Gunmen seize Crimea seat of power - Kuwait Times

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Astudy by the Institute for Transportation Research at theUniversity of Michigan showed Kuwait stood third in theworld over fatalities from road crashes as a percentage of

fatalities from other leading causes of death. UAE stood firstwith 15.9 percent, followed by Qatar with 14.3 percent andKuwait 7.9 percent. This is considered large for a small countrylike Kuwait. In fact I think it is a worrying trend and needs astudy on how to control this tragedy that takes many lives everyday.

In Kuwait, it doesn’t need an expert to see that although wehave some large roads and the traffic system is reasonable andacceptable, the human element is key in the large number ofaccidents and death on the roads. Most road accidents are dueto speeding and carelessness of others. Their misfortune leadsthem to be in the way of those who drive their vehicles likerockets. Some others use their mobiles, engaged in long conser-vations, forgetting that driving requires their attention.

Sometimes you see pedestrians who try in crazy ways tocross the highways! You wonder if these people have any brains

at all. They seem to be on suicidal missions. The law may punishthe driver but it was this person who acted carelessly and mustbe punished for his mad act.

But, feeling sorry for those who lose their lives on the roads isnot enough. Some suggestions have been made to preventthose less than 18 years old to get a driving license until theyturn 21, while some have suggested to stop granting expatri-ates driving licenses. But how do we expect all those people toreach their work and study places while Kuwait lacks decentbus stops or decent means of public transportation like a metroor subway that everyone can use easily and peacefully? I knowmany expats don’t use taxis because it cost a lots of money andwould rather use the bus because it is cheaper although it lackseven a seat to sit on or shades at bus stops during the heat ofsummer or rain in winter.

So, the bottom line here is that as long as we don’t have anydeveloped and modern methods of public transposition orcontrol on giving driving licenses to people, the situation willfester and roads will keep getting inundated with cars thatexceed their normal capacity.

I know that right now there is campaign over unfastenedseatbelts and using mobiles while driving, but I have seen manypeople ignoring it. We need more undercover police to punishthose who challenge this law because they put the life of inno-cents in danger. I believe if no enforcement of law is made, theroads will consume more lives every day. Death on the roadscan happen to any one of us. Drive safely.

L o c a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Conspiracy Theories

[email protected]

By Badrya Darwish

Guns for a good cause

Life has many unpredictable turns that humanbeings cannot control or think about, no matterhow creative he or she is. Sometimes you work

hard all your life and you do not get much profit.What gave me this idea are the celebrations. The fes-tivities of our national days see kids and adults carry-ing plastic guns loaded with water roaming every cor-ner of Kuwait spraying at people, cars and passersby.Did the sellers of such a simple plastic toy everthought that they will be selling thousands of gunsfor a day or two?

God has his own ways of granting things to humanbeings. I am 100 percent sure all small toy shops that Idrive by in Salmiya or any other toy shop never everdreamt that they will one day run out of their pre-cious plastic water guns for children for two days. Theamazing thing is that not only children were usingthese guns. The craving came to adults too. The funni-est thing I saw was a video sent online to me of a fewBangladeshi workers carrying plastic water guns andspraying the cars. The caption under the photo said inbroken Arabic: “Look, we are not afraid.”

I think that the water guns got upgraded when aman hired a water tanker to roam the streets - I meana tanker that supplies water to homes and residentialareas. He had big hopes and started spraying water atcars. He was not content with the small children’sguns. He got a water tanker - something more sub-stantive.

That took me back a few years before the removalof Saddam in 2003. From the time between Kuwait’sliberation in 1991 and 2003, people were not veryrelaxed. There were lingering fears. Especially whenSaddam fired two missiles and everyone was scared.We were taping our windows and doors and wereafraid that he might throw a missile at us. I ran to theco-op to buy tapes and they told me that everythingwas finished. I remember I and the driver goingaround to every co-op and baqala to get tapes.

Was it possible that overnight these tapes weregone? Did the tape importers ever dreamt that theywould get rid of the tapes that had been on theirshelves for many years? Of course not. Life is veryunpredictable in its many ways. It is also nice thatthese water guns were sold for a nice cause and forfun, not for threats.

Have a nice weekend!

By Nawara Fattahova

As part of Kuwait’s National Daycelebrations, Gulf Road hasbecome the major battleground

of this year’s revelers spraying water andshooting each other with loaded waterguns. Spraying foam at cars driving byhas been an essential feature of theNational and Liberation Days celebra-tions since 1991 when Kuwait was liber-ated from Iraqi invasion. The more cele-brations were held, the more peoplestarted complaining about the misuse offoam which in some cases could causedamage and injuries. Owing to this, theMinistry of Interior banned the use offoam last year. Importing foam couldalso put a company in trouble.

Fun-seeking individuals, however,have quickly found an alternative to cel-ebrate the holidays. Water guns andwater pistols have replaced foam bottles.Although this year’s parade was free offoam, the streets turned into war zoneswith troopers of all ages and nationali-ties spraying water at each other and atpassing cars. The increased interest inthe “water celebrations” was a boon forthe country’s toy shops selling guns atprices ranging from KD 1 to KD 6.

Huge sales “We sell water gun toys all year long

but in the past two days, we maderecord sales,” said Hassan, a salesman ata local toy shop in Salmiya. He explainedthat he sold more than 100 pieces in two

days and said that despite risingdemand, he didn’t charge more for thetoy guns. Fernandez, a salesman at ashop in Shuwaikh selling toy guns inbulk, explained that location is one ofthe primary things responsible for a toyshop’s success. “I sold seven cartons ofbig water guns, which was basically mywhole stock. Each carton contains 12pieces. The price ranges between KD 16-26. Now, I only have the small water pis-tols available, which is not in demandmuch because they don’t have a bigwater container”. He pointed out thattoy shops in Mubarakiya witnessed thebiggest sales.

Mahmoud, a salesman in anotherwholesale toy shop in Kuwait City,agreed that they had record sales ofwater guns this year. “Our store soldmore than 1,000 cartons, each contain-ing 12 pieces. Medium was the preferredsize since it’s cheaper and suits kidsmore. Our prices ranged between KD 1-9per piece,” he said, adding that all prod-ucts are made in China, and the differ-ence in price depends on the size.Throughout the year, he said, the shopsells small water guns, which are notpopular around this time. He alsorevealed that many of his customersbought the guns in bulk to sell them inthe desert.

According to Rida, a salesman in a toyshop located in Sharq, location is not amajor factor in sales. He said that despitehis shop being located near Gulf Road,this year’s sales weren’t as good as lastyear’s sales. “This year, we sold less than100 pieces. Last year, we sold more” hesaid. Rida also said that many roamingvendors sold their water guns this timeand that some people bought their gunsat Gulf Road while others used ones theybought last year.

‘Street wars’ triggerwater gun sales

Local Spotlight

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

Toy shops make record sales during celebrations

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti girl shoots her toy gun during celebrations to mark the53rd National Day and the 23rd Liberation Day.— Photo by Joseph Shagra

Bangladeshi workers spray cars with plastic water guns.

Death on the roads

By Ben Garcia

Several runaway maids currently housed at thePhilippines embassy shelter in Jabriya claimthat they were possessed by a dead woman’s

ghost. It’s nighttime. The shelter, housing morethan 100 runaway maids is full and typically noisy.But it’s late and the women are readying to sleep,quietly chatting amongst themselves and prepar-ing for bed. Suddenly, a frightening crash and adeep voice erupt from one of the women. Spirits ofthe dead, so the women claim, crashed the shelterand created chaos and disorder for what seemedlike hours.

Philippines embassy officials could not bereached for comment by the production deadlineof the newspaper yesterday.

The encounter Faisa claims that the ghost came upon her as

she readied for bed. She came from a bathroomafter her regular night ceremony when she sud-denly felt a chill. “All I can remember was the chillyair coming over my body. Then I saw a lady, a beau-tiful white lady calling my name,” Faisa told theFriday Times. “She wanted to lead me back towardthe bathroom. I followed her, then she showed mecrystal clear water in a glass. It looks clear - butseemed like it was boiling. She wanted me to drinkit. I didn’t drink it. I told her no. She was laughing atme. Then she disappeared. I walked a few meters,then another lady appeared, she was wearing ablack abaya, she was as beautiful as the first one.She also tried to show me the water in the glass.Then I heard a crying sound from a boy, he wasaround five or six years old. I could hear him wail-ing, crying and asking for help, I wanted to helphim, but I don’t know why the woman wearingabaya was laughing at me,” she claimed.

Several of the women in the shelter wereinvolved in the incident, some of them holding onthe woman and trying to calm her. At least three orfour others also claiming an experience of posses-sion and others claiming to have witnessed theevents. “I heard voices asking for help and seekingjustice,” said Salima, another alleged victim. “Theywere crying. I don’t know what they meant. But Ithink, they were killed, and they’re asking for help,”Salima said.

Buried in the basement Johanna, another who claims possession, said

she felt really cold and then harrowing soundsstarted issuing from her throat. “First, the beautifulwhite lady brought me to the comfort room. Sheshowed me the glass of water, very clean and clearwater,” said Johanna. “I was led at a room insidethe embassy, I felt very tired, so, what I felt I thinkat that time, my soul is the only one accompany-ing the spirit because I can see my body out of me.My spirit has accompanied the woman at theembassy ‘s floor tour. She showed me the stairsthen led me to the second floor. She told me, aboy was deliberately thrown down from the sec-ond floor and died there. The body of the boyaccording to the spirit was buried in the base-ment. I don’t know how true it was. Then the spiritbrought me to another room of the embassy.There I saw four bodies of bloodied people; threeheadless men and a blooded woman. The beauti-ful woman toured me to another floor of theembassy. I saw two teenage boys, one was naked,enticing to go with him in the room. Another wasjust staring at us from afar,” she said.

At the same time of Johanna’s episode, anoth-er of the shelter’s inhabitants, Maria also claimed

to feel the cold and then to hear voices. Several other former maids also claimed to

have a supernatural experience. Reza and Marissa, both allegedly saw a Filipina

maid who had been killed on the embassygrounds. Reza said the spirit’s name was Susan. “Iheard her wailing. She was crying, and she lookedlike a Filipina. She told me, she was killed thereand was unable to tell her parents what hap-pened. She needed help. Then, the next moment,according to other girls, I was laughing and laugh-ing uncontrollably,” Reza said.

Marissa, at that time was sitting at the stairsleading to the second floor of the embassy. “I sawspirits, so quick, then, they saw me crying. I feltthat everything in me was numbed. I saw awoman wearing a housemaid uniform, her facewas very pale and sad. I saw a man wearing a dis-dasha. I saw a small boy too. Then, a beautifulwoman, I can hear some saying ‘fight, fight againstthese spirits.”

4L o c a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Chaos, disorder as ‘restless spirits’ create

hysteria at Philippine embassy shelter

Philippine embassy in Kuwait haunted

KUWAIT: A group of Filipina runaway maids who are currently accommodated atthe embassy’s shelter are pictured in this photo. Some of them shared the storyof “restless spirits.”


A Kuwaiti woman gets her hand decorated with tradition-al henna at a market in downtown Kuwait City. Kuwaitiwomen traditionally use henna for special occasions suchas weddings and national celebrations.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti children take part in a parade during celebrations to mark the 53rd National Day and the 23rd Liberation Day. The first date commemorates the creation of Kuwait asa nation in 1961 while Liberation Day marks the end of Iraq’s occupation in 1991. — Photos by Joseph Shagra, Yasser Al-Zayyat and Fouad Al-Shaikh

Kuwait celebrates National, Liberation Days

Fun-seekers flocked to Gulf Road to celebrate Kuwait’sNational and Liberation days. Some came wearing masks,others were heavily armed with water pistols.

A young boy waves Kuwait’s old flag during the celebra-tions.


My jobmy passion

The life of a fishermanIndian fisherman Morjan (right) prepares for the day’s jobnear the sea shore in Sharq.

By Nawara Fattahova

Hot weather means more fish at sea.Blowing winds keep fisherman’s boatssafely anchored and their nets empty.

That is why for 30-year-old fisherman fromIndia, Morjan, summer is the best time of theyear. Morjan has been working in Kuwait forabout seven years. However, he has beenthrowing nets at a very young age. “Fishing isa family thing. My father taught me how tofish. I love my job, and I enjoy doing it. I neverdreamt of doing any other thing in life,” hesaid holding the catch of the day in an icebox.

“I fish with a net together with two otherfishermen. After we catch some fish, we placeit in an icebox. We then take the catch to theboat owner, who takes part of it, and thensells the rest,” says 30-year-old fishermanMorjan who fishes near the Sharq marina.“Selling the catch is not part of his daily rou-tine”, although, he says, some other fisher-men do that. There are many different fishinglocations around the Kuwait’s shores andmarinas but for Morjan, the Sharq marina isthe best place to fish.

Unpredictable weatherMorjan’s job starts at 8:00am. “Every morn-

ing I leave with the boat from Sharq headingto ‘Kiyusa Ishan’, which is the best place forfishing,” he says with a smile and adds that hiswork day ends in the early afternoon. “Usuallywe return between 3:00-4:00 pm. Today forinstance, we came back at 1:30 pm after wefilled the big icebox with over 10 kg of fish,”he added.

The weather makes the fisherman’s dayunpredictable. “When the weather is hot, it’sbetter for fishing. Hot days mean more avail-able fish. The summer months, especiallyJune and July, are the best time for fishing.But when it’s windy, we don’t go for fishingbecause our boat is small. This may be verydangerous for us,” he said. Although he isfishing daily, yet he never gets bored eatingfish. “I prefer Nuweibi and Shaem, and I haveIndian recipes to cook them, especially withtomato sauce,” he said. “I prefer fish to anyother meat, and I only eat fish and vegetables.I don’t like chicken or red meat,” Morjanadded.

‘I love my job, and I enjoy doing it. I never dreamt of

doing any other thing in life.’

Morjan pictured onhis fishing boat.

If Morjan wasn’t fishing for any reason, thenhe would be working at the house of his kafeel.“I have a room at the house of my employer so Idon’t sleep on the boat,” he says and explainsthat some fishermen in Kuwait sleep on theboat for weeks or even more. Their boat, hesays, is much bigger. Also they sell the fish theyhave caught at the fish market where they havea booth,” he pointed out. Fish dishes are themost popular in Kuwait and the GCC region, sothere is always demand for fish, and fishermenalways have jobs. For some people, it is a hardjob to spend long days at sea, but for othersthrowing the net and waiting patiently for it tomove with a catch has become a passion.


Kuwait Embassies in Cyprus (left) and Armenia mark the National and Liberation Days celebrations.

KUWAIT: President of the KuwaitAssociation for the Ideal Family andChairperson of Al-Fatat Sport Club SheikhaFariha Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah haspraised Egypt for its supportive stanceduring the Iraqi invasion in 1990. Sheprayed that the Almighty Allah will restoreEgypt’s security and stability. SheikhaFariha’s praise came during her speech ata ceremony she held last night, entitled“All for love of Kuwait”, in honor of a visit-ing Egyptian delegation and was attendedby Egyptian Ambassador in Kuwait

Abdulkarim Suleiman, the Ministry ofInformation Assistant Undersecretary forBroadcasting Affairs Sheikh FahadMubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,Dr Sheikha Maymouna Al-Khalifa Al-AthbiAl-Sabah, and a number of famedEgyptian actors.

Sheikha Fariha also congratulated HisHighness the Amir, Kuwait government,and people of Kuwait for the nationaldays celebrations, praying to the mightyAllah to perpetuates the grace of safetyand security on the country under the

wise leadership of His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. On his part, Ambassador Suleimanexpressed gratitude to His Highness theAmir, government, and people of Kuwaitfor their financial, spiritual, and politicalsupport following the events that tookplace on January 25th and after June30th, affirming that Kuwaiti governmentand people respect the will of Egyptianpeople. — KUNA

Sheikha values Egypt’s stance during invasion

NewsKuwait welcomes ‘resolution 2139’

NEW YORK: Kuwait has welcomed the UNSC resolution 2139concerning the humanitarian situation in Syria, calling on theinternational community to carry out its responsibility in pro-tecting Syrian civilians. Kuwait’s endorsement of the resolu-tion, which came about last Saturday, was reflected in aspeech by Kuwaiti permanent envoy to the UN AmbassadorMansour Al-Otaibi to the General Assembly. Ambassador Al-Otaibi lauded the resolution and stressed that it was the firststep in protecting Syrian civilians from the ongoing onslaught.He called on all involved parties, especially the Syrian regime,to implement the resolution. With over 130,000 dead and mil-lions displaced or seeking refuge, the Syrian people are inneed for resolutions to end their suffering, said the Kuwaitiofficial. Kuwait has contributed around $900 million to reliefaid efforts since the crisis in Syria began in March 2013, saidAmbassador Al-Otaibi, adding that the donors’ conferences forSyria which were held in Kuwait had mustered over four bil-lion dollars. Ambassador Al-Otaibi thanked the UN and coun-tries neighboring Syria for their efforts in helping the Syrianrefugees, hoping that the process to end the Syrian conflictwould succeed in finding a political solution.

Kuwait offers kidney dialysis to refugees

TRIPOLI: Kuwait Red Crescent Society has launched the sec-ond phase of the kidney dialysis campaign for Syrian refugeesin Lebanon. Dr Musaed Al-Enezi, the society delegate, toldKUNA the campaign aims to treat Syrian patients sufferingfrom kidney failure for six months, in coordination with localhospitals and the Lebanese Red Cross. Yousef Boutros, a RedCross official, praised the Kuwaiti association for launching thishumanitarian project, as well as other programs to help therefugees. Number of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon is esti-mated 930,000.

SACGC promotes Kuwait inventions

ABU DHABI: The Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness andCreativity (SACGC) participated in the Abu Dhabi Air Expo2014, displaying and promoting a collection of Kuwaiti inven-tions. The SACGC section at the Expo included three inven-tions on air transportation, civil aviation, and military aviationby two Kuwaiti inventors, as well as a collection of the Center’sissuances that showcase its career in supporting Kuwaitiinventors and innovators. Ali Sahmmoh, an inventor, statedthat he takes part in the Expo this year with two inventions ondeveloping effective protection for civil and military aircraftengines, expressing at the same time his gratitude to SACGCfor supporting national inventions and innovators, as well asits efforts and contributions which helped in taking Kuwaitiinventions to major international forums and occasions. Inaddition, Adel Abdeen, an inventor, also stated that his partici-pation in the Expo includes an integrated system that has 13inventions that handle troubles faced by aircrafts of varioustypes during landing processes, affirming that Kuwaiti inven-tors have many scientific inventions in various scientific areasas marketing would be very vital for these inventions in orderto transport these Kuwaiti-made inventions to various coun-tries around the world.

in brief

WASHINGTON: The United States ofAmerica has congratulated the govern-ment and people of Kuwait on the53rd anniversary of the National Dayand 23rd Liberation Day anniversary.US Secretary of State John Kerry said ina statement said, “As we continue tobuild on decades of close personal tiesbetween the United States and Kuwait,including through the thousands ofKuwaiti students in US schools and thetens of thousands of US citizens living

and working in Kuwait, we are remind-ed of the importance of the US-Kuwaitpartnership to both nations’ securityand prosperity.”

“We look forward to working withKuwait into the future as we build onour strong relationship and addressthe many shared issues we face.

We extend our best wishes to allKuwaitis for a year of peace and happi-ness,” the US top diplomat remarked.Kuwait is celebrating its Independence

or National Day that dates back to1961 and the Liberation Day, whennational and allied forces, led by theUS, carried out a major military cam-paign that drove the occupation Iraqiforces out of the country on February25, 1991, ending the seven-monthoccupation. Kuwait and the US areclose allies and maintain coordinationand cooperation in various spheresincluding the military and economicsectors. — KUNA

US congratulates Kuwait

Divers place Kuwaiti Flag

at seabedKUWAIT: Kuwaiti divers have installed theNational Flag at bed of the Gulf Sea in cele-bration of the National Days. The diversplaced the green-white-black-red flag at thesea bottom close to the Kuwaiti island Garo.They also put artificial reefs off the island,known of surrounding crystal-clear waters,ideal for scuba diving. Captain Adel Al-Khaled, the head of Al-Nakheel DivingCenter, told KUNA that installing the NationalFlag was intended to celebrate the Kuwait’sanniversaries (Kuwait’s 53rd Independenceanniversary and the 23rd year of the countryLiberation) as well as the 8th anniversary ofHis Highness the Amir ascending to the toppost. Another team has placed close to thesame island man-made reefs. Also at a near-by spot, they set up the slogan, “our environ-ment an inseparable part of our dear home-land Kuwait.” — KUNA

KUWAIT: Turkish air force fighter jets fly during celebrations markingKuwait’s 53rd National Day and the 23rd Liberation Day. — Photo byYasser Al-Zayyat

9L o c a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

By Jamie Etheridge

Souqs and bazaars are an integral partof the Arab world and in Kuwait, thebazaar mentality - the ideas of mer-

cantilism, entrepreneurship and workingfor oneself - are deeply rooted. In fact, thecountry was founded by merchants - risktakers who not only traded goods but whowithin a few short generations also pio-neered what are today some of the leadingbusinesses in Kuwait.

Start ups are as common as cupcakes inthe region. But in Kuwait, the growth of aninformal economy is taking the country in adecidedly different direction from its GCCneighbors, a trend that could have a lastingimpact on Kuwait’s economic future.

The costs of doing businessDespite recent government approval of

a new law aimed at promoting small andmedium enterprises (SMEs), opening abusiness here can be a nightmare of wast-ed time, unnecessary costs and lengthydelays. Kuwait’s labyrinth-like bureaucracy,a growing bribe culture among public offi-cials and a wasta network make it hard, ifnot nearly impossible, for young entrepre-neurs to enter the market.

Unfriendly regulations - like requiringbusinesses to have a location (and payrent) before granting licenses - add to theenormous financial burden on starts upand entrepreneurs, further stifling thegrowth of the local private sector’s SMEs.

According to the Kuwait Labor MarketInformation Systems (LMIS) website, selfemployed Kuwaitis represented around 2percent of the total workforce in 1985, lessthan 1 percent in 2005 and had returned toan upward trend by 2011 with a little more

than 1 percent. Managed by the CentralStatistical Bureau, the LMIS also notes thatSMEs accounted for around 34 percent ofemployment in 2002 but that has droppedto 23 percent - a full 10 percentage points -nine years later in 2011.

Indeed, in a 2011 report, local invest-ment company, Markaz noted that in com-parison with other GCC states, “Kuwait hasbeen a late comer in unlocking the poten-tial role that SMEs can play in its economy.Kuwaiti private sector and SME contribu-tion to employment lacks luster, wherebyapproximately 85% of the Kuwaiti work-force is currently employed by the govern-ment.” A lengthy domestic political strug-gle and the 2008 global financial crisis -which hit Kuwait especially hard - furthereroded the formal economy.

Cupcake cultureBut it also created a window of opportu-

nity for local entrepreneurs willing to enterthe ‘informal economy’. Trends like homecupcake businesses triggered other ideasamong locals and expatriates who began tolaunch start up Instagram shops and popup markets like the local farmer’s collective,Shakshooka market.

These unlicensed and unregulated busi-nesses offer a rich array of products, servicesand goods. To give just a few examples, youcan now order online or by WhatsApp thefollowing: Fresh baked breads, customizedred velvet cupcakes, personal trainers, chil-dren’s toys, jewelry, clothes, make up, bikerentals, photocopies, costumes, deliveryservices, catering, inflatables, bespoke T-shirts, dara’as and bishts, exotic animals andpets, shoes, tuitions and cheat sheets,smoothies and detox drinks, life coaching,preschools, dream interpretation and much

more. Like any country, Kuwait has always had

a small, informal economy. From air condi-tioning repairmen to door-to-door sodasellers there has always been the localseamstresses, the neighborhood baqalaand the roaming street vendors.

What’s new today is the sheer number -and the growing preference for going theinformal route. With the growth of farmer’smarkets and single day bazaar events,many young entrepreneurs don’t evenneed or want a formal license to do busi-ness.

“Why should I get a license and pay rentwhen I can sell my products over Instagramand at events?” seems to be the generalconsensus.

Some will eventually grow enough totransition into more formal, licensed busi-nesses with brick and mortar premises. Butmany others may choose to remain leanand rely on casual labor or support fromtheir domestic help to maintain what isoften seen as a side income.

Shaping Kuwait’s economic futureThe impact of informal economies are

widely debated. There are both positiveand negative consequences. On the nega-tive side, informal businesses lack licensingand regulation and for things like foodservice this can result in uncertain quality.Many informal businesses also prefer toremain so in order to avoid taxes - thoughthis is not much of a concern for Kuwait atthis point, it could pose a problem longerterm as oil revenues slow.

Informal businesses do not have gov-ernment oversight of labor. Official govern-ment statistics fail to account for ‘informal’businesses since they are not registered.

Informal businesses also are not counted aspart of the nation’s GNP and do not figureinto the statistics on unemployment andother social and demographic numbers.

On the positive side, participating in theinformal economy allows greater ease ofentry into the market - anyone can makecupcakes at home. Informal businesses alsodo not face the costs associated withlicensing not to mention the bribes andwasta now regularly needed to pass evenstandard government paperwork.

It also creates more flexibility in themarket and improves market competitive-ness as brick and mortar businesses mustlearn to compete with their informal rivals.This can, in turn, lower costs as competitionheats up.

In total, Kuwait’s private sector is domi-nated by oil revenues. Non oil revenuesaccounted for less than 13 percent ofKuwait’s budget in 2013 and private sectorbusinesses across the board benefit fromoil revenues in the guise of public sectorwages and consumer spending.

The growth of Kuwait’s informal souqdoes not, then necessarily suggest a realgrowth in the overall economy but moresimply a shifting away from the formaltoward the informal as entrepreneurs pur-sue their ideas by bypassing rather thanworking with the government.

Crackdowns on illicit business activity,however, is always difficult both politicallyand economically and could pose longerterm problems for the government’sefforts to divert local employment into theprivate sector. It will also add to the alreadydifficult task the government faces of try-ing to build a tax base among local compa-nies for the future.

What’s behind the growth ofKuwait’s informal economy

Casino apartment busted200 grams of heroin confiscated

KUWAIT: A doctor, his brother and asports celebrity were arrested for trans-forming a flat into a gambling den inSalmiya. Officials stormed into the flat onreceiving a tip-off about immoral activitiestaking place and caught the culprits red-handed. Green tables, similar to those atcasinos, were seen at the venue. The arrest-ed culprits were caught socializing withother gamblers including two women andfour dealers. A journalist who works with alocal newspaper was also pulled up. Thetotal number of those arrested was 20,including the two women. About KD15,000 and other gambling paraphernaliawas confiscated.

Heroin confiscatedNarcotics detectives arrested an Indian

expat in Mahboula at home and confiscat-ed 200 grams of Shabu and heroin. He saidthat his supplier was a central prisoninmate who informed him where to pickup the stash on being paid. He alsorevealed that the chosen spot was near a

mosque’s fence in Granada. On reachingthe location, detectives noticed a manthrowing the drug packets next to thefence and arrested him. When his roomwas searched, they found 20 grams ofheroin and Shabu. He confessed that heworks as a mosque guard and the inmateis his partner.

Duo spray hair removerThe police arrested two men for spray-

ing others with hair remover duringNational Day celebrations on Arabian GulfStreet. Both were referred to criminaldetectives.

Woman harassed during celebrationsA disgruntled man swore at a Kuwaiti

woman in her twenties before drivingaway, apparently peeved that she refusedto pay him any attention during NationalDay celebrations on Arabian Gulf Street.The victim went to Sharq Police Stationand reported that she was with her friendwhen the man chased her and harassed

her. She noted his license plate numberand gave it to the police.

Wife beater questionedFintas police are questioning an

Egyptian man who was accused by hiswife of beating her up after he refused toallow her to go out with her sister. The vic-tim told police that she intended to go outfor a walk with her sister but her husbandstopped her and locked her up. When sherevolted, he hit her and she had to escapeto her neighbor’s flat to avoid more vio-lence. Police are currently investigating.

Asian worker shot at Public prosecution is investigating the

case of a ruling family member who shot ata worker next door before beating him up.Nuwaiseeb police received a call that anAsian worker was shot at by the neighbor-ing chalet’s owner - who is a ruling familymember - before being beaten up.Charges have been filed and investigationsare underway.

KUWAIT: Informed sources at the Ministry of Social Affairsand Labor said that the demographic restructuring of thepopulation in Kuwait is expected to start in the beginning ofApril. The sources added that the Minister of Social Affairsand Labor Hind Al-Subaih is preparing a comprehensive planfor the restructuring of the population. According to themost recent news, Al-Subaih has asked various authorities atthe ministry to prepare a complete report that includes thenumber of expats in the country according to their nationali-ties, education, degree, profession. She has also requested areport on the market demands, Alrai reported.

Kuwait is home to 2.7 million expatriates who accountfor about 70 percent of the country’s population. Previousreports mentioned various plans that would aim to adjustthe country’s demographic imbalance. Earlier report point-ed out government’s long term plans to re-organize theentry of expat workforce. A senior government official wasquoted as saying that foreign workers permit will be donethrough a system that sets a specific quota for each expatri-ate community.

The comprehensive plan is planned to be in coordinationwith the services ministries. Al-Subaih has requested infor-mation about the cost of the expat residents and about thepressure they put on the services extended by the ministriesof health, education, and electricity and water, in addition tothe municipality. The sources said the category of domestichelpers will not be subjected to any of the upcomingchanges because they are not included in any of technical,professional or administrative professions needed, providedthat they meet the condition required for resident permits.

Kuwait tries to readjust demographic imbalance

13Gunmen seizeCrimea seat ofpower 12 17

Syria army readiesto attack rebel bastion

2 sailors found dead in Indian submarine

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

DOHA: An apparent gas explosion yesterday ata restaurant near a filling station in the Qataricapital killed 12 people and wounded severalmore, emergency services officials in the ener-gy-rich Gulf nation said.

Initial indications suggested a burst naturalgas tank atop a Turkish restaurant was to blamefor the blast, which happened shortly after 10am near the popular Landmark Mall shoppingcenter in the capital, Doha. The force of theexplosion caused the partial collapse of theIstanbul Restaurant and sent shrapnel flying asfar as 50 meters (160 feet) away, authorities said.Officials are treating the explosion as an acci-dent, though it is unclear what ignited the tank.

The 12 people reported killed were all Asian

or Arab, said Maj Gen Saad Al-Khulaifi, whoheads the country’s police force. He did not givefurther details on their identities or nationalities.He said 31 others were wounded, some serious-ly. He vowed authorities would conduct a fulland transparent investigation. The civil defensedirector of operations, Hamid Al-Duhaimi, saidfour people were found dead at the scene andthe others died on their way to the hospital.

Alexandra Permuy, 25, a graduate studentfrom Miami who lives nearby, was startledawake by the explosion. “At first I thought it wasjust thunder ... but when I looked out the win-dow there’s not a cloud in the sky,” Permuy said.

The restaurant had recently opened followingrenovations and is situated among a strip of eater-

ies that get particularly busy late at night, she said.

Accidental?A security source said the blast at the

Istanbul restaurant was accidental. Anothersecurity source at the scene said two Asian chil-dren were among the dead.

Preliminary investigations suggested that agas tank exploded, setting off a fire and causingpart of the building to collapse, he told a newsconference. But investigations were continuingto discover what caused the gas tank to explode.

“It was a very big blast,” he said. “It blew awaycars and the shrapnel scattered 50 or 100 metersaway.” Chunks of masonry, metal debris andshattered glass lay outside the restaurant in a

northwestern district of the city. Cars apparentlycrumpled by the explosion stood nearby.

Hamad Medical Corp, which manages eighthospitals and the national ambulance service,put out a call for blood donations on socialmedia shortly after the blast happened.

Qatar is a small, wealthy Gulf Arab state withabundant reserves of natural gas that will hostthe 2022 World Cup. The OPEC member state isgenerally safe, with little violent crime or civilunrest. Concerns have been raised about build-ing safety.

A May 2012 fire in the Villaggio Mall killed 19people, including 13 children at a daycare centerinside. Investigators later blamed faulty wiringfor the blaze. —Agencies

Blast hits Doha, killing 1231 wounded in gas explosion at Turkish restaurant

DOHA: Onlookers gather around the scene of a blast as police rescue teams search the debris in Doha yesterday. —AFP

Availableat The Sultan

Centre &

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I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

BIRZEIT, Palestinian Territories: APalestinian died during an Israeli army raidon his home in the West Bank town ofBirzeit yesterday, the military and aPalestinian security source said.

The death came as human rights groupAmnesty International slammed Israel’skilling of dozens of Palestinian civilians inthe occupied West Bank over the pastthree years. “After the army left the houseand the town, the body of MotazzWashaha, 22, was found,” the Palestiniansource said. The army confirmed the deathof a “Palestinian suspected of terror activi-ty.” “After the suspect was called to turnhimself in, he barricaded himself inside hishouse,” it said.

Soldiers responded with “live fire” andrecovered an assault rifle, it added.Neighbors said the dead man was a mem-ber of the leftist Popular Front for theLiberation of Palestine.

The army entered Birzeit, north of theWest Bank administrative centre ofRamallah, yesterday morning and used“riot dispersal means” to clear stone-throw-ing Palestinians from their path to thehouse. The Amnesty report released earlieryesterday accused Israel of “war crimes andother serious violations of internationallaw” against Palestinians. Israel retortedthat the London-based watchdog had nottaken into account the increasing numberof attacks on its forces over the past year

and had not sought comment before theeve of publication.

Israeli human rights group B’Tselemsaid in December that Israeli forces hadkilled 27 Palestinians in the West Bank in2013, three times the figure recorded inthe previous year. Amnesty called on Israelto “open independent, impartial, transpar-ent and prompt investigations into allreports of Palestinian civilians killed or seri-ously injured by the actions of Israeliforces.” Since occupying Gaza and theWest Bank, including annexed Arab eastJerusalem, in 1967, “Israeli authorities havesignally failed to carry out independentinvestigations that meet international stan-dards into alleged crimes,” Amnesty said. It

urged the international community, partic-ularly the European Union and the UnitedStates, to “suspend all transfers of muni-tions, weapons and other equipment toIsrael” to pressure it to change.

The Israeli military said Amnesty failedto take into account “the substantialincrease in Palestinian violence initiatedover the past year,” which “saw a sharpincrease in rock-hurling incidents, gravelyjeopardizing the lives of civilians and mili-tary personnel.”

Foreign ministry spokesman YigalPalmor said Amnesty published its report“without even bothering to ask forresponse and comment,” until the eve ofpublication. — AFP

Palestinian killed in Israel West Bank raid

BEIRUT: Syria’s army is preparing toassault a key rebel bastion nearDamascus, a pro-regime newspapersaid yesterday, as activists reportedheavy shelling and fighting there.“The Syrian army is preparing tolaunch a new phase” on the town ofYabrud near the border with Lebanonin its offensive in the Qalamun moun-tains, Al-Watan reported.

It said troops loyal to PresidentBashar Al-Assad have seized control oftwo strategic hills near Yabrud, whichhas been the target of heavy air raidsand tank fire since early February.

“Every day there is progress” by thearmy, said the newspaper, adding thatrebels had been using the two hills assupply routes. Regime forces backedby fighters of Lebanon’s ShiiteHezbollah launched an offensive inthe Qalamun area in November.

They have expelled rebels fromseveral strategic towns, but Yabrud-the largest in the region-has so farremained an opposition stronghold.Yesterday’s developments come a dayafter the heaviest death toll in nearlythree years among fighters on bothsides of the conflict, the SyrianObservatory for Human Rights said. Itreported fighting between rebels andtroops and Hezbollah fighters on theoutskirts of Yabrud yesterday. “Lastnight the shelling was very fierce,”Amer, an activist in the Qalamun area,said via Skype.

Amer said he was confident rebelscould defend the town against aground offensive, but that most resi-dents have fled. Yabrud was oncehome to some 50,000 people. Lastweek, the UNHCR said some 13,000had crossed from Qalamun intoLebanon’s border town of Arsal.

2nd lead The United States meanwhile

accused the Syrian government ofundermining the Geneva peace talksby rounding up and arresting the rela-

tives of opposition delegates. A sec-ond round of UN-led peace talks,dubbed Geneva II, broke down in acri-mony earlier this month, threateninginternational attempts to mediate anend to Syria’s vicious civil war.International envoys are trying to getthe process back on track, butWashington accused Bashar Al-Assad’s regime of using strong-armtactics to intimidate opposition nego-tiators. “We call on the regime toimmediately and unconditionallyrelease all those unfairly arrested,”State Department spokeswoman JenPsaki said, expressing Washington’s“outrage.” “The opposition delegationmust be permitted to safely andsecurely work towards the politicaltransition,” she said. The impetusbehind the Geneva dialogue camefrom a joint US-Russian diplomatic ini-tiative, but the rival powers remain

themselves deeply divided over thecrisis in Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry isdue to meet his Russian counterpartSergei Lavrov in Rome next week fortheir first face-to-face meeting sincethe last round of talks failed.

But he was critical of Moscow’sstance, accusing the Kremlin ofincreasing its supply of weapons toAssad’s forces.

“Frankly, Russia is increasing itsassistance to Assad,” Kerry said. “I donot find that constructive in the effortto try to get him to change his mindand be able to come to a decision thathe needs to negotiate in good faith.”

What Assad “is doing is outrageous,unconscionable, unacceptable, dis-graceful, craven, it’s horrendous. Andwe all know that. Everybody knowsthat,” Kerry said, in an interview withMSNBC television. — Agencies

Syria army readies toattack rebel bastion

Assad holding kin of oppn talks team: US

ALEPPO: A Syrian man runs for cover as smoke rises from buildings nearby fol-lowing a reported bombing attack by government forces on the Hanano dis-trict of the northern city of Aleppo yesterday. —AFP

LONDON: A protester wearing tape across her mouth, tosignify the silencing of the media, participates in a rally insupport of press freedom, and demanding the release ofdetained journalists in Egypt, in central London, yester-day. The protest, part of a global day of action in supportof press freedom, called for all journalists jailed in Egyptto be freed. —AP

German holidaymakers leave Sharm El-Sheikh after Sinai warning

FRANKFURT: German tour operators started bringing hun-dreds of holidaymakers back from Egypt’s Sharm El-SheikhRed Sea resort yesterday after Germany’s foreign officeadvised against travel to the entire Sinai peninsula. Germanauthorities on Wednesday recommended its citizens refrainfrom travelling to the beach resorts on the peninsula and saidthose already there should make arrangements with theirtravel agent to return early.

Alltours said it would bring back 120 holidaymakers inSharm Al-Sheikh this evening, while TUI Deutschland andThomas Cook Germany said they were organizing travel backto Germany for its customers there. “We want to bring themback by the weekend. They will be refunded for the days oftheir trip they did not use,” a Thomas Cook Germanyspokesman said.

Another big German tour operator, DER, said it hadbooked a plane for Friday morning to bring back all 85 guestsfrom its different tour operator brands that were in Sharm Al-Sheikh. The recent bombing of a coach carrying Korean holi-daymakers across the peninsula has led to renewed concernsfor tourism in Egypt, an industry which provides a livelihoodfor millions and the government with much-needed foreigncurrency.

Germans and Russians are the most numerous visitors tothe country, which saw tourism revenue plunge 41 percent to$5.9 billion last year due to the waves of unrest that have dis-rupted the country since the Arab Spring uprising in 2011.The advice from Germany was not equivalent to a full warn-ing that would force all tour companies to repatriate Germanholidaymakers immediately. For German travellers the resortsof Hurghada and Marsa Alam on Egypt’s mainland Red Seacoast, which are not affected by the latest travel advice, aremore popular destinations. —Reuters

13I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Gunmen seize Crimea seat of power Ukraine warns Russia as Moscow shelters Yanukovych

SIMFEROPOL: Pro-Russian demonstrators wave Russian and Crimea flags and shout slogans during a protest in front of a local government building in Simferopol,Crimea yesterday. Ukraine’s acting interior minister says Interior Ministry troops and police have been put on high alert after dozens of men seized local govern-ment and legislature buildings in the Crimea region. (Right) Maidan self defense activists sit atop an armored vehicle as another one holds a Svoboda partyflag outside the parliament in Kiev during a rally yesterday. —AFP

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine: Ukraine issueda blunt warning to Russia yesterdayafter dozens of pro-Kremlin gunmen incombat fatigues seized parliament andgovernment buildings on the volatileCrimean peninsula and Moscow said itwas protecting the ousted leader.

The dawn raid came a day afterRussian President Vladimir Putin stokedfears of Moscow using its military mightto sway the outcome of Ukraine’s three-month standoff by ordering snap com-bat readiness drills near the border withthe ex-Soviet state.

Interim president OleksandrTurchynov responded by telling a bois-terous parliament session that anymovement of Russian troops out oftheir Black Sea bases in Crimea “will beconsidered as military aggression”.Ukraine’s bloodiest crisis since its 1991independence erupted in Novemberwhen Viktor Yanukovych-deposed aspresident last weekend-made the shockdecision to ditch an historic EU tradedeal in favor of closer ties with old mas-ter Russia.

Yanukovych broke a five-day silence

by telling Russian news agencies froman undisclosed location he still viewedhimself as president of the strategic butnow splintered nation that has servedas the geopolitical bridge betweenRussia and the West.

A high-ranking source quoted bythe news agencies said the fugitiveleader’s request for personal securityhad been “granted on Russian territory”but provided no other details. Ukrainehad appeared to take a decisive swingback toward the European Union byousting Yanukovych’s entire pro-

Russian team and replacing it with anew brand of younger pro-Westernpoliticians who will steer the nation-torn between a Russified east and pro-European west-until snap presidentialpolls are held on May 25.

The 450-seat Verkhovna Rada parlia-ment yesterday confirmed oppositionicon Yulia Tymoshenko’s top allyArseniy Yatsenyuk as prime minister bya 371-0 vote.

“Ukraine is being torn apart,” a som-bre Yatsenyuk told the session. “ButUkraine sees its future in Europe. We

will be a part of the European Union.”

Russian flag flies in Crimea The Russian tricolor flag was flying

over both the Crimean parliament andgovernment buildings in the regionalcapital Simferopol as supporters ofMoscow rule arrived from other parts ofthe peninsula by car and bus. The BlackSea autonomous region’s prime minis-ter Anatoliy Mohilyov told AFP that upto 50 men with weapons had seized thebuildings and were preventing govern-ment workers going inside. —AFP


MOGADISHU: A car bomb blast yester-day in a normally quiet Mogadishuneighborhood blew the facade off a teashop where intelligence officers areknown to congregate, killing at least 11people, police said. A ball of smoke roseinto the sky, as survivors ducked for cov-er. One man broke his arm when, star-tled by the blast, he jumped out of amoving car near the attack.

Police Capt Mohammed Hussein saidhe saw 11 dead bodies. The tea shop isfrequented by members of Somalia’sintelligence unit but it wasn’t immedi-ately known how many of the victimswere government employees. The Al-Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabab hasincreased the frequency of attacks inSomalia’s capital in recent weeks, raisingthe specter of a return to daily violence.Last week an Al-Shabab team attackedthe presidential palace with two carbombs and seven gunmen. A car bombexploded near a UN convoy earlier thismonth. Witnesses said the car bombsped toward the tea shop before deto-nating. Broken tea glasses were scat-tered on the ground amid splatters ofblood. “You can’t stop someone whoonly cares about killing himself,” saidMohamed Abdi, a Somali police officer.After controlling most of Mogadishu foryears, Al-Shabab was pushed out by

African Union forces in August 2011,allowing an era of relative peace to beushered in. However, Al-Shabab hasincreased its pace of attacks in recentweeks, including the use of mortar fireattacks, complex suicide team attacks

and even targeted murders.Gunmen shot dead a health worker

giving out polio vaccinations onWednesday night, the second polioworker killed in the capital this week,police said. — AP

Car bomb kills 11 at tea shop in SomaliaAl-Shabab role in attack suspected

MOGADISHU: Somali policemen carry a dead body after a suicide bomber blewhimself up near a restaurant in Mogadishu yesterday. A car bomb blast yester-day in a normally quiet Mogadishu neighborhood blew the facade off a teashop where intelligence officers are known to congregate, killing at least 11people, police said. —AP

BLANTYRE: People take part in a demonstration with anti Malawi’s President placards yesterday in Blantyre. — AFP

Security issues dominate as Hollande visits NigeriaABUJA: Security issues threatened to overtake the fes-tivities as President Francois Hollande arrived inNigeria yesterday for centenary celebrations, as callsmount for French help against Islamist Boko Harammilitants. Just hours before Hollande touched down,hundreds of suspected militant fighters laid siege to atown in Adamawa state in northeast Nigeria, destroy-ing scores of homes and businesses with heavyweaponry and explosives.

At least two people were killed in the attack lateWednesday, which destroyed four banks, hundreds ofshops, a police station and several government build-ings. Hollande, guest of honor for the celebrations tomark 100 years since Nigeria’s unification, arrived inthe capital Abuja for a two-day visit, expecting to holdtalks on trade and investment with his Nigerian coun-terpart Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer and is tippedto become the continent’s largest economy in thecoming months. But given the Islamist insurgency inNigeria’s northeast and France’s recent military inter-ventions against militants in Mali and the CentralAfrican Republic, security has been pushed up theagenda.The attack in Adamawa state followed anattack on a secondary school by suspected Boko Harammilitants on Tuesday in which 43 people, mostly stu-dents, were killed in Yobe state.

Adamawa, Yobe and Borno state have all beenunder emergency rule since May last year in a bid tocurb the violence, which has claimed thousands oflives since 2009.

Regional interestsNigeria-a former British colony whose northern and

southern protectorates were formally merged onJanuary 1, 1914 — is not traditionally in France’ssphere of influence. French interests are largely con-fined to the oil sector, although the country is France’sbiggest trading partner in Africa with investmentsworth 5.9 billion euros ($8 billion), according to Frenchgovernment figures.

But it is surrounded by French-speaking countries,notably its former colonies of Chad, Niger andCameroon, which have seen an increase in people fromNigeria’s northeast flee across the border to escape theviolence. The United Nations said earlier this monththat as of the end of January, nearly 12,500 Nigerianshad fled east to Cameroon and 8,000 north to Nigerbecause of the continued violence.

Boko Haram fighters are also suspected of havingbases in neighboring countries, crossing the porousborders to launch attacks before retreating. Hollande,who ordered French troops in to fight Islamist militantsin Mali in January 2013 and still has troops trying tostem religious-linked violence in the CAR, hosted morethan 40 African leaders for a summit on the continent’ssecurity in Paris last year.

He was due to address a conference on the theme of“human security, peace and development” in Abuja lat-er Thursday. Nigeria’s government maintains that it iswinning the war against Boko Haram, despite therelentless wave of attacks and mounting death toll, buthas indicated that French support would be welcome.

Information minister Labaran Maku said on Tuesdaythat Nigeria needed co-operation from both Franceand Francophone West African countries “before itbecomes a major problem for France, for western inter-ests... in west Africa”.

“It will devastate French interests if we allow thisterror to go on,” the minister told AIT television. AFrench official drew comparisons between OperationServal in Mali and Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram,adding: “France fully intends to continue and deepenits intelligence dialogue with Nigeria.”

Hollande won plaudits internationally and broadsupport at home for sending troops into Mali last yearto combat Al-Qaeda-linked radicals who had seizedcontrol in the country’s northern desert regions.

But he has not enjoyed the same support at homeover his deployment of troops to quell sectarian strife inthe troubled CAR, particularly since other Western pow-ers are reluctant to match France’s commitments. —AFP

HANOVER: A German court cleared Christian Wulff yesterday of cor-ruption charges for accepting roughly 700 euros in expenses at abeer festival when he was a state premier, ending the first trial of aformer post-war president.

Once tipped as a future chancellor, 54-year-old Wulff served just20 months as president before resigning in disgrace in 2012 overfavors he accepted two years before he was vaulted into the ceremo-nial post by his conservative ally Angela Merkel. His dramatic fallfrom grace, followed by the separation from his glamorous wifeBettina, has gripped the nation. German presidents have limitedpower but are expected to serve as a moral compass and adhere tothe highest standards of conduct.

“The accused Wulff is acquitted,” Judge Frank Rosenow told thecourt, adding there was insufficient evidence to prove that Wulff had

accepted an illegal payments.The charges stemmed from a 2008 visit to the Oktoberfest beer

festival in Munich when Wulff was premier of the state of LowerSaxony and a rising star in Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats(CDU). Prosecutors argued that Wulff had allowed film producerDavid Groenewold to cover some of the costs of his hotel stay andmeals, amounting to 719 euros. In exchange, they said, Wulff lobbiedGerman conglomerate Siemens to provide financial support for aGroenewold film.

“I am of course relieved that justice has prevailed,” a smiling Wulfftold reporters outside the court in the northern town of Hanover,adding he wanted to look to the future after a difficult two years. Heleft quickly, saying he had to collect his young son from kinder-garten. —Reuters

Court clears former German president


BRUSSELS: NATO head Anders FoghRasmussen yesterday warned Russia notto take any action over Crimea thatcould stoke tensions or misunderstand-ings in the Ukraine crisis.

“I’m concerned about developmentsin Crimea,” Rasmussen said in a tweetedmessage. “I urge Russia not to take anyaction that can escalate tension or cre-ate misunderstanding,” he said.

Rasmussen’s comments were madeas the Ukraine interim governmentcalled in Moscow’s representative inKiev to warn that Russia must respect itsterritorial integrity after pro-Russiangunmen seized control of governmentbuildings in the Crimea peninsula.Rasmussen later told a meeting of theNATO-Ukraine Commission that the lat-est developments in Crimea were “dan-gerous and irresponsible”. “I urge allparties to step back from confronta-tion,” he said, calling on the Kiev author-ities to lead the country forward in themost inclusive political process possible.

NATO defense ministers onWednesday agreed a statement whichsaid a sovereign, independent and sta-ble Ukraine was essential to security inEurope. Rasmussen said after the state-ment that “Ukraine is the most impor-tant security issue in Europe today.”

The latest developments have stokedgrowing concern about Ukraine’s futureand the possible wider fallout after theouster of pro-Russian president ViktorYanukovych. Crimea is especially sensi-tive as the home base for Russia’s BlackSea fleet and tensions there took on anew dimension when Russian PresidentVladimir Putin ordered military pre-paredness checks in western Russia onWednesday. The interim Ukraine gov-ernment specifically warned the Russiannavy Thursday to keep its troops in their

bases. “Any troop movements will beconsidered as military aggression,” act-ing president Oleksandr Turchynov toldparliament. In 1997, NATO set up a jointcommission with Ukraine to overseerelations and in 2008 agreed that Kievcould eventually be considered formembership of the Cold War-eraalliance.

The NATO-Ukraine Commissionmeeting was put on the agenda of theNATO defence ministers’ gathering atthe last moment as the crisis worsened.Meanwhile in Strasbourg, the EuropeanParliament adopted a non-binding reso-

lution calling for urgent EU short-termfinancial aid to Ukraine as well as alonger-term package to support neces-sary reforms.

Lawmakers also called on the EU totake the lead in organizing an interna-tional donors’ conference to raise funds.The resolution reiterated that the EUstands ready to sign an associationagreement and trade deal with Ukraineas soon as the political crisis is resolved,but said this was not “the final goal inEU-Ukraine cooperation”, meaning thatmembership of the bloc remained pos-sible later. — AFP

NATO warns Russia toavoid Crimea escalation

Disgraced Italiancaptain boards

cruise ship wreckGIGLIO ISLAND, Italy: Italian captain Francesco Schettinoyesterday returned on board his stricken Costa Concordiacruise ship, more than two years after leaving it in a hurry asit sank in a tragedy that claimed 32 lives. Wearing a leatherjacket and sunglasses, the disgraced captain fought off amedia scrum as he arrived in the tiny port on Giglio Island,donned a life jacket and got on a boat that took him out tothe vessel. Schettino’s visit was part of a court-orderedinspection in the ongoing trial against him for multiplecounts of manslaughter and abandoning ship before all thepassengers had been evacuated.

“They want to show that I am weak, just like two yearsago. It’s not true! I want to show I’m a gentleman, not a cow-ard,” Schettino, who was dubbed “Captain Coward” by thetabloids, was quoted by Italian media as saying. Schettinoclaims he fell onto a lifeboat as the ship keeled over on thenight of the disaster on January 13, 2012 and then stayed ondry land because he wanted to coordinate the nighttimeevacuation from there. In a recorded phone call from thatdramatic night, a senior coast guard official was heard shout-ing at Schettino: “Get back on board, for fuck’s sake!”

With 4,229 people from 70 countries on board, the giantluxury liner crashed into rocks just off Giglio as it attempteda risky “salute” manoeuvre. It capsized near the coast but hassince been righted in the biggest-ever salvage operation ofits kind and is due to be towed away for scrapping in June.Schettino returned to the island on Tuesday for the first timesince that night and had been hiding from the media glare ina white-painted house on a cobbled side street near theport in a picturesque fishing community that numbers only afew hundred people.

Mixed emotions on Giglio Islanders reacted with mixed emotions to his presence,

with some saying they felt sympathy for someone they con-sider a “scapegoat” for wider blame and others saying heand the ship should get off the island. Sergio Ortelli, themayor of Giglio, said there was “indifference” to Schettino’svisit and more concern about when the luxury liner would betaken away.

“What marked this island more was when he got off thatboat on the night of the accident,” Ortelli said. “When thespotlights are turned on, the pain of this event returns. Therelatives of the victims and the people of Giglio need anexplanation of what happened.”

But the mayor added: “More than his two-day presence,we are interested in the two-year salvage of the ship, whichwe hope will finish as soon as possible.”—AFP

BRUSEELS: Belgium NATO Defense Ministers Chuck Hagel, Anders Fogh RasmussenNATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (left) talks with Ukraine’s actingDefense Minister Oleksandr Oliinyk, right, prior to the start of a meeting of NATOdefense ministers and NATO-Ukraine Commission at NATO headquarters inBrussels yesterday. — AP

LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron shakeshands with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel at DowningStreet in London yesterday. — AP

LONDON: German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Britain yesterdayto stay in the EU but played down David Cameron’s hopes that hervisit to London would bring major reforms. The British premier rolledout the red carpet in his bid to woo fellow conservative Merkel, whogave a speech to both houses of parliament and was due to have teawith the queen. But Europe’s most powerful politician was cool onCameron’s desire to change the EU’s treaties ahead of a planned refer-endum on British membership of the bloc in 2017. Addressing law-makers in English after delivering much of the speech in German,Merkel said the EU should have as its common goal to be a “model forother regions of the world”.

“In order to maintain this goal we need a strong United Kingdomwith a strong voice inside the European Union,” she said. “If we havethat we will be able to make the necessary changes for the benefit ofus all.” Merkel was due to discuss EU reform and the crisis in Ukrainewith Cameron during a lunch meeting at the prime minister’sDowning Street residence.

During their 90-minute talks over lunch, Merkel andCameron are also expected to address a proposed EU-US tradedeal and the identity of the next European Commission chief fol-lowing Jose Manuel Barroso’s departure in 2015. Cameron hopesto win over voters in Britain’s in-out referendum by securingreforms that would dilute Europe’s influence over domestic poli-cy, but is finding support from fellow EU nations hard to come by.Cameron has said the vote will be in late 2017, provided he is re-elected in 2015.

‘Between the devil and deep blue sea’ The chancellor said she was aware there were high expectations

from her speech to members of the House of Commons and House ofthe Lords, the first by a German leader since president Richard vonWeizsaecker’s address in 1986. But she said she was “caught betweenthe devil and the deep blue sea” in terms of what she could offer.

“I have heard some expect my speech to pave the way for a fun-damental reform of European architecture which will satisfy all kindsof alleged or actual British wishes. I am afraid they are in for a disap-pointment,” she said. But to those in Europe expecting her to say thebloc would not pay any price for British membership, she said “I amafraid these hopes will be dashed too”.

Merkel follows in the footsteps of US President Barack Obama andFrench ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy in speaking to the twin chambersof parliament at Westminster. Cameron said that during his talks withMerkel they would have “discussions on EU reform and Ukraine”,where a bloody political crisis is increasingly putting Russia and theWest at loggerheads. Despite Merkel’s general sympathy towardsCameron’s views and the pair’s good personal relationship-reportedto have been bolstered during a Cameron family visit to her countryhome last year-experts warn that he is unlikely to extract much on theEU. A recent warming in ties between Germany and France-the tradi-tional axis of the EU-also threatens to scupper Cameron’s efforts toextract reforms. Migration is a major issue for Cameron, and in herspeech Merkel said free movement within the EU was a “pre-condi-tion” for prosperity and democracy. —AFP

Merkel urges Britain to stay in EU

Ukraine stokes growing concern in Europe


WASHINGTON: Barack Obama will launch a personalquest that will outlast his presidency to help young AfricanAmerican men survive and prosper despite deprived vio-lent inner city environments where many grow up. The USpresident plans to partner with foundations and business-es on an initiative known as “My Brother’s Keeper” to con-nect boys and young men to support networks and toequip them with the skills needed to go to college or getgood jobs. “For decades, opportunity has disproportion-ately lagged behind for boys and young men of color par-ticularly in our African American and Hispanic communi-ties,” said Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama’s closest advisors.The initiative will represent a political full circle of sorts forObama, as he got his start in politics as a communityorganizer in African American neighborhoods in Chicago.

He has also spoken and written of his own struggle foridentity and against adversity as an African Americanyouth-though he has tended to downplay his race formuch of his presidency.

The White House says that 86 percent of black boys and

82 percent of Hispanic boys fall below reading proficiencylevels by the time they are 10 years old. By comparison, 58percent of white boys are reading below proficiency levelsby the same age. A disproportionate number of black andHispanic men are also in jail, further undermining the struc-ture of family life in their communities and creating avicious cycle of deprivation. Young minority men are alsomore than six times as likely to be murdered than theirwhite peers and account for almost half of America’s mur-der victims each year. Obama spoke with deep emotionabout the plight of African American men during a visit tohis own Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago last year. Heremembered the mistakes he made as a youth, but saidthat the environment he grew up in, in his native Hawaii,was more forgiving than in many of mainland America’sinner cities, where gun crime is common.

“When I screwed up, the consequences weren’t as highas when kids on the South Side screw up,” Obama told thegroup of black Chicago youths. “I had more of a safety net.But these guys are no different than me, and we had that

conversation about what does it take to change.”The Obama plan will draw commitments from various

philanthropic foundations worth $200 million over thenext five years, the White House said. In addition, business-es and other groups that sign up to help target early childdevelopment, parenting programs, and those stressing lit-eracy and discipline. Foundations due to be represented atyesterday’s announcement include The AtlanticPhilanthropies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The CaliforniaEndowment and the Ford Foundation. Business leaderstaking part will include Joe Echevarria of Deloitte and for-mer basketball star Magic Johnson. Political leaders sup-porting the effort who will also be at Thursday’s event willinclude former secretary of state Colin Powell, former NewYork mayor Michael Bloomberg and current Chicago may-or and Obama’s former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.Jarrett told reporters that the initiative would not just be apresidential effort but would form part of the social andphilanthropic portfolio on which Obama is expected toembark when he leaves office in January 2017. — AFP

Obama to launch quest to lift African American men

CORAL GABLES, Florida: Hillary Rodham Clinton praisedArizona Gov Jan Brewer’s decision to veto a bill that wouldhave allowed people with sincerely held religious beliefs torefuse to serve gays. Speaking Wednesday to thousands ofstudents, faculty and guests at the University of Miami, the for-mer secretary of state and New York senator said Brewer’srejection of “discriminatory legislation” recognized that “inclu-sive leadership is really what the 21st century is all about.”

Clinton’s remarks came before an address in which shecalled for greater civic participation in the country, urgingyoung people to “find ways to make sure the barriers that toooften divide us are torn down once and for all.” “It is the workof this century to complete the unfinished business of makingsure that every girl and boy, every woman and man, lives insocieties that respect their rights no matter who they are,” shesaid.

Clinton has been traveling the country giving speeches atvarious trade industry events while considering another presi-dential campaign. The former first lady expects to make adecision whether to run later this year. In a question-and-answer session, Clinton urged young people to sign up forhealth insurance under President Barack Obama’s health carelaw as a key deadline approaches.

“Having access to health insurance, not connected toemployment, subsidized as it is under the Affordable Care Act,liberates you to choose what you want to do in your life,” shesaid.

The White House has set an unofficial goal of 7 millionenrollees by the end of March. Nearly 3.3 million people, orless than half the total, had enrolled through the end ofJanuary. Unified in their opposition to the law, Republicanshave been relentless in focusing on its problems, from com-plaints of canceled policies to higher insurance premiums andObama’s unilateral decision to delay for two years the require-ment that small businesses cover employees. Clinton urgedAmericans to “get the facts,” and cited a popular provision inthe law that allows young people to stay on their parents’plans until they turn 26.

“We can still disagree - and we will - but the disagreementswill be based on something resembling evidence and it won’tbe living in an evidence-free zone where we just argue pasteach other all the time,” she said. Clinton also weighed in onforeign policy. She said Venezuela “is not being well gov-erned” and is “going backward” under President NicolasMaduro, but stopped short of endorsing specific actions inresponse to the countrywide protests that the governmentsays have left at least 15 people dead and 150 injured. She crit-icized the Maduro government.

“A democracy doesn’t just mean an election,” she said. “Ademocracy means a free press, protecting the rights of oppo-nents, protecting a free economy, having an independentjudiciary.”

On Syria, she said the United States should stay focused onremoving chemical weapons from the war-torn country butthat “a lot more international pressure is going to have to bebrought to finish the job.” The mission to eliminate Syria’schemical stockpile has said the Assad government has missedat least two deadlines in the past two months to removechemicals. The United States has accused Damascus of usingstalling tactics.

Clinton said she hoped the United States can continue sup-porting “those forces inside Syria who are not allied with theextremists and are not looking to establish a theocratic mini-state but really want to negotiate with (President Barshar)Assad to bring about a peaceful transition.”

Clinton dodged a question about her own future whenUniversity of Miami president Donna Shalala, who served inPresident Bill Clinton’s Cabinet, asked the former first ladywhat the “TBD” - shorthand for “to be determined” - meant inher Twitter profile. — AP

‘Mein Kampf’ signed by Hitler up for

auction in LALOS ANGELES: Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is one of themost racist and heinous screeds in modern history, butofficials say two rare early editions signed by him couldgo for more than $20,000 at an online auction yesterday.Nate Sanders, owner of Nate D Sanders Auctions in LosAngeles, says he knows he’ll catch a lot of flak for puttingthe rare 1925 and 1926 books up for bid. He said heunderstands that. “But it is a piece of history. It is a veryrare item.”

Hitler was arrested and jailed for the attempt to seizepower. He dictated “Mein Kampf,” two volumes of autobi-ography and anti-Semitic manifesto, to Rudolf Hess whilebehind bars to raise money for his criminal defense. Bothvolumes’ fly-leaves feature Hitler’s signature. Sanders saidvolumes of “Mein Kampf” from the 1930s are common,but a copy signed by the author is rare.

Sanders is also auctioning off a leather trench coat hesaid was worn by Albert Speer, a Nazi government minis-ter who took responsibility for the Holocaust at theNuremberg trials and was sentenced to 20 years in prisonfor his role in the Nazi regime. Selling Nazi memorabilia isprohibited in many European countries that saw the hor-rors of World War II. — AP

Hillary lauds Arizonaveto of anti-gay bill

Call for greater civic participation

CORAL GABLES: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former Secretary ofState (left) flashes a U symbol as she is seen with Donna EShalala, President of the University of Miami, during an eventon Wednesday. — AFP

13 exposed to radiation at New Mexico plant

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico: Employees who were working atthe nation’s underground nuclear waste dump when it started leak-ing didn’t show signs of external contamination, but officials saybiological samples show 13 workers suffered some exposure toradiation. The US Department of Energy and the contractor thatruns the Waste Isolation Pilot Project declined to comment furtheron the preliminary test results announced Wednesday, saying theywould discuss the issue at a news conference. “It is important tonote that these are initial sample results,” the DOE and NuclearWaste Partnership, the plant operator, said in a joint statement.“These employees, both federal and contractor, will be asked toprovide additional samples in order to fully determine the extent ofany exposure.”

All employees who were working at the southeastern NewMexico plant when the leak occurred late Feb. 14 were checked forcontamination before being allowed to leave, the news release said.But biological samples were also taken to check for possible expo-sure from inhaling radioactive particles.

Elevated radiation levels have been detected in the air aroundthe plant, but officials have said the readings are too low to consti-tute a public health threat. The accident is the first-known release ofradiation since the dump near Carlsbad began taking plutonium-contaminated waste from the nation’s nuclear bomb building sites15 years ago. —AP

17I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

SRINAGAR: Indian army soldiers stand alongside anambulance carrying the bodies of soldiers killed insidean army camp at Safapora some 20 km (12 miles) fromSrinagar yesterday. —AFP

2 sailors found dead in Indian submarine7 airlifted to hospital in latest naval tragedy

MUMBAI: Two Indian naval officers werefound dead yesterday after they wentmissing in a submarine fire off Mumbai’scoast, the latest in a string of accidentsthat have forced the navy’s chief to quit.

Seven other crew members were air-lifted to hospital with breathing prob-lems after smoke began to fill the ves-sel’s living quarters on Wednesday, anaccident that comes only six monthsafter another deadly submarine disasterin Mumbai. “The two officers who wereearlier declared missing have been locat-ed in the (submarine) compartment andafter examination by Medical Officersboth the officers were declared dead,”said an emailed statement from thedefense ministry.

Admiral D K Joshi, the chief of navalstaff, announced Wednesday night hewas standing down to take “moralresponsibility” for the accident on boardthe Russian-built INS Sindhuratna duringexercises.

Last August, 18 sailors were killedwhen the fully-armed submarine INSSindhurakshak exploded in flames andsank in a military shipyard in Mumbai.That disaster was thought to be theIndian Navy’s worst since the sinking of afrigate by a Pakistani submarine during awar with its neighbor in 1971. Variousother naval accidents reported in recentmonths included a submarine runningaground in Mumbai’s harbor, fires on aminesweeping vessel and an aircraft car-rier, and a collision between a frigate anda fishing boat.

The Indian navy has 14 submarines,but only between seven and nine areoperational at any one time because ofregular repair and refitting. Defenseexperts say the navy has an ageing fleetand has struggled with delays in theacquisition of new submarines and poorservicing.

Defence Minister A K Antony toldreporters yesterday that outgoing chief

Joshi was “pretty much disturbed aboutthe whole development”. “He requestedme to take his resignation with immedi-ate effects,” Antony said.

Stricken submarine docks While a full inquiry is expected to

determine the exact cause of the latestaccident, the navy said it appeared tohave been due to sparks in a sleepingcabin. According to the Press Trust ofIndia (PTI) news agency, smoke filled acompartment and triggered emergencymeasures, such as the closure of hatcheswhich isolate sections of the submarine.

The missing pair “might have beenleft in the cabin or at some other place asvarious cabins and compartments areisolated as part of the emergency meas-ures”, PTI quoted an unnamed navy offi-

cer as saying on Wednesday. The strick-en submarine docked in Mumbai yester-day morning, allowing the navy to venti-late the vessel and step up their searchfor the missing pair. INS Sindhuratna is akilo-class submarine which normallyoperates with a crew of 53 and can sailon its own for 45 days, the navy’s web-site says. The submarine had only beenhanded back to the navy in Decemberafter undergoing a major refit, accordingto local reports.

It had been undergoing trials off theMumbai coast as part of a clearanceprocess for full operations when the inci-dent occurred. Russia is still the biggestmilitary supplier to India, but relationshave been strained by major delays andcost overruns with a refurbished aircraftcarrier, the INS Vikramaditya. —AFP

MUMBAI: Chief for Indian Naval Staff, Admiral DK Joshi (left) briefsIndian Defense Minister A.K. Antony (center) at the scene as IndianNavy personnel work at the conning tower of the stricken INSSindhurakshak, after the submarine sank following an explosion at thenaval dockyard in Mumbai. —AFP

Soldier shoots deadfive colleagues, self in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: A soldier armed with two automatic weaponsshot dead five of his colleagues as they slept early yesterdaybefore killing himself in restive Indian Kashmir, police andthe army said.

The soldier, who was on night duty, walked into the bar-racks where the soldiers were resting and opened fire at amilitary camp 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the region’smain city of Srinagar. “The soldier ran amok, killing five oth-ers before shooting himself dead in the camp in Ganderbaldistrict,” army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel NarinderNahar Joshi said.

Another soldier who was injured in the attack recalledthe events to police before being shifted to a military hospi-tal in Srinagar for treatment, local superintendent of policeShahid Mehraj said.

A military inquiry and a separate police probe wereunder way to determine what sparked the incident at thecamp in Safapora village, including whether the soldier wassuffering from stress. “We don’t know what triggered thisincident, but we are investigating thoroughly so that suchan incident is not repeated in future,” Mehraj said, addingpolice have seized two automatic rifles used by the soldier.

“We are also talking to soldiers who were awake at thetime of shooting,” Mehraj said. The killer was a member of acounter-insurgency force called the Rashtriya Rifles postedto the heavily militarized Himalayan region and chargedwith tracking down suspected militants. Indian forces havesince 1989 been fighting some dozen militant groups seek-ing independence or the merger of the territory withPakistan. The fighting has left tens of thousands of people,mostly civil ians, dead. Several similar incidents haveoccurred in the past in the region, including one in 2011when an Indian soldier killed four of his comrades after analtercation in a camp in Anantnag district. —AFP

Shiite scholar shotdead in Pakistan

KARACHI: Gunmen shot dead a Shiite Muslim scholar incentral Karachi as he travelled on a busy road yesterday,police said, in what appeared to be a sectarian attack.Allama Taqi Hadi Naqvi, a cleric who was also an employeeof the government educational board, was targeted as hereturned home in a rickshaw.

Pakistan has seen a rise in sectarian violence since anumber of deadly clashes between Sunni and ShiiteMuslim groups near the capital Islamabad in November.“He was riding in an auto rickshaw when two riders on amotorcycle shot him,” police officer Afaq Ahmed said.

Hadi died on the spot as two of the bullets hit him inthe face, the officer said, adding that the motive appearedto be sectarian. Pakistan is rife with sectarian violence,often perpetrated by Sunni militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Taleban against Shiites, who make upsome 20 percent of the population. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition candidatefor prime minister Narendra Modi saidyesterday the country’s millions of family-owned traders must learn to work withlarge modern stores and online retailers,in comments that could signal a shift inthinking.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)opposes a policy to allow foreign super-markets to open in India, which it says is athreat to millions of grocery stores andtraders who are a backbone of the party’ssupport. Sketching out his economicviews ahead of a general election likely tobe held in April and May, Modi declinedto reiterate that stance or oppose a pro-posal to allow foreign investment inonline shopping, which is growing rapidlyin India.

Instead, he said small traders shouldput an emphasis on the quality of theirproducts to compete better. He said theycould enter into contracts with big onlineretailers to create “virtual trade”. “Weshould not worry about the challenges

from global trade,” Modi told a meetingof the Confederation of All India Traders.“The government should not look to curbonline trade. We should not worry aboutthese things, our children have taken IT tothe world. We’ll have to embrace it.”

Modi also said he favoured introduc-ing a nation-wide goods and services tax(GST), a long-planned reform to usher in auniform market, cut business costs andboost government revenue. The country’sstates have stood in the way of a GST,fearing that they would face revenue loss-es if the current array of inefficient levieswere replaced. Chief minister of Gujarat,one of the country’s most industrializedstates, Modi is campaigning on the backof a record of strong growth over morethan a decade in office. But until Thursdayhe had given few details about how hewould steer the economy, which has seengrowth at its slowest in a decade.

Economic diplomacyThe Hindu nationalist leader also

said India needed to cut red tape byreducing the number of laws, and calledon the foreign ministry to focus on“economic diplomacy” to improveIndia’s commercial standing in theworld. “Times have changed, the corework of external affairs ministry today istrade and commerce,” he said. In aneffort to attract overseas investmentand revive the economy, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh threw open the coun-try’s $500-billion retail industry to for-eign investors late in 2012.

That allowed companies such asWal-Mart Stores and TESCO Plc to ownmajority stakes in Indian chains for thefirst time, pending approval by individ-ual states.

This month, the newly e lectedBJP government of the western stateo f R a j a s t h a n b e c a m e t h e s e c o n dstate government to roll back thepolicy. Fewer than half of India’s 28states have agreed to implement thepolicy. —Reuters

Modi signals shift in favor of big retail


BEIJING: The outgoing US ambassador toChina urged Beijing yesterday to respectthe rights of peaceful political activists andsaid Washington was deeply concernedabout the fate of a minority scholarcharged with separatism. At his final newsconference as ambassador, Gary Locke saidthat Washington is “very concerned” aboutthe case of Ilham Tohti as well as a recentincrease in the arrests of social and legalactivists and journalists.

Tohti is an economics professor andoutspoken advocate for the Uighur Muslimminority who was arrested on Tuesday afterbeing taken from his home one month ago.

China should value not just the eco-nomic welfare of its people, but also theirfreedom of speech, assembly and religion,Locke said. “We believe that freedom ofexpression is a universal right and we verymuch are concerned about the arrest anddetentions of people who are engaged inpeaceful advocacy,” Locke, accompaniedby his wife Mona, told journalists at the USEmbassy in eastern Beijing.

State Department spokeswoman JenPsaki on Wednesday also expressed deepconcern for Tohti and called for his release.China’s authoritarian communist govern-ment brooks no political opposition androutinely rejects such remarks. Beijing saysit must take harsh measures against what itcalls Islamic radical terrorists fighting forthe independence of the northwesternChina Uighur homeland of Xinjiang amidan uptick in violent incidents over the pastyear. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman HuaChunying defended China’s record at aregular briefing Wednesday and accusedthe country’s crit ics of political bias.Chinese citizens enjoy “unprecedentedrights and liberty,” Hua said. “We stronglyoppose irresponsible comments made byanybody, regardless of which country hecomes from.”

A former commerce secretary and two-term governor of Washington state, Locke,63, was the first Chinese-American to serveas ambassador to Beijing. Known for hisaffable, non-confrontational style, Lockeplaced a high priority on improvingembassy efficiency and facilitating bilateraltrade during his 2 1/2 years in Beijing at atime when exchanges are growing rapidly.Locke said the wait for a visa interview by

applicants in China had fallen from up to100 days to as little as one, while visa appli-cations grew by 75 percent. Almost 220,000Chinese currently study at American col-leges and universities, the most from anycountry. Locke also oversaw the defusing oftwo of the most delicate diplomaticepisodes between the countries in years.

In February 2012, Wang Lijun, the policechief in the western city of Chongqing, fledto a US consulate in southwest China withinformation about the killing of a Britishbusinessman, setting off China’s biggestpolitical scandal in years. Wang’s flight ledto the removal and subsequent sentencingto life imprisonment for corruption ofChongqing’s leader, Bo Xilai, formerly oneof China’s most powerful politicians. Justtwo months later, blind legal activist ChenGuangcheng escaped house arrest and wasgiven shelter in the US Embassy in Beijing,where he remained for six days beforebeing allowed to leave the country with hisfamily to study in New York.

In his comments, Locke also repeatedWashington’s calls for restraint in China’smaritime territorial disputes with Japan andits Southeast Asian neighbors. He alsourged China to accord foreign journalists

working in the country the same equitabletreatment Chinese journalists receive in theWest, a reference to Beijing’s denial of visasto reporters from the New York Times andother news outlets. Notably missing fromhis comments was any reference to Chineseinvestment barriers, alleged currencymanipulation and other economic disputesthat had been prominent themes in Locke’sspeeches earlier in his term. That appearedto reflect a strengthening US economy anda boom in exports to China that are grow-ing at nearly twice the rate they are to oth-er countries. He said Chinese investment inthe US over the past two years exceed thatof the previous 11 years combined.

“Mona and I depart China with a spiritof optimism. I believe the trajectory of ourtwo countries’ relationship is positive andindeed will shape the future of the world,”Locke said. Locke, a Democrat, said he hadno plans for the immediate future butwould stump for American political candi-dates and eventually return to China in aprivate capacity to work on business proj-ects. His replacement, former MontanaSen. Max Baucus, was sworn in last weekand is expected to arrive within comingweeks. — AP

US envoy urges China to respect human rights

Washington concerned about fate of scholar

BEIJING: Outgoing US Ambassador to China Gary Locke speaks during afarewell press conference held at the US embassy in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

BANGKOK: A supporter “Red Shirts” of Thai PrimeMinister Yingluck Shinawatra shout slogans during ademonstration after shutting down the gates of the head-quarters of the National Anti-Corruption Commission(NACC) in Bangkok yesterday. — AFP

BANGKOK: Thailand’s premier skipped an anti-corruptionpanel hearing yesterday into negligence charges that couldlead to her ousting, as her government turned to the UN forhelp resolving a deadly political crisis. Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra is fighting for her political survival aspressure mounts on several fronts-in mass protests on thestreets, in the courts and from the National Anti-CorruptionCommission (NACC).

The backdrop is a longstanding struggle between a royal-ist establishment-backed by the judiciary and the military-and Yingluck’s billionaire family which has strong support inthe northern half of Thailand. The prime minister’s criticswelcome the graft probe as a long-overdue attempt to holdthe government to account, but to her supporters it is partof an attempted power grab.

Yingluck, who has protested her innocence, sent her legalteam to acknowledge the allegations linked to a flagship ricefarm subsidy scheme, as she toured her political strongholdin northern Thailand. The NACC, which filed charges againstYingluck earlier this month, says she ignored warnings thatthe rice scheme was fostering corruption and causing finan-cial losses.

She now has 15 days to submit her defense. If foundguilty by the NACC she faces an impeachment vote in theupper house and a possible five-year ban from politics, aswell as potential imprisonment by the courts on criminalcharges. It is unclear how long the commission will take toreach a conclusion.

“It is important that we hear all the facts from both sides,”said NACC official Vichai Vivatsaevee. “We do not have a rul-ing in mind.” The legal moves comes amid a spike in politicalviolence, often targeting protesters, that has left 22 peopledead and hundreds wounded in recent weeks.

One of Yingluck’s deputy prime ministers said yesterdayhe would appeal to United Nations Secretary General BanKi-moon to try to broker an end to the crisis. “There is noneutral person in Thailand, no one credible” to act as amediator, Surapong Tovichakchaikul told reporters, a dayafter Ban condemned the violence and called for dialogue.Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday he wasready to meet Yingluck, but only if she “comes alone” andthe talks are broadcast live on national television. Yingluckindicated she would be ready to talk if protesters agree toend their rallies.

Justice or judicial coup? The premier’s opponents accuse the Shinawatra family of

plundering the public coffers to win the votes of rural votersthrough populist policies such as the rice scheme. But gov-ernment supporters and some experts see the charges aspart of an attempted “judicial coup” by Thaksin’s foes withinthe royalist establishment, without sending tanks onto thestreets.

“These are elaborate plans to overthrow the governmentwithout actually staging a physical coup,” said VerapatPariyawong, a Harvard-educated lawyer and political com-mentator. Dozens of pro-Yingluck lawmakers in the Senate,the upper house, face possible political bans over a failedattempt to amend the constitution to make the Senate fullyelected. — AFP

Embattled Thai PMmisses graft hearing

BEIJING: Chinese lawmakers approvednational remembrance days yesterday tocommemorate the Nanjing Massacre andJapan’s defeat in World War II, statemedia said, amid bitter disputes over ter-ritory and history.

“September 3 was ratified as the vic-tory day and December 13 the nationalmemorial day for massacre victims”, theofficial Xinhua news agency said, report-ing decisions by members of theNational People’s Congress, China’s rub-berstamp parliament. Japan invadedChina in the 1930s and the two countriesfought a full-scale war from 1937 to 1945.

China says more than 300,000 peoplewere slaughtered by Japanese troops in asix-week killing spree in the then capitalNanjing, which began on December 131937. Some foreign academics put thefigure lower. It was unclear what signifi-cance the formal “national days” willhave, although they are not expected tobe public holidays. The Chinese govern-ment previously designated as victoryday September 3, the day after Japan for-mally surrendered to the Allies on boardthe USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay in 1945.

“The approval of the national days hasgreat historical significance and is a

necessity in current circumstances,” for-eign ministry spokeswoman HuaChunying said following the decision.

Tokyo and Beijing are embroiled in aseries of rows, including a long-runningdiplomatic spat over disputed islands inthe East China Sea. Tensions rose furtherlast month when Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukunishrine, which honors Japan’s war dead,including convicted war criminals.Chinese officials often call on Japan to“reflect” on its past, while Tokyo says itsneighbors use history as a diplomaticstick to beat it with. — AFP

China to mark Nanjing Massacre, Japan defeat as national days

BusinessFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Qantas to axe 5,000 jobs

PAGE 20Airbus China plant opens door to massive market

BARCELONA: Sony devices become wet with water at the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile phone trade show yesterday. — AP

PAGE 21

BARCELONA: Here’s the rub for companies: A goodpart of the key markets they serve already ownsmartphones and use them to connect variousInternet services. How do you grow from there?Services from Facebook to Firefox are looking toemerging markets for the next few billion people.They are not only targeting the obvious high-popu-lation countries such as India and China, but also seepotential in Latin America, Africa and just abouteverywhere beyond the US, Canada, western Europeand a few Asian nations.

One message has been clear this week at theMobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona,Spain: Even as the affluent crave the latest iPhonesor Android phones, most of the world can’t affordthe hundreds of dollars they cost. So there’s been apush to get mobile devices cheap enough to reachemerging markets without sacrificing so much per-formance that first-time smartphone owners willgive up on the Internet and forgo a second smart-phone down the road. It’s a delicate balance.

When Motorola Mobility introduced the low-costMoto G smartphone last fall, the company empha-sized how it was bringing the features of high-endsmartphones to a device that starts at just $179.Even then, it had to sacrifice camera resolution andconnectivity to the faster 4G LTE cellular networks.And $179 is still expensive for many. At theBarcelona show this week, Nokia Corp unveiled theNokia X series, starting at 89 euros ($122).

“In the growth market... a couple of bucks make a

huge difference,” said Timo Toikkanen, Nokia’s exec-utive vice president for mobile phones. Still tooexpensive? Try some of the $50 to $70 smartphonesbased on Firefox OS, a system adapted from thepopular Firefox Web browser. Mozilla, the organiza-tion behind Firefox, announced a partnership withChinese chipmaker Spreadtrum CommunicationsInc. to create a blueprint for any phone maker tomake $25 smartphones.

Microsoft Corp, meanwhile, said it was relaxinghardware requirements to keep phone costs down.For instance, phones no longer need physical cam-era and control buttons. Those can now be donethrough software instead. It is also working withQualcomm Inc on blueprints for any phone maker toquickly design a Windows phone. While globalbrands such as Apple and Samsung reign in industri-alized countries, smaller, regional manufacturersthrive in emerging markets because of lower distri-bution costs and better tailoring to local needs.

Internet services also see opportunities in findingthe next few billions in emerging markets. In fact,getting the smartphone and the connectivity is justthe beginning, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saidduring Monday’s keynote. More important, he said,is giving people a reason to connect: basic financialservices, access to health care information and edu-cational materials. He sees Facebook as the “onramp” to all those services.

In many ways, emerging markets provideunmatched opportunities. Apple has insisted on

making premium smartphones. Even last fall’siPhone 5c was just $100 cheaper, at $549, than themore-advanced iPhone 5s. That’s way beyond thereach of many people in poorer countries.

“They are focusing on the premium segment,”Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing told The AssociatedPress. “Their market has become mature, saturated.So now, if you want to further grow, you must focuson those emerging markets, particular those poorpeople.” He said Lenovo releases 40 or 50 smart-phones a year to meet the diversity of needs inthose markets.

Making cheap phones available will help compa-nies expand in developed countries, too. Even in theUS, not everyone wants or can afford a high-endsmartphone, Sony Mobile President KunimasaSuzuki said in an interview. But emerging marketsalso pose challenges unfamiliar in the industrializedworld. The easy one to solve is to support two SIMcards in the same phone. Pricing and plans vary somuch in emerging markets that it’s common forpeople to use different carriers for different circum-stances. The Moto G, the Nokia X and Sony’s newXperia M2 phone support that, and Microsoft willenable that in Windows Phone this spring.

More challenging is dealing with expensive dataconnections, something Zuckerberg posed as a big-ger barrier than smartphone affordability. ChrisWeasler, whose role at Facebook is to improveaccess to Internet services around the world, said hehas met many smartphone owners who forgo data

services and use the devices instead as mobile com-puters and cameras.

Local wireless carriers will need to better educatetheir customers on the value of connectivity, he said,while app developers need to tweak their services towork on slower, less reliable networks. He saidFacebook learned that when a team went to Africaand couldn’t use Facebook’s Android app because itpulled too much data.

Firefox phones have FM radio tuners built in soowners won’t waste data connection on streamingservices, while another emerging system, Ubuntu,tries to make sure it has apps that work well offline.To address the lack of credit cards in emerging mar-kets, Nokia replaced Android’s card-based app storewith one that permits billing directly to mobile oper-ators. Ultimately, companies need to figure out whatto sacrifice to bring costs down. Forget high-resolu-tion video or a giant screen, such as the 5.1-inch dis-play on the Samsung Galaxy S5 that was announcedMonday. Not only are those features expensive, theyrequire faster processors and longer battery life,adding to expenses.

Cellular connectivity through 4G is also somethingoften dropped, as many emerging markets are luckyjust to have the slower 3G. But what’s good enough?Leo Li, CEO of Spreadtrum, said phones using hiscompany’s blueprints work as good as Apple’s iPhone4. But that’s a 4-year-old phone. Nonetheless, he saidperformance is better than the basic phones that first-timers are upgrading from. —AP

Phone makers eye emerging markets for growth

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

SYDNEY: Struggling Australian carrierQantas yesterday said it will axe 5,000jobs, defer aircraft deliveries and freezegrowth at Asian offshoot Jetstar in amajor shake-up after deep first-half loss-es, warning of more pain to come. Theairline, battling record fuel costs andfierce competition from subsidizedrivals, posted an interim net loss ofAus$235 million (US$210 million) in thesix months to December 31 as it facessome of its toughest conditions ever.

Underlying loss before tax-the air-line’s preferred measure of financial per-formance-came in at Aus$252 million, afigure chief executive Alan Joyce called“unacceptable and unsustainable”.“Hard decisions will be necessary toovercome the challenges we face andbuild a stronger business,” said Joyce,who will take a 36 percent wage cut asthe company works to slash costs byAus$2 billion over three years. Qantasshares closed nine percent lower atAus$1.15.5. Part of the restructure willsee 5,000 full-time positions lost fromthe carrier’s 32,000-strong workforce by2017 with a wage freeze across the net-work until it returns to profit.

“I regret the need for these wide-ranging job losses, but we will do every-thing we can to make the process easierfor employees who leave the business,”said Irish-born Joyce. “At the end of thistransformation, Qantas will remain anemployer of more than 27,000 people,the vast majority based in Australia-andwe will be a better and more competi-tive company.” Unions said workerswere being punished for poor manage-ment. “Qantas management has todayoutlined a demolition job, but failed tofollow through with a strategy for how itwill grow the business and serve thenational interest,” said Nathan Safe,president of the influential Australianand International Pilots Association. Thecarrier flagged “significant changes” toits fleet and network and a reduction incapital expenditure of Aus$1 billionacross the next two financial years. Thiswill see the sale or deferred delivery of

50 aircraft, including the eight remain-ing Airbus A380s it has on order.

‘Tough decisions’ ahead Qantas will also axe its Perth-to-

Singapore route and suspend newgrowth plans for Jetstar. “When it comesto Jetstar in Asia, we need to take theright decisions in accord with currentmarket circumstances and our balancesheet,” said Joyce. “In Singapore, growthhas been suspended by the Jetstar Asiaboard until such time as conditionsimprove.” Following an interim profitwarning in December, Moody’s and S&Pboth downgraded Qantas’ credit ratingto “junk” status, increasing its financingcosts and restricting access for investorswho do not put their money in lower-rated companies.

Qantas has since been working toconvince the government it deserves adebt guarantee, while lobbyingCanberra to relax the Qantas Sale Act,which limits foreign ownership in theairline to 49 percent. Joyce argues thatthe cap, which restricts access to capital,is hurting Qantas’ ability to compete,

particularly against domestic rival VirginAustralia-majority-owned by state-backed Singapore Airlines, Air NewZealand and Etihad.

Australia’s conservative governmentsaid this week it was drafting laws toallow Qantas to be majority foreign-con-trolled and for a single foreign share-holder to own more than 25 percent.But the legislation is unlikely to passthrough the upper house Senate withLabor and the Greens opposing majorityoverseas ownership, while remainingopen to an assistance package.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott called it“a very troubling day” for Qantas butsuggested a debt guarantee could poseproblems. “The difficulty is this-what wedo for one business, in fairness, we haveto make available to all businesses,” hetold parliament when asked about theissue. Joyce warned of more difficultdecisions ahead. “We must defer growthand cut back where we can, so that wecan invest where we need to. We havealready made tough decisions andnobody should doubt that there aremore ahead,” he said. — AFP

Qantas to axe 5,000 jobsQantas posts $210m half-year loss

SYDNEY: Qantas staff walk through the terminal of Sydney domestic airportyesterday. — AFP

RBS bank losses soar in 2013

LONDON: Royal Bank of Scotland’s losses soared to almost£9.0 billion last year on legal charges and the creation of a‘bad bank’, but the state-rescued firm still paid millions inbonuses. Net losses widened 49 percent to £8.995 billion($15.0 billion, 10.9 billion euros) in 2013, RBS said in a resultsstatement as it unveiled major new restructuring plans thatwill result in yet more job losses. That compared with a lossafter tax of £6.055 billion in 2012. The Edinburgh-basedbank, which is 81-percent state-owned after the world’sbiggest bailout during the global financial crisis, added itwill slash its cost base by another £5.3 billion in the comingyears and warned of more “inevitable” job cuts.

“Reducing costs and divesting businesses in the bankwill inevitably result in reduced staff levels,” chief executiveRoss McEwan said in the results statement. Media reportshad suggested last week that RBS was seeking a jobs culltotaling at least 30,000, but no specific numbers were givenyesterday. The loss-making bank meanwhile agreed to astaff bonus pool of £576 million, down 15 percent from2012. RBS was rocked last year by a £3.8-billion provision fora string of scandal-related charges and a £4.8-billion hit forthe creation of an internal “bad bank” unit called RBSCapital Resolution. The provisions include costs to meet USaction over mortgage-backed financial products and com-pensation for the mis-selling in Britain of insurance coveringcredit products such as consumer loans. It has taken a hitalso from mis-selling interest rate hedging products, knownas swaps, to small businesses. RBS, which has additionallybeen fined over its role in the Libor interest-rate riggingscandal, has been dragged into an worldwide probe overalleged manipulation of foreign exchange trading alongwith other banks. On Wednesday, RBS said its pre-tax lossessurged to £8.24 billion in 2013, while revenues fell 12 per-cent to £19.44 billion.

McEwan to shrink bank further McEwan yesterday outlined a plan to shrink the bank’s

seven divisions to just three, and simplify its services andproducts for retail customers. “We will move from a bankwith seven divisions and seven support departments to abank with three customer businesses-personal, commercial,and corporate,” he said. And he pledged to transform RBSinto a more UK-focused bank, with British assets set toincrease from 60 percent to 80 percent of the business.

“This bank has had an extraordinary five years,” McEwansaid in a separate letter to shareholders. “Cleaning up a£2.2-trillion balance sheet whilst addressing the many fail-ings of the past has carried a very heavy cost, which showsin our results. “Even by recent standards, 2013 was a diffi-cult year. Regulatory fines, wide-ranging customer com-plaints, technology problems and public questioning of ourintegrity all weighed heavily, and bring into sharp focus thejob we have at hand.” —AFP

WASHINGTON: The head of Credit Suisseexpressed regret Wednesday that his bankhelped US clients hide billions of dollars fromthe tax man, but blamed the wrongdoing on asmall band of rogue employees. Chief executiveBrady Dougan conceded that the bank,Switzerland’s second largest, undertook elabo-rate efforts to gain new, secret American clients.“Credit Suisse’s management team regrets verydeeply that despite the industry-leading compli-ance measures we put in place, we have someSwiss-based private bankers who appear tohave violated US law,” Dougan, the firstAmerican to lead a major Swiss bank, told USlawmakers.

“While I am extremely dismayed by the con-duct, Mr Chairman, I also believe that leadershiprequires facing up to the past, and takingresponsibility for what our employees did.” Aninternal probe found no evidence that CreditSuisse management was aware of the problems,the bank said. “Credit Suisse acknowledges thatmisconduct, centered on a small group of Swiss-

based private bankers, previously occurred atour bank,” Credit Suisse said in a statement to aUS Senate panel that led a years-long investiga-tion of “Swiss bank secrecy.”

A damning Senate report found that thebank at its peak in 2006 had more than 22,000US customers with Swiss accounts whose assetsstood as high as $12 billion. No one has stoodtrial, and the bank has not been held account-able, according to the report. Analysts say CreditSuisse could face fines of up to $2.0 billion,which would dwarf the $196 million fine regula-tors imposed last week for providing unregis-tered brokerage and investment advisory servic-es to US clients.

Secret wooing of clients Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the subcom-

mittee that led the two-year investigation, tookCredit Suisse to task for failing to live up topromises of transparency after a similar 2008investigation. “It’s five years later, and the sadtruth is that the era of bank secrecy is not over,”

Levin said. He demanded that the bankers “turnover the names of the people you aided andabetted in tax evasion,” noting that so far, theyhad given only 238 names.

Among the practices revealed by the Senate,several Swiss bankers were sent to the UnitedStates to secretly find new clients, leaving nopaper trail, at events like golf tournaments spon-sored by the bank. Levin said former CreditSuisse clients were taken to meetings in Zurichon remote-controlled buttonless elevators,received bank statements hidden inside maga-zines, and were issued secret US credit cardsallowing them to draw on their Swiss accounts.

“We should have caught it,” Dougan said, buthe insisted the offenders consisted of just 10 to15 bankers. Dougan testified alongside Hans-Ulrich Meister, who heads Credit Suisse’s privatebanking division; Robert Shafir, running thebank’s US business; and chief council RomeoCerutti. Meister said his bank shared “absolutelythe same goal” as US authorities in endingsecretive accounts.

Swiss laws shield banks Levin countered that banks continued to

hide behind Switzerland’s secrecy laws, and thatUS authorities have yet to make arrests in thecase. Department of Justice officials have deniedinactivity on the issue. “Just because we can’tdisclose what we’re doing doesn’t mean we’renot actively pursuing these cases,” DeputyAttorney General James Cole told the hearing.

The goal is to gather evidence and build astrong criminal case against banks and bankersimplicated in tax evasion schemes, he said,adding that more than 43,000 taxpayers havenow reported previously secret accounts andpaid over $6 billion in back taxes, interests andpenalties. From 2008 to 2011, after a tax-evasionscandal at Swiss bank UBS, which ended up pay-ing $780 million in fines, Credit Suisse beganphasing out its evasive practices, asking clientsto close their accounts or declare them. By late2013, the number of Swiss accounts held by USclients at Credit Suisse fell by 85 percent, thereport said. —AFP

Credit Suisse ‘regrets’ misconduct

TIANJIN: In a series of vast hangars, dozensof Chinese technicians swarm over fuse-lages of Airbus A320 planes, foot soldiers inthe battle to dominate what will becomethe world’s largest aircraft market. The near-ly completed aircraft at the Airbus assemblyplant in the northern city of Tianjin, an houroutside Beijing, are resplendent in the liveryof their Chinese airline buyers. Since itopened in 2008, the plant has effectivelyacted as a showcase for Airbus’s wares andgiven the European manufacturer anadvantage as it competes with US arch-rivalBoeing to dominate Chinese aircraft sales,Airbus officials said.

Early controversy over technology trans-fer, the safety of the aircraft assembled atthe plant and comparatively lower salariesof Chinese workers appears to be forgotten.Now negotiations to extend the joint ven-ture beyond its original 10-year shelf-life areentering the final stages. “The Tianjin site isan expensive investment, but you have tohave a global vision and look at what itbrings us,” said Eric Chen, president ofAirbus China.

“Since we decided to set up here, ourmarket share in China has gone from 25 to50 percent,” he told journalists on a visit tothe plant, the only Airbus assembly plantoutside Europe. Some 20 percent of theworldwide production of Airbus alreadygoes to China. For now, it still lags Boeing interms of final deliveries in the country, send-ing 133 aircraft to clients last year — 10 few-er than the US firm.

But its 1,000th Chinese delivery tookplace on December 23, 28 years after thefirst in 1985. Now it is aiming to achieve itssecond 1,000 deliveries by 2020. It is a con-servative goal given the boom in Chinese airtraffic, Chen said. According to Boeing’sprojections, the Chinese civil aviation fleetwill triple over the next 20 years. Airbus onlystarted winning large Chinese orders after

the memorandum of understanding for theTianjin plant was agreed in 2005, Chen said.

“This is what has made the difference” inthe fight against Boeing, he added. Around160 medium-range A320 aircraft have so farbeen assembled in Tianjin, which now pro-duces four of them a month, and there areplans to adapt it to produce the more fuel-efficient A320neo aircraft in the future.When it opened it had 133 foreign employ-

ees, a figure that now stands at 32. Will Horton, a senior analyst for CAPA

Centre of Aviation in Hong Kong, said it wasa mutually beneficial relationship. “Airbus isgrowing its share of the Chinese market,and China rightfully sees pride and value inhaving a local assembly line,” he told AFP.“Local final assembly means more of the air-craft’s value is kept in China.” OnWednesday, Airbus reported net profit of

1.5 billion euros ($2.05 billion) for last year,up 22.0 percent. The company said it tookorders worth 218.7 billion euros with itsglobal order book now worth a record 686.7billion euros.

Airbus has a 51 percent share in the jointventure and a consortium of Chineseinvestors including state-owned aircraftmanufacturer AVIC holds 49 percent. Thedeal was originally agreed to extend till

2016. “Discussions are underway to renewand significantly deepen this partnership,”French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saidthis week after visiting the plant. Chen toldAFP he was “confident” a deal would bereached in time for signature when ChinesePresident Xi Jinping visits France in lateMarch. But some aspects were still beingnegotiated, he said, declining to givedetails. —AP

21B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

BEIJING: US technology giant Apple yes-terday asked a Beijing court to strikedown a patent ruling by state authorities,as it fights an intellectual property battlewith a Chinese firm. Shanghai-basedZhizhen Network Technology has suedApple for allegedly infringing its Chinesepatent with the “intelligent personal assis-tant” Siri. Apple representatives hadasked China’s patent review board, whichoperates under the State IntellectualProperty Office, to declare Zhizhen’s origi-nal patent invalid.

The body rejected the request, andApple went to Beijing’s Number OneIntermediate People’s Court seeking ajudicial review. “Our side firmly believethat the ruling by the defendant wasbased on incorrect facts and laws thatwere inappropriately referred to,” Applesaid in its presentation to the court.

“We appeal to the court to revoke thedefendant’s ruling No. 21307,” it said. Itslawyers told the hearing that Zhizhen’s

technology was not original enough orinnovative enough to deserve a patent.The proceedings ended yesterday after-noon and the chief of the five-judge pan-el said the court would send the parties itsdecision at a later date.

Outside court, Zhizhen’s presidentsaid there was “nothing new” in Apple’sarguments, adding he was not afraid oftaking on the US giant. “Those whosefeet are bare do not fear those who wearshoes,” Zhu Pinpin said, using a Chinesesaying meaning that those who own lit-tle have nothing to lose. Siri, whichresponds to a user’s commands throughvoice recognition software, made its for-mal debut with the release of the iPhone4S in 2011.

Zhizhen says its earlier “Xiao i Robot”product works in a similar way and haswide applications. Zhizhen’s lawyerYuan Yang complained about the USfirm’s legal tactics. “It is a consistentstrategy of Apple to tirelessly try to make

your patent invalid and protract cases aslong as possible to pressure you to givein,” he told AFP.

Zhizhen appeared only as a third partyat the proceedings, which were betweenApple and the patent review board, headded. Lawyers for Apple and the patentreview board declined to comment toAFP. The case is the latest dispute toinvolve Apple in China, where its prod-ucts are popular but where it has some-times been embroiled in controversy.

Apple chief executive officer TimCook said in January last year that heexpected China to become his compa-ny’s largest market. Apple in 2012 paid$60 million to settle a separate legal dis-pute with a Chinese firm over the iPadtrademark. Last year, Apple was subject-ed to a barrage of criticism from state-run media over warranty policies thatonly ended after it published a Chinese-language letter of apology from Cook onits website. —AFP

Apple asks Chinese court tooverturn patent ruling

Airbus China plant opens door to massive marketMarket share in China jumps from 25 to 50%

TIANJIN: This picture shows an Airbus A320 fuselage being assembledat the Airbus assembly plant. —AFP

Noting tech needs, mining companies

seek graphiteANCHORAGE: Tear apart an electric car’s rechargeable bat-tery and you’ll find a mineral normally associated with No. 2pencils. It’s graphite. And experts say the promise of expand-ed uses for “pencil lead” in lithium-ion batteries - used in cars,cellphones and tablet computers - as well as a decrease insupply from China has helped touch off the largest wave ofmining projects in decades.

“There’s an awful lot of exploration. Lots of companieslooking for graphite,” said Don Hains, an expert in industrialminerals. The US imports all of its natural graphite, but miningcompanies are searching locations from Alaska to Alabama,optimistic about future demand. From technological to indus-trial, the mineral’s products comprise a $13 billion industry,and firms see opportunity in producing high-purity, large-flake graphite for “lithium-ion batteries and other new renew-able energy forms,” said Hains, a specialist with Watts, Griffisand McOuat Limited, a geological and mining consultant firmin Toronto.

China, meanwhile, appears to have eased its grip on worldproduction, creating an opening that hasn’t existed since themid-’90s, mining companies say. China accounted for 750 mil-lion metric tons out of a global total of 1.1 billion metric tonsin 2012, the most recent year records were available, accord-ing to the US Geological Survey. But Chinese output that yearwas down 50 million metric tons from 2011 as the govern-ment closed mines for environmental issues and resourceprotection, according to the USGS.

Also, the growth of China’s steel industry has boosted itsdomestic demand for industrial-grade graphite, used infoundries for its heat-resistant proprieties, leading to a newgraphite export tax, experts say. The developments con-tributed to a sharp rise in the price of large-flake graphite,peaking at $3,000 per ton in early 2012. The price has sincedropped back to about $1,300 per ton, but economic opti-mism has remained.

“There’s certainly more than 200, and at one point therewere over 300 companies, or individual projects, being lookedat around the world,” Hains said. In Alaska, a claim north ofNome on the slopes of the Kiglauik Mountains is beingexplored by Vancouver, British Columbia-based Graphite OneResources. The site, Graphite Creek, “is definitely a world-classdeposit,” said Dean Besserer, vice president of exploration.

A recent development has company officials particularlyhopeful. Last month, they announced an increase in theamount of high-grade graphite they expect to be able to pullfrom the site. There are 285 million metric tons in a continu-ous 3-mile stretch near the surface of the mountain, officialssaid. They expect an active mine would be sustainable for thenext 20 years.

Several other companies are searching in the U.S. USAGraphite is exploring properties in Nevada. Graphite Corp.and Alabama Graphite Corp. are exploring in Alabama. AndGraphite Corp. also has a prospect in Montana. Far more firmsare searching in Canada.

The last time the industry saw this much activity in NorthAmerica was two decades ago, during a perceived supplyshortage. Exploration also increased in Australia and Africa,but China responded by supplying a flood of graphite withoutincreasing the price. “Basically, the Chinese bought the mar-ket,” Hains said.

This time around, explorers such as Graphite One are confi-dent they can find a niche supplying battery makers - espe-cially if China continues to take measures that restrict exports.Mining companies see potential for growth in electric cars.Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman has said there are 57pounds of graphite in the lithium-ion battery of each Leaf.Hains, however, remains skeptical of a surge solely from suchvehicles. Automakers sold about 97,000 battery electric vehi-cles in 2013, less than 1 percent of the 15.5 million vehiclessold in the US, according to the Electric Drive TransportationAssociation.

Batteries for renewable power sources, such as those thatstore solar and wind energy, may be a more important use,Hains said. Also, the USGS says energy companies are devel-oping large-scale, fuel cell projects that could one day con-sume as much graphite as all other uses combined. For anynew operation, consistent sales will depend on providing spe-cific properties to specific buyers, Hains said. “You can’t justsay you have graphite for sale and expect everybody willcome knocking at your door,” he said. —AP

22B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

NEW YORK: On flights from San Francisco toHong Kong, first-class passengers can enjoy aMesclun salad with king crab or a grilled USDAprime beef tenderloin, stretch out in a 3-foot-wide seat that converts to a bed and wash it alldown with a pre-slumber Krug “Grande Cuvee”Brut Champagne. Yet some of the most cher-ished new international first-class perks havenothing to do with meals, drinks or seats. Globalairlines are increasingly rewarding wealthy flierswith something more intangible: physical dis-tance between them and everyone else.

The idea is to provide an exclusive experi-ence - inaccessible, even invisible, to the massesin coach. It’s one way that a gap between theworld’s wealthiest 1 percent and everyone elsehas widened. Many top-paying internationalpassengers, having put down roughly $15,000for a ticket, now check in at secluded facilitiesand are driven in luxury cars directly to planes.

Others can savor the same premier privileges byredeeming 125,000 or more frequent flier milesfor a trip of a lifetime.

When Emirates Airline opened a new con-course at its home airport in Dubai last year, itmade sure to keep coach passengers separatefrom those in business and first class. The topfloor of the building is a lounge for premiumpassengers with direct boarding to the upstairsof Emirates’ fleet of double-decker Airbus A380s.Those in coach wait one story below and boardto the lower level or the plane.

London’s Heathrow Airport took a privatesuite area designed for the royal family andheads of state and in July opened it to any pas-senger flying business or first class who’s willingto pay an extra $2,500. “First class has become away for a traveler to have an almost private jet-like experience,” says Henry Harteveldt, an air-line analyst with Hudson Crossing. Airlines “will

do everything but sing a lullaby.”The front of the plane has always been plush-

er than the back. But in recent years airlines haveput a greater focus on catering to the most afflu-ent fliers’ desire for new levels of privacy. There’s alot of money on the line. At big carriers likeAmerican Airlines, about 70 percent of revenuecomes from the top 20 percent of its customers.The special treatment now starts at check-in.American and United Airlines have both devel-oped private rooms, located in discreet corners oftheir terminals in New York, Chicago and else-where, that allow for a speedy check-in. Boardingpasses in hand, travelers exit through hiddendoors leading to the front of security lines.

Some foreign airlines have gone further.Lufthansa offers first-class passengers a sepa-rate terminal in Frankfurt. There’s a restaurant,cigar lounge and dedicated immigration offi-cers. For those who choose to shower or take a

bath, the private restrooms come with theirown rubber ducky - an exclusive plastic souvenirfor the international jet set. When it’s time toboard, passengers are driven across the tarmacto their plane in a Mercedes Benz S-Class orPorsche Cayenne.

“That sort of exclusivity plays to the ego ofpeople who are in a position to spend thatmuch money on airline flight,” says TimWinship, publisher of travel advice siteFrequentFlier.com. At Heathrow’s private suites,designed for up to six people, fliers pass swiftlyand privately through their own immigrationand security screening. While they’re waiting,hors d’oeuvres and Champagne are provided.Steak, sushi or other meals can be deliveredfrom airport restaurants. When it comes time toactually fly, passengers are driven to their planein a BMW 7 Series sedan and escorted to theirseat. —AP

Latest airline perk: Safe distance from the masses

WASHINGTON: The InternationalMonetary Fund came out Wednesday insupport of the fight against incomeinequality, with Fund economists sayingincome redistribution efforts canstrengthen economic growth. Plunginginto a debate over the gap between richand poor that is fueling political battlesfrom the United States to Brazil toThailand, economists from the Fund saidthere is already general agreement thatinequality can fuel economic and politi-cal instability.

But do policies to redistribute incomehelp or hurt growth? asked economistsJonathan Ostry, Andrew Berg andCharalambos Tsangarides.The answer,they said, is a net gain, even if there is aninitial cost to an economy from taxes andtransfers which aim to close an incomegap. “While considerable controversy sur-rounds these issues, we should not jump

to the conclusion that the treatmentfor inequality may be worse for growth

than the disease itself,” they said in aresearch paper, “Redistribution,Inequality, and Growth”, and an accom-panying blog comment. “Equality-enhancing interventions could actuallyhelp growth.” The trio cited the benefitsof taxes on activities of the wealthy thatcould hurt an economy, like excessivefinancial speculation, and payments tothe poor to support their children goingto school.

Much of the thinking has been that,even if a large wealth gap is bad, that thecures of taxes and wealth transfers to cor-rect the problem usually hamper growth.

“Many argue that redistributionundermines growth, and even thatefforts to redistribute to address highinequality are the source of the correla-tion between inequality and lowgrowth,” they said. “If this is right, thentaxes and transfers may be precisely thewrong remedy: a cure that may be worsethan the disease itself.”

But the authors said that experienceacross a number of countries has provid-ed “remarkably little evidence” for thatconclusion. Indeed, they said, “faster andmore durable growth seems to have fol-lowed the associated reduction ininequality.” “The average redistribution,and the associated reduction in inequali-ty, seem to be robustly associated withhigher and more durable growth.”Theauthors are cautious to avoid saying theeffects of redistribution are positive inevery case or situation, and note thatextreme efforts can have a bad outcome.But overall, they argue that redistributionprograms should be not be excludedfrom policy out of fear they would holdback an economy.”It would still be a mis-take to focus on growth and let inequali-ty take care of itself, if only because theresulting growth may be low and unsus-tainable. “Inequality and unsustainablegrowth may be two sides of the samecoin.” —AFP

Programs to redistribute income good for growth

This combination of file photos show (left) the first class section of an Emirates airlines Airbus A380 at the new Concourse A of Dubai airportin Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2013, and (right) Allegiant Air flight attendant Chris Killian preparing his passengers for the Laredo, Tex,bound flight before it pushes back from the terminal at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, in 2013. —AP

Lego bricks build up profits BILLUND: Toy maker Lego posted rising annual profitsand revenue yesterday and said it would set up globalmanagement hubs to attract more foreign talent to thegroup’s management. “I’m very excited that it’s the ninthconsecutive year of organic growth,” chief executiveJoergen Vig Knudstorp said at a press conference at thefamily-owned company’s headquarters in Bil lund,Denmark. Net profit in 2013 rose 9.0 percent to 6.12 bil-lion kroner (820 million euros, $1.12 billion). Sales grewby 10 percent to 25.38 billion kroner, marking a quadru-pling in just 10 years.

The Friends collection, launched in late 2012 andaimed at girls between the ages of five and nine, and lastyear’s hugely successful Legends of Chima, where animaltribes battle for world dominance, added the most tosales growth. But old-time favorites like Lego City andDuplo were also among the top sellers.

“The large US, British and Central and NorthernEuropean markets achieved healthy single digit growthrates, whereas markets like France, Spain, Russia andChina grew double digits,” Lego said. The results did notinclude any sales boost from the blockbuster Lego movie,which was released earlier this month, after the end ofthe group’s fiscal year. —AFP

There’s nothing more relaxing and reju-venating than taking a vacation.However, when you’re single, the

thought of going to an exotic island (or just astate over) can seem overwhelming, dauntingand a little lonely. It doesn’t have to be thatway, though! Don’t let your marital status getin the way of you and a beautiful beach, excit-ing city or foreign adventure. Pack your bagsand head out solo to one of these four hotspots for the vacation of a lifetime.

Whether you are newly single or havebeen on your own for a while, a vacationaway will give you the perfect opportunity toget to know yourself. If you’re still a little hesi-tant, read Eat Pray Love for inspiration! Afterreading that, a few days alone in a new placeshould sound more exhilarating than terrify-ing! Be sure to do ample research on yourdestination to find out how safe it is for singletravelers, how easy it is to get around and ifthere are plenty of activities.

Costa RicaUnlike many of the other hot spots in the

Caribbean and South America, Costa Rica isnot a huge honeymoon destination, so youwill be less likely to run into couple after cou-ple. What makes this country such a greatplace for the solo adventurer is the abun-dance of things to do, like hiking, zip-lining,white-water rafting and beach activities liketanning, snorkeling and swimming.

Singles Travel International, one of the topsingles travel companies, recommends hikingthe Manuel Antonio National Park, which ismade up of lush rainforests and streams, sobring your camera to snap photos of theunique wildlife. They also recommendTamarindo Beach to grab some surf lessons(or catch a wave if you already know how to

surf), get some sun or even zip-line throughthe neighboring rainforest!

In addition to relaxing, Costa Rica also pro-vides great volunteer activities, like teachingEnglish or helping with some of the endan-gered wildlife (such as sea turtles). If you’re inthe mood for luxury, stay at the Four SeasonsResort Costa Rica. This resort has a world-classgolf course, spa, four restaurants and a tenniscourt. Rates start at $445 a night. For a morebudget-friendly singles resort, check out LaPosada Private Jungle Bungalows, which bor-ders the Manuel Antonio National Park andhas a luxurious swimming pool overlookingthe lush gardens.

New York CityThere’s probably no better place on Earth

for a single gal than New York City. This con-crete jungle is the perfect place to travel solo,since it’s pretty hard to feel alone in a citythat’s home to more than eight million peo-ple. In addition to the large population, thereare always things to do in New York City tostay busy, from eating at a world renownedrestaurant (try Le Bernardin) to catching aBroadway Show (check out the new showGhost) to climbing up the Empire StateBuilding to shopping on 5th Avenue toexploring the up-and-coming neighborhoodsof Brooklyn and Harlem. New York is a highlywalkable city with a reliable public transporta-tion system, so you can save your pennies oncab fare.

If money is no issue, stay at the famousPlaza hotel. This luxurious hotel has 282rooms, including 102 beautiful suites. In addi-tion to this, they have 24-hour butler service,in-room iPads for every guest and world-classdining and spa. Rates begin at $600 a night.For a more budget-friendly option, check outthe Union Square Inn, voted one of the bestbudget-friendly hotels in the city by NYMagazine. This artsy hotel has a veryEuropean feel, and the rooms are simple butboast a higher square footage than most NewYork City hotels. Rates begin at $109.

IrelandIf you’re having a rough time, head over

and grab some luck of the Irish! SarahSchlichter, editor of IndependentTravel.com,

recommends Ireland because of “how friendlythe Irish are. It’s very easy to meet people, andit’s also very safe.” Although the Irish accentsand friendly demeanor are enough for manypeople to head over to this beautiful country,there are also so many things to do that willmake it almost impossible for you to leave.

One of the most popular tours in Ireland isthe Gray Line Wicklow Mountains, Valleys andLakes tour, which takes you through theWicklow mountains, the valleys atGlendalough and the breathtakingBlessington Lakes. In addition, you will alsosee big sights l ike the Dublin Castle.Independent Traveler also recommendschecking out the Dublin Writers Museum,which celebrates authors, including FrankMcCourt, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde.

For an authentic Irish experience, checkout the Gaelic Games at Croke Park Stadiumin Dublin. For lodging, check out an Irish B&B.Bed and breakfasts tend to be great optionsfor solo travelers (especially in Ireland) sincethe owners and other guests are very wel-coming. Choose from one of the 2,000 bedand breakfasts in Ireland here, some startingas low as $70 a night.

AustraliaAlthough the eight-hour flight may feel

lonely, you’ll instantly feel welcomed andengaged as soon as you step off the plane.According to Schlichter, the Australians havea great sense of independence, and there arethousands of solo travelers who frequent thegreat Down Under every year, so no one willblink an eye if you’re alone. While you’re inthe vast and beautiful country of Australia,Singles Travel International recommends yousnorkel or scuba the Great Barrier Reef (thelargest underwater ecosystem in the world),hike the Blue Mountains in Sydney and visitthe stunning Sydney Opera House.

For a great way to meet other travelers,check out one of Gray Line’s tours in theOutback. They range from wildlife tours tocity tours, so there’s something for everyone!SmarterTravel.com recommends staying inone of Australia’s plentiful hostels. There arethree hostel networks to choose from, YHA,Nomads and VIP Backpackers, and hostelsstart at just $9 a night. The great thing aboutstaying in a hostel when you’re travelingalone is that you have a greater chance tomeet other people (since most rooms hold upto four people), and there are common roomsand dining halls that make it easy to mingle.Don’t let being single stand in the way of youand an amazing vacation. Head out solo andmake some incredible memories!

— www.sheknows.com

T r a v e lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

No buddy?Go at it solo!

Don’t let being single stand in the way of you and an amazing vacation

T r a v e lFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

There are so many excuses not to travel- no time, not enough money, fear of

the unknown - but letting those anti-trav-el sentiments get in the way of seeing theworld means you’re missing out. We’renot suggesting you spend your life sav-ings on a trip around the world or takeweeks off work to see a new place, butgiving yourself the opportunity to experi-ence new places, cultures and people is agreat way to get more out of life. If you’restill not convinced to take a trip, we’ve puttogether a list of the top five reasons totravel. Bon voyage!

To get a fresh perspectiveHow often do you travel for leisure?

Several times per year. Once a year. Onceevery two years or so. Less than onceevery couple years. Never. One of the bestand most rewarding aspects of travel is itsability to provide you with a fresh per-spective. It can be so easy to get into aroutine - or worse, a rut - that we forgetthere’s an entire world out there just wait-ing to be discovered. Laundry, cooking,cleaning, shopping - not to mention goingto work and coming home (likely throughtraffic) - keep us fused to a certain mind-set, which is: Not much changes. Even ifyou’re happy in your job and don’t reallymind folding all that laundry, taking a tripcan mean opening your eyes and givingyou a totally new lease on life.

Why it’s important: Whether you goone state over or halfway around theworld, what you experience outside yourdaily routine will help you see that there ismuch more to life than what’s on your to-do list.

To rechargeDay-to-day life can wear you down.

There’s so much to do that time passes ina blink of an eye, and by the time dinnertime rolls around all you want to do is lieon the couch, feet up and television on.While there’s nothing wrong with a littledowntime, if you really want to recharge,why not get away from it all? When you’reaway there’s so much more to think aboutthan whether or not you left dirty dishesin the sink, if your boss is going to giveyou that raise you asked for or if that col-league is going to actually put in any workon that project you’re (allegedly) doingtogether. The stress of daily life is replacedwith thoughts of where you want to sight-see, what you’re going to eat, whether tohit the beach and what kind of souvenirsto take home.

Why it’s important: Being away givesyour brain a chance to recharge andreboot in a way that just can’t happen aseasily at home.

To see something newIt’s a big world out there, and while

there’s no way to see it all, just experienc-ing a small sampling of what’s outside ofyour own town, city or state can openyour eyes to all the interesting and won-derful things there are to see and do. Youmay be madly in love with where you live(which is great) but if you get out there toexplore, you never know what treasuresyou might find. From new foods and cus-toms to great people and places you nev-er imagined you’d see, traveling is full ofsurprises.

Why it’s important: Any new experi-ence you have can only help you become

a better person and enrich your life inmyriad ways.

To challenge yourselfThis is probably one of the most impor-

tant reasons to book a trip. Challengingyourself is never easy - that’s why they callit a challenge - but pushing past your lin-gering reservations about going abroadcan be very good for you. Travel is chal-lenging for a number of reasons - every-thing from not knowing the language toeating unfamiliar foods and even gettinglost can keep you on your toes and pullyou out of your comfort zone (and let yourealize you can rise to the occasion). Life istoo short to skip out on great experiencesjust because it could prove difficult insome way.

Why it’s important: Going out of your

comfort zone and challenging yourselfwill help you grow as a person, gain confi-dence and push past emotional and physi-cal limitations that may be holding youback in other areas of your life.

To learnTravel is a great way to learn about

yourself and others, not to mention get acrash course in totally new ways of doingthings. You can pick up new languages,try new and interesting foods, learn aboutother cultures and gain insight into newcustoms you’ve never seen or taken partin. You may think that learning stoppedthe minute you left school, but you shouldnever stop learning, no matter how oldyou are, and traveling gives you a greatopportunity to soak up knowledge fromother cultures, people and places.

Why it’s important: The more you learn,the better you’ll feel about yourself and themore fun and enriched your life will be.

Traveling aloneWhether your travels take you around the

world or just on a cross-country road trip,as a woman traveling alone you need to beextra careful. Here are some tips to keep yousafe and prepared for anything.

Know yourselfWhen planning a vacation, choose the kind

of activities you’d like to do first. Then, pick adestination. If you want to shop, head to amajor city like London or Paris. If you’re look-ing for adventure, get set to see Africa or thedesert. Once you’ve picked your destination,work out a budget and start searching forhotels and resorts from there.

Find cheap flights, accommodationsOnline travel sites are starting to take over.

From TripAdvisor to Expedia, finding cheapflights and hotels has never been easier.What’s more, because many sites rely on userratings and feedback, you’ll get a good idea ofwhat to expect from a specific company ordestination.

Research, research, researchWherever you decide to go, make sure you

do your research-customs, languages, and reli-gions differ around the world, and you defi-nitely do not want to offend anyone or landyourself in any trouble.

Carry enough cashDo not assume that everywhere accepts

credit or debit cards. Cash is king and canoften get you out of a tough bind. That said,carrying too much money can be problematic,too. Consider taking a couple hundred dollarsin cash, and then using your ATM card to with-draw currency as needed.

Leave the plastic at homeOnly bring one or two credit cards with

you. Credit cards and bankcards can be a has-sle if stolen abroad because it can be difficultgetting in touch with your bank to stop anycharges. Leave all your other wallet clutter-shopping club cards, gift cards, membershipcards-at home.

Make copiesKeep photocopies of your passport, driver’s

license and credit cards. Always keep the origi-nals with you, but tuck away copies in caseanything is lost or stolen. (You might evenwant to leave a set of copies with a trustedfriend or relative back home, in case you’re leftwith nothing at all.)

Pack accordinglyDo yourself a favor and check the customs

of the country you are visiting before you

pack-this will help you pack appropriately.Some cultures have different views on what isappropriate dress for women. To stay safe andout of trouble, this is something you must lookin to.

Keep in touchWhether you are traveling abroad or taking

a cross-country road trip, keep in touch. Letsomeone at home know when you’re leavingand when to expect you back-and if youdecide to change your travel plans at the lastminute, let them know.

Leave a trailLeave a copy of your itinerary with a family

member or friend back home. This way ifsomething happens, they know where you canbe found. (This is especially important if youare going somewhere with bad weather con-ditions or political problems.)

Get travel insuranceHopefully nothing happens to you on your

vacation, but you must be prepared. If forsome reason you need to go the hospital or fora doctor’s visit, make sure you have insurance-otherwise you can expect a large bill or inade-quate medical attention.

Don’t wear flashy jewelryIf you are wearing eye-catching jewels, all

you are doing is attracting attention... from thewrong type of people. You may as well wear ashirt that says, “Steal from me, I have money.”

Dress casuallyDressing too flashy in brand names will

draw unwanted attention, which can lead tobeing followed and attacked or robbed.Remember, you are on vacation in an unfamil-iar place, and your goal should be to blend in.

Steer clear of unmarked taxicabsGetting into an unmarked car is extremely

dangerous. You don’t want your family backhome to be informed that you have gonemissing while on vacation. So do yourself afavor and stick to public transportation andmarked taxis.

Talk to your doctorNo matter where you’re traveling, it’s

important to talk to your doctor before youleave. From vaccinations to refills on prescrip-tions, your healthcare provider will be able totell you what to look out for health-wise,whether any region-specific vaccinations areneeded (such as those for Yellow Fever orDengue) and what types of medication youmay need (like Neosporin or Tylenol, and evenanti-malarial drugs).

Why travel now?

O p i n i o nFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

By Gabriela Baczynska

In Viktor Yanukovich’s party headquarters inDonetsk, eastern Ukraine, a stain on the wallmarks where a framed picture of the ousted

president used to hang. It is not only the pho-tograph that has gone since Ukraine’s parlia-ment stripped Yanukovich of his powers onSaturday. So has the support he once enjoyedin his home region, his power base as hemoved from minor Soviet bureaucracy intolocal politics in the 1990s and rose to becomethe governor of the coalmining region aroundDonetsk, prime minister and eventuallyUkraine’s president - at the second attempt - in2010.

Easterners turning against a presidentaccused of shooting demonstrators and of lav-ish self-enrichment may notch down the ten-sion over his fall between the east and west ofthe country, which world leaders fear couldstart pulling Ukraine apart. But Russian-speak-ers, a powerful electoral force in the big, east-ern, industrial cities, remain wary of new lead-ers promoting Ukrainian nationalism and tiesto the European Union.

Nikolay Zagoruyko, leader of the Party ofthe Regions group in the regional parliamentin Donetsk, makes no apology for his long sup-port of Yanukovich - nor for turning againsthim now. “He was a good governor, prime min-ister and president,” Zaguruyko told Reuters athis party office. “I worked actively in his 2010election campaign. I never regretted that. I wassure I made the right choice all along the way,until Jan 19.” That was the day when violentclashes began in Kiev between riot police andprotesters. Several deaths ensued, culminatingin bloodshed a week ago that killed over 80people. Though he has known Yanukovichsince the 1980s, Zagoruyko has no hesitation insaying: “Of course he is guilty”. “He was thepresident,” he said. “The guilt for what hap-pened lies with Yanukovich.”

The 63-year-old Yanukovich was indicted byhis opponents for “mass murder” over thepolice shooting of demonstrators. He is nowon the run, with the national parliament resolv-ing to refer him to the International CriminalCourt at The Hague. Having left Kiev by heli-copter on Friday, he was prevented from flyingout of the country from Donetsk and was lastseen on Sunday on the Russian-speakingCrimea peninsula. Some Ukrainians believe hemay now be hiding in Donetsk or the sur-rounding Donbass coal and steel region, wherehe was born and worked as an electrician aftera troubled childhood and lengthy spells in jailfor assault and petty theft. The area was thebedrock of his election victory over YuliaTymoshenko, then the darling of the Ukrainian-speaking west.

But many of his most loyal political alliesdistanced themselves from their former patronas he found himself condemned by Moscowfor failing to end the protests and by his back-ers among wealthy business “oligarchs” overthe bloodshed. His attempt to concentratepower and wealth among relatives and closefriends may have fatally narrowed his supportbase. Like other Ukrainians, some former loyal-ists say they were shocked by the gaudy opu-lence of Yanukovich’s residence outside Kiev,its chandeliers, statues and ostrich farm nowthrown open to public view. Talk of corruptionand cronyism also offends.

Andrey Shishatsky, governor of Donetskregion and a senior figure in the Party of

Regions, said he accepted Yanukovich’s dis-missal by parliament and that the ousted presi-dent was responsible for the bloodshed, theworst upheaval in Ukraine since it gained inde-pendence from the Soviet Union in 1991. “Wehave to face the truth,” Shishatsky told a con-ference in Donetsk this week. “Very many mis-takes were made, including tragic ones that ledto people dying.”

Business Moves onThere seemed a chance the east might

stand by its man when regional leaders meet-ing in Kharkiv backed a resolution on Saturdaychallenging the authority of the national par-liament. But thousands of anti-Yanukovich pro-testers on the streets outside forced them toback down. Only in Crimea is there a significantmovement among ethnic Russians against rulefrom Kiev and for a takeover by Moscow. ManyParty of the Regions officials have urgednational unity and oppose military interventionfrom Russia.

Ihor Todorov, a professor at DonetskNational University, said that makes good busi-ness sense: “Any split of the country would infact be trouble for Donbass businessmen,” hesaid. “Who would recognise any separate ‘EastUkraine’ apart from Russia? That would meantrade sanctions. “Local elites want to have carteblanche in the region, as they always have, andthey will be ready to officially declare their alle-

giance to the new power in Kiev in return forthat.”

Donetsk is home to Ukraine’s richest manRinat Akhmetov, who bankrolled Yanukovichand his party. His imprint is visible all over thecity of a million, a grimy patchwork of Sovietapartment blocks, mines and factories on thebanks of the Don. Akhmetov’s involvementincludes a luxury hotel and the new DonbassArena, home to UEFA Cup-winning footballclub Shakhtar. Through System CapitalManagement (SCM), he controls more than100 companies, from mining to telecoms togrocery stores.

On Feb 18, as violence escalated, the billion-aire issued a pointed public statement sayingthat the loss of human lives in Kiev was “anunacceptable price for political mistakes”. Asparty leaders have disavowed Yanukovich,Akhmetov’s SCM is also coming to terms withthe change of guard: “It is very clear, the paththat Ukraine is on. There is a new governmentin place, a new interim president,” investorrelations director Jock Mendoza-Wilson toldReuters. “I don’t think there is a future in thereturn of the previous government.” Mendoza-Wilson said SCM needed political stability andUkraine’s acute economic troubles neededaddressing. SCM’s main foreign trading partneris the European Union, followed by formerSoviet republics including Russia, he said.

Akhmetov issued a statement to employees

in which he urged them to keep business mov-ing: “Today many are asking what is next? Myanswer is continue to live and work honestly.Our goal is a strong, independent and unitedUkraine. Today I specially stress - ‘a whole andunited Ukraine’.” Yanukovich critics longaccused him of being a political pawn for bigbusiness, serving the interests of tycoons fromthe Donbass who helped him climb the ladderof power.

When he lost power, he lost his value. “It’spure business thinking,” said Sergiy Shtukarin,head of a Donetsk-based civil rights organisa-tion, the Center for Political Studies. “The oli-garchs and the party followed his lead becausethat gave them most benefits. “If the newauthorities in Kiev let them be, the oligarchswill go on doing their business. That is whatthey want - to prevent any protests, any fer-ment, keep people at home, keep the statusquo.”

Eyes on RussiaShtukarin also said Yanukovich had tried

after taking office to reduce the influence onhim of Akhmetov and others in the Donbass,seeking to amass wealth within an inner circleof relatives and friends that came to be knownas “The Family”. That may also have narrowedhis support base, both among the rich andpowerful and among ordinary voters whobacked him in 2010, as his adversaries took tothe streets in November. Zagoruyko echoedthese comments, saying that even thoughYanukovich did take many of his Donbass aidesto Kiev, local party officials had long com-plained of a lack of access to him.

Yanukovich’s drive last year to sign tradeand political agreements with the EuropeanUnion - which he reversed under Russian pres-sure, triggering the Kiev protests - had beenresisted in the Donbass. There, businessesfeared losing out to Western firms if restrictionson EU imports were lifted. Many still look east,to Russia for trade and culture. This week, peo-ple are still keeping overnight vigil’s onDonetsk’s main square to protect its giant stat-ue of Lenin, after similar monuments to thefounder of the Soviet state were toppled lastweek by Ukrainians resentful of Moscow.

“Lenin is part of our history, our ties withRussia,” said Olga, a 25-year-old economiststanding below the statue, who feared therecould be job losses from free trade with the EU.“I have friends living in the EU who say we willend up in serious trouble if we move towardsthe West. Our economy is just not competitiveenough.” Yet after Yanukovich’s policy zigzagand failure to find a strategy to see off theprotests, she lost faith in him. “It’s clear we arebetter off making friends with Russia. Butthere’s no point in Yanukovich anymore. Hefailed us, he proved weak,” she said. “I am forstability, peace and order.”

Nakhro Ali Mokhammad, an Iraqi Ukrainianwho said he worked with Yanukovich on busi-ness management books in the 1990s, had alsogiven up on him. Back in Donetsk after visitingthe Kiev protest camp, he said: “Protest inUkraine was inevitable sooner or later givenwhat Yanukovich’s rule was like.” But hewarned that if the West wanted Ukrainians notto turn to other pro-Russian leaders, it mustsend money, fast, and open up visa-free travel:“This is geopolitics. Now the Ukrainian peoplehave risen up, the EU must do its bit,” he said.“But if Brussels just talks, it’s Russia who bene-fits.” — Reuters

Home no longer sweetDisdain for fallen Yanukovich common across Ukraine

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich looks down at his glasses before signing anagreement in Kiev in this Feb 21, 2014 file photo. — AFP

A model wears acreation for ManishArora's ready-to-wear fall/winter2014-2015 fashioncollection present-ed in Paris, yester-day.—AP

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www.kuwaittimes.net

Although there is no set format that every job interview will follow,there are some questions that you can almost guarantee willcrop up. Here’s a list of the most common questions and a guide

to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear.Tell me about yourself - This is usually the opening question and, as

first impressions are key, one of the most important. Keep your answerto under five minutes, beginning with an overview of your highest qual-ification then running through the jobs you’ve held so far in your career.You can follow the same structure of your CV, giving examples ofachievements and the skills you’ve picked up along the way. Don’t gointo too much detail - your interviewer will probably take notes and askfor you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information. Ifyou’re interviewing for your first job since leaving education, focus onthe areas of your studies you most enjoyed and how that has led to youwanting this particular role.

What are your strengths? - Pick the three biggest attributes thatyou think will get you the job and give examples of how you have usedthese strengths in a work situation. They could be tangible skills, such asproficiency in a particular computer language, or intangible skills such asgood man-management. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look atthe job description. There is usually a section listing candidate require-ments, which should give you an idea of what they are looking for.

What are your weaknesses? - The dreaded question, which is besthandled by picking something that you have made positive steps toredress. For example, if your IT ability is not at the level it could be, stateit as a weakness but tell the interviewer about training courses or timespent outside work hours you have used to improve your skills. Your ini-tiative could actually be perceived as a strength. On no accounts say “Idon’t have any weaknesses”, your interviewer won’t believe you, or “Ihave a tendency to work too hard”, which is seen as avoiding the ques-tion.

Why should we hire you? or What can you do for us that other can-didates can’t? - What makes you special and where do your majorstrengths lie? You should be able to find out what they are looking forfrom the job description. “I have a unique combination of strong techni-cal skills and the ability to build long-term customer relationships” is agood opening sentence, which can then lead onto a more specificexample of something you have done so far in your career. State yourbiggest achievement and the benefit it made to the business, then fin-ish with “Given the opportunity, I could bring this success to your com-pany.”

What are your goals? or Where do you see yourself in five yearstime? - It’s best to talk about both short-term and long-term goals. Talkabout the kind of job you’d eventually like to do and the various stepsyou will need to get there, relating this in some way back to the positionyou’re interviewing for. Show the employer you have ambition, and thatyou have the determination to make the most of every job you have toget where you want to be.

Why do you want to work here? - The interviewer is listening for ananswer that indicates you’ve given this some thought. If you’ve pre-pared for the interview properly, you should have a good inside knowl-edge of the company’s values, mission statement, development plansand products. Use this information to describe how your goals andambition matches their company ethos and how you would relish theopportunity to work for them. Never utter the phrase “I just need a job.”

What are three positive things your last boss would say aboutyou? - This is a great time to brag about yourself through someoneelse’s words. Try to include one thing that shows your ability to do thejob, one thing that shows your commitment to the work, and one thingthat shows you are a good person to have in a team. For example, “Myboss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knowshe can always rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor.”

What salary are you seeking? - You can prepare for this by know-ing the value of someone with your skills. Try not to give any specificnumbers in the heat of the moment - it could put you in a poor positionwhen negotiating later on. Your interviewer will understand if you don’twant to discuss this until you are offered the job. If they have provided aguideline salary with the job description, you could mention this and sayit’s around the same area you’re looking for.

If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you canthink quickly. If you answer ‘a bunny’, you will make a soft, passiveimpression. If you answer ‘a lion’, you will be seen as aggressive. Whattype of personality will it take to get the job done?

You should always have some questions for your interviewer todemonstrate your interest in the position. Prepare a minimum of fivequestions, some which will give you more information about the job,and some which delve deeper into the culture and goals of the com-pany.

www.career-advice.monster.uk

28C a r e e rFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

What are the most common interview questions?

M ost interviewers willgive you an opportunityto ask questions after

they’ve finished grilling you, sobe prepared to make the most ofit. Try to concentrate on issuesthat are important to you andcombine an interest in the com-pany with an interest in the job.

With a wide variety of inter-view styles and structures, there’severy possibility that everythingyou want or need to know aboutthe job will have been coveredover the course of the interview.There is always more informationavailable though and if you don’thave at least five questions pre-pared, you’ll come across as pas-sive rather than curious and inter-ested.

Regarding role specific ques-tions, look through the jobdescription to see if there areany areas that you would likemore information about. Hereare some good examples of thequestions you could ask aboutthe role:l Why has the position become

available?l What are the main objectives

and responsibilities of the

position?l How does the company expect

these objectives to be met?l What are the measures used to

judge how successful I am inthe role?

l What obstacles are commonlyencountered in reaching theseobjectives?

l What is the desired time framefor reaching the objectives?

l What can I expect from you interms of development andsupport?

l What aspirations do you havefor me at the company?

l Where will the job fit into theteam structure?

Good interview preparationshould have given you an insightinto what it’s like to work for acompany, but it’s good to getanswers straight from the horse’smouth in case you’ve misinter-preted anything. These questionsare a good place to start:l What’s the best thing about

working at your company?l What is the main thing the

organization expects from itsemployees?

l How do you build good rela-tionships within teams?

l What is the turnover of stafflike throughout the company?

l Are there any plans for expan-sion?

l How would you describe thecompany culture and manage-ment style?To show your interest and

knowledge of the industry thecompany operates in, it’s also agood idea to have a questionready regarding a current eventor issue in the market. For exam-ple, “How do you think the recentmerger between your two maincompetitors will affect the futureof the industry?”

How well your interviewerreacts and answers your ques-tions gives you a great insightinto the company. The interviewisn’t just for them to see if you’rethe right fit for the organisation -if you’re confident about yourskills and ability to do the job,you should also be making surethey’re the right fit for you.

Generally, it’s not a good ideato ask about pay or benefits, asthis can make you seem moreinterested in what the organiza-tion can do for you, rather thanwhat you can do for them.

What questions should I ask my interviewer?

Why should we hire you?

Looking to add more shrimp to your diet? Try these fast, easy recipes.

F o o dFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Ingredients1 cup couscouskosher salt and pepper1 tablespoon olive oil1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp1 shallot, chopped1/2 teaspoon ground coriander1/2 teaspoon ground paprika1 15.5-ounce can white beans, rinsed1/4 cup white vinegar2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions1. Place the couscous in a large bowl. Add 1 cup very hot

tap water and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Coverand let sit for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, shallot, coriander, paprika,and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the shrimp areopaque, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate.

3. Add the beans, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water to the skilletand cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Servewith the shrimp and couscous. Top with the parsley.

Spi

ced

Shrim

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Shrimp and Broccoli TempuraIngredients

1 8-ounce package soba noodles1/4 cup soy sauce3 tablespoons lime juice2 tablespoons light brown sugar8 cups canola oil2 cups all-purpose flour2 cups seltzer1/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 pound peeled and deveined largeshrimp3 cups broccoli florets2 scallions, sliced

Directions1. Cook the soba noodles according

to the package directions;rinse under cold water. In asmall bowl, whisktogether the soy sauce,lime juice, sugar, and1/4 cup water; setaside.

2. Meanwhile, heatthe oil in a largesaucepan overmedium heatuntil the tem-perature reg-

isters 360∞ F on a deep-fry ther-mometer.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together theflour, seltzer, and baking soda. Inbatches, dip the shrimp and broccoliin the batter and fry in the oil untilgolden, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Serve the shrimp and broccoli on thenoodles with the soy-lime dippingsauce. Top with the scallions.

It’s time to be shellfish!Ingredients

3/4 pound penne2 tablespoons olive oil3/4 pound peeled and deveined mediumshrimp2 cloves garlic, sliced1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepperkosher salt2 cups baby spinach2 ounces Feta, crumbled (1/2 cup)1/4 cup halved kalamata olives

Directions1. Cook the pasta according to the package

directions; drain and return it to the pot.2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet

over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp,garlic, crushed red pepper, and 1/4 tea-spoon salt until the shrimp are opaque, 4to 6 minutes.

3. Toss the shrimp with the pasta, spinach,Feta, and olives.

Pasta with shrimp and spinach

H e a l t hFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

By Alex Savva

Let me guess: Your chest routine consists of four sets of flatbench, incline dumbbell presses, and flat flyes. If so, well,you have plenty of company. It’s the same Monday program

countless lifters have been following for years without modifica-tion. And that’s because it works-to a point. If you’ve hit a trainingplateau, or if you just can’t remember the last time you shookthings up, consider bringing some new stimuli into your chesttraining. Working the chest muscles with a variety of exercisesand angles is the best approach, and these five movements dothe job and then some.

Your chest is composed of two muscle groups: the large pec-toralis major, and the smaller pectoralis minor underneath. Theflat, thick pec major originates in a broad sweep along the anteri-or surface of the clavicle, down the sternum, and from the carti-lage of the ribs. It inserts into a much smaller area, the intertubu-lar groove at the top of the humerus (upper arm).

The narrow, triangular pec minor originates from the upperand outer surfaces of three ribs and inserts into the coracoidprocess, a bony protrusion next to the shoulder joint. The pecmajor is responsible for a number of actions involving thehumerus, such as lifting the arm from the side (adduction), fromthe front (flexion), or turning it in an arm-wrestling motion (inter-nal rotation). The pec minor has one major function, which is tostabilize the scapula.

The most popular exercises to add resistance to these basicmovements include the bench press, dumbbell press, dumbbellflye, cable crossover, and the push-up. But they’re by no meansthe only options. Let’s take chest training a step farther and lookat more advanced techniques to shock your muscles into growth.

Must-do movements180-DEGREE TWISTING DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

If you’re like me and have suffered a torn pec while benching,you’ll agree that the barbell bench press is not ideal for everyone.I also find that my shoulders take over when I’m doing the flatand incline bench, so I prefer to use the dumbbell chest pressinstead. But I don’t just do any chest press. I add a twist-literally-inorder to utilize the benefits of a supine or reverse grip. A studyperformed in my home town of Toronto determined that whensubjects used a supinated grip during an isometric hold of the flatbench press, it resulted in increased activity for the upper portionof the pectoralis major as compared to a regular pronated grip.1

EXECUTION1. Lie back on a bench holding two dumbbells with a standard

grip (palms forward) and arms extended over your chest.2. Slowly lower the dumbbells to your outer chest, then press

and rotate 180 degrees as you push back up to starting posi-tion. You should have a supine grip with your pinkies inward

and palms facing your face at the top of the movement. Holdthis peak contraction for 2 seconds before lowering into thenext rep.

3. Keep your shoulders back and down during the press to maxi-mize pec involvement and minimize delt takeover.

CLOSE-GRIP WEIGHTED PUSH-UPThe push-up is a great exercise, but you have to do it a certain

way in order to maximize chest activity. Try using the close-gripweighted push-up as a finishing move after you’re done trashingyour chest with the weights. The narrow hand position brings outthe inner pecs and the added weight across the back elevates thisfrom an everyday move to a pec destroyer.

Back in 2005, researchers at the Mayo Clinic tested 11 men and29 women to determine the effect of three different hand posi-tions when performing the push-up: shoulder-width, wider, andnarrower. The study showed the EMG activity in the pectoralismajor was greatest during push-ups with a narrow hand position.

EXECUTIONCLOSE-GRIP WEIGHTED PUSH-UP

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands about six inchesapart. Add resistance by wearing a weighted vest or have atraining partner place a weight or sandbag on your back.

2. Slowly lower your chest to the ground and press back up untilyou fully extend your elbows.

CABLE CROSSOVER Cable work is a great addition to free weights. It provides con-

stant tension throughout the range of motion. But can it matchthe same level of muscle activation? Perhaps so, according to a

recent study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise thatinvestigated the EMG activity of nine common chest exercises. Ateam of researchers from the University of Wisconsin found thatthe bent-forward cable crossover produced nearly the same pec-toralis major stimulation as the barbell bench press, which wasrated the highest.

The beauty of the cable crossover is that you can adjust thepulleys to any height you want, which is why I recommend cablecrossover 21s. You get the benefit of high, mid-level, and lowcrossovers in one triset, attacking your chest from all angles.Remember to keep the arms and body stationary so that you per-form the exercise from the shoulders. This will help maximize thestretch and contraction of the chest during each rep.

EXECUTIONLOW CABLE CROSSOVER

1. Starting with the cables in the lowest position, grab the han-dles and move into a staggered stance with one foot forwardand one foot back. Lean forward slightly from the hip. This isyour base position for all three movements.

2. With the handles out at your sides and an underhand grip,squeeze the cables up and in to eye level using a scoopingmotion. Perform 7 reps in this position.

MID CABLE CROSSOVER3. Move the cables to chest height, grab the handles, and get

into the base position.4. Push the handles out and in front of your chest with the

palms facing each other.5. Resist the weight as you open up in a wide arc. Pause when

you feel a light stretch in your chest, then squeeze back to thecenter with the elbows slightly bent and locked in place.Perform 7 reps in this position.

HIGH CABLE CROSSOVER6. Move the cables just above your head, grab the handles, and

move back into the base position.7. Press the handles down and in front of your upper abdomi-

nals with palms facing inward.8. Open your arms back and up until you feel a good stretch

across the pecs, pause, and then squeeze back in and underyour chest. Perform your last 7 reps in this position.

KETTLEBELL FLYEKettlebells are harder to grip than dumbbells, which makes

you work harder for each rep. Using kettlebells for chest flyes willcause your pecs to recruit more muscle fibers to fight the weighthanging below your palms. Start with kettlebells that are 10pounds lighter than what you would use on a standard dumbbellflye. If you find yourself bending your elbows during the loweringphase, choose a lighter weight to ensure proper form. You wantthis to be a full-range flye, not a half-flye, half-press.

EXECUTION1. Hold the kettlebells over your chest as you did in the press,

Stick out your chest with pride!Your chest program is due for an update. Get deeper, wider,

and stronger with these science-based exercise tips!

H e a l t hFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

For most hot-blooded males, summer is synonymous withchilling by the pool or at the beach, and checking out girls inbikinis. Don’t forget, however, that this also means that theladies will be checking you out. So before you whip off thatshirt, make sure your chest is worthy of female adulation byincorporating some of the following exercises into your work-out routine.

If you’re looking to bulk up, try doing 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 8reps using as much weight as you can lift; if you’re looking totone up, do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, with slightly lighterweights.

Number 10Peck deckWhether you’re new to bodybuilding or you haven’t worked

out in a while, the peck deck is a great place to start. Just havea seat, adjust the weight stack, get into position, contract yourchest muscles as you press the pads together, and go back tothe starting position. This machine works your inner pectoralmuscles.

Number 9Cable pressAdjust two pulleys to shoulder height and adjust the weight

stacks. Stand at the midway point between them, with yourfeet shoulder-width apart and one foot in front of the other.With your elbows raised to your sides, grip one pulley in eachhand and, keeping your palms facing down and your arms atshoulder height, press the handles forward, making sure toavoid locking your elbows at the end of the motion. Then bringthem back to the starting position. This exercise works theupper chest.

Number 8Cable flyesStanding between two pulleys adjusted to shoulder height,

grip the pulleys with your palms facing forward and, keeping aslight bend in your elbows, bring your palms together in frontof you, contracting your chest muscles as you go, and return tothe starting position. This works your upper chest.

Number 7PushupsGet into pushup position, with your weight evenly distrib-

uted between your toes and your hands - and your legs, hipsand back in a straight line - and lower and raise your body bybending your elbows, making sure that your arm angle is 90∞at the bottom of the movement.

If you want a greater challenge, try doing decline pushupswith your feet raised on a bench or a stability ball, which placesgreater strain on your chest muscles. Or try diamond pushups,with your hands together.

Number 6Chest dipsHold yourself up on a dip bar and, making sure to keep your

head down and your legs straight beneath you, lower yourselfby bending your elbows, and come back up to the startingposition. Make sure to keep the movement in your chest andnot in your triceps, as you are working the former.

Check out the top five ways to get great pecs...

Number 5Cable crossoversStanding between two pulleys - adjusted to slightly above

shoulder height - grip the pulleys, with palms facing forward

and elbows slightly bent. Contract your chest muscles, bring-ing your arms down below your chest and back to the startingposition.

Number 4Dumbbell flyesWith your back against a horizontal bench, take one dumb-

bell in each hand, and extend your arms straight ahead of youwith your palms facing each other. Making sure not to lockyour elbows, open your arms, and bring them back to the start-ing position. This works both your inner and upper chest.

Number 3Dumbbell pressLie down on a flat bench, take one dumbbell in each hand,

bend your elbows so that your hands are by your shoulderswith your palms facing your feet, and use your chest muscles topress the weights up and back down. For variety, you can trythese with a slight incline in the bench, which places moreemphasis on your upper chest, or on a decline, which placesmore emphasis on your lower chest.

Number 2Flat flyesLying on a flat bench, take one dumbbell in each hand and

bend your elbows so that your hands are by your shoulderswith your palms facing in. Extend your arms straight up andlower the weights by your sides, keeping a slight bend in yourelbows, and go back to the starting position. This works bothyour inner and upper chest.

Number 1Bench pressLie down on a flat bench - making sure not to arch your

back - and grip the barbell with your hands shoulder-widthapart, palms facing your feet, and press the barbell straight upand back down. If you do this on an incline, you will place moreemphasis on your upper chest, whereas a decline places moreemphasis on your lower chest.

nice chestIf you want a great chest by summertime, my advice to you

would be to pick four of these exercises - making sure that youwork all parts of your chest - and do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repsof each once or twice per week, for 4 to 6 weeks, and thenrepeat this process with four different exercises. Until nexttime, happy lifting.

— www.askmen.com

but turn your palms to face each other.2. Using a wide arc from the shoulders, lower your arms with

elbows slightly bent until you feel a good stretch across thechest. Pause and contract the pecs against the extra resist-ance that the kettlebells provide at the bottom range.

3. Squeeze your pecs as you bring your arms back up in a widehugging motion. Keep your shoulders back and squeeze yourpecs together at the top of the motion.

FORWARD-LEANING DIPThe dip is no joke. It’s a tough compound exercise that makes

great use of your bodyweight. However, dips are usually per-formed in an upright position to target the triceps. By simplyadding a forward lean to this already-effective exercise, you’llstimulate more chest activity.

You can attempt to do this on your own, but if you really wantto get the proper angle you’ll need a training partner to help youget into the right position. You can easily make it more challeng-ing by adding weight via chains or a belt.

A word of caution for people with any shoulder issues: Startwith a small range of motion and listen to your body to deter-mine how deep you can go. I always advise getting a full range ofmotion, but not at the risk of injury.

EXECUTION1. Place your hands on the bars and push yourself up until your

elbows are locked. Cross your legs back with your knees bent,core tight, and hamstrings and glutes braced.

2. Have your training partner hold and pull your legs back untilyou’re in a forward leaning position, using just enough assis-tance to get you into the right angle. Your body should be atapproximately a 30-degree angle to the ground.

3. Lower yourself until your shoulders are lower than yourelbows, or you feel a good stretch across the chest. Listen toyour body and don’t push through shoulder pain.

4. Push yourself up by extending your elbows to 180 degreesfor a full range of motion. Visualize the pec squeeze as youdrive up.

www.bodybuilding.com

B o o k sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

By Jeremy Paxman

What is news? To judge from the dailynewspapers and TV bulletins we candiscard my favorite definition - that it

is something that someone somewhere does-n’t want us to know. Most of the time, power-ful people do want us to know what’s in thenews. Astonishing events that burst into ourconsciousness with the impact of the attackon the Twin Towers are very rare indeed. Mostof the rest is just regurgitated announcement,speech or advertisement. Sometimes, thepress release has scarcely been rewritten.Maybe that’s why so many people don’t seemto be paying much attention any more.

It is the genuinely unexpected that keepsus listening, afraid we might miss something.As Andrew Pettegree, a distinguished histori-an, demonstrates in The Invention of News,very few of us can resist the urge to learn. It’san ancient hunger. He credits the first propernewspaper to a German stationer in 1605, andthe first front-page illustration - an artist’simpression of a battle in the 30 years’ war - toa publication in Holland. The reformation,Pettegree suggests, was Europe’s first mass-media news event.

Reporters in rehab (now often posing asprofessors of media studies) have endlesslytried to define precisely what constitutes thisthing “news”. Plainly, an event does not haveto be new to be news. In one of Newsnight’smore troubled phases we used to joke thatour slogan ought to be “if it’s news, it’s newsto us”. But, rather than endure yet anotherturgid thesis on the subject (isn’t it strikingthat the study of a medium built on impactshould have given rise to such notablyunreadable literature?), we should be satisfiedperhaps to define news as something thatmakes you think “well, I never knew that”. Bythis definition, what is unusual is the unusualor unexpected.

Events have always happenedOne newspaper tycoon after another has

got rich by alarming us with tales of neighbor-hood cannibals, killer diets and secret LiberalDemocrat tax plans. Just let us not make themistake of thinking that what we are offered isa realistic depiction of the world. Almost assoon as the country had achieved the goal ofwidespread literacy, men emerged who intu-itively understood that we would pay to bereassured by having our flesh made to creep.

But the appetite for reliable intelligenceabout what was happening elsewhere existedlong before printing had even been invented.Apparently, in the 11th century two remotemid-Wales monasteries would exchange mes-sengers every three years. They stayed for aweek, bringing monks up to date with the lat-est - and not so latest - gossip.

The Invention of News is a misleading title,of course. For events have always happened.What Pettegree is referring to is the reportingof events. It is a game in which life or death isdetermined by speed and trustworthiness. In1900 Reuters in London knew about the reliefof Mafeking long before the military com-mander in South Africa was even aware ofwhat had happened. Nowadays, no oneenjoys a beat for much more than an instantor two.

Technology has eliminated time-delay andnow enables us to be virtually present at anyevent, almost anywhere. Enjoying lives ofgreater comfort and safety than ever before,we can be regaled in our own sitting roomswith mayhem or misery from most corners of

the globe. But the more news there is, the lessanyone really needs it. The result, too often, isparalysis - information overload. What are weto do with it all?

Thanks be, Alain de Botton has comeamong us again, as he does so often whenwe’re perplexed. Anxious about whether youunderstand art? What’s religion about? Howcan you be happy? Fear not, De Botton can tellyou, quickly and easily. Not since Moses wentup a mountain and came down carrying a cou-ple of slabs of granite reducing life to 10 com-mandments has anyone been able to reducethe complex enigmas of existence down tosimple injunctions. The man has a solution foreverything.

Obvious blindspots And now he has turned his elegantly

groomed brain to the news, which, he tells usearly on, “now occupies a position of power atleast equal to that formerly enjoyed by faiths”.This is a claim to get mere mortals scratching

our heads. Admittedly Huw Edwards cancome across like some evangelical preacheron a wet Sunday morning in Merthyr Tydfil,and indeed, most of the earnest prophets ofnews claim merely to be passing on a greatertruth. But the plain fact is the news is nothinglike religion. It does not propose the existenceof a supernatural being. It does not lay downrules for life. When it comes to it, news is justsome things that have happened, as chosenby some not-very-interesting people runningnewspapers and television.

These people have rather predictabletastes and rather obvious blindspots. Butthey’re worried. Which makes them shout abit too wildly: after all, their jobs are on theline. The other day the Daily Telegraph ran apicture story showing how a boulder hadrolled down a mountainside in Italy, adding“incredibly... no one was injured”. Incredibly?It reads better than “unsurprisingly, sincethere was no one in its path”, I suppose. Andwas it Liz Hurley or Thora Hird who deniedshe had had an affair with Bill Clinton? Themadder everything gets, the less anyoneneeds to read any of it.

So on the torrent comes: 24-hour newschannels on radio and TV, and websites, too,each one trying to make a little knowledge goslightly further than its rivals, the whole enter-prise judged for the few minutes when achannel may, perhaps, claim to have some-thing that no one else has got. The rest of thetime the machines clank away noisily but notnecessarily to any great purpose. It mattersnot very much whether anything importanthas happened, the TV and radio bulletins willmake their self-important appearance at thedesignated hour and at the designatedlength. The newsreaders’ ponderous sobrietydemands our attention. But why should wegive it?

Alain de Botton’s solution to this very 21st-century problem is to prescribe a new role fornews. The News: A User’s Manual is a nicelyproduced little tract, rather resembling an old

Everyman edition. And De Botton is on tosomething. Perhaps it is time to question thenostrum that many of us have lived by, thatthe healthy democracy is the well-informeddemocracy, that knowledge sets you free. Thesheer ubiquity of news must have an effect onus, and it cries out for some proper analysis.But unfortunately, this is not it.

Noisy, self-important carouselDe Botton thinks the news ought to have a

higher purpose than merely what is new.Flogging away at an attempt to draw an anal-ogy between news and religion, his book islarded with much use of the word “should”, asif the job of those in the editorial priesthood isreally not to ask what is new and significant,but rather what is going to make our readersand viewers better people. He even joins thecrusade - begun by Martyn Lewis, author ofDogs in the News and that other unjustifiablyneglected masterpiece, Cats in the News - formore “Good News”. I fear De Botton the Sagerather misses the point. There is nothing sosilly as a very clever man, and his prescriptionis as fruitful as arguing that a prawn should bea giraffe.

Andrew Pettegree’s The Invention of Newshas attracted less attention than The News: AUser’s Manual, partly because he is a profes-sor of history rather than a sleek metropolitanknow-it-all. De Botton’s cure for the indiffer-ence that afflicts so many of us when con-fronted with tidings of some awful humantragedy far away is for the news to be less pre-occupied with accuracy and more with advo-cacy. Fine if De Botton is the advocate-in-chief. But just supposing that GeorgeGalloway, David Icke or Abu Hamza got thejob?

If you have ever wondered how this noisy,self-important carousel got going, Pettegree’sbook will tell you. But rest assured, there is alot more shouting to come. My advice? Find agood novel and go to bed.

www.theguardian.com

The Invention of News isn’t breaking news at allReview

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Bryson Kemp looks camera ready in his tuxedo. Bound for theOscars, the 19-year-old is the picture of elegance. Until heturns around and reveals rows of safety pins snaking down

his pant legs and up the back of his jacket. The college student isbeing fitted for a custom tux for his first trip to the AcademyAwards. It has to be perfect, because Kemp will definitely be onstage. He’s a member of Team Oscar: six aspiring young filmmak-ers from colleges across the country who will be handing Oscarstatuettes to the stars presenting them Sunday night. Students arereplacing the traditional trophy models for the second consecu-tive year.

“I feel so lucky and so honored,” said Kemp, back in his streetclothes while a fellow Team Oscar member got the safety-pintreatment. “And the other five winners... they’re crazy good.”Chosen from more than 2,000 submissions, the winning three menand three women represent different schools and filmmaking dis-ciplines. Besides Kemp, a composer studying at MuhlenbergCollege in Pennsylvania who dreams of scoring movies, the otherstudents whose one-minute video entries won them an unforget-table Oscar experience are: director-producer Tayo Amos ofStanford University, director Nathan Flanagan-Frankl of Orange,Calif’s Chapman University, cinematographer Zaineb Abdul-Nabiof the University of Michigan, writer-director Jean Paul Isaacs ofRutgers University in New Jersey, and animator-editor MackennaMillet of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

Diversity and interestsAmos thinks the winners were chosen for “diversity - not only

of background and geography but also interests.” “I hope theypicked me because they saw my passion for directing and big-pic-ture productions,” the 21-year-old said. Returning Oscar producersCraig Zadan and Neil Meron decided last year to replace the leggymodels-for-hire that typically carry trophies on Oscar night withstudents seeking to work in the entertainment industry.

“They are so wide-eyed, and that’s the reason that we initiatedthe program,” Meron said. “We thought: Why not hopefully con-tinue this amazing legacy - and these are the people to do it with -to open the doors and have everybody on stage be significant? Toexperience what the show means from that level, from an unjadedlevel, is what it’s all about.” The students began their Team Oscaradventure Monday night. Tuesday included a trip to DisneyAnimation Studios, where the students met the Oscar-nominateddirectors of “Frozen,” a visit to the Academy of Motion Picture Artsand Sciences’ vast archive at the Margaret Herrick Library inBeverly Hills, Calif, and a private fitting for Oscar-worthy formal-wear.

Star-struck fear Isaacs, who already won a contest to have a short film play at

the Cannes Film Festival, said his experience with Team Oscar will“fuel my inspiration and provide me with indescribable confidenceand spirit that one day I could come back on my own merit.” “Justto be a part of this environment is awesome,” the 22-year-old said.Millet said, “Seeing my dad so proud has one of the best parts.”The students have been excitedly considering all the stars they’llmeet this week from their rarified position backstage.

Flanagan-Frankl and Millet say they’re most eager to meetOscar presenter, nominee and past winner Jennifer Lawrence. “Iwould definitely be star-struck, but it’s just how you handle it,”Flanagan-Frankl said. “I definitely would want to play it cool asbest I can.” Amos said if she meets supporting actress nomineeLupita Nyong’o, “I would cry.” “I won’t be composed at all,” shesaid. Kemp hopes to meet 49-time nominee John Williams, up thisyear for his score for “The Book Thief.” “He’s my idol,” Kemp said.“It would be such an honor. If I had a tenth of his success, I’d be thehappiest guy alive.”— AP

Film students, not models,prep for Oscar stage

Spider-Man stars tolead Earth Hour event

The stars of the movie “Amazing Spider-Man 2” will lead thisyear’s global Earth Hour lights-out event on March 29 whichis being coordinated in Singapore, organizers WWF said

yesterday. “Spider-Man will join the film’s stars Andrew Garfield,Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx in the event, helping to switch offthe lights across Singapore’s signature Marina Bay skyline,” theenvironmental campaign group said in a statement. WWF hasnamed the movie superhero as ambassador for the Earth Hourglobal campaign to turn the spotlight on climate change. Anunnamed person will play Spider-Man at the ceremony.

WWF Singapore spokesman Sourav Roy said Spider-Man canhelp inspire more people to join the movement. “He comes withhis message in the movie that with great power comes greatresponsibility, and we are trying to tell everybody through himthat everybody can be a superhero and do his or her bit to bringabout a change for the planet,” Roy told AFP. During Earth Hourlandmarks across the world-including the Empire State Building,the Eiffel Tower and the Kremlin-will switch off their lights for 60minutes at 8:30 pm local time on the appointed day.

Earth Hour covered more than 150 countries in 2013. “I’mproud Spider-Man is the first superhero ambassador for EarthHour,” Garfield, the actor who plays the role in the movie, said ina video message on the Earth Hour website. Foxx, who plays thevillain Electro, said: “Earth Hour isn’t just about lights off. It’sabout people across the world coming together throughout theyear to join forces to improve the planet.”

WWF Singapore chief executive Elaine Tan said that while thecity-state may not have endangered local wildlife, its locationmakes it a hotspot for animal trafficking. On January 16Singapore customs officials seized more than $1.5 million worthof smuggled black rhinoceros horns at Changi Airport. “We aretrying to tell people that look, there is trade happening and weneed to be on our guard. We should stop the buying so we canstop the killing,” Tan told AFP. — AFP

“This is historic!” a photographer yelled as he surveyed theimage before him - Sidney Poitier in the center, SpikeLee to his right, Tyler Perry to his left and more than two

dozen other black men in Hollywood, from Blair Underwood toOmar Epps, huddled tight around the legend, posing with a pur-pose. “We made it!” shouted out one participant, as the men brokeout into knowing laughter. It was a night of many emotions asEssence magazine, known for celebrating black women, held itsfirst ceremony honoring the achievements of African-Americanmen in Hollywood in the days leading up to Sunday’s Oscar cere-mony. Poitier gave a moving tribute to the future and the past, Leedelivered a strong rebuke to what he called Hollywood’s exclu-sionary policies and Perry - who owns his own studio - imploredblacks to break out on their own instead of waiting for an open

door from the industry.“If they close the door then break a hole in the freaking win-

dow,” said Perry to applause. “Find another way. there is morethan one path.” The Wednesday event, held at Perry’s tony man-sion, was conceived to mark what has been a stellar year for blackfilmmakers in cinema, and the black men behind those achieve-ments: Malcolm Lee directed the box-office hit “The Best Man,”Steve McQueen’s “12 Years A Slave” is up for nine AcademyAwards; and Forest Whitaker executive produced the acclaimed“Fruitvale Station” and starred in the box-office smash “TheButler.” All were lauded for their success at “Black Men inHollywood” dinner, which singled out Spike Lee, Malcolm Lee(who is also Spike’s cousin), Perry and Poitier, who received thelegend award.—AP

Perry, Lee and Poitier feted at Essence event

(From left) Mackenna Millet, 21, Nathan Flanagan-Frankl, 21, Tayo Amos, 21, Jean Paul Isaacs, 22, Zaineb Abdul-Nabi, 22, andBryson Kemp, 19, pose together backstage during rehearsals for the 86th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Wednesday. — AP

File photo shows Tyler Perry speaking on stage at the 45thNAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium inPasadena, Calif. — AP


AUS appeals court ordered YouTube on Wednesdayto take down an anti-Muslim film that sparked vio-lent riots in parts of the Middle East and death

threats to the actors. The decision by a divided three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in SanFrancisco reinstated a lawsuit filed against YouTube byan actress who appeared briefly in the 2012 video thatled to rioting and deaths because of its negative portray-al of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

YouTube resisted calls by President Barack Obamaand other world leaders to take down the video, arguingthat to do so amounted to unwarranted governmentcensorship and would violate the Google-owned compa-ny’s free speech protections. Besides, the companyargued that the filmmakers and not the actors of“Innocence of Muslims” owned the copyright and onlythey could remove it from YouTube.

And typically, that’s the case with the vast majority ofclips posted on YouTube - and Hollywood in general -that don’t violate decency laws and policies. But the 9thCircuit said Wednesday that this case was far from typicaland that the actress, Cindy Lee Garcia, retained a copy-right claim that YouTube must respect. That’s becauseshe believed she was acting in a different productionthan the one that ultimately appeared online.

“Had Ms Garcia known the true nature of the propa-ganda film the producers were planning, she would nev-er had agreed to appear in the movie,” said Cris Armenta,Garcia’s attorney. Google argues that the actress had noclaim to the film because filmmaker Mark BasseleyYoussef wrote the dialogue, managed the entire produc-tion and dubbed over Garcia’s dialogue during postpro-duction editing. Writing for the court, Chief Judge AlexKozinski said the ruling was not a blanket order givingcopyright protection to every actor, but that in this case,Garcia’s performance was worthy of copyright protec-tion. “We need not and do not decide whether everyactor has a copyright in his performance within a movie,”the judge wrote. “It suffices for now to hold that, whilethe matter is fairly debatable, Garcia is likely to prevail.”Judge N Randy Smith dissented, arguing that Garcia’sfive-second appearance gave her no ownership claims.“Her brief appearance in the film, even if a valuable con-tribution to the film, does not make her an author,”Smith wrote. “Indeed, it is difficult to understand howshe can be considered an ‘inventive or master mind’ ofher performance under these facts.”

Youssef, the filmmaker, was sentenced to 21 monthsin prison for check fraud in 2010 and barred from access-ing the Internet without court approval. He was returned

to prison in 2012 for violating terms of his probation andwas released on probation in September 2013. Garciawas paid $500 to appear for five seconds in a film shewas told was called “Desert Warrior” that she thoughthad nothing to do with religion or radical Islam. Whenthe clip was released, her lines were dubbed to have hercharacter asking Muhammad if he was a child molester.

“This is a troubling case,” Kozinski wrote. “Garcia wasduped into providing an artistic performance that wasused in a way she never could have foreseen. Her unwit-ting and unwilling inclusion in Innocence of Muslims ledto serious threats against her life. It’s disappointing,though perhaps not surprising, that Garcia needed tosue in order to protect herself and her rights.” ForGoogle, the ruling represents a nettlesome issue ifallowed to stand. The company fears that bit players andextras appearing in popular clips will now be embold-ened to send takedown notices to YouTube unless set-tlements can be reached with the filmmakers. GoogleInc, which has removed the clip, said it will appeal thedecision to a special 11-judge panel of the appeals court.The next move after that would be to ask the USSupreme Court to review the case. “We strongly disagreewith this ruling and will fight it,” said Google spokes-woman Abbi Tatton. — AP

YouTube ordered to take down anti-Muslim film

McCartney honoredat NME awards

Beatles legend Paul McCartney received astanding ovation at the NME awards ceremo-ny in London on Wednesday, where he

accepted the influential British magazine’s specialprize honoring his 50-year-career. On receiving themagazine’s “songwriters’ songwriter” award at theannual show, the 71-year-old admitted to guests atthe O2 Academy Brixton that he could not explainhow he had written some of the most famous popsongs of all time.

“The great thing about songwriting is that youdon’t know how you do it, so you can’t talk about it,”he said as he picked up the award from Blur andGorillaz star Damon Albarn. The Beatles played atthe magazine’s annual show in 1963 and topped thebill in 1964 as Beatlemania swept the UK.

Young pretenders Arctic Monkeys picked upwhere they left off at last week’s Brit Awards, win-ning five prizes including best album for “AM”. Popprincess Lily Allen capped her return from “retire-ment” by winning the best solo artist award, butsuggested fellow nominees David Bowie and JakeBugg were more deserving of the accolade. Allenwas also on stage to present New York rockerDebbie Harry and her band Blondie with the“Godlike genius” award.

Scottish band Belle & Sebastian won the out-standing contribution to music prize before aiminga playful jibe at David Bowie’s plea for Scotland tostay part of the UK. “England stay with us-at leastjust for a night,” joked guitarist Stevie Jackson. “Andif we do leave you, let’s stay friends.”— AFP

Former BeatlesPaul McCartneywaves as heleaves thePavillonPopulaire venuein Montpellier,southern France. —AFP

The soundtrack for Disney’s hit animat-ed film “Frozen” reclaimed the top spoton the weekly Billboard 200 album

chart on Wednesday, becoming the firstsoundtrack in 15 years to notch more thanfive weeks at No. 1 on the chart. The “Frozen”soundtrack, which features the Oscar-nomi-nated song “Let It Go,” sold another 89,000copies last week, according to figures fromNielsen SoundScan. Since its release inNovember, the album has sold more than 1.1million copies and topped Billboard 200 forfive non-consecutive weeks.

The Walt Disney Co animated movieabout two Nordic princess sisters continues

to perform strongly, nearing $1 billion at theworldwide box office.

The last film soundtrack to spend morethan five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200was 1998’s “Titanic,” which featured CelineDion’s hit “My Heart Will Go On” and heldthe top spot for 16 consecutive weeks,Billboard said. The “Frozen” album pushedlast week’s chart-topper, country singer EricChurch’s “The Outsiders” to No. 2 with salesof 74,000 copies.

Two new entries cracked the top 10 ofthe Billboard 200 chart this week. Countryartist Cole Swindell landed at No. 3 with hislatest self-titled record, while rock group

Issues came in at No. 9 with its self-titledalbum. Overall album sales for the weekending Feb 23 totaled 4.8 million units,Billboard said, down 12 percent from thecomparable week in 2013. — Reuters

‘Frozen’ album reclaims top spot for fifth time on Billboard 200

Soundgarden will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its land-mark album “Superunknown” at South By Southwest. TheSeattle grunge rockers will play “Superunknown” front to

back for the first time March 13 when they headline the thirdnight of the iTunes Festival in Austin, Texas.

Soundgarden members Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, KimThayil and Ben Shepherd recently announced plans for a multi-

disc reissue of “Superunknown” on June 3 with preorders avail-able March 11. The multiplatinum album included the GrammyAward-winning hits “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” anddebuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, eventually selling morethan 5 million copies in the US. The iTunes Festival features fivenights of performances during the annual SXSW music confer-ence. Other performers include Coldplay and Keith Urban. — AP

Soundgarden signson to iTunes

Festival at SXSW

File photo showsChris Cornell ofSoundgardenduring the band’sconcert at theWiltern in LosAngeles. —AP


Feared lost, original artof Wolverine debut found

The original art for the first appearance of Wolverine - aferocious fighting mutant with a penchant for cigars -will be auctioned in May in a sale to benefit the Hero

Initiative, the group that strives to aid comic book creatorsin times of financial need. Heritage Auctions saidWednesday that the artwork drawn by Herb Trimpe 40years ago for “The Incredible Hulk” No. 180 was longthought lost until the person he gave it to back in 1983 con-tacted them about selling it.

Todd Hignite, Heritage’s vice president, said he wasastounded to see the full-page art in such pristine condi-tion. “I went out and met with the owner and it wasn’t untilI was there and actually saw it that I fully believed it. It’s apretty amazing thing.” The owner, who asked not to beidentified, received the art as a gift from Trimpe after heand his family had visited. A comic collector, he broughtsome issues drawn by Trimpe, hoping for an autograph.Trimpe obliged. As they left, the artist told him to wait.

“He ran back upstairs to his studio and he came with thispage of artwork in his hands,” Hignite said of ink, graphiteand blue drawing. On it was inscribed “Ben - Best WishesHerb Trimpe.” As Wolverine’s appeal and popularity grew -first in Marvel Entertainment’s comics, then on animated TVshows and, finally, as played by Hugh Jackman in the ongo-ing X-Men film franchise - issues featuring the characterjumped in value. So, too, has original art.

“He’s aware that the market for comic art has gone up tosuch an incredible amount,” Hignite said of the piece. “Hewas just kind of nervous having the artwork.” Original artfor other significant characters like Superman and Spider-Man have commanded prices well into six figures. Theissue, written by Len Wein and called “And the Wind HowlsWendigo” is valued at $400 in near-mint condition whileissue 181, which is the first, full Wolverine story, is valued at$1,800 in near mint condition, per the 43rd OverstreetComic Price Guide.—APThe unkempt, hairy hipster look is driving a plastic surgery

boom in New York, where baby-faced young men are flockingto doctors for beard transplants that can cost a whopping

$8,000. Facial surgeons with private practices in Manhattan andFlorida say they have seen a phenomenal increase in demand in thelast five years, and hipsters are leading the way. No longer the pre-serve of fishermen or aging academics, beards are the signaturelook of urbane men in their 20s and 30s who consider themselveswitty, creative and politically progressive.

New York surgeons can perform up to three or four procedures aweek for $2,000 to more than $8,000 depending on how much hairneeds to be transplanted from scalp to cheek. Danny Higuera, 26,owns a construction company. He had a beard transplant over a

year ago and says he is “thrilled” with the results.He grew up admiring his father’s beard but could only muster

“little patches” here and there. So he forked out $8,000 on a trans-plant with Manhattan surgeon Jeffrey Epstein. “There are peoplethat like long hair, short hair, I just wanted a nice beard,” he told AFP.“I like that rugged look, that five o’clock shadow.” Although hewouldn’t always define himself a hipster, he does when it comes tofacial hair. “To a certain degree I do consider myself a hipster,”Higuera said. “I think it’s very trendy to have a beard-to do thingswith your beard.”

Fashions change Ten years ago film stars were clean-shaven, but red carpets

today are full of the bearded-Brad Pitt, George Clooney, RyanGosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Affleck, to name just a few. Epsteinsays the chief look-alike request is Pitt and mustachioed actor TomSelleck is number two, but believes most patients just love thescraggy look. “Thirty to 35 percent are those guys aged 26 to 40 thatsort of fit into that category of hipster. It’s not a clear term, but prob-ably the single biggest group are these guys,” Epstein said.

Uber-trendy parts of Brooklyn may be New York’s hipster hubbut doctors say patients fly in from across the United States, Britainor even Australia. They say the boom is fueled not just by changingfashion, but rising awareness and social acceptance of hair trans-plants, and improved techniques that result in pretty impressivebeards. Facial hair has for centuries been a sign of virility and mas-culinity in many cultures across the world. But some men can’t growfacial hair for genetic reasons or lasered their face in their 20s andlater realized it was a mistake.

‘Guys streaming in’ Yael Halaas, a doctor whose practice is just off Park Avenue,

agreed that demand had increased over the last three to four years.“These guys kept just streaming in complaining either they can’tgrow much of a beard at all or that they have patchy areas thatweren’t filing in properly,” she told AFP. “A lot of them tend to be intheir 20s and 30s, they tend to be hip New Yorkers definitely with aneye for aesthetic detail-they may work in the visual arts or perform-ing arts,” she said. Halaas says she sees four to five patients a weekfor facial hair transplants. “A decade ago I would say it was maybe10 a year,” she said. —AFP

A nominee for Queen of the Carnival of Santa Cruz, on the main stage, shows off her outfit under the watchful eyes of the jury in SantaCruz de Tenerife on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife on February 26, 2014. The dresses are more than five meters high and over80 kilos in weight. The over one-month-long event began on January 31 and finishes on March 8 with orchestras playing Caribbeanand Brazilian rhythms throughout the festivities that range from elections for the Carnival Queen, the Junior Queen and the SeniorQueen, children and adult murgas (satirical street bands), comparsas (dance groups) to performances on the streets. — AFP

Hipsters drive New York beard transplant boom

This image released by Heritage Auctions shows orig-inal artwork that was used in the Marvel Comics’ ‘TheIncredible Hulk’ issue #150. — AP

Brad Pitt


The first full day of Paris’ frenzied ready-to-wear shows mixed up iconic fashionveterans like Dries Van Noten with a

whole new sort of fashion player: H&M. Itmay be a tricky ride ahead for the mainstreet shop, which is now attempting to walkthe snooty high fashion runway. Yet thecompany, which has still not been allowedon the official Fashion Week calendar, put ona buzzy show-spectacle replete with strobelights, plasma screens and Jessica Albawhich may go some way in shutting up thedetractors - at least until next season. Hereare the highlights of the day.

Jessica Alba earns millions but shops for $20

Alba may earn millions every time shedoes a movie, but it doesn’t stop her countingher pennies. The Sin City actress turned up atWednesday’s show in a white H&M lace dresswith black tights, hugging model MirandaKerr for the cameras. “Yes, I’m wearing H&M. Itfeels very romantic, sort of gothic. Red lipsand black tights throw off the romantic lac-ing. Mixing high and low that’s how I dress,”Alba told the Associated Press. “I love shop-ping at H&M and I can always find greatpieces, if I need a great blazer or a pencilskirt,” said the multimillionaire, momentarilyforgetting she can afford a stylist.

H&M’s creative advisor speaks on fashion socialism

She’s been one of the most influential fig-ures in fashion, but H&M head designer forover 20 years Margareta van den Bosch stillwasn’t allowed to finish her drink ahead ofthe H&M show that channeled the knee highboots, center partings and khaki shades ofthe 70s. Bosch, who happened to sit next toan Associated Press writer during the high-octane presentation, was H&M chief design-er for over 20 years and pivotal in the com-

pany’s high-profile collaborations with KarlLagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartneyand Versace.

But Bosch remains down-to-earth, anddoesn’t forget her roots. This, despite theendless paparazzi flashbulbs that snapbefore her. “I like fashion. I was a designermyself for 22 years when I started in ‘87 ashead of design, and the vision was that wewould make nice clothes at good value formoney - something for all people. Fashionfor everybody,” she told The AssociatedPress. But how does she answer the highfashion snoots that say lesser quality clotheshave no place on Paris’ esteemed runways?“I really admire people that do things byhand and fantastic hand craft - but I think wecan all exist. There must be a place for us all.Not everybody can pay for that haute cou-ture, and they also deserve some fashion,”she said.

Arty-fartyDamir Doma gave classical tailoring a

frayed, grungy edge with a splash of art. TheCroatian-born designer was inspired by con-temporary artist Gerhard Richter with a col-lection of mottled ochre jacquards. Andsome beautiful back column dresses sportedthe German painter’s famed stripes. But themost on-trend part of the strong show werethe turtle necks above horizontal, truncatedshoulders. Watch this space - we may seemore of this to come this week. GuyLaroche’s designer Marcel Morongiu alsowent arty-farty, but with less success. He

Paris:

Jessica Alba’smain street high fashion

Jessica Alba poses prior to the H&M ready-to-wear fall/winter 2014-2015 fashion collectionpresented in Paris, Wednesday, Feb. 26,2014. — AP/AFP photos

Models present creations as part of H&M’sready-to-wear fall/winter 2014-2015 fash-ion collection presented in Paris.

channeled the palette of Russian-bornFrench artist Serge Poliakoff for a choco-late brown and muted anthracite colorwheel. Then, elsewhere, the collectionborrowed from French painter PierreSoulage’s black on black in the shimmer-ing collection composed mainly of shirtsand dresses.

But some designers should just forgetthe high-art references and let theclothes talk. This show was really aboutbold sexuality. Frills on dresses came inoversized curvaceous volumes - stabbingout like a shield next to shiny, kinkyleather jackets that were a tad obvious atpoints. While sheer silk tops with embroi-deries, described as “trompe l’oeil,” wereplainly just made to titillate.

Rochas debutant makes demicouture

Change is underfoot at Rochas, theold French house that is famed to havebeen first to put pockets on skirts.Alessandro Dell’Acqua showed his debutcollection, following predecessor MarcoZanini’s departure for Schiaparelli - andthe new man certainly paid homage toRochas’ couture style. The huge volumethat’s made the house such a hit inrecent years was present on off-kilter tra-peze silhouettes, often on fastidiouslyembroidered gowns. But there was morethan a dash of eccentricity: Full skirtswith unusually loose waists swaggereddown the catwalk, while some evensported second A-line skirt underneathwith buttoned up princess coats addinga prudish modesty. It was a strange col-lection - known as “demicouture:” notquite ready-to-wear, not quite couture.But somehow it worked. — APD

amir

Dom

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Models present creations byGareth Pugh during the2014/2015 autumn/winter collec-tion fashion show.

Roch

as

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

HospitalsSabah 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

ClinicsRabiya 24732263

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Adailiya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

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Shamiya 24848913

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Al-Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(27/02/2014 TO 05/03/2014)

112

Fajr: 04:56Shorook 06:15Duhr: 12:01Asr: 15:19Maghrib: 17:46 Isha: 19:03

Prayer timings

SHARQIA-1POMPEII (DIG) 12:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 3:00 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 5:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 7:30 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 9:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) 1:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:30 PMROBOCOP (DIG) 5:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 8:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:15 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3WER (DIG) 12:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 2:45 PMWER (DIG) 4:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 6:45 PMWER (DIG) 8:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 10:45 PMWER (DIG) 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-13 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 1:00 PMTHE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) 3:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 5:15 PMNO THU+FRI+MONBHIMAVARAM BULLODU (DIG) (Telugu) 5:15 PMTHU+FRI+MONKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 8:00 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-2WER (DIG) 2:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 4:00 PMWER (DIG) 6:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 8:00 PMWER (DIG) 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-3POMPEII (DIG-3D) 12:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 5:15 PMPOMPEII (DIG-3D) 7:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 9:45 PM

FANAR-1PATRICK (DIG) 12:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 3:15 PMWINTER’S TALE (DIG) 5:15 PMPATRICK (DIG) 7:30 PMPATRICK (DIG) 9:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 12:05 AM

FANAR-23 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 1:30 PMKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 4:00 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 6:00 PMKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 8:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 10:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:30 AM

FANAR-3WER (DIG) 1:00 PMROBOCOP (DIG) 3:15 PMGUNDAY (DIG) (HINDI) 5:45 PMWER (DIG) 8:45 PMWER (DIG) 10:45 PMWER (DIG) 12:45 AM

FANAR-4NON-STOP (DIG) 1:15 PMTHE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) 3:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 5:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 7:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-5POMPEII (DIG) 12:30 PMCODE RED (DIG) 2:45 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 4:45 PMTHE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 7:00 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 9:30 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 11:45 PMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-13 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 1:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 4:00 PMWER (DIG) 6:30 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 8:30 PMWER (DIG) 11:00 PMWER (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-2ROBOCOP (DIG) 1:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 3:30 PMPATRICK (DIG) 5:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 7:45 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 9:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-3POMPEII (DIG-3D) 1:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:45 PMPOMPEII (DIG-3D) 6:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-1OGGY AND THE COCKROACHES: THE MOVIE (DIG) 1:00 PMOGGY AND THE COCKROACHES: THE MOVIE (DIG) 3:00 PMOGGY AND THE COCKROACHES: THE MOVIE (DIG) 5:00 PMROBOCOP (DIG) 7:00 PMROBOCOP (DIG) 9:30 PMROBOCOP (DIG) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2THE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 2:15 PMAMERICAN HUSTLE (DIG) 4:45 PMTHE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 7:15 PMTHE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 9:45 PMTHE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-33 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 1:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 3:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 6:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 8:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 11:15 PM

AVENUES-4NON-STOP (DIG) 1:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 6:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:45 AM

AVENUES-53 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:45 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 3:00 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 5:15 PMPOMPEII (DIG-3D) 7:30 PMNO THUSpecial Show “3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG)” 7:30 PMTHU3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 9:45 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED360º- 1PATRICK (DIG) 2:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 4:15 PMPATRICK (DIG) 6:30 PMPATRICK (DIG) 8:45 PMPATRICK (DIG) 11:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 1:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 23 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 2:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 4:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 7:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 9:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 3OGGY AND THE COCKROACHES:

THE MOVIE (DIG) 2:00 PMOGGY AND THE COCKROACHES:THE MOVIE (DIG) 4:00 PMOGGY AND THE COCKROACHES: THE MOVIE (DIG) 6:00 PMAMERICAN HUSTLE (DIG) 8:15 PMAMERICAN HUSTLE (DIG) 10:45 PMWER (DIG) 1:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.1POMPEII (DIG) 12:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 3:00 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 5:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 7:30 PMPOMPEII (DIG) 9:45 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.2PATRICK (DIG) 2:00 PMKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 4:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 6:00 PMKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 8:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 10:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.3NON-STOP (DIG) 1:00 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:30 PMTHE MONUMENTS MEN (DIG) 5:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

AL-KOUT.4WER (DIG) 1:00 PMWER (DIG) 3:00 PMWER (DIG) 5:00 PMCODE RED (DIG) 7:00 PMWER (DIG) 9:00 PMWER (DIG) 11:00 PMWER (DIG) 1:00 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-1THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) 1:00 PMPOMPEII (DIG-3D) 3:00 PMWER (DIG) 5:15 PMPOMPEII (DIG-3D) 7:15 PMWER (DIG) 9:30 PMWER (DIG) 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-23 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 1:45 PMTHE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) 4:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 6:00 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 8:00 PMPATRICK (DIG) 10:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-3NON-STOP (DIG) 1:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 3:45 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 6:15 PMKHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) 8:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 10:30 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 12:45 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

PLAZABHIMAVARAM BULLODU (DIG) (Telugu) 6:30 PMBHIMAVARAM BULLODU (DIG) (Telugu) 9:30 PM

LAILAPATRICK (DIG) 6:15 PMNON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PM3 DAYS TO KILL (DIG) 10:30 PM

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Te c h n o l o g yFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

When Instagram was bought by Facebook for $1 billion,the media went nuts. But that was nothing comparedto what Facebook bought WhatsApp for - a whooping

$19 billion. This breaking news came in days after Viber wasreported to have been bought by Japanese online retailer,Rakutenfor a fraction of the price tag: $900 million. And to thinkthat we were scratching our heads over Snapchat turning downFacebook’s $3 billion offer. That’s a lot of zeros.

WhatsApp, one of the most popular mobile messaging app,faced fierce competition from the likes of WeChat (which ishuge in China and the Asia pacific region) and Line (which hasits own theme park) but held its ground with its many featuresthat ensure users have a secure, dependable and practical mes-saging experience. With that in mind, here are a few tips, tricksand apps to get more out of WhatsApp.

1. Hide ‘Last Seen’ timestampBy default, WhatsApp shows a “last seen” timestamp, telling

other users the last time you were on WhatsApp. Some of youmay want to disable this timestamp, for privacy reasons. Youcan disable this timestamp on both iOS and Android. If you’re aniOS user, you’re in luck, since all you need to do is go intoSettings > Chat Settings > Advanced and set Last SeenTimestamp to Off. If you’re an Android user, you won’t haveaccess to this setting from the app itself. Instead, you’re going tohave to rely on a third party app such as Hide WhatsApp Status.The app disables your WiFi and data connection when youopen WhatsApp. Once you exit the app, your WiFi and data con-nections are reactivated, WhatsApp will sync, and your mes-sages will be sent.

2. Backup and restore WhatsApp chatsWhatsApp makes automatic backups of your chats, but you

can also make a manual backup. On iOS, it’s Settings > ChatSettings > Chat Backup, then tap Back Up Now. On Android, justgo into Settings > Chat settings and tap Backup conversationsto create a backup. This won’t backup your media, so you’llneed to use a file manager to copy the media folders in/sdcard/WhatsApp/Media. There’s no way to restore chatsdirectly from WhatsApp, so if you want to restore a backupyou’re going to have to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. Whenyou start WhatsApp after the reinstall, you should be promptedto restore your most recent backup. Just follow the procedureand your chats should all be back.

3. Lock your WhatsAppEveryone, at some point or another, has probably had to

deal with friends or family taking a sneak peek at theirWhatsApp messages. Thankfully, if you’re using WhatsApp onAndroid or BlackBerry, there are apps that can help secure yourWhatsApp from prying eyes. If you’re using Android, there’sWhatsApp Lock, while BlackBerry users will want to check outLock for WhatsApp. Basically, both of these apps work similarly:

when you use them, WhatsApp will be protected by a PIN (inthe case of WhatsLock) or a password (in the case of Lock forWhatsApp). Either way, once you have things set up, the peoplearound you shouldn’t be able to take a sneak peek at yourWhatsApp any longer.

4. Create shortcuts for important contactsWant to speed up your WhatsApp communication? How

about creating a shortcut to your favorite WhatsApp contact orgroup straight from your homescreen? On Android, this is assimple as long pressing on the group or contact you want tocreate a shortcut for. When the menu pops up, just tap on Addconversation shortcut. This will create a shortcut to the contactor group you have chosen right on your homescreen. Thisbehavior isn’t available on WhatsApp for iOS, but you can use athird-party app such as1TapWA to have similar functionality onyour iPhone. Since it’s an app, 1TapWA also has some extra fea-tures such as an image editor and an action scheduler.

5. Stop WhatsApp images from appearing in gallery orCamera Roll

Having WhatsApp images in your Gallery or Camera Roll canbe very annoying; maybe the images are somewhat private, oryou just don’t like having these images clutter up your Gallery orCamera Roll. You can fix this on both iOS and Android. On iOS,it’s pretty simple; just go to Settings > Privacy > Photos and thenturn the WhatsApp switch off. On Android, you have to create a.nomedia file in WhatsApp’s images or video directories. To dothis, you need a file explorer such as ES File Explorer. Navigate tothe images or video folders. Tap the New button in the lowerleft, pick File and create a file named .nomedia. This will stop theGallery from scanning the folder.

6. Change your WhatsApp phone numberIf you’ve changed phone numbers but kept the same

phone, you don’t need to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp justto change numbers. There’s a setting within WhatsApp that willlet you migrate your WhatsApp account to a different phonenumber. Go to Settings > Account > Change number. Enteryour old phone number in the top field and then your newphone number in the bottom field. Then press Done. Verify yournew phone number, and all your chat history, groups and so onwill be migrated to the new number.

7. Install WhatsApp on an Android tabletWhatsApp is built for phones and is intelligent enough to

know when you’re trying to run it on a tablet, but there are waysaround this. Firstly, you need to grab the latest version of theWhatsApp .apk. Visit the official site with Chrome or Firefox andrequest the desktop version of the site, which will allow you todownload the .apk directly. Then download SRT AppGuard.Install both. Run AppGuard first. Select WhatsApp from theDashboard then press Monitor. Once AppGuard is done setting

up the monitoring, scroll down and disableread phone status and identityunderPhone calls. WhatsApp shouldnow run on your tablet. Toactivate WhatsApp, youcan just use yourlandline andhaveWhatsApp callyou with thethree-digit verifica-tion code.

8. WhatsApp chatheads on Android

One of the best thingsabout Facebook Messengeris its chat heads functionality.We’ve talked about bringingchat heads features to SMSbefore, but now you can alsohave chat heads for yourWhatsApp conver-sations too,usingWhatsApp ChatHeads. As thename suggests,the app worksalongside WhatsAppto add chat heads foryour conversations. Thechat heads are somewhatcustomizable, and you canhave specific LED colors, noti-fication sounds and chat headcolors for each of your contacts.One thing to be aware of, though,is that the app requires rootaccess. Plus, it’s also stillin beta, so youmayencountersome smallissues here andthere.

9. Get messaging sta-tistics on Android

This will definitelyinterest you if you’re a sta-tistics geek, or simply some-one who’s interested in find-ing out you and your friends’WhatsApp habits. WhatStat pro-vides information for metrics suchas your top friends, friends’ and groups’ most active times of theday as well as message distribution for both one-on-one andgroup chats. WhatStat presents all this information in easy-to-understand visualizations that will make perfect sense to any-one. No more having to pay specific attention to who initiatesconversations or what a good time to message someone is;WhatStat will do that all for you.

10. Get WhatsApp notifications on desktopIf you’ve ever missed a WhatsApp message while working

on your desktop, you’ll know how annoying it can be. If you’reusing Android, there are a few ways to make sure that you nevermiss a WhatsApp message again. You can use Pushbullet, whichincludes notification mirroring alongside a lot of other features,but if all you want is notifications on your computer, check outDesktop Notifications. — www.hongkiat.com

WhatsAppwith that?

WhatsApp tips and tricks you should know

S t a r sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345Central African Republic 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689Gabon 00241Gambia 00220Georgia 00995Germany 0049Ghana 00233Gibraltar 00350Greece 0030Greenland 00299Grenada 001473Guadeloupe 00590Guam 001671Guatemala 00502Guinea 00224Guyana 00592Haiti 00509Holland (Netherlands)0031Honduras 00504Hong Kong 00852Hungary 0036Ibiza (Spain) 0034Iceland 00354India 0091Indian Ocean 00873Indonesia 0062Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates00976

You may be feeling tired and a bit wrung out today, Aries.Although you're a workaholic by nature, even you are forced toadmit that this is a day to stay in bed. Give yourself these fewhours to regroup and recoup your energy. You'll need to be oper-ating at peak form for all the work that's likely to hit your desknext week.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

There could be a missing person very much on your mindthese days. Is it possible that the relationship is over andyou're the last one to know? Don't let your insecurities getthe better of you, Taurus. It's likely that your friend merelyneeds some time alone to sort out some big life issues. Heor she will seek out your warmth and friendship again soon.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Misinformation is likely to spread like wildfire today, causing alot of unnecessary upset either among your neighbors at homeor your colleagues at work. Don't accept at face value any gos-sip or rumor you hear, Gemini. Check the accuracy of the infor-mation yourself. If it does turn out to be false, as is likely, you'llfeel sorry if you've had any part in perpetuating it.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You're finally setting in motion some longstanding goals ofyours, Cancer. Good for you! But even though everything is inplace and you're ready to go, it's possible that you'll receivenotice today of some delay in your plans. The frustration feelsunbearable. But when you step back and look at the bigger pic-ture, you'll see that ultimately this delay is in your best interests.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Beware lawyers, bankers, and stockbrokers today, Leo. One ofthem is likely to try and mislead you with some inaccurateinformation. While it might be in his or her best interests foryou to take this information at face value, it certainly isn't inyours! Do your own research and get all the facts before mak-ing the financial investments recommended to you.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

A family member or other loved one may not be telling you thetruth. In this person's defense, he or she likely thinks they're pro-tecting you by shielding you from the truth. This is a time foryou to trust your instincts, Virgo. If you're told something thatsimply doesn't ring true, check the information yourself ratherthan accept it at face value.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

You have an active mind and an even more active imagination,Libra. Today you risk short-circuiting your brain as you struggleto keep up with all the ideas and information swirling insideyour head. Take a few minutes to do a mental inventory. Writedown everything you're thinking right now so you can freesome space in your brain for other issues. A long walk or jogwould help soothe your mind.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

If a family member is in a bad mood but not confessing why, it'sup to you to step in and help. He or she is carrying that bigblack cloud around, casting shadows everywhere they go. Dowhat you can to snap your relative out of it, although take carenot to force the issue too harshly. Counseling might be inorder, and this may not be your area of expertise!

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

If a friend or colleague seems to be in trouble, you may notwant to interfere for fear of being too intimate. But this isn't atime to hold back, Sagittarius. It's likely that this person reallydoes need your help. Your intervention will be much appreciat-ed and possibly even rewarded. Be sure to get some resttonight. You're emotionally and physically drained.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

In an unpleasant situation, your inclination is to protect your lovedones from the truth. This would be a mistake, Pisces. Even thoughyou're acting out of love, your family members deserve to knowthe truth even if it hurts. You can't shield them from the realities ofthe outside world. Most people, even the young, prefer to knowthe facts.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Some bad news about your financial situation may not really beas bad as it first appears. Even so, it throws you for a loop.Double-check the information before spiraling into a panic,Aquarius. It may be that a computer made an error or a bankclerk messed up. You may have to unravel some paperwork,but it will be a relief to have it resolved.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

COUNTRY CODES

Your career may be sidetracked by petty gossip, rumor,and office politics. It's likely that someone is pushing for-ward his or her agenda without any thought or concern forits impact on others. Do what you can to put a stop to suchshenanigans, Capricorn. There are times when it's appro-priate to be the whistleblower, and this is one of them.

L e i s u r eFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

ACROSS1. A linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing.5. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.12. United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters.15. The sixth month of the civil year.16. Of or relating to Aram or to its inhabitants or their culture or their language.17. Used of a single unit or thing.18. A military officer appointed from enlisted personnel.20. Small and light boat.21. A woman religious.22. Considerate and solicitous care.23. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply tothe heart muscle.24. European freshwater game fish with a thick spindle-shaped body.26. Any plant of the genus Episcia.29. (of snakes and eels) Naturally footless.31. (botany) Of or relating to or resembling a calyx.33. The money risked on a gamble.34. A state in northwestern United States on the Pacific.35. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.36. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.38. African mahogany trees.42. A port in southern Sweden.44. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiatedmaterial.46. (used of persons or the military) Characterized by having or bearing arms.47. Fish-eating bird of warm inland waters having a long flexible neck and slendersharp-pointed bill.49. Austrian chemist who did research on carotenoids and vitamins (1900-1967).51. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.52. A brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur.53. Annual to perennial herbs of the Mediterranean region.56. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.60. Morally bad or wrong.61. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband ofJezebel (9th century BC).63. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.65. A town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean.69. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.71. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy forthe sale of petroleum.73. (biology) Shed at an early stage of development.74. A large mountain system in south-central Europe.78. A short erect tail.79. An strong upward air current.81. An adult male person (as opposed to a woman).82. The emotion of hate.83. High level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement.84. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

C R O S S W O R D 4 7 2DOWN

1. The noise made by a short puff of steam (as from an engine).2. A material effigy that is worshipped as a god.3. A notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat.4. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field.5. A loose shirt or tunic.6. A colorless and odorless inert gas.7. Formed like a bacillus.8. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NENebraska.9. A list of dishes available at a restaurant.10. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles agourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.11. Used of a single unit or thing.12. A gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced.13. Frogs, toads, tree toads.14. United States tennis player (born in Czechoslovakia) who won several singleschampionships.19. The 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.25. A blind god.27. Of or relating to pyemia.28. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.30. Large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal.32. A genus of orb-weaving spiders including common garden spiders and barnspiders.37. Deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning).39. Type genus of the Amiidae.40. Not only so, but.41. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.43. A gonadotropic hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary.45. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria.48. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research intoatomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.50. Violent and needless disturbance.54. An island in Antigua and Barbuda.55. Bottle that has a narrow neck.57. A member of the dominant Hindu military caste in northern India.58. A light touch or stroke.59. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.62. Overly eager speed (and possible carelessness).64. Remote and separate physically or socially.66. Botswanan statesman who was the first president of Botswana (1921-1980).67. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.68. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.70. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.72. (Old Testament) The eldest son of Isaac who would have inherited theCovenant that God made with Abraham and that Abraham passed on to Isaac.75. Type genus of the Muridae.76. Select as an alternative.77. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.80. A radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegrationproduct of actinium.

Challenging Mage

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Word Search

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku

Challenging Mazes zy zrazyzadz zooz z Maze z

42S p o r t sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

SOCHI: As the Olympic circus packs upand flies away from Russia, the Black Seacity of Sochi is looking anxiously towardthe future. Hundreds of thousands of visi-tors are leaving impressed by the shinystadiums and hotels, smooth highwaysand new trains that have transformed ajaded Soviet-era resort into a moderntourist destination.

It has all cost $51 billion, but will it beenough to keep the tourist dollar - or ruble- flooding into Sochi?

Sochi “definitely has a future”, IOCPresident Thomas Bach said on Sunday.He listed all the international events thatSochi will be hosting in coming months -the G8 summit, a Formula One race andWorld Cup matches in 2018 - andexpressed hope that Sochi’s legacy willlive on.

“What happened here, this transforma-tion really is amazing, and now it will beimportant to secure the legacy of thesegames,” Bach said. Ordinary Russians werealso impressed. “We were in the mountaincluster yesterday and we were pleasantlysurprised: It looks like a European skiresort,” said Irina Mislivets from Togliatti. “Iwould love to come back.”

On the Black Sea north of Georgia,Sochi was a tired seaside resort tailoredexclusively for Russians who either couldnot afford to vacation abroad or were

reluctant to leave the country.Former leader Josef Stalin had a Dacha

here and President Vladimir Putin has aholiday home in the area, but lack ofinvestment meant the town was graduallycrumbling. The Olympics brought in bil-lions in investment and internationalattention to Sochi while rattling trucksand cement mixers have rumbled throughthe area day and night for more than fiveyears. In this time, Krasnaya Polyana, asmall mountain village, has been trans-formed into a Swiss-style ski resort withbrand-new lifts and international hotels.

Sochi’s mountains will definitely see anincrease in visitors in the coming yearbecause of the Olympic publicity, saysVladimir Kantorovich, first vice president ofthe Russian Association of Tour Operators,but its future will only be clear once thefirst full season is over. “Ski slopes whichare good for sports are not necessarilyalways good for recreation. You need togo to find out yourself,” he said. “Howthings will go afterwards will depend onprices and conditions.”

Russia built 14 venues for the gameswith total capacity of 145,000 people.Plans for how to use the venues are chang-ing all the time. Organizers were originallythinking about converting the Iceberg are-na into a cycling track. Russian DeputyPrime Minister Dmitry Kozak announced

on Saturday, however, that authoritieshave been persuaded to turn it into “aninternational center for ice shows.” Someof the venues can be taken apart andmoved to other cities. The Audit Chamber,the government’s auditing agency, raisedconcerns about the future of the Olympicvenues. Chairman Sergei Stepashin quot-ed expert estimates that maintaining thevenues would cost Russia at least 60 billionrubles a year ($2 billion).

Long-term prospectsKozak dismissed Stepashin’s estimate,

saying that it will cost “at least 10 timesless.” Olympic spectators and organizerssay Krasnaya Polyana is a potential magnetfor tourists. But industry experts are cau-tious about its long-term prospects.

Russian fans at the Olympic Park thisweekend were optimistic about Sochi’sfuture, but all of them complained aboutprices, saying they are too high comparedto other eastern or central European desti-nations.

“We see that Sochi has changed for thebetter,” Mikhail Savrasov from Latvia, said.“I hope the prices will go down.”

Ski resorts in the area reported strongsales in December and January before theywere closed for the Olympics, and they saythey will adjust prices once life in Sochigets back to normal.

“From what we’ve seen so far the inter-est is huge,” said Alexander Belokobylsky,director of Rosa Khutor resort up inKrasnaya Polyana. The company is nowlooking forward to the next season to seehow well they can do when the games areover. “A certain price adjustment will defi-nitely come,” Belokobylsky said: “If we seethat our prices are too high and we don’tget visitors we will adjust.”

Business and the travel industryexperts, however, don’t hold out muchhope for Sochi as an international destina-tion despite the breath-taking mountainsand new hotels.

Unlike most European resorts, Sochi ishard to get to. There are few direct flightsto Europe from Sochi, and airport fees atthe Sochi Adler airport are too high forlow-cost airlines to fly here. AndEuropeans need to apply for a visa if theywant to come to Russia.

“Europeans can travel to most placesin the world visa-free: Why would theywant to come here if they need to get avisa?” asks Kantorovich. Belokobylsky ofRosa Khutor recalls praise and admirationhe has heard from foreign officials andjournalists in the past weeks, but says thatgetting them to come back here will bedifficult. “We need direct flights,” he said.“But these are things we cannot influ-ence.” —AP

Future of multibillion Sochi investment unclear

Woods, Scott, Mickelson contest in Honda Classic

Scott returns after a six-week breakPALM BEACH GARDENS: Tiger Woods,Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and RoryMcIlroy will play in the same tournamentfor the first time this year when they con-test the Honda Classic starting in southFlorida yesterday.

The $6 million PGA Tour event used tobe the weak link on the four-stop PGATour Florida swing, but no longer as aconfluence of factors has brought thegame’s four biggest global stars togetherin Palm Beach Gardens.

Woods and McIlroy both now livelocally, while Scott and Mickelson optedto skip the World Golf ChampionshipsMatch Play event in Arizona last week (as

did Woods), and instead will use thisweek as the springboard for their prepa-ration for the Masters in April.

“Once we get to Florida, we’re allthinking our way to Augusta,” Woodstold reporters at Palm Beach National onWednesday.

He has played only two events thisyear, struggling by his own high stan-dards both times, but he has at leastthree more tournaments to find his com-petitive legs before the first major of theyear at Augusta National.

“I was pleasantly surprised by howwell I was hitting it today,” said Woods,whose form has prompted former British

Open champion Ian Baker-Finch to sug-gest that the 14 times major championstop worrying about swing intricaciesand instead focus on finding his rhythm.

Woods suggested he is doing that tosome extent.

“We’re just working on the samethings,” Woods said of himself and coachSean Foley. “He’s doing a lot of video andhe’s looking at it. I’m not really looking atit. I know what I need to do, the feels thatare associated with certain parts of thevideo and I’m just focused on that. Hefocuses on a more technical level.

“He comes up with a game plan ofwhat I need to work on and then I go offand work on it. I’ve always done it in thepast and it’s worked pretty well for me.”

Masters champion Scott, meanwhile,returns to competition after a six-weekbreak. Since curtailing his schedule, theAustralian has been a regular contenderin the majors, and he says the less-is-more theory is working.

Testing ground“The last couple of years has been

planned well and executed well. It’s obvi-ous what I’m trying to peak for,” Scottsaid.

“I’m trying to give myself enough timeto peak. What a great field this week. It’sgoing to be a true test.

Scott said the layout would provide aworthy challenge.

“With a tough golf course like this Ithink everyone is trying to measurethemselves up and see where they’re atand how much work needs to be put in,”he said. —Reuters

PALM BEACH GARDENS: Tiger Woods plays a shot during the firstround of The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa yesterdayin Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. —AFP

SINGAPORE: Ryu So-yeon of South Korea lines up aputt during round one of the 2014 HSBC Women’sChampions golf tournament in Singapore yester-day. The Women’s Champions tournament takesplace from February 27 to March 2. —AFP

Webb survives scare to lead in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Australian veteran Karrie Webb survived somepalpitations over her scorecard as she shot a fine six-under-par 66 to seize a one-stroke lead at the star-studded HSBCWomen’s Champions in Singapore yesterday.

Webb, disqualified from this month’s Australian LadiesMasters for signing for an incorrect score, emerged from thescorer’s tent but then hurried straight back inside, fearing shehad forgotten to sign her card.

However, all was well and the 39-year-old had correctlysigned for a first round of six birdies and no bogeys, enoughfor a one-shot lead over Caroline Hedwall and Paula Creamer.

“I just had trouble getting out of the scorer tent sincethen,” admitted Webb, referring to the incident in Australia’sGold Coast when she owned up to signing for a 74 instead ofa 75.

“So I walked out and couldn’t remember if I signed mycard, which would have been too late anyway. But before I didan interview and said how happy I was to shoot 66, I wantedto make sure I had signed my card.”

Webb made a flying start of four birdies over the first sixholes, extending a rich run of form which includes her last-daycharge to victory two weeks ago at the Women’s AustralianOpen. —AFP

43S p o r t sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

VANCOUVER: Jannik Hansen scored the game’s only goal and EddieLack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the VancouverCanucks blanked the St Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game forboth teams Wednesday night. The Canucks ended their losing streak atseven games while moving into sole possession of eighth place in theWestern Conference. The Blues dropped their third straight decision toVancouver this season.

Hansen broke a scoreless deadlock at 11:13 of the third period. Hetook a backhand stretch pass from Tom Sestito from deep in theVancouver zone just past center ice, raced in on a breakaway and beatJaroslav Halak with a high shot.

It was Hansen’s first goal in just over a month, a span of eight games,after he last scored Jan. 26 against Phoenix. The Canucks outshot theBlues 35-20, but Lack had no shortage of challenges. Vancouver wasblanked on four power plays while St. Louis failed to score on three. Lackdrew the start after backstopping the Canucks to a pair of wins over St.Louis earlier this season.

The Canucks played with the added aggression coach JohnTortorella has been seeking as they outshot the Blues 14-6 in the firstperiod. But the hosts could not beat a steady Halak, who was relativelyfresh after playing just two games for Slovakia in the Olympics. Lackmade some difficult saves, including one on a slap shot by BrendanMorrow with just under eight minutes left. The Canucks averted a dan-gerous chance when St. Louis defenseman Roman Polak slid the puckoff the goal post and a few players crashed into the net, knocking it offits moorings.

The Blues rallied early in the second period, prompting Tortorella tocall a timeout. But Lack stopped Kevin Shattenkirk twice with the sec-ond chance coming on a power play. The Vancouver goaltender alsodenied Blues captain David Backes on a one-timer during a delayedpenalty and Alex Steen on a deflection, and got his pad on a shot by T.J.Oshie before defenseman Alex Edler blocked the puck as he attemptedto put in the rebound. After the save, fans chanted “Eddie! Eddie!”

Halak was sharp in the late going of the second as he thwarted ChrisHiggins on a rebound and denied Daniel Sedin as he drove to the netand shot. Notes: Olympians from both teams were honored in apregame ceremony. Blues defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and AlexPietrangelo drew loud cheers from the crowd when they were saluted,along with Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis and goaltender RobertoLuongo, for helping Canada win the gold medal. ... Tortorella workedhis first home game since receiving a six-game suspension for stormingthe Calgary Flames’ dressing room area Jan. 18. ... Canucks captainHenrik Sedin returned to action after suffering an undisclosed injurybefore the Olympics. He missed the past two practices while tending toa personal matter in Sweden, but returned Wednesday in time for thegame. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa returned after missing five gamesbefore the Olympic break with a foot injury. ... Vancouver center Ryan

Kesler sat out with a hand injury suffered while playing for the US in theOlympics. Canucks defensemen Chris Tanev (thumb) and AndrewAlberts (concussion) remained out. ... Blues defenseman Jordan Leopoldmissed the game due to an ankle injury. He was replaced by CarloColaiacovo.

Sabres 5, Bruins 4 (OT)Matt D’Agostini scored 22 seconds into overtime to give the Buffalo

Sabres a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.D’Agostini raced past Boston captain Zdeno Chara on a partial break-away and beat Bruins goalie Chad Johnson with a backhand deke onthe winning goal. He scored unassisted. His game-winner came afterSabres left winger Matt Moulson had tied the score at 4-4 with 52.3 sec-onds remaining in regulation.

Zemgus Girgensons, defenseman Tyler Myers and Brian Flynn alsoscored for the Sabres (17-34-8). Chris Kelly, Zdeno Chara and leftwingers Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic scored for the Bruins (37-16-5),who erased a two-goal deficit in the second period only to falter late.

Red Wings 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)Detroit right winger Gustav Nyqvist scored 4:32 into overtime to give

the Red Wings a 2-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Nyqvist scoredhis 15th goal of the season into an open left side with 27.3 seconds left inthe extra period after Detroit blew a 1-0 lead late in regulation.

Montreal right winger Brian Gionta scored the tying goal with 28.7seconds remaining in the third, ending a shutout bid for Jimmy Howard,who finished with 19 saves.

Detroit’s Todd Bertuzzi scored his first goal since Dec. 10 in the first.He was a healthy scratch in Detroit’s eight games prior to the Olympicbreak after recording one point in 18 games subsequent to his previousgoal.

Detroit (27-20-12), which lost its final game before the break follow-ing a 3-0-1 run, won the first two of four games against its new AtlanticDivision rival and closed to within five points of Montreal (32-21-7).

Kings 6, Avalanche 4Anze Kopitar scored twice while fellow center Jeff Carter had a goal

and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the ColoradoAvalanche.

Defenseman Robyn Regher and center Jarret Stoll also had goals forthe Kings (32-22-6), who started their playoff push with a much-neededwin. The Kings stumbled into the Olympic break after going 2-8-1 beforethe Games and they trailed 4-2 against Colorado in the second beforestorming back with four unanswered scores.

Ryan O’Reilly netted his 22nd goal of the season among four goal-scorers for the Avalanche (37-17-5), who entered the Olympic break on79 points. —Agencies

Hansen scores as Canucks blank Blues

WESTERN CONFERENCEPACIFIC DIVISION

W L OTL GF GA PTS1. Anaheim 41 14 5 196 147 872. San Jose 37 16 6 175 142 803. Los Angeles 32 22 6 145 132 704. Vancouver 28 24 9 147 160 655. Phoenix 27 21 10 163 169 646. Calgary 22 29 7 137 179 517. Edmonton 20 33 7 153 199 47

CENTRAL DIVISION1. St. Louis 39 13 6 196 136 842. Chicago 35 11 14 207 163 843. Colorado 37 17 5 178 159 794. Minnesota 31 21 7 145 147 695. Dallas 27 21 10 164 164 646. Winnipeg 28 26 6 168 175 627. Nashville 25 24 10 146 180 60

EASTERN CONFERENCEATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Boston 37 16 5 180 130 792. Tampa Bay 33 20 5 168 145 713. Montreal 32 21 7 149 144 714. Toronto 32 22 6 178 182 705. Detroit 27 20 12 153 164 666. Ottawa 26 22 11 169 191 637. Florida 22 29 7 139 183 518. Buffalo 17 34 8 118 178 42

METROPOLITAN DIVISION1. Pittsburgh 40 15 3 186 138 832. NY Rangers 32 24 3 155 146 673. Philadelphia 30 23 6 162 167 664. Columbus 29 24 5 170 161 635. Washington 27 23 9 171 175 636. Carolina 26 23 9 146 161 617. New Jersey 24 22 13 135 146 618. NY Islanders 22 30 8 164 200 52

NHL results/standingsResults from the NHL games on Wednesday (home teamin CAPS). Buffalo 5, Boston 4 (Ot); Detroit 2, Montreal 1(Ot); Los Angeles 6, Colorado 4; Vancouver 1, St. Louis 0.

VANCOUVER: Derek Roy No 12 of the St Louis Blues trips Dan Hamhuis No 2 of the Vancouver Canucks dur-ing the third period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena on Wednesday in Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada. —AFP

Stade looks to get better of Galthie

PARIS: Stade Francais will look to put pressure on Top 14 leadersClermont when they visit Montpellier and one of their former headcoaches Fabien Galthie today.

After several years in the doldrums, both on and off the pitch asfinancial problems bit deep, Stade look to be re-emerging as gen-uine title contenders under the stewardship of Argentinian GonzaloQuesada.

They are currently second in the table, four points behindClermont, who play away at Bordeaux tomorrow. Having won fiveFrench championships from 1998 to 2007, the last thanks toGalthie, when owned by flamboyant radio mogul Max Guazzini,Stade have not threatened the likes of Toulouse, Toulon orClermont in recent years.

However, Quesada has blended a potent mix of older players,such as France captain Pascal Pape and Italian counterpart SergioParisse-who misses the trip to Montpellier-with young ones suchas Jules Plisson and Hugo Bonneval, both capped in this season’sSix Nations for the first time.

Stade will travel on the back of a last-minute win over relega-tion-threatened Oyonnax last weekend, a familiar feature of theirplay this season as they have competed until the final whistlewhere in previous years they tended to drop their heads in tightmatches and fallen away.

“We have our feet on the ground but we are marching with ourheads held high,” said Quesada, who has been credited also for hisexcellent personal touch with the players. Montpellier, who havebecome regular title contenders under Galthie, reaching the finalin 2011, will welcome them having had their three-match winningrun brought to a juddering halt by Clermont last Saturday. —AFP

S p o r t sFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

SAN ANTONIO: Marco Belinelli had 20 points to lead eight SanAntonio players in double figures, and the Spurs workedthrough a lethargic start to beat the Detroit Pistons 120-110 onWednesday night. Kawhi Leonard had 15 points in his returnfrom a 14-game absence due to a broken finger. Manu Ginobiliscored 16 points, Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter had 13 apiece,Boris Diaw added 12, Patty Mills 11 and Cory Joseph 10. JoshSmith scored 24 points for Detroit, which has lost three straight.Will Bynum added 18 points, Rodney Stuckey 17 and AndreDrummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds. San Antonio (41-16)got off to a sloppy start despite having two practices during afive-day break following its annual Rodeo Road Trip that lastednearly a month.

The Spurs had 11 turnovers in the opening half, leading to 13points and some pointed coaching by Gregg Popovich. “Whatthe heck are you guys doing?” Popovich screamed during atimeout following consecutive turnovers. In the second half, SanAntonio returned to the crisp ball movement that became a sta-ple of its early victories. The Spurs had 10 assists in the thirdquarter while shooting 12 for 19 from the field.

Leonard had the initial assist of the quarter, leaping over afallen defender to throw a bounce pass that Duncan gatheredfor a running slam ahead of Smith. San Antonio went on a 17-6run beginning midway through the third to take an 85-75 leadwith 2 minutes left in the quarter.

Belinelli had seven points in the run and Ginobili added fivepoints and assisted on two of Belinelli’s baskets. Belinellireturned the favor later, drawing Kyle Singler away defensivelyon a fast break and dishing to Ginobili for an open layup thatgave San Antonio a 111-99 lead with 3:36 remaining in thegame. Leonard missed his first two tries from the field, comingup a foot short on a 16-foot attempt from the right corner onthe game’s opening shot. He was credited with a follow of amissed free throw that Drummond appeared to tip in.

Leonard followed with a 3-pointer and threw down a right-handed dunk on Smith off an alley-oop pass from Joseph.Leonard grabbed the brace on his right hand after the dunk, butquickly rose to race back on defense.

Cleveland 114, Oklahoma City 104 Kyrie Irving scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter

to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Oklahoma City 114-104Wednesday night, giving the Thunder their third straight losssince the All-Star break. Jarrett Jack scored 21 points, SpencerHawes had 19 and Tristan Thompson added 11 points and 11rebounds for the Cavaliers, who snapped a three-game losingstreak. Cleveland shot 14 for 21 from the field in the fourth quar-ter against the Western Conference-leading Thunder.

Kevin Durant had 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists,Russell Westbrook had 24 points and nine assists, and SergeIbaka added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder.Oklahoma City is 0-3 since Westbrook returned from his latestknee surgery.

Clippers 101, Rockets 93Blake Griffin had 23 points and 16 rebounds and reserve

Darren Collison scored seven of his 19 points in the final 2:09 tolift Los Angeles past Houston. The Clippers won for the sixthtime in eight games, converting 20 Houston turnovers into 30points. DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his30th double-double. His previous career high was 12 last sea-son.

Jamal Crawford, who had a season-high seven 3-pointersMonday night in a win at New Orleans, was 1 for 6 behind thearc against the Rockets and left the game for good with 13 sec-onds remaining in the first half because of a left calf strain. Hehad eight points in 15 minutes. Dwight Howard had 23 pointsand 11 rebounds, and James Harden added 18 points for theRockets.

Bulls 103, Warriors 83Taj Gibson scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer added 15 points

and 13 rebounds, and Chicago used a big third-quarter run towin for the seventh time in eight games by pounding GoldenState. Jimmy Butler scored 16 points after missing two gameswith bruised ribs, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 15, and Joakim Noahgrabbed 17 rebounds for the Bulls.

They also dominated on the glass 56-41, forced 16 turnoversand held All-Star Stephen Curry in check while bringing GoldenState’s four-game win streak to an emphatic end.

Jordan Crawford scored 16 points for the Warriors and DavidLee came off the bench to get 11 points in 20 minutes afterbeing hospitalized with a stomach flu and missing two games,but Curry tied a season low with five points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Mavericks 108, Pelicans 89Dirk Nowitzki shook off an early shoulder issue to finish with

18 points in Dallas’ victory and New Orleans All-Star AnthonyDavis was knocked out of the game with a similar problem.

Nowitzki went to the locker room 31 seconds into the gameholding his left shoulder but emerged a short time later andreturned to the game. He even had a spin move and finished witha left -handed finger roll in the first half. Davis, the Pelicans’ lead-ing scorer and rebounder, was holding his sprained left shoulderon his way to play defense and didn’t return after leaving thegame during a New Orleans timeout with 4:13 left in the first half.The Mavericks (36-23) are a season-high 13 games over .500 aftertheir fourth straight win, and the Pelicans stayed winless since theAll-Star break at 0-5. Eric Gordon led New Orleans with 19 points,and Brian Roberts had 17. Monta Ellis led Dallas with 23 points,seven assists and four steals, while Vince Carter scored 17.

Trail Blazers 124, Nets 80Will Barton had a season-high 20 points and career-high 11

rebounds, providing a spark off the bench for short-handedPortland in its rout of Brooklyn. The Blazers won their fourthstraight game despite missing forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Theteam’s top scorer and rebounder has been out five games with aleft groin sprain. Jason Collins, who became the NBA’s first openlygay player when he signed a 10-day contract with the Nets onSunday, entered the game without fan reaction and played a pairof scoreless stretches in the fourth quarter. Mo Williams scored 21points and Nicolas Batum had 19 to lead seven Portland players indouble figures. Deron Williams had 12 points for the Nets, whohad their lowest point total this season.

Jazz 109, Suns 86Gordon Hayward had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists

to lead a balanced offense and Utah cruised to victory overslumping Phoenix. Richard Jefferson scored 17 points, DianteGarrett had a career-high 15 and the Jazz had seven players indouble figures. The Jazz shot 57.5 percent from the field, thehighest mark of any Phoenix opponent this season. Gerald Greenhad 17 points and rookie Archie Goodwin matched his career-best with 16 for the Suns. Playing their only road game in a nine-game stretch, the Suns have been looking to improve their play-off position. However, with a third straight loss, Phoenix leads

Memphis by just one-half game for the eighth and final WesternConference berth.

Grizzlies 108, Lakers 103Courtney Lee scored 18 points, Marc Gasol had 14 points and

12 rebounds, and Memphis weathered Los Angeles’ late 3-pointshooting display. Tony Allen added 17 points, James Johnson 14and Zach Randolph 13 for Memphis.

Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 19 points, Wesley Johnsonadded 18 and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds. TheLakers were 7 of 11 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and JordanFarmar’s 3 from 29 feet with about 15 seconds left pulled LosAngeles to 106-103. However, Lee’s two free throws closed thescoring.

Celtics 115, Hawks 104Jerryd Bayless scored a season-high 29 points in a rare start,

and Rajon Rondo added 22 points and 11 assists to help Bostonbreak a five-game losing streak with a victory over slumpingAtlanta. Six players scored in double figures for Boston. Rondo’sdouble-double was his second straight and fifth overall since hereturned from a knee injury on Jan. 17. Jeff Teague had 26 pointsand DeMarre Carroll scored 24 off the bench for Atlanta, whichlost for the 10th time in 11 games.

Back home after an 0-4 West Coast trip, the Celtics had onlynine healthy players after a sore toe forced rookie Kelly Olynyk tothe bench alongside regular starters Jared Sullinger and AveryBradley. The Hawks were missing five injured players, includingstarters Al Horford and Paul Millsap.

Magic 101, 76ers 90Jameer Nelson scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter

and Nik Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help Orlandosnap a 16-game road losing streak. Nelson added 12 assists forthe Magic, who last won on the road at Chicago on Dec. 16.

Victor Oladipo added 17 points, and Maurice Harkless andTobias Harris scored 13 apiece. Thaddeus Young had 19 pointsfor the Sixers, who lost their 12th straight overall and 11th in arow at home. Tony Wroten scored 15 points, Eric Maynor 13and Henry Sims 10 for Philadelphia, which bought out the con-tract of Danny Granger earlier Wednesday. The 76ers finished 0-11 in February. — Agencies

Belinelli, balanced Spurs beat Pistons 120-110

OKLAHOMA CITY: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots in front of Cleveland Cavaliers forwardTristan Thompson (13) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday. Cleveland won114-104. — AP

HAMBURG: The battle to avoid relegation will add extraspice when Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV, northernGermany’s two most popular clubs, meet for the 100thtime in the Bundesliga tomorrow (1430 GMT).

Hamburg are the only ever-present in theBundesliga’s 51-year history while hosts Bremen havemissed only one season, following their relegation in1980, yet both teams find themselves in danger of tum-bling down to Bundesliga 2. Their ‘Nordderby’ has pro-duced some memorable clashes in the past and reachedits height in the 2008-09 season when the sides met fourtimes within the space of three weeks.

The faced each other twice in a UEFA Cup semi-final,which Bremen won on away goals after a win apiece,once in a German Cup semi-final, which Bremen won onpenalties, and once in a Bundesliga game which Bremenalso won. This time, however, things are rather different,with seven-times German champions Hamburg lying16th in the table, the relegation playoff place, and four-times champions Bremen only three points and two

places above them. Bremen, who find themselves in a rel-egation battle for the second season in a row, have notwon a league game since returning from the winter breakon Jan. 26, although they have drawn their last two.

Hamburg plunged down the table after a catastroph-ic run of seven successive defeats under Dutchman Bertvan Marwijk, who was eventually sacked. Despite bounc-ing back to beat Hamburg SV 3-0 in their first gameunder Mirko Slomka last Saturday, they remain perilouslypositioned. “We must play with controlled aggression,”Werder’s sporting director Thomas Eichin told Sky. “Witha three-pointer for Bremen, the world will be in order.”

Key battleHonours have been shared almost evenly over the

years with 31 wins for Hamburg, 35 for Bremen and 33draws. Both teams have scored 148 goals in the fixture.“We know what this game means, for us, the club andthe whole city,” Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler said.There is another key relegation clash on Sunday (1630)

when Eintracht Frankfurt, who have 22 points and areabove Bremen on goal difference, host Stuttgart, whoare 15th on 19 points after losing their last seven leaguegames.

With so many traditional clubs involved, the bottomof the table is providing more excitement that the top,where Bayern Munich have moved 19 points clear andare threatening to wrap up the title race before the endof March. Bayern, who have dropped only four points allseason in their 22 league games, host a Schalke 04(Saturday, 1730) team who have been left battered andbruised after a 6-1 home defeat by Real Madrid in theChampions League on Wednesday.

Bayern, who won 4-0 at Schalke earlier in the sea-son, will be aiming for their 15th consecutive leaguewin and their 48th without defeat. Second-placedBayer Leverkusen (43 points) are at home to midtableMainz 05 (Saturday, 1430) while Borussia Dortmund,third on 42 points, host improving Nuremberg(Saturday, 1430). — Reuters

Relegation battle adds spice to the North derby


MADRID: Real Madrid can bury Atletico’s hopes of win-ning La Liga with a third straight victory against their cityneighbours on Sunday that would leave the capital’s sec-ond club trailing by six points.

Atletico stunned their bitter local rivals 2-1 at Real’sown Bernabeu stadium in last season’s King’s Cup finaland followed up with a 1-0 success at the same venue inLa Liga at the end of September. However, Real havegreatly improved as the season has progressed and theydumped holders Atletico out of this term’s Cup 5-0 onaggregate in their two-legged semi-final this month.

Unbeaten in 27 matches in all competitions, Real arein ominous form before Sunday’s trip across town toAtletico’s Calderon stadium and will be buoyed by their 6-1 success at German side Schalke 04 in the ChampionsLeague on Wednesday. They took over from Barcelona,who host promoted Almeria on Sunday, at the top of LaLiga last weekend when both Barca and Atletico sufferedsurprise defeats.

Real have 63 points with 13 games left, with Barca,chasing a fifth title in six years, and Atletico on 60.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from JoseMourinho at the end of last term, has eliminated thedefensive lapses that cost his team earlier in the season.With Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Balein a three-pronged attack, the Italian has one of the mostlethal forward lines in football and each scored twice inWednesday’s romp in Gelsenkirchen.

“We have a lot of potential up front,” midfielder XabiAlonso, whose composure and passing ability help Real

control their opponents, told reporters after the Schalkegame. “We create a lot of chances and it’s good news thatthe three forwards are fired up,” added the Spain interna-tional. “Sunday’s game is very important for us and it isgoing to be very tough.

“We are confident but we know that each match is adifferent story. If we don’t go out with the same focus astoday any team is capable of giving us a scare.”

Genuine challengeAtletico, who are also through to the last 16 of the

Champions League, are mounting a genuine challengefor the La Liga title for the first time since they won aleague and Cup double in 1996. Diego Simeone, a formerArgentina midfielder, was part of that team and has trans-formed the club since he took over as coach at the end of2011, leading them to a Europa League triumph in 2012and the Cup success last season.

However, last weekend’s shock 3-0 reverse at Osasuna,when Simeone left a number of key players out of hisstarting lineup, suggested they may not have a deepenough squad to cope with a gruelling calendar. FullbackJuanfran said the team are keen to put last week’s stum-ble behind them and reignite their title challenge.

“We are keen to prepare the match well and if we beatMadrid things will be different,” he said on Atletico’s web-site (www.clubatleticodemadrid.com). “We are playing atour stadium, where we are unbeaten (in La Liga this sea-son) and I am convinced we will play a good match andwin,” he added. — Reuters

Real Madrid looking to bury Atletico’s title challenge

SINGAPORE: Sports fans can look for-ward to international rugby andwomen’s tennis - along with Asian soc-cer, swimming and badminton events -once the new Singapore Sports Hub hasits soft launch in April and opens fully inJune.

Other attractions announced yester-day included concerts by Lionel Ritchiein April, Taylor Swift in June andTaiwanese star Jay Chou in November.(www.sportshub.com.sg)

The new complex, featuring the55,000-seat National Stadium and a vari-ety of other facilities, gives Singapore theeconomy of scale to host large sportingevents and concerts as the SoutheastAsian city-state markets itself as a world-class leisure and lifestyle destination.

Philippe Delavaud, chief executive ofSportsHub Pte Ltd, said more events willbe confirmed as promoters look at thenew stadium and the existing 13,000-seat Indoor Stadium, which has becomepart of the complex.

The Women’s Tennis Associationchampionships will be held at IndoorStadium in October and ASEAN FootballChampionship matches at NationalStadium late in the year.

“We are continuously improving the

lineup,” Delavaud, a former chief execu-tive of Stade de France, told reporters.“Our strategy, it’s not to create a stadiumfor specific types of events. It’s really tooffer a portfolio of events.” Sports Hub,east of the downtown core on a plot thesize of 70 football fields, is still a con-struction site.

But the organisers insist everythingwill be ready in time for the April launchand two events in June - the rugbyWorld Club 10s in the big stadium andthe Southeast Asia swimming champi-onships at the aquatic centre.

The complex - for public use andtraining by Singapore’s national athletes- also has a number of arenas and courts,plus commercial space and a watersports area in Kallang Basin. Low TeoPing, president of the Singapore RugbyUnion, said he could not yet reveal theteams lined up for the World Club 10s - ahybrid of the sevens and 15s games - butthey will come from “the northern andsouthern hemispheres, from right acrossthe world”. “We’ve just put in our expres-sion of interest to host the Rugby SevensSeries that will begin next year,” he said.“We’ve also put in our expression ofinterest to bid for the Rugby World Cupin 2018.”—Reuters

Singapore’s new Sports Hub unveils rugby, tennis events

SINGAPORE: A general view of the under construction National Stadium inSingapore yesterday. Singapore’s state-of-the-art new National Stadium willhost international football and an Asia-Pacific Super rugby team after itopens as part of the billion-dollar Sports Hub project in June, officials saidyesterday. — AFP

SEOUL: Under-20 national soccer players wear new uniforms for South Korea’s national soccer team for 2014World Cup during a press unveiling in Seoul, yesterday. South Korea will face Russia, Belgium and Algeria in2014 Brazil World Cup. — AP


TOKYO: Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said yesterday hissquad can match Colombia, Ivory Coast and Greece in theirWorld Cup group, despite their underdog status in theglobal pecking order.

“I am confident we can go head-to-head with any ofthem if we perform to the best of our abilities,” the Italiantactician said as he announced his squad for a friendlyagainst New Zealand in Tokyo next Wednesday.

“About gaps with other teams in the group, I feel thereare not so big gaps. I’d rather say there are none.”Zaccheroni called up the usual suspects for the 23-mansquad including Keisuke Honda, who has yet to show aspark in AC Milan’s midfield after moving from CSKAMoscow in January, and Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawawho has mostly warmed the bench under David Moyes.

Inter Milan’s Yuto Nagatomo is expected to play leftback for Japan as usual.

But Schalke defender Atsuto Uchida and Nurembergmidfielder Makoto Hasebe were dropped due to injuries.

The Blue Samurai, four-time Asian champions, will playCyprus at home on May 27 in their only other warm-upmatch before the World Cup months of June and July.

Zaccheroni said New Zealand, who failed to qualify for

Brazil but impressed at South Africa 2010 with three drawsat the group stage, are “ideal opponents” at this point.“They are physically strong and it will be an importantgame in our preparations.”

Japan’s opponents in World Cup Group C are all rankedhigher in the FIFA table. Colombia stand fifth againstGreece (12), Ivory Coast (23) and Japan (50).

“It is not an easy group but it is well balanced,”Zaccheroni said. “At the moment, Colombia seem some-what ahead as they have wealth of talented players, manyof them playing abroad.”

“They are capable of mixing quality with accuracy andspeed of play. I have the impression that they are a greatteam.” Ivory Coast have the potential to become “the eye ofthe storm”, said Zaccheroni, who took over the BlueSamurai after they reached the last 16 at South Africa 2010.

He said the West African nation are accustomed to thehot weather they’ll encounter in Brazil. “But they seem tohave ups and downs at times.”

“Greece are a difficult side to play,” Zaccheroni said,explaining that the former European champions “play akind of football which cancels out the strengths ofopponents”. “They are highly accurate on the counterat-

tack and they are united in defence,” he said. Zaccheronibelieved Japan, known for their well organised play thatthey frequently fail to convert into goals, may not feel thereis such a gap with group opponents “if we play our ownbrand of football”.

Squad:Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege/BEL),

Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds) Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo)Defenders: Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata) Yasuyuki

Konno (Gamba Osaka) Masahiko Inoha (Jubilo Iwata) YutoNagatomo (Inter Milan/ITA) Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo)Maya Yoshida (Southampton/ENG) Hiroki Sakai(Hannover/GER) Gotoku Sakai (Stuttgart/GER)

Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka) ToshihiroAoyama (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Hajime Hosogai (HerthaBerlin/GER) Keisuke Honda (AC Milan/ITA) Shinji Kagawa(Manchester United/ENG) Hiroshi Kiyotake(Nuremberg/GER) Manabu Saito (Yokohama Marinos)Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka)

Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Mainz/GER) Yoichiro Kakitani(Cerezo Osaka) Masato Kudo (Kashiwa Reysol) Yuya Osako(TSV 1860 Munich/GER). —AFP

Japan are no World Cup underdogs, says coach

LONDON: England manager RoyHodgson yesterday awarded 18-year-old Southampton left-back Luke Shawhis first senior call-up for next week’sfriendly match against Denmark atWembley Stadium.

Shaw, an England Under-21 interna-tional, is one of three left-backs namedin the 30-man squad alongsideChelsea’s Ashley Cole and LeightonBaines of Everton.

“Everyone who’s watched him playrecently will not deny that he deserves aplace in a large squad list. He’s beenplaying extremely well,” Hodgson saidof Shaw. “It’s a position where we’re verywell off, but he’s a player who wants tocompete with the other two for a placeon the plane to Brazil and I thought it

was the right time to bring him in andgive him a chance to show us what hecan do.”

Striker Jermain Defoe retained hisplace in the squad despite his imminentmove from Tottenham Hotspur toToronto FC, while Cardiff City centre-back Steven Caulker came in for injuredEverton man Phil Jagielka.

There was a recall for winger RaheemSterling, following some excellentrecent displays for Liverpool, butSunderland winger Adam Johnson andEverton midfielder Gareth Barry wereoverlooked despite each advancingstrong cases for call-ups in recent weeks.

However, Hodgson said that it wasnot too late for players not selected,including West Ham United striker Andy

Carroll, to force their way into his plansfor the World Cup.

“This is the 30 I’ve chosen today andI’ll stand by it, but but it’s not a definitivesquad,” he told a press conference.“Andy Carroll has hardly played, butwe’ll keep an eye on him. Johnson ofcourse we know, but with the competi-tion at the moment (in wide areas) Idecided not to include him in the squad.

“Gareth Barry has not been with usfor these past two years, but I know himand I’d not be averse to calling him up ifthere was a place in the team.”England’s friendly against Denmark nextWednesday will be Hodgson’s lastopportunity to assess the players at hisdisposal before he names his squad forthe World Cup in Brazil, which begins onJune 12.

England 30-man squad to playDenmark in friendly game at WembleyStadium on March 5, announced bymanager Roy Hodgson on Thursday:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster(Celtic/SCO), Ben Foster (West BromwichAlbion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), JohnRuddy (Norwich City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines(Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), StevenCaulker (Cardiff City/WAL), Ashley Cole(Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool),Luke Shaw (Southampton), ChrisSmalling (Manchester United), KyleWalker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton),Michael Carrick (Manchester United),Tom Cleverley (Manchester United),Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), JordanHenderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana(Southampton), Frank Lampard(Chelsea), James Milner (ManchesterCity), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain(Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool),Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur),Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Jermain Defoe (TorontoFC/CAN), Rickie Lambert (Southampton),Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), WayneRooney (Manchester United), DanielSturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck(Manchester United). —AFP

Defoe retained by Englandas Shaw gets first call-up

LONDON: England international soccer team manager Roy Hodgson speaks aboutthe England squad for the upcoming international against Denmark during thepress conference at Wembley Stadium, London yesterday. Jermain Defoe retainedhis place in the England squad for the friendly against Denmark on WednesdayMarch 5, 2014, despite his impending move to Canada. Defoe, who has scored 19goals in 55 England games, has appeared in only two Tottenham games in twomonths as he prepares to head to Toronto FC for the start of the Major LeagueSoccer season next month. —AP

RIO DE JANEIRO: Denis Stracqualursi of Ecuador’sEmelec, left, heads the ball against Victor Caceres ofBrazil’s Flamengo during a Copa Libertadores soccermatch in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday. —AP

English soccer bidfarewell to Finney

PRESTON: English soccer bade farewell yesterday to formerPreston North End and England winger Tom Finney, whodied this month aged 91.

Thousands lined the streets of Preston in north-westEngland and applauded his cortege as it passed Deepdale sta-dium, home of his only club.

The city came to a standstill for his funeral and the serviceat Preston Minster was attended by 600 mourners, includingBobby Charlton, Jimmy Armfield and Tommy Docherty.

Docherty, who played more than 300 games for Preston,told the congregation that Finney was “the greatest player Ihave ever seen. When I see Lionel Messi on the television play-ing for Barcelona I think maybe you could be as good as Tom.

“He was quiet and modest but he was amazing, he had twogreat feet and made ordinary players on his team look good -and I should know.”

Finney, who was knighted in 1998 for services to football,scored 30 goals for England in 76 internationals and played569 matches for Preston from 1946 until he retired in 1960.

Preston born and bred, Finney never won a major honourbut was the first player to win England’s Footballer of the Yearaward twice, in 1954 and 1957.

The vicar of Preston, Father Timothy Lipscomb, said in hisaddress: “We remember his loyalty, his humility, his respect forlocal traditions and his self-effacing nature.”

England and Denmark players will wear black armbandsand fans will be asked to celebrate Finney’s life with aminute’s applause before next week’s friendly international atWembley.

The armbands and applause will also be a mark of respectfor former Denmark coach Richard Moeller Nielsen who diedthis month aged 76. —Reuters


DHAKA: Umar Akmal hit a fightinghundred to help Pakistan over-come early wobbles againstAfghanistan to win their crucialAsia Cup match by 72 runs inDhaka yesterday.

Pakistan owed their recovery toAkmal’s 89-ball 102 not out, whichlifted them from a precarious 117-6 to 248-8 in 50 overs before theywrapped up their rivals for 176 in47.2 overs.

Afghanistan, playing their inau-gural match in the five-nationtournament, impressed despitethe defeat-but their lack of experi-ence stopped them from causingan upset. Chasing a daunting tar-get, the Afghans were 139-2 in the36th over before losing their lasteight wickets for 37 runs asMohammad Hafeez (3-29) andSaeed Ajmal (2-25) gave Pakistan awin with a bonus point.

Asghar Stanikzai (40) andNawroz Mangal (35) shared a 74-run partnership for the third wick-et but they failed to match therequired net run-rate whichclimbed on them, undoing theirrun-chase. Shahid Afridi dismissedStanikzai to break the partnershipbefore Mangal ran himself out tospark a collapse.

Noor Ali Zadran had givenAfghanistan a solid start with a 63-ball 44 with seven fours, before hefell victim to Ajmal’s dot balls.

Hafeez had Najibullah Zadran(one) and Samiullah Shinwari (14)to complete the win. Earlier, it wasAkmal who saved Pakistan’s blush-es with a dominating second one-day century-his first in five years.In all he hit seven boundaries andthree sixes, helping Pakistan to puton 59 runs in the last five overs.

Akmal, let off at 28, led thefightback through a 60-run sev-enth wicket stand with Anwar Ali(21) to l ift Pakistan’s innings.Pakistan began fluently with astand of 55 between AhmedShehzad (50), who hit sevenboundaries in his 74-ball innings,and Sharjeel Khan (25).

But once spinner Hamza Hotak(1-22) had provided the break-through by dismissing Khan,Afghanistan grabbed six wickets inthe space of 62 runs.

Hafeez fell for ten, Misbah-ulHaq was run out for nought with-out facing a ball, Sohaib Maqsoodwent for 13 and Shahid Afridi forsix. Misbah, the world’s highestrun scorer in one-day cricket lastyear, was the dismissal which jolt-ed Pakistan badly. But Akmal heldthe innings together to ensurePakistan reached a respectabletotal. Mirwais Ashraf, Shinwari andDawlat Zadran took two wicketsapiece. India, who beatBangladesh by six wickets, willface Sri Lanka on Friday. Sri Lankawon the tournament’s opener by12 runs against Pakistan onTuesday. — AFP

Akmal’s fighting ton helpsPakistan down Afghanistan

FATULLAH: Pakistani batsman Anwar Ali (L) attempts to complete his run as Afghanwicketkeeper Mohammad Shehzad (R) jumps to catch a ball during the third matchof the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament between Pakistan and Afghanistan atthe Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, on the outskirts of Dhaka, yester-day. — AFP

PakistanS Khan c NA Zadran b Hotak 25A Shehzad b Shenwari 50M Hafeez c Nabi b Ashraf 10Maqsood c Stanikzai b Shenwari 13Misbah-ul-Haq run out 0Umar Akmal not out 102Shahid Afridi b D Zadran 6Anwar Ali c Mangal b Ashraf 21Umar Gul b D Zadran 15Saeed Ajmal not out 1Extras: (2lb, 2w, 1nb) 5TOTAL: (for 8 wickets) 248Overs: 50.Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-78, 3-89, 4-89, 5-108, 6-117, 7-177, 8-217Did not bat: Junaid Khan.Bowling: Shapoor Zadran 9-1-42-0 (1w),Dawlat Zadran 10-0-73-2 (1nb),Mohammad Nabi 8-0 46-0, Hamza Hotak8-1-22-1, Mirwais Ashraf 8-1-29-2,Samiullah Shenwari 7-0-34-2 (1w)

AfghanistanM Shahzad c Akmal b Gul 9

Noor Ali Zadran lbw b Ajmal 44A Stanikzai c Hafeez b Afridi 40Nawroz Mangal run out 35Mohammad Nabi lbw b Gul 15Najibullah Zadran b Hafeez 1S Shenwari b Hafeez 14Mirwais Ashraf run out 4Dawlat Zadran b Ajmal 0S Zadran c Ajmal b Hafeez 1Hamza Hotak not out 0Extras: (8b, 5w) 13TOTAL: (all out) 176Overs: 47.2.Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-65, 3-139, 4-140, 5-151, 6-159, 7-172, 8-172, 9-175, 10-176.Bowling: Umar Gul 9-0-44-2, Junaid Khan4-0-23-0, Anwar Ali 6-1-16-0, ShahidAfridi 10-0-31-1, Saeed Ajmal 9-1-25-2(2w), Mohammad Hafeez 9.2-0-29-3 (3w).Toss: Afghanistan.Result: Pakistan won by 72 runs.Umpires: Billy Bowden, New Zealand,and Johan Cloete, South Africa.TV umpire: CK Nandan, India. Match ref-eree: Chris Broad, England. — AP

SCOREBOARDFATULLAH: Scoreboard after Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 72 runs in the AsiaCup at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium yesterday:

HYDERABAD: In this Sept 20, 2011 file photo, thenAuckland player Lou Vincent plays a shot during theChampions League Twenty20 cricket qualifying matchbetween Somerset and Auckland in Hyderabad, India.Former New Zealand test cricketer Vincent has pleadedguilty to a charge of failing to report an approach from aillegal bookmaker while playing in the BangladeshPremier League. — AP

Vincent found guilty of match

fixing chargeDHAKA: Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent haspleaded guilty to not reporting an approach by a bookmakerwhile playing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) lastyear.

The 35-year-old Vincent is one of three former NewZealand cricketers under investigation by the InternationalCricket Council (ICC) for alleged match-fixing.

Vincent, who retired from all cricket last year, had failed toreport the approach to the ICC while playing for the KhulnaRoyal Bengals in the domestic Twenty20 competition inJanuary last year.

“I confirm I rejected this approach at the time,” Vincent saidin a statement carried by New Zealand media on Thursday.

“There is no allegation or suggestion anything untowardoccurred beyond the approach itself.

“I also express I have no involvement in any of the matches,or matters, involving the other parties, which were the subjectof recent hearings and investigation in Bangladesh.

“Unfortunately, I am unable to comment any further onthis matter, as it is subject to an ongoing judicial process.

“I am also continuing to co-operate with the ICC in respectof other inquiries, they are making, which also restricts myability to comment any further.”

The two other New Zealand cricketers being investigatedhave been named by local media but New Zealand Cricket(NZC) has declined to confirm their identities.

The three have been probed as part of a wider investiga-tion into alleged match-fixing in the BPL.

An anti-corruption tribunal found the managing director ofBPL champions Dhaka Gladiators, Shihab Jishan Chowdury,guilty of a charge for being “a party to an effort to fix a matchagainst Chittagong”.

The tribunal dropped charges against six other Dhaka play-ers and officials, including Kent cricketer Darren Stevens, whowas found not guilty of a charge of failing to report an illegalapproach by a bookmaker.

The tribunal said it would set a hearing date for the sanc-tion against Chowdury after releasing the “full reasons” of thejudgement within two weeks.

In a joint statement, the ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Boardsaid they were “surprised and obviously disappointed withthe outcome” of the tribunal hearing and held out the possi-bility of appealing the judgement.

Former Bangladesh captain and Dhaka batsmanMohammad Ashraful is also expected to be sanctioned withinthe next two weeks after confessing to match-fixing chargeslast year. — Reuters

FR

IDA

Y, F

EB

RU

AR

Y 2

8, 2

014

FATULLAH: Pakistan’s SaeedAjmal, left, and Anwar Alicelebrate the dismissal ofAfghanistan’s NawrozMangal during the Asia Cupone-day international crick-et tournament betweenthem in Fatullah, nearDhaka, Bangladesh, yester-day. Pakistan won by 72runs. — AP

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Pakistan downAfghanistan

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