and make informal adjustments, if necessary.”

Short-term market management will continue to be guided by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi has trimmed from a 30-year high

reached in 2012 of 10 million bpd, pumping 9.3 million bpd in April. That put OPEC production at 30.46 million bpd, right in line with its calculations for average demand for its crude in the second half of the year.

OPEC used to give traders more to worry about. In the early 2000s it met as many as seven times a year compared to just twice now, often making surprise decisions as it tried to micro-manage oil markets. But it may not be out of the headlines for long. Next year could see a drop in world demand for OPEC oil which delegates said may argue for supply curbs. “We’re heading for a problem in 2014 and we’ll probably have to make a supply cut,” said a senior OPEC source.

“And if OPEC were proactive, we’d start to look seriously at individual production allocations.” It has been unable for several years to agree individual output quotas but may need them if it is required to cut back heavily and share out reductions. It is also unable to agree on who should be it next secretary general. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq have fielded candidates to succeed Libyan Abdullah AlBadri. None has gained the necessary consensus. — Reuters

UAE markets resume rally DUBAI: UAE markets rose yesterday, resuming a rally after recently being hit by a bout of profit-taking, while Kuwait’s measure hit a 53-month high. Dubai’s benchmark climbed 1.1 percent to 2,306 points, taking its year-to-date gains to 42 percent. The market fell for four of the previous five sessions. Emaar Properties rose 2.1 percent, extending gains to 55.7 percent in 2013. The developer is reaping the benefits of a turnaround and recovery after the property slump which began in 2008. On Sunday, it started sale of a new project in Downtown Dubai called Burj Vista II. “The bulls are here to stay and doesn’t look like they are going anywhere,” said Firass Yaish, business development manager at One Financial Market.

“Who can say no to a market with relatively lower risk and high returns? DFM index might see the 2,320 level next.” Abu Dhabi’s benchmark advanced 1.2 percent, snapping a four-session losing streak.

Banks recovered after recent selling. First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi climbed 1.8 percent and 1.3 percent respectively. In Saudi Arabia, the measure climbed 0.1 percent, up for a first in the last three sessions since hitting a oneyear high. The market is looking for fresh catalysts which may come in the form of corporate earnings in early July.

“The market is consolidating at a slow pace as large portfolios adjust positions for corporate earnings,” said Mohammad Omran, a Riyadh-based independent financial analyst. “There’s a pattern of second quarter earnings recording a jump over first quarter numbers for the past few years. We’re expecting this to continue.” Retail sector stocks supported gains. Fashion and retail chain Fawaz Abdulaziz Al-Hokair rose 4.4 percent, Saudi Airline Catering added 3.4 percent. Petrochemical stocks rose with the index adding 0.2 percent.

Kuwait’s index rose 0.9 percent to 8,393 points, its highest since December 2008. The market needs to close above 8,439 points for three successful sessions to confirm a breakout. Local retail investors contribute to the bulk of trading on the bourse, with institutional activity also getting strong as a reduced political unrest spurs hopes the country will move ahead with massive infrastructure and development projects. Improved company earnings have also helped to lift sentiment.

Large-cap National Bank of Kuwait gained 1 percent, telecom operator Zain added 1.4 percent. Midcap stocks also rose. Gulf Finance House climbed 3.5 percent. In Qatar, the index shed 0.2 percent, easing off a 28-month high. The market is up 8.5 percent year-to-date. United Development was the main drag, losing 4.1 percent to trim 2013 gains to 15.2 percent. In Egypt, Cairo’s measure climbed 0.4 percent, up for a second in the last five sessions.

Foreigners buyers returned. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Abu Dhabi fund ADIA turns to new markets Fund lowering reliance on external fund managers DUBAI: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is reducing target exposures to developed market stocks and looking for growth in emerging markets, the sovereign wealth fund that is one of the world’s biggest investors said

yesterday. In an annual review which provides rare insights into the strategy of ADIA’s executives, it also gave an ominous signal to asset management firms hoping for its business - it is handling more of its investment in-house

and relying less on index funds.

With undisclosed assets that analysts estimate at between $400-$600 billion - equivalent to about 1 percent of the value of the world’s major stock exchanges - ADIA revealed the

KARACHI: Pakistani stockbrokers look at a stock graph during a trading session at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) yesterday. The benchmark KSE-100-Index closed at 20958.86, down 324.91 points at the end of the day. —AFP

first change in the broad ranges it maintains for different assets since it began publishing an annual review three years ago. It lowered its target exposure to developed market stocks in 2012 to a range of 32-42 percent from 35-45 percent in 2011 - meaning a reduction at the middle of that range of 7.5 percent.

ADIA also cut its minimum exposure to Europe across its asset portfolio to 20 percent in 2012 from 25 percent in 2011, while keeping its maximum allocation unchanged at 35 percent.

Funds with long-term objectives shift such broad target ranges only rarely, given the flexibility they already offer. ADIA, which manages the surpluses the Gulf emirate earns from oil exports, maintained its exposure to emerging market stocks in a 1020 percent band but signalled a growing interest: “Economic leadership is passing to emerging markets, not just as their weight in the global economy passes 50 percent, but as their share of likely future global growth moves far higher,” Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed AlNahayan, ADIA’s managing director and a member of the ruling family, said in the review.

China The fund raised its exposure limit on Chinese equities to $500 million from $200 million in the third quarter, ADIA said, after

securing the approval of the Chinese market regulator.

Sovereign wealth funds generally are focusing on emerging markets and alternatives to traditional securities, such as infrastructure investment and private equity, to offset lower growth prospects and greater volatility in established markets.

At the end of a year of gains in world equities markets, the review showed that ADIA had made a return of 7.6 percent on an annualised basis over the 20 years to Dec 31, higher than the 6.9 percent recorded a year earlier. Over 30 years, its return was an annualised 8.2 percent, up from 8.1 percent in 2011. ADIA said it expected equities to remain attractive as bond yields stayed low and investors prepared to take on more risk. It had started allocating money to non-investment grade bonds and was looking for external managers for such assets. ADIA said about 75 percent of its portfolio was run by external asset managers, down from 80 percent in 2011. The fund also allocated 55 percent of its assets in index-replicating strategies, lower than the 60 percent it allocated in 2011. That could be a worrying sign for big global fund managers who market some of their flagship products to the likes of ADIA. It may also offer Abu Dhabi a tighter control on costs. —Reuters

Valeant to buy Bausch + Lomb for $8.7bn Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals said yesterday that it will pay $8.7 billion to buy Bausch + Lomb, one of the world’s best-known makers of contact lenses, in a massive expansion of Valeant’s smaller ophthalmology business. Valeant said the cash deal will help it capitalize on increasing demand for contact lenses and other products because of aging populations, growing demand in emerging markets and increasing rates of diabetes. Complications of the complex blood sugar disorder can damage the eyes over time.

Investment firm Warburg Pincus, which leads an investment group that owns Bausch + Lomb, will receive $4.5 billion in cash. The remaining $4.2 billion will be used to repay Bausch + Lomb’s debt. Reports that the purchase was in the works surfaced late last week. The deal, which requires approval from regulators and other standard closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the third quarter. It will be financed with debt and about $1.5 billion to $2 billion in new stock.

Valeant expects to achieve at least $800 million in annual cost savings by the end of next year. Rochester, NY-based Bausch + Lomb Holdings Inc. makes contact lenses, eye drugs and ophthalmic surgical devices. It will keep its name and become a division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., which is based in Laval, Quebec.

“I am confident that under their stewardship, the Bausch + Lomb brand will continue to stand for excellence and innovation in eye health,” Brent Saunders, CEO of Bausch + Lomb, said in a statement. “Bausch + Lomb has undergone a profound transformation over the last few years,” Saunders said. “We introduced innovative new products for patients, built a robust pipeline, expanded into new markets and strengthened our relationships with eye care professionals around the world.”

Valeant’s ophthalmology business will be folded into the new Bausch + Lomb division. The combined global business would have 2013 revenue topping $3.5 billion on a pro forma basis, meaning the total of sales from both companies’ eye care businesses for the full year.

Much of that will come from Bausch + Lomb, which anticipates it will have revenue of about $3.3 billion this year. Bausch + Lomb expects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of about $720 million. After the deal closes, Saunders will become an adviser to Valeant to help with integrating Bausch + Lomb. Other senior Bausch + Lomb executives will join Valeant as well.

The $8.7 billion purchase price is about 2 1/2 times the 2012 revenue reported by Valeant, which specializes in dermatology medicines. It also sells a range of brandname and generic drugs, as well as nonprescription

medicines. Valeant’s CEO, J Michael Pearson, said in a statement that the deal will make his company a world leader in both eye health and dermatology.

“Bausch + Lomb’s world-renowned brand, comprehensive portfolio of leading eye care products and promising late-stage pipeline are an ideal strategic fit for our current ophthalmology business,” Pearson said. Bausch + Lomb had been taken private in 2007, when New Yorkbased Warburg Pincus bought the struggling company for $3.67 billion.

That happened after Bausch + Lomb had to recall its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution because it had been linked to dangerous fungal infections. Bausch + Lomb then paid out about $250 million to settle more than 600 lawsuits blaming the MoistureLoc solution for a potentially blinding infection of the cornea, the clear membrane over the pupil and the colored part of the eye.

Bausch + Lomb has since worked to rebuild, most recently with a series of acquisitions. Last year, it narrowed its net loss to $68.3 million from $123.9 million in 2011. Revenue rose to $3.04 billion in 2012 from $2.85 billion. Two months ago, the company said it expected to go public again. On Friday, amid rumors it was going to buy Bausch + Lomb, shares of Valeant jumped $9.80, or 13.1 percent, to $84.47. —AP

Gold rises due to physical demand LONDON: Gold rose yesterday, extending its gains after its strongest week in a month, as the dollar slipped and European stock markets steadied, while physical buying remained strong in Asia. Volumes were likely to remain thin throughout the day as both Britain and the United Sates had public holidays. Spot gold rose two percent last week, mostly benefitting from a lower dollar and a shift of funds out of equities. It was up 0.5 percent to $1,392.71 an ounce by 1012 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery rose 0.4 percent to $1,391.80 an ounce.

Gold is still down nearly 17 percent this year, however, after last month’s rout pushed prices down to a more than two-year low of $1,321.35. The drop was caused by worries about central bank sales and fuelled by a drop below $1,500 an ounce.

“Gold is holding around the levels seen at the end of last week, as there are few factors that are balancing each other out at the moment,” Commerzbank analyst Daniel Briesemann said.

“On the one side you have continued ETF (exchange-traded fund) outflows and speculators cutting bullish bets on COMEX, while on the other hand the metal is finding some support from continued demand for coins and bars amongst retail investors and ongoing purchases by central banks from emerging countries, which kept buying in April.”

Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest goldbacked exchange-traded fund, fell 0.24 percent to 1,016.16 tonnes on Friday, their lowest since mid-February 2009. The fund held 1,350.50 tonnes at the beginning of 2013.

Meanwhile, speculative net long positions - the difference between bullish and bearish contracts - held by COMEX gold futures and options hedge fund traders, fell to 35,686 lots in the week to May 21, the lowest level since July 2007, while short positions continued to rise, a report by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) showed on Friday.

Traders said that the expiry of June COMEX options, on Tuesday, may leave the market around current levels in coming sessions. “COMEX option expiry tomorrow and good sized open interest at $1,400 will likely see the market sticky around here for at least the next few sessions,” MKS Capital senior trader Alex Thorndike said in a note.

Asian buying Physical demand for the metal remained strong in Asia, where premiums for gold bars hit a record high amid tight supplies last week. Lower spot prices over the past month have attracted buyers mainly in China, the world’s second biggest consumer of the precious metal after India, traders said. “Since prices have been going down, we have seen almost 300 percent increase in sales,” said Gregor Gregersen of Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, a gold and silver dealer in Singapore.

Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed that Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan were among the central banks buying gold in April, despite the metal’s price fall.

In wider markets, the dollar index dipped 0.2 percent, while European shares steadied as markets were awaiting more macro economic data out of the United States to assess whether the Federal Reserve will slow its $85-billion monthly bond purchases in coming months. Elsewhere, silver rose 1.1 percent to $22.63 an ounce, platinum was up 0.4 percent to $1,457 an ounce and palladium edged up 0.6 percent to $728.97 an ounce. —Reuters

Iran offers insurance to India to spur oil sales NEW DELHI: Iran has offered insurance for Indian refiners to boost its crude sales, industry sources said yesterday, as the Islamic nation looks to counter a fall in revenues hit by tough western sanctions. US and European Union sanctions aimed at choking the flow of oil money into Iran and forcing Tehran to negotiate curbing its controversial nuclear programme slashed its crude exports in half in 2012, costing it as much as $5 billion a month.

The sanctions have forced refiners in India, Iran’s second-largest oil buyer, to reduce imports because Indian insurers have said they can no longer cover refineries that process Iranian crude. “They (Iran) said they can provide insurance for our refineries,” said one of the sources, after a meeting between Indian Oil Minister Veerappa Moily with his Iranian counterpart Rostam Qasemi.

“We had a fruitful meeting...Our meetings are about the energy sector,” Qasemi told reporters, without elaborating. Qasemi is on a three-day visit to India from Sunday to woo New Delhi for stepping up oil imports and invest in the OPEC-member’s oil and gas sector. Two refiners - Hindustan Petroleum Corp, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd - halted Iranian oil purchases in April due to insurance problems. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2770000 .4310000 .3680000 .3020000 .2780000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771240 .7513970 .3930000 .0720000 .7366120 .0370000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2841000 .4338920 .3707360 .3043390 .2795430 .0497330 .0443660 .2963730 .0365940 .2291130 .0029600 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0773800 .7538810 .0000000 .0757800 .7382100 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.837 5.168 2.918 2.272 3.286 229.200 37.017 3.679 6.906

.2880000 .4470000 .3760000 .3170000 .2920000 .3020000 .0069000 .0035000 .0778990 .7589480 .4110000 .0770000 .7440150 .0440000 .2862000 .4370990 .3734770 .3065880 .2816100 .0501010 .0446940 .2985640 .0368650 .2308060 .0028810 .0052870 .0022880 .0029190 .0036810 .0779520 .7594530 .4048090 .0763400 .7436660 .0069870

Thai Baht Malaysian ringgit Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

9.580 94.221 0.271 0.273

744.82 79.09 76.50

748.000 79.500 77.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd GCC COUNTRIES 76.657 78.986 746.650 763.520 78.276

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.438 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.341 Tunisian Dinar 174.200 Jordanian Dinar 405.950 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.929 Syrian Lier 3.123 Morocco Dirham 34.006 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 287.350 Euro 374.560 Sterling Pound 437.580 Canadian dollar 281.270 Turkish lira 158.750 Swiss Franc 302.000 US Dollar Buying 286.150 GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 285.82 284.05 300.81 372.76 286.40 440.36 2.86 3.689 5.186 2.268 3.258 2.910 78.04 762.27 40.40 407.61

Selling Rate 286.750 282.465 436.890 370.980 295.860 759.185 78.050 78.710 76.430 404.225 40.419 2.269 5.174 2.908 3.680 6.954 703.420 3.795 9.710 4.095 3.330 94.935

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 283.000 282.000 299.500 372.000 287.500 439.500 3.300 3.720 5.380 2.460 3.400 2.960 78.700 762.000 40.000 410.000

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

SELL CASH Europe 0.4278481 0.0062612 0.0457656 0.3664124 0.0452526 0.4235148 0.0392353 0.2939051 Australasia 0.2677639 0.2246165 0.0001140 America 0.2713010 0.0001462 0.2850000 Asia 0.0036421 0.0031866 0.0457618 0.0166100

SELLDRAFT 0.4368481 0.0182612 0.0507656 0.3739124 0.0504526 0.4310418 0.0442353 0.3009051 0.2797639 0.2346165 0.0001140 0.2803010 0.0001642 0.2871500 0.0036971 0.0034166 0.0507618 0.0197100

Guinea Franc Hg Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

0.0000446 0.0344513 0.0051002 0.0000244 0.0028724 0.0027581 0.0033556 0.0896040 0.0030879 0.0028905 0.0064572 0.0000733 0.2231395 0.0022314 0.0092030 Arab 0.7552440 0.0384730 0.0129538 0.1460100 0.0000799 0.0001765 0.3994455 1.0000000 0.0001762 0.0219552 0.0012248 0.7348357 0.0782176 0.0760400 0.0466918 0.0027765 0.1723211 0.0767591 0.0012958

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 286.600 373.000 435.800 279.700 2.875 5.160 40.430 2.268 3.672 6.890 2.912 762.200 78.000 76.500

0.0000506 0.0375513 0.0051642 0.0000295 0.0038724 0.0029381 0.0035856 0.0966040 0.0032879 0.0029305 0.0069272 0.0000763 0.2291395 0.0022734 0.0098030 0.7637440 0.0405030 0.0194538 0.1478000 0.0000804 0.0002365 0.4069455 1.0000000 0.0001962 0.0459552 0.0018598 0.7458357 0.0790006 0.0766800 0.0472418 0.0029965 0.1783211 0.0782031 0.0013958

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

World markets mixed after Japan market dip German, French stocks and euro firm

PYONGYANG: In this photo, North Korean women work in a thread factory. —AP

North Korea relaxes controls on salaries PYONGYANG: North Korea relaxed state control of salaries last month, a government economist said, outlining a change in policy intended to boost production by giving companies latitude to provide workers with financial incentives. In an interview with The Associated Press, Ri Ki Song, a professor at the Institute of Economics at North Korea’s Academy of Social Sciences in Pyongyang, said enteprises are now allowed to use some of their earnings to pay workers more.

Until recently, most salaries were set by the state. The new policy gives managers of factories and other businesses the right to determine workers’ salaries if they are able to improve productivity. The change follows a similar move last year to give managers at North Korean farms more power to make management decisions and to allow farmers to keep any surplus harvest to sell or barter instead of turning them over to the state.

“After repaying the state for its investment, enterprises can set salaries themselves, regardless of salaries fixed by the state, and pay workers according to their performance,” Ri said last week. Companies must also put aside funds for investment, continued production, development of technology and cultural activities, he said.

But Ri said the new economic management methods enacted April 1 were not signs that North Korea is adopting a capitalist free market system. “This is nothing to do with reform and opening,” Ri said. “As I’ve said, the socialist ownership of the means of production is firmly established in our country, and we defend this.”

Foreign governments have looked for indications that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might be open to reform since coming to power in December 2011. North Korea has a per capita GDP of $1,800 per year, according to the US State Department, just a fraction of the living standards in its Northeast Asian

neighbors, Japan and South Korea.

Kim, the third generation of his family to lead North Korea since 1948, inherited a nation plagued by chronic food, fuel and power shortages. He has said improving the economy is a priority, acknowledging economic hardship in North Korea and pledging to raise the standard of living. Kim in a speech in January said the country’s most important task is the “building of an economic giant” and called for all of the year’s economic undertakings to be aimed “a radical increase in production and stabilizing and improving the people’s living standards.”

“We should hold fast to the socialist economic system of our own style, steadily improve and perfect the methods of economic management on the principle of encouraging the working masses to fulfill their responsibility and role befitting the masters of production,” Kim said.

However, Kim also has made the costly building of a nuclear arsenal a priority at a time when the United Nations says twothirds of the population is coping with chronic food shortages. The new policy on salaries went into effect after a trial period, Ri said. “In the past, the state used to fix standard salaries, which meant you couldn’t pay more than a certain amount,” he said. Now, factories and enterprises that perform well will be allowed to raise salaries, Ri said.

“And individual workers who work more can earn more,” he said. Last September, AP quoted farmers as saying new directives aimed at boosting productivity at collective farms give managers more control over decisions on how to farm the land and allow farmers to keep any surplus after they fulfill state-mandated quotas. By giving farmers incentives to grow more food, North Korea could be starting down the same path as China when it first began experimenting with a market-based economy, analysts said. —AP

Ireland must change tax code: EU lawmaker DUBLIN: Ireland is preparing to officially reject accusations by US Senators this week that it acts as a tax haven for large multinationals and launch a diplomatic offensive to repair the damage done to its reputation abroad. Ireland has been forced to defend its low corporate tax rate af ter the Senate said last week that iPhone and iPad maker Apple paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits channelled through Irish subsidiaries and that it had effectively negotiated a special corporate tax rate of less than 2 percent.

Irish ministers and officials have lined up to insist that their tax system is transparent and that other countries were responsible if Apple paid tax at such low rates. Finance Minister Michael Noonan said Ireland would not be the “whipping boy” for the Senate subcommittee. The government will likely put its response on the record this week, two government sources said, and will tell the committee led by veteran tax sleuth Senator Carl Levin that Ireland is not a tax haven, nor did it cut Apple a special tax deal.

“Undoubtedly there’s a risk of reputational damage if we don’t defend our corner and set out the facts, so of course that’s happening,” Ireland’s European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton told Reuters, referring to the response being drafted. “I’ve no doubt there will be a strong response, and we will strongly defend Ireland as a safe, a legally sound and a good place to do business. What you see is what you get, and that is why so many global companies are headquartered in Ireland.”

Creighton was speaking from Dublin airpor t ahead of a four- day trip to Washington and New York where she will meet business leaders and politicians and address the prestigious Columbia University. While the trade mission was planned long before last week’s revelations on Capitol Hill, Creighton said she and her fellow ministers would use every opportunity to put right the “misinformation” heard in the Senate last week.

Ireland has a network in place to quickly spread that message. After it took a financial bailout in late 2010, Dublin set up its Economic Messaging Unit to coordinate communications between all government agencies, depar tments and embassies. Irish embassies from Beijing to Buenos Aires were issued rebuttal points last week, a normal practice for major stories, while I reland’s ambassador in Washington held a conference call with

government departments and the state agency charged with attracting investment into Ireland to discuss the next steps.

Dinner jokes in Brussels Within weeks of coming to office in 2011, Prime Minister Enda Kenny summoned all the country’s ambassadors to Dublin to brief them on how best to restore a reputation he said was in tatters.

The fresh assault will be similar, one diplomatic source said, adding that the key focus would be liaising with a strong network of contac ts in the US Administration and on Capitol Hill, where the leaders of Ireland and the United States traditionally meet for lunch to mark St. Patrick’s Day. While Dublin was able to call on exPresident Bill Clinton to tell US companies last year that they would be “nuts” not to invest in Ireland, the task could be trickier this time with the criticism emanating from its normally friendly ally. “That was a blindside for Ireland Inc. because we always thought we were on the same page as Anglo-American capitalism. We thought it would stick up for us,” said Hugo Brady, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in Brussels. “ The PR side of it is really bad for Ireland because Ireland and tax haven are going together in mainstream conversation in Brussels. It hasn’t done our image much good when people start making dinner jokes about Apple being an Irish company.” While Ireland will concentrate its energy in the United States to keep attracting jobs from the likes of Apple, Google and Pfizer, it will also need to keep an eye out for any back lash in Europe where its low corporate tax rate of 12.5 percent has drawn criticism in the past.

One influential member of the European Parliament said that while Dublin should be given time to adjust, it should adopt a standardised European Union tax system and ultimately a minimum rate of corporation tax. “Ireland should take its hands out of other countries’ pockets. Ireland’s tax system is designed to tax income other people have earned,” Sven Giegold told Reuters, underscoring how emotive the issue will be in elections in his native Germany. “If you want to heat up a room in an election meeting in Germany, you have to talk about tax avoidance. It has become one of the most emotional topics. People are outraged.” —Reuters

AMSTERDAM: With US markets closed, world stocks were mostly higher yesterday, with Japan the notable exception as the Nikkei sold off sharply for the second time in a week. The decline came after Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Karoda said over the weekend Japanese interest rates could rise without causing instability, despite the country’s large national debt.

The Nikkei 225 shed 3.2 percent to close at 14,142.65, with exporters hit hardest due to the rising yen. That’s the reverse of the picture for most of this year, as yen losses have helped propel the index to a 36 percent gain since January.

Among major losers yesterday, Nissan Motor Corp. dropped 6.8 percent. Yamaha Motor Co. tumbled 7.9 percent. Sony Corp. slid 6.3 percent.

The index also lost 7.3 percent on May 23, as investors have begun to wonder whether potential benefits of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive campaign to lift consumer prices and encourage borrowing and spending have already been priced in. In European trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.8 percent to 8,370.67. France’s CAC-40 advanced 0.8 percent to3,989.20. Markets in Britain and the US were closed for public holidays.

European Central Bank board member Joerg Asmussen said in a speech in Berlin that with the Eurozone countries in recession, the bank would continue to pursue easy monetary policy “as long as necessary.” Cees Smit, director at Amsterdam brokerage Today’s Vermogensbeheer in Amsterdam, said most of the excitement in European stocks came in the morning.

“We were looking at Japan earlier and it was surprising how well European markets were reacting,” he said. He said trade had quieted by the afternoon and stocks drifted off their earlier highs as investors began contemplating US May unemployment figures due out Tuesday. Other global markets were mixed.

Hopes for a global economic recovery were undermined last week when a survey on China’s monthly manufacturing pace showed a biggerthan-expected decline. Less-than-clear indications from the U.S. Federal Reserve on whether it might scale back its aggressive bond-buying pro-

gram, dubbed quantitative easing or QE, also caused investors to curb their enthusiasm.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index reversed early losses yesterday to rise 0.3 percent to 22,686.05 after pledges by China’s leaders to pursue sustainable growth helped push up alternative energy

helped the Hang Seng.

South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.3 percent to 1,979.97. Benchmarks in mainland China and Taiwan rose. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.5 percent to 4,959.90. Benchmarks in the Philippines, New Zealand and Indonesia fell.

TOKYO: Pedestrians walk past a share prices board yesterday. —AFP stocks. China Everbright International jumped 5 percent. Anton Oilfield Services, which is pursuing shale gas development in China, surged 8.3 percent. “We have seen a lot of funds buying into shale gas, wind power and environmental protection,” said Jackson Wong, vice president at Tanrich Securities in Hong Kong. Wong also said that a recovery in mainland Chinese stocks

Benchmark oil for July delivery was down 58 cents to $93.57 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 10 cents to $94.15 a barrel on the Nymex on Friday.

In currencies, the euro rose slightly to $1.2940 from $1.2934 late Friday in New York. The dollar was at 101.01 yen, down from last week’s high of more than 103 yen per dollar. —AP

OECD monitor slams Norway wealth fund OSLO: Norway’s oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, has no strategy for dealing with possible violations of human rights by the companies in which it invests, an independent committee set up to safeguard OECD ethical guidelines said. The Norwegian committee pointed to the fund’s investment in South Korean steel maker POSCO, which plans to build a $12 billion steel plant in India, saying the fund was not doing enough to protect against human rights breaches.

Several non-governmental organisations say the plant in Odisha state would displace more than 20,000 people, among them indigenous people who receive special legal protection. While the committee of experts, set up by the Norwegian government, has no legal power, its criticism could potentially damage the fund’s reputation as a socially responsible investor.

The oil fund, whose investments totalled $740 billion on Monday, is one of the world’s most transparent wealth funds and has excluded companies for what it has deemed to be unethical behaviour, such as the production of nuclear weapons and tobacco or the use of child labour.

The committee said on Monday that the fund had “failed to take appropriate steps to prevent or mitigate negative human rights and environmental impacts in connection with its investment in POSCO”.

The fund lacked “a strategy for identifying and handling possible violations of human rights in the companies they invest”, it said. Hans Petter Graver, head of the committee, said a company or investment group that had this type of complaint directed at it might face questions from future business partners. The OECD - Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - is a forum of 34 countries aimed at promoting economic progress and trade. Member states are required to set up an independent committee to police possible breaches of OECD ethical guidelines.

Norway’s oil fund, which invests the country’s revenues from oil and gas for future generations, has a 0.9 percent stake in POSCO and is the eleventh-biggest shareholder, according to Reuters data. The fund is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) on behalf of the Norwegian central bank, Norges Bank. NBIM says that while it was following the complaint against POSCO “with interest and concern”, it did not think the OECD guidelines should be applied to investors.

“In our view, the guidelines apply to the companies Norges Bank invests in, their business operations and subcontractors, but not to Norges Bank as a minority shareholder,” NBIM said. POSCO says on its website it has been highly sensitive to the human rights of the local community in Odisha and has never infringed upon any human rights.

The company has so far waited eight years to get the necessary clearances in India to start work on the project. Protests from rights activists, environmentalists and ex-politicians could yet scupper its plans to build the plant, even after a recent court decision on a mining licence moved the project a step forward. —Reuters

MILAN: Cyclists ride in downtown Milan. —AFP

Crisis-hit Italians swap cars for bikes despite dangers MILAN: Bikes are outselling cars in cashstrapped Italy but while cyclists in Milan say their city is ready for a two-wheel lifestyle, there are daily nuisances for riders on Rome’s trafficked streets. Some cities in Italy have bike-sharing initiatives, bike paths and public awareness schemes, while cyclists are still barely tolerated in others.“The economic crisis has had repercussions for everyone, including in transport. There’s been a small revolution in terms of lifestyle,” said Giulietta Pagliaccio, head of the Italian Federation of Friends of the Bicycle.

“We have seen a lot of people who have re-discovered this means of transport. Its ease, its simplicity, its speed for short distances... “ she said. There were 2,000 more bicycles sold than cars in Italy in 2011 — a differential that rose to more than 200,000 units last year, according to figures from an association of biking businesses and the transport ministry.

The car sector has been hit by what the head of auto giant Fiat, Sergio Marchionne, dubs “Carmageddon”-with a 20-percent drop in sales in 2012. Pagliaccio said Rome is a particularly “difficult” city for cyclists and that in general conditions are worse in the southern half of the country, with poorer quality roads and few bicycle paths.

She said mentalities were beginning to change-except for a few motor die-hards “who would drive from their bedroom to the kitchen if they could”-but that politicians remain “very behind” in terms of bike-friendly policies.“They are afraid of losing votes. It’s terrifying since everything is done in this perspective, without a long-term urban vision,” she said.

Piero Nigrelli, head of bicycles at the Ancma association of biking businesses, said it was “breathtaking to what point politicians lack awareness of the bicycle’s value”. He said Germany boasts some seven million cycling tourists a year who generate nine billion euros ($11.5 billion) in turnover, and only “a modest investment in bike paths”would be needed to bring such benefits to Italy.

In the Italian capital, those who use existing routes complain of daily trials, from junk strewn across the paths, to stretches along the riverbank which periodically flood and in one case a path blocked by a sprawling Roma camp. Famed for its annual Giro d’Italia bike race, Italy has yet to embrace bicycles as a form of transport, though a “Bikemi” bikesharing scheme in Milan has been enthusiastically received by locals and sales in foldable models are on the up.

Specialist shops in the economic capital have begun stocking bikes specifically designed for urban life, such as the British Brompton model, which folds up neatly and has a handle so it can be pulled along like a suitcase. The world’s oldest bicycle-making company, Bianchi, famed for kitting out biking champions such as Fausto Coppi, has branched out into electric bicycles to meet a growing demand from Italians keen to swap four wheels for two.

“Customers are asking now for high-range commuter models, they are looking for a long-term investment that supports the idea that they are turning away from the car,” Bob Ippolito, head of Bianchi, told AFP. Commuter bikes are now the company’s fastest selling models-up 35 percent last year-which is partly because some customers “instead of having two cars, now prefer to have a car and a bicycle”, he said.

Ancma’s Nigrelli insists Italy must play to its strengths as “a kingdom of taste, design and fashion, and make the (bicycle) trend a cool and innovative thing”. But in Rome at least, it will take more than a fleeting fad to get citizens to swap their comfortable gas-guzzlers for a sweaty peddle through the streets. A bike-sharing scheme launched in Rome in 2008 with 450 bikes at stations near monuments such as the Colosseum failed miserably and had to be scrapped. “We tried, but the bikes kept getting stolen,” said the city’s mayor Gianni Alemanno, who is accused by critics of wasting 1.8 million euros on the scheme. —AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Firms push healthy ways on workforce DETROIT: See a doctor? Just the thought made Linda Broome fume. But the request came from her employer, the Judson Center in Royal Oak, Mich., where she has worked nine years. The nonprofit social services agency is one of 200 companies in the state to sign up for Healthy Blue Living.

The Blue Care Network program, started in October, offers enhanced insurance benefits, such as lower co-pays for medical care, to employees and their spouses who commit to healthy lifestyle goals.

For now, the program centers on six highimpact health modifications that can contribute to lower health costs: Smoking cessation or at least reduction; alcohol moderation; weight reduction;

and diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol management. Lifestyle modification products like these are one of the newest trends in the health insurance industry. Only a few dozen companies now offer them. But expect to hear more about them soon, possibly in your own workplace.

They reward good health practices with lower insurance co-pays, gift cards, diet- and fitness-program discounts, cash and other rewards. The Judson Center, which faced an 8.5 percent increase for its Blue Care plan, got a price cut of $58,200 - a smaller hike - off its charges for the program, said Paul Kahler, a consultant for Judson project with JS Clark, a Southfield, Mich., benefit solutions company that helps the agency with

human resources issues, as a pro bono account.

“I’d say that’s a lot of money,” for a smaller company with 360 employees, Kahler said. Most of the policies don’t tie future employment with compliance to health goals. The few companies that have imposed penalties for unhealthy behaviors have invited controversy, as occurred in 2005, when an Okemos, Mich., firm fired four workers who refused to take drug tests for smoking.

“We believe in carrots, not sticks,” said Dr. Jack Mahoney, corporate medical director of Pitney Bowes Inc., an international Stamford, Conn.based management solutions firm and a leader in the wellness field. It has 34,000 employees worldwide.—MCT

CANTON: Adam Lucas, 11, of Milford, looks through CDs in the Rock/Pop/R&B music section at Wal-Mart in Canton, Michigan. —MCT

CD distributor tries branching out DETROIT: Handleman Co has kept the Kmarts of the world stocked with music for more than 50 years. But these days, the Troy, Mich.-based music distributor is starting to deal in greeting cards, DVDs and video games, all to redefine itself in a quickly changing music industry, where CD sales are dropping and more people than ever are buying their music online. As it adjusts, the company has cut jobs in the United States, hired people across the Atlantic and made acquisitions to offset falling music sales.

Handleman, which turns 73 this year and has 3,200 employees in three countries, is another firm that finds itself in an industry that may be changing faster than the company can change itself. The same situation can be found in retail, autos and newspapers, all changing because of technology and global competition.

For Handleman, it’s not competitors on the other side of the world that are forcing it to change, but technology and music companies on the other side of the country that have moved buyers to download their music. The compact disc isn’t dead. Last year, retailers sold 554 million of them, liner notes and all.

But that’s 8 percent fewer than 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan. And in 2005, retailers sold 7.6 percent fewer than they did the year before.

So far, 2007 is looking worse. For the first three months of the year, CD sales plummeted 20 percent. At the same time, digital album sales on the likes of iTunes and eMusic doubled, both in 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, SoundScan reports.

This is a problem for Handleman, a company that makes about 80 percent of its revenue by distributing and managing CD collections for big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart.

“The things we’ve seen are foreboding of what’s going to happen in the future,” said Bob Kirby, who joined Handleman in November as its chief operating officer.

Kirby, who is charged with guiding Handleman into new markets, isn’t a music guy. Sure, he’s a fan of jazz and swing. But Kirby, 50, was president of personal products at Johnson & Johnson and has worked at Procter & Gamble Co. He knows about a lot of the products that Handleman’s customers sell outside the music section.

In the past, Handleman has entered, and exited, the book, video and software markets.

Handleman’s new plans are starting to steer the company away from entertainment - a sign of things to come for the company. Here are a few of the initiatives Kirby is in charge of shepherding: - Greeting cards: Handleman has started managing greeting cards in 320 ASDA stores, Wal-Mart’s nameplate in Britain. Handleman will do for greeting cards what it does for music: track what’s selling, where it’s selling, and add stock where needed, all with the aim of selling more cards.

-In-store: Handleman’s employees have long restocked CD shelves and set up music displays in stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart.

After Handleman bought a company called Reps LLC for $21 million, it is doing the same for other products in the stores, like batteries and razors.

-Video games: In 2005, Handleman bought Crave Entertainment, a distributor of discount video games priced at less than $20. Crave’s customers include Toys “R” Us and Sam’s Club.

The acquisition has helped maintain Handleman’s revenue, which was up 3 percent for the 12 months ending in May. But so far, Crave, a $123.5 million purchase, hasn’t lived up to expectations, in part, Kirby said, because of delays in new gaming consoles hitting the market; and when they did get to the market, they were hard to find. As Handleman has changed its business, it also has cut costs. The company has cut back its pension plan, is charging more for health care and in the last six months eliminated 200 jobs.

Those and other cost cuts are expected to save the company at least $20 million a year.

In March, Handleman also suspended its 8cents-a-share dividend to shareholders.

Michael Friedman, an analyst with Noble Financial Group in Boca Raton, Fla., has been watching Handleman for more than five years.

He says the company could be on a fruitful track in the greeting card business. But Friedman wonders whether video games will go the way of CDs. He expects consolidation among music distributors. “It’s a tough business to be in right now,” Friedman said.

To grow its music business, Handleman broke down its services to offer them a la carte. At Best Buy, Handleman supplies and manages Latin music and CDs from small music labels and stocks new stores. In a new account with British retailer Tesco, Handleman won’t supply the music, but it’ll keep track of what sells. This new business and its entry into the greeting card segment has prompted Handleman to hire about 1,000 people in England.

Even with all of the changes in buying trends, Handleman has faith that people will still pick up a CD while shopping for toothpaste and telephones, even though sales at large stores have been flat. On Friday, Schalayia Warren, 25, of Inkster, Mich., picked up the latest Fergie release, “The Dutchess,” along with carpet cleaner, detergent and paper towels at the local Wal-Mart.

“I come here for household stuff,” said Warren, who usually buys her music at WalMart or Kmart. “You just end up in the electronics section.” A few feet away, Adam Lucas, 11, of Milford, Mich., looked for CDs from his favorite band, AC/DC. Adam says he usually buys CDs on shopping trips to Wal-Mart, Meijer or Target. But Kirby knows that buying trends can change fast, which is only reinforced by recent digital music programs at Wal-Mart and Best Buy. “We are going to plan our business around the worst- case scenario so that we maintain a sense of urgency for change that we have to make in the business,” Kirby said. “We are not going to stick our head in the sand or underestimate what could happen.” —MCT

Packing Pampers and PowerPoint RALEIGH: John Stultz was as gentle as he could be when he placed his sleeping 3year-old son over his shoulder. The last thing Stultz wanted was to wake him up: “I tried to keep him asleep because I knew that potentially I was going to have a livewire on my hands.” It was nearly 11 pm on a recent Monday when the two arrived at the Raleigh Marriott after driving down from Arlington, Va. Stultz was halfway across the hotel’s parking lot when the cold air woke the boy up. “Where are we?”

Luke asked his father. Stultz reminded him that they were on a business trip.

Stultz, an engineer and manager for SAS, prepared himself for a long night getting his son back to sleep and readying himself for back-to-back business meetings the next day at the Cary, NC, software company’s campus. At a time of mounting demands on working parents, Stultz and others are squeezing time in with the kids any way they can. For an increasing number, that means business trips with children in tow - and coping with all the challenges that creates.

According to Travel Industr y Association of America, the number of business trips with kids has increased 19 percent over five years to more than 80 million in 2005. “We are working longer hours, making it more difficult to balance work schedule and family life,” said Allen Kay, a spokesman for the TIA. “More people are finding that one way to do it is to combine leisure trips with business trips.”

As a result, many hotels, airlines and

child-care businesses recognize an opportunity and are expanding ser vices to accommodate them. Bright Horizons, which has child-care centers in major cities across the country, lets corporate clients drop their kids off on short notice when traveling for work.

The Raleigh Marriott at Crabtree Valley has children’s menus in all the food service areas throughout the hotel to cater to guests with kids in tow, said Karris Deis, director of sales and marketing. “If we know they have a baby or a young child, we ask them, ‘Do you need a refrigerator in the room, or do you need a crib?’” she said.

And Deis has noticed that more corporate travelers are bringing their families along on business trips. “There is definitely a difference from 10 years ago,” Deis said.

“It used to be very unusual to see families during the day. Now we are seeing a lot more strollers during the weekday than we used to.” Zoe Hatzidakis has been to Greece, London, Miami, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, New York and San Francisco.

She’s 2.

She got her passport when she was 14 months old, said her mother, Denise Hatzidakis, an Apex, NC-based chief technology officer of Perficient Inc., a software consulting firm in St Louis, Mo. Hatzidakis sometimes takes along a nanny or a relative to help. Even so, she admits it’s still a challenge. “It’s not easy, nor is it cheap. But for me, it ’s the right thing to do,” Hatzidakis said.—MCT

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Italy presses ILVA managers to stay after funds seizure Future of Italy’s biggest plant at risk

Roberto and Eva Cavalli unveil Life Ball MINI 2013 MUNICH: For the 13th consecutive year, MINI has donated one of its models to the Life Ball to be styled by an internationally renowned designer for a good cause. 2013 sees the MINI Paceman endowed with the creative signature of Roberto Cavalli. A few hours before the start of the AIDS charity event on 25 May, the Italian fashion designer and his wife unveiled the one-off MINI during the official Life Ball Press Conference. As part of the AIDS Solidarity Gala in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, the Life Ball MINI 2013 will be auctioned from 17 hrs on, with the proceeds benefiting projects committed to combating AIDS. Tonight at Life Ball’s magenta carpet Roberto Cavalli will present the MINI to the public.

A first glimpse of the Life Ball MINI 2013 unquestionably reveals the distinctive style of the famous fashion designer. Cavalli upgraded the exterior of the MINI Paceman - the youngest and seventh member of the MINI family - with an exclusive colour that

has already featured in his own fleet of cars: a special iridescent paint that shimmers between black and brown depending on the incidence of light.

This flamboyant paintwork accentuates the clear lines of the first Sports Activity CoupÈ by MINI and turns it into a very special one-off.

The expressive Cavalli logo on the roof of the car along with his signature on the wide coupÈ door leave no doubt as to the designer who has left his unmistakable imprint on the car. The logo can also be found on the inside, where the headrests and sun visors feature the stylish motif. The interior design of the MINI Paceman is swathed in black, with individual gilded elements - such as the decorative stitching on the leather seats and the MINI Center Speedo surround lending it an extravagant look. This is further reinforced by the hallmark Cavalli animal prints on the leather-lined steering wheel and parts of the instruments

Chinese group in bid for Club Med holidays PARIS: The two main shareholders in upmarket holiday group Club Mediterranee, including a Chinese firm, said yesterday that they would make a bid for the company, driving Club Med shares up 22.53 percent to 16.97 euros.

The two bidding companies, AXA Private Equity and Chinese conglomerate Fosun, said that their bid would be friendly and involved top managers of Club Med. The bid would be pitched at 17.0 euros per share, representing a premium of 28.4 percent on the average price of the share over a month, the two bidders said in a statement. The terms value the holiday company at about 540.6 million euros ($700 million). Club Med has been through difficult times and a refocusing of its strategy, and the financial outlook for the business now looks strong despite a depressed economic climate in Europe.

At the same time, Club Med reported a 7.1-percent rise in net profit for the first six months of its financial year to 18.0 million euros and said that the level of bookings for the holiday season in Europe was higher than at the same time last year. In 2012, Club Med made a net profit of 2.0 million euros, and its operating margin was unchanged.

The statement yesterday said that the proposed bid would enable sharehold-

ers to benefit from action to move the company up market, and would enable the business to enter a new phase of development. This would mean speeding up the strategy for developing the business in emerging markets and for strengthening its position in mature markets, which would involve the opening of new holiday villages.

The board of Club Med said that it noted that the bid was friendly but that it would give its assessment of the offer later. AXA PE and Fosun said that if their bid succeeded, Henri Giscard d’Estaing would remain chief executive and Michel Wolfovski would remain general manager. The shareholdings held by the two bidders and Giscard d’Estaing account for about 19.33 percent of the capital and 24.87 percent of the voting rights.

AXA PE and Fosun said that if they obtained the support of 95.0 percent of the share votes, they would de-list Club Med from a stock exchange quotation.

Fosun is the biggest single shareholder in Club Med, having become a shareholder in 2010 and owning 9.96 percent of the equity and 8.48 percent of voting rights. AXA PE owns 9.4 percent of the equity and 16.48 percent of the votes.

Giscard d’Estaing owns less than 0.01 percent of the capital. — AFP

BEIJING: A picture shows ClubMed holiday brochures at a Chinese tourist agency yesterday. — AFP

ROME: Italy’s government hopes the board of ILVA, the steel giant mired in an environmental scandal, will withdraw its resignation over the latest move by magistrates against the group’s owners, a senior official said yesterday. The board of ILVA announced its resignation on Saturday over the seizure of 8.1 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in assets from the Riva family, which controls Italy’s biggest steel plant in the southern city of Taranto. “We want to understand what prompted the resignation and what the financial and management situation of the group is after the seizure,” industry ministry State Secretary Claudio Di Vicenti told RAI News 24 television. “We hope that circumstances will allow a rethink.”

At stake are the jobs of some 12,000 ILVA employees and at least another 8,000 ancillary workers at the plant, situated in a region already suffering from high unemployment, as well as the future of one of the mainstays of Italy’s steel industry. Magistrates ordered the assets to be seized from holding company Riva Fire on suspicion of criminal association to commit environmental offences linked to steel production at ILVA, one of the biggest industrial employers in southern Italy.

They placed the group’s chairman Emilio Riva under house arrest last year and opened investigations into alleged corruption and tax evasion by the group’s management. ILVA said on Saturday it would mount a legal challenge to the asset seizure, which it said threatened its capaci-

ty to continue production. Investigative sources said the Taranto plant would continue to work normally following the asset seizure.

ILVA has been at the centre of a long judicial battle over accusations that toxic emissions of dust particles from the sprawling site have caused abnormal levels of tumours and respiratory diseases around Taranto in the region of Puglia.

Industry Minister Flavio Zanonato and the president of the Puglia Region, Nichi Vendola, are due to meet ILVA management later yesterday to discuss the situation.

“If a company of this kind closes down, we can say goodbye to the whole steel industry and we’ll also have problems with the engineering industry,” Zanonato said on Sunday. Actual job losses, including those at feeder companies, could reach 40,000, according to some officials.

Future in balance The government has been caught in the middle of a complex battle over the future of ILVA since prosecutors ordered the partial closure of the plant in July last year following a damning series of environmental reports. ILVA, which produced some 8.5 million tonnes of steel in 2011, almost 30 percent of total Italian output, has been operating under special administration ever since and has outlined a two-year cleanup plan for the site.

According to prosecution documents, emissions of dioxins, benzoapyrene and other can-

cer-causing chemicals caused an “environmental disaster”, damaging the health of Taranto residents and affecting farming and fishing for miles around. Italy, stuck in its longest postwar recession and fighting unemployment running as high as 40 percent among young people, can ill afford the loss of one of the few major industrial employers in its poor and underdeveloped south.

The seizure of the Riva Fire assets will not directly impact steel production in Taranto but the resignation of the two administrators in charge of ILVA - chairman Bruno Ferrante, who is now under investigation himself, and chief executive Enrico Bondi - has left its future in the balance. Antonio Gozzi, president of steel industry association Federacciai told the daily La Stampa the asset seizure would make it impossible for the company to pay suppliers and would threaten its ability to operate.

“The company will be forced to come to a halt,” he said, adding that it faced the risk of acquisition by foreign buyers who would have no interest in saving domestic industry.

Magistrates operate independently of government control, which has made it difficult for ministers to criticise their actions, but industry leaders have been bitterly critical of what they see as a campaign against the company.

“It seems obvious to me that the decisions of the Taranto magistrates can only mean they want to force the closure of our most important steel company,” Gozzi said. — Reuters

Retailers highlight service to fight showrooming

M

att Norcross has been selling books for two decades, but lately he must contend with readers who go to his Petoskey, Mich., shop to see and touch the printed works he offers, only to buy them later from Amazon.com at a savings. Even if he offers the books at the exact same price, shoppers can save 6 percent by not paying sales tax online. “Our store is being used as a selling tool for online retailers,” said Norcross, the owner of McLean & Eakin Booksellers. A few days ago, he added, he even caught a shopper taking pictures of recipes to avoid buying a cookbook. “Brickand-mortar stores can’t continue that way.”

To address this trend, which the retail industry calls showrooming, small stores like McLean & Eakin are increasingly touting their personal service. Other retailers, including national chains, are offering price matching - and bringing more technology, such as iPads, computer kiosks and digital codes for scanning, into their shops to direct customers to their online sites. In an attempt to curb tax-free online shopping, the US Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act earlier this month. The vote was 69-27, with opponents of the bill arguing that the legislation makes it harder for online businesses to sell in multiple states. It was sent to the House for consideration.

Forty-five states and the District of Columbia require customers to pay sales tax. But unless an online retailer has a brick-and-mortar store or office on the ground in a state, it

doesn’t have to collect the sales taxes. And while customers are still supposed to pay the tax when they file their state income tax returns, many don’t.

“Someone who’s strictly driven by price will come in and take advantage,” said Bo Brines, the owner of Little Forks Outfitters, an outdoors retailer in Midland, Mich. “Add that to a lack of a level playing field by not having to collect sales tax, and it’s a potent combination.” A recent study, by Seattle-based group Placed, found 40 percent of the shoppers participated in showrooming and concluded the threat to retailers may be more serious than they realize. The study was based on survey results from nearly 15,000 people.

In addition to Best Buy and Target, the study found other national retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, PetSmart, Toys R Us, Sears, Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, JC.Penney - even discount warehouse Costco - were at risk. “There will be more showrooming,” Placed founder and CEO David Shim predicted. “Now, it’s as simple as ‘I’m going to open an app.’ “ Some retailers - such as Best Buy and Target started offering to match online prices to combat showrooming. But competitive pricing is only part of the problem. “Customers come in and look at the merchandise.

Oftentimes they tie up an associate’s time for 10, 15, 20 minutes and then they go buy the product on the Internet,” said Tom Scott, senior vice president of the Michigan Retailers Association. “The ruder

MICHIGAN: Gorman’s Furniture in Novi, Michigan†works to compete in the Internet culture with their National Low Price Guarantee. — MCT ones take their phones out right in the store.”

Gorman’s President Tom Lias has a long list of reasons why shopping online can’t match the experience of shopping in the five Gorman’s Furniture stores in Michigan.

Among them, he said, are the choices, customization and service that customers get when they walk in the store, and being able to rely on the company.

Lias said he’s also encouraging his employees to accept technology: They’re using email and social media to keep in touch with customers. Some are now carrying iPads. And the stores have computer kiosks that customers can use to price and shop certain furniture brands.

“Customers want what they

want, when they want it,” he said.

Showrooming was a big topic at this year’s National Retail Federation Expo in New York, as retail experts outlined how online technology is both a threat and an opportunity, said Andrew Cherwenka, the cofounder and CEO of analytics company Authintic in Toronto.

“If you get to the heart of it, retailers don’t care how or where people shop _ as long as it’s with them,” said Vicki Cantrell, the executive director at Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation. As an example of this, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, started a program it called Endless Aisle, which encourages its customers to use smartphones in stores to read digital codes and to order products from its online store. —MCT

Great Lakes region pins economic hopes on water MILWAUKEE: A century ago, the seven-storey brick building a few blocks from downtown was a factory - a symbol of an era when Milwaukee and other cities ringing the Great Lakes were industrial powerhouses churning out steel, automobiles and appliances.

Eventually the region’s manufacturing core crumbled, and the structure became an all-butforgotten warehouse. Now it’s getting a makeover and a new mission. It will reopen this summer as a hive of business experimentation swarming with scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. They’ll share a lab where new technologies can be tested. Office suites will host startup companies, including one devising a system for cultivating algae as biofuel, another producing a type of pavement that lets rainwater seep into the ground instead of flooding sewers.

The center is part of a broader effort unfolding across the Great Lakes region to regain lost prosperity by developing a “blue economy” - a network of industries that develop products and services related to water, from pump and valve manufacturers to resorts offering vacations along redeveloped lakeshores. As growing water scarcity casts a shadow over the economic boom in warmer states, many in the long-scorned northlands are hoping they can finally make their abundance of freshwater a magnet for businesses and jobs that are now going elsewhere. The idea is either a perfect nexus of opportunity and timing, or- as some in the Sun Belt believe- just another longshot attempt by a cold and downtrodden region to reverse history. In the eight Great Lakes states, organizations devoted to the venture are springing up, with headquarters, government grants and binders full of Power Points and five-year plans. Universities are establishing

freshwater science and engineering programs.

Businesses are developing products such as advanced filtration systems for sale in countries where water isn’t just scarce, but also polluted.

Milwaukee has taken a pivotal role from its perch beside Lake Michigan, with $83.5 million in public and private money budgeted over the next year to support water-related businesses and research. “We all recognize that water has become more and more of a precious commodity,” said Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee.

“We have to do a much better job of promoting it.” The Great Lakes - Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario - hold nearly onefifth of the freshwater on the Earth’s surface.

But in one of the nation’s most vivid anomalies, some of the saddest, most bedraggled urban wastelands sit on the shores of the vast inland seas. After the collapse of heavy manufacturing unleashed an exodus of jobs to the South and West, one proposal after another for turning things around fell short.

But drought has gripped the Sun Belt in recent years, and federal scientists predict recurrent periods similar to the 1930s Dust Bowl if climate change models prove accurate.

Worried leaders there are floating increasingly radical proposals, from billion-dollar pipelines traversing hundreds of miles to creating artificial lakes. “I don’t like to get into an us-versusthem situation, but the drought in these other locations is going to get worse and worse and what we have to offer is going to get more and more attractive,” said David Ullrich, executive director of an organization representing the Great Lakes region’s mayors.

Sun Belt leaders, while acknowledging the problem, scoff at the idea of companies choosing the Midwest instead. They say they’re already working on solutions. Texas voters in

2011 authorized a $6 billion bond issue for water infrastructure, including building more than two dozen reservoirs in coming decades.

Besides just warm weather, “We provide economic opportunity,” said Tom Hayden, mayor of the Flower Mound, Texas, a Dallas suburb of 70,000 where the population has tripled in the past two decades. “We help businesses grow instead of seeing how much we can squeeze them with taxes.” Water availability is just one factor that influences where businesses locate, said Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute, author of a report on likely economic fallout from a drier climate. Still, he acknowledged, the outlook is disconcerting.

“It’s pretty certain that water-related risk for business will increase over the long haul in more places,” he said. Al Henes, who runs a brewery and pub in Flagstaff, Ariz., has waterless urinals and reuses water in his beer-making operation, but worries about the future as housing developments and golf courses keep springing up. Even so, he said, he’s not ready to forsake his beloved canyon country’s stunning scenery and outdoorsy lifestyle.

“You guys get a little colder up there,” Henes said dryly. Recalling childhood winter visits with his grandmother in Michigan, he added: “Some of my words would just freeze in my mouth and fall on the ground and shatter.”

Milwaukee reflects the grandeur of the lake region’s past as well as its decline and the quest to rebuild. A downtown statue of “The Fonz” evokes wistful memories of “Happy Days” prosperity, when more than half of the adult workforce had factory jobs with manufacturers like Allis-Chalmers, now defunct. Some warehouses and storefronts still sit empty, and the remnants of beer giants Schlitz, Pabst and Blatz have been turned to other uses. —AP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Al-Zayani Kuwait welcomes arrival of Jaguar F-TYPE KUWAIT: Luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar and Al-Zayani in Kuwait announced the arrival of one of the most anticipated models from the luxury car manufacturer to date; the Jaguar F-TYPE. Jaguar’s F-TYPE is a continuation of a sporting bloodline that stretches back more than 75 years and encompasses some of the most beautiful, thrilling and desirable cars ever built, representing a return to the company’s heartland with a two-seater, convertible sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement.

Design Visual appeal is fundamental to Jaguars and, as such, the F-TYPE is immediately recognisable. The company’s eye to the future is evident in the shape

and structure of the F-TYPE, defined by two ‘heartlines’ forming the front and rear wings. The cabin architecture reflects its role as a ‘one plus one’ sports car, focused upon the driver and their interaction with the electronic and mechanical components.

Sports seats featuring electric adjustment are the standard specification and optional Performance seats can be supplied.

The F-TYPE is available with three audio systems, two of which come from globally recognised British experts Meridian. These offer either 10 or 12 loudspeakers with outputs of 380W and 770W respectively. The Meridian systems benefit from the company’s huge experience in digital signal processing to create audio reproduction that is second to none.

Speaking about the arrival of the much anticipat-

ed Jaguar F-TYPE, Mr. Derek Davies, Automobile Director at Al-Zayani said: “Since its launch at the Paris Motorshow last September, the Jaguar F-TYPE has been eagerly awaited in this market, and we have already received a considerable number of orders from loyal Jaguar customers here. I foresee a significant increase in traffic through our showroom as a result of this very welcome arrival.” The Jaguar FTYPE is now available, along with the fullline-up including the XK, XF and XJ models, from Al Zayani’s showroom in Kuwait.

Key points A front-engined, rear-wheel drive convertible, the F-TYPE is engineered to deliver pure dynamic driving reward and stunning performance.

Three models will be available - F-TYPE, F-TYPE S and the F-TYPE V8 S. They are powered respectively

by Jaguar’s new 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine in 340PS and 380PS outputs and its 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol producing 495PS The range-topping F-TYPE V8S reaches 0-100km in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 300 kmph. The 380PS V6 F-TYPE S reaches 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 275 kmph, the equivalent figures for the 340PS V6 F-TYPE are 5.3 seconds and 260 kmph All engines drive through an eight-speed ‘Quickshift’ transmission, a centrally mounted SportShift selector offering full manual sequential control, as do the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

NBK’s business outlook to remain resilient over next 2 years: S&P KUWAIT: Standard & Poor’s, the international credit rating agency, said that its outlook on National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) is stable, reflecting the agency’s belief that NBK’s overall business and financial profile will remain resilient and generally unchanged over the next two years.

Earlier this month, Standard & Poor’s affirmed the longterm credit ratings of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) at A+, the highest in the Middle East. All the bank’s ratings carry a stable outlook.

“Our outlook on NBK is stable, reflecting our belief that its overall business and financial profile will remain resilient and generally unchanged over the next two years,” said Standard & Poor’s in a report on NBK published yesterday.

The agency pointed out that NBK’s main rating strengths include the bank’s leading commercial position in its domestic market, its strong capitalization on the back of good earning capacity, and more resilient asset quality than that of its peers.

Standard & Poor’s said: “our assessment of NBK’s business position is strong. We believe the bank’s business

GCC women’s wealth estimated at $224bn KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” has recently published a report titled “When GCC Women Invest: An Underserviced Market”. Based on the report’s proprietary calculations which takes into account the inheritance law, GCC women’s high net worth market is currently worth about $224 billion and accounts for 20.2 percent of the total wealth; that’s more than the Japan, where women controls 14 percent of the wealth. Yet the report notes that most investment products and opportunities were designed for male investors.

“Markaz” expects GCC women’s contribution to wealth to grow by 15 percent during the next 10 years due to several factors including the increasing labor participation of women as well as participation in business and the increasing capital spending in GCC countries.

According to the report, by 2020 women of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are expected to see the largest growth in wealth by 27.3 percent and 23.3 percent respectively. Kuwait and Qatar have the highest women labor participation rate among GCC nationals, this coupled with a relatively liberal stance on women empowerment (nationals) is expected to contribute to a sustainable growth rate in women wealth. That been said, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will take the lead in wealth creation of $10.5 billion and $15.79 billion respectively by 2020.

The report explains that low women participation rate in the first oil boom riches in GCC countries during the 1970’s was due to the generating wealth, while women managed the house hold. Therefore, investment products were constricted to men who based on several research polling tend to be more risk takers, have higher stock turnover velocity and have more conviction in their decisions.

However, the societal picture during the new millennium has become more colorful as social dynamics evolved and women started entering the workforce. As GCC women became empowered and family dynamics changed, the idea of managing the legacy based on age and gender began to decline in popularity, ushering a new client base for money managers - GCC Women Investors.

Referring to global polls, the report highlights the high dissatisfaction level among women with various financial services, noting that 62 percent -73 percent are dissatisfied on the quality of service and the products offered to them. The issue is rampant in financial advice segment and insurance segment.

The report also captures the differences between genders when it comes to investment styles in GCC countries. Although actual investment style might differ based on education level, marital status and age, women in general tend to be more risk averse when it comes to investments, while men seek higher returns and assume higher risks.

position will remain stable, underpinned by its leading position in Kuwait, long track record of good and stable performance, as well as good and experienced management. Strategy has proved flexible through the global financial and economic crisis so far. Earnings by segment and geography tend to be well diversified.”

“We view NBK’s capital as strong on the basis of the bank’s strong capitalization and good earning capacity,” the agency added. “We believe NBK will continue to manage its domestic and foreign organic growth conservatively in the current economic environment.” The agency stated that “NBK is the largest bank in Kuwait, with $63.4 billion of consolidated assets on March 31, 2013.” It added: “Total assets grew by 20.5 percent in 2012, notably as NBK increased its stake in domestic Islamic lender Boubyan Bank to 58.3 percent. We consider Boubyan a positive addition in NBK’s strategy.” NBK has consistently been awarded the highest credit ratings of all banks in the region by the major international rating agencies Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

Warba Bank becomes a member of KNET KUWAIT: Warba Bank, the most recently opened Islamic bank in Kuwait, yesterday became the 11th member bank to join The Shared Electronic Banking Services Company (KNET) in Kuwait.

KNET provides electronic banking services to all Kuwaiti banks and is committed to adopting stateof-the-art technology in varies areas of electronic banking services. KNET provides the highest standards and services available worldwide to its member banks in the Kuwait and covers also the GCC states. KNET is committed to accuracy and high international standards of efficiency and security in completing customers’ electronic banking transactions.

Warba Bank’s membership of KNET is an example of cooperation and mutual benefit in the banking sector, where the bank’s services to its customers integrate with the services provided by KNET in the local market, giving Warba Bank a competitive position among others Kuwaiti banks.

The cooperation between Warba Bank and KNET will offer the best banking services for customers, covering their needs locally and internationally.

Membership will also enable the bank to provide value added services to its customers by deploying the latest technologies in various advanced payment channels.

Warba Bank’s membership of KNET was a strategic objective of the bank’s management to enhance service provision to customers. KNET efficiently provides quality services to all banks operating within Kuwait and across the region, providing its members and their customers with electronic banking transactions throughout the GCC through its connection to Gulf Network (GCCNET). Having Warba Bank as a member in KNET will increase the efficiency and accuracy of financial transactions conducted by customers in Kuwait or in the GCC region.

Through the membership, Warba Bank will be able to activate the Points of Sale service for companies and merchants within the local market, which will reinforce the presence of Warba in the commercial sector. Additionally, the bank will be able to participate in the special promotional discounts that are provided to the holders of any of Warba cards.

Warba Bank’s membership of KNET is considered to be a long term investment that will provide stable and continuous returns over the coming years.

It will also ensure the application of the latest technology which will allow Warba Bank to provide customers with services and solutions according to the highest international standards of efficiency and security.

UAE’s economy estimated to be 30th largest economy in the world ABU DHABI: Preliminary estimates indicate real GDP growth was +4.4 percent y-o-y in 2012, up from +3.9 percent y-o-y in 2011. The estimate was slightly higher than earlier official indications of circa +4 percent y-o-y. Growth was driven by a sharp rise in hydrocarbon activity (+6.3 percent y-o-y) which accounted for 46 percent of output growth. Non-oil growth was anemic at +3.45 percent y-o-y, up from +2.6 percent in 2011. The silver-lining was that there were no sectors which registered contraction in real terms in 2012 (construction and quarrying sectors had contracted in 2011). Real estate and business services accounted for almost 15 percent of growth and government services 11.1 percent.

Nominal gross domestic product rose to $383.8 billion (+10.1 percent y-o-y). The oil sector’s relative contribution to nominal GDP growth was 48.7 percent. UAE’s economy is estimated to be the 30th largest economy in the world, ranking above Venezuela and almost the same size as the South African economy. Looking forward, we expect the moderation in oil prices to weigh down nominal growth as will be the case for other oil exporters. Current assumptions are for relative flattening in oil output compared to 2012 and this will weigh on overall real GDP growth which is forecast at circa 3.5 percent y-o-y in 2013. Authorities are targeting 4 percent growth.

Gulf Installments Company expands reach in Jeddah JEDDAH: Gulf Installments Company (‘Gulf Installments’), the Saudi-based installment company focused on providing Shariah-compliant installment and leasing to businesses across a variety of sectors and assets, has announced that 5 months after commencing operations from its Jeddahbased headquarters, the company has opened a full-fledged branch office in Jeddah and will be launching its offices in the capital Riyadh during the 3rd quarter of this year. In addition to that, plans to serve Small and Medium Sized businesses (SMEs) in the Eastern Province are underway with a Gulf Installments branch opening up during the second quarter of 2014 in Dammam. This expansion is in line with the company’s commitment to make its Shariah-compliant credit solutions available across the Kingdom to small and medium businesses that represent 90 per cent of the Saudi business community.

Gulf Installments was established in 2012 by SHUAA Capital psc following the success of Shuaa’s subsidiary Gulf Finance Corporation in the UAE. The company commenced its operations in January this year, and since then, Gulf Installments has already provided Shariah-compliant installment and leasing to more than 15 businesses where the average deal size is 2 to 3 million Saudi Riyals.

Central to the company’s growth has been the considerable increase in demand for equipment [financing] mainly in the manufacturing, construc-

tion and contracting sectors. Saudi economy is currently flush with oil revenues; the Kingdom has embarked upon a major economic diversification programme which includes the construction of several new economic cities and the expansion of heavy industries such as aluminium smelting. Over the course of 2011, contracts awarded totalled SAR 264 billion, a 140 percent year-on-year increase, driving a robust and higher-than-expected 11.6 percent real growth in the construction sector.

Strong demand for residential accommodation and improved availability of bank credit also means that the private sector will create a growing source of demand for construction projects during 2013. It is therefore anticipated that this trend should continue in the short to medium term on the back of the government’s vast infrastructure investment scheme.

Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the GCC, with a nominal GDP of USD David Hunt

435 billion, and is expected to grow by 4.5 percent in 2013. Even though Saudi SMEs account for 90 percent of Saudi businesses and 24.7 percent of total employment, they represent only 2 percent of the Saudi banks’ lending market.

With over 220,000 SMEs in the Kingdom, many of which are underserved, credit demand outpaces supply.

David Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Installments said: “Gulf Installments has had a successful launch here in Saudi and is currently providing Shariah-compliant installment and leasing to SMEs from across a variety of sectors, from contracting and construction, to healthcare and education; whether they need to establish their business or expand it by purchasing assets such as heavy plant and machinery, medical equipment, or contracting and constructing equipment.

We have already achieved more than 20 percent of our targets within the first quarter of the year serving the growth of the Saudi business community through a wide range of installment and leasing solutions. These solutions are in demand by a large number of clients which paves the way for building significant market share. Our focus is on the SME community, which is central to Saudi’s economy, and we are committed to the Kingdom for the long term and expanding our reach across Saudi in record periods of time. Our installment and leasing deals are an investment in the success story of Saudi Arabia, and underscore our confidence in the growing private sector in the Kingdom.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

technology

Netflix looks to hook subscribers with ‘Arrested’ SAN FRANCISCO: Netflix is hoping this weekend’s release of the resurrected TV series “Arrested Development” will draw more subscribers to its Internet video service. The award-winning show about the dysfunctional Bluth family returns Sunday, seven years after Fox cancelled the series. The revival coincides with Netflix’s own resounding comeback from a customer backlash over price increases and shareholders’ worries about rising expenses. The adversity had raised doubts about the company’s management and future.

Now, Netflix is winning back subscribers and investors with a bold attempt to establish its $8 per-month service as a home entertainment powerhouse that rivals the broadcast television networks and premium cable channels such as HBO. “Arrested Development,” a comedy that won six Emmy awards during a critically acclaimed three-year run, is the third exclusive series from Netflix Inc. this year.

It’s part of Netflix’s effort to add more original programming to a selection that consists primarily of old TV series and movies.

With 29.2 million US subscribers - far more than the 21.9 million TV subscribers that leading cable provider Comcast Corp. has - Netflix has already reshaped home entertainment. The service is encouraging more people to forego cable and satellite TV service and rely on Netflix to watch popular TV series a year or more after they originally were shown. Netflix also is empowering viewers to watch an entire season of a TV series in a matter of days instead of months.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings isn’t done disrupting things yet. He is spending more than $2 billion annually, including about $200 million to finance original programming that can be watched on traditional computers, smartphones, tablets, video game consoles and Internet-connected TVs. By expanding its library of content, Netflix is hoping people will decide to spend their idle time on its Internet video service rather than play video games, fraternize on Facebook, surf cable or satellite TV or watch a DVD. (Netflix started out as a DVD-by-mail rental service, but it is phas-

ing that out in favor of Internet streaming.)

“We want our members to choose Netflix in these moments of truth,” Hastings wrote in a recent essay outlining Netflix’s philosophy. By bringing back “Arrested Development” this weekend, Netflix is also trying to prove that people still want to see quality entertainment even when the weather is getting nicer and the days are growing longer. That runs counter to the philosophy of broadcast TV networks, which for decades have typically started the new seasons of their top TV series in September and stopped showing new episodes just before Memorial Day weekend.

BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield believes the scarcity of compelling choices on broadcast TV at this time of year is bound to help Netflix draw more viewers to “Arrested Development.” In a recent analysis posted on BTIG’s blog, Greenfield predicted that the total number of hours watched on Netflix in June might even surpass the Fox broadcast network for the first time.

If that were to happen, it would be an ironic twist, given that Fox canceled “Arrested Development” in 2006 over the protest of the series’ fervent fans. “Arrested Development” had low ratings during its run, but the viewers who did watch loved it. Others discovered the show later on DVD or Internet streaming - both of which have been available through Netflix. The first three seasons of “Arrested Development” were being watched by so many subscribers that Netflix knew another season would be well-received by its existing audience and would likely lure new subscribers, too.

Like Netflix’s previous series, all 15 new episodes of “Arrested Development” will be released simultaneously to allow viewers to watch the show as if they were perusing a book and deciding how many chapters to pore through in a single sitting. “Arrested Development” is scheduled to be available at 12:01 a.m. PDT Sunday (3:01 a.m. EDT ), meaning Netflix subscribers could conceivably devour the entire season before grilling on Memorial Day afternoon.

Netflix’s departure from TV’s traditional one-episode-per-week strategy has been well received by subscribers who have watched the service’s previous forays into original programming. February’s release of “House of Cards,” a political drama that stars Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, helped Netflix add 2 million more US subscribers during the first three months of the year, more than analysts anticipated.

“Hemlock Grove,” a quirky horror series, attracted additional viewers during the

subscribers, although there is no way of knowing for sure. In any case, “Arrested Development” is expected to attract even more new subscribers than “House of Cards” because of its built-in fan base and the success that several of its cast members have enjoyed since the show’s cancellation.

The original cast, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera and Will Arnett, is returning to the zany series revolving around a family whose opulent lifestyle

SAN FRANCISCO: This undated publicity photo released by Netflix shows David Cross (left) and Portia de Rossi in a scene from “Arrested Development,” premiering on Netflix. —AP first weekend after its mid-April release, according to Netflix, although the company hasn’t provided specific numbers.

It’s difficult to quantify how many subscribers joined Netflix to watch “House of Cards” and then decided to stick with the service after seeing all the other material available. That’s because “House of Cards” debuted during a winter period that is traditionally one of the service’s prime times.

For instance, Netflix added 1.74 million subscribers in the first three months of 2012. The difference between the two years could be an indication that “House of Cards” generated an additional 250,000

was torn apart by the arrest of a corrupt patriarch played by Jeffrey Tambor. In the new episodes, viewers will get updates on the characters, one by one. Although that was done because of difficulties booking the actors all at once, it ended up allowing for a non-traditional viewing experience, one more fitting on Netflix than a traditional network. Viewers, for instance, will be able to pause an episode on one character to watch the same scene from another character’s vantage point.

The long-awaited return of “Arrested Development” prompted Netflix to be more optimistic about subscriber growth

during the traditionally sluggish April-toJune period, Hastings told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The Los Gatos, Calif., company predicted that it could gain as many 880,000 US Internet streaming subscribers during the second quarter.

Without the series, Hastings said, the projected increase probably wouldn’t have exceeded 530,000, the growth it had during the same period a year ago.

If “Arrested Development” does as well as Hastings hopes, it will mark another triumph for a company that had fallen out of favor with subscribers and investors less than two years ago. Netflix infuriated customers in July 2011 when it announced price increases of as much as 60 percent for people who wanted to rent DVDs by mail and stream Internet video. Then, Hastings unleashed even more outrage by outlining plans to spin off the DVD-bymail option into a separate service called Qwikster - an idea that seemed so absurd that it was mocked on “Saturday Night Live.”

Netflix didn’t waver on its new pricing system, even though it resulted in the loss of 800,000 customers at the time. But Hastings scrapped the Qwikster concept amid the backlash. The DVD-by-mail service, which has lost 6 million customers in the past 18 months and now has 8 million, is being allowed to slowly fade away.

While Netflix subscribers were howling, shareholders were dumping their stock.

Investors feared the company wouldn’t be able to attract enough subscribers to cover the steadily rising fees for licensing video rights.

Those worries have dissipated now that Netflix is growing rapidly again, something that Hastings had promised would eventually happen after apologizing for the Qwikster mistake and the way he handled the price increase. After hitting a high of nearly $305 in July 2011 and then falling to below $53 last August, Netflix’s stock is trading at nearly $230. “I don’t have a sense of ‘I told you so,’ or something,” Hastings told the AP last month. “I have a sense of satisfaction that we are doing what we do best, which is steadily improving our service.” —AP

Robots to drones, Australia targets high-tech farm help Australia - leader in developing robots in agriculture

NEW YORK: Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer speaks during an announcement that Yahoo acquired the Tumblr blogging site in order to upgrade its Flickr site, in New York, in this May 20, 2013 file photo. —AFP

Yahoo, pay-TV operators among the Hulu bidders LOS ANGELES: Online video site Hulu is again up for sale, with Yahoo and pay TV operators DirecTV and Time Warner Cable among the seven bidders, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity, after several news outlets reported on the bidding.

The person didn’t offer details on the prices offered.

Published reports have pegged a bid by a group led by former News Corp. executive Peter Chernin at $500 million.

The other three bidders were all private equity firms: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co; Guggenheim Partners; and Silver Lake, in partnership with talent agency William Morris Endeavor, according to the person. The person said the bidders would be narrowed down in the coming weeks. The Walt Disney Co and News Corp control Hulu through their broadcast subsidiaries, ABC and Fox. Comcast Corp, owner of NBC, is also an investor, although it gave up its say in Hulu’s affairs as a condition of its purchase of NBCUniversal in 2011.

Hulu’s owners tried to sell the site before, but decided against it in 2011 after months of entertaining outside offers. Talk of a sale resurfaced after CEO Jason Kilar announced in January that he would step down at the end of March. Since then, Hulu has been led by interim CEO Andy Forssell. Its owners have struggled over the right strategy for

the service. It offers free viewing of recent episodes of broadcast network shows like ABC’s “Modern Family” or NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” with ads, but those episodes are also available elsewhere, such as on the networks’ own websites.

The paid version, called Hulu Plus, provides access to a deeper catalog and allows viewing on mobile devices and Internet-connected TVs, but several networks including ABC and NBC have developed apps that allow full episode viewing on mobile devices for free. Hulu made $695 million in revenue last year and said in April that more than 4 million customers pay $8 a month for Hulu Plus.

Both Disney and News Corp. have said Hulu is losing money. The ad revenue is small compared to the billions of dollars made on traditional TV, and Hulu lags far behind Netflix in paying subscribers.

Netflix boasts 29.2 million subscribers in the US alone.

Hulu could also be a contributing factor to viewers choosing to cancel traditional pay TV packages, which are far more expensive, in favor of watching video over the Internet. Representatives for DirecTV Group Inc., Time Warner Cable Inc., KKR, Silver Lake and William Morris declined to comment.

Spokespeople for Yahoo Inc. and Guggenheim did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A representative for The Chernin Group could not immediately be reached. —AP

SYDNEY: Moving carefully along a row of apple trees, two of Australia’s newest agricultural workers check if the fruit is ripe or the soil needs water or fertilizer. Meet “Mantis” and “Shrimp”, agricultural robots being tested to do these tasks and more in a bid to cut costs and improve productivity in Australia’s economically vital farm sector, which exported A$39.6 billion ($38.8 billion)of produce in 2012.

Australia is one of the leaders in the field and, with a minimum wage of A$15.96 per hour and a limited workforce, has a big incentive to use robots and other technology such as unmanned aircraft to improve efficiency. It hopes to tap fast-growing Asian neighbors, where the swelling ranks of the middle class increasingly want more varied and better quality food from blueberries to beef.

“The adoption of new technology is going to be crucial for Australia to maintain its competitiveness in terms of the global agricultural sector,” said Luke Matthews, commodities strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. “If we don’t adopt new technology, we can give up on these high-flying ambitions of being the food bowl of Asia.” Agriculture now accounts for 2 percent of Australia’s gross domestic product, but the government forecasts it could reach 5 percent by 2050. Its growth is particularly important now the oncebooming mining sector is slowing.

Australia is the world’s second-biggest wheat exporter and arable farmers are already using specialized technology aimed at improving efficiency, including satellite positioning software to allow farmers to map out land and soil to determine optimal inputs. Using such technology to optimize the use of fertilizer can boost profitability at grain farms by 14 percent, according to a study by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

COLOUR RECEPTORS A robot effortlessly plucking fruit is some way off, though a range of simpler tasks are within reach to add to existing technology such as automatic steering of harvesters. Salah Sukkarieh,

Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney and developer of Mantis and Shrimp, says the next phase aims for robots to do increasingly complex jobs such as watering and ultimately harvesting.

“We have fitted them with a lot of sensors, vision, laser, radar and conductivity sensors including GPS and thermal sensors,” said Sukkarieh, speaking at his laboratory housing a collection of both ground robots and unmanned air vehicles.

The technology could have the biggest application in horticulture, Australia’s third-largest agricultural sector with exports of $1.71 billion in the last marketing year, since a fixed farm layout lends itself better to using robots.

Robots and an unmanned air vehicle that are being developed at the University of Sydney had passed field tests at an almond farm in Mildura, Victoria state, said Sukkarieh. Propelled by sets of wheels and about the height of a man, the robots were named after the native Mantis shrimp because of the marine crustacean’s 16 different color receptors, capable of detecting up to 12 colors.

Humans only have four, three of which pick up colors.

This capacity to recognize color already allows the robots to sense whether fruit is ripe. The data can then be processed by computer algorithms to determine what action the robot should take. This could be to water or apply fertilizer or pesticides, or to sweep and prune vegetation, and eventually the aim is to harvest the crop. “If tomorrow we got an apple, orange or tomato farmer that wants a robot to go up and down these tree crops reliably and accurately, we can do that within six months to a year.” “The question is can we make them more intelligent,” added Sukkarieh, who also sees the technology being attached to standard farm vehicles and foresees a fully automated horticulture farm within 10 years.

BRUISED APPLES Australian farmers, who depend on seasonal labor for jobs such as picking fruit and vegetables, said they would welcome high-tech help.

“Berry picking by a robot would be difficult but if they could produce a robot, I could make a significant saving,” said Allan Dixon, co-owner of the Clyde River Berry Farm in New South Wales, who typically takes on five people every year. To get enough agricultural workers, Australia allows in some labor from neighboring Pacific island countries and East Timor, as well as using backpackers on temporary work visas.

Some fruit farmers remain sceptical. “Apples will always need to be harvested by hand, due to their fragile nature. They bruise very easily,” said Lucinda Giblett, director at Newton Orchards in Western Australia. “We see no current opportunities offered by agricultural robots. Even as a pruning device, application is very limited,” added Giblett.

PRODUCTIVITY Further productivity gains will be needed if Australia is to reach its target of being the main food supplier to Asia. A 2011 study by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences said around two-thirds of the increase in the monetary value of agricultural production in the last 50 years in the country was down to gains in productivity.

Another survey by the Grains Research and Development Corporation showed 67 percent of respondents in 2011 used auto-steer technology to guide machinery such as harvesters and sprayers, up from 47 percent in 2008.

Obstacles to using more technology remain, however, including the cost of buying or renting equipment and slower growth in research and development spending. Some studies show growth in the use of satellite imagery and soil mapping has stagnated in Australia and the United States in recent years. Regardless of whether it can meet its targets to supply more food to Asia, Australia is expected to play a big role in global food security by being one of the test beds for new ways to produce food more efficiently in often harsh conditions. —Reuters

EMC announces new solutions and services KUWAIT: EMC yesterday announced new transformational solutions and services that are intended to help customers move workloads of SAP solutions to next-generation privatecloud infrastructures. To help build a foundation for private cloud computing, EMC is also deepening its relationship with SAP and VMware by integrating their respective services capabilities and helping customers accelerate full-lifecycle transformation of SAP applications to virtualized x86 environments.

These new additions are expected to help and revolutionize IT organizations and operations by simplifying the design, planning and operation of on-premise cloud computing infrastructures that take advantage of the latest EMC, SAP and VMware technologies. Through a combination of services and solutions EMC, together with SAP and VMware, intends to enable customers running SAP solutions to simplify IT management and focus on

innovation and competitive advantage while reducing costs.

NEW EMC PROVEN SOLUTIONS Customers making the transformation to on-premise cloud computing will seek to optimize their IT landscape to maximize productivity of SAP application-based workloads and the IT and Basis administrators responsible for managing them. The EMC Proven Solution for private cloud computing running SAP solutions discusses common business drivers for private cloud computing as well as industry standard requirements. The solution documents the key components of a virtual stack designed to support a virtualized private cloud environment running SAP solutions. The solution may also facilitate high quality of service, optimization for performance, and ease of management, while helping to control costs through virtual infrastructure consolidation. Key compo-

nents include the following: Maximized performance and scalability throughEMC fully automated storage tiering (FAST VP); IT management leveraging virtualizedtechnology and integratedwith SAP NetWeaver(r) Landscape Virtualization Management software; Setup and deployment of virtual IT chargeback models; Cloud stack monitoring across virtualized servers and infrastructure running SAP applications and on-stop operations and continuous data protection for SAP solutions with EMC RecoverPoint and VPLEX. AUTOMATED DISASTER RECOVERY The EMC Proven Solution for automated disaster recovery of SAP solutions outlines how to extend private cloud infrastructures for disaster recovery across heterogeneous storage infrastructure as well as how to perform non-disruptive testing of disaster recovery plans. This solution leverages EMC RecoverPoint with VMware

Site Recovery Manager to help provide customers disaster recovery using VMAX and VNX series interchangeably as production and disaster recovery storage for SAP applications and is expected to enable: APPLICATION CONSISTENT FAILOVER - fully automated failover across multiple storage systems with write-order integrity of SAP applications all in a matter of minutes; POINT-IN-TIME RECOVERY - granular recovery of SAP applications from a logical corruption without the need to restore and roll forward the entire database, accelerating recovery; NON-DISRUPTIVE FAILOVER TESTING -online testing through restoring a snapshot of SAP applications and encapsulating it in a private network during the test. The result is a disaster recovery plan that is anticipated to allow for non-disruptive testing to meet information security and audit requirements and help increase leverage of existing storage assets for higher return on investment.

NEW SERVICES Working in collaboration with SAP and VMware, EMC is offering services designed to quickly and safely move workloads of SAP solutions to virtualized x86 environments that are high performing, easier and less expensive to manage.

Services available today address the complete lifecycle transformation of SAP applications, including:Initial blueprinting and design of virtualized x86 infrastructure; IT operational process changes and planning; SAP application and infrastructure migration planning, execution and testing; Setup of efficient and agile data management of cloud-based environments running SAP solutions. The initial phase of this collaboration is being executed in the EMEA region to help customers move their SAP solutions to virtualized x86 environments in less time and with less risk.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Decline in biodiversity of farmed plants, animals gathering pace OSLO: A decline in the diversity of farmed plants and livestock breeds is gathering pace, threatening future food supplies for the world’s growing population, the head of a new United Nations panel on biodiversity said yesterday.

Preserving neglected animal breeds and plants was necessary as they could have genes resistant to future diseases or to shifts in the climate to warmer temperatures, more droughts or downpours, Zakri Abdul Hamid said.

“The loss of biodiversity is happening faster and everywhere, even among farm animals,” Zakri told a conference of 450 experts in Trondheim, central Norway, in his first speech as founding chair of the UN biodiversity panel.

Many traditional breeds of cows, sheep or goats have fallen out of favour, often because they yield less meat or milk than new breeds. Globalisation also means that people’s food preferences narrow down to fewer plants.

Zakri said there were 30,000 edible plants but that just 30 crops accounted for 95 percent of the energy in human food that is dominated by rice, wheat, maize, millet and sorghum. He said it was “more important than ever to have a large genetic pool to enable organisms to withstand and adapt to new conditions.” That would help to ensure food for a global population set to reach 9 billion by 2050 from 7 billion now.

Zakri noted that the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimated last year that 22 percent of the world’s livestock breeds were at risk of extinction. That means there are fewer than 1,000 animals in each breed.

The extinctions of some domesticated animals and plants was happening in tandem with accelerating losses of wild species caused by factors such as deforestation, expansion of cities, pollution and climate change, he said.

Irene Hoffmann, chief of the FAO’s animal genetic resources branch, told Reuters that eight percent of livestock breeds had already become extinct. Many nations had started breeding programs for rare livestock, from llamas to pigs.

Some were freezing embryos or even stem cells that might be used in cloning, she said. In 2010, governments set goals including halting extinction of known threatened species by 2020 and expanding the area set aside in parks or protected areas for wildlife to 17 percent of the Earth’s land surface from about 13 percent now.—Reuters

BRAZIL: A protester wearing a protective suit and mask holds up a sign toward passing cars that reads in Portuguese “A better world according to Monsanto is a world with more cancer”.—AP

BRAZIL: A protester wearing a protective suit and mask holds up a sign toward passing cars that reads in Portuguese “A better world according to Monsanto is a world with more cancer” in Sao Paulo.-AFP

Protesters across globe rally against Monsanto LOS ANGELES: Protesters rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said.

Organizers said “March Against Monsanto” protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read “Real Food 4 Real People” and “Label GMOs, It’s Our Right to Know.” Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or other wise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply.

Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the United States today have been genetically modified. But critics say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions and harm the environment. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention in recent years, with health advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified products even though the federal government and many scientists say the technology is safe.

The ‘March Against Monsanto’ movement began just a few months ago, when founder and organizer Tami Canal created a Facebook page on Feb. 28 calling for a rally against the company’s practices. “If I had gotten 3,000 people to join me, I

would have considered that a success,” she said Saturday. Instead, she said an “incredible” number of people responded to her message and turned out to rally. “It was empowering and inspiring to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences and come together today,” Canal said. The group plans to harness the success of the event to continue its anti-GMO cause.

“We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet,” she said. “If we don’t act, who’s going to?” Protesters in Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina, where Monsanto’s genetically modified soy and grains now command nearly 100 percent of the market, and the company’s Roundup-Ready chemicals are sprayed throughout the year on fields where cows once grazed. They carried signs saying “Monsanto-Get out of Latin America” In Portland, thousands of protesters took to Oregon streets. Police estimate about 6,000 protesters took par t in Portland’s peaceful march, and about 300 attended the rally in Bend. Other marches were scheduled in Baker City, Coos Bay, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Portland, Prineville and Redmond. Across the country in Orlando, about 800 people gathered with signs, pamphlets and speeches in front of City Hall. Maryann Wilson of

Clermont, Fla, said she learned about Monsanto and genetically modified food by watching documentaries on YouTube.

“Scientists are saying that because they create their own seeds, they are harming the bees,” Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. “That is about as personal as it gets for me.” Chrissy Magaw was one of about 200 protesters who walked from a water front park to the Mar tin Luther K ing Jr. memorial in Pensacola. She told WEAR-TV that knowing what you eat and put into your body is the most important decision you make every day. In Birmingham, Ala, about 80 protesters turned out at Rhodes Park, some dressed as bees and butterflies, Al.com reported.

SI Reasoning, an activist, artist and musician who lives in Vestavia, Ala., described Monsanto’s handling of GMOs as a “huge, uncontrolled experiment on the American people.” Monsanto Co, based in St Louis, said that it respects people’s rights to express their opinion on the topic, but maintains that its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water and energy.

The Food and Drug Administration does not require genetically modified foods to carry a label, but organic food companies and some consumer groups have intensified their push for labels,

arguing that the modified seeds are floating from field to field and contaminating traditional crops. The groups have been bolstered by a growing network of consumers who are wary of processed and modified foods. The US Senate this week overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, a lobbying group that represents Monsanto, DuPont & Co and other makers of genetically modified seeds, has said that it supports voluntary labeling for people who seek out such products. But it says that mandator y labeling would only mislead or confuse consumers into thinking the products aren’t safe, even though the FDA has said there’s no difference between GMO and organic, non-GMO foods. However, state legislatures in Vermont and Connecticut moved ahead this month with votes to make food companies declare genetically modified ingredients on their packages.

And supermarket retailer Whole Foods Markets Inc. has said that all products in its North American stores that contain genetically modified ingredients will be labeled as such by 2018. Whole Foods says there is growing demand for products that don’t use GMOs, with sales of products with a “Non-GMO” verification label spiking between 15 percent and 30 percent.—AP

Heart device delays leave US docs frustrated

CHINA: This picture taken shows Wu Yuanhong, 42, a mentally ill Chinese man, sits in a cage, which he has been kept for more than a decade by his family, at their home in Lijiachong village in Ruichang Jiangxi province.—AFP

Family kept Chinese man in cage for 11 years BEIJING: A mentally ill Chinese man has been kept in a cage for more than a decade by his family after he beat a child to death, media reported yesterday carrying images of him staring blankly though the bars. Wu Yuanhong, 42, was shown sitting on blankets in the narrow enclosure, his feet shackled with a heavy chain and wearing only a T-shirt and his underwear. He was diagnosed as a schizophrenic at the age of 15 and in 2001 he beat a 13-year-old to death, the Information Daily newspaper said on its website.

Judicial authorities in Jiangxi province released him a year later as his illness meant he was not legally responsible for his actions, it said.

No independent confirmation of the circumstances was immediately available to AFP. Wu was placed in shackles after his release, but his mother Wang Muxiang, built the cage after he escaped and walked around his home village of Shangfan scaring local residents, the report said. Family members cried as they put him in the cage, the report added, but he escaped again and they were forced to build a stronger structure to hold him. “My son may be insane, and beat someone to death, but he’s still my son. To use my own hands to place him in a cage was very hard to take, like being stabbed with a knife,” the paper quoted Wang as saying.

Wang gives her son three meals a day, placing a cloth over the cage and providing a pan when he needs the toilet. “Every time I delivered food, I would sit at his cage and cry,” she reportedly said, adding: “Now my tears are dried up.” Many mentally ill people in China go without proper treatment due to a lack of resources and qualified professionals, especially in the countryside. The Ministry of Health said in 2010 that there were only about 20,000 psychiatrists to serve the country’s population of 1.35 billion, the state-run China Daily reported.

Authorities estimated in 2009 that about 170 million people had some form of mental illness, while more than 16 million suffered from severe mental health problems.

The Information Daily quoted local officials as saying they had supported Wu’s family with donations of oil and rice, adding Jiangxi had launched limited subsidies for poor families with mentally ill relatives. An official at the police station in Nanyang, which covers Shangfan, told AFP he was not aware of the case.—AFP

NEW YORK: Americans accustomed to immediate access to the newest technology may be shocked to find that is not the case when it comes to devices that treat ailing hearts. US approval requirements for cardiac devices are much more stringent than in Europe, where there is no centralized decision-making body.

But a growing number of US heart doctors feel the regulations are so demanding that patients are being denied access to beneficial therapies.

From 2006 to 2011, European regulators approved mid-to-high-risk medical devices, including heart devices, an average of four years ahead of the more conservative US Food and Drug Administration, according to a report last year by Boston Consulting Group.

The quicker road to market in Europe did not lead to a discernible increase in recalls or safety problems, according to BCG and the California Healthcare Institute, which conducted the study, and Eucomed, the European trade group.

“There is frustration among the US investigators(researchers) and US care providers around delayed access to certain interventions that appear to be a winner,” said Dr Patrick O’Gara, a cardiologist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. An example cited by several doctors is a replacement for diseased heart valves made by US device maker Edwards Lifesciences. The Sapien transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system is particularly suited for elderly and frail patients, since it can be put in place via a catheter threaded through an artery rather than replacing a valve by cracking open the chest for heart surgery.

“With this disease, if you wait two or three years, 60 or 80 percent of (patients) are dead.

So not to have the most updated version of

the device to treat more patients like this doesn’t seem to be a particularly good idea,” said Dr Martin Leon, director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

Heart disease remains the world’s No. 1 killer. An estimated 500,000 Americans suffer from severely diseased heart valves, according to the American Heart Association. Many could be candidates for valve replacements.

The approval delays are also costing device makers, such as Edwards and Medtronic Inc, hundreds of millions of dollars in potential sales while they are being asked to help pay for U.S. healthcare reform through new taxes.

Dismay among heart doctors over delayed access to new devices gained momentum at this year’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting, which featured several US clinical trials of devices long available in Europe. One top researcher at the meeting called the United States “a Third World country” when it comes to availability of cuttingedge heart devices.

Only Edwards’ original Sapien valve has US approval - which it received in 2011, four years after Europe and elsewhere. European cardiologists have been using a next-generation version, which doctors find easier to maneuver into place and believe may cause less trauma to the artery, for three years. That is why Leon, who is co-lead investigator of US clinical trials for both the original Sapien heart valve and the smaller, newer Sapien XT, sends some patients to Europe for treatment if he believes them better suited for the sleeker XT. Medtronic has a similar heart valve replacement awaiting US approval that has been used in Europe since 2007. Asked at the ACC meeting if he found the situation frustrating, Dr Gary Mintz, chief medical officer of

the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York, shot back: “You mean because Algeria had TAVR before the US?” “Even the FDA recognizes the problem, but they are answerable to Congress, not us,” Mintz said.

FDA’S bid to streamline The FDA requires proof of efficacy as well as safety through carefully controlled, randomized clinical trials before approving products, and may ask for long-term follow-up data. “We recognize that some of our regulatory requirements have been viewed as impediments compared to other parts of the world,” said Andrew Farb, medical officer in the FDA’s division of cardiovascular device evaluation.

The FDA is working on a new program to help streamline the path to US approval that would involve the agency much earlier in device development - possibly discussing results with researchers after use in the first patient, according to Farb. The agency expects to publish this year its “early feasibility study guidance,” which it hopes will outline a path toward swifter reviews and approvals of devices in development in the United States, Farb said.

“When you’re starting a new way of thinking, getting this really ramped up is a challenge, but we’re hopeful,” he said. Some companies, eager for faster returns on their investments, have moved early-stage device trials overseas, since they know they are likely to be able to begin selling the products there years earlier. That has added to delays of US trials and approvals, Farb and others said.

Enrolling patients in randomized US trials mandated by the FDA is also being hampered by patient fear they would be put in a control group that did not get the new device, doc-

tors said. Farb said the FDA is concerned by such trends and is seeking ways to move early-stage human trials back to the United States.

Europe may seek tighter controls In Europe, device makers must prove a product’s safety to the satisfaction of one of some 80 designated regulator bodies and show it functions as intended. Effectiveness is determined through post-approval surveillance as it is used in patients. Some European politicians view the system as too lax and have called for a model closer to the US. “I think we need to meet somewhere in between,” said Dr David Holmes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic and a past ACC president, of the two regulatory systems. He said Europe may need to tighten its regulations without necessarily adding years to its process.

One suggestion put forward by Eucomed a device industry trade group that represents thousands of companies - and others would significantly cut the number of European regulators allowed to approve higher-risk devices. US doctors are actively looking for ways to address the issue. “We need a coalition of involved, thoughtful and balanced individuals who see things on both sides of the equation and look for every opportunity to shorten this time line,” O’Gara said.

Holmes said such a coalition, including researchers, manufacturers and physician groups like ACC and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, is looking to work more closely with the FDA on the issue. He said the group is compiling a database of all patients getting TAVR to enhance understanding of the procedure’s long-term performance and aid the FDA in making decisions.—AP

No new H7N9 cases in China for second week

CHINA: A man weighs a chicken in a poultry market in Hong Kong.—AFP

BEIJING: No new human cases of the deadly H7N9 bird flu strain were recorded in China for the second week in a row, national health authorities said yesterday, suggesting the outbreak has slowed. The total number of fatalities from the virus stands at 37, after one previously infected patient died in the week beginning May 20, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement. But the total number of confirmed cases was unchanged at 130. Of those, 76 have recovered and been discharged from hospital, it said, adding that no evidence of human-tohuman transmission had been detected so far.

One other case was recorded in Taiwan.

Experts fear the possibility of the virus mutating into a form easily transmissible

between humans, with the potential to trigger a pandemic. Flu viruses are often seasonal and much of China is experiencing warmer weather following the end of winter. But the world is not ready to deal with a major pandemic, the deputy head of the World Health Organization told a conference last week, despite efforts since an outbreak of another form of avian influenza, H1N1, in 2009-10.

“Even though work has been done since that time, the world is not ready for a large, severe outbreak,” Keiji Fukuda said. China was accused of covering up the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people around the world a decade ago, but Chan thanked authorities for their close collaboration with the WHO over H7N9.—AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

ST..ST..ST..STOP STUTTERING F

awzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute provides insight on the causes of stuttering and tips on preventing this condition through speech therapy A recent study by The Oakland County Speech-LanguageHearing Association found that four out of 100 children in America alone stutter during childhood, and on a global level,

Mohammed Al-Ameer, Senior Speech Therapist

this number is predicted to be much higher. Studies also indicate that if stuttering begins after eight years of age, the condition is more likely to last into adulthood.

According to Mohammed Al Ameer, Senior Speech Therapist at Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Centre and currently pursuing his PhD thesis on stuttering, this condition and the statistics are often overlooked as it isn’t perceived to be dangerous or harmful. “However, this condition causes the person to live with fear and embarrassment of themselves and the restraint to even attempt to speak. This severely affects one’s quality of life,” he said.

Mohammed provides us with insight as to the causes and symptoms of stuttering and the importance of embarking on speech therapy sessions to improve this condition.

What is stuttering and why do people stutter?

Stuttering is a speech fluency disorder in which sounds, syllables, or words are repeated or prolonged, disrupting the

normal flow of speech. These speech disruptions may be accompanied by struggling behaviors, such as rapid eye blinks or tremors of the lips.

Stuttering affects people of all ages and skin colors. It occurs most often in children between the ages of two and five as they are developing their language skills. Most children outgrow stuttering but approximately one percent or less of adults continue to stutter.

According to Mohammed, the root cause of stuttering is still unknown. “The most evidence-based answer could be the genetic theory suggesting that stuttering is passed on by one or both parents, which may be activated by environmental factors such as stressful lifestyles.”

What are the early symptoms of stuttering and how can this be tested?

Mohammed explains that the stuttering can be diagnosed early on when the person repeats consonants specifically for words that begin with the letters - K, G, T. Mohammed also explains that other symptoms could include pausing or hesitating when starting sentences. “For

example, a person who speaks normally will verbalize words one after the other without any fillers, “We went to the store”.

However, someone who stutters will end up using filler words such as “uh” whilst saying out a sentence, “We..uh..went to the..uh..store,” Mohammed explains.

The diagnosis of stuttering requires consultations with a speech-language pathologist whereby the type, frequency, and duration of stuttering is evaluated. Additionally, an evaluation of speech-related anxiety will take place as well, in which specific situations that might increase the level of anxiety will be identified.

What treatment is available?

There is no 100% cure for stuttering at present, but speech-language pathologists tend to use ways to manage and reduce stuttering and speech-anxiety.

“Various techniques are used on a caseby-case basis.

For example, the “exposure” technique exposes the patient to an anxiety-provoking situation until the level of anxiety is diminished. Behavioral experiments on

the other hand encourage the patient to voluntarily stutter to gain self-control,” said Mohammed.

Mohammed also encourages family members and friends of the patient to help reduce the stuttering and anxiety by listening patiently to the patient, showing acceptance and most importantly, avoid finishing the sentences for them.

Stuttering Services in Kuwait The field of communication disorders is fairly new in Kuwait, and unfortunately, there are only a handful of speech-language pathologists in Kuwait who offer proper treatment for stuttering. Due to the lack of speech-language pathologists in Kuwait, people tend to visit their local doctors for treatment. However, it is strongly recommended that people who stutter seek treatment from a certified speech-language pathologist. Currently, Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute is conducting a series of studies on stuttering which is considered to be the first treatment-based study series in Kuwait, and possibly the Gulf.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements Legal awareness camp ichar Bharathi Kuwait in association with the Indian Lawyers Forum will hold a ‘Legal Awareness Camp’ on May 31 at the United Indian School from 10am to 1230pm. The program will be inaugurated by Adv Labeed Abdal who will also will join our experts panel. The participating lawyers from Indian Lawyers Forum are Adv. Thomas Panicker, Adv Sumod MK, Adv Mohammed Basheer, Adv Thomas Stephen. The function will be organized in three sessions, as follows. Subject presentation by the Lawyers Panel, on the following topics: Creating expatriate awareness on basic Kuwait Labor/Civil/Criminal Laws. And creating expatriate awareness on basic Indian Civil/Criminal Laws.

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Mais Alghanim To Go launches the Mega Mix Meals promotions

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ais Alghanim To Go announced the new Mega Mix meals, its latest offers for the summer of 2013. The Mega Mix offers gives customer the option to choose between three varieties that include mixed grills and chicken, including flame-grilled Arrayes (meat spread sandwiches), and the new addition Italiano Kabab which has been an item of top demand since its introduction at the Mais Alghanim restaurants.

The promotion also contains Baghdadi Kebab, low-fat chicken Kabab, shish tawook, and Mais Alghanim’s signature Lebanese appetizers prepared using the finest ingredients such as Hummus, Moutabal, Baba Ganouj, and Batata Harra (spicy potatoes). In addition, the offer includes varieties of fresh salads, Fattoush, Rocca salad with beetroot, and coleslaw with garlic and lemon. In addition to choices form side dishes of French Fries or saffron rice with their orders, which also come with a Coca Cola bottle.

The Mega Mix meals come in three varieties: The ‘Mega 8’ meal which is served for eight people and is ideal for Dewaniyas and gatherings, the ‘Mega 4’ meal which is served for four people and is great for families, and finally the ‘Mega 2’ meal which is served for two people and is a perfect option to order during lunch breaks.

An award-winning restaurant, Mais Alghanimgives

customers a unique experience to share great food with family and friends any time and any place and for exceptional prices. Only the top quality packing equip-

ment and safety methods are used at Mais AlghanimTo Go in order to insure quality of orders which are delivered all over Kuwait.

Jumeirah Messilah Beach hosts bloggers and journalists

Classical music at AUK he Department of Music and Drama is hosting a demonstration/ masterclass with the German classical guitarist Friedemann at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), today28 May 3 pm, Liberal Arts Building, room 205. Wuttke is a gifted performer, having played with major ensembles and orchestras.

Besides various concerts in Germany, he has toured in the United States and South East Asia, as well as several European metropolises. This, his first visit to the Gulf region, has been realized with the support of the German Embassy in Kuwait, in cooperation with the Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah. The AUK performance is free and open to the public.

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IMAX

IMAX film program Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 11:30am, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm

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umeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait’s idyllic resort on the Arabian Gulf, hosted its first event for influential bloggers and journalists from May 21-22, 2013 to introduce the different venues and facilities of the hotel, which is in its soft opening phase. The tours were followed by a sumptuous dinner and a raffle draw.

General Manager Mark Griffiths and

his management team welcomed the bloggers and journalists to the hotel and offered detailed insights into the property and its plans for the future. “In this day and age, when the flow of information moves quickly across so many different platforms, we recognise the important role played by bloggers and journalists in both informing and influencing opinion,” Griffiths said. “It has therefore been a

great pleasure to engage with our friends from the media who graciously accepted our invitation, to offer them our hospitality and to provide them with a genuine taste of what our hotel has to offer,” Griffiths added. “Our lines of communication are always open and I look forward to a strong working relationship with the country’s writers and reporters.”

Following the tours, a specially pre-

pared dinner was served in an exquisite setting overlooking the beach among the palm trees, with a gentle sea breeze and the sound of the fountain in the background. A raffle draw was held during the dinner with prizes including a one-night stay at the hotel.

IB braced Kuwait Bilingual School embraces ‘iPadcare’

Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm Thursday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 5:30pm, 8:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 11:30am Tornado Alley 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 6:30pm

By Sunil Cherian

Friday: Fires of Kuwait 2:30pm Tornado Alley 3D3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm To The Arctic 3D 4:30pm, 7:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm

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Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30pm Journey to Mecca 4:30pm Notes: All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request.

“Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request.

Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

Holiday Inn Kuwait appoints new General Manager

I Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

HG (Inter Continental Hotels Group) has appointed Carlos Malliaroudakis as Area General Manager for InterContinental Kuwait and Holiday Inn Kuwait Down Town effective May 1, 2013.

Carlos, a Greek national born in Beirut, brings with him 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry in different countries such as Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait. He has been working with IHG in different brands and roles for more than 13

years (6 years as General Manager) and was prior to this current appointment General Manager for InterContinental Kuwait (A position he is still holding). Carlos, speaks English, French, Arabic and Greek. In 2009 he was elected as General Manager of the year for IHG in EMEA region. Carlos was recently involved as well in different projects related to career development, hotels opening, and hotels quality evaluation.

bdullah Rashed, a 5th grader surprised his native homeroom teacher one day early this year. After completing an art project, Abdullah asked showing his hand bathed in glue and paint: May I scrape off the glue? The proud teacher happily nodded. A year ago, Abdullah could not have used a phrase like scrape off. At best he would have settled by using the word ‘clean’. Now Abdullah’s interest in discovering new words and phrases has enriched not only his vocabulary, but his grades.

The clan of Abdullah is on the rise at Kuwait Bilingual School, Jahra, a governorate known for its traditional values and lifestyle, 40 km west from Kuwait City. Three years ago the school took a paradigm shift from the scratches.

The newly taken over administration team scraped off the chalk and talk method of teaching and introduced a new philosophy for its International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP), an inquiry based, concept driven educational program with an international mindedness.

Many of Jahra’s parents saw a large number of native speaking teachers for the first time. They began to browse through the school website for announcements, news and program schedules. In classrooms, smart boards replaced content heavy text books. Upper graders started doing math and science on laptops.

Now, over 1,000 students in its K through 12 programs, the school breathes technology almost every minute.

Children as young as KG are happy to learn through their iPads after the school introduced Bring Your Own Device program early this month. ‘Even recess time is fruitful’, the school’s 110 plus teachers agree.

The student community is busy throughout the year.

With its bilingual educational program the learners are exposed to topics (units of inquiries) in Arabic and English.

The learners do activities as varied as bake sale, inter school sports and educational exhibitions. “Making children independent and responsible learners to be the leaders of tomorrow is what we are striving for”, said Ghassan Al-Jilani, the school director.

Kuwait Bilingual School is the second school in Kuwait to adopt the IB PYP program. For the multicultural teachers’ community the program is challenging but rewarding, as they collectively say. With attending workshops the school organizes and being part of the after school clubs, teaching experience is fully alive. “But our happiest moment is when children beat the expectations”, said Janice Dennis, the primary school principal.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Safir Hotel & Residences has special summer package

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

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he Summer and Ramadan Seasons are fast approaching and Safir Hotel & Residences, Kuwait - Fintas is shaping up early to ensure a blissful back-to-back summer experience and a serene Ramadan atmosphere for all its valuable patrons. Covering the period from the May 30 to July 8 and from August 15-31, 2013, Safir Hotel & Residences, Kuwait - Fintas is offering special packages that will guarantee a well-spent Summer & Ramadan holiday for the whole family.

Experience a luxurious stay and take advantage from our special room packages for a deluxe room. Families can enjoy home comfort with our spacious 1 bedroom apartment or for bigger families a 2 bedroom apartment. These rates are inclusive of a complimentary buffet breakfast during the summer or a ‘Sohour” during the Ramadan period at Flavors Restaurant. In addition, kids

under 6 years can dine-in and stay with their families for free, and those between 7 to 12 years of age get 50 percent discount on restaurants.

Making Ramadan an extra special occasion this year, Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait - Fintas is also offering a varied selection of cuisine tailored to cater to Ramadan tradition. AlRoshinah Restaurant is offering an exclusive venue for Iftar and Ghabka, offering a traditional Kuwaiti Iftar and Ghabkha set menu. Open from sundown until sunrise for daily Iftar and Sohour, Flavors Restaurant is an ideal place to start and break the fast, serving Iftar buffet from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm and Sohour starting 1:30 am. Hilal AlFintas Ramadan Tent is your ideal indoor venue set in a traditional Ramadan Tent setting with daily live Oud Band and serves Ghabka buffet for KD9 per person. Shisha is available right after Iftar.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

For a more private venue, relax and enjoy shisha with light snacks and refreshing drinks at the Anchor Beach Garden’s air-conditioned tents open

from 8 pm until 4 am. Make this Summer and Ramadan holiday a memorable one for the whole family, stay at Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait - Fintas.

British Council hosts ‘Assessing Students’ English’ seminar

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ritish Council’s “English for the Future” project Kuwait in partnership with Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) and TESOL Kuwait (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) have brought together around 100 English language teaching professionals to attend a seminar on “Assessing Students’ English” on Saturday, May 25 at the Australian College in Kuwait.

With the aim of promoting professional development for English language teachers, the seminar and workshop explored a shift of emphasis from knowledge towards learner outcomes and its implications for assessment and training.

Keith Morrow - guest speaker and UK based English Language Teaching (ELT) consultant, author and trainer said: “There is clearly a real interest in assessment issues amongst Kuwaiti teachers and I was very pleased to meet them to discuss this.”

Fetwi Yosief, English Project Manager at

British Council Kuwait stated on Saturday during the conference “British Council is dedicated to the professional development of educators by bringing teachers together to explore their practices. We believe such events offer opportunities for growth and we hope this seminar was successful in doing so.”

Dr Abdessattar Mahfoudhi, Head of English at the Australian College of Kuwait stated “on behalf of ACK, we were pleased to co-sponsor this professional development event for English language educators. Effective assessments and feedback give students the opportunity to improve their overall language proficiency.”

Hosting the “Assessing Students’ English” seminar falls in line with the Australian College of Kuwait’s objective of not only finding ways to better serve its student body, but to also aid in the development of Kuwait’s teaching community.

Taste of Italy with Carluccio’s ongoing Pomodoro e Peperoncino promotion

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his summer Carluccio’s continues to celebrate some of its much loved products with the ongoing Pomodoro e Peperoncino (tomato & chilli) promotion. The promotion highlights the classic ingredients of South Italy perfect for a quick flavorsome summer pasta or pizza.

Ripened in the intense Southern Italian Sun, tomatoes are an iconic Italian ingredient.

For a simple yet flavoursome pasta dish customers can try Orrecchiette combined with Salsa di Pomodoro e Peperoncini which is made from a traditional Puglian recipe using unskinned tomatoes.

For a great pasta sauce, or a pizza base customers can make used for simple products such as Polpa di Pomodoro - crushed tomato pulp or paired with the fiery Calabrian chilli as in Salsa Arrabbiata. Both of these sauces are great with pasta and make quick and simple meals, when topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

The key ingredient of the promotion is Olio al Peperoncino - chilli oil. This spicy oil is made from Extra Virgin Olive Oil & chillies from Calabria. It is great drizzled over pizza, pasta or even marinades. For an extra hit of heat try Pesto di Peperoncino, chilli paste.

With this promotion we are giving our customers a taste of Southern Italy which produces a rich and diverse range of products perfect for the summer months. Other products available during this promotion period are Penne Regine (large Puglia pasta tubes to use for baked pasta dishes), Pomodorata (sundried tomato and caper paste), Canelli all uovo (egg pasta from the marche) and Il Fiasco (extra virgin olive oil from Puglia)

Riccardo Restaurant at Sheraton welcomes new Italian chef

T

he Sheraton’s Italian restaurant, Riccardo, is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Venetian Chef Cristiano Goattin. In his role, Chef Cristiano will lead a team of experts to present exquisite offerings to the restaurant and its lovers.

Chef Cristiano, after middle school moved away from Venice to pursue his studies at a semi private hotel school where he chose to join the Kitchen. Since then he spent 24 years of his culinary career outside of Italy, having worked in a number of renowned restaurants and hotels

around the world bringing with him a wealth of global experience from countries such as London, France... he also worked extensively in the Gulf region covering Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and now in Kuwait.

“We welcome Chef Cristiano to the family of Sheraton Kuwait, a Luxury Collection Hotel, wishing him a successful tenure and we are confident that with his specialization in authentic Italian style dining, he will create a culinary magic to the delight of our guests”, said Fahed Abushaar, Area Director and

General Manager of the Sheraton Kuwait.

Sheraton Kuwait’s Riccardo Restaurant was first established in 1979- the first Italian restaurant in Kuwait. Since then, it has enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for providing a truly exceptional dining experience where delectable Italian cuisine, the finest in Kuwait, can be savored in the refined elegance of this most stylish and sophisticated restaurant.

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on shortstay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF ITALY The Board of the Kuwait Italian Business Group (KIBG), will unveil the KIBG website on 28 May 2013. The event starts at 18:00 with registration and socialization and includes a welcome address at 19:00 by the Ambassador of Italy to Kuwait followed by the formal presentation of the KIBG website. The event will end at 20.00. Event Location Italian Embassy Jabriya Block 9 Street 1 Villa 84. Valet service will be provided . No mobiles nor equivalent devices are allowed in the Embassy. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, AlQibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SOUTH KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait will organize 2013 K-POP Contest on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm. The aim of the contest is to provide an opportunity to the participants to showcase their exciting talents to the audience. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the contest. Application forms can be downloaded from the Embassy’s website: http://kwt.mofa.go.kr (Select English from the menu at the top of the page then Bilateral Relations) or visit the “Korean Culture Diwaniya” Facebook Group. Interested applicants must send their application forms to Kuwait@mofa.go.kr by 24 May 2013.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Beast Lands 01:35 I’m Alive 02:25 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 03:15 Karina: Wild On Safari 03:40 Karina: Wild On Safari 04:05 My Cat From Hell 04:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 05:20 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 05:45 Clinically Wild: Alaska 06:10 Clinically Wild: Alaska 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 The Really Wild Show 07:25 Trophy Cats 08:15 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 09:10 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 09:35 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 10:05 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 11:00 Animal Cops Phoenix 11:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Dolphin Days 13:15 Dolphin Days 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 17:25 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 17:50 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:20 Karina: Wild On Safari 18:45 Karina: Wild On Safari 19:15 Escape To Chimp Eden 19:40 Bondi Vet 20:10 Shamwari: A Wild Life 20:35 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 21:05 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 22:00 Gator Boys 22:55 World Wild Vet 23:50 Animal Cops Houston

00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 02:15 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:05 To Build Or Not To Build?

03:30 Cash In The Attic 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 06:35 To Build Or Not To Build?

07:00 Food And Drink 07:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 07:55 Homes Under The Hammer 08:45 Bargain Hunt 09:30 Antiques Roadshow 10:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:05 Masterchef: The Professionals 11:55 Come Dine With Me 12:45 Food And Drink 13:10 Food Poker 13:55 Bargain Hunt 14:40 Cash In The Attic 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Homes Under The Hammer 17:55 The Roux Legacy 18:35 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 19:00 The Hairy Bikers USA 19:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:50 Come Dine With Me 20:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Homes Under The Hammer 23:55 Cash In The Attic

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30

BBC World News America BBC World News America Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report

03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 Hardtalk 18:00 Global With John Sopel 18:30 Global With John Sopel 19:00 Global With John Sopel 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 23:30 Hardtalk

00:45 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:00 05:25 05:45 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:05 08:30 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05

Wacky Races Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Bananas In Pyjamas Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Bananas In Pyjamas Lazytown Krypto: The Super Dog Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Ha Ha Hairies Lazytown Baby Looney Tunes Krypto: The Super Dog Cartoonito Tales Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Lazytown Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Moomins Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Looney Tunes Show The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Taz-Mania Tiny Toon Adventures Moomins Tom And Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo The Looney Tunes Show The Garfield Show

18:30 19:45 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 23:05 23:30 23:55

Wakko’s Wish What’s New Scooby Doo Tiny Toon Adventures Puppy In My Pocket What’s New Scooby-Doo? Looney Tunes Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Tales Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Moomins

00:30 Grim Adventures Of...

01:20 Johnny Test 02:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 02:35 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Regular Show 03:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 04:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 04:40 Powerpuff Girls 05:05 Evil Con Carne 05:30 Cow & Chicken 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:30 Angelo Rules 07:00 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 07:25 Johnny Test 07:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 08:10 Evil Con Carne 08:55 Adventure Time 09:45 Regular Show 10:35 Angelo Rules 11:25 Ben 10: Alien Force 11:50 Ben 10: Alien Force 12:15 Hero 108 12:40 Hero 108 13:05 Mucha Lucha !

13:30 Angelo Rules 14:20 Evil Con Carne 15:10 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:35 Adventure Time 16:00 Regular Show 16:30 Johnny Test 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:25 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 17:50 Gormiti New 18:15 Young Justice 18:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:05 Total Drama Island 19:30 Total Drama Island 19:55 Mucha Lucha !

20:20 Ben 10: Omniverse 20:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 21:10 Adventure Time 21:35 Regular Show 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Ben 10 22:50 Mucha Lucha !

23:15 Mucha Lucha !

23:40 Powerpuff Girls

00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Live 02:00 CNN Newsroom Live From Hong Kong 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Live 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 African Voices 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Talk Asia 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 World One 12:30 News Special 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 CNN Newscenter 14:00 Piers Morgan Live 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 News Special

THREE KINGS ON OSN ACTION HD

20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 Gold Divers: Under The Ice 01:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier 02:05 Flying Wild Alaska 03:00 Mythbusters 03:55 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 04:20 Auction Hunters 04:50 Storage Hunters 05:15 How Stuff Works 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:05 Sons Of Guns 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Robson Green’s Extreme Fishing Challenge 08:45 Gold Rush 09:40 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 Auction Kings 10:55 How Stuff Works 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Gold Divers: Under The Ice 12:45 Alaska: The Last Frontier 13:40 Flying Wild Alaska 14:35 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 15:05 Auction Hunters 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Ultimate Survival 16:55 Gold Rush 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Stuff Works 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Storage Hunters 21:30 Dual Survival 22:25 Yukon Men

00:05 00:30 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:45 03:35 04:00 04:25 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:25 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:40 20:05 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35

How Tech Works Sci-Fi Science Things That Move Things That Move Sport Science Under New York Things That Move Things That Move Engineered The Gadget Show How Tech Works Meteorite Men Unchained Reaction Prototype This The Gadget Show How Tech Works Scrapheap Challenge Future Weapons Superships Meteorite Men Prototype This Sci-Fi Science The Gadget Show How Tech Works Unchained Reaction Scrapheap Challenge Future Weapons Engineered Voyage Dans L’espace-Temps Unchained Reaction Prototype This The Gadget Show How Tech Works Unchained Reaction Sport Science The Gadget Show

Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Prankstars Suite Life On Deck Cory In The House A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Jessie Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T Farm Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Kim Possible Shake It Up Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place That’s So Raven Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T Farm Suite Life On Deck So Random Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up Dog With A Blog Austin And Ally Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Cory In The House Dog With A Blog Dog With A Blog A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T Farm So Random Hannah Montana Jonas Los Angeles Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Dirty Soap 00:55 Style Star 01:25 Too Young To Kill

03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 09:45 10:15 12:05 13:05 13:35 14:05 York 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

Style Star Extreme Close-Up THS THS THS Style Star E! News Ice Loves Coco Ice Loves Coco THS E! News Chasing The Saturdays Chasing The Saturdays Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star E!es Extreme Close-Up Playing With Fire E! News THS Kourtney And Kim Take Miami Chasing The Saturdays Fashion Police E! News Chelsea Lately

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Reza’s African Kitchen 02:10 Reza’s African Kitchen 02:35 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:00 Andy Bates Street Feasts 03:25 Food Wars 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Unique Eats 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Food Network Challenge 07:00 Guy’s Big Bite 07:25 Guy’s Big Bite 07:50 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 08:15 Unique Sweets 08:40 Kid In A Candy Store 09:05 Barefoot Contessa 09:30 Food Network Star 10:20 Extra Virgin 10:45 Extra Virgin 11:10 Cooking For Real 11:35 Food Crafters 12:00 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Food Wars 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Food Wars 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes 22:00 Food Wars 22:25 Food Wars 22:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:40 Food Wars

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Deadly Sins Blood Relatives I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Nightmare Next Door Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Undercover: Double Life Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Undercover: Double Life Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Couples Who Kill Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It

00:15 Earth Tripping 00:45 Ultimate Traveller 01:40 Perilous Journeys 02:35 Chasing Time 03:00 First Ascent 03:30 A World Apart 04:25 By Any Means 05:20 Long Way Down 06:15 Graham’s World 06:40 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 07:10 Earth Tripping 07:35 Earth Tripping 08:05 Ultimate Traveller 09:00 Perilous Journeys 09:55 Chasing Time 10:20 First Ascent 10:50 A World Apart 11:45 By Any Means 12:40 Travel Oz 13:05 Travel Oz 13:35 Gone to save the planet 14:00 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 14:30 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 15:25 Ultimate Traveller 16:20 Perilous Journeys 17:15 Chasing Time 17:40 First Ascent 18:10 Bondi Rescue 18:35 Bondi Rescue 19:05 By Any Means 20:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 21:00 Gone to save the planet 21:30 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 22:00 Long Way Down

POWDER BLUE ON OSN CINEMA 22:55 Gone to save the planet 23:20 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 23:50 Delinquent Gourmet

00:00 Creature-18 02:00 Three Kings-18 04:00 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 06:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 08:00 Ice Road Terror-PG15 10:00 Killer Mountain-PG15 12:00 True Justice: Violence Of Action-PG15 14:00 Ice Road Terror-PG15 16:00 The Man Inside-PG15 18:00 True Justice: Violence Of Action-PG15 20:00 House Of The Rising Sun-18 22:00 Killer Elite-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:15 PG15 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:15

Larry Crowne-PG15 Blackthorn-PG15 The Decoy Bride-PG15 Winx-FAM Larry Crowne-PG15 Horrid Henry-PG A Separation-PG15 When Love Is Not Enough-

The Silence Of The Lambs Creature Three Kings True Justice: Blood Alley Ip Man 2 Ice Road Terror Killer Mountain True Justice: Violence Of Action Ice Road Terror The Man Inside True Justice: Violence Of Action House Of The Rising Sun

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

Slums Of Beverly Hills-PG15 30 Minutes Or Less-18 Men In Black II-PG 3 Holiday Tails-PG Falling Star-PG15 While You Were SleepingMen In Black II-PG Bushwhacked-PG While You Were SleepingThe Smurfs-PG The Romantics-PG15 Slums Of Beverly Hills-PG15

00:00 Monsters-PG15 02:00 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol-PG15 04:15 Flower Girl-PG15 06:00 Alpha And Omega-PG 08:00 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island-PG 10:00 Three Inches-PG15 12:00 Mary & Martha-PG15 14:00 Rising Stars-PG15 16:00 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island-PG 18:00 Men In Black 3-PG 20:00 Summer Coda-PG15 22:00 People Like Us-PG15

The Marc Pease ExperienceThe Vow-PG15 J. Edgar-18 Powder Blue-18

00:00 Brickleberry 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Family Guy 02:00 Louie 02:30 Girls 03:30 Malibu Country 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Hope & Faith 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Arrested Development 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 Hope & Faith 14:00 Malibu Country 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Arrested Development 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Last Man Standing 18:30 Friends 19:30 Men At Work 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The New Normal 22:30 Out There 23:00 The Big C 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

11:00 NBC Early Today 11:30 ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 Live MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 18:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 19:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:00 MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 21:00 MSNBC Newsnation 22:00 MSNBC The Cycle 23:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir

Eureka Game Of Thrones Once Upon A Time Alphas Top Gear (US) Eureka Emmerdale Coronation Street The Finder Once Upon A Time Top Gear (US) Alphas Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Finder Royal Pains House Of Cards The Americans American Horror Story

01:00 L.A I Hate You-PG15 03:00 Mad Bastards-PG15 05:15 The Company Men-PG15 07:00 Henry’s Crime-PG15 09:00 George Harrison: Living In The Material World-PG15 12:45 The Way-PG15 15:00 Call Of The Wild-PG15 16:45 Page Eight-PG15 18:45 The Evening Star-PG15 21:00 The Last Samurai-PG15 23:15 Love And Other Impossible Pursuits-PG15

00:00 01:00 08:00 08:30 10:30 12:30 13:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

01:00 The River Why-PG15 03:00 Joyful Noise-PG15 05:00 Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius-PG 07:15 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 09:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 11:00 Dead Lines-PG15 13:00 Christmas Comes Home To Canaan-PG15 15:00 Senna-PG15 17:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 19:00 Young Adult-PG15 21:00 My Week With Marilyn-PG15 23:00 Gone-PG15

00:00 Super League 01:30 Inside The PGA Tour 02:00 PGA Tour 07:00 Super Rugby 08:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 09:00 PGA Tour Highlights 10:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 11:00 Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters 11:00 Trans World Sport 15:30 Super Rugby Highlights 16:30 Super League 18:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 19:00 NRL Premiership 21:00 PGA Tour Highlights 22:00 WWE SmackDown

01:15 02:45 04:30 06:00 08:00 10:00 11:30 Part II 13:00 14:45 16:15 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:30

Emilie Jolie Dragon Hunters Battle For Terra Happy Feet Two Pacific Pirates Crab Island Winner & The Golden Child: Vickery’s Wild Ride Dragon Hunters Blue Elephant 2 Crab Island D’Fenders Vickery’s Wild Ride Blue Elephant 2

00:00 MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 01:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 02:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 03:00 MSNBC All In With Chris Hayes 04:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 06:00 NBC Nightly News 06:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 07:00 Live NBC Nightly News 07:39 ABC Nightline 08:06 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 10:00 ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now

Super Rugby Highlights Test Cricket Futbol Mundial NRL Premiership Top 14 ICC Cricket 360 Live Test Cricket NRL Full Time Futbol Mundial Trans World Sport Super Rugby

00:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:00 14:00 16:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 23:00

Top 14 NRL Premiership World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Trans World Sport Golfing World Pro 12 World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Top 14 Highlights Golfing World AFL Premiership Top 14 World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool AFL Premiership Super League

00:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:30 20:30 21:00 23:00

Prizefighter Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL Mass Participation Ironman European Le Mans Series UIM Powerboat Champs UIM Aquabike Champs US Bass Fishing NHL Mobil 1 The Grid UFC Prelims UFC

Classifieds TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 PHANTOM (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM :00 PM :00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-2 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM

MUHALAB-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM

MUHALAB-3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-1 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-2 PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-3 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (23/05/2013 TO 29/05/2013) MARINA-1 PHANTOM (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

AVENUES-3 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

360º- 3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D)

AL-KOUT.1 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 1:00 PM DINO TIME (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM DINO TIME (DIG-3D) 5:15 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 7:00 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 9:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:30 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-3 THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360º- 1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 12:30 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 3:30 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 6:00 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 8:45 PM NO THU Special Show“FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)” 8:45 PM THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 11:30 PM NO SUN+ TUE+WED 360º- 2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 1:00 AM

CHANGE OF NAME

PLAZA FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM

LAILA IRON MAN 3 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 LADIES & GENTLEMAN (DIG) LADIES & GENTLEMAN (DIG))

6:30 PM 9:30 PM

FOR SALE

2:15 PM

For sale Honda model 2001, gold color, good condition, price KD 750/-. Contact: 50952218. (C 4426) For sale Mercedes Benz C300, model 2009, mileage 54,000km, body kit AMG, Price KD 7,500/-. Contact: 97479763.

28-5-2013

I, Moidin Kunhi Badiyar Husan, S/o Husan Kunhi Urmene Moidin holder of Indian Passport No. F4932532 have changed my name to Mohammed Mohideen for all purposes.

(C 4427) 26-5-2013 ACCOMMODATION Fully furnished 2 bedroom, 2 bath, salah with satellite, internet, telephone, sea view closet, near Burger King, Blagat Street, from 016-2013 to 20-08-2013, rent KD 270. Contact: 50687350.

28-5-2013

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:17 04:50 11:45 15:20 18:40 20:10

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines BBC QTR PIA JZR JZR THY ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB RJA RBG MSR OMA QTR THY DHX FDB BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD GFA MEA TMA UAE MSR THY QTR FDB SVA JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR KNE

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 28/5/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 148 DOHA 239 SIALKOT 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 642 AMMAN 555 ALEXANDRIA 612 CAIRO 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 302 MUMBAI 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 416 JAKARTA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 213 BEIRUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 766 ISTANBUL 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 165 DUBAI 514 TEHRAN 546 ALEXANDRIA 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 332 TRIVANDRUM 8066 KUWAIT 561 SOHAG 472 JEDDAH

Time 00:05 00:15 01:05 00:20 00:40 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:10 03:15 03:15 03:20 03:30 04:35 05:10 05:50 06:30 07:45 07:40 07:50 06:15 07:25 06:35 08:25 08:50 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:30 10:40 10:55 12:00 12:45 13:00 13:10 13:45 13:50 14:30 11:35 13:40 14:15 8:05 12:05 7:55 13:00 12:00 14:35

SYR RJA QTR ETD UAE ABY SVA GFA UAL QTR QTR FDB GFA AXB JAI RBG OMA FDB ABY MEA IRA MSR KLM JZR JZR JZR ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR JAI FDB AIC UAL DLH JAI UAE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR THY

341 640 134 303 857 127 510 215 982 6130 144 63 219 393 572 553 647 61 129 402 619 618 415 177 185 239 229 859 307 136 217 146 576 59 981 981 636 574 4965 166 618 786 774 742 542 104 562 678 674 325 777 135 772

DAMASCUS AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES DOHA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT DUBAI SHARJAH BEIRUT LAR ALEXANDRIA AMSTERDAM DUBAI DUBAI AMMAN COLOMBO DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI DUBAI PARIS DOHA JEDDAH RIYADH DAMMAM CAIRO LONDON AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI NAJAF JEDDAH BAHRAIN ISTANBUL

15:50 15:55 16:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:50 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 21:05 17:30 22:40 22:30 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 22:25 18:40 19:10 18:30 19:25 19:30 18:15 18:45 14:40 19:35 19:25 16:15 17:50 23:00 23:45

Airlines AIC PIA AXB JAI UAL DLH TMA KLM BBC JZR THY PIA THY ETH UAE FDB RBG MSR OMA ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA THY KAC JZR KAC BAW FDB KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB QTR ETD IRA KAC GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR TMA MSR THY

Departure Flights on Tuesday 28/5/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 490 MANGALORE 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 214 BEIRUT 411 AMSTERDAM 44 DHAKA 502 LUXOR 773 ISTANBUL 240 SIALKOT 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 411D BANGKOK 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 101 LONDON 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 677 MUSCAT 785 JEDDAH 324 AL NAJAF 176 DUBAI 223 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL

Time 00:05 00:15 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:45 00:55 01:30 01:30 02:20 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:15 04:20 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:10 07:20 07:25 07:30 08:25 08:25 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:25 11:25 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:25 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:20 13:45 14:00 14:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

UAE FDB QTR KAC KNE SVA KAC KAC KAC SYR RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR UAL JZR QTR QTR FDB GFA JZR AXB RBG JAI FDB ABY OMA KAC KAC MEA IRA MSR DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA KAC FDB QTR JAI JZR KAC KAC UAE JZR

872 58 141 673 473 501 617 773 741 342 641 238 135 304 538 128 858 511 216 184 982 266 6131 145 64 220 134 394 554 571 62 120 648 343 351 403 618 607 171 415 308 230 860 381 137 301 218 205 60 147 575 554 411 283 4965 528

DUBAI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM DAMASCUS AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH MUSCAT CHENNAI KOCHI BEIRUT LAR LUXOR BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DELHI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI DOHA KOCHI ALEXANDRIA BANGKOK DHAKA DUBAI ASSIUT

14:15 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:30 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:05 23:20 23:40 23:45 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 203

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) This could be a stressful day if you are trying to finish a backlog of things as well as new business today. Perhaps you could call a temporary for this week and get some outside help. Take plenty of breaks and get away from your work during the noon hour. Begin to care more for yourself and realize that your body needs good nutrition and rest to operate well. You have a natural understanding as to what people want. Your career gets all kinds of support and you are comfortable making practical and management decisions. You may enjoy eccentric or unconventional friends this afternoon. You have very original ideas when it comes to community and will create ways to help improve the area in which you live. Rest and relax.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Academic or educational pursuits and travel may figure prominently in your career growth now. You may talk seriously with higher-ups about the route you need to take in order to advance your career and more education is an important step. A positive attitude benefits you greatly. Your communication skills are at a high. You will enjoy a debate with friends and may be surprised at the results, which are positive. You have a strong psychic potential today. Your imagination is strong and lends itself to writing or some form of art. However, since you do not like to waste time, you may find it difficult to start such an endeavor. A good conversation with loved ones is possible tonight. Let optimism lead you to a successful conclusion in a love story.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

4. Canadian writer noted for his analyses of the mass media (1911-1980).

11. A tax on employees and employers that is used to fund the Social Security system.

15. The fatty flesh of eel.

16. Addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous).

17. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 18. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

19. A social unit living together.

21. A battle in the Seven Years' War (1757).

23. Red pear-shaped tropical fruit with poisonous seeds.

24. Australian shrubs and small trees with evergreen usually spiny leaves and dense clusters of showy flowers.

25. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

27. (Greek mythology) A Titan who was forced

by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders.

30. Horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits.

32. The persistence of a sound after its source has stopped.

36. Tropical tree of Central America and West Indies and Puerto Rico having spikes of white flowers.

38. (computer science) A measure of how densely information is packed on a storage medium.

39. French couturier whose first collection in 1947 created a style (tight bodice and narrow waist and flowing pleated skirt) that became known as the New Look (1905-1957).

40. A river in central Europe that arises in northwestern Czechoslovakia and flows northward through Germany to empty into the North Sea. 41. A city in western California on San Francisco Bay opposite San Francisco.

44. Tooth on the rim of gear wheel.

45. Being one more than two.

47. Any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species.

48. New Zealand timber tree resembling the cypress.

50. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off.

53. A port city in southwestern Iran.

54. The arch of bone beneath the eye that forms the prominence of the cheek.

55. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

56. (informal usage) A general feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction.

57. A period of time spent sleeping.

61. Dry red Italian table wine from the Chianti region of Tuscany.

65. Regional and archaic.

69. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

70. The basic unit of money in Paraguay.

73. Gully or streambed in North Africa and the Middle East that remains dry except during rainy season.

74. An undergarment worn by women to support their breasts.

75. Relating to or like or divided into areolae.

76. A primeval personification of air and

breath.

77. (British) Informal term for information.

78. Largest city in Washington.

79. An American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War).

DOWN 1. Dearly loved.

2. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

3. By bad luck.

4. A port city in southern Kenya on a coral island in a bay of the Indian Ocean.

5. A squeaking sound.

6. A long pointed rod used as a weapon.

7. A resident of Utah.

8. A person regarded as greedy and pig-like.

9. A city in southern Peru founded in 1540 on the site of an ancient Inca city.

10. A Mid-Atlantic state.

11. Formed or conceived by the imagination.

12. A republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

13. (law) A comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy.

14. United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993).

20. United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters.

22. A painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt.

26. Russian composer (1804-1857).

28. Eurasian perennial bulbous herbs.

29. Of or relating to the lips of the mouth.

31. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

33. Stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings.

34. A pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water.

35. Edible viscera of a butchered animal.

37. Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.

42. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

43. Dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid.

46. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

49. An easy victory.

51. Type genus of the Ranidae.

52. A state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion.

58. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria and closely related to Hausa.

59. Obvious and dull.

60. Lighted up by or as by fire or flame.

62. Swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs.

63. A theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

64. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

66. Avatar of Vishnu.

67. Any place of complete bliss and delight and peace.

68. A couple who both have careers and no children.

71. Decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor.

72. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

There is a powerful drive available today—do not rush through projects; you could make mistakes that you would regret later. Use your power wisely and pace yourself. Now is a good time to finish those jobs you have been putting off, whether it is from fear of failure or lack of confidence. Applying yourself to work and helping your coworkers, even in the subtlest manner, should prove successful. You will excel in activities that involve understanding and self-sacrifice. Your burning zeal for the ideal world and your need to be a part of a group of like-minded souls is a major factor in your makeup. You learn and grow though your efforts to help others and to make your inner vision a reality. Tell someone you appreciate him or her.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) After being pulled in many different directions at the beginning of this year, now is the time when things settle down and you can make decisions and move forward with your own ideas. This time is rich with opportunities to achieve and be noticed for your special talents. In dealing with colleagues, diplomacy and tact is the best path to take. You are naturally magnetic because of your knowledge and your assurance. Your actions are right for you and probably very innovative. People just naturally have questions and want to follow in your path. It is good to lend a helping hand when you can. A nice restaurant, a concert, a private club with music for dancing is just where you can be found this evening—probably with a group.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You feel and are lucky today. This could be a good time to plan your investments and perhaps, include the family in the steps that concern them. This afternoon there are opportunities to read, enjoy music, spend time in a bookstore or enjoy a child’s company and the out-of-doors. There are decisions to make regarding maintenance and upkeep of your landscaping and a young person in your home will have some excellent ideas—ask. You have a clear understanding of your position in the world and among the people you care about. You must realize that friends and relatives rely on you as much as you depend on them. A q and a time will open up the communication flow. This evening is favorable for all sorts of fun activities.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are full of enthusiasm and creative expression. You rise above any problems that may come your way. You tend to have a quick wit today and you can get things done on sheer willpower. Your creative fervor is expressed through your business and private affairs, giving you an edge over others. Be aware of your need to dominate and look for ways to express your appreciation. Your sensibility may cause you to shy away from someone today for fear of getting hurt. However, used correctly, your sensitive nature is the very thing that helps you to be creative and loving. Enjoy the creative brush of nature—observe the way the colors blend together. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with a loved one.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You may have difficulty in concentrating on your work this morning.

Weather permitting, perhaps you can get outside during the noon break—bringing your thoughts into focus. Take advantage of a business opportunity that comes your way this afternoon. You deserve the success that is set before you now. You may need to take a humble attitude this afternoon as you will be in the limelight with your peers. This evening you can enjoy good relations with members of your family and your finances could improve because of a family member’s suggestions, ideas or offering. Budgeting can be rewarding for all family members. Working with a friend on a favorite project this evening is successful. You are particularly friendly and witty.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Paperwork, technical problems and organizing people seem to come easily today. You are self-motivated and thrilled to try new endeavors. There is confidence and success within your reach—you have a good attitude. In a group meeting today, others may find you warm and compassionate. You could act as a catalyst for others to express feelings and unresolved complexes. There are social opportunities this evening and you will be at your most elegant. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation. Emotions in particular, or the feelings of those around you, may be very clear.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You can help others learn organizational skills. Work, achievement and ambition are the things that mean a lot to you now. You have the ability to inspire and lead others through your attitude and your actions. This afternoon you will respond to a long overdue correspondence before you have to leave town or catch the next flight out of town. You have news to convey and then you have gossip to catch up on, perhaps from a sibling’s latest adventure. Personal achievement with children will bring big rewards this evening and throughout the weekend. This could mean a big camp out with friends or relatives. Perhaps an outdoor cooking contest!?!

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN Administrative ability comes easily this morning and you are able to coordinate people and events. You are able to influence and guide others in matters of importance. You may ask where your guidance is, since you are so willing to help or guide others. Help will come from surprising avenues just when you need it the most. You will be able to make smart decisions. You may also glean new techniques from your co-workers as well as those you might consider under you. A great person shows his or her greatness by the way he or she treats others. You might be pleasingly surprised at the suggestions you receive from the questions you ask. This afternoon you could find yourself intuitive and tuned in to others’ feelings. Emotions may be very clear.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You could lose money as quickly as it accumulates this day. Fortunately, you happily work to replace any losses or accrued debts. Working with groups of people may pull on your patience. It is important to develop a team spirit in order not to alienate fellow workers. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on more meaning. Some of your favorite people encourage you in your goals. A party for someone who used to be a schoolmate or a co-worker is in the making this afternoon. This evening you may choose a quiet time for rest and relaxation. Your creative expression may come as poetry. You may find yourself working on a bit of poetry for a special event. The public awaits the publishing of your poetry!

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You are a hard worker today but it may be very beneficial to remain behind the scenes and quietly plod along with your work. Do not let any nervousness or extreme mental activities deter you from getting things done. There may be a serious decision made today regarding the future of a project or investment. You could find that you are valued for your ability to get things accomplished. You will enjoy a little physical activity this afternoon with friends or family to get rid of the buildup of stress. You may enjoy a social get-together with friends this evening. This could mean dinner, a movie, dancing or some other fun entertainment. Mingling with friends in social surroundings is a boost to your ego.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

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TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

A

ngelina Jolie’s aunt has died of breast cancer; it was reported Sunday, less than two weeks after the Oscarwinning actress announced that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. The Hollywood entertainment website E! News cited Jolie’s uncle, Ron Martin, as saying that his wife, Debbie-the younger sister of Jolie’s late motherdied early on Sunday at Palomar Hospital in Escondido, California. “Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day,” Martin was quoted as saying on E!’s website.

“They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice.” Jolie, 37, revealed in an article in the May 14 edition of The New York Times that she chose to undergo surgery to minimize the risk she might develop breast cancer due to the inheritance of a “faulty gene.” The actress’s partner and fellow screen star Brad Pitt led worldwide praise, declaring Jolie heroic, followed by her doctors, other stars and thou-

sands of supporters, who took to social media to praise her openness. Jolie and Pitt have six children-three adopted and three biological.

The actress’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56 and passed on the gene, BRCA1, that put Jolie at higher risk. Jolie’s doctors estimated she had an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, prompting her to take action to cut the chances that she might die at a young age. The actress said in the newspaper article that her likelihood of developing breast cancer is now just five percent, though she still runs a relatively high risk of contracting ovarian cancer. Jolie, respected for her humanitarian work overseas with the UN, said she was speaking out to help other women understand their options, and also to urge governments in lower-income countries to provide the health care women need.

“I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more

complex,” she wrote. “I can tell my children they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.” Cancer campaigners cheered Jolie but warned women against rushing out to be tested for the gene mutation that threatened the actress’s life.

Not only is the BRCA1 mutation rare in the female population, they said, but it is also expensive to test for-Jolie paid $3,000 — at a US laboratory that controversially claims patent rights on the gene. — AP

A

The Massachusetts native directed, produced and starred in “Argo,” which won this year’s Oscar for Best Picture. Others getting honorary doctorates were author and MIT Professor Junot Diaz; retired Stanford University bacteriologist Stanley Falkow; Tougaloo College President Beverly Wade Hogan; medical doctor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

cademy Award-winning actor and director Ben Affleck has received one of six honorary doctorate degrees from Brown University. Affleck was among artists, writers, scientists and educators to receive the degrees from the Ivy League school at commencement exercises Sunday. He received a doctor of fine arts degree.

File photo shows actress Angelina Jolie arrives at the Mathaeser cinema in Munich, Southern Germany, to attend the German premiere of her latest movie ‘Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.’—AP

President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey; and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padron. The university conferred more than 2,400 degrees Sunday. — AP

In this photograph taken on March 22, 2013 Indian Bollywood film directors Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar pose in creations by designer Manish Malhotra on the first day of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2013 show in Mumbai. — AFP

N

ew Bollywood film “Bombay Talkies” is billed as a milestone not only for marking 100 years of Indian cinema-it is also one of the country’s few mainstream movies ever to have shown a gay kiss.

The centenary film, which had a special screening at Cannes, comprises four self-contained short stories by leading directors looking at the impact of Indian cinema on people’s lives. The short film from director Karan Johar features a kiss between a young man and his best friend’s husband as part of an exploration of sexual identity and marital discord.

While such scenes in the past may have elicited catcalls in India’s populist single-screen theatres, this time the kiss has been winning applause from audiences, according to gay rights advocate Nitin Karani. “That’s a positive reaction, which may indicate that society is more ready than film producers when it comes to gay stories,” he said.

And with one of the characters in the kiss played by ‘sex symbol’ actor Randeep Hooda, the film “shatters stereotypes faster”, Karani believes. In another of the short stories, director Zoya Akhtar shows a young boy exploring his feminine side by emulating and dressing up as Katrina Kaif, his Bollywood heroine. “Bombay Talkies was an important film for Karan and Zoya as it was projected as a movie celebrating 100 years of cinema,” said Karani. “So for them to take up issues of sexuality and gender was commendable.”

The tales in “Bombay Talkies” have sparked debate over such issues in Bollywood, where homosexuality has long been kept in the closet-or portrayed in stereotypical roles. “Mainstream Hindi cinema has portrayed gay characters as feminine, over the top, obsessed with sex, and to be laughed at,” said director Onir, who only uses his first name. “When they are not stereotyped like this, they are shown as boyfriend stealers or home-breakers,” he said, pointing out than even “Bombay Talkies” shows “the gay boy hitting on his best friend’s husband”. —AFP

Indian Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda poses for a photo during the special screening of the upcoming film ‘Bombay Talkies’ in Mumbai.

Ben Affleck speaks after receiving an honorary degree at Brown Universityís 245th commencement in Providence, RI. — AP photos

E

rmanno Marzorati has rarely been so busy.

He is currently fixing a 1930 Underwood typewriter for Tom Hanks. But there are plenty more ancient writing machines awaiting his tender care. While the modern world taps away in an ever-increasing frenzy online, the Italian senses a new trend, from his calm Beverly Hills studio: the return of the art of slow writing.

Marzorati has restored typewriters belonging to Ian Fleming, Tennessee Williams, Jack London, Ray Bradbury, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, as well as celebrities like Julie Andrews, Greta Garbo and John Lennon.

He proudly shows photos of some of his best work, including an orange-colored Underwood machine dating from 1926, on which Orson Welles wrote “Citizen Kane.” It was totally destroyed when he got it. “To me the typewriter is better than the computer, not because I’m old fashioned, but because it slows you down. You have to choose the words carefully because you cannot correct,” he told AFP. “It takes a long time to press the key.” Collector Steve Soboroff says typewriters, unlike computer keyboards, have an intimate relationship with their owners.

“I just love the idea of authors, famous people, would spend hours of their lives on these typewriters, so they are very personal. And there’s only one of them, is not like there are hundreds of them. “There’s only one for each,” added the biggest customer of Marzorati, whose studio is full of old printing machines, typewriters and mechanical calculators. Occasionally Hanks tweets photos of the vintage typewriters that Marzorati restored in his own collection.

Marzorati has a shelf dedicated to his most famous client, and he currently holds 12 machines belonging to the “Forrest Gump” star.

In all, the talkative Italian has some 60 machines waiting to be fixed-an enormous numbers compared to a few years ago. “I’m booked up for six months,” said the 68-year-old, who started repairing typewriters in 2003.

“Collectors are the exception. Most of the people I fix typewriters for are people who are going to use it,” said Marzorati, who was born in Italy in 1945 and moved to Los Angeles in 1969. “I feel people, honestly, are getting fed up because all these iPhones, all these electronics, they like to get back to the basics,” he said.

‘Writing on an computer is very distracting, you get stuck’ But the obvious question is, why would someone in the 21st century want to type on a heavy and difficult-to-use mechanical device, without the possibility of cutting, pasting, erasing or copying? Marzorati said the advantages of computers are over-rated. “Writing on a computer is very distracting, because you get email coming in, you type a word, you delete it, you change it, you get stuck,” he said. His view is echoed by Christopher Lockett, who regularly takes his 1950 Hermes Baby typewriter with him to write in the open air in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, next to the hipster Los Feliz district.

Ben Affleck reacts as he receives an honorary degree.

“There are no text windows in blue popping up, you can’t play music on it,” he said. “I shut off my iPhone, I take my typewriter and sit and I don’t worry about the typos, I keep moving forward, and I go dah dah dah dah ding!” He compares the experience of using a typewriter to riding a bicycle. “It’s an alternative to the most efficient way of doing something, it’s about enjoying the ride, and nobody gets angry about the notion of a bicycle. But people are like ‘typewriters are impractical.’

“Well, so is a bicycle and people are still making bicycles and it’s not an issue,” he said.

Lockett, a cameraman and documentary-maker, made a film on the subject last year called “The Typewriter in the 21st Century,” which is currently showing on the independent movie circuit in Los Angeles. “I thought: if the typewriter is going away, and is in part responsible for every great novel from the 20th century, they deserve a proper send-off,” he told AFP. When he set about making the film he was surprised to find that, not only are typewriters not disappearing, but there is a surge of demand for old machines to be repaired and brought back to life.—AFP

I

rrfan is no stranger to Hollywood. The Indian actor, who uses only his first name, has played roles in acclaimed films such as “Life of Pi”, “Slumdog Millionaire” and “A Mighty Heart”. His new film “The Lunchbox”, an Indian-FrenchGerman co-production, won the Grand Rail d’Or at Critics’ Week at the 66th Cannes film festival and the North American movie rights were acquired by Sony Pictures Classics.

Director Ritesh Batra’s debut feature film is about a wrongly delivered lunchbox that connects a young Hindu housewife to a Catholic man played by Irrfan.

Irrfan, 46, told Reuters about his latest film and how he sees Indian cinema changing to become more international: Q: Tell us about “The Lunchbox”.

A: It’s a sweet love story, it’s a feelgood film, it makes you feel nice but the narrative is very simple. The strength of the film is that it says so much without talking. It is the things which the characters are not saying that are the most powerful in the film. That’s the uniqueness of the film.

Q: “The Lunchbox” is directed by a first timer director, Ritesh Batra. What were your expectations and why did you agree to be part of it?

A: The story, the writing, it was special. The story was unique. I saw he hadn’t made full-length features but he had made some short films and that gave me a clue. He is one of the directors who capture actors, their performances, and that is a great combination. I had full faith in him. There was an international team around him. The editing happened in America then there was the music which I think happened in France. I knew the producers involved in the film ... were experienced producers and they know how to arrange a team.

Ermanno Marzorati, owner of Star Office Machines is working on an old typewriter in his shop in Los Angeles. — AFP

Q: Since most big studios are averse to making films like “The Lunchbox”, do you think that collaboration with international studios is the way forward?

A: It is. I think it’s a new thing which will erupt in the Indian market and I have been telling this to producers for many years - collaborate with other countries, collaborate with producers from other countries and we will have our international product. Somehow this has started happening and this will keep going on and this will help our directors and our

producers to find new markets, to find new languages of cinema, to find an Indian universal language of cinema.

Q: At Cannes was Indian cinema being taken more seriously?

A: We still need to come up with strong films to really make our mark.

Although people know about India, we still need to make films one after the other to be talked about as a filmmaking country. We make films for our audience, we are not making films for international audience.

Q: What is the general view of Indian filmmakers?

A: Indian cinema has to come of age.

They are still waiting. There are elements in Indian commercial cinema which are excellent, which are original, but we need to find a story telling language which is relatable to anybody, everybody. That’s the language “ The Lunchbox” could strike.

Q: Are we only making films for our own audiences?

A: We have a diverse generation of filmmakers coming up and they should diversify our filmmaking. If we go on making similar kinds of films they will have a limited appeal. We need to experiment, we need to come out with a different language, we need to come out with different cinema.

Q: India is celebrating 100 years of cinema this year. How do you see things changing in the next 100?

A: I can’t see 100 years ahead but I can definitely tell you that in five years the industry is going to change. You will have great cinema coming up. The pattern of cinema is such that every 10-15 years it changes because of the generation of filmmakers, the generation of the audience. I believe cinema will evolve very drastically and very quickly.

— Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

A passing boat and Stockholm’s Old Town are seen reflected in the window of a ferry during a water tour of the city in Stockholm.

From ship to prison:

Unique hostels in Sweden

By David Joles In Sweden, unique hostels spring from old quarters:

•

Gustav AF Klint My wife and I booked a two-bed cabin on the Gustav Af Klint, a beat-up, decommissioned steamship-turned-hostel, because it was a bargain at around $60 a night and in a great location, near Stockholm’s Old Town and the metro. Turns out, it was a memorable, pleasant base for our time in Stockholm, too. Our room was spartan at best, with a porthole for a window and two bunks, but what the lodging lacked in amenities, it more than made up for in location and ambience.

The hostel was very near Skansen, the open-air Swedish folk museum and park where we celebrated Midsummer

Fresh off the walking tour and back at the ship hostel, my legs ached. A bottle of Swedish pear cider and French fries with ketchup from the restaurant atop the boat were the perfect remedy. The people-watching from our restaurant perch also took my mind off my sore legs. Swedes scurried to nearby cruise ships bound for Finland and Estonia, luggage on rollers in tow.

Back in our berth, the view of the water and Old Town out our portal window felt almost cinematic.

On our last night there, as a storm approached, a tall ship sailed slowly past our window, with city lights blinking in the distance and the sky turning from gray to black as rain began to fall. We never left our spot on the bunk, watching the lights of Stockholm’s cityscape change outside that little round window. Even the muffled thud of dance music from a nearby floating disco club couldn’t keep us from sleep, as waves rolling off the passing ship gently rocked the boat.

More info: The Gustav Af Klint floats on the water at Stadsgardens Kajplatser 153, just steps from the Slussen metro stop (www.gustafafklint.se; click the “in English” button at the upper right).

•

The port of Visby can be seen to the left of the ringwall of the old city wall of Visby, perhaps the best-preserved Medieval city in Scandinavia.

A scene from a hill in the Sodermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden, overlooking the water, across from Old Town.

along with throngs of others (www.skansen.se; click the “English” button at the upper right).

Also nearby is the once gritty Sodermalm neighborhood. A five-minute walk from the hostel landed me on its cobblestone streets, where hipsters and bohemians hung out in open-air restaurants and cafes, many quaffing Swedish brew and taking in the magnificence of the Swedish summer in late June. The neighborhood is also home to a tour based on Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s wildly popular Millennium trilogy, the first of which is “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The Stieg Larsson Millennium Tour, offered in nine languages, begins at the Stockholm City Museum and winds up and down the hills of Sodermalm, where the book’s main characters, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, lived and worked (www.stadsmuseum.stockholm.se).

Visby Prison Hostel A three-hour ferry ride took us from Nynashamn, near Stockholm, to Visby, on the Island of Gotland. As we approached the port, we could see the watchtowers of the Visby Prison Hostel, where we would spend the night.

The place did not look like a typical, welcoming hotel. The 150-year-old squat stone and concrete fortress was ringed with razor ribbon, though the prison closed decades ago.

Inside, the building had its own eeriness. Heavy metal hinges and door locks remind visitors that their hostel room was once a prison cell. The names of the last inmates who dwelled in the cell and the crimes that sent them to the prison are printed in Swedish on many of the doors. The rooms are clean, if austere. The original solid wood doors help drown out any bustle of tourists in the hallway, though during our visit in late June, the hordes had yet to descend on Visby, a popular summer retreat for Swedes.

Large, stylish common areas were a reprieve from the simple rooms. On our floor, a red velvet couch and a pair of wicker chairs draped in red cloth set the tone. The Swedish sun streamed in through tall windows. English- and Swedish-language fashion and gossip magazines sat on a table.

The breakfast salon featured high ceilings, deep red walls and views of the Visby harbor.

A traditional Swedish breakfast, including caviar, orange marmalade, hard-boiled eggs and liver pate, is included in the hostel fee, where a two-bed cell can be had for about $65 to $100, depending on the season-but not the linen for the prison bunks, which were an extra couple dollars.

A pub and cafe tent called Las & Bom sits just outside the prison, affording tourists a chance to sip beer or coffee with a close-up prison view. A footpath cuts through a field of tall grass beyond the prison, following the prison wall. Some of the walls are now partly covered in graffiti and shaded by nearby hardwood trees.

More info: Visby Prison Hostel is near the ferry dock in Visby, on the Island of Gotland (Skeppsbron 1, Visby; www.visbyfangelse.se; click the British flag at the right). — MCT

A Royal Guard stands sentinel outside the Royal Palace.

A person in a strange costume walks up the cobblestone street near the Royal Palace.

A street musician works the scene outside the Slussen subway station in Stockholm, Sweden. — MCT photos

Following a wrong turn onto a gravel road into a bird sanctuary during nesting season, an angry arctic tern attempts to dive bomb unsuspecting tourists through the open sunroof of a beater 1980s model Audi rental car.

Part of Old Town Stockholm and a tall ship is visible near the Gustaf Af Klint boat hostel, anchored in the waters of central Stockholm.

A tall ship is visible from the portal window of the Gustaf Af Klint boat hostel, anchored in the waters of central Stockholm.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche poses with his Palme díOr award flanked by French actresses Lea Seydoux (left) and Adele Exarchopoulos during a photocall at the 66th Cannes film festival in Cannes.— AFP/AP photos

The members of the Feature Film Jury (from left) US director and President of the Feature Film Jury Steven Spielberg, Australian actress Nicole Kidman, French actor Daniel Auteuil, Indian actress Vidya Balan, Taiwanese director Ang Lee, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu and British director Lynne Ramsay attend on May 26, 2013 the closing ceremony of the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes.—AFP

“L

Argentinian-born French actress Berenice Bejo poses on stage with Iranian director Asghar Farhadi after being awarded with the Prix d’Interpretation Feminine (Best Actress).

Indian actress and member of the Feature Film Jury Vidya Balan arrives on stage.

ook at these people, this wildlife.” As the partying journalist of Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty,” Toni Servillo was surveying Rome’s colorful nightlife, but he might as well have been contemplating the Cannes Film Festival. The 66th edition of the Cote d’Azur extravaganza drew to a close Sunday, awarding the sensual, heartbreaking lesbian romance “Blue is the Warmest Color: The Life of Adele” the festival’s top honor, the Palme d’Or. The Cannes Film Festivale is a 12-day circus of perpetual red-carpet flashbulbs, beachside soirees and, yes, a feast of some of the finest, wildest movies the world has to offer. The most exotic creatures weren’t the highheeled ones parading the Croisette, they were the ones gracing Cannes’ pristine movie screens. This year, the festival was a particularly captivating coterie of rare birds. There was Tilda Swinton as a white-haired, centuries-old vampire (Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive”); Joaquin Phoenix as a 1920s pimp, sticking out his jaw like Marlon Brando (James Gray ’s “ The Immigrant”); a sequin-covered Michael Douglas as Liberace (Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra”); a battered and bloodied, but still cool Ryan Gosling (Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Only God Forgives”); and the disabled but acrobatic dancer Souleymane Deme (Mahamat-Saleh Harouns “Grigris”).

There was literal wildlife, too, including a cat named Hercules (the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis”), a vanishing giraffe (“The Great Beauty”) and an unfortunate pooch caught up in Mexico’s brutal drug war (Amat Escalante’s “Heli”). Cannes, alas, is a dog eat dog world. A strong, deep slate of films in competition left some mystery before Steven Spielberg’s jury named “The Life of Adele” tops of the festival. The three-hour coming-of-age tale, by Tunisian-born director Abdellatif Kechiche, emerged as a landmark film not for its lengthy, graphic sex scenes, but for its tender intimacy.

It won the Palme on the same day thousands marched in Paris protesting France’s recent legalization of gay marriage.

The global stage of Cannes immediately catapults Kechiche to greater international renown, inducting him into the prestigious group of Palme d’Or winners, from Francis Ford Coppola to Terrence Malick. But this year’s festival boasted many breakout stars, including the two daring actresses of “Life of Adele,” Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who, in a twist, also shared in the Palme d’Or. As a bitter, sarcastic 1960s folk singer in “Llewyn Davis,” newcomer Oscar Isaac also shined in Cannes’ spotlight. Familiar faces turned in some of their best work including Berenice Bejo, as a single mother juggling a new man and an old one in Asghar Farhadi’s shifting domestic drama “The Past”; Kristin Stewart Thomas, as Lady Macbeth meets Donatella Versace in the stylish Bangkok noir “Only God Forgives”; and Bruce Dern, as a gruff, aging father in Alexander Payne’s black-and-white Midwest road trip “Nebraska.”

US director Alexander Payne poses with the Prix d’zInterpretation Masculine (Best Actor) he received on behalf of US actor Bruce Dern.

British director and member of the Feature Film Jury Lynne Ramsay arrives on stage.

Mexican director Amat Escalante poses on stage with US actor Forest Whitaker after being awarded with the Best Director award for the film ‘Heli’.

US actress Uma Thurman arrives on stage.

Korean director Moon Byung-gon poses during a photocall with the Special Mention winners Italian director Adriano Valerio and Iceland’s director Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson after he was awarded with the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film for ‘Safe’.

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

Chinese director Jia Zhangke speaks on stage after being awarded with the Best Screenplay award for the film’A Touch of SIn’.

Screenings at Cannes begin with the festival intro of red steps ascending from the sea up to the heavens, but for the first half of Cannes, it felt as though the festival was stuck underwater. Constant rains dampened the French Riviera atmosphere in the early days, and the films - though full of intriguing entries - didn’t quite catch until the Coens premiered their melancholy story of a frustrated artist passed over by history. Reality also threatened to overshadow the movies. On the same night as the premiere of Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring,” a film about Los Angeles teenagers who rob the houses of celebrities, news broke that $1 million worth of jewelry had been stolen in a Cannes hotel. Never mind that its value turned out to be significantly less: The world had already conjured cinematic images of Cary Grant nimbly tiptoeing on Riviera rooftops.

Hollywood’s noisiest intruder was “Catching Fire,” the “Hunger Games” sequel that used Cannes’ platform to stir up worldwide fervor for the next installment of the Jennifer Lawrence blockbuster. American films - including those by the Coens, Payne, Jarmusch, Soderbergh and Gray - were among some of the best entries at the

US actor Oscar Isaac speaks on stage on behalf of US directors Joel and Ethan Coen after they were awarded with the Grand Prix for the film ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’.

Singaporean director Anthony Chen poses with French director and President of the Camera d’Or Jury Agnes Varda and Chinese actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Zhang Ziyi after winning the Camera d’Or for Best First Film.

festival. “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Nebraska” and perhaps the Ellis Island melodrama “The Immigrant” will likely be players in this fall’s Oscar season. Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra” marks the director’s final film, at least for a time, as he’s withdrawing from filmmaking. Soderbergh, whose film was broadcast on HBO, is planning to work more in television - an arena many directors discussed in Cannes, claiming its quality and cultural relevance now equals or even surpasses movies. While that may be true in many parts of the world, it isn’t in Cannes. At the annual glamour fest, the big screen - and all its varied vitality still reigns supreme. — AP

Korean director Moon Byung-gon celebrates on stage after winning the Palme d’Or for Short Film for the film ‘Safe’.

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda poses on stage after being awarded with the Prix du Jury (Jury’s Prize) for the film ‘Like Father, Like Son’.

Winners and hosts stand on stage after French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche won the Palme d’Or for the film ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ during the closing ceremony of the 66thCannes film festival in Cannes.

Spanish actress Rossy de Palma arrives on stage.

French actress Laetitia Casta arrives on stage.

Australian actress and member of the Feature Film Jury Nicole Kidman arrives on stage.

Italian actress Asia Argento arrives on stage.

French actress and mistress of ceremonies at the Cannes Film Festival Audrey Tautou speaks on stage.

US actress Kim Novak speaks on stage to announce the Grand Prix during the closing ceremony.

Angelina Jolie’s aunt dies of breast cancer

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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Paige Mycoskie, designer and founder of Venicebased Aviator Nation clothing line, is photographed inside her flagship store.

An inside view of the flagship store of Venice-based Aviator Nation clothing line, on Abbott Kinney in Venice.

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Paige Mycoskie, designer and founder of Venice-based Aviator Nation clothing line, is photographed inside her flagship store on Abbott Kinney in Venice, California.

alking into the Aviator Nation store on Abbot Kinney in Venice, Calif, is like stumbling into a frat house with a feminine touch. Steely Dan, Doors and Grateful Dead album covers and vintage skate decks nailed to the walls, a record player spinning Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” a “720 Degrees” arcade game in the corner, stacks and stacks of foam trucker hats, T-shirts and hoodies spreading good vibes like “Pray for Surf” and “California Is For Lovers”. ... It’s such a sensory experience, you half expect your shoes to be sticking to the floor from last night’s kegger.

Aviator Nation is the vision of Paige Mycoskie, who is turning a passion for 1970s nostalgia into the next California lifestyle brand. “This is my little oasis of awesomeness,” says the designer, 33, the picture of surfer girl blondness dressed on a recent afternoon in her signature uniform of checkerboard Vans, cut-off jean shorts, aviator sunglasses and an Aviator Nation tank top. “I hope people leave in a better mood than when they came in.”

Lots of color, like the clothing, and vintage surf and skate lifestyle items, like an old pinball game, fill the flagship store of Venice-based Aviator Nation clothing line.

Paige Mycoskie is photographed against a mural based on her original drawing. — MCT photos

In just seven years, she’s gone from sewing up T-shirts in her bedroom to designing a full brand of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories that generated $5 million in sales last year, plus two freestanding Aviator Nation boutiques and a mobile Aviator Nation store housed in an Airstream trailer that will be cruising Orange County, Calif, all summer.

While most T-shirt companies use computer-generated graphics and artwork, Mycoskie hand draws the lightning bolts, rainbow stripes, big wave surfers and psychedelic maidens that decorate many of her designs, then scans them into the computer. The slight imperfections lend an authenticity to the line, which also includes snowbunnystyle pom-pom hats, reversible cord puffer vests, fleece sweatpants, and dolphin shorts made from dead-stock Hawaiian shirt fabric, all in vivid bright colors and all of which bring to mind OP, CB Sports and other lovable surf and snow labels of yore. The gift-with-purchase Aviator Nation drink koozie is the perfect loungin’-by-the-water, good-ole-girl touch.

“Everything I design or put in the line is something I personally want,” she says of the collection, much of which looks like it could have been swiped from a cool older brother’s closet. “I don’t look at trend reports or runway shows. I’m not in that world.”

“She’s an original, a true bohemian who understands men’s (clothing) as well as women’s, knows how to have something for each and how to blur the lines a little,” says Jim Moore, creative director of GQ magazine, which named

Mycoskie one of its best new menswear designers in America for 2013, an honor that includes the opportunity to collaborate with Gap on a capsule collection that will be sold in Gap locations worldwide. “I always urge young designers to pull every penny together and open a store as soon as they can,” he says. “That’s what she did, and it became her laboratory.”

A native of Arlington, Texas, Paige Mycoskie grew up the middle child between two brothers. Her older brother Blake Mycoskie founded Toms Shoes on the model that for every pair of shoes sold, a pair is donated to someone in need, and her younger brother Tyler Mycoskie works in sales at Toms.

She was always into sports, waterskiing and playing on the volleyball team, but also happened to have an artistic streak and a penchant for rainbows-rainbow window blinds and switch plates in her bedroom, rainbow birthday cakes, Rainbow Brite dolls, rainbows on every drawing that ended up on the family’s refrigerator. “All of the artwork I did as a child was basically the same stuff I’m doing now, but not as perfect,” she says.

Going into business for herself wasn’t out of left field. She showed entrepreneurial skill at a young age, figuring out that the best place to set up her lemonade and cookies stand for the summer was on the edge of the golf course where her grandparents and their friends played every day.

She took home as much as $500 a day-as a 6-year-old.

She first came to LA for a summer internship at Shape magazine and returned in 2002 when she was cast, along with her brother Blake, in the second season of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race.” They came in third place on the show, ultimately missing the $1 million prize. Afterward, she moved to LA permanently, settling in Venice, and working as a freelance writer and a saleswoman at the Santa Monica surf shop ZJ Boarding House. She got the idea to make Tshirts after noticing the vintage ones that were a mainstay of her tomboy chic wardrobe were becoming more expensive and harder to find.

“My idea of dressing up still to this day is wearing a rare rock tee with jeans and cool shoes and a leather jacket,” says Mycoskie, who has been collecting vintage T-shirts since age 14. She only buys originals, numbers her collection in the hundreds and includes among her favorites a Jimi Hendrix “Just Ask the Axis” tee from 1970 and Live Aid festival shirt from 1985.

“It dawned on me I should start making shirts like the vintage ones I liked,” she says. “I have always been a ‘figure it out’ type of person, so I bought a how-to book on sewing, a how-to DVD on screen printing, and used $150 my grandmother had given me for my birthday to buy a sewing machine.” Because she couldn’t find a multiple color screen press that was affordable, she sewed colorful strips of fabric onto the shirts to create rainbows and stripes that way.

Those first pieces must have had a homespun charm, because whenever she wore them, she got attention. “One day, when I was out and got asked about my shirt three times, I thought, ‘OK, I could sell these,’” she says.

So she quit her job, moved back to Texas to live rent-free with her parents, and set to work on a sample line. “I sewed all day and night,” she says. “I would turn on music and the time would just fly. It wasn’t work, I was enjoying making clothes and being creative.”

The name of her company, Aviator Nation, is inspired by her love of aviator sunglasses. “When you put on a pair of aviator sunglasses, you immediately look cool,” she says.

“Aviators are also something that will never go out of style, like a T-shirt. And I wanted my brand to be about bringing people together. And that was what was happening. I was wearing the clothes, and cool people were coming up to me, and asking me about them.”

After she had 40 pieces, she headed back to LA She took her shirts to Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif., showed them to a salesperson, and before she had even left the parking lot, the buyer was calling with a $3,500 order. The next day, Planet Blue in Santa Monica placed an order. “From the moment I saw Aviator Nation, I was struck by her use of color and fabrics,” says Patrick Thompson, the men’s buyer

there. “The brand personifies everything wonderful about California beach life.”

She stopped when she had three stores, and then got down to sewing, dyeing and washing the shirts. “I did it all from scratch,” she says. The first deliveries landed in stores in February 2007, and sold out in weeks. One thing led to another, and now she has 120 retail accounts, most of them small boutiques except for Bloomingdale’s, and her own factory south of downtown L.A. producing four collections a year.

“Over the course of all this, I saw it as an opportunity to have fun, make clothes and employ people in the USA,” she says. Because the clothes are produced locally, they are not inexpensive; prices range from $35.99 for a hat to $139.99 for a hoodie.

She opened the first Aviator Nation store in Venice in 2009, in a building that used to be an art gallery and before that an auto body shop. Out back are her office and design

Paige Mycoskie is photographed on the back patio of her flagship store.

studio, as well as an outdoor space with a stage for music performances, a pingpong table and plenty of room to hang out.

“Her talent lies in creating a retail experience as much as in design,” says her brother Blake, who opened the first Toms store last year, just down the street from Aviator Nation on Abbot Kinney. “We talk about business a lot because we’re both in love with our companies,” Paige says of her brother.

“It’s the topic of conversation 90 percent of the time when we are together. But we have different ways of doing things.

I’m real slow and steady, and very particular about keeping it authentic, not rushing into everything and not selling to everyone who knocks on my door,” she says. “Blake’s in a different business. He wants to sell as many shoes as possible to give away as many shoes as possible.”

They have both built their companies without partners or outside investors. And next spring, they will collaborate for the first time on an Aviator Nation for Toms line of shoes.

It’s just one in a series of product extensions in the works.

“Some day, I would love to have a full line of Aviator Nation lifestyle products including luggage, wetsuits and swimwear,” Mycoskie says. “But I’m taking this one season at a time.”— MCT