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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 JAMADA ALAWWAL 7, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

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LS Kuwait marks national days with joy, parades

KOC sets record with largest human ‘K’

National & Liberation Days

By Nawara Fattahova and Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Thousands of citizens and expats gathered onArabian Gulf Road to celebrate the national days yester-day, with children and families lining up on the sides ofthe street spraying water and waving flags. Cruisingalong the Gulf Road is a popular activity during thenational and liberation days, with various car andmotorcycle groups holding rallies.

The Q8 Old Cars Team paraded from Green Island toShuwaikh Beach yesterday, while teams will gather onAnjifa Beach today opposite Salwa and head towardsShuwaikh Beach. The Ministry of Information in cooper-ation with the Touristic Enterprises Company is alsoholding national and folklore music performances onGulf Road, in addition to laser shows on the KuwaitTowers.

Those who don’t like to get stuck in traffic for hourshave other options, and can enjoy attending variouscelebrations around Kuwait. The Carnival City at theInternational Fairground in Mishref is worth a visit, withvarious activities for both children and adults. Showsare held throughout the day.

Shopping malls have got ready for the celebrationsas well. The 360 mall is holding many activities includ-ing contests such as Wear Your Pride, where visitors cansubmit their photos and win prizes, the biggest cakeand others. Visitors can also attend the shows aroundthe mall and get their photo printed for free.

Continued on Page 13

NOTICE TO OUR READERSKuwait Times offices will be closed on Feb 26and 27, 2015, and our next issue will be pub-lished on Sunday, March 1, 2015. HappyNational and Liberation days to our readers!

SUWAYF, Saudi Arabia: The chain-link fences, topped with coils ofbarbed wire, rise and fall like a ser-pent’s back across the desert scrub-land between Saudi Arabia and thejihadist threat across the Iraqi bor-der. A double-fence system andcomplementary hi-tech surveillancetools, officially opened inSeptember, have become the frontline of efforts to protect the king-dom from Islamic State (IS) groupextremists who have seized vastareas of Iraq as well as Syria.

“As you know, the terrorists arethe biggest threat,” said borderguards Major Mohammed Al-Rashidi, a supervisor at JudaidatArar command and control centrewhere officers monitor radar andcameras about 10 km from the fron-tier. That threat became painfullyclear in January when three borderguards including a local command-er were killed in nearby Suwayf in abattle with “terrorists”. The attackfollowed the launch in Septemberof the kingdom’s air strikes on IS tar-

gets in Syria as part of a US-ledcoalition.

The jihadists have claimedresponsibility for widespread atroci-ties including the burning alive in a

cage of a Jordanian fighter pilot.Saudi Arabia’s involvement in airstrikes on IS targets has raised fearsof retaliation by the group.

Continued on Page 13

Saudis in hi-tech borderbattle to keep IS at bay

KUWAIT: Citizens and expats gather on Arabian Gulf Road to celebrate the national days yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat, Joseph Shagra and Fouad Al-Shaikh (See Pages 2, 3 & 4)

ARAR, Saudi Arabia: Saudi border guards monitor cameras and radars onsurveillance screens of the Saudi northern border with Iraq at the Ararregional command and control centre headquarters on Feb 23, 2015. — AFP

TEHRAN: With rockets roaring andguns blazing, more than a dozenswarming Iranian speedboatsassaulted a replica of a US aircraftcarrier yesterday during large-scalenaval drills near the strategically vitalentrance of the Arabian Gulf. Thenationally televised show of force bythe country’s elite RevolutionaryGuard comes just weeks ahead of adeadline for Iran and world powersto forge a historic deal on the fate ofthe Islamic Republic’s nuclear pro-gram. Iranian live-fire war games arenot uncommon. But by simulatingfor the first time an attack on theultimate symbol of American navalpower, hardliners hoped to send amessage that Iran has no intentionof backing down to the US -whichever way talks over its contest-ed nuclear program go.

“American aircraft carriers arevery big ammunition depots hous-ing a lot of missiles, rockets, torpe-does and everything else,” theGuard’s navy chief, Adm Ali Fadavi,

said on state television. A direct hitby a missile could set off a large sec-ondary explosion, he added. Fadavilast month boasted that his force iscapable of sinking American aircraftcarriers in the event of war. He previ-ously called carriers easy targets and

said Iran naturally wants to sinkthem.

The drill, named “Great Prophet9,” was held near the Strait ofHormuz, through which about afifth of the world’s oil passes.

Continued on Page 13

Mock US aircraft carrier target in Iran war games

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard troops attack a mock US aircraft carri-er during a military drill in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. — AFP

L O C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Photo of the day

KUWAIT: Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa hoisted a giant Kuwaiti flag as part of the country’s celebrations of the National and Liberation Day anniversaries. Nearly 150 employees participated inthe event. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: A classic cars rally will be heldtoday on Arabian Gulf Street as part ofthe national celebrations. “The aim ofthis march is to highlight the youth’srole and support their talents,” formerMP and head of the Masar group Ali Al-Rashed said, adding HH the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hasurged to support young people andstand by them, call ing on them toachieve and innovate and open oppor-tunities for them to build the country.

“ The slogan of the procession is‘humanitarian Kuwait’, from our belief inthe role of humanitarian leader SheikhSabah, may Allah protect him. The rallywhich will be launched from Diwan Al-Sayadeen on Gulf Road,” he said. Rashedadded Masar will continue to partici-pate in national events, social activitiesand support the talent of youth, and it isopen to all every Saturday evening inSurra.

The head of 25 Social Center TalalAbdullah Al-Fadhli said the rally will wit-ness the participation of car enthusiastsfrom UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It

will also include motorcycles. The rally isunique in terms of distance and thenumber of participants. Fadhli said therally will k ick off at 11 am from theDiwan Al-Saydeen’s parking. “The awardceremony will be in the presence of andthe auspices of Masar, the Ministry ofInterior and the emergency medicalteam at 1:00 pm, then the processionwill continue until 10 pm,” he added.

Classic Cars Rallyon Gulf Road today

Ali Al-Rashed

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: As Kuwait celebrates its Nationaland Liberation Days with various activities,concerts and parades, expats speak aboutwhat Kuwait means to them.

Alden Navarro, 32Thank you Kuwait for

lifting me up and helpingme in many ways! The mostimportant thing on earth isto have money so we caneat, provide for the family,socialize and send our chil-dren to school. I could not

do that in my own country. Thank you Kuwaitfor six wonderful years of quality life!

Zukumar K, 53This is the day that

everyone loves - it’s a holi-day. I like to thank Kuwaitfor giving me an opportu-nity to be part of this socie-ty for the past 15 years. Iam a taxi driver, and I know

what’s going on in Kuwait, I know everystreet, customers by name and I knowwhere’s the traffic and accident-prone areas.This is how I know and am familiar withKuwait. Thank you Kuwait! Happy Nationaland Liberation Days!

Bahroumi Abdulhussein, 50

Shukran Kuwait! I havebeen here for many years. Ihave many Kuwaiti friendsand I congratulate themon this wonderful occa-sion!

Ana Rose Guirhem LongnoThank you Kuwait for teaching me a lot! I

was able to learn Kuwaiti culture, I learnt how tosave, I learnt how to walkalone and I learnt how to bea woman and mingle withdifferent nationalities. This ismy second year celebratingthe National and LiberationDays. I am excited to meetnew people on Gulf Road,

the center of social gatherings and celebrations.

Muhammad Abdulbarry, 45Thank you, Kuwait. I love every celebration

and I love spending timewith happy people. For me,this holiday is very importantto remind people about theirforefathers’ sacrifices, theirhistory and how the worldunited to defeat the Iraqiaggression. It is always goodto be reminded of the past. I

love Kuwait because it helped me raise my familyback in India.

Christina PanimdimKuwait has given us many blessings because we

enjoy benefits like citizens. I am lucky to have land-ed a job that I love very muchwith an attractive salary. I wishthe rulers of Kuwait and itspeople more prosperity andhappiness on the occasion oftheir 54th National Day and24th Liberation Day. Long liveKuwait!

Thank you Kuwait: Expatsshare national Days’ joy

KUWAIT: Water guns and vehicles decorated with national flags have become a common scene during Kuwait’s National and Liberation Days celebrations. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

L O C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

National parade on Arabian Gulf RoadKUWAIT: The Arabian Gulf Road was the scene of a national parade yesterday organized in celebration of Kuwait’s 54th National Day and 24th Liberation Day anniversaries. Top state officials attended theevent, including His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and InteriorMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej, and Information Minister and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. Governors and senior Interior Ministry officials were also present. Several state departments, including the Kuwaiti Army, Kuwait National Guard, Interior Ministry’s Special Task Forces, andKuwait Fire Services Directorate participated in the parade. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

L O C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

CAPITALS: Kuwait’s embassies and consulates heldceremonies in a number of countries marking thenation’s 54th National Day and 24th Liberation Day.Celebrations were held at embassies and consulatesin Rabat, Muscat, Doha, Budapest, Frankfurt, Dubai,and Tunisia, among others.

CairoIn Cairo, Kuwait ’s Ambassador Salem Al-

Zamanan received a congratulatory message fromPresident Abdelfatah Al-Sisi to His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah onthe national events. Al-Sisi ’s representativeMohammad Najm handed Al-Zamanan the mes-sage. In a statement to KUNA, Zamanan said thatNajm conveyed the congratulations of Al-Sisi to HisHighness the Amir, wishing His Highness the Amirgood health and Kuwait further progress and pros-perity. The ambassador said the congratulationsreflect the depth of relations between the twocountries.

IstanbulIn Istanbul, the Kuwaiti Consulate held a cere-

mony to mark the two national days with a wideofficial and popular participation. Kuwait’s GeneralConsul Sheikh Fahad Salem Al-Sabah congratulatedHis Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HisHighness the Premier Sheikh Jaber Al-Muabark Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti people on the nation’sevents.

On her part, Semra Ozal, wife of the late Turkishpresident Turgut Ozal, who was present in the cele-bration, congratulated the Kuwaiti leadership andpeople on their national occasions.

KhartoumIn Khartoum, a number of Sudanese ministers

and senior officials attended a ceremony held bythe Kuwaiti Embassy late on Tuesday to celebratethe national days. Sudan’s Minister for CabinetAffairs Ahmed Saad Omer extended his congratula-tions to His Highness the Amir, government andpeople on the national celebrations.

Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Mahmoud saidthat: “We and on behalf of President Omar Al-Bashiras well as the Sudanese government and peoplecongratulate His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, gov-ernment and people on the nation’s events.”

Kuwaiti Ambassador Talal Mansour Al-Hajri con-

veyed these congratulations to His Highness theAmir, His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highnessthe Premier and Kuwaiti people.

MadridIn Madrid, a number of Spanish officials and

heads of Arab diplomatic missions took part in theKuwaiti embassy’s celebrations. In a statement toKUNA on the sidelines of the ceremony held lateTuesday, Kuwaiti Ambassador Sulaiman Al-Harbisaid that this year’s celebrations have a special tasteas the UN honored His Highness the Amir as aHumanitarian Leader and Kuwait as a HumanitarianCenter. He said that Kuwait has a leading role in

humanitarian action, lauding the development ofrelations between Kuwait and Spain. He said thebilateral relations have developed over the past twoyears, especially in the fields of trade, tourism,health and education.

Kuala LumpurIn Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait’s Embassy in Thailand

marked the national festivals in the presence ofsome representatives of the Thai government andsenior officials at the Foreign Ministry.

Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdullah Al-Sharhan toldKUNA by telephone that he delivered a speech dur-ing the festival on the UN naming of His Highness

the Amir as a Humanitarian Leader and Kuwait as aHumanitarian Center. He extended his congratula-tions to His Highness the Amir, His Highness theCrown Prince, His Highness the Premier and Kuwaitipeople on these events.

AustraliaKuwaiti Ambassador to Australia Khaled Al-

Shaibani told KUNA by telephone that the embassyheld a festival to mark the national events. He notedhe delivered a speech on this occasion, commend-ing the relations between the two countries.Shaibani said a representative of the AustralianPrime Minister congratulated Kuwait on these days,adding the representative voiced his country’skeenness on upgrading the bilateral relations.

Saudis thank KuwaitMeanwhile, a number of Saudi figures lauded

yesterday the recent decision by Kuwait’s diplomat-ic missions cancelation of their national celebra-tions events in respect of the passing away of lateKing Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

In various statements to KUNA, a number ofSaudi press, economic, and media figures show-cased their admiration at the Kuwaiti step to cancelcelebrations of the 54th National Day and the 24thLiberation Anniversary at Kuwait’s Embassy inRiyadh and Consulate in Jeddah, noting that thestep showed solidarity with the Saudi sorrow of thedeath of its late King. Chief Editor at Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper in Saudi Arabia Zaid bin Kami,Member of the chamber of commerce and industryin Makkah Hashem Kaki, and other figures providestatements regarding the honorable Kuwaiti deci-sion, affirming that such a step would further boostrelations in the future. — KUNA

ABU DHABI: Yas Mall, the largest shopping destination in Abu Dhabi, celebrated Kuwait’s 54th National Day withan traditional performance by a group of traditional Emirati performers on Tuesday, 24 February 2015. Visitorswere invited to join in the song and dance presentation by holding special Kuwaiti flags showcasing the spirit ofthe annual event.

KUWAIT: Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate organized several activities to celebrate Kuwait’s 54th National Day and24th Liberation Day anniversaries, in presence of Information Minister and State Minister for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governor General Ahmad Al-Rujaib, Hawally Governor GeneralSheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, Capital Governor Lt General Thabet Al-Muhanna, Interior MinistryUndersecretary Lt General Suleiman Al-Fahad, and Public Relations and Moral Guidance Director, Acting Directorof Security Information Brigadier Adel Al-Hashash attended the event as well.

Kuwaiti embassies mark National DaysNational, Liberation Days celebrated in capitals worldwide

MUSCAT: Fahad Al-Mutairi Kuwait’s Ambassador to Oman, and Shehab Al Saeed, Consultant of Sultan Qabous ofOman, cut the ceremony’s cake at Kuwait’s embassy in Muscat. — KUNA photos

DUBAI: Consul Theyab Al-Rashidi and members of the Kuwaiti Consulate in Dubai during a reception at organizedthe consulate.

MADRID: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Spain Sulaiman Al-Harbi and anumber of Arab ambassadors cut the ceremony’s cake.

KHARTOUM: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sudan Talal Al-Hajri and Sudan’sMinister of Agriculture Ibrahim Mahmoud cut the ceremony’s cake.

KUWAIT: Reporters Without Borders is worried by a waveof harassment of independent news media and bloggers inKuwait, where courts last week upheld the leading daily Al-Watan’s closure and increased a blogger’s jail sentencefrom four to six years.

The ministry of trade and industry rescinded Al-Watan’scommercial license in January of saying it had violatedminimum capital requirements. Under Kuwaiti law, com-mercial licenses are withdrawn from companies when theysustain losses worth more than 75 percent of their capital.

The information ministry followed up the decision byrescinding the newspaper’s publishing license.

“The court rejected our appeal against the decisions bythe ministries of trade and information to rescind Al-Watan’s licenses,” the newspaper’s lawyer, Rashed Al-Radaan, said after the court issued its ruling on 18February.

Blogger’s jail term lengthenedIn a separate decision on 18 February, an appeal court

added two years to the four-year jail sentence that bloggerSaleh al-Saeed received in December for tweeting com-ments accusing Saudi Arabia of encroaching on the territo-ry of both Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Kuwaiti authorities arrested several bloggers in lateJanuary for posting comments deemed to have insultedSaudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who died on 23 January. Theyhave not yet been brought before any court.

The UN Human Rights Council’s Universal PeriodicReview working group has meanwhile issued a damningreport about the human rights situation in Kuwait.

Released on 30 January, the report urges Kuwait to“guarantee the independence of the judiciary by reformingthe appointment, promotion and evaluation of judges andremoving the direct dependency of the Supreme Judiciaryon the Ministry of Justice.”

It voices concern about “excessive restrictions on free-dom of expression contained in the Press and PublicationLaw and related legislation, including prohibitions on legit-imate criticism of government officials and other publicfigures, and about allegations of arbitrary arrest, detention,trial and deportation of persons using their freedom ofopinion and expression through the media and Internet.”

It also urges Kuwait to revise the Press and PublicationLaw in order to “fully guarantee freedoms of opinion and

expression, protect media pluralism and decriminalizedefamation.” Kuwait is ranked 90th out of 180 countries inthe 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.—Reporters Without Borders

L O C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

By Sara Ahmed

KUWAIT: A violent incident occurred on a public trans-portation bus heading to Shuwaikh yesterday. Around 3:30pm, a group of rowdy teenage boys boarded the #51 busheading from Jleeb to Sharq. They were all carrying waterguns and water balloons and immediately started shootingwater at passengers once they boarded. The bus driverstopped the bus and asked the young men not to disturbthe other passengers but they completely ignored him.The seven or eight young men, some of them wearingmasks and all of them wearing Kuwaiti flag hats, scarvesand other items, were disruptive and even verbally abusiveto the other passengers.

At the Lulu bus stop in Al-Rai, the young men startedthrowing water balloons from the back of the bus at the

passengers waiting at the bus stand. They were also yellingabuses and shooting their water guns at the passengers.An unidentified man responded by throwing a rock at thegroup of young men, breaking the glass of the bus andinjuring one of the boys on his side. He quickly fled thescene and the group of young men rushed off the bus inpursuit. Rather than phone the police, however, the busdriver inspected the damaged glass and after the group ofteenagers had disembarked, continued on the route.

Several incidents of physical altercations and harass-ment by youth ‘celebrating’ are filed with local police sta-tions each year during Kuwait’s National and LiberationDay holidays. Though police have earlier banned sprayfoam, water guns, water pistols and water balloons arecommonly used by kids and teens during the holidays andthey will often spray unsuspecting passengers or cars.

Teens attackbus passengers

KUWAIT: Children spray water at a passing car during National Day celebrations yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Watchdog slams newspaper closure, blogger’s jail term

By Abdullah Buwair

local@kuwaittimes.net

In my view

Those two glorious anniversaries are very impor-tant for everybody in Kuwait - citizens and expa-triates - who impatiently await them to cele-

brate every year. This year, however, their joy is multi-plied by the honoring of HH the Amir asHumanitarian Leader and Kuwait as a HumanitarianCenter. We wish September 9 is also considered anational anniversary to be celebrated just like thenational days, because on this day in 2014, the Amirwas honored as the Humanitarian Leader and Kuwaitas a Humanitarian Center by the UN.

This year, we are celebrating Kuwait’s 54thNational Day and 24th Liberation Day. Kuwait inde-pendence was declared on June 19, 1961 during thereign of the late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah,who assumed power in 1950. His coronation was onFebruary 25, and thus everybody agreed to mergeboth anniversaries in one, and ever since Kuwait hasbeen celebrating its national day on February 25.

Kuwait has been steadily achieving much in termsof development and progress for the Kuwaiti peopleas well as citizens’ welfare under the wise leadershipof the Al-Sabah family since independence. Thanks toits wise leadership in handling various regional andinternational issues and its constant work to achieveinternational security and peace, Kuwait is also keenon building and cementing relationships with Arab,friendly and international countries.

Humanely, Kuwait never hesitated to reach itshands out to help and aid brotherly and friendlycountries in times of distress and disasters. Kuwait hasmade annual contributions to the UN’s Commissionfor Refugees Affairs, sent relief aid to the victims ofthe tsunami throughout the Indian Ocean, to earth-quake victims in Iran and Morocco in addition tohumanitarian relief aid to Zimbabwe and Niger toalleviate the sufferings resulting from drought andfamine there. It also sent financial aid to Lebanon inthe aftermath of the war in addition to constant aid tothe Palestinian people.

We have to review the independence day, duringwhich Kuwait turned a leaf of a long history duringwhich ancestors gave the best examples of strife andhard work to achieve decent living conditions anddefend their land, and started a new phase of a fullysovereign state working on proving its presence andcontributing in peacemaking and building the lives ofhuman beings.

National and liberation days

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Local Spotlight

Officially, the national holidays are only for two days,but a large number of citizens and expatriates haveleft the country possibly until the end of first week of

March. The most popular destinations are Dubai, Sharm ElSheikh, Jeddah, Iran and Turkey.

The operation department at Kuwait airport told localmedia that departing passengers on Monday numbered15,000 on 115 flights and 18,000 passengers on Tuesday on143 flights. Yesterday, the number of travelers increased to42,000 on 138 scheduled flights. The number of travelers ishuge, even with no final figures till the end of the holidays.

I feel sorry that we failed to provide enough attractions toencourage people to stay in the country instead of this grandescape, bearing in mind that these next-door destinationsare not cheap. I understand the typical reasons given bysome of lack of entertainment during the holidays and alsoan increase in harassment, especially of expatriates byteenagers on the roads. This article is not to oppose people’schoices, but I wonder about the cost of these short vaca-tions, especially to families.

I agree with the excuse made by some expats that thecoinciding of the national holidays with the weekend is agood reason to travel and meet family and friends. But what Ido not understand are families who travel in groups whilecomplaining about the high cost of living. I also wonder whywe fail to have enough entertainment spots like the rest ofthe Gulf countries .We have enough resources to makeKuwait not less than any other country, but a lack of will is thereason. In fact, we do not even have a new EntertainmentCity.

A lot of people need to understand traveling is not like ameal at a restaurant, because traveling is expensive andmust be used to discover new areas, but this does not seemto be what many are doing. Many people repeat the samedestination always, and I do not like this because I considertravelling an adventure and a lesson that no educationoffers. You meet new people and learn more about new cul-tures. A strange trend prevails here that everyone shouldtravel, even if it is only for one day. Last year, some observersestimated spending by the high volume of travelers fromKuwait in various countries around the world during thenational holidays at almost KD 54 million, including ticketsand accommodation without other related expenses, shop-ping and travel accessories. At the same time, the conditionof the airport is sorry and most travelers complain of delayson their way back as the airport gets crowded by peoplereceiving the travelers. Some even block roads and parkingspaces to cause more delays. The Ministry of Interior needs tomake people aware on this matter.

Have a nice holiday in and out of Kuwait!

National holiday or great escape?

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Customs officers at Kuwait International Airport arrested anAsian man who tried to smuggling 5,000 narcotic pills he hid in hisshoes. The man was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

FireworksAhmadi police arrested six roaming vendors selling fireworks illegal-

ly. The fireworks were confiscated and the detainees were sent to con-cerned authorities for further action.

Bid to smuggle 5,000 pills foiled

Newsi n b r i e f

Police seek nationalcelebrations’ harassers

By Mishaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: In preparation for the national ceremonies, theMinistry of Interior issued special orders to policemen toarrest and detain anyone harassing girls during theparade, which required full deployment of policemeneverywhere. Informed sources also noted that some Gulfvehicles were impounded for decals like one that read: “Iam the one that caused your blackout”. The driver wasarrested pending legal action.

Students greet celebratorsA number of Kuwaiti students went to Nuwaiseeb borderexit where they welcomed guests arriving from otherGCC states to take part in the celebrations of Kuwait’s54th National Day and 24th Liberation Day. The studentsreceived the guests with roses and Kuwaiti flags.

Lamppost decorationsMinistry of Electricity and Water’s (MEW) AssistantUndersecretary for Operation and MaintenanceMohammed Bushehri said co-ops wishing to deco-rate lampposts with light displays must contact theministry to get prior permission. Speaking to KuwaitTimes, Bushehri said such displays do not usually con-sume a lot of power and can be lit using dry batteriesfixed to the lampposts.

F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

We always argue that national anniversariesmust be a good stopover point for assess-ment and accountability as well as occasions

to express joy and rejoicing. We might be very luckyin Kuwait because we have two national anniver-saries - national day and liberation day - each indicat-ing that Kuwait was reclaimed to its people. The inde-pendence itself reclaimed Kuwait and its fortunesfrom the British colonization while the liberationreclaimed and freed the same land and fortunes fromSaddam’s invasion.

The 1961 national day paved the way to set theconstitution and adopt democracy, which gives fullsovereignty to the nation, while the same day in 1991reactivated the suspended constitution and people’ssovereignty. And thus, since World War II, we becamethe first people worldwide that witnessed the rebirthof the same state in several generations who havenot read about those incidents but actually lived andexperienced them as firsthand experiences with alltheir joys and sorrows.

Well, reviewing accomplishments on the 54thIndependence Day and 24th Liberation Day, we findmany contradictions. The people are no longer thesame ones who rejected colonization or the oneswho united and fought the invaders. It is becomingmore shredded with verbal and literal infighting. Wefailed to build a clear, honest and credible concept ofcitizenship, which actually means justice and equalityfor all.

Our public funds are no longer being devoured byBritish companies or Saddam’s men, but they havebeen appropriated under the pretext of tenders, bidsand finally the development plan. While prisons arefull of people indicted in free expression cases, noneof those who have been looting development funds,sabotaging major state projects and adding millionsto their bank accounts without the least effort arebehind bars!

Our country’s landmarks have not changed eversince the liberation like what happens in countrieseverywhere. Despite spending endless fortunes anddespite the fact that the constitution and democracyhas not been suspended since the liberation, ourpolitical life has never been worse. The parliamentturned into a source of legislations made to silencepeople and oppress liberties, forget about monitor-ing public funds administration.

We had nine parliamentary elections since the lib-eration and only one of them completed its tenure.Twenty cabinets have been formed and none of themcompleted their tenures. The population tripled sincethe liberation and jumped from one to four million.Youth percentage of the population became 60 per-cent without building any new universities, hospitals,integrated cities, highways or institutions needed forthe rapidly changing and complicated modern life.

We have always been praying to Allah to keepthings as they are, and therefore and despite all theconcerns, worries and depression, we celebrate bycheering: THIS IS KUWAIT!

Two anniversaries,

but...

Al-Jarida

By Dr Hassan Jouhar

Doctors recently found out that the inhabi-tants of an American town were veryhealthy, that no cardiac disease-related fatal-

ities happened amongst them and no suicides werecommitted. After thoroughly studying this rarephenomenon, doctors found that the main reasonbehind this was the strong social bonds amongstthe people of that town, who are used to socializ-ing, getting involved in healthy dialogues anddebates on a regular basis and that they respecteach other despite diversity in ideologies, beliefsand affiliations.

Hence, and besides other known benefits thathelp protect societies and communities againstchaos and confusion, we can learn a new advan-tage of tolerance, clemency, strong belief in diversi-ty, dialogues and respecting others’ opinions. This,of course, has a positive impact on economic devel-opment and prosperity that are easily achievable inview of social stability and peace as well as onfuture generations.

If tolerance and clemency do have health-relatedbenefits as the doctors in that town believe, doctorsof the future may discover that the hatred dominat-ing our sickly societies might have direct impactson human beings’ health, because societies andcommunities saturated with hatred, where con-tempt, expulsion, alienation and ignoring othersdominate, must suffer from and develop lots ofsymptoms of oppression, depression and inferiority,which are all very negative feelings that lead to fataldiseases.

Love is healing

Al-Anbaa

By Salah Al-Sayer

Last year, the previous development plan thatstarted in 2010 concluded and the governmentadmitted failure in achieving its goals. Now, after

one full year since that plan ended, the governmentcomes up with a new one for the years 2015/2016-2019/2020. So, do we expect the new plan to achieveany real development?

The answer is NO because it is not expected to suc-ceed and achieve comprehensive sustainable develop-ment, for as I mentioned in an earlier article, the gov-ernment’s plans up to 2035 adopt neoliberal economicmethods that prioritize the market economy that exag-gerates the private sector’s role and calls for ‘privatiza-tion and market liberalization’, as it is clear in the gov-ernment’s plan, which means liberalizing prices,employing nationals, imposing sales taxes and newfees, cancelling social subsidies and shrinking thesocial security umbrella and gradually working onreducing the state’s economic activities by turning itfrom a one fully responsible of people’s daily needs in awelfare state into a mere guardian or organizer of pub-lic property.

Therefore, just like the previous one, the currentdevelopment plan depends on fractional planning thatfocuses on private business environments and devel-oping work methods and procedures for the sake offacilitating the private sector’s operation and enable itto make more profits while comprehensive planningthat would achieve sustainable human developmentthat is universally acknowledged to financially, socially,politically, culturally and environmentally improve liv-ing standards and reinforce positive values withoutnegatively affecting the needs of future generationshas been ignored.

Accordingly, it is expected that the new plan willend up just like the previous one: a complete failure,and that for three reasons. The first is that the circum-stances leading to the previous plan’s failure still existand may have become even worse, especially in termsof the rise of political and institutional corruption thatis directly reflected on state management and sustain-able development. No development is achievable inthe presence of institutional corruption. Secondly,neoliberal economic policies adopted by capitalistindustrial countries with productive economies in themid 1970s to improve their performance have allfailed, leading to the global financial crisis of 2008 thatwe still suffer from today.

The third reason is related to the nature of our pri-vate sector. Assuming neoliberal policies are still suc-cessful, they have to be built on productive industrialeconomies, promising markets and a productive pri-vate sector that depends on its own potentials andtakes the risk of adventure, shoulders the conse-quences of its investment decisions and then con-tributes to subsidizing and supporting the state’sbudget by paying taxes on income and profits in addi-tion to creating new job opportunities.

Well, we do not have all that and our economy isbuilt on revenues, the market is limited and the localprivate sector is very weak and dependent on the gov-ernment’s public expenditure even when it comes tohiring nationals. It always demands the state’s inter-vention using public funds to multiply its profits andsave it from bankruptcy. So, how then can the privatesector lead the development locomotive as stipulatedin the government’s plans?!

Development:

Who leads whom?

Al-Jarida

By Dr Bader Al-Daihani

Al-Jarida

CrimeR e p o r t

Missing girl,

family reunited

KUWAIT: Sabah Al-Salem detectives reunited a girl withher family after a three-week absence that she spentroaming malls. She was spotted at a Fahaeel coffee shop.Detectives were working on the case and followed herphone records, leading them to the coffee shop, whereshe was arrested. She said she had left her home due tofamily problems. She signed an undertaking and washanded over to her family.

Backup calledHawally patrols had to call for backup fromFarwaniya police after they were chased byfriends of a wanted man who they had arrested.The ‘chasers’ escaped as the backup arrived. Asecurity source said the arrest was made at acheckpoint, and while the suspect was beingtaken to the concerned department, two carschased the patrol car, so backup was called.

Drug addict deadAn Egyptian prisoner died at the Drugs ControlGeneral Department a short while after hisarrest, while under the influence of drugs. Thedeceased man complained of severe exhaus-tion, and died while paramedics were gettingready to take him to hospital. — Al-Rai

Man kidnappedA bedoon man accused four persons of kidnapping himfrom Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, then beat him, photographedhim naked, and held him for seven hours. Police arrest-ed one of the culprits, but he denied the charges andsaid they were fabricated. Detectives are looking for therest of suspects for further investigations.

145 weapons, 37 grenades,

mines handed over to MoI

KUWAIT: Director of the criminal investigation depart-ment Maj Gen Mahmoud Al-Tabbakh said that thetotal number of weapons citizens and expatriateshanded over to weapon collection centers in the firstfew days of a 4-month grace was 145 firearms (includ-ing RPGs, Kalashnikovs, M16 machineguns, guns, shot-guns and air-pressure guns) and 37 grenades and vari-ous kinds of mines. Tabbakh added that the Capitalgovernorate led in the number of weapons handedover, followed by Ahmadi. He added that instructionswere given to various patrols not to arrest citizens orexpats caught with the weapons they are on their wayto hand over. He added that handing over weaponswould be dealt with utmost privacy and that specialteams would be dispatched to houses to collectweapons at the owners’ requests. He added that theweapon collection teams include 250 officers and war-rant officers including 30 policewomen. — Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: As usual before official holi-days, 100 percent of schoolchildrenwere absent while absenteeismamong government employees was25-35 percent. The governmentseems to be totally incapable of fight-ing this phenomenon, said informedsources. The sources added theEducation Ministry’s area directors’council officials met to discussabsence in primary schools, and thatthe council decided reactivating theprimary school chart that had helpedfight 95 percent of absence cases.

Meanwhile, official sources at theCSC said that employees’ and seniorofficials’ absence was exceptionalover the past three days, and that afull report would be made about thisnext week to show the total number

of absentees, namely those withoutofficial leaves, and the measures tak-en against them.

The sources added that initialreports showed that 25 to 35 percentof employees were absent in variousgovernment establishments. “Thoughrelatively high, this is still less thanthe percentage recorded last year,which cost the state KD 12 million,”the sources remarked, pointing outthat absences before and after vaca-tions has been a phenomenon thatthe CSC has been trying to fight foryears, without success so far. Theyadded that some recommendationswere made including strictness inholding students accountable forsuch absences and including the totalnumber of absence days in the fac-

tors reviewed on annually evaluatingemployees’ performance.

In a related development, KuwaitInternational Airport’s operationsmanager, Saleh Al-Fedaghi said that76,000 people had left to spend thenational anniversary vacation abroadin their favorable destinations, mainlyDubai, Cairo, Sharm Al-Sheikh,Jeddah, Iran and Turkey, onboard 386flights. Some of the passengers leav-ing said that they were going hometo spend the vacation with their fami-lies. Others said they were flying toDubai where they were supposed tomeet other family members comingfrom other countries. Some said thatthey were travelling to break the dailyroutine and monotony. — Al-Jaridaand Al-Anbaa

25-35% state employees

absent before holidays

100% of schoolchildren play truant

KD 100 minimum wage

for Indian domestics

KUWAIT: Salaries of Indian domestic workers will be KD 100from March 1, to be at par with salaries of workers of othernationalities. Following the cancellation of a KD 720 guaran-tee to bring domestic helpers from India by the Indianembassy in Kuwait, the embassy said, “currently the mini-mum wage of Indian domestic helpers (maids, drivers andcooks) is KD 70 to KD 75 per month, but after studying thesituation of the domestic help market, we decided toincrease the minimum salary to KD 100 in the contracts thatare authenticated by the Indian embassy in Kuwait, and thiswill be effective from March 1, 2015”. The embassy said thisminimum rate does not include housing, food and other liv-ing expenses as mentioned in Kuwait laws. — Al-Rai

Ex-Marine convicted in ‘Sniper’ trialfaces lifein prison

Page 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

US furious over Russia’s ‘lies’ on Ukraine

DONETSK: Russia-backed separatist stand next to bodies of Ukrainian servicemen retrieved from the rubble of the airport building outside Donetsk yesterday. — AP

KIEV: The United States expressed fury at Russia’s “lies” overUkraine after European powers urged a frayed ceasefire berespected, while a rare overnight calm was reported in the warzone yesterday. But the crisis still simmered dangerously. Britainsaid it was dispatching a team of soldiers to Ukraine for “training”and warned Russia could be cut off from the SWIFT internationalbanking network, while Russia’s Gazprom is threatening to stopgas supplies to Ukraine.

The United States has not yet said whether it favors sendingUS weapons to Kiev, as some officials have been suggesting. ButUS Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday launched his mostscathing accusation to date over Russia’s alleged involvement inthe conflict. “They have been persisting in their misrepresenta-tions-lies-whatever you want to call them-about their activitiesthere to my face, to the face of others, on many different occa-sions,” he told US lawmakers. He said Russia was also engaging in“a rather remarkable period of the most overt and extensivepropaganda exercise that I’ve seen since the very height of theCold War”.

British troops British Prime Minister David Cameron announced separately

that his country was sending up to 75 soldiers to Ukraine on atraining mission, with some leaving for Kiev this week. He saidthey would not be sent to the conflict zone. Cameron urged theEU to look at wide-ranging sanctions on Russia’s economy,which is already toppling into recession because of a drop in oilprices.

“We should look at other avenues as well-obviously lookingat the SWIFT banking issues is a big decision but there is a logicfor it,” he said. SWIFT refers to the international financial indus-try’s secure messaging system that facilitates transactions.Western sanctions in 2012 cutting Iran off from the system fordefying UN resolutions over its nuclear program dealt a severeblow to the Islamic republic’s economy. The developmentsrevealed deep Western exasperation with the violence inUkraine, which is continuing albeit at a lower level since aFebruary 15 ceasefire negotiated in the Belarus capital Minskcame into effect.

The United States and EU nations blame Russia for fomentingthe 10-month-old insurgency in east Ukraine, accusing Moscowof sending intelligence officers, troops, tanks and missiles to

back it. Moscow’s denials have been dismissed. The UnitedStates says it has evidence of Russian military deployments, andpointed to similar denials-later renounced-over Russian troopinvolvement ahead of last year’s annexation of Crimea. Russiahas flexed its muscles in return. Its state-owned gas giantGazprom has threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine thisweek, disputing Kiev’s claim that the gas needed was paid for.Much of the gas that flows through Ukraine goes on to supplythe EU market.

No arms pull-backA meeting Tuesday in Paris between the foreign ministers of

Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France failed to procure anybreakthrough. The diplomats simply said they wanted to see theceasefire fully observed and heavy weapons pulled back fromthe frontline. The ceasefire has been broken regularly. The worstviolation was last week when the rebels overran Debaltseve, astrategic transport hub located between their strongholds ofDonetsk and Lugansk.

Fighting has also been continuing near the port city ofMariupol, which represents one of the main obstacles to thepro-Russian forces creating a land corridor from the Russian bor-der to Crimea. Ukraine’s army and rebels both said yesterdaythat, unusually, no combat was reported overnight. But therewas still no confirmation of any arms withdrawal from the front-line. Kiev says it will not carry out a pull back until a full and“comprehensive” ceasefire is observed. Yesterday, the insurgentstook journalists to Obilne, a village 20 kilometers from Donetsk,to witness movements of artillery canon and trucks.

They said it was an arms withdrawal, but there was no way ofverifying where the material was going or if it would return. “Weare applying the Minsk accords,” a rebel commander known bythe nickname “Khorochi” said. “Yesterday (Tuesday), we pulledback Grad rocket launchers and the day before, tanks.” He added:“We are following orders to pull back heavy weapons, but theUkrainians aren’t.” The Organization for Security and Cooperation(OSCE) in Europe tasked with verifying implementation of theMinsk truce has not confirmed any arms withdrawal. The head ofthe OSCE mission in Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan, said in a state-ment that the warring sides “still have not provided” informationneeded to determine what, if any, arms withdrawals haveoccurred. — AFP

UK to dispatch team of soldiers to Ukraine for ‘training’

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican sought yesterday to end a diplo-matic spat that erupted after Pope Francis warned that hisnative Argentina was in danger of “Mexicanisation” by drugtraffickers. The comment prompted a protest from Mexico,which accused the pontiff of stigmatizing the country andbeing dismissive of its efforts to dismantle cartels thought tocontrol most of the cocaine entering the United States.

A Vatican spokesman said Wednesday that Secretary ofState Pietro Parolin had sent a letter to the Mexican ambassa-dor to the Holy See to smooth over the row. “The Secretary ofState has clarified that when he used the expression ‘avoidMexicanisation’ the pope had absolutely no intention of hurt-ing the feelings of the Mexican people, whom he loves verymuch, nor of giving the impression that he does not appreci-ate the commitment of the Mexican government in the fightagainst narco-trafficking,” the spokesman said.

Parolin is the cardinal in charge of the Vatican’s relationswith foreign countries. “The letter underlines that obviouslythe pope’s intention was simply to highlight the gravity of thephenomenon of narco-trafficking that afflicts Mexico andother Latin American countries.” The pope’s controversialcomment was made in an email he wrote to an Argentinean

friend, Gustavo Vera, who heads an NGO called “Alameda”which is involved in combating organized crime and humantrafficking. “I hope we (in Argentina) can avoidMexicanisation. I have spoken with Mexican bishops and it isa terrifying reality,” Francis wrote in a message which Veramade public. Francis is spending this week on a spiritualretreat.

In another development, President Enrique Pena Nieto onTuesday proposed a legal reform that would allow some for-eign agents to carry arms inside Mexico, a significant changein a country that has historically said the practice would vio-late its sovereignty. The bill, sent to Mexico’s Senate, wouldallow foreign customs and migration agents to carry guns inpreviously established zones. The main beneficiary would bethe United States, which shares a long border with Mexico. Itwould also allow foreign leaders or heads of state to enter thecountry with armed security details. Mexican law currentlyprohibits any foreign agent or authority from carryingweapons inside the country or participating in operations toarrest criminals. Authorities have always denied mediareports of US agents directly taking part in anti-drug traffick-ing operations inside Mexico. — Agencies

Vatican moves to calm row over Mexico drugs

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

DAMASCUS: This winter is more peacefulthan last for the people of Jaramana, a Syriantown on the Damascus outskirts that hasbeen spared rebel bombardment since thearmy drove insurgents from a nearby settle-ment last year. But while the state hasbrought more security to Jaramana, a bastionof government support, its residents areexperiencing new hardship. Winter is biting

hard, and heating oil is hard to find. Woodand even furniture are being used to heathomes. “Now, things are better than last year,”said Adnan Tannous, 50, whose district usedbe hit by 10 to 15 mortar bombs a day.

But while he is no longer scared to go outat night, his house is cold. “Last year we wereable to sort ourselves out with some diesel.But this year, no way,” said Tannous, as his wife

tried to burn wood stuffed into a heaterdesigned to run on diesel, filling the roomwith smoke. Outside, his son used an axe tobreak up a flimsy cupboard. “It gives nowherenear the heat of diesel,” Tannous said. WithSyria’s war entering its fifth year, people inDamascus appear unfazed by rockets andmortars that still crash into the city from rebelareas on its eastern outskirts.

Damascus-President Bashar al-Assad’s seatof power-has not seen the destruction anddeprivation suffered by other parts of Syria,where rebel areas have been besieged andentire districts laid waste. But the economicstrain is biting deep in government-con-trolled areas where most Syrians live. The con-flict has devastated the economy. The lira hastumbled, from 47 to the dollar before the cri-sis to 220 now, and inflation has spiraled.

Taxis meters are calibrated for 2010 anddrivers ask for seven times the displayedamount. Sanctioned by the United States andEuropean states that want Assad to stepdown, an economy growing at 3.2 percentbefore the war has collapsed into inflationaryrecession. The state has hiked prices of subsi-dized food and fuel. In January, it raised theprice of bread by 40 percent. A bundle ofbread weighing more than 1 kg now sells for35 lira (16 cents).

Booming trade in firewoodThe price of subsidized diesel stands 257

percent higher than before the war but it canseldom be found at that price. It sells for dou-ble on the black market, if it can be found. Asa result, the trade in firewood has boomed.One firewood trader in Jaramana saiddemand is 50 percent higher than last winter.“Even fruit and vegetable traders are sellingfirewood,” he said, surrounded by sacks ofwood for sale.

“Everything has doubled in price,” saidTannous, who earns the equivalent of $4 aday distributing cleaning products. To savemoney, he rides a bicycle instead of takingthe bus. “We haven’t grilled meat for two orthree months,” he said. Still, his support forAssad appears solid. Thanking the army, hesaid security was his main concern. Hecounts himself lucky, telling of an acquain-tance who made it out of a rebel area withstories of how people were eating grass tosurvive. On the outskirts of Jaramana, ruinedapartment blocks in a former rebel districtare a reminder of the devastating impact of awar that has killed 200,000 people.

The government, which has enduredthanks to economic and military supportfrom allies including Iran, is conscious of eco-nomic fatigue. Assad ordered a monthlyallowance of 4,000 lira ($18) for each stateemployee and retiree in January. The govern-ment says it is facing an economic warwaged by the United States, European gov-ernments and Gulf Arab countries. Trying to

lift spirits, a state-sponsored campaignlaunched last month urges citizens to “Live2015 differently”, a slogan displayed on bill-boards across Damascus. State-run grocersare offering discounts as part of the cam-paign.

Life of a thousand blessings“The state is telling the nation: ‘I am

strong, I am here, and I can intervene at anymoment,’” said the manager of a state-runsupermarket.

But the oil minister has been quizzed inparliament over the fuel shortages. Suleimanal-Abbas, the minister, said the ministry hadbeen forced to ration distribution to theprovinces because of a dearth of locally pro-duced oil delivered to the two oil refineries,the state news agency reported on Feb. 18.

Abbas said the priority was to securefuel to run the military, bakeries, hospitalsand the communications network. Coldweather has also caused a spike in demand.With Syrian oil fields falling to the IslamicState militant group in the east, Iran hasprovided its allies in Damascus with a fuellifeline supplied on credit. Sherif Shahedeh,a member of parliament, said he was sur-prised at how well the economy doing inthe circumstances. Yet he had warnedPrime Minister Wael Al-Halaki the peopleneeded “warmth, food, and medicine”,Shahedeh said. —Reuters

In Damascus suburb, more security, more hardshipAssad orders new living allowance as bread prices rise

SANLIURFA: Turkish Army vehicles and tanks move near the Syrian border inSuruc after almost 600 Turkish troops pushed deep into Syria in an unprece-dented incursion relocating a historic tomb and evacuating the soldiersguarding the monument after it was surrounded by Islamic State (IS)jihadists. —AFP

BEIRUT: Kurdish militia pressed a bigoffensive against Islamic State in north-east Syria yesterday, cutting one of itssupply lines from Iraq, as fears mount-ed for dozens of Christians abductedby the hardline group that recentlybeheaded 21 Egyptian Copts. TheSyriac National Council of Syria saysIslamic State seized 150 AssyrianChristians from villages in Hasakaprovince in a mass abduction coincid-ing with the offensive in the sameregion by Kurdish forces backed by US-led air strikes. Hundreds moreChristians have fled to the two maincities in Hasaka province, according tothe Syriac council and the Syrian

Observatory for Human Rights, whichis tracking the conflict.

Islamic State has killed members ofreligious minorities and SunniMuslims who do not swear allegianceto its self-declared “caliphate”. Thegroup last week released a videoshowing its members beheading 21Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya.

The abductions in Syria followadvances by Kurdish forces againstIslamic State in areas of the northeastnear the Iraqi border - an area of vitalimportance to the group as one of thebridges between land it controls inIraq and Syria. “They want to showthemselves strong, playing on the reli-gion string, at a time when they arebeing hit hard,” said RamiAbdulrahman, who runs the British-based Observatory, speaking by tele-phone.

The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia,backed by US-led air strikes, lastmonth drove Islamic State from theSyrian town of Kobani, since when fur-

ther signs of strain have been seen inthe group’s ranks. The AssyrianChristians were taken from villagesnear the town of Tel Tamr, some 20 kmto the northwest of the city of Hasaka.There has been no word on their fate.There have been conflicting reportson where the Christians had been tak-en. “These were peaceful villages that

had nothing to do with the battles,”said Nasir Haj Mahmoud, a Kurdishofficial in the YPG militia in northeast-ern Syria, speaking by telephone fromthe city of Qamishli. Some Christiansare fighting under the umbrella of theYPG in Hasaka province, but not inthat area, he added.

Kurds inflict new losses The new Kurdish offensive

launched at the weekend was focusedon dislodging Islamic State from areassome 100 km further to the east,including Tel Hamis, a town that is oneof its strongholds. The Observatorysaid at least 132 Islamic State fighters

had been killed in the fighting sinceFeb 21. Mahmoud, the Kurdish official,said seven members of the KurdishYPG militia had been killed, includingone foreigner.

In a telephone interview from thecity of Qamishli, he said the YPG hadcut a main road linking Tel Hamiswith Al-Houl, a town just a few kilo-

meters from the Iraqi border. “This isthe main artery for Daesh,” he said,using an acronym for Islamic State.The Kurdish YPG militia had seizedmore than 100 villages from IslamicState in the area, he added. “Webelieve we will finish the battle of TelHamis in this campaign,” he added.The offensive underlines the emer-gence of the well-organized SyrianKurdish militia as the main partner forthe US-led alliance against IslamicState in Syria. Mainstream rebelsfighting President Bashar Al-Assadhave mostly been eclipsed byjihadists, complicating a US plan totrain and equip Syrian oppositionforces to fight Islamic State.

Washington has shunned the ideaof partnering with the Damascus gov-ernment, seeing Assad as part of theproblem. Syrian government forces,waging a separate campaign againstIslamic State, have made advancesagainst the group in Hasaka in recentweeks. The latest fighting in Hasaka isone piece of the Syrian war that isabout to enter its fifth year and isbeing fought by an array of forces onmultiple frontlines. Governmentforces and allied militia are wagingtheir own campaign against IslamicState, while also battling other insur-gents including mainstream rebelsand the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Frontin western areas that are mostlyunder state control.

A large offensive by governmentforces backed by the Lebanese groupHezbollah earlier this month madeswift progress in the south beforeslowing, while an attempt to encirclerebel-held areas of the northern city ofAleppo last week was repulsed,according to the Observatory. The US-based Human Rights Watch accusedthe Syrian government on Tuesday ofcarrying out hundreds of indiscrimi-nate aerial attacks in the past year,most with barrel bombs, in defiance ofa United Nations Security Councildemand to stop. —Reuters

Syrian Kurds cut off Islamic State supply line near Iraq

Fears for Christians mount

AT SEA: A French navy Rafale fighter jet lands on the aircraft craft carrier Charles de Gaulle oper-ating in the Gulf following a mission over Iraq said. A dozen French fighter jets are catapultedinto the sky from the aircraft carrier in the Gulf, roaring off towards Iraq as part of the campaignagainst the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group. —AFP

ANKARA: Turkey has alarmed fellowNATO members by raising the prospect ofhanding China a multi-billion dollar mis-sile contract, yet the long-running saga isfar from over and Ankara may just be trad-ing for a better deal. Turkey, NATO’s onlyMuslim member, entered discussions in2013 with the China Precision MachineryExport-Import Corporation (CPMIEC) overits first anti-missile system, a contractworth $3.4 billion (3 billion euros). French-Italian consortium Eurosam and US-listedRaytheon Co have also submitted offers,but several recent statements by Turkishofficials have indicated the Chinese maybe the front-runner.

Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, in awritten answer to a parliamentary com-mission, sparked speculation that CPMIECwas the winner by saying no new officialbid had been received from rivals and itssystem could be used without integratingwith NATO systems. Yet there are seriousconcerns over the compatibility ofCPMIEC’s systems with NATO missiledefenses, as well as strategic worriesabout a key member of the militaryalliance concluding such a big deal withCommunist-ruled China.

Other officials said talks were continu-ing with all bidders. “This is not a donedeal,” said Sinan Ulgen, visiting scholar atCarnegie Europe in Brussels. “It is totallywrong to assume that Turkey made itsfinal decision to buy missile defense sys-tems exclusively from China. Americanand European firms are still in the game,”he said. Nihat Ali Ozcan, security expert atthe Ankara-based TEPAV think tank, saidTurkey was doing all it could to secure abetter deal by promoting the Chinese bid.“Talks are continuing at the bargainingtable. We are talking about a lucrativedeal,” he said. “In my opinion, theEuropeans and the Americans are thefrontrunners, not the Chinese.”

‘Harmony important’ NATO says missile systems within the

alliance must be compatible with eachother and has urged Ankara to take thisfactor into account. “It is up to each nationto decide what military capabilities theyacquire,” a NATO official said. “We have tolook into the particulars of what ourTurkish allies have decided and whetherthis decision is final,” the official said. “It isimportant for NATO that the capabilitiesallies acquire can operate together.”Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim

Kalin insisted Turkey would make the mis-sile system harmonious and integratedwith NATO infrastructure. But analystUlgen said that while the Chinese systemcould be integrated with Turkey’s nationaldefense system it would be “half blind”due to compatibility issues.

“How can you expect NATO’s radar sys-tem in Kurecik in eastern Turkey to workat full capacity with a would-be Chinesesystem integrated into Turkish defensearchitecture?” said Ulgen. “It would be aparadox.” What is not a paradox is that theChinese are offering very favorable terms,including joint production, which is keyelement of any deal as Turkey wants tobuild its own long-range air defense andanti-missile architecture to counter ene-my aircraft and missiles. “China is a strongcandidate and in a more advantageousposition compared to other bidders,” aTurkish government official told AFP, say-ing the Chinese offer was half the priceand came with technology sharing.

The issue has also come to a head asworries grow about the country’s futureorientation under President Recep TayyipErdogan, with Turkey’s historically strongties with the West showing signs of severestrain. Selecting a Chinese company thathas been hit by a series of US sanctionsover the past decade following accusa-tions it sold arms and missile technologyto Iran and Syria in defiance of an embar-go would be unlikely to go down wellwith NATO partners. US embassy officialsin Ankara told AFP they would “not specu-late on China’s bid status, but understandthe overall selection process is ongoing.”

Shadow of anniversaryCommentators have also suggested

Turkey may not select a winner for itscontract before April 24, the 100thanniversary of mass killings of Armeniansin World War I. Turkey could use the dealas a card to prevent the West puttingpressure on Ankara to recognize thekillings as a genocide and adoptingtough positions on the highly sensitiveissue. “Turkey is trying to secure a betterdeal not only commercially but also polit-ically,” said Ozcan. France angered Turkeyin 2012 when it pushed ahead with acontentious bill to criminalize denial ofthe Armenian genocide, promptingAnkara to suspend military and politicalcooperation with Paris. The bill was laterstruck down by France’s top constitution-al court. —AFP

Turkey drives hard bargain over a crucial missile deal

DAMASCUS: At a shelter in Damascus, the strainof life under a crippling siege not far from theSyrian capital is etched on the gaunt faces ofthose who have escaped. Hundreds of familieshave fled the district of Eastern Ghouta in thepast few months, after more than one-and-a-halfyears of hunger and deprivation. In the courtyardof the shelter in a multi-storey building, 52-year-old Abu Ali lies on a mattress on the ground, hiswalking stick next to him.

“Every day I would wake up at dawn and gowith my daughter to rifle through rubbish bagslooking for lettuce leaves or anything to stave offour hunger,” he says bitterly. “When I was workingand I could provide for my family, I could callmyself a man, but now,” he says, his voice trailingoff as he wiped tears from his face. Abu Alimoved around Eastern Ghouta, trying to findsomewhere safe for his family. They fled the townof Mleiha inside Eastern Ghouta to nearby Saqba,before eventually taking advantage of a deal thatallowed thousands of people to leave the embat-tled area altogether.

He evacuated to a shelter managed by thenational reconciliation ministry under the super-vision of government troops, escaping dailybombardment and fear of starvation. Thirty-five-year-old Salma, another evacuee at the shelter inQudsaya northwest of Damascus, sits huggingher daughter. “We decided to leave, even if itmeant risking our lives,” she says. “In any case, our

children were dying of fear, hunger and cold.” Amother of two, Salma is from Eastern Ghouta’sHazzeh region, and survived nearly two years offood and medical shortages that have caused thedeaths of dozens of people. “I haven’t eaten atomato, a potato or a lemon for more than ayear,” she sighs.

Soaring food pricesSalem, from Eastern Ghouta’s Deir Al-Assafir, is

still dressed in rags and reveals teeth that areblackened and riddled with cavities. He and hisfamily got by on “animal feed and barley” buteven those meagre supplies came at a high price.Salem sold his wife’s jewelry to be able to affordbarley that was only available at the exorbitantprice of 1,000 Syrian pounds ($20) a kilograms.Residents describe other soaring prices for goodsthat were in ever-shorter supply. “We used to buysingle cigarettes for 175 Syrian pounds (70 cents),while outside the whole box costs 125 Syrianpounds,” says 50-year-old Abu Al-Nur. Eggs costmore than four times their usual price, and a kiloof sugar costs 32 times the regular amount, evac-uees say.

The displaced are assigned to rooms in amulti-storey shelter, each furnished with basicitems including black mattresses. In one roomin the shelter, which AFP visited on a trip organ-ized by the national reconciliation ministry, aman with both legs amputated lay on his mat-

tress. Volunteers at the shelters describednumerous ailments among those leaving thebesieged region. “We’re seeing diseases that wehaven’t heard in this country for a long time, liketuberculosis and leprosy,” says Abu al-Majd, avolunteer at a centre housing 860 people.Doctors Without Borders warned this monththat “the medical situation, and the general liv-ing conditions (in Eastern Ghouta), are beyondany red lines.”

‘I have nothing’Elsewhere in the shelter, a family sits in the

open-air, savoring a simple meal of fava beans.Next to them is Mustafa, his thin frame visiblebeneath his robes and evidence of the 40 kiloshe lost in less than two years in Eastern Ghouta.The 76-year-old once ran a chain of butchershops in Mleiha, but found his strength slippingaway. “I used to be able to carry a sheep weigh-ing 50 kilograms all on my own, but afterwards, Icouldn’t lift anything,” he says. Much of EasternGhouta has been damaged in near-daily bom-bardment by government forces and fightingbetween regime troops and rebels. Residentslike Mustafa, who once employed 60 people,have left behind homes and shops that are nowvulnerable to looting. “I was well-off, but now Ihave nothing. My home and my business weredestroyed. Everything I achieved in my life hasevaporated.” —AFP

Syrians flee besieged rebel area with tales of hunger

DAMASCUS: Syrian families eat in the courtyard of a Syrian govern-ment’s temporary housing center that houses those who fled the vio-lence in the Eastern Ghouta region. —AFP

I N T E R N AT ION A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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# ع.خ.ج/91/2015/ع.

Ex-Marine convicted in ‘Sniper’ trial faces life in prison

Without hate crime, US

limited in prosecuting

black teenager’s killer

MIAMI: The Justice Department’s decision to not prose-cute a civilian neighborhood watch volunteer for a hatecrime in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenag-er is not necessarily a harbinger of how it will rule in twoother high-profile deaths of unarmed black men at thehands of police officers, legal experts say. That is becausethe standards used to gauge the existence of a hate crimecommitted by civilians are different from those used tomeasure the behavior of police officers, who can becharged with depriving someone of their civil rights byusing excessive force in the course of duty.

Because George Zimmerman was not a police officer,the US Justice Department could only prosecute him forfatally shooting teenager Trayvon Martin nearly threeyears ago if it had sufficient evidence the killing was moti-vated by racial bias or hatred, the experts say.Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer inSanford, Florida, without any legal authority associatedwith law enforcement officers. Zimmerman claimed heshot the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense, and he wasacquitted by a jury in July 2013 of second-degree murder.

If he had been a sworn officer, federal prosecutorswould have the option of pursuing “color of law” chargesagainst Zimmerman. It is this kind of federal case thatcould be brought against officers in recent contentiouskillings by white police officers of black suspects MichaelBrown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York.Those cases are also hard to prove; police officers are giv-en latitude to use deadly force if they feel their lives areendangered. “In the case of a police officer, what you’relooking at is, did the police officer use excessive force thatresulted in a death or injury or something else? It’s notwhat a reasonable person would do. It’s what a reason-able police officer would do under the circumstances,”said David S Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor whohandled civil right cases.

Motivated by race“For a private citizen, it is a hate crime, which has to be

motivated by race,” he added. “Zimmerman may havewanted to be a police officer at some point in time, but hewasn’t then and he isn’t now.” St Louis community activistJohn Gaskins, a member of the NAACP’s national board ofdirectors, said he wasn’t surprised by the decision to notcharge Zimmerman federally in Martin’s death. But hesaid “this doesn’t give me much hope” that Fergusonpolice officer Darren Wilson will be indicted. “It’s notencouraging to see that George Zimmerman was notindicted,” Gaskins said.

The decision not to prosecute Zimmerman under fed-eral civil rights laws came Tuesday in the waning days ofAttorney General Eric Holder’s tenure. The case became aflashpoint in the national conversation about racebecause Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic,was not immediately arrested after shooting Martin, whois black. The Justice Department concluded there was notenough evidence to establish that Zimmerman willfullydeprived Martin of his civil rights - a difficult legal stan-dard to meet - or killed the teenager because of his race.“This decision is limited strictly to the department’sinability to meet the high legal standard required to pros-ecute the case under the federal civil rights statutes; itdoes not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of theshooting,” the Justice Department said in a news release.

‘Looks black’The Justice Department’s decision was not surprising

because there was no direct or circumstantial evidencethat Zimmerman’s actions were motivated by race, saidTamara Rice Lave, a professor at the University of Miami’sSchool of Law. In a 911 call, as he followed Martinthrough their Sanford neighborhood, Zimmerman saidthe teenager “looks black.” “But he doesn’t say the thingsthat would make you think it was motivated by race,” Lavesaid. “He doesn’t call him the N-word.” Zimmerman’s attor-ney, Don West, was on a flight and couldn’t immediatelycomment on the decision. A call to Zimmerman’s cell-phone went directly to voicemail.

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Martin’s family,said the Justice Department’s decision not to file federalcharges against Zimmerman was expected but still “a bit-ter pill to swallow.” “What they told his family and I wasthat because Trayvon wasn’t able to tell us his version ofevents, there was a lack of evidence to bring the charges.That’s the tragedy,” Crump said. The February 2012 con-frontation began after Zimmerman saw Martin while driv-ing in his neighborhood. Zimmerman called police andgot out of his car and approached Martin, who wasreturning from a store while visiting his father and hisfather’s fiancee at the same townhome complex whereZimmerman lived.

Zimmerman did not testify at his trial, but he toldinvestigators he feared for his life as Martin straddled himand punched him during a fight. The decision to not pros-ecute Zimmerman comes even though Holder has madecivil rights a cornerstone of his tenure. Days afterZimmerman was acquitted, Holder said he consideredMartin’s death an “unnecessary shooting.” In a newsrelease Tuesday, Holder echoed remarks he made in theshooting’s aftermath.

“Though a comprehensive investigation found thatthe high standard for a federal hate crime prosecutioncannot be met under the circumstances here, this youngman’s premature death necessitates that we continue thedialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues andtensions his passing brought to the surface,” Holder said.“We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure thatsuch incidents do not occur in the future.” —AP

STEPHENVILLE: A Texas jury has rejected the insan-ity defense of a former Marine in the deaths offamed “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle andanother man. After a two-week trial in which jurorsheard testimony about defendant Eddie Ray Routh’serratic behavior, including statements about anar-chy, the apocalypse and pig-human hybrids, theyconvicted Routh Tuesday night in the deaths of Kyleand Chad Littlefield at a Texas shooting range twoyears ago. Routh showed no reaction as a judgesentenced him to life in prison without parole, anautomatic sentence since prosecutors didn’t seekthe death penalty in the capital murder case. As oneof his victim’s siblings called him an “American dis-grace” shortly after, Routh looked back at the manintensely but didn’t react otherwise. The verdictcapped an emotional trial in which prosecutorspainted the 27-year-old as a troubled drug userwho knew right from wrong, despite any mental ill-nesses. Defense attorneys said he suffered fromschizophrenia and was suffering a psychoticepisode at the time of the shootings.

‘American disgrace’While trial testimony and evidence often includ-

ed Routh making odd statements and referring toinsanity, he also confessed several times, apolo-gized for the crimes and tried to evade police afterthe crime. “You took the lives of two heroes, men

who tried to be a friend to you,” Chad Littlefield’shalf brother Jerry Richardson told Routh after theverdict. “And you became an American disgrace.”Routh’s trial drew intense interest, in part becauseof the blockbuster film based on former Navy SEALKyle’s memoir about his four tours in Iraq.

Jurors had three options: find Routh guilty ofcapital murder, find him not guilty, or find him notguilty by reason of insanity. If found not guilty byreason of insanity, the court could have initiatedproceedings to have him committed to a state men-tal hospital. “We’re so thrilled that we have the ver-dict that we have tonight,” Littlefield’s mother, JudyLittlefield, said at a news conference outside thecourthouse. The Littlefield family had waited “twoyears for God to get justice for us,” she said. “He wasfaithful.”

Kyle’s widow, Taya Kyle, had left the courtroomduring the defense’s closing statements earlier inthe day and had not returned when the verdict wasread. Chris Kyle’s brother and parents were among agroup hugging and crying inside the courtroomafter the verdict was read. They did not issue astatement. Richardson and Littlefield’s father, DonLittlefield, were the only two people to give state-ments in court, speaking directly to Routh.

Don Littlefield told Routh that even though hisson never served in the military, he was honored tohelp those who did. “He was trying to help you,” he

told Routh. Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh tothe shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge andResort on Feb 2, 2013, after Routh’s mother askedKyle to help her troubled son. Family members sayRouth suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder

from serving in Iraq and in Haiti after the devastat-ing 2010 earthquake.

Not legally insaneHowever, Richardson told Routh that Routh’s

PTSD claims “have been an insult to every veteranwho served with honor.” Routh’s mother, Jodi Routh,who was questioned by prosecutors about why shedidn’t tell Kyle about the extent of her son’s mentaltroubles, sat expressionless as well in the courtroomas the verdict was read. Routh’s defense team saidthey would appeal the conviction. A forensic psy-chologist testified for prosecutors that Routh wasnot legally insane and suggested he may have got-ten some of his ideas from television. Dr RandallPrice said Routh had a paranoid disorder madeworse by his use of alcohol and marijuana, callinghis condition “cannabis-induced psychosis.”

Defense attorneys noted that Kyle haddescribed Routh as “straight-up nuts” in a text mes-sage to Littlefield as they drove to the luxury resort.They said Routh, who had been prescribed anti-psy-chotic medication often used for schizophrenia,believed the men planned to kill him. Asked by areporter for The New Yorker magazine in a jailhousecall if he thought about the day he shot the men,Routh replied, “It tore my (expletive) heart out whenI did it,” later adding, “I guess you live and you learn,you know.”

A resort employee discovered the bodies of Kyleand Littlefield about 5 pm; each had been shot sev-eral times. About 45 minutes later, authorities sayRouth pulled up to his sister’s home in Kyle’s truckand told her he had killed two people. —AP

TEXAS: Chad Littlefield’s injuries are portrayed in this display during the capital murder tri-al of former Marine Cpl Eddie Ray Routh at the Erath County. — AP

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

LONDON: One in four British Muslims say theyhave some sympathy with the motives behind theattack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdobut the vast majority think attacks on those whopublish images of the Prophet Mohammad arewrong, a poll has found. Islamist gunmen killed 12people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris onJan 7, including the magazine’s editor and severalof its prominent cartoonists, in revenge for its pub-lication of satirical images of the ProphetMohammad.

In a poll of 1,000 Muslims commissioned by theBBC and published yesterday, 27 percent of

respondents said they agreed with the statement:“I have some sympathy for the motives behind theCharlie Hebdo attacks in Paris”. Sixty-two percentsaid they had no sympathy. Seventy-eight percentfelt it was “deeply offensive” personally whenimages of Mohammad were published and 11 per-cent felt sympathetic towards people who want tofight against Western interests. However, 68 per-cent said acts of violence against those who print-ed images of Mohammad were never justified, and85 percent said organizations which publishedsuch images did not deserve to be attacked.

Britain has approximately 2.8 million Muslims,

who make up just under 5 percent of the popula-tion. Senior politicians have regularly called onthe Muslim community to do more to counter vio-lent Islamist extremism in the wake of incidentssuch as the 2005 London bombings and the mur-der of a soldier in the capital in 2013, both ofwhich were carried out by young British Muslims.Many Muslims say they feel they are unfairly tar-geted as a result and blamed for the actions of asmall minority. The BBC/ComRes survey foundthat 95 percent of respondents said they felt a loy-alty to Britain and 93 percent said they shouldalways obey British laws.

Almost half said they thought prejudice againstIslam made it difficult to be a Muslim in Britain,which they felt was becoming less tolerant ofMuslims. Sayeeda Warsi, a Conservative politicianwho as former minister of state for faith and com-munities was the first Muslim to serve as a cabinetminister in Britain, told BBC Radio more data suchas this should be collected. “One of the problemswe have had in relation to good policy-makingaround our minority communities is that it hasbecome headline driven...and sensationalist and istherefore not dealing with the long-term problemin a calm way,” she said. — Reuters

Few UK Muslims have sympathy for Paris attack motives

KANO: Police officers stand guard following a suicide bomb explosion at a bus station in Kano, Nigeria. — AP

DAMATURU: Suicide bombers struck two busstations in different parts of northern Nigeria onTuesday, killing at least 26 people in attacksPresident Goodluck Jonathan blamed on BokoHaram, the Islamist militant group he said wouldsoon be defeated. In the first, a suicide bomberrushed onto a bus in the northeastern town ofPotiskum before setting off a blast thatdestroyed the bus and killed 16 people, accord-ing to security and hospital sources.

A police spokesman said the bomber was aman, but that some witnesses had mistakenlyblamed a teenage girl who was in fact one of thevictims. On Sunday, a girl with explosivesstrapped to her killed five people outside a mar-ket in the same town. In Tuesday’s second attack,two suicide bombers in a car struck a major busstation in the north’s main city of Kano, killing atleast 10 people, police spokesman Ibrahim Idrissaid. A Reuters witness saw the twisted, burntwreckage of four vehicles and the charredremains of at least two bodies.

“I saw the vehicle drive up to that point andjust a few minutes later there was a loud blast,”said witness Bello Gearam. “Some people were

burning, others running.” President Jonathanblamed Boko Haram, whose struggle for anIslamic state in religiously mixed Nigeria haskilled thousands of people and displaced over amillion. The use of suicide bombers has becomea common tactic of Boko Haram since last yearas the group expanded territory and becamestronger and more deadly. But in the past threeweeks it has begun to suffer a string of defeats ina military offensive by Nigeria and neighborsCameroon, Niger and Chad, all of which havebeen destabilized by the Islamists.

Tide has turned“President Goodluck Jonathan condemns the

reversion by the terrorist group Boko Haram tothe callous bombing of soft targets ... in thewake of the rapid recovery by Nigerian troopsand their multinational allies of areas formerlycontrolled by the sect,” his office said in a state-ment. “The days of mourning victims of inces-sant terrorist attacks in the country will soon beover as the tide has now definitely turnedagainst Boko Haram.”

A mine planted by Boko Haram killed at least

two soldiers on Tuesday in the town of Bosso inNiger’s southeastern region of Diffa, Niger’sdefence ministry said. Last Saturday, Nigeriantroops backed by air strikes seized the north-eastern border town of Baga from Boko Haram,the military said, a significant victory in theoffensive. And on Tuesday, Chad claimed its sol-diers had killed 207 Boko Haram militants andseized large stocks of weapons and ammunitionin fighting near the Nigerian town of Gambaru,close to the border with Cameroon.

But failure to protect civilians is a major criti-cism of President Goodluck Jonathan’s adminis-tration ahead of an election scheduled for March28. Yobe state and Kano have both seen manyBoko Haram attacks but have never been takenover by the militants the way northeasternBorno state has and are hundreds of miles fromthe main theatre of the war against the insur-gents. On Monday, defense spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade said air strikes wereunder way on Boko Haram targets in the Bornostate towns of Gwoza, where the group firstdeclared an Islamic state, and Bama andSambisa. — Reuters

Suicide bombers kill 26

across northern Nigeria

Bombers strike bus stations in two towns

LAGOS: Nigeria’s politicians are turning toNollywood film stars, popular musicians andformer international footballers to win nextmonth’s election, in a campaign increasinglyfought online. Africa’s most populous countryand biggest economy goes to the polls forpresidential and parliamentary elections onMarch 28, with gubernatorial and state houseassembly polls two weeks later. Dozens of par-ties will contest the vote but the main opposi-tion All Progressives Congress (APC) is seen asmounting the first serious challenge to the rul-ing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

An Afrobarometer poll published onJanuary 27 before the initial February 14 elec-tion date was pushed back six weeks on secu-rity grounds put the two parties neck-and-neck at 42 percent each. “The stakes are high,”said Muyiwa Akintunde, of LeapCommunications, a Lagos public relations andadvertising firm. “The PDP and APC are nottaking chances. They are using every availableplatform to woo the electorate,” he said. Bothmain parties are still making use of traditionalmedia such as radio, television, newspapers,billboards and posters.

But they have also taken to social media ina big way, with Nigeria witnessing an explo-sion in mobile phone subscriptions, includingsmartphones. Last month in the southern oilcity of Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s former nationalfootball team captain Joseph Yobo was onhand to canvass votes for President GoodluckJonathan. For the APC and its candidate, for-mer military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, thepopular traditional musician Wasiu AyindeMarshall has been a regular at campaign ralliesin the southwest.

Social media campaignOn radio and television, specially com-

posed songs and jingles extolling the virtuesof political candidates are rarely off the air-waves. In Lagos, APC governorship candidateAkinwunmi Ambode is fighting his PDP rivalJimi Agbaje as much for airtime as on the cam-paign trail. Omolara Olaosebikan, of QuadrantCommunications, a public relations firminvolved in some of the campaigns, said tech-nology was changing the face of politicaladvertisements in Nigeria. “It’s digital revolu-tion at play. There is no doubt that this year’selection will remain the most competitive inhistory and the parties do not want to be beat-en to the game,” she said.

For the first time, politicians-particularly

those from the ruling party have realized theycan no longer take the electorate for granted,she said. “Everybody is leveraging on digitaladvertisements to woo the electorate,”Olaosebikan added. “It’s no longer enough torely on insertions in newspapers or buy primetime for commercials. Who has the time toread newspapers or listen to radio and watchtelevision anyway?” Olaosebikan said advertis-ers now prefer online and social media to con-ventional media because of its low cost andimmediacy. “All you need do is click on a but-ton,” she said. “For a few seconds commercialon (state television channel) NTA, I will have tocough out 1.5 million naira ($7,400, 6,500euros). “But it’s not the case with the socialmedia.”

Internet warriorsNigeria, where noisy discussion about cur-

rent affairs is commonplace, not surprisinglyhas an enthusiastic and vocal community ofFacebook and Twitter users. The BBC said in anonline article last September that politicianshave even recruited unemployed young peo-ple who ordinarily would have been used tophysically intimidate voters for a cyberwar.

Armed with laptops and smartphones, theybombard online articles with positive com-ments for their political sponsor and criticizehis opponents. “In Nigeria, some 40 millionpeople are said to be on social media,” saidOlaosebikan. “This is a huge population thatcan be of huge electoral value to politicians.”But with just over a third of Nigeria’s 178 mil-lion people illiterate, parties still have to relyon visual and aural cues to get their messageacross. As a result, the PDP’s umbrella and theAPC’s wicker broom are printed everywhere,from T-shirts and caps to consumer items suchas rice and salt which are distributed as gifts tosupporters.

Given the personal nature of Nigerian poli-tics, where patronage is paramount, and thisyear’s closely fought election race, smear cam-paigns are widespread, particularly againstBuhari. Communications specialist OlatunjiDare, however, believes that newspapers,which are currently stuffed with political prop-aganda adverts every day, should not be partof the campaign. “The front page is a newspa-per’s chief asset,” Dare wrote recently in TheNation, an APC-backed newspaper. Theyshould not be used to peddle “transparentfalsehoods or hate or religious bigotry to any-one who can pay for it”, he added. — AFP

Celebrities, technology give

Nigerian campaign upgrade

PARIS: Unidentified drones flew over Paris fora second night in a row, police said yesterday,in the latest mystery appearance of unmannedaircraft over the French capital at a time ofhigh security. The latest sightings follow aseries of drone spottings at French atomicplants last year and, more recently over thepresidential palace and a bay in Brittany thathouses nuclear submarines. Authorities havebeen left scratching their heads as they remainunable to catch any of the operators or deter-mine whether the flyovers are the work ofpranksters, tourists or something more mali-cious. Flying drones over the French capital isbanned by law, and the latest sightings comeat a time of heightened vigilance following lastmonth’s jihadist attacks.

A police source told AFP that witnessesand security forces reported at least fivesightings overnight Tuesday to Wednesdayover central Paris-that may have been thesame drone or several.

The tiny aircraft were spotted near the USembassy, not far from the Invalides militarymuseum, the Eiffel Tower and several majorthoroughfares leading in and out of theFrench capital, the source added. Police hadalready been trying to find out who wasbehind the appearance of an estimated fiveseparate drone flights over similar areas ofParis the previous night. “Is it a game?

Scouting for future operations? The investiga-tion will show us,” a Parisian police chief saidTuesday.

‘Eye on the sky’Authorities were first alerted to mystery

drone flyovers in October, when state-runpower company EDF filed a complaint withpolice after detecting the small unmannedaerial vehicles zipping over seven atomicplants. The sightings continued intoNovember, and altogether some 20 flyoverstook place over nuclear plants. Their opera-tors were never found. In October, a 24-year-old Israeli tourist spent a night in jail and wasslapped with a 400-euro ($450) fine for flyinga drone above the Notre Dame cathedral.

Then on January 20, a pilotless aircraftbriefly went over the presidential palace inParis, not long after jihadist attacks left 17people dead and put the country on highalert. With many more police are troops outon the streets, drone sightings may be morelikely. “Many sensitive sites are protectedand from now on we are asking law enforce-ment to have an eye on the sky as well,” saida police source. At the end of January, smalldrones were also spotted near a bay inBrittany that houses four nuclear sub-marines-one of the most protected sites inthe country. —AFP

Unidentified drones

reappear over Paris

PARIS: A former jihadist who became an Al-Qaedadouble agent says Muslims must do more to tackleextremism in their midst and that stopping lonewolf attacks is near-impossible. Morten Storm hasseen deep inside the conflict between jihadists andWestern intelligence services, having served both.He was a Danish petty criminal who converted toIslam in the 1990s and became embroiled in theglobal jihadist network, before abruptly losing hisfaith and turning against his former friends.

Storm, 39, has emerged from his experienceswith a strong conviction that Muslim communitiesneed to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle radi-cal Islam. “(European) governments live in denial. It’slike an alcoholic denying they have a drinking prob-lem. We have a problem with this religion that weneed to address honestly,” he said. He was speakingin Paris, where his book “Agent Storm: My Life InsideAl-Qaeda and the CIA” is about to be released inFrench. He said claims by Western governmentsthat attacks such as those in Paris and Copenhagenthis year had nothing to do with Islam “made amockery” of those who were fighting for a more tol-erant version of the religion. “The silence of themajority of Muslims who are not doing anythingabout ISIS could lead to a war throughout theMiddle East,” said Storm, referring to the IslamicState group based in Syria and Iraq. His own yearsof deception have also highlighted the challenge ofidentifying radicalized individuals who act alone.“It’s difficult to prevent lone wolf attacks. You haveto understand what’s inside the mind of a person:one day from being a person going to the mosqueevery day, to one day changing within himself andstabbing someone or running them down with acar-it’s very difficult if not impossible for the intelli-gence services to stop that.”

Becoming a spy Storm’s own decision to abandon radical Islam

was triggered after he was unable to join the fightalongside Shebab jihadists in Somalia, whichcaused him to question God’s will. “It was like beingpart of the World Cup team and being pulled out atthe last minute,” he said. The disappointment, hesaid, led him finally to challenge the extremist ver-

sion of Islam he had adopted after serving time inprison for assault in 1997. After months of soul-searching, he privately renounced Islam andbecame a spy, helping the CIA, Britain’s MI6 andDenmark’s PET agencies locate and kill some of theworld’s top jihadists.

He claims his efforts were crucial in killingAnwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and top Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, who was blown up by a USdrone in 2011. Storm helped locate a wife forAwlaki, a 32-year-old blond Croatian who had con-verted to Islam and was looking for a jihadist tomarry. He maintained his contact with Awlaki, andclaims he managed to get a USB stick to him thatallowed the United States to pinpoint its dronestrike in September 2011. But his relationship withthe intelligence services soon soured. The Britishand the Danes did not want to be part of assassina-

tion plots, and Storm claims the CIA refused tocough up the $5 million they had promised forhelping him kill Awlaki.

‘Agents don’t have rights’He says the CIA even tried to have him killed-

”perhaps to tie up loose ends”-at which point hedecided to go public for his own safety. “Theagents do not have rights, we are disposable,” hesaid. He keeps his harshest criticism for the DanishPET, claiming a friend who died in Syria in 2013 wasa double agent, but his family have never beentold. “This discourages other agents. If you can’ttrust your government, who can you trust?” he said.Two CNN terrorism analysts, Paul Cruickshank andTim Lister, helped Storm write the book and con-firmed some of the details in his story, althoughthe spy agencies have refused to comment. —AFP

Qaeda ex-double agent urges

Muslims to tackle extremism

COPENHAGEN: People mourn at the grave of late Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein at the Muslimcemetery in Broendby south of Copenhagen. Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein was shot by policeafter killing two people in Copenhagen. — AFP

LA QUEUE-EN-BRIE: A drone Interceptor MP200 (top) prepares to catch a drone DJIPhantom 2 with a net during a demonstration flight in La Queue-en-Brie, east ofParis, France. Paris police say they spotted at least five drones flying over the Frenchcapital overnight on Tuesday Feb 24, 2015, and an investigation is under way intowho was flying them and why. — AP

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

KOLKATA: The archbishop of Kolkata yesterday con-demned claims by a prominent Hindu group thatMother Teresa’s work was motivated by a desire toconvert Indians to Christianity. Thomas D’Souza saidthe Nobel peace laureate “wanted to give dignity tothe poor and the sick and dying,” calling the claimsby the head of the right-wing RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh (RSS) “absolutely false”.

“She believed that every person is created in theimage and likeness of God,” he said. “WhateverBhagwat has said is absolutely false.” RSS chief

Mohan Bhagwat sparked protest in India when hesaid this week that the true motive behind the nun’swork was that its beneficiaries should turn toChristianity. Mother Teresa won global acclaim forher work in the slums of Kolkata and is still reveredby Indians of all faiths.

Bhagwat’s comments come at a time of height-ened sensitivity over religious freedom in India,where churches and a Christian school have beenattacked in recent months. The RSS is a key support-er of India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister,

Narendra Modi, who recently promised to crackdown on religious violence and ensure freedom ofworship for all faiths. Modi had been heavily criti-cized for not speaking out earlier against religiousviolence and has also faced flak for remaining silentabout a recent spate of mass “re-conversions” ofChristians and Muslims to Hinduism. Sunita Kumar,spokeswoman for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries ofCharity, told AFP that Bhagwat’s comments were“very sad” and called him “ill-informed”.

“I am a devout Sikh. I never witnessed any con-

version or felt that there was a covert or overtdesign to convert people to Christianity,” said Kumar,who worked closely with Mother Teresa before thenun’s death in 1997. “She preached to serve thepoor and to care for the sick and dying.” Critics ofModi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) have voiced fears about a rise in influ-ence of Hindu hardliners. Modi joined the RSS in hisyouth and the organization campaigned heavily forhis party at last year’s general election, which it wonin a landslide. — AFP

India archbishop condemns Mother Teresa conversion claim

NEW DELHI: The Indian government said yesterdayit had boosted security around hundreds of church-es in New Delhi after a spate of attacks on religiousinstitutions unnerved minority Christians. Juniorhome minister Haribhai Chaudhary told lawmakersthat extra police had been deployed to protect 240churches in the capital, and that surveillance cam-eras had been installed in and around all religiouscenters. Since December, five churches in the capitalhave reported incidents of arson or theft. Yesterday,a church in the southern state of Karnataka was van-dalized, a police official in the city of Mangalore toldReuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a declaredHindu nationalist, vowed earlier this month to pro-tect all religious groups at an event organized by theCatholic community-a long-awaited reassurancewidely seen as a response to the violence.

Days before, hundreds of Christian protestershad clashed with police on the streets of New Delhito demand government protection following con-cerns that minorities were being increasingly target-ed by Hindu extremist groups. After Modi came topower last May, systematic campaigns by conserva-tive groups to convert Muslims and Christians toHinduism, as well as acts of vandalism and theft atchurches, have outraged religious minorities. Abouta fifth of India’s 1.27 billion people identify them-selves as belonging to faiths other than Hinduism.

Free water, cheap power Meanwhile, New Delhi’s new chief minister

Arvind Kejriwal announced yesterday his govern-ment will halve power bills and provide free water topoorer households after his anti-corruption partywon a landslide election this month. Households inthe Indian capital consuming less than 20,000 litersof water per month will pay nothing from March 1,while those using less than 400 units of electricitywill see their bills halved, the party’s deputy chiefminister told a news conference. “We did what wesaid. Have halved the power rates and made waterfree... will also fulfil other promises, just keep givingus your support,” Kejriwal said on Twitter in Hindi.

The populist policies are the first since Kejriwalwon power and fulfill pledges he made during the

election campaign to help millions of strugglingfamilies in the Indian capital make ends meet.Kejriwal’s government estimates the measures willcost about $270 million annually, but did not detailhow they will be paid for. Kejriwal’s upstart AamAadmi (Common Man) Party, or AAP, trounced PrimeMinister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) at the polls, handing the premier his firstdefeat since storming to victory at last year’s generalelection. The win capped a remarkable comebackfor Kejriwal, whose last stint as New Delhi’s chiefminister lasted just 49 days and ended in chaoswhen he quit a year ago.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia estimatedthat the party’s new power policy would benefitabout 3.6 million households, while the water offerwould help 1.8 million. “None of the previous admin-istrations made any effort to give cheap, affordablepower and water to the people of Delhi... we aredoing it just as promised,” Sisodia said. The AAP,which was born out of an anti-corruption massmovement three years ago, announced similar deci-sions during its brief, controversy-marred rule lastyear. Many critics have said giving out free water willencourage wastefulness in a country where water isalready in a short supply. — Agencies

NEW DELHI: Indian passengers stand and hang onto a train as it departs from a station on the outskirts of New Delhi yesterday. — AFP

KABUL: An Afghan vegetable vendor pushes his cart during a snow storm in Kabul. — AP

India tightens security at

churches after attacksDelhi’s new chief pledges free water, cheap power for poor

SEOUL: Concerns about public safety stan-dards in South Korea have been fuelled byshocking CCTV images of a young couplebeing swallowed up by a sinkhole thatopened at their feet on the sidewalk inSeoul. The footage, which has gone viral onsocial networking sites, shows the coupleplunging through the paved sidewalk,shortly after alighting from a bus in theSouth Korean capital, as other passers-bylook on in horror. The incident happenednear an apartment construction site lastFriday — the end of the three-day LunarNew Year holiday.

Firefighters rescued the young man andwoman who fell 10 feet. Neither of them

was seriously injured and both were dis-charged from hospital after receiving treat-ment. South Korean President Park Geun-Hye vowed an overhaul of national safetystandards after the Sewol ferry tragedy inApril last year that claimed more than 300lives. In October, 16 people were killed andnine seriously injured when a ventilationgrate collapsed at an outdoor pop concertin the city of Seongnam south of Seoul. OnTuesday, the Ministry of Land,Infrastructure and Transport ordered anationwide survey of construction sites andtheir immediate surroundings to check fordangers like sinkholes and other subsi-dence. — AFP

A sinkhole swallows

South Korean couple

KABUL: Avalanches triggered by heavysnow have killed more than 100 people inmountainous areas of northernAfghanistan, officials said yesterday, as res-cuers battled to save dozens more trappedin the snow. Almost all of the victims werein Panjshir province, approximately 150kilometers north of the capital Kabul, act-ing governor Abdul Rahman Kabiri said.The avalanches came after two days ofheavy snow destroyed more than 100homes in the province and blocked mainroads, making it difficult for rescue workersto reach the stricken villages.

“Ordinary people and governmentemployees are using shovels and barehands to rescue those who are still trappedunder the snow,” Kabiri said, warning thatthe toll could rise without emergency help.“We have gathered 300 people to help withthe rescue, but we don’t have the equip-ment we need,” he added. As temperaturesplunged well below freezing, workers con-tinued to toil into the night to rescue atleast 28 people still believed to be trappedin their houses buried under the snow.Around 30 people were also suffering fromfrostbite and other injuries after being res-cued, the acting governor said.

“We will continue the rescue operationthroughout the night,” Kabiri added. Onehundred have been killed in Panjshirprovince, while a further 11 people losttheir lives in the provinces of Bamyan,Badghis, Nangarhar and Laghman, officialssaid. Abdul Rahman Kalantari, head of dis-aster response at the Afghan Red Crescent

Society, confirmed the heavy death toll andsaid they had already dispatched healthteams to Panjshir. President Ashraf Ghani ina statement expressed his sorrow at thedeaths and said he had ordered Afghanauthorities to provide urgent assistance tothose affected.

Earlier in the day, Mohammad AslamSayas, the deputy head of the Afghan dis-aster management authority, said rescueteams were being dispatched to areasaffected by the snowfall. Deadly avalanchesare common in Afghanistan’s mountainousareas in winter. One in the remote farnortheast in 2012 left 145 people missing,presumed dead. In 2010, another ava-lanche killed 165 people in the high-alti-tude Salang Pass, which runs through theHindu Kush mountain range that connectscapital Kabul to the north.

Large parts of the north of Afghanistanhave experienced heavy snowfall over thelast 48 hours. Parts of Kabul were hit bypower cuts after snowstorms and avalanch-es damaged power cables in the SalangPass, which officials said remained closedto traffic yesterday. Despite the billions ofdollars in aid from the international com-munity after the collapse of the Taleban in2001, Afghanistan remains among theworld’s poorest nations after decades ofconflict. Rescue efforts after disasters suchas avalanches and flash floods, which oftenhit as snows melt in the spring, are fre-quently hampered by lack of equipment.Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for res-cue teams to reach isolated areas.— AFP

More than 100 dead in

Afghanistan avalanches

KABUL: More than a third of conflict detaineesheld by the Afghan authorities suffer torture ormistreatment, the UN said yesterday, but the gov-ernment has made substantial progress in curbingabuses. The UN said there was credible evidencethat 35 percent of detainees they interviewedbetween February 2013 and December 2014 hadsuffered ill-treatment while in the custody ofAfghan security forces.

This marks a fall from the UN’s last report on tor-ture, which found that 49 percent of detaineeswere mistreated. The head of the United NationsAssistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)Nicholas Haysom welcomed the progress andurged the new government of President AshrafGhani to make good on its commitment to end tor-ture. “The government of Afghanistan’s efforts toprevent torture and ill-treatment have shown someprogress over the last two years,” Haysom said.

“UNAMA welcomes the incoming government’scommitment to implement a new national plan onelimination of torture.” The report highlights ill-treatment and torture during arrest and interroga-tion in numerous centers run by the National

Directorate of Security the Afghan intelligenceagency-as well as the national police, local policeand the army. Detainees, mostly alleged membersof the Taliban and other militant groups, were sub-jected to 16 torture techniques aimed at forcingthem to confess, the report said. These includedsevere beatings with pipes, cables and sticks, elec-tric shocks and near-asphyxiation, it said.

The report found that 44 out of 105 childdetainees, or 42 percent of those they interviewed,were mistreated-down from 73 percent in the lastreport. The new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani,who took power in September, issued a statementyesterday saying his government was committedto ending torture. “Despite the positive change, thegovernment of Afghanistan does not see it asenough and remains strongly committed to a com-plete elimination of any ill-treatment and torture inits detention centers,” the statement said. TheNational Directorate of Security (NDS) spy agencywhich was criticized in the UNAMA report, admit-ted to some cases of ill-treatment in some of itsremote prisons, but said those involved had beendisciplined.—AFP

DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh issued an arrest war-rant yesterday for former Prime Minister Khaleda Ziaafter she failed to appear in court for the fourth timein two corruption cases against her. Judge AbuAhmed Jamadder issued the warrant in the capital,Dhaka, after he refused a bail plea by the defense,which said Zia needed more time because she wassick and concerned about her security because ofpolitical unrest. I t was not clear immediatelywhether Zia would soon be arrested. The courtorder will go to the police station where the caseswere registered. “The next measures will be takenby authorities in line with law,” said state counselMosharraf Hossain Kajol.

The charges against Zia involve an alleged illegalfund used to buy land for a charity named after herlate husband, former President Ziaur Rahman. Zia’slawyers have rejected allegations that she illegallycollected more than $1 million in donations for thecharity, and say the charges are politically motivat-ed, which authorities deny. Zia was indicted in thecases early last year, but chaos broke out when shearrived at court on Dec 24, with her supportersattacking police officers and clashing with rulingparty activists. Authorities said the violence was anattempt was to derail the trial process, but Zia’s sup-porters say ruling party activists started the attacks.

After that, Zia skipped four court hearings,

including yesterday, citing security concerns andsickness. “Today, we appealed to the court for moretime for her appearance as she is sick. But the courtrejected that and issued the arrest warrant,” defenselawyer Sanaullah Mia told reporters after the deci-sion. Bangladeshi law requires Zia to appear in courtto seek bail to avoid arrest. Zia’s eldest son, TariqueRahman, the heir apparent to take over herBangladesh Nationalist Party in a deeply rootedpolitical dynasty, was also indicted in the cases.Yesterday, the court ordered Rahman, who lives inLondon, to appear before the court on March 4,lawyers said.

Meanwhile, security officials arrested a prominentopposition figure on charges of trying to “instigatean army revolt” against the government of PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina. Mahmudur Rahman, a for-mer leader of Hasina’s Awami League party, wasarrested for his phone conversation with a seniorleader of Zia’s party and another former army officerin which he talked about politics and meeting witharmy generals to discuss a possible military revolt,said Col. Ziaul Ahsan of anti-crime force RapidAction Battalion. Manna’s family said he was initiallypicked up in a raid at his brother’s home by plain-clothed men, and that he was handed over to police.

Manna, who heads a citizens’ group, said his con-versation was being misinterpreted. Bangladesh has

had at least 19 failed coups and two successful onessince it gained independence in 1971. Zia currentlyleads a 20-party opposition alliance that has beenenforcing a nonstop transportation blockade acrossthe South Asian country since early January todemand that Hasina, her archrival, resign and a newelection be called. About 100 people have beenkilled, mostly in firebomb attacks allegedly by Zia’ssupporters and hired goons, since the blockadebegan after a year of relative calm following a gen-eral election in January 2014 that was boycotted byZia’s party.

The boycott allowed Hasina to come to powerwith an overwhelming majority, and she says thereis no need for another election before 2019, whenher five-year term ends. Another stumbling blockfor any solution to the stalemate is the country’slargest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Zia’s mainally. Hasina’s administration has convicted severaltop leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami for crimes committedduring the country’s independence war againstPakistan in 1971. Jamaat-e-Islami openly cam-paigned against the creation of Bangladesh and isaccused of forming militia groups to kidnap and killpeople who supported independence. Bangladeshsays Pakistani soldiers, aided by local collaborators,killed 3 million people and raped 200,000 women in1971.— AP

Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for former leader Zia

Bangladesh’s main opposition leader and Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Over a third of detainees

tortured in Afghanistan

I N T E R N AT ION A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Newsi n B r i e f

7 die as Philippine troops hit Abu Sayyaf militants

MANILA: Philippine troops, backed by artillery fire andassault helicopters, battled about 300 Abu Sayyaf rebels infighting yesterday that left two soldiers and five militantsdead in the country’s restive south, officials said. Militaryspokesman Lt Col Harold Cabunoc said 16 other soldierswere wounded in the daylong fighting in a jungle nearPatikul town in Sulu province where the large number of AbuSayyaf gunmen had gathered. At least 16 militants werewounded, Cabunoc said, citing army reports. The Abu Sayyafgunmen, led by commander Hatib Sawadjaan, have beenblamed for several ransom kidnappings, including of twoGerman tourists who were freed in October after six monthsof jungle captivity, reportedly in exchange for 250 millionpesos ($5.6 million). Some of the militants who clashed withgovernment troops yesterday were from nearby Basilanisland, and it was not clear why they had joined up withSawadjaan’s forces in the poor, predominantly Muslimprovince of Sulu. The militants later split into smaller groupsas they withdrew and were being pursued by army troopsand marines, the military said.

4 French lawmakers ‘meet Assad in Syria’

PARIS: Four French lawmakers who say they are on a privatevisit to Syria, despite a breakdown in diplomatic ties betweenParis and Damascus, met with President Bashar Al-Assad yes-terday, one of them said. “We met Bashar Al-Assad for a goodhour. It went very well,” Jacques Myard, an MP who belongs tothe conservative opposition UMP party, said in a telephoneinterview. He refused to reveal the content of the talks. Thegroup of lawmakers include MPs and senators from both theleft and the right. “It’s a personal mission to see what is goingon, to hear, listen,” Myard said earlier. The French foreign min-istry has said the visit has nothing to do with the government.“The lawmakers do not carry any official message,” saidspokesman Alexandre Giorgini.

Indian court jails ‘most’feared gangster for life

MUMBAI: A Mumbai court yesterday sentenced Abu Salem,once one of India’s most feared gangsters, to life in prison forthe murder of a builder two decades ago. The court handeddown the sentence after convicting Salem earlier in Februaryover the killing of builder Pradeep Jain in 1995 in a property dis-pute, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. Salemis also one of the prime suspects in the 1993 bomb blasts inIndia’s financial capital that left 257 dead. “Abu Salem is sen-tenced to life imprisonment for the offences of murder andcriminal conspiracy,” said Judge GA Sanap while reading out theverdict, according to PTI. Salem went on the run after the 1993attacks, but was extradited from Portugal in 2005 after threeyears of legal battles. India assured Lisbon that he would not besentenced to death and the underworld don has been in prisonsince his extradition, facing a host of criminal cases. He is a for-mer associate of Dawood Ibrahim, India’s most wanted criminalwho allegedly masterminded the 1993 blasts and who isaccused of drug trafficking and other crimes.

SHIZHUANG: In a living room plasteredwith pious images, the Shi family flickedthrough timeworn pictures of a wizenedman with tortoiseshell glasses and brighteyes, the oldest bishop of China’s under-ground Catholic church. Almost a monthago, they were passed word that ShiEnxiang-who spent more than half a cen-tury in detention for refusing to renouncethe authority of the Pope-had died, aged93. Since then, nothing: no official confir-mation, no corpse, no ashes.

“All we want is to be able to bury him.They should give us the body out ofhuman dignity,” said Shi Wanke, 66, thebishop’s nephew, in a calm, gravelly voice.Around him, his children nodded in agree-ment. The family were first told at the endof January that Shi Enxiang-whom theyhave not heard from since he disappearedduring a trip to Beijing in 2001 had died.The village chief “asked if we had receivedthe body of my uncle”, said Shi Wanke. “Weasked if he was alive. He said: ‘No, he’sdead. Apparently he’s dead.’ After that hecame back twice to see if the body hadarrived.”

The former bishop of Yixian in thenorthern province of Hebei, Shi Enxiang

was ordained in 1947, two years before theCommunists came to power. He spent 54years in labor camps for refusing to dis-avow the Pope and cooperate with China’sstate-sponsored church, the ChinesePatriotic Catholic Association (CPCA).Instead, he ministered in one of the hun-dreds of underground churches that havesprung up across China. “He is a martyr andI hope that, one day, the life of our bishopwill be recognized by the pope,” said his33-year-old great-nephew Shi Daxing. “Wewant to organize a big public ceremony forhis funeral. Even if we are under pressure,we want to honor him, as a member of ourfamily (and) as a prominent member of thechurch.”

Unholy silenceThe fates of Shi Enxiang and Bishop Su

Zhimin, who was detained in 1997, havebeen a key sticking point in relationsbetween the Vatican and Beijing. The twohave not had diplomatic ties since theywere broken off by Mao Zedong in 1951,and have been embroiled in a long-run-ning battle for control of China’s estimated12 million Catholics.

Beijing bans adherents from recogniz-

ing the Vatican’s authority, regarding theHoly See’s insistence on the right toappoint bishops as foreign interference inChina’s domestic affairs. Chinese PresidentXi Jinping and Pope Francis exchanged let-ters of congratulation on their respectiveelections in 2013, fuelling speculation thatties could be warming. In December

Francis ducked out of a meeting with theDalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritualleader, which would have been sure to rileBeijing and jeopardize quiet behind-the-scenes contacts.

But Xi has overseen a crackdown onindependent Christian groups and Shi’sfate has drawn an angry response from

Hong Kong, where Cardinal Joseph Zen,the city’s emeritus bishop, led protests andsent an open letter to the Chinese authori-ties denouncing forced disappearances.Calls by AFP to the Baoding municipal gov-ernment, which oversees Shizhuang, wentunanswered. A woman at the CPCA’sBaoding diocese said she had “heard he’sdied” but declined to give details. Districtofficials have told the family the villagehead who gave them the news was adrunkard spreading “false information”,they said. They have long faced a wall ofsilence from Chinese authorities. After hedisappeared in 2001, Shi Daxing said, “Wewent to the county government, but theytold us they didn’t know anything and weshould ask Beijing. But in Beijing, they sentus back to the county.” Inside the familyhome, between the bursts of firecrackersmarking the Lunar New Year and the criesof children, his relatives were left only withscraps of memories. “He was a simple man,”recalled a grandmother. “The last of fivesiblings, he never had much. He wore onlythe clothes they gave him, ate practicallyonly vegetables and never complained,even if we had forgotten to give him chop-sticks to eat.” — AFP

Missing, presumed dead: Underground Chinese bishop, aged 93

Bahraini court rejects bail for Shiite opposition chief

DUBAI: A Bahraini court yesterday again rejected arequest for bail from a Shiite opposition chief whose trialfor allegedly seeking to overthrow the Sunni regime hassparked international concern. The court in Manama ruledthat Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of the Al-Wefaq associa-tion, should remain in detention during his trial, rejectinga second request for bail, a judicial source said. Salman,49, was arrested on December 28 for allegedly “promotingthe overthrow and change of the political regime byforce” and inciting disobedience and hatred in publicstatements. Salman, wearing a traditional cleric’s cloakand a white turban, appeared before the court with sevendefense lawyers, the source said. The court also rejected arequest for Bahrain’s interior minister and the country’shead of general security to be called to testify, saying theyare not linked to the case. It then adjourned the trial toMarch 25. Salman’s arrest sparked condemnation from theUnited States, Iran and international rights groups.

Abu Salem

SHIZHUANG: A relative unfurls a photo of Bishop Shi Enxiang at the familyhome in Shizhuang, in China’s northern Hebei province. — AFP

SANAA: Yemeni soldiers loyal to the Houthi Shiite militia walk past a tank inside the vicinity of the presidential palace yesterday in the capital Sanaa. Relatives of a Yemeniwoman kidnapped with a French female development worker in Sanaa said they had sought help from tribal leaders and Shiite militiamen to secure their release. — AFP

SANAA: Efforts intensified yesterday to find a French womanand her Yemeni interpreter kidnapped in crisis-hit Yemen, withrelatives reaching out to tribal chiefs and Shiite militiamen incontrol of the capital. Unidentified gunmen seized 30-year-oldIsabelle Prime-a consultant working on a World Bank-fundedproject-and her interpreter Sherine Makkaoui from a car inSanaa on Tuesday. Their abduction has sparked a wideningsearch, and prompted calls by France for its nationals to avoidthe impoverished Gulf nation following months of unrest.

“We contacted various tribal leaders in Sanaa and in theprovinces of Jawf and Marib to ensure their cooperation forthe release of the two women,” Yassine Makkaoui, the uncle ofthe Yemeni abductee said. “We have also contacted, for thesame reason, the interior ministry and the Huthis,” he added,referring to the Shiite militia that has seized power in the capi-tal. Kidnappings are common in Yemen, where security hassignificantly worsened since the Houthis-also known asAnsarullah-swept into Sanaa unopposed in September.

After their attempts to expand into southern and centralYemen were checked by fierce fighting with Al-Qaeda andSunni tribesmen, the Houthis moved to take power thismonth in what Yemen’s Gulf neighbors branded a “coup”.Makkaoui said he blamed the Shiite militia for the lack of secu-rity in the capital that allowed his niece and Prime to beabducted. “The kidnapping took place in broad daylight in thecentre of Sanaa where the Huthis are responsible for main-

taining order,” Makkaoui said. “They control both the min-istries of defense and interior, and we hold them responsible”for the fate of the two women, he added.

Prime and her Yemeni colleague were seized after their carwas stopped by men dressed as police officers, according tothe Frenchwoman’s employer Ayala Consulting. “There hasbeen some contact” with the kidnappers, Francisco Ayala,president of the consulting firm based in Miami and Ecuadorsaid. Western nations including Britain, France and the UnitedStates closed their embassies in Yemen this month over secu-rity concerns and have also called on their citizens to leave.France’s foreign ministry said Tuesday its nationals should“leave the country as fast as possible”. Militants have abductedWesterners in Yemen in the past. A US photojournalist and aSouth African teacher held by Al-Qaeda were killed during afailed US rescue mission in December.

Houthis take over base In another development, armed men from Yemen’s newly

dominant Houthi group took over a special forces army basein the capital Sanaa early yesterday, soldiers there said. Theclashes, which lasted around six hours, started late on Tuesdaywhen Houthis shelled the camp with heavy weapons, soldiersfrom the camp said.

At least 10 people were killed. The troops had been trainedand equipped by the United States as an elite counterterror-

ism unit during the rule of ex-president Ali Abullah Saleh, whowas ousted by Arab Spring protests in 2011, military sourcestold Reuters. Houthi militiamen seized Sanaa in September,eventually leading President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to fleeto Aden this week where he seeks to set up a rival centre ofpower.

For more than a decade the United States has watchedwith alarm as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - the mostpowerful arm of the global militant group - has grown inYemen as the political chaos has mounted. The US militarytrained and kitted out Yemeni soldiers under Saleh, and underHadi the CIA has stepped up drone strikes aimed at killing sus-pected militants. US officials have expressed concern that therule of the resolutely anti-American Shiite Muslim Houthis willharm their counterterrorism efforts in a country that shares along border with Saudi Arabia, the world’s oil exporter.

Yemen’s Sunni Gulf neighbors have decried the Houthitakeover as a coup, and the head of the Gulf CooperationCouncil Abdullatif Al-Zayyani arrived in Aden to meet Hadiyesterday, political sources there said. The power strugglebetween the Houthis in Sanaa and Hadi in Aden casts moredoubt on UN-sponsored talks to resolve Yemen’s crisis peace-fully, and exacerbates sectarian and regional splits which mayplunge the country into civil war. The Houthis said on Tuesdaythat Hadi had lost his legitimacy as head of state and wasbeing sought as a fugitive from justice. — Agencies

Search widens for abducted French woman, interpreter

Houthis take over US-trained special forces base

BEIJING: Chinese state-run media gavewall-to-wall coverage yesterday toPresident Xi Jinping’s newly declared “FourComprehensives” political theory as heconsolidates power and advances his ownbrand of Communist thought. The People’sDaily, the ruling party’s official mouthpiece,devoted a front-page editorial to the quar-tet: “Comprehensively build a moderatelyprosperous society, comprehensively deep-en reform, comprehensively govern thenation according to law, comprehensivelystrictly govern the Party”. The conceptswould be the lead item on state broadcast-er China Central Television’s nightly newsprogram, it said, and the official Xinhuanews agency was to disseminate Xi’s politi-cal theory-to be republished by news out-lets around the country.

Xi first mentioned the idea during a tripto Jiangsu province in December, and aparty journal carried an introduction to itlast week. But Wednesday was the first timeit was promoted on a mass scale. TheCommunist Party has had a penchant for

numbered catchphrases ever since revolu-tionary leader Mao Zedong. In the 1960sMao railed against “the four olds”-old cus-toms, culture, habits and ideas-in his questto remake society, and the trend has con-tinued ever since. Former president JiangZemin’s somewhat intangible “ ThreeRepresents” theory was a call for moreopen membership of the ruling party,which has “Eight Immortals” among its eliterevolutionaries.

In its editorial the People’s Daily said theFour Comprehensives would “lead the wayfor strategic layout for national renewal”.But such political pronouncements areoften catchphrases with little precise defi-nition or impact on policy. The first step inthe strategy was “achieving the great reju-venation of the Chinese people throughthe Chinese Dream”-a phrase that has so farbeen the catchphrase of Xi’s administra-tion. Despite the Communist Party movingaway from its Marxist-Leninist roots toembrace a more market economy-”social-ism with Chinese characteristics”-propa-

ganda output and official communicationsremain awash with jargon.

Jiang’s theory and his successor HuJintao’s own “scientific outlook on develop-ment”-a call for sustainable economicgrowth that has little to do with science-were invoked regularly by cadres at all lev-els to support the party’s policies, and have

been enshrined in the national constitu-tion. Nearly five years ago Xi himself, thenvice president, gave a speech at the centralparty school decrying the use of politicaljargon that walled the ruling party off fromthe country’s more plain-spoken citizens.He gave no examples in his attack on “emp-ty words”. — AFP

China trumpets Xi’s ‘Four Comprehensives’ theory

BAODING: A woman stops to look at a billboard featuring a photo of ChinesePresident Xi Jinping beside lantern decorations for the Lunar New Year in Baoding.The Chinese characters read “To together realize one Chinese Dream”. — AFP

N E W STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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Iran’s regular army carried out naval drills near thestrait in December. Tensions near the strait have causedoil prices to spike in the past - good news for producerslike Iran. But traders seemed to take yesterday’s maneu-vers in stride, with benchmark US crude dipping slightlyand continuing to hover below $50 a barrel by mid-morning.

State TV showed footage of missiles fired from thecoast and the fast boats striking the ersatz American car-rier, which appeared to be a replica seen in a shipyard inthe southern port of Bandar Abbas last year. The drillsalso included Guard forces shooting down a drone andplanting undersea mines. Footage aired yesterday didnot show that the assault had managed to sink themockup, but it was heavily damaged.

The “maquette of an American aircraft carrier” wasbuilt to scale and targeted with cruise missiles and ballis-tic missiles, according to Fars News, which is linked tothe Revolutionary Guard. At one point a camera fromstate TV panned across a banner which read “If theAmericans are ready to be buried at the bottom of thewaters of the...Gulf - so be it”, a quote from Iran’s firstSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The Guard’s chief commander, Gen. Mohammad AliJafari, said the drills send a “message of (Iran’s) might” to“extraterritorial powers”, a reference to the United States.Cmdr Kevin Stephens, the spokesman for the US Navy’s5th Fleet in Bahrain, said the Americans were monitoringthe drills, which had no effect on maritime traffic. Hedownplayed the simulated attack on the carrier, sayingthe US military was “not concerned about this exercise”.“We’re quite confident of our naval forces’ ability todefend themselves,” he said. “It seems they’ve attemptedto destroy the equivalent of a Hollywood movie set.”

The US routinely stations at least one aircraft carrierand other warships in and around the Gulf. It and itsallies conduct periodic naval exercises of their own in

the region, including ones aimed at countering thethreat from undersea mines that could be used to blockship traffic through the strait. The American aircraft carri-er USS Carl Vinson is currently deployed in the Gulf, as isthe French carrier Charles de Gaulle. Planes from bothvessels are carrying out airstrikes against the IslamicState group, which has seized roughly a third of Iraq andSyria.

Iran backs Syria’s government and is supporting Iraqin its fight against the militants, but it is not part of theUS-led international coalition against the extremistgroup. The drills were not publicly announced inadvance, but the Guard has held similar military exercis-es around this time of year. The last one, in Feb 2013, fea-tured “suicide drones” that attack enemies kamikaze-style. The Guard, which has a 200,000-strong force, is dif-ferent from the regular army and is charged with pro-tecting the ruling system. It also controls the paramili-tary Basij militia, for which there are no precise person-nel figures available.

Iran put the Guard in charge of defending the coun-try’s territorial Gulf waters in 2008 as Iran turned itsattention toward beefing up its naval and air defenseforces. Iran is currently negotiating an agreement overits disputed nuclear program with the United States andfive other world powers in exchange for relief from crip-pling economic sanctions. The two sides hope to reach aframework agreement next month and a final deal inJune. Western nations have long suspected Iran iscovertly seeking a nuclear weapons capability- chargesTehran denies.

In a speech yesterday in the holy city of Qom, moder-ate President Hassan Rouhani called for all sanctions tobe lifted once a final nuclear accord is reached. “Ouropposite negotiating party has to know that the end ofthese talks and the result of a deal must be lifting of theentire oppressive and illegal sanctions,” he said. “In thenegotiations, we will not accept any imposition, humilia-tion or continuation of the sanctions.” — Agencies

Mock US aircraft carrier target in Iran...

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Authorities did not specifically blame IS for theSuwayf attack on the armed unit which protects thekingdom’s land and sea frontiers. However, the interiorministry has alleged three Saudis operating “in supportof” IS shot and wounded a Danish national in a separateattack in Riyadh in November.

Authorities have also blamed IS-linked suspects forthe November killing of seven members of the minorityShiite community in Eastern Province. Border guards aretaking no chances after the death of their regional com-mander General Odah Al-Balawi and the other troopers.“Nowadays, anybody trying to cross the border, we dealwith them as terrorists,” Rashidi said in his commandcentre, one of several along the northern frontier. Thatmeans they will be shot on sight, an order that appliesall along the more than 800-km border. Rashidi saidthey have not yet had to carry out the directive alonghis sector covering nearly a quarter of the frontier.

In a room resembling a small lecture hall, five offi-cers sit at desks monitoring radar and camera feedsfrom the border while telephones bleep. On onescreen, a radar sweeps a green and yellow path, high-lighting about 30 white dots, moving objects whichcould be suspicious. An adjacent camera image, eitherinfrared or daylight, helps the operator decide whetherthe objects are innocent or an “enemy” to be marked inred. Then a message is relayed to the laptops of troop-ers at Rapid Response Stations in the field.

“When we have an incident we send six men, two

cars,” at least, Rashidi said. They are armed withHeckler & Koch G3 rifles and machineguns. Rashidi’scommand centre and others already online have com-bined to create what officers call an “almost finished”northern network. It replaces traditional patrolling onthe ground to guard against smugglers and other infil-trators. In November, the kingdom expanded a no-gozone 10-20 km south of the border. “It’s very difficult”for anybody to cross the border now, Rashidi said.

The only people allowed into the restricted zoneare border guards, other government employees, andforeign labourers working with them. Nobody elsereally lives in the region of yellowed, barren earth. Thepaved road leading north to Iraq through the Suwayfarea is flanked by barbed wire fencing and blockaded.It once brought travellers to a sprawling walled Saudicustoms compound. That was the only official cross-ing point but it has been closed for more than twodecades.

IS does not control territory in southernmost Iraqbut it was from there that the four attackers, all Saudis,came in January. Cameras spotted them but when bor-der guards went to investigate they came under fire,security officers said. The battle ended down a bumpytrack that leads from the fence to a wide, bowl-likedepression in the hard ground and thorny scrub. Here,officers say, an attacker blew himself up, killing Balawiand his driver. The weeks since have not erased theblood which has darkened the ground in a rough circlethe size of a dinner plate. Spent cartridge cases and anunfired bullet lie in the nearby dirt. — AFP

Saudis in hi-tech border battle to keep IS...

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Souq Sharq has entertainment activities in the out-door area in front of the mall, in addition to otherevents. The Discovery Mall has various activities andcompetitions for children on this occasion. The AvenuesMall is holding a photography contest on theirInstagram account.

For those who like to get out of the hustle bustle ofthe city, they can participate or just enjoy watching thecolorful kites flying in Kuwait’s sky. The Farsi Kite Team isholding a kite show from Feb 24 to 28 from 10:00 am to5:00 pm in Bneider off Road No 258.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) set a worldrecord yesterday by forming the largest human letter ‘K’with the participation of 910 citizens and residents. Theevent is part of the company’s celebrations of Kuwait’snational festivals, head of KOC’s media teamMohammad Al-Basri said in a press statement, addingthat the company’s entry in Guinness Book of WorldRecords is an addition to Kuwait’s international achieve-ments. This large gathering of people is an expressionof love for Kuwait, Basri said, expressing his gratitude toeveryone who participated in and contributed toachieving this record. He added that the new record is agreat achievement for Kuwait.

Kuwait marks national days with joy, parades

WASHINGTON: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (right) is seen with Kuwait’s Ambassador toWashington Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah during a ceremo-ny organized by the Kuwaiti Embassy to mark Kuwait’s National and Liberation days yesterday. — KUNA

Onlookers gather on Queen Elizabeth bridge to look at a public transport bus that drove over the side of the bridge in Johannesburg yesterday. No fatal injuries were reported and the bus driversustained minor injuries. — AFP

ADEN: The Gulf Cooperation Council reiterated its supportyesterday for Yemen’s beleaguered president against theShiite militia that holds Sanaa, as militiamen opened fire todisperse thousands of his backers demonstrating in the capi-tal. Days after Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escaped house arrestand fled to safety in the southern port of Aden, GCC secretarygeneral Abdullatif Al-Zayani met him at a palace there, a pres-idential aide said. He “stressed the support of GCC membersfor... the Yemeni president,” said a statement from bloc, whichgroups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates.

Zayani, accompanied by a delegation of Gulf ambassa-dors, told reporters after the meeting that Gulf leaders are“very happy about Hadi’s exit from Sanaa and his arrival safelyin Aden”. And he said the GCC will keep up efforts “to enhancesecurity and stability in Yemen, and to support the brotherlyYemeni people to overcome the difficult situation it endures.”

Hadi told Zayani that he called on all state and govern-ment institutions to move to Aden, according to a statementfrom his office. The Houthis have warned foreign diplomatsand state employees against viewing Hadi as Yemen’s legiti-mate leader. They also have arrested politicians trying toreach Aden. Yesterday, Abdullah Noaman, the leader theNasserist party - one of Yemen’s main political parties - washeld at Sanaa airport by Houthi rebels, a party official said.

A senior politician from Yemen’s Socialist Party said thathe and other party members met with Houthi representa-tives late Tuesday. He said the Houthis warned them that ifthey head to Aden, their party risks being dissolved. Lateryesterday, the Socialists declared they are pulling out of theUN-sponsored talks with the Houthis to protest the rebels’

crackdown on opposition protests in the capital earlier.Overnight, the Houthis took control of a major army base forYemen’s US-financed and trained special forces, led by com-mandos loyal to Saleh, according to officers who spoke to APby telephone.

In Sanaa, thousands of demonstrators chanted “no to theHouthis... We stand by Hadi to face those who conspireagainst our country.” Protest organisers said militiamen firedinto the air as others attacked protesters in the main ZubairiStreet, wounding five of them. The Houthis also seized 15demonstrators and led them an unknown destination, theorganising committee told AFP.

In addition to Sanaa, pro-Hadi demonstrations werestaged in the cities of Taez, Hudaida and Ibb, witnessessaid.The GCC has already voiced its support for Hadi in hisdispute with the Shiite Huthi militia, which overran Sanaa inSeptember. The Western-backed Hadi escaped Saturday andresurfaced in Aden, where he resumed his duties and retract-ed a resignation he offered last month. He has branded allmeasures adopted by the Huthis, including the creation of apresidential council, as “null and illegitimate.”

The GCC members rejected as a coup the Houthi moveagainst Hadi, and the UN Security Council urged the militiato withdraw its forces from government institutions. OnMonday, the Sunni Gulf monarchies, long wary of Shiite Iran’salleged support for the militia, urged Yemenis to “stand bythe president and support him... in order to end Yemen’s dan-gerous situation caused by Houthis”. The GCC brokered a UN-backed peace deal that ended a year of deadly protests thateased longtime president Ali Abdullah Saleh from power inFeb 2012 and brought Hadi to office. — Agencies

GCC reiterates support for Yemeni president

By Lajla Veselica

Koreans finding love and adventuretravelling through Croatia in realityTV shows have put the Balkan nation

on the map, making it a popular tourist des-tination for the Asian market. It all startedback in 2012 with the filming of the SouthKorean show “Romantic”, featuring Koreansin their 20s and 30s visiting Croatia’s high-lights, from the capital Zagreb to the stun-ning Plitvice lakes national park and ontoUNESCO World Heritage site Dubrovnik onthe Adriatic coast. It became a perfect TVadvertisement to visit Croatia.

“Eventually the romantic search of agroup of young Koreans for love in severalCroatian destinations became a great com-mercial for our tourism,” the head of thenational tourist board Ratomir Ivicic toldAFP. South Korean TV then produced anoth-er travel-reality show called “Noonas OverFlowers” - noonas meaning older sisters -that had several well-known Korean actress-es backpacking their way through Croatia.“It had a huge impact on the popularity ofCroatia and improving the knowledge ofour country,” said Ivicic of the shows thataired in 2013-14.

Last year more than 252,000 SouthKoreans visited Croatia, around five timesmore than in 2012. “‘Noonas Over Flowers’firmly put Croatia on the map for SouthKorean travellers,” said Cho Il-Sang,spokesman for the country’s top travelagency Hana Tour. The whole easternEurope region had been off bounds formost South Korean travellers due to a lackdirect flights and short holidays. “But the TVshow changed all that.... Croatia is emergingas one of the most promising travel destina-

tions for South Koreans who visit Europe,”Cho added.

Tourism accounts for about 15 percentof Croatia’s gross domestic product (GDP),around seven billion euros ($8 billion) annu-ally. For the first nine months of 2014, offi-cial figures show tourism brought in Ä6.7billion or 2.5 percent more than the sameperiod a year earlier. In 2014 Croatia wel-comed more than 12 million visitors, triplethe number of its 4.2 million inhabitants.Although tourists come mainly fromEurope, Croatia has turned its attention also

to Asian markets. Late last year Tourism Minister Dario

Lorenzin visited China, Japan and SouthKorea to promote the industry. MostKoreans stay for 12 days visiting also neigh-bouring countries - Austria, Hungary, theCzech Republic or Slovenia. Park do-Hyeong heard about Croatia for the firsttime when he watched “Romantic” andbecame interested in the far-away country.“People are kind, one really feels safe and itis not expensive,” said the 29-year-old on arecent visit to Zagreb.

‘Swamped with Emails’ Korean tourists have also spurred some

new services in Croatia and more businessties between Zagreb and Seoul. In mid-2014 Kim Seoung-Hoon opened a hostelfor Koreans in the Croatian capital, the firstone in the Balkans region. In the entranceto his Love Croatia hostel in downtownZagreb there’s a giant map on the wall withpinned destinations - all places featured inthe reality shows. Guests in the 27-roomfacility are Korean only. “This is a family-style hostel where people feel close, com-fortable, and last but not least, can eat aKorean meal,” the 30-year-old owner fromSeoul told AFP.

The idea to start the business camewhen he watched the popular Korean TVshows. “I realised it was a really beautifulcountry,” Kim told AFP. He also has ambi-tions to expand his Korean-only hostels toSplit and Dubrovnik, where he opened aKorean restaurant last year. Other business-es saw the opportunities stemming fromproduct placement in television shows.

Croatia’s Zagrebacka Pivovara brewery,which has about 45 percent of the market,signed a deal in October with South Korea’sCKB to export a popular beer sipped by thestars of “Noonas Over Flowers”. “We wereswamped with emails from South Koreansinterested in the Ozujsko beer,” exportmanager Marko Turicic told AFP. So why thefascination with this particular Balkancountry? Croatia was chosen for the TVshows because it was a destination notwidely known in Korea and a place with“beautiful landscapes and cultural her-itage”, according to producer Na Young-suk- the perfect backdrop for his “Noonas OverFlowers” actresses. —AFP

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

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All articles appearing on thesepages are the personal opinion ofthe writers. Kuwait Times takes noresponsibility for views expressedtherein. Kuwait Times invites read-ers to voice their opinions. Pleasesend submissions via email to: opin-ion@kuwaittimes.net or via snailmail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.The editor reserves the right to editany submission as necessary.

A N A L Y S I STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Kim Seoung-Hoon poses in front of a giant map with pinned main destina-tions in a hostel he opened in mid-2014 for Koreans in the Croatian capitalZagreb, on Nov 14, 2014. —AFP

Hungary’s strongman Prime Minister ViktorOrban needs to strike a less confrontationalstance after his ruling party Fidesz lost its par-

liamentary super-majority in a key by-election, ana-lysts said. “There is a need for a correction. Fideszmight decide to be less confrontational, but it is diffi-cult since it is in the character of the party to fight, astrategy that has worked for a long time,” Akos Baloghof Mandiner.hu, a conservative blog told AFP.

Since coming to power in 2010, the Orban-ledgovernment has had numerous run-ins with theEuropean Union, banks, multinational companies andcivil society groups over controversial laws. His gov-ernment also has an increasingly cosy relationshipwith Moscow, sending jitters through Washingtonand Warsaw. Orban hosted Vladimir Putin last week,despite the Russian president being shunned in mostEuropean capitals over the Ukraine conflict.

In a by-election Sunday in the town of Veszprem,southwest of Budapest, independent candidateZoltan Kesz won 43 percent of the vote with supportfrom opposition parties while Fidesz candidate Lajos

Nemedi garnered just 33percent. Fidesz and theircoalition partners, theChristian Democrats nowhave 131 of the 199 seatsin parliament. After threeelection wins in 2014,Orban looked invinciblejust a few months ago.But support for Fidesztumbled last October inthe wake of massprotests over a proposedInternet tax that was lat-er dropped.

Numbers also suggestthat Fidesz voters in Veszprem did not turn out tovote in large numbers. With the defeat went Orban’stwo-thirds supermajority, which had enabled his gov-ernment to make sweeping constitutional changesthat critics say eroded democratic principles andcurbed basic freedoms. “The result has a huge sym-bolic significance, although Fidesz retains full control,”Kornelia Magyar of the Hungarian ProgressiveInstitute told AFP.

No Miracle Coming Corruption scandals and internal strife within the

right-wing camp, especially the rift between Orbanand Lajos Simicska, a media mogul and long-time ally,have further eroded its support. “It is clear that some-thing has changed in society since last October. Wehave seen Fidesz react to that by trying to dominatethe political agenda with conservative themes likeclosing shops on Sunday or increasingly hostile rheto-ric towards migrants, aiming to keep their flocktogether,” Magyar said. “It has yielded a slowdown inthe loss of popularity, but did not manage to turnaround Fidesz in the polls,” she added.

Csaba Toth of the liberal Hungarian think tankRepublikon Institute believes Fidesz will try to hold itsground and keep the opposition divided. “It will not,and cannot make corrections. It is difficult to changeFidesz’s policies as they reflect the nature of Orban,”Toth told AFP. Cosmetic changes may be in the offing,however. “We could see a change in style and less soin content,” Peter Kreko of consulting and researchgroup Political Capital Institute told AFP. What is clearis that Sunday’s victory for the independent candi-date does not spell a comeback for Hungary’s weak,divided opposition. “I would not expect a miracle,”Kreko said.

The opposition parties’ poll numbers were evenlower in Veszprem than those of Fidesz, whichremains the most popular party in Hungary. It is notyet clear what steps Fidesz will take in the wake of thesetback. Orban gave little hint in a Facebook post onSunday, except to vow action of some sort. “The les-son is: We cannot rest on our laurels,” he wrote. —AFP

Issues

Orban needs style change after setback

Croatia a hotspot for South Koreans

By Lindsey Bahr

Things started to come into focus forWill Smith when “After Earth” bombed.Once the biggest movie star in the

world, his $130 million sci-fi spectacle “AfterEarth” opened in June 2013 to a lousy $27.5million and would only go on to make upless than half of its production budget,domestically, by the end of its run. For aman who once defined himself by his boxoffice star power, the blow was crushing.

“From the time I was in my early 20s, Ihad this goal that ‘I want to be the biggestmovie star in the world,’” said Smith on arecent afternoon at a suburban FourSeasons Hotel, lowering his voice to a faux-macho level when he says the words “moviestar”. “And I set out for conquer,” he said.“Smash! Conquer!” he exclaimed animated-ly.

For a while it worked. Smith has had fourmovies that have grossed over $200 milliondomestically, and 13 that have grossed over$100 million, most with him headlining.Then “After Earth” happened and everythingtoppled. “After the failure of “After Earth,” athing got broken in my mind,” he hadexplained to a group of reporters at a pressconference for his new film “Focus” a fewminutes earlier.

“I was like, ‘oh wow, I’m still alive. Ohwow. I actually still am me even though themovie didn’t open at No. 1. Wait, I still canget hired on another movie?’ All of thosethings collapsed in my mind. Mr July! BigWillie weekend! No. 1! Eight in a row! All ofthat collapsed and I realized I still was agood person. It’s a huge emotional shift forme,” said Smith, who has since appeared insmaller roles in “Anchorman 2: The Legend

Continues” and “Winter’s Tale”. “(Daughter)Willow in particular has helped me make ashift from winning and conquering to lov-ing and connecting as a primary purposefor everything. She just absolutely demandsattention to her thoughts and feelings. It’s ahuge lesson for me to quiet the warrior inme,” he said.

‘Focus’It’s fitting that Smith’s

first outing in this newstage is actually called“Focus” (in theatersFriday), a sleek, inti-mate film from“Crazy, Stupid, Love.”directors GlennFicarra and JohnRequa about asmooth, seasonedconman and hisalluring andmuch youngerprotege, playedby Australianactress MargotRobbie. Smith andRobbie are meet-ing in the middle, infilm and in life.Smith, in a self-defined newphase, andRobbie right asshe’s about tobreak out into themainstream.

“The Wolf of WallStreet”, where Robbiecaught the attention of a

wider audience playing the wife ofLeonardo DiCaprio’s character, hadn’t evencome out when she was cast in “Focus”. Asshe remembers it, “Focus” wrapped at 6 amand she was attending the “Wolf” premierethat night. “We couldn’t be more opposite,”said Smith of his co-star, seated next to herin the hotel. “I wasn’t expecting to get along

with him as well as we did. We didn’t haveanything in common. He’s an

ex-rapper. I’m fromAustralia,” added Robbie.

“I, just like everyone,assumed he was reallyfun and funny. And he isreally fun and funny. I

wasn’t expecting himto be so intellec-

tual and emo-tional anddeep.”

Smithlaughed.“Ooooh.Intellectual,emotional

and deep?”he said. “That

should be yourheadline.” The

two have asmoldering

chemistry in thefilm and a playful,giggly way around

each other offscreen, often finish-ing each other’s sen-

tences when they’renot making the

other keel over

in laughter. They bonded over endlesshours of conversation, chess, eating andgoing out with the cast and crew in the vari-ous shooting locations from New Orleans toBuenos Aires.

The elaborate Thanksgiving dinner thatSmith coordinated while the cast was inArgentina didn’t hurt either. Smith said theState Department even got involved toensure they’d have cranberry sauce. “Hepretty much organized and funded thebiggest Thanksgiving fiesta that Argentinahas ever seen. That any of us have everseen,” said Robbie. “It’s been over a year nowbut we’re still talking about it.”

‘Positive Energy’Both credit the directors for making the

set as fun and lively as possible, but Smithhelps to set the tone. “For me, it’s reallyimportant to maintain a positive energy,especially when it’s a comedy,” said Smith.“Will walks onto set with a boom box on hisshoulder and starts rapping and it’s like 5o’clock in the morning and he’s jumping upand down and throwing a rave and thenyou’re just buzzing for the rest of the day,”she said.

Robbie and Smith aren’t done with eachother yet, either. They’ll both be appearingin the comic book film “Suicide Squad” forWarner Bros., which is currently in pre-pro-duction. When Robbie heard that Smith wasconsidering taking on the project, shetexted him and insisted on it. “He was like,‘we’ll see, candy cane,’” said Robbie. “He wasmy mentor on screen and off screen.” As faras what that advice is? “My standard answerfor Margot is ‘uh, don’t do that,’” said Smith,laughing. “I’m like, you know what Margot?Take a nap.” —AP

Will Smith learns to ‘quiet the warrior’

By Eszter Zalan

Victor Orban

S P O RT STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

BARCELONA: McLaren Formula One driverFernando Alonso will miss this week’s final pre-sea-son test in Barcelona after leaving hospital yester-day following a big crash three days ago.

The Spaniard, a double world champion, smiledand waved to reporters and fans as he left the hos-pital at around 1430 local time. McLaren said in astatement that the 33-year-old would return to hisfamily home in northern Spain for further rest andrecuperation and would not be back in the carbefore the Australian season-opener on March 15.

“He will sit out this week’s final winter test, atwhich he was due to share driving duties withJenson Button,” the team said. “Kevin Magnussen,McLaren-Honda’s test and reserve driver, willreplace him.” Button will be first in the car at theCircuit de Catalunya on Thursday. Denmark’sMagnussen raced for the team last season whenthey had Mercedes engines rather than the currentHonda power unit. Alonso has been in hospitalsince the crash on Sunday, with speculation run-ning wild about what really happened when he hitthe wall at the high speed Turn Three.

McLaren issued a detailed statement on Mondayblaming gusting wind and ruling out any mechani-cal failure but that explanation, and Alonso’slengthy stay in hospital, has failed to silence all ofthe doubters. The car did not appear significantlydamaged after the impact and Ferrari’s SebastianVettel, Alonso’s replacement at the Italian team, toldreporters the Spaniard’s crash had appeared‘strange’ to him.

McLaren, whose racing director Eric Boullier ini-tially played down the crash as a “just one of thosethings that happens in testing”, have rejected spec-ulation that Alonso might have been renderedunconscious by an electrical fault.

The team, who have had a difficult pre-seasonwith new partners Honda, said that rumour was“simply not true”. They have not said how fast hewas going at the time of impact or given a precisereading of the G-forces he sustained, however.

Meanwhile, American healthcare executive BradHollinger has increased his stake in the WilliamsFormula One team to 10 percent after exercising anoption to buy more of Mercedes motorsport head

Toto Wolff’s holding. Speaking at a media briefingattended by Hollinger and Williams chief executiveMike O’Driscoll, Wolff said the private transactionleft him with “just short” of five percent in the for-mer champions.

“I have no plans to change it,” added theAustrian, who led Mercedes to both titles last yearwhile Mercedes-powered Williams climbed fromninth in 2013 to third. The deal was expected afterWolff sold an initial five percent stake to Hollinger inJune last year as part of an agreement withMercedes parent company Daimler to reduce hisshareholding over time to a purely investment level.

Wolff was previously executive director atWilliams, where his Scottish wife Susie is a test driv-er, before moving to Mercedes in January 2013.

The latest deal puts Hollinger level with Williamsco-founder Patrick Head as owner of 10 percent ofthe team with principal Frank Williams having a 52percent stake and Wolff five.

Of the remaining shares, 20 percent are listed onthe Entry Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchangeand a further three percent are held by an employ-

ee trust. Hollinger, the chairman and chief executiveof Vibra Healthcare and a motor racing enthusiast,said he “would not preclude” increasing his involve-ment further but had no plans to put branding onthe car. The American entrepreneur, who owns andraces historic cars including a 1997 Williams, said hewas investing for financial reasons and felt the sportcould be “on the cusp of another major explosion”in growth. “I am never in business not to make mon-ey,” he said.

“I think there is a huge opportunity in FormulaOne. “It has not really tapped significantly the wholesocial media route in terms of streaming informa-tion out to the masses on whatever medium youmight choose,” he added. “Formula One has beenincredibly successful despite the fact it has not real-ly taken hold significantly in the US and I think theopportunity exists...I think the future is really brightin the United States.” Formula One now has anestablished U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, withcommercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone eager toadd another venue, possibly in Las Vegas afterfailed attempts by New Jersey. — Reuters

Alonso leaves hospital, to miss final test

INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana Pacers forward Solomon Hill (44) gets between Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (left) and Warriorsforward Draymond Green in the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

WASHINGTON: Stephen Curry returned from aone-game absence to lead all scorers with 32, KlayThompson added 17 more and the Golden StateWarriors defeated the Washington Wizards 114-107Tuesday night. Curry missed Sunday’s loss atIndiana with a sore right foot and played nearly 34minutes, hitting 11 of 18 field goal attempts,including five of nine from 3-point range.

Marreese Speights added 16 points off the benchfor the Warriors, who have won five of six. Paul Pierceled the Wizards with 25 points, 18 in the second half.Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 11 rebounds,while John Wall chipped in 16 nd 11 assists.Washington has lost four straight and nine of 11.

CAVALIERS 102, PISTONS 93Kevin Love tied a career-best with eight 3-point-

ers for 24 points and LeBron James added 19points and 11 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers ral-lied in the second half.

Love fell just one short of teammate J.R. Smith’srecord of nine 3-pointers against Detroit. Lovemissed both his two-point attempts.

James nearly had an odd triple-double, turningthe ball over nine times, one short of his careerhigh. Kyrie Irving added 18 points for Cleveland,which has won 17 of its last 19 games.

Reggie Jackson had 22 points, nine assists andeight rebounds in his second game with Detroit,while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21.Tayshaun Prince started at small forward in his firstgame as a Piston since he was traded to Memphisin January 2013.

THUNDER 105, PACERS 92Russell Westbrook had 20 points, 11 rebounds

and 10 assists, and the Thunder picked up theirseventh straight win. Westbrook claimed his thirdtriple-double of the season and the 11th of hiscareer, despite resting for the entire fourth quarter.

Serge Ibaka had 23 points and 10 rebounds and

Enes Kanter added 15 points for the Thunder.Oklahoma City won its third straight without KevinDurant. The reigning MVP had a screw replaced onhis surgically repaired right foot on Sunday, and heis to be re-evaluated within a week.

CJ Miles scored 21 points, George Hill scored 13and David West and Solomon Hill each added 11for the Pacers, who had won three straight.

MAVERICKS 99, RAPTORS 92Monta Ellis scored 20 points and Dirk Nowitzki

had 18 as the Dallas Mavericks hit seven of theirfirst 10 shots of the fourth quarter to defeat the

Toronto Raptors.The victory was Dallas’ third straight, its longest

winning streak since early January, and pulled theMavericks within one game of first-place Houstonin the Southwest Division.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 18 points.Toronto closed a stretch of four road games in fivedays with its third consecutive loss, one short of itsseason high. The Raptors are second in the EasternConference, their lead over No. 3 Chicago shrinkingto one game. Dallas’ Rajon Rondo sat the final 20minutes after having words with Mavericks headcoach Rick Carlisle during a timeout. — AP

LOS ANGELES: The appointment of DavisLove III as United States Ryder Cup captainfor the 2016 match against Europe atHazeltine will be viewed by many as achance for American redemption afterwhat happened at Medinah in 2012.

Three years ago in his first stint as skip-per, Love orchestrated a commanding 10-6lead for the U.S. heading into the final daybefore Jose Maria Olazabal’s Europeanteam stormed back to win by 14-1/2 pointsto 13-1/2. So yes, the re-appointment ofLove will give the 50-year-old American ashot at atonement for the ‘Meltdown atMedinah’ but far more significantly his sec-ond term in charge will restore for the USplayers a sense of investment in the wholeprocess.

The Americans were beaten by 16-1/2points to 11-1/2 in last year’s Ryder Cup atGleneagles in Scotland where five-timesmajor winner Phil Mickelson was scathingof the often aloof approach used by UScaptain Tom Watson.

Aged 65, Watson was viewed by manyas totally out of touch with his players andhe made some curious selections for thefour-ball and foursomes matches with his‘old-school’ style of captaincy.

Under the immensely popular Love atMedinah, the American team felt fullyinvolved with every aspect of that year’sRyder Cup and, to a man, they agreed theircaptain had done everything in his powerto create a winning strategy.

“He took it very seriously at Medinah,”Brandt Snedeker, who made his Ryder Cupdebut under Love’s 2012 captaincy, toldReuters. “He did a lot of research, he hadgreat assistant captains and he reallyempowered the players.

“He really made it a team effort. It wasn’tabout Davis being the captain, it was actu-ally about everybody else but him.Everybody on that team will tell you, that’swhy the Medinah loss was so bad . . .because we all wanted to win one for him.”

AZINGER’S TAKEPaul Azinger, who captained the U.S. to

victory in the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhallaand had initially been tipped as a candidatefor 2016 until he took his name out of con-sideration due to personal and businessreasons, agreed. “Davis is an excellentchoice for many reasons,” Azinger told GolfChannel. “He’s still connected to the play-ers, he was very prepared and thorough in2012 and he will bring much needed conti-nuity to the process. “There is no magicalformula. The captain creates the right envi-ronment to get everyone invested.” Love,who clinched his sole major crown at the1997 PGA Championship, played in six con-secutive Ryder Cups from 1993 and tastedvictory twice, on his first appearance andalso in 1999. However, he faces a dauntingchallenge in his second term as captain asthe Americans bid to end a dismal stretchof eight defeats in the last 10 editions ofthe biennial team competition.

That demoralising run prompted thePGA of America to appoint an 11-membertask force last October to examine theentire Ryder Cup process from a US per-spective. Among those on board wereLove, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and JimFuryk, who is a veteran of the past nineRyder Cups as a player.

Furyk believes the Americans are onlynow playing catch-up to the Europeans,who he believes have benefited from hav-ing a highly effective Ryder Cup committeefor well over a decade.

“They’ve done a good job as far as anorganizational standpoint,” Furyk toldReuters. “We are just trying to give ourteam the best opportunity to succeed anddo well, and it shouldn’t be about what hashappened in the past. “It should be a freshstart in what we are trying to accomplish.We need to set goals which are 20 years inthe making, take a look-ahead into thefuture and hopefully be successful for thenext 20 years.” — Reuters

NBA results/standings

Golden State 114, Washington 107; Cleveland 102, Detroit 93; Oklahoma City 105, Indiana 92;allas 99, Toronto 92.

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GBToronto 37 20 .649 - Brooklyn 23 31 .426 12.5 Boston 21 33 .389 14.5 Philadelphia 12 44 .214 24.5 NY Knicks 10 45 .182 26

Central DivisionChicago 36 21 .632 - Cleveland 36 22 .621 0.5 Milwaukee 31 25 .554 4.5 Detroit 23 34 .404 13 Indiana 23 34 .404 13

Southeast DivisionAtlanta 44 12 .786 - Washington 33 24 .579 11.5 Miami 24 31 .436 19.5 Charlotte 22 32 .407 21 Orlando 19 39 .328 26

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Portland 36 19 .655 - Oklahoma City 32 25 .561 5 Utah 21 34 .382 15 Denver 20 36 .357 16.5 Minnesota 12 43 .218 24

Pacific DivisionGolden State 44 10 .815 - LA Clippers 37 20 .649 8.5 Phoenix 29 28 .509 16.5 Sacramento 19 35 .352 25 LA Lakers 14 41 .255 30.5

Southwest DivisionMemphis 41 14 .745 - Houston 38 18 .679 3.5 Dallas 39 20 .661 4 San Antonio 34 22 .607 7.5 New Orleans 29 27 .518 12.5

Warriors see off Wizards

LEEDS: It has been seven matches and more than threeyears since Leeds Rhinos last beat their local rivalsHuddersfield Giants - not that Adam Cuthbertson has toshoulder any of that blame.

The 29-year-old only arrived at Headingley this off-season from Newcastle Knights and has wasted littletime in settling into his new surroundings.

A try for the prop in their victory over Widnes Vikingslast time out means the Rhinos are sitting pretty in sec-ond in the early standings of the Super League tablewith two wins from two. Huddersfield are still winlessthis season but have been the Rhinos’ nemesis in recentyears with a winning run stretching back to the 2011play-offs.That is all set to change this Thursday accord-ing to Cuthbertson however, as he is adamant he andhis new teammates are a different proposition this sea-son. “It is only once you are here that you start to under-stand how big a fanbase Leeds have got,” saidCuthbertson. “This is a one-team town and you can see

how much pride they have in the jersey,” addedCuthbertson, who played against the Rhinos in the 2009World Club Challenge while he was with Manly. “TheGiants are a local rival, we have won two from two andthey haven’t won yet so they will be gunning for us andwe want to keep our early momentum.” Last year’suncharacteristically early exit from the play-offs was adisappointment for a Leeds side that between 2007 and2012 won five of the six Super League titles on offer.

But it was not all doom and gloom for the Rhinoswho lifted the Challenge Cup for the first time this cen-tury and Cuthbertson admits he and his teammates arefeeling confident.

“Of course the league season didn’t finish how theywanted but it gave the lads added incentive to get intopre-season and put it right,” he added.

“We have had longer together, it was gruelling inpre-season but now we are not learning on the job and Iam really enjoying my footy. “We want to start well so

that when the league splits we are not scrapping to getinto the top eight.”

Elsewhere, Salford Red Devils remain winless thisseason and when they host Hull FC on Thursday theycould have already said goodbye to star full-back KevinLocke. The former New Zealand Warrior seems set for aswitch of codes and nationalities with the ScotlandRugby Union team interested in his services.

“I’ve made it very clear to Kevin if he wants to stay hecould stay but if he wants to leave I’m not going tostand in his way,” said Salford owner Marwan Koukash.Mark Dodson, chief executive of Scotland RFU, con-firmed the interest, saying: “When a world-class playerlike Kevin Locke comes onto the market place, we willcertainly have a look at him.” Warrington travel toCatalans Dragons on Friday and Wolves skipper JoelMonaghan admits his side must learn their lessons fol-lowing defeat to St George Illawarra Dragons in lastweek’s World Club Series. —AFP Adam Cuthbertson

Leeds look to cut Giants down to size for once

Love’s second termrestores US Ryder

Cup team unity

PALM BEACH GARDENS: Davis Love III sits beside Pete Beacqua the CEO of the PGA ofAmerica and Co-Chairman of the Ryder Cup Task Force during his announcement asthe 2016 United States Ryder Cup Team Captain as Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelsonplayer members of the Ryder Cup Task Force look on. — AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

SYDNEY: Forget leather, willow and lazy afternoons,the World Cup’s storyline is legions of passionateIndian fans, ‘light-up’ cricket stumps, officials keepingtabs on bookies...and even the back catalogue of GaryGlitter. In New Zealand, where most of the seven ven-ues are compact and informal, officials have beenquick to praise the party atmosphere, helped by abrewery offering NZL $1 million ($745,000) to beshared among fans who take a clean one-handedcatch while wearing the sponsor’s T-shirt.

Christchurch’s scheduled three games have nowbeen and gone, but the city relished hosting a globalsports festival for the first time since being devastatedby an earthquake.

Canterbury Cricket chief executive Lee Germon,the driving force behind the purpose-built HagleyOval which replaced the destroyed former home ofcricket in Christchurch, Lancaster Park, said it was asignificant time for the city.

“It’s really important that the youngsters are ableto see their heroes playing here again,” he said. Atsleepy, picturesque Nelson, students of 1960s and1970s pop music were being catered for.

On the playlist for the West Indies’ defeat byIreland and Zimbabwe’s victory against the UnitedArab Emirates were Pink Floyd’s Us and Them, TheMonkees’ ‘I’m a Believer’ and, oddly, disgraced British

glam-rocker Gary Glitter’s ‘Rock and Roll (Part 1 and 2).Those music bombs which punctuate intervalsbetween overs are a deliberate eclectic mix, accordingto the International Cricket Council. “Sportainmenthas a generic playlist for the tournament and thendepending on who is playing, this is then comple-mented with songs that are popular from those coun-tries,” an ICC spokesman told AFP.

“Of course, we share this complete list of songswith the respective teams to ensure that they are hap-py with them.” Sometimes instructions issued from theICC don’t always filter down to the smaller host ven-ues. In Nelson, a juice stall operator was given permis-sion to sell drinks at the Ireland-West Indies game onlyto turn up on the day to be told her drinks werebanned because Pepsi was an official sponsor. The ICCcrackdown on illegal betting has also been evidentfrom the opening game when police, many in plainclothes, patrolled Hagley Oval in search of spectatorsmaking excessive use of lap-tops or cellphones.

They said “several” people caught court-siding-feeding match information so associates overseascould take advantage of broadcasting delays and laybets were evicted from the ground.

Over in Australia, meanwhile, officials at theAdelaide Oval were worried when the capacity of therefurbished stadium had to be reduced from 53,000 to

47,000 to accommodate black sightscreens at bothends. After all, the stadium’s first World Cup game wasthe highly-anticipated one between old foes India andPakistan.

But officials need not have worried. Fewer than42,000 turned up for the game which was said to havebeen sold out within 20 minutes of going on sale ayear ago.

So whatever happened to the missing 5,000? Themystery was partly solved a day later when reportsemerged that a few hundred supporters from Indiamissed the game because their flight was held upback home due to technical failure in the aircraft.

Why did they have to wait till the last-minute toreach Adelaide? One Indian fan, Ritesh Shah, who hadtravelled with his family from Mumbai, had an answer:“They perhaps wanted to save on hotel costs. Travel,watch match, take flight back home.

“They missed all the goddamn fun.” The atten-dence for India’s next match-against South Africa-atthe iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground was more thandouble of Adelaide.

Official figures put the crowds at 86,876, whichwas more than the 84,336 that saw Australia play tra-ditional rivals England on the opening day. “I sawmore Indians here than at matches at home,” Indiancaptain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. — AFP

MELBOURNE: Out-of-form Sri Lanka must playevery pool game at the World Cup as if it were aknockout match to ignite their stuttering campaign,captain Angelo Mathews said yesterday.

Runners-up at the last two tournaments, the SriLankans were thrashed in their opening matchagainst New Zealand and then had to rely on amatch-saving ton from retiring stalwart MahelaJayawardene to survive a huge scare against min-nows Afghanistan.

Adding to their troubles, Sri Lanka head intotoday’s match against Bangladesh without all-rounder Jeevan Mendis, who will play no further rolein the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury.With most of his team mates misfiring and homemedia predicting an early exit, Mathews was feelingthe pressure ahead of the danger game at theMelbourne Cricket Ground.

“It’s certainly going to be a tough game,” the all-rounder told reporters yesterday. “Bangladesh haveperformed really well in the recent past. “It’s a WorldCup game. It’s going to be a pressure game for all ofus. So, as I keep saying, we can’t take any team light-ly. “We’ve got to set our standards and set our goalshigh and play every single game as a final or semi-final.” Three of Sri Lanka’s top order batsmen havescored ducks in the first two matches, putting pres-sure on a bowling attack which has also been letdown by some sloppy fielding.

Undermanned, Sri Lanka will have to lean heavilyon flamboyant fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who tookthree wickets in an encouraging display againstAfghanistan after being torched by New Zealand’sbatsmen on his comeback game from ankle surgery.

Mathews said there was no chance of big strate-gic changes to revive Sri Lanka and his players wouldhave to make it happen on the pitch.

“When you’re in the World Cup, you can’t go intotoo much technical side,” he said. “But I think you’vejust got to give them confidence. “Like Lasith is backafter injuries and bowling after a few months. I’msure he’s working extremely hard at the net to geteverything right. “So at the back end of the serieswhen it comes to the quarter-finals, that is the timeyou’ve got to be at your peak. “But if we click as agroup, I think we can do wonders. It’s just we needto click as a group and try to win games.” — Reuters

SYDNEY: Struggling South African fastbowler Dale Steyn must find a way to con-tain record-breaking West Indian batsmanChris Gayle in Friday’s crunch World Cupclash. Steyn’s cutting edge has been blunt-ed at the tournament so far with his twomatches giving him total figures of two for119 from a win over Zimbabwe and acrushing loss to India.

Gayle, too, struggled at the start of thecompetition, making 36 in the defeat byIreland and just four in the win overPakistan. But he roared back to form withhis sensational, record-breaking 215against Zimbabwe in Canberra on Tuesday,the first-ever double century at a WorldCup. Now the spotlight at the SydneyCricket Ground will be trained on Steyn,who has only ever dismissed Gayle once intheir one-day international clashes.

That came in the first match of five onthe eve of the World Cup when Gayle hit abreezy 41 in damp Durban, albeit in a los-ing cause.

The 35-year-old Jamaican hit two foursin Steyn’s first over as he and fellow openerDwayne Smith, who will also play Friday,put on 51 for the first wicket inside theopening six overs.

Gayle swung at almost everything as hemade his runs off 24 balls, with two sixesand five fours before Steyn pounced for the

wicket. In the preceding two-matchTwenty20 series, Gayle hit 77 on the back ofthe fastest ever half-century in the formatat Centurion and then blasted 90 off 41balls in the second game at the Wandererswhere the West Indies achieved a worldrecord run-chase.

Gayle was man-of-the-match after heshared a second-wicket stand of 152 off 75balls with Marlon Samuels, who made 60.

Steyn did not play in those T20s but hewill be under even greater scrutiny onFriday with fellow seamer Vernon Philandersidelined due to a hamstring strain andWayne Parnell having been pummelledinto submission by India at the MCG lastweekend with the left-armer finishing withfigures of one for 85.

South Africa skipper AB de Vill iersadmitted there was often a conundrumover where best to bowl Steyn-as a lethalweapon against the top order or as a ‘deathbowler’ slamming the brakes on the runs.Against India, Steyn bowled just four oversin the first 25. “It depends on the situationof the game. I just go on my gut feel,” saidde Villiers. “I could sit here and say thatmaybe my gut feel was wrong. Maybe not.That’s just the way I felt. The game, therhythm of the game, that’s the way I readthe situation, and it probably didn’t pay off(against India).” —AFP

BRISBANE: Ireland fans celebrate after winning the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) at theGabba. — AFP

Cricket fans rock as

World Cup rolls on

Knock-out urgency comes

early for Sri Lankan team

MELBOURNE: Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar attends a practice session at the Melbourne CricketGround (MCG), ahead of their 2015 Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka. — AFP

AUCKLAND: Combative Australian opener David Warner islooking forward to being insulted by New Zealand fanswhen the co-hosts meet in the World Cup, saying his teamwill feed on the fury.

Saturday’s match at Eden Park is being billed as “thefinal before the final” as the winner will top Pool A and facea potentially easier opponent from Pool B in the quarter-final. “I hope they come out and boo us and give us crap,like they always do. That’s what’s going to happen,” Warnersaid. “We love it, it gets us up and going. Gets the adrena-line going for sure.”

The fact that the Trans-Tasman rivals have not facedeach other in a completed one-dayer since Australia’s win

in the 2011 World Cup in Nagpur also increases the intensi-ty. “You get some obscure swear words and a couple ofthings thrown at you, but that’s what you expect when youcome here,” Warner said. “It’s happened before. “It’s proba-bly going to happen again.”

Since his debut in 2009 Warner has faced New Zealandin only two one-day internationals-both at home buttoured in 2010 for two Twenty20 matches. Warner admit-ted the high-flying Black Caps’ pace attack will be a toughchallenge for him and fellow opener Aaron Finch.

“They will be tough, one hundred per cent, in their con-ditions,” Warner said. “If you get too greedy and you seesmall boundaries straight away, you can easily lose rhythm

and momentum. “You’ve still got to respect the opposi-tion.” Warner said New Zealand’s swashbuckling skipperBrendon McCullum will be put under pressure by theAustralian bowlers. “If we bowl well to him, we’ll create thepressure and he’ll have a brain explosion,” Warner said. “Ifwe play our best brand of cricket we’re going to get overthem.” Warner acknowledged McCullum is in good nick. “Ithink a lot of people have seen in the last 10 years howBrendon McCullum can bat,” Warner said. “It’s not by flukeor by chance he’s come out and scored the runs he has.He’s had a great last 12 months but at the end of the dayhe’s one player out of the rest of their team.

“I haven’t played much against him. But he seems like a

great guy. I think a lot of the guys know him off the field.He seems like a great, humble guy. But when we walk onthe field it’s going to be a different story. “If he nicks themwe’ve got to catch them. If they bowl the right line andlengths we’ll get him out. He’s a player who can comedown the wicket, use the off side well. We’ve got to backour strengths.” McCullum hit the fastest World Cup half-century off just 25 balls on his way to 77 in New Zealand’seight-wicket demolition of England in Wellington onFriday. Paceman Tim Southee collected figures of 7-33 inthat game-the best by a New Zealand bowler in all one-day internationals-to boost the home team’s status as oneof the title favorites. —AFP

Warner backs Aussies to feed on Kiwi fury

Steyn v Gayle with

reputations at stake

NEW ZEALAND: Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai plays a shot during the PoolA 2015 Cricket World Cup cricket match in this file photo. — AFP

DUNEDIN: Scotland and Afghanistan are eachtargeting a first-ever Cricket World Cup victorywhen they meet in Dunedin today.

Both of the minnow nations have given morefancied opposition a scare at this year’s tourna-ment but are yet to win a match. Afghanistanlooked a realistic prospect of upsetting Sri Lankalast weekend when they reduced the formerworld champions to 51-4 before a MahelaJayawardene century consigned them to a four-wicket defeat. Scotland gave co-hosts NewZealand some nervous moments when theytook seven wickets as the Black Caps, one of thetournament favourites, chased a paltry 143-runtarget. Both of the non-Test playing “associate”nations have now lost two from two in their PoolA matches and have virtually no chance ofreaching the quarter-finals, making a maidenvictory their major goal for the tournament.

The Scots, who have appeared at two previ-ous World Cups but are still yet to win a match,followed up their stirring display against NewZealand with a lacklustre 119-run loss toEngland. But captain Preston Mommsen said histeam were not disheartened and were puttingin the “hard graft” needed to prepare for theAfghanistan match. “It’s a critical game for us,” hesaid. “Having played them quite a bit in recenttimes, it’s important that we put in a big per-formance.” Scotland and Afghanistan haveplayed each other eight times in one-day inter-nationals, with the Scots on the wrong end of a5-3 losing record. But they inflicted a heavy 150-

run defeat on their opponents last time theymet in Dubai last month, when Afghanistanwere bowled out for 63 as medium pacer JoshDavey ran riot and ended with figures of six for28. “We know what we have to do to overcomethem,” said Scotland assistant coach PaulCollingwood, the gritty former England bats-man. Collingwood said that elusive first victorywas a major motivating factor for his side.

“We’re not just here to enjoy the World Cup,we’re here to win games and we’ll keep battlingand trying to play the positive cricket we knowcan hopefully bring us a win.”

Afghanistan’s attack will be led by HamidHassan, who is shaping up as the cult hero ofthis year’s tournament, with his red bandannaand face paint in the national colours.

He is Afghanistan’s leading wicket taker atthe tournament with five dismissals, includingSri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, which he cele-brated with an unsteady cartwheel down thepitch. Hassan once described Afghanistan, whoare making their tournament debut, as the“Rambo” of the cricket world and admits his lookis based on the movie’s star Sylvester Stallone.

“I think that there is a similarity in the story ofRocky and the Afghanistan cricket team-weboth started at the bottom and gradually madeour way up the rankings,” he said. Many ofAfghanistan’s players learned their cricket inrefugee camps after fleeing their war-tornnation and a win in their first World Cup appear-ance would be a major achievement. — AFP

Scotland, Afghanistan both

eye maiden World Cup win

UAEAmjad Ali c Sorensen b K O’Brien 45A. Berenger c Porterfield b Stirling 13K. Chandran c K O’Brien b Stirling 0Khurram Khan lbw b Dockrell 36S. Patil c Stirling b K O’Brien 2Shaiman Anwar c Wilson b Sorensen 106R. Mustafa c Wilson b Cusack 2Amjad Javed c Joyce b Sorensen 42Mohammad Naveed c and b Cusack 13Mohammad Tauqir not out 2M. Guruje not out 0Extras (b1, lb4, w11, nb1) 17Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 278Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Berenger), 2-53(Chandran), 3-73 (Ali), 4-78 (Patil), 5-125(Khurram), 6-131 (Mustafa), 7-238(Javed), 8-269 (Anwar), 9-276 (Naveed)Bowling: Mooney 6-0-32-0 (1nb, 2w);Sorensen 10-0-60-2; Cusack 10-0-54-2(3w); Stirling 10-0-27-2 (1w); K O’Brien 7-0-61-2 (4w); Dockrell 7-0-39-1 (1w)

IrelandW. Porterfield b Mohammad Tauqir 37P. Stirling c Patil b Guruge 3E. Joyce c Patil b Amjad Javed 37N. O’Brien lbw b Mohammad Tauqir 17A. Balbirnie c sub (Saqlain) b Naveed 30G. Wilson c Javed b Naveed 80K. O’Brien c Naveed b Amjad Javed 50J. Mooney c Ali b Amjad Javed 2A. Cusack not out 5G. Dockrell not out 7Extras (b4, lb3, w2, nb2) 11Total (8 wkts, 49.2 overs) 279Did not bat: M SorensenFall of wickets: 1-4 (Stirling), 2-72 (Joyce),3-94 (Porterfield), 4-97 (N O’Brien), 5-171 (Balbirnie), 6-243 (KO’Brien), 7-259 (Mooney), 8-267 (Wilson)Bowling: Naveed 9.2-1-65-2 (1nb);Guruge 7-0-21-1 (1w); Javed 10-0-60-3; Tauqir 9-0-38-2 (1nb); Mustafa 9-0-45-0;Chandran 5-0-43-0 (1w)Result: Ireland won by two wickets.

SCOREBOARDBRISBANE, Australia: Scoreboard in the World Cup Pool B match between Ireland andthe United Arab Emirates at Brisbane’s Gabba ground yesterday:

World Cup result and standingsPool B

At BrisbaneUAE 278-9 (Shaiman Anwar 106) v Ireland 279-8 (Gary Wilson 80, Kevin O’Brien 50)Ireland won by two wickets

Played won lost tied N/R points run ratePool A

New Zealand 3 3 0 0 0 6 +3.586 Australia 2 1 0 0 1 3 +2.220 Bangladesh 2 1 0 0 1 3 +2.100Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.861 England 3 1 2 0 0 2 -1.415Afghanistan 2 0 2 0 0 0 -1.175Scotland 2 0 2 0 0 0 -2.740

Pool BIndia 2 2 0 0 0 4 +2.060West Indies 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.339Ireland 2 2 0 0 0 4 +0.338South Africa 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.680Zimbabwe 3 1 2 0 0 2 -0.827UAE 2 0 2 0 0 0 -0.175Pakistan 2 0 2 0 0 0 -2.260

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

BRISBANE: Ireland held their nerve to beat theUnited Arab Emirates by two wickets with justfour balls to spare at Brisbane’s Gabba Groundyesterday as they moved a step closer to thequarter-finals of the World Cup.

Set 279 for victory after Shaiman Anwarscored the UAE’s first World Cup hundred,Ireland were faltering at 97 for four and 171 forfive in this Pool B clash.

But Gary Wilson (80) and the big-hittingKevin O’Brien, who made 50 off 24 balls, gotthem back on track with a sixth-wicket partner-ship of 72. However, both batsmen fell withinsight of victory and it was left to GeorgeDockrell (seven not out) and Brisbane-born AlexCusack (five not out) to see Ireland to victory asthe two non-Test nations produced the mostexciting game of the World Cup so far. Defeatwas tough on the amateurs from the MiddleEast, who were in dire straits at 131 for six.

But Anwar (106) and Amjad Javed (42) hitback with a record-breaking stand of 107 whichtook the UAE to 278 for nine.

Their partnership surpassed the previousWorld Cup best for the seventh wicket of 98shared by the West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwanand Ridley Jacobs against New Zealand at PortElizabeth in 2003.

Javed had a fine all-round match, also takingthree for 60 with his deceptive medium paceand holding a brilliant catch at short third manthat dismissed Wilson to give the UAE a latechance of victory. Both Anwar, who made hisprevious one-day international best of 67 in theUAE’s tournament-opening loss to Zimbabwe,and Javed seized on a succession of short ballsfrom Kevin O’Brien. Anwar’s three down to thirdman off O’Brien saw him to a hundred in 79 ballswith 10 fours and a six. He was eventually out for106, skying Max Sorensen to wicketkeeperWilson, after scoring only the UAE’s second one-day international century following KhurramKhan’s 132 against Afghanistan last year. Javedwas dismissed when well caught in the deep byEd Joyce off Sorensen.

The UAE had an early breakthrough with theball when seamer Manjula Guruge struck withjust his fourth ball of the tournament when PaulStirling, who made 92 against the West Indies,was caught behind for three. Joyce had two for-tunate reprieves on his way to making 37, hav-ing his stumps hit by Javed but bails settle on 16and then being dropped off his own bowling byUAE captain Mohammad Tauqir. However, Joycecouldn’t cash in, caught behind off Javed, andthen Tauqir struck twice to reduce Ireland to 97for four in the 26th over.

He bowled Ireland captain William Porterfield(37) as the batsman went to sweep and the spin-ner then had Niall O’Brien (17) out lbw playing asimilar shot.

The run-rate climbed to more than nine anover before Kevin O’Brien-who four years ago

struck the fastest World Cup century-tookcharge with a typically aggressive innings,although the UAE were hampered by Guruge(one for 21 off seven overs) being off the fieldwith cramp. After being dropped in the deep on24, Kevin O’Brien powered his way to a 24-ball50 with a straight six off Javed only to be caught

off the next ball. Wilson, with his first ODI fifty inmore than a year, kept his cool until, with Irelandneeding 13 to win, he was caught by Javed offMohammad Naveed to end a 69-ball inningsincluding nine fours. But the UAE couldn’t takethe two wickets they needed in the 15 balls leftas Ireland scrambled home.—AFP

Ireland see off UAE

in World Cup thriller

BRISBANE: Ireland batsman George Dockrell celebrates after scoring the winning runs duringthe 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) atthe Gabba. — AFP

BRISBANE: Kevin O’Brien has been fined30 percent of his match fee for disputingan umpire’s decision during Ireland’sthrilling World Cup win over the UnitedArab Emirates in Brisbane yesterday.

The all-rounder was found to havebreached the section of the InternationalCricket Council’s code of conduct relatingto “showing dissent at an umpire’s deci-sion” when he bowled a wide in the 48thover of the UAE innings, the governingbody announced after the match.

And, according to a statement fromthe ICC, he then “continued to questionthe umpire’s decision until bowling thenext ball”. O’Brien has admitted theoffence and accepted the sanction pro-posed by match referee RanjanMadugalle, meaning there was no needfor a formal hearing.

The 48th over saw Shaiman Anwarclearly annoy O’Brien by moving around

his crease in exaggerated fashion longbefore he had bowled, with the medium-pacer twice pulling out when about todeliver. Eventually, on-field umpiresMichael Gough and Nigel Long inter-vened by speaking to both players, whilethe same over saw Anwar become thefirst UAE batsman to score a World Cuphundred with a three off O’Brien.

The UAE finished on 278 for nine, withO’Brien conceding an expensive 61 runsin his seven overs. But he was almost ‘incredit’ by the end of the match after his24-ball 50 helped revive Ireland’s inningsand added vital late impetus to a run-chase that saw them win by two wicketswith four balls to spare.

Victory gave Ireland two wins from asmany Pool B matches after their four-wicket defeat of the West Indies, andmaintained their bid for a place in thequarter-finals. — AFP

BRISBANE: By day, he works in shipping in Dubai’sflourishing cargo industry. At nights and weekendsin the Gulf, and now at the famed Gabba inBrisbane, he’s racking up the boundaries in recordstyle. Shaiman Anwar became the first United ArabEmirates player to hit a World Cup century yester-day as his team recovered from a perilous 131 forsix against Ireland to make 278 for nine.

Anwar, a 35-year-old Pakistani native, bludg-eoned 10 fours and a six in his ton which came off79 balls before he was out for 106, having faced 83deliveries.

He had already announced his arrival at theWorld Cup with a battling 67 in his team’s four-wicket loss to Zimbabwe in Nelson last week. Andon Wednesday, the man known as “Sixer Shaiman”

in the Gulf leagues, in honour of his liking for bighits, went to his century in style.

He sparred with Kevin O’Brien, who made thefastest World Cup century four years ago in India,and with the Irish bowler on the ropes, hit the runsthat took him to his landmark.

“I think it was my best innings-I wanted to put amaximum on the board, to put pressure on Ireland,”said Anwar. “I was always comfortable, and trustedmyself when I was in. It is a big game for me.”Anwar was born in Sialkot in 1979 and played clubcricket for his native city and then Servis Industries.

But unable to carve out a full-time career in thegame in Pakistan, Anwar followed thousands of hiscompatriots to the tax-free haven of Dubai in 2007,finding work in the shipping business before quali-

fying to play for the UAE in 2009.He has been a regular ever since in a team

which relies mostly on expat talent from SouthAsia, and where all the players juggle their playingcareers with a variety of day jobs.

In the 2011-13 World Cricket League, a tourna-ment reserved for the leading non-Test playingnations, he scored 625 runs from 14 matches, themost by any player.

He only made his one-day international debutin February 2014 against Scotland in the final ofthe World Cup qualifiers, the last-chance event inNew Zealand to secure places at the ongoingshowpiece tournament. His international Twenty20debut followed against the Netherlands at theWorld Twenty20 in March 2014. — AFP

‘Sixer Shaiman’ blasts into

World Cup record books

BRISBANE: United Arab Emirates (UAE) batsman Shaiman Anwar celebrates after scoring his century during the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool Bmatch between Ireland and UAE at the Gabba cricket stadium. — AFP

O’Brien fined for dissent

AUSTRALIA: No-one embodies the captivat-ing rise of Afghanistan cricket more thanMohammad Nabi, the captain and heartbeatof a team that is winning the admiration ofeveryone at the World Cup.

Afghanistan may be one the weakest teamsat the World Cup with no real hope of winningthe tournament but that hardly seems to mat-ter. Just making it to the sport’s greatest spec-tacle is a victory in itself for a country tornapart by war and with little cricketing heritage.Adversity is a part of life for Afghanistan’s crick-eters and for many, including Nabi, the sportbecame their salvation. Like most of his teammates, Nabi grew up in a Pakistan refugeecamp during the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Itwas there that he first learnt the game of crick-et, spending hours each day playing on dirtfields with a tennis ball.

“You play cricket a lot in refugee camps,” hetold reporters when he first arrived in Australiathis month for the World Cup. An all-rounder,the long days he spent honing his skills in thedust soon paid off and he began to risethrough the ranks of Pakistan cricket.

In 2007, he was invited to play for theMarylebone Cricket Club in England, makinghis first-class debut that year, scoring 43 andtaking one wicket against the touring SriLankans. In 2009, Nabi made his one-day inter-national debut for Afghanistan against

Scotland during the qualifying tournament forthe 2011 World Cup.

Nabi was named man of the match aftertop scoring with 58 runs. Afghanistan won thematch but did not qualify for the World Cup.That would have to wait another four years.Afghanistan had more success in Twenty20,qualifying for the 2010, 2012 and 2014 WorldCups. They did not make it past the first roundbut Nabi made an impressive 31 against Indiain 2012. In 2013, Afghanistan clinched theirplace in the 2015 50-overs World Cup, after atwo year qualifying tournament, sparking wildcelebrations back home.

But Nabi was given a first-hand reminder ofthe reality of the hardships in his troubledhomeland. At the same time as he was tryingto help his country qualify for the World Cup,his father was abducted and held to ransom.

The armed kidnappers demanded a seven-figure payment for his release but were even-tually caught after three months and Nabi’sfather was freed, unharmed.

It was a worrying time but the 30-year-oldNabi is looking forward not behind, hoping histeam’s unlikely appearance at the World Cupwill inspire more of his compatriots. “Now I amthe captain of Afghanistan in the first WorldCup,” he said. “I am very happy to representAfghanistan in the World Cup and hopefully I’llenjoy the whole tournament.” — Reuters

Afghanistan’s captain Nabi

winning world admiration

S P O RT STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

DOHA: Soccer’s world governing body FIFA flexedits muscles again yesterday when it announced thatclubs will not get compensation for losing playersand suffering domestic disruption due to a 2022winter World Cup in Qatar.

A day after a FIFA task force angered Europe’sclubs by recommending a November/Decembertournament, the organisation’s secretary general,Jerome Valcke, told reporters there would be nofinancial payments for any disruption to domesticleagues. “There will be no compensation. I meanthey have seven years to reorganise football aroundthe world for this World Cup,” said Valcke whenasked if any payment would be made following theshift from the originally proposed dates of aEuropean summer tournament.

“It’s not perfect, we know that-but why are wetalking about compensation? It’s happening once,we’re not destroying football.

“Why should we apologise to the clubs? We havehad an agreement with the clubs that they are partof the beneficiaries. It was $40m (25.8millionpounds) in 2010 and $70m (£45m) in 2014.

On Tuesday, European Clubs’ Association chair-man Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Europe’s clubswould seek financial compensation, but Valckeruled that out following a meeting of a FIFA taskforce in the Qatari capital.

The proposed new dates for the event are set tobe ratified by FIFA’s executive committee nextmonth. Valke also said the duration of the 2022tournament is set be cut from 32 to 28 days, mean-ing more games will be played per day, so a countryof Qatar’s size might need fewer stadiums.

“We are talking about a reduction of the compe-tition in terms of the number of competition days.We are talking about 28 days and not anymore 32days,” Valcke told reporters following the first board

meeting with Qatar’s 2022 organising committee.“It is a very special World Cup to organise

because we would describe Qatar 2022 as a com-pact World Cup,” he added. “Normally we are look-ing at 10 (stadiums) but it could be eight.”

MAJOR CHALLENGESOne of the major challenges facing Qatar was

finding an efficient and cost effective way to cooldown stadiums during the scorching summermonths, which the Gulf state’s organising commit-tee said they were committed to delivering.

If the finals are held in the winter the need forcooling technology will be reduced, although 2022organising committee chief Hassan Al Thawadi toldWednesday’s news conference that the researchwould carry on. “We have always said that the cool-ing technology will be the legacy of the World Cupand beyond... our development of the cooling tech-

nology will continue... our research will continue,”he said. Despite its vast oil and gas reserves, Qatarlike other Gulf states has been hit by the drop inprices which has affected several energy and con-struction projects.

But Al Thawadi said completing World Cup-relat-ed projects was part of the Gulf state’s economicdiversification and “lavish spending” on projectswas an option the state was pursuing.

During Valcke’s visit to the Gulf state, which hasbeen repeatedly criticised for neglecting workers’rights, he said World Cup projects could bring hopefor improvement in this area.

“If the standard for all construction sites in Qatarreach the level of standard we have for all the spe-cific World Cup construction site, then a big stepwill be made in the country for this working condi-tions.” “We use the World Cup as a way to change acountry,” he added. — Reuters

No club compensation for winter World Cup

ST PETERSBURG: PSV Eindhoven’s players attend a training session in St.Petersburg, Russia. PSV Eindhoven will face Zenit in the round of 32Europa League match today. — AP

ROME: Riots in Rome last week have sparkedextra anti-violence measures for several oftoday’s second-leg matches in the EuropaLeague’s last 32.

Police in Rotterdam are tightening securityand drafting in reinforcements ahead of a highlycharged match between Feyenoord and Romaafter Dutch fans destroyed a 400-year-old foun-tain before the first leg last week, which ended1-1. The problems in Rome have prompted wor-ries over artistic treasures in Florence ahead ofTottenham’s visit to Fiorentina following a 1-1draw in London.

With 2,200 Tottenham supporters expected inthe Renaissance city, Florence officials will beposting extra police around the historic center’smonuments and museums.

And with Celtic heading to Milan to face Interafter a 3-3 first-leg draw, the Scottish club’s assis-tant manager John Collins warned supportersthat it is “vitally important” to behave in thenorthern Italian city. Celtic was fined 10,000euros ($11,000) by UEFA for crowd disturbancesat a match in Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb lastyear. Inter has won three straight in Serie A but isstill eighth in the Italian league, meaning its bestroute to qualifying for the Champions Leaguecould come by winning the Europe’s second-tiercompetition.

Roma and Tottenham will each be seekingsmooth nights so they can prepare for a coupleother big upcoming matches. Tottenham facesChelsea in the League Cup final on Sunday while

Roma hosts leader Juventus on Monday in a 1 vs.2 matchup in Serie A. Elsewhere, Liverpool visitsthe Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium in Istanbul for thefirst time since its win in the 2005 ChampionsLeague final when it carries a 1-0 lead into thesecond leg against Besiktas. The draw for the last16 will be held Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Here are some other things to know abouttoday’s games:

DEFENDER vs. MIGHTY CONTENDERReigning champion Sevilla travels to Borussia

Moenchengladbach with one eye fixed on atough Spanish league match against AtleticoMadrid awaiting it on Sunday.

Sevilla will look to preserve its 1-0 first-leglead aware that Moenchengladbach is unbeatenin seven European home games - having wonfive - and that it has scored 16 goals and conced-ed just one in four Europa League matches atBorussia-Park. However, the hosts have not wonat home against Spanish opposition in the lasttwo matches, losing to Espanyol in 1987 anddrawing against Villarreal in this season’s groupstage. “We play against a powerful side that hastwice our budget, a very mighty squad that isthird in the Bundesliga, but I’m confident we willwin,” Sevilla president Jose Castro said. BetweenSevilla and Moenchengladbach, the teams havewon this competition five times.

BAS THE BOSSBas Dost will be in the spotlight when

Wolfsburg takes a 2-0 first-leg lead to SportingLisbon. The Dutchman has scored eight goals inthree matches in the past week and has 11 in 11Bundesliga matches this season.

It wasn’t always like that. Dost struggled fortwo seasons in Wolfsburg before finally makinghis breakthrough. Often injured and unfit, besetby self-doubt and lack of opportunity, Dost wasnearly forgotten. But Wolfsburg coach DieterHecking adamantly refused to let Dost leave theclub and the striker is now repaying the confi-dence. Dost scored four goals in a 5-4 win overLeverkusen, notched two against Sporting andthen got both in a 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin.“It’s all just working out now,” Dost said. “I amhaving a lot of fun now and I hope it stays thatway for a long time.”

ICARDI’S WORTHWith four goals in his last three matches for

Inter Milan, Mauro Icardi has drawn level withJuventus striker Carlos Tevez atop the Serie Ascoring chart at 14 goals apiece.

With a contract that pays him an estimated900,000 euros ($1 million) per season and is dueto expire in 2018, Icardi understandably is in themarket for an upgrade.

While Inter is reportedly prepared to offerIcardi a new deal worth 2.7 million euros ($3 mil-lion) per season, the Gazzetta dello Sport reportsthat the club might also consider selling theArgentina international for something like 40million euros ($45 million). — AP

Rome riots spark concern ahead of Europa League

TURIN: Italian football has becomesomething of a refuge for players whohave fallen out of favor in otherEuropean leagues or are reaching thetwilight of their careers.

Players such as Kaka, MarioBalotelli, Patrice Evra, Ashley Cole,Nemanja Vidic, Fernando Torres, RafaelMarquez and Javier Saviola have allmoved to Serie A in the last two years,to either revive their careers orsqueeze a few more years out of them.

Many, such as Balotelli and Torres,struggle and quickly move on, butthere has been one outstanding suc-cess story. Argentina forward CarlosTevez, who led Juventus to a 2-1 winover Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’sChampions League tie, has breathednew life into his career since joiningthe Serie A champions fromManchester City in June 2013.

Worn out after four eventful sea-sons at City, Tevez was also shunnedby then Argentina coach AlejandroSabella amid speculation that he wasconsidered too much of a disruptiveinfluence.

But it has all gone right at Juventuswhere the 31-year-old has not lookedback since being given a rapturousreception by the supporters and hand-ed the number 10 shirt.

“The number 10 will always belongto Alessandro Del Piero but I think of

the badge on the front. That’s thebiggest responsibility,” he toldTuttosport in a recent interview.

END OF EXILEHe scored 21 goals in his first season

as Juventus won Serie A by a 17-pointmargin and is joint leading scorer inSerie A this term with 14 goals. Inbetween, he has also been recalled bynew Argentina coach Gerardo Martino,ending a three-year exile which includ-

ed last year’s World Cup. Juve have man-aged to tame the wilder instincts of aplayer who was once sent once sent offfor Boca Juniors in his homenad aftercelebrating a goal against River Plate byflapping his arms to imitate a chicken, areference to that fact Boca fans use“chickens” as a derogatory nickname fortheir arch-rivals. Instead, his trademarkcelebration is to pull a baby’s dummyfrom his shorts and put it in his mouth, atribute to his daughter.

But the old verve and tenacity arestill there, and combined with hisspeed, instinct for goal and skill makehim a nightmare for defenders, asBorussia found on Tuesday.

He was too hot for the Bundesligaside to handle and also started themove which led to Juve’s second goaljust before halftime.

This season, he has also struck upan excellent understanding withSpanish forward Alvaro Morata, signedfrom Real Madrid before the start ofthe season. “We’ve been playingtogether more regularly and you cansee that on the field,” he said afterTuesday’s game. Tevez has alreadymade it clear that he will end hiscareer back at Boca.

“When I joined Juve I was very clearit’d be my last contract before return-ing Boca. But first I want to win every-thing here.” — Reuters

DUBAI: Andy Murray scored his most one-sided victory for eight months and his easi-est win over a top 50 player for nearly sixyears when he trounced Joao Sousa, thePortuguese number one, 6-0, 6-2.

His rapid fire win yesterday books aplace in the quarter-finals of the DubaiOpen. It lasted less than an hour and con-firmed the impression that the formerWimbledon and US Open champion is a farfitter and more confident player now thanat any time during 2014, and capable onceagain of winning big titles. Murray servedmore consistently than in his openingmatch, applied consistent pressure whilstplaying within himself, and had the matchcompletely under control from the momenthe broke serve early in the second set.

The unfortunate Sousa, ranked 50, wasincreasingly rattled into more errors, anddid not get on to the scoreboard until theninth game after which he very brieflyshowed glimpses of the form which oncetook him inside the top 40.

“Today I thought I just picked the rightshots and played the right way when hewas struggling,” Murray said. “I didn’t givehim any free points. I didn’t make, youknow, just sort of needless errors.

“You know, I wasn’t just going for shotsjust because I was up 4-0. I thought I madegood decisions and didn’t give him any-thing for free, and he was getting more frus-trated because he couldn’t get any freepoints and then was going for more andmore shots and obviously making moreerrors because of it.”

The only negative feelings after his qui-etly rapid performance came when a ques-tioner inadvertently reminded Murray ofcriticisms he received here three years agowhen he admitted after a defeat that hehad used the match for practice. Were thereareas of his game he was trying to work on,he was now asked. “It’s funny how, whenyou win matches, it’s okay to say you’re try-ing something out, and when you lose

matches, you’re not allowed to say that,”Murray replied with an edge to his voice,explaining that “I am a wee bit careful whenI say about trying out things, because ofwhen I was here a few years ago.”

Murray gained his biggest cheer whenhe hinted he might wear a kilt for his wed-ding to Kim Sears, the daughter of a well-known English coach in a few weeks’ time.

He also suggested that last year’s mod-est form had been partly due to the loss ofhis coach Ivan Lendl, the former FrenchOpen champion, as well as his protractedrecovery from a back operation.

“My game, I think, suffered a little bitbecause of that, as well,” he said. “You know,now I feel like, you know, I’m heading in theright direction again. I feel like my body isgood, which is obviously a big part of it. “Ithink when you feel physically strong, I dothink that makes you a bit stronger mental-ly, as well. I definitely believe the two are,?well, for me, anyway, they are very, veryclosely linked.”

Murray thus looks a good bet for a semi-final place, where the seedings say heshould face Roger Federer, a six-time formerchampion. He next plays Borna Coric, aCroatian lucky loser, who also had a littleluck at the end of his long drawn out winover Marcos Baghdatis, the formerAustralian Open finalist. The Cypriot wildcard entry retired with cramp at four pointsall in the final set tie-break, having led 5-3 inin the final set and being unable to closethe match out at 5-4 on his serve. The scorewas 6-4, 3-6, 6-6 (4-4 retired). Anotherthriller was won by Richard Gasquet.

The former number one Frenchmanovercame Roberto Bautista Agut, the sev-enth seeded Spaniard, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6),recovering from 4-2 down in the final set forthe second successive time (the first wasagainst Andreas Seppi on Monday) and sav-ing a match point at 6-7 in the final set tie-break before prevailing in two hours and 21minutes. — AFP

African Cup movedto June 2023

DOHA: The 2023 African Cup of Nations in Guinea will movefrom January to June because of FIFA’s plan to switch the 2022World Cup dates to November-December, FIFA secretary generalJerome Valcke said yesterday.

Valcke said the switch was a concession to clubs who don’twant to lose their African players for back-to-back tournaments.

The 2022 World Cup is set to finish in late December and theAfrican Cup had been scheduled to start in mid-January 2023.“The African confederation has automatically and I would saynicely agreed that they will not organize in January ‘23,” Valckesaid. “They will have to postpone the African Cup of Nations toJune to avoid that there is a release of the African players for theWorld Cup and two weeks after for the African Cup.”

Confederation of African Football spokesman Junior Binyamsaid in an email to The Associated Press that he was not yetaware of FIFA’s decision to move the African Cup, but CAF wouldstill support any recommendations by the FIFA task force.

FIFA recommended Tuesday that the 2022 World Cup moveto the cooler months at the end of the year, protecting playersand fans from the 40-degree C (104-degree F) heat of Qatar’ssummer. CAF backs “100 percent the proposals of the task forceand will adjust its calendar accordingly when a final decision willbe made on the schedule of 2022,” Binyam wrote.

Clubs are obliged to release players for major tournamentslike the African Cup of Nations. FIFA will confirm the exact 2022World Cup dates for Qatar next month.

Protecting the World Cup from severe weather in Qatarmay hamper the 2023 African Cup, however. The monsoonalrainy season in the West African nation of Guinea normallystarts in June. “We are all making a number of concessions tomake sure that this World Cup can be played, for the players,for the fans, for the media, for whoever is attending the WorldCup in the best conditions,” Valcke said. “It is not perfect, weknow that.” — AP

Tevez drops tantrums to find new lease of life

ITALY: Juventus’ Argentinian forward Alberto Carlos Tevez. — AFP

Murray in a hurry

DUBAI: Andy Murray of Great Britain returns the ball to Joao Sousa of Spain during amatch of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. — AP

18Ireland see offUAE in WorldCup thriller

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 201519

Murray in a hurry

No club compensation for winter World Cup Page 19

LONDON: Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (centre) controls the ball despite the challenge of Monaco’s Fabinho during the Champions League round of 16 soccer match at the Emirates Stadium. — AP

LONDON: Arsenal are in danger of an embarrassing exitfrom the Champions League after Monaco romped to astunning 3-1 win in the last 16 first leg at the EmiratesStadium yesterday.

Arsene Wenger’s team were left shell-shocked asGeoffrey Kondogbia put the French club ahead with adeflected first half strike before former Tottenham for-ward Dimitar Berbatov marked his return to northLondon with the second goal after the interval.

Berbatov’s cool finish was a hammer blow to theArsenal fans who had jeered him for his past allegianceto their bitter rivals and there was worse to come.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had just given Arsenalrenewed hope with a 90th minute goal when YannickFerreira-Carrasco galloped clear to score Monaco’s thirdand leave the Premier League team needing a herculeaneffort in the second leg on March 17 to avoid last 16elimination for a fifth successive season. It was an espe-cially chastening evening for Wenger, who made hismanagerial reputation during a seven-year spell at

Monaco and was renewing acquaintances with his oldclub in a competitive match for the first time.

After losing to Bayern Munich, Barcelona and ACMilan at this stage, a Monaco side only fourth in Ligue 1seemed to represent a good opportunity for Arsenal toadvance to the last eight at last.

But Monaco had conceded just one goal in their sixgroup matches and Leonardo Jardim’s side produced acounter-attacking masterclass to leave Arsenal impotentin attack and incompetent in defence. After a freneticopening, Arsenal found themselves entangled inMonaco’s defensive web.

Alexis Sanchez has emerged as Arsenal’s creative ful-crum in his debut season and the Chile winger almostfound the key to unlocking the obdurate Monaco rear-guard when he exchanged passes with Mesut Ozilbefore flicking his shot just over. But, emboldened bythe ease with which they had kept Arsenal at bay,Jardim’s team began to push forward with more confi-dence and Joao Moutinho found space for an acrobatic

volley that sailed over.It was a warning that Arsenal failed to heed and the

visitors went ahead in the 38th minute. Danny Welbecklost possession inside his own half and Moutinho quicklymoved the ball onto Kondogbia, who had been leftunmarked 30 yards from goal.

The French midfielder advanced unchecked beforelashing a fierce drive that took a big deflection off PerMertesacker and flashed past wrong-footed Arsenalgoalkeeper David Ospina.

Arsenal still had time to remedy their perilous situa-tion and Olivier Giroud should have equalised early inthe second half when he met Sanchez’s cross, only toscuff his shot wide from close-range. Giroud was pre-sented with an even better opportunity moments laterbut ended up pounding the turf in frustration after bal-looning a header well over from Santi Cazorla’s inswing-ing free-kick. And Giroud’s angry reaction was emulatedby the entire Emirates Stadium in the 53rd minute whenBerbatov doubled Monaco’s lead in stunning fashion.

With Wenger’s side pouring forward in an undisci-plined and panicked search for an equaliser, AnthonyMartial made them pay, sweeping away down the rightbefore squaring a pass to the unmarked Berbatov, whohad time and space to drive a powerful finish pastOspina.

Arsenal needed an immediate response but Giroud’snightmare continued as he blazed over from close-rangeafter a Sanchez shot was well saved by Danijel Subasic.

Wenger had seen enough and hauled off Giroud, withTheo Walcott on in his place. Walcott fared no betterthan Giroud as he failed to beat Subasic from close-range before stumbling and getting in the way ofWelbeck’s attempt to convert the rebound.

Oxlade-Chamberlain got one back in the 90th minutewhen the substitute curled a fine finish beyond Subasicfrom the edge of the area.

But it was a false dawn as Ferreira-Carrasco was grant-ed the freedom of the right flank to advance and drive adagger into Arsenal hearts. — AFP

Arsenal stumble in CL race

GERMANY: Atletico’s Mario Mandzukic andLeverkusen’s Gonzalo Castro (right) go for a headerduring the Champions League round of 16 first legsoccer match. — AP

LEVERKUSEN: Bayer Leverkusen haveone foot in the Champions League’squarter-finals following their shock 1-0home win over last season’s finalistsAtletico Madrid, who finished with tenmen yesterday.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s superb second-half goal in the last 16, first-leg clashmeans Bayer take a slender advantageto Atletico’s Vicente Calderon Stadiumfor the return leg on March 17.

Reigning Spanish league championsAtletico played the last quarter of anhour with ten men after defensive mid-fielder Tiago was sent off for a secondbooking.

Bayer, the 2002 Champions Leaguefinalists, edge closer to breaking theirlast 16 jinx having failed to pass thisstage of the competition in their lastthree previous attempts.

Roger Schmidt’s Leverkusen endedtheir three-match winless streak in theBundesliga in style by stunning the2014 finalists. Having been humiliated4-0 at home by Paris Saint Germain lastseason at the same stage in the compe-tition, Leverkusen produced a spiritedperformance.

Their potent pressing game nullified

the threat of Atletico striker MarioMandzukic and attacking midfielderAntoine Griezmann, who have scored 37goals between them this season.

The hosts controlled the early stagesas Mandzukic found himself in theunusual position of clearing a 12th-minute shot off the l ine fromLeverkusen centre-back Emir Spahic.

The Bosnia captain then rattled thetop-left corner of the goal post with along-range strike on 26 minutes withAtletico goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moyabeaten.

Madrid’s best chance of the first-halfcame when Juanfran’s shot was blockedand Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Lenoout-jumped the waiting Griezmann todeny the Frenchman an easy headerright in front of goal on 39 minutes.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone wasforced into two changes before thebreak as both right winger Saul Niguezand right-back Guilherme Siqueira cameoff injured.

Leno kept Atletico out with a superbdiving reflex save to deny Tiago justbefore the half-time whistle.

Leverkusen took the lead whenKarim Bellarabi cut across the face of

Leverkusen shockten-man Atletico

GERMANY: Atletico’s Raul Garcia (left) and Leverkusen’s Lars Bender go for aheader during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match. — AP

the goal, then his back-heeled passfound Calhanoglu, who blasted his shotpast Moya from a tight angle on 57 min-utes.

Simeone brought on Spain’s ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker FernandoTorres for the final 25 minutes in a bid to

get Atletico a crucial away goal.Having already been booked early in

the first-half, Tiago’s dismissal for hissecond yellow gave Leverkusen thenumerical advantage, but Atletico keptup the pressure as Leno endured a busyfinal 20 minutes.— AFP

BusinessTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Gulf markets edge up on commodities, dovish Fed

Page 22

Cameron waiting for electoral gold from recovering economy

Page 23South Africa hikestaxes, scales back spending plans

Page 24India under pressure to deliver on ‘Modinomics’

Page 25

ATHENS: A woman makes a transaction at Bank’s ATM next to a shop in central Athens yesterday. The hard work for Greece’s new anti-austerity government began by living up to promises made not only to international creditors butalso to voters expecting relief from years of painful cuts. — AFP

ATHENS: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeublevoiced doubts yesterday on whether indebted Greece canlive up to its fiscal promises, underlining the problems facingAthens on both the domestic and EU fronts.

His comments came on the day that the hard work forGreece’s new anti-austerity government began, withGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel saying an agreement ona four-month extension of Athens’ bailout was merely a“starting point”.

“I’m under no illusion that the way ahead will remainchallenging,” Merkel, whose country’s taxpayers havestumped up more money than any other to keep Greecefinancially afloat in recent years, told reporters in Berlin.

Her Finance Minister Schaeuble said there is a “lot ofdoubt in Germany” about whether Greece, which has beenfighting to stay in the single currency since 2010, will live upto its commitments.

“The question now is whether one can believe the assur-ances of the Greek government or not,” Schaeuble said.Despite such misgivings, Greece on Tuesday secured a four-month extension to its 240-billion-euro ($270 billion)

bailout, averting a potentially calamitous expiry on Saturdaythat could have seen Athens leave the euro.

Greek stocks soared almost 10 percent on Tuesday-fallingback only slightly yesterday-and yields on its 10-year bondsfell back to levels last seen before elections were called inDecember.

The Greek and German parliaments still have to give thegreen light, but this should be a formality with Merkel andGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras enjoying sufficient sup-port among their MPs-for now at least.

To win this breathing space, Greece presented its credi-tors with reform proposals focusing on tackling tax evasion,corruption, a root-and-branch efficiency drive and promis-ing not to roll back privatisations.

But Tsipras, elected last month, had to temper promisesto hike the minimum wage, reinstate laid-off civil servantsand alleviate poverty by vowing that this would be doneonly in consultation with Greece’s creditors.

Already on Tuesday the plans received a cool responsefrom the European Central Bank and the InternationalMonetary Fund, which together with the European

Commission hold most of Greece’s 320 billion euros ($365billion) in debts.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said the list lacks “clear assur-ances” on Greece’s previous reform promises, while the ECBsaid the measures “differ from existing programme commit-ments in a number of areas”.

“We avoided a crisis but there are many challengesahead,” EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovicisaid.

Historic haircut Greece has had to be bailed out twice-in 2010 and 2012

— and has also benefitted from a mammoth private-sectordebt writedown or “haircut” worth another 100 billion euros.

A string of debt interest repayments fall in the comingmonths, and Greece needs to firm up its reform plans andshow by the end of April they are bearing fruit before receiv-ing a final bailout disbursement of 7.2 billion euros.

“The government is going to move very quickly” to crys-talize the reforms, Tsipras told a meeting of his Syriza partyyesterday, saying he was ready for “every break necessary”

with the practices of the past.Government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis, portraying

Tuesday’s agreement as a victory for Greece, said meanwhilethat the reform promises “consists of generalities in lots ofareas ... and leave room for manoeuvre.”

In the coming four months Tsipras, 40, wants to beginnegotiating a new reform programme with Greece’s credi-tors to put the country of 11 million on a more equitableroad to recovery after six years of recession and cuts.

This could include another renegotiation of Greece’sdebt-if not a “haircut” then at least easier terms-and yetmore aid. German daily the Rheinische Post reportedWednesday this could be worth upwards of 20 billion euros.

“Even assuming that the deal (from Tuesday) holds, it isunclear how the government will meet its financial obliga-tions between now and the end of April,” said economistJennifer McKeown at Capital Economics.

“And after that, there is a mountain to climb in agreeinghow to make Greece’s long-term debt position sustainable.That particular fight has clearly been put off for another day,”McKeown said. — AFP

Merkel hails Greece ‘starting point’Greek, German parliaments have to give the green light

ATHENS: A former Greek finance minis-ter went on trial yesterday for allegedlyshielding relatives hiding money inSwitzerland, in a case closely watched forproof that the eurozone straggler is seri-ous about tackling tax evasion.

George Papaconstantinou, 53, faces amaximum of life in prison if the specialtribunal finds him guilty of deleting in2010 the names of family members froma list of 2,000 Greeks with Swiss bankaccounts at British bank HSBC.

This list was sent to him by ChristineLagarde, International Monetary Fundchief and at the time French finance min-ister-hence its nickname the “LagardeList”-who in turn received it from anHSBC whistleblower.

Papaconstantinou, in office from2009-10 and no longer in politics, saidnothing to reporters as he arrived at theAthens court early yesterday. Judicialsources said he entered a plea of notguilty.

The high-profile trial comes as left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, elect-ed last month, seeks to fill depleted gov-ernment coffers and reduce inequality bymaking Greece’s rich elite cough up theirfair share of taxes.

This, together with pledges to clampdown on corruption and make govern-ment more efficient, were key planks inproposed reforms that on Tuesday con-vinced Greece’s creditors to extend its240-billion-euro ($270-billion) bailout.

Similar revelations to the “LagardeList” have in recent years revealed promi-nent figures in Europe hiding money inSwitzerland, leading to pressure on theAlpine country to dismantle its decades-old tradition of banking secrecy.

HSBC, Europe’s biggest bank, has alsofound itself in hot water after claims ear-lier this month that it helped clients inmore than 200 countries dodge taxes onaccounts containing 180 billion euros($205 billion). — AFP

Greek ex-minister faces life in tax evasion trial

ATHENS: Former finance minister George Papaconstantinou (C) sits between his lawyers,as he appears before a special court in Athens yesterday, to face charges for allegedlytampering with a confidential tax document known as the ‘Lagarde list’. — AFP

LONDON: London stocks pulled back yesterday from to arecord high the previous day on profit-taking, while themain European markets ended flat. London’s benchmarkFTSE 100 index dropped 0.21 percent from Tuesday’s closeto end the day at 6,935.38 points.

Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index edged up 0.04 percent to11,210.27 points, while in Paris the CAC 40 was down 0.09percent to 4,882.22 points.

Madrid gave up 0.14 percent and Milan shed 0.96 per-cent. The euro rose to $1.1362 from $1.1342 late in NewYork on Tuesday. “The FTSE 100 failed to build on therecord-breaking gains from the previous session,” said ana-lyst Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets. “The benchmark UKindex was dragged down when the Irish government failedto give the go-ahead on the IAG takeover of Aer Lingus,while Weir Group was pummelled after giving a profitwarning.”

The Irish government demanded more guarantees onjobs and routes before agreeing to the deal, while shares inengineering firm Weir Group collapsed almost 9 percentafter it signalled lower margins and revenue.

The FTSE index had been rising steadily for months,helped by central bank stimulus and improvements to theBritish and US economies that have offset weakness inChina and strains in the eurozone. — AFP

London stocks pullback from record

high, Europe steady

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

B U S I N E S S

DUBAI: Gulf stock markets may rise in line with globalequities yesterday after the US Federal Reserve indi-cated it would not rush into raising interest rates,although the news might be seen as negative forsome of Saudi Arabia’s banks.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outsideJapan is up about 0.9 percent after US stocks gainedovernight. Brent oil has edged up towards $59 perbarrel.

The Fed is preparing to consider interest rate hikes“on a meeting-by-meeting basis”, its Chair Janet Yellen

told a congressional committee on Tuesday.That approach could open the door to an interest

rate increase as early as June, but investors interpretedYellen’s testimony overall as likely indicating a laterdate for lift-off.

Central banks in the Gulf, where most currenciesare pegged to the dollar, will be pressed to follow theFed when it eventually hikes rates, and this could fur-ther slow economic growth, already dampened some-what by the plunge in oil prices.

According to a 2012 International Monetary Fund

study, “an increase of 100 basis points in the Fed FundsRate decreases broad money growth by 0.6 percent-age point and non-oil activity by 0.1 percent” in theGulf Cooperation Council region.

Thus a potential delay in the rate hike may be seenas positive by Gulf investors. But Saudi Arabia’s bank-ing sector, which has a higher concentration ofdemand deposits bearing no interest than those inneighbouring countries, may come under pressure.

Many banks in the kingdom will benefit from high-er rates as their funding costs will remain low and net

interest margins will increase.Al Rajhi Bank and Bank Albilad, which have paticu-

larly high concentrations of demand deposits, werethe top gainers among the kingdom’s banks onTuesday, rising 1.2 and 3.2 percent respectively. Theycould see profit-taking on Wednesday.

For Egypt, which plans to tap global debt marketsto bridge its fiscal gap, the Fed news may be seen aspositive. A delayed interest rate hike would alsoprompt global investors to stay in emerging marketsfor a longer time. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.490Indian Rupees 4.750Pakistani Rupees 2.927Srilankan Rupees 2.221Nepali Rupees 2.973Singapore Dollar 221.410Hongkong Dollar 38.009Bangladesh Taka 3.768Philippine Peso 6.577Thai Baht 8.979Irani Riyal transfer 61.555Irani Riyal cash 121.740

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 78.618Qatari Riyal 80.995Omani Riyal 766.050Bahraini Dinar 783.050UAE Dirham 80.289

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 41.517Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.132Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.370Tunisian Dinar 156.380Jordanian Dinar 414.370Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.978Syrian Lira 2.101Morocco Dirham 32.278

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 294.700Euro 350.100Sterling Pound 448.240Canadian dollar 247.340Turkish lira 129.000Swiss Franc 291.350Australian Dollar 241.950US Dollar Buying 293.500

GOLD20 gram 238.10010 gram 121.7405 gram 61.560

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007677 0.008677British Pound 0.439910 0.448910Czech Korune 0.004327 0.016327Danish Krone 0.042869 0.047869Euro 0.342978 0.350978Norwegian Krone 0.034122 0.039322Romanian Leu 0.084531 0.084531Slovakia 0.008649 0.018649Swedish Krona 0.032541 0.037541Swiss Franc 0.283655 0.293855Turkish Lira 0.127301 0.134301

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.232286 0.243786New Zealand Dollar 0.222732 0.232232

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.241272 0.249772US Dollars 0.290600 0.295300US Dollars Mint 0.291100 0.295300

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003454 0.004054Chinese Yuan 0.046034 0.049534Hong Kong Dollar 0.035911 0.038661Indian Rupee 0.004404 0.004805Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002417 0.002597Kenyan Shilling 0.003278 0.003268Korean Won 0.000263 0.000278Malaysian Ringgit 0.079761 0.085761Nepalese Rupee 0.003012 0.003182Pakistan Rupee 0.002739 0.003019

Philippine Peso 0.006518 0.006798Sierra Leone 0.000065 0.000071Singapore Dollar 0.217588 0.223588South African Rand 0.019592 0.028092Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001861 0.002441Taiwan 0.009151 0.009331Thai Baht 0.008641 0.009191

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.775237 0.783237Egyptian Pound 0.038222 0.041322Iranian Riyal 0.000082 0.000083Iraqi Dinar 0.000195 0.000255Jordanian Dinar 0.411598 0.419098Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000146 0.000246Moroccan Dirhams 0.024074 0.048074Nigerian Naira 0.001199 0.001834Omani Riyal 0.759434 0.765114Qatar Riyal 0.080236 0.081449Saudi Riyal 0.077950 0.078650Syrian Pound 0.001748 0.001968Tunisian Dinar 0.153277 0.161277Turkish Lira 0.127301 0.131301UAE Dirhams 0.079254 0.080403Yemeni Riyal 0.001331 0.001411

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 232.53 229.53Canadian Dollar 249.90 250.90Swiss Franc 293.82 291.82Euro 350.75 351.75US Dollar 294.90 297.90Sterling Pound 449.01 451.01Japanese Yen 2.53 2.55Bangladesh Taka 3.778 4.048Indian Rupee 4.746 5.046Sri Lankan Rupee 2.227 2.662Nepali Rupee 2.964 3.499Pakistani Rupee 2.926 2.790UAE Dirhams 80.14 80.60Bahraini Dinar 782.70 784.77Egyptian Pound 41.12 41.72Jordanian Dinar 419.01 424.66Omani Riyal 764.77 772.07Qatari Riyal 81.21 81.76Saudi Riyal 78.55 78.95

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 291.750Canadian Dollar 260.085Sterling Pound 456.630Euro 366.500Swiss Frank 303.035Bahrain Dinar 775.760UAE Dirhams 79.330Qatari Riyals 80.935Saudi Riyals 77.975Jordanian Dinar 411.660Egyptian Pound 40.707Sri Lankan Rupees 2.225Indian Rupees 4.716Pakistani Rupees 2.867Bangladesh Taka 3.759Philippines Pesso 6.481Cyprus pound 715.865Japanese Yen 3.480

Syrian Pound 2.710Nepalese Rupees 3.945Malaysian Ringgit 87.645Chinese Yuan Renminbi 48.035Thai Bhat 9.885Turkish Lira 131.225

Al Mulla Exchange

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 293.950Euro 351.450Pound Sterlng 447.150Canadian Dollar 249.900Indian Rupee 4.650Egyptian Pound 41.095Sri Lankan Rupee 2.223Bangladesh Taka 3.749Philippines Peso 6.528Pakistan Rupee 2.920Bahraini Dinar 782.700UAE Dirham 80.050Saudi Riyal 78.500*Rates are subject to change

Flexible Fed stance may support most Gulf markets

DUBAI: Most major Gulf stock markets edged upyesterday after oil prices gained and the US FederalReserve indicated it was in no rush to raise interestrates. Brent crude climbed above $59 per barrel afterdata showed Chinese factories were producing morethan expected and Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said oildemand was growing.

Global equities also rose after Federal ReserveChair Janet Yellen told a congressional committee onTuesday that the Fed was preparing to consider inter-est rate hikes “on a meeting-by-meeting basis”.

That approach could open the door to an interestrate increase as early as June, but investors interpret-ed Yellen’s testimony overall as likely indicating a lat-er date for lift-off. The Gulf’s currency pegs to the USdollar mean it would probably imitate any US mone-tary tightening.

Saudi Arabia’s stock market edged up 0.3 percent.Saudi Mining Company (Ma’aden) surged 6.0 percenton strong volume to a fresh all-time closing high of42.40 riyals. The company started commercial opera-tions at its joint aluminium smelter with US-basedAlcoa last September and is set to benefit fromstrong demand and low costs when compared toEuropean and US operations.

Russia’s United Company Rusal, one of the world’sbiggest aluminium producers, forecast a deficit inaluminium supply in 2015 outside China.

Overall trading volume in Saudi Arabia remainedrelatively low, however, as the market regulator sus-pended trading in shares of telecommunicationsoperator Mobily after another shock revision of its2014 earnings.

Mobily said it had swung to a full-year loss of 913million riyals ($243.4 million) in 2014, according toaudited results, also revealing it had breached loancovenants with various lenders.

In January, the company had announced unau-dited 2014 results which showed it made a full-year

profit of 219.8 million riyals.The regulator said the shares would be suspend-

ed until Mobily disclosed detailed reasons for therevisions and all other relevant developments. Twoother mobile operators, Saudi Telecom and ZainSaudi, fell 0.3 and 1.4 percent respectively.

The Mobily debacle is not, however, expected tohave a long-term negative effect on the overall stockmarket or deter foreign investors from coming inwhen the market begins opening to them in comingmonths, as Saudi Arabia has a reputation as one ofthe best-regulated markets in the region.

UAE, EgyptElswehere in the Gulf, Dubai’s index rose 0.8 per-

cent, largely because of property stocks. EmaarProperties added 1.3 percent, DAMAC jumped 2.1percent, Union Properties climbed 0.9 percent andDeyaar rose 1.2 percent.

The real estate sector, where both companies andcustomers are often leveraged, is particularly sensi-tive to interest rate movements and a delay in USmonetary tightening would be positive for it.

Abu Dhabi property firm Aldar jumped 2.3 per-cent and was the one of the main supports for thatemirate’s index , which climbed 0.2 percent. RAKProperties rose 2.7 percent.

Qatar’s benchmark slipped 0.4 percent as EzdanHolding dropped 3.7 percent after announcing 2014results and dividends. The company proposed a pay-out of 0.40 riyal per share, up from 0.31 riyal it paidfor 2013, but some investors may have hoped for abigger increase.

Egypt’s stock market fell 1.5 percent as moststocks pulled back. Orascom Telecom Media andTechnology (OTMT) was down 1.6 percent after surg-ing this week on a deal to sell its stake in mobileoperator Mobinil to French giant Orange.

Global Telecom dropped 2.2 percent after report-

ing a fourth-quarter consolidated net loss of $161.9million, although it was much narrower than the $2.7billion loss a year earlier.

“Overall, Global Telecom’s fourth-quarter per-formance falls short of our expectations; primarily aresult of continued competitive pressures in Algeria,”Naeem brokerage said in a note.

OCI, a chemicals and construction giant con-trolled by Egypt’s billionaire Sawiris family, said onTuesday that the institutional offer in Egypt forshares in its construction business was fully covered.The second part of the offer, aimed at retail investors,will run from March 1 to 4 and some investors maybe cashing out in order to take part in it.

WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

SAUDI ARABIAThe index rose 0.3 percent to 9,320 points.

DUBAIThe index added 0.8 percent to 3,870 points.

ABU DHABIThe index edged up 0.2 percent to 4,631 points.

QATARThe index edged down 0.4 percent to 12,472

points.

EGYPTThe index fell 1.5 percent to 9,469 points.

OMANThe index slipped 0.3 percent to 6,579 points.

BAHRAINThe index edged down 0.2 percent to 1,469

points. — Reuters

Gulf markets edge up on

commodities, dovish FedMobily shares suspended after shock earnings revision

NEW YORK: This December 12, 2013 file photo shows the headquarters of JP Morgan Chase on Park Avenue in New York. JPMorgan Chase onTuesday unveiled plans to eliminate hundreds of retail branches and some $100 billion in deposits as it announced nearly $5 billion in cost cutsin the next three years. The biggest US bank by assets, JPMorgan projected $2.8 billion in expense reductions in its corporate and investmentbank division through 2017 and another $2.0 billion in expense cuts in its consumer and community banking segment. — AFP

DOHA: A proposal by Qatar’s Investment Housefor a 750 million riyal ($206 million) flotation ofan agricultural firm has been shelved by regula-tors, while investment in Qatar is slowing gener-ally because of weak oil prices, InvestmentHouse’s chief executive said.

Investment House is a private Qatari invest-ment bank that is 87 percent owned by QatarInvestment and Projects Development HoldingCo (QIPCO), a local investment group.

Late last year the firm proposed an initialpublic offer for a planned company that wouldproduce chickens, a commodity which is mostlyimported into the tiny desert state.

The 750 million riyal initial public offer wouldhave raised half the money needed for the proj-ect, while the other half had been obtained fromother investors, Hashem Al-Aqeel said in aninterview. “Qatar consumes about 89 millionkilogrammes of chicken a year and only pro-duces 6 million kg - the rest is imported, so hav-ing this kind of project here is a huge steptowards food security,” he said.

Now, however, the government has put theIPO on hold, he said. He declined to commenton the reason behind that decision or say whenthe project might proceed.

On holdIn general, many investment projects in

Qatar have slowed since oil prices began toplunge last year, Aqeel said. Qatar is the world’stop natural gas exporter, and gas prices havebeen dragged down by the decline in oil.

“The lower oil price is affecting Qatar - we areseeing a slowdown in the rate of investmenthere in the construction, banking and energysectors.”

In January, state-run Qatar Petroleum and

Shell said they had decided not to proceed withtheir $6.4 billion Al Karaana petrochemical proj-ect in Qatar. Construction had not yet begun.

Aqeel said most projects that were not relat-ed to Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup soc-cer tournament were slowing, and that investorswere generally waiting to see what happened toenergy prices before they committed fresh mon-ey to projects.

Qatar government officials have given amore positive picture of the economy; inDecember the Ministry of DevelopmentPlanning and Statistics forecast gross domesticproduct would grow 7.7 percent in 2015, andsenior officials have said key economic projectswill not be cut back.

Qatar’s huge fiscal reserves mean the gov-ernment can continue spending heavily on theeconomy for years even if its oil and gas rev-enues have shrunk.

However, Aqeel said banking system liquidityin Qatar was beginning to suffer. “From initialindicators you can see that deposits are lower sofar this year, which will result in banks havingless liquidity to lend, and the loans will have ahigher interest rate.”

The latest central bank data shows totaldeposits at commercial banks in Qatar fell to553.0 billion riyals at the end of December from560.4 billion riyals in September, though theywere up 7.4 percent from a year earlier.

This year Investment House will focus onprojects involving the purchase of propertiesand warehouses in Europe that have highreturns, in addition to projects in Qatar’s educa-tion and healthcare sectors. “I expect this slow-down will last a couple of years, and whenthings are slow, good sectors in invest in arehealthcare and education.” — Reuters

Qatar investment

slows as oil slumps

FRANKFURT: Euro notes are presented at European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters inFrankfurt am Main, central Germany, yesterday. — AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

B U S I N E S S

KIEV: The value of Ukraine’s free-falling hryvnia was in limboyesterday after the central bank banned nearly all commercialcurrency trading until the end of the week, a decisiondenounced by the prime minister as bad for the economy.Hours after imposing the ban, the central bank offered to buydollars for 21.7 hryvnias, meaning anyone forced to sell wouldreceive a third less than the last recorded market rate beforethe ban, and around half the rate available on the street.Exporters in Ukraine are required to sell 75 percent of theirhard currency income.

After later emergency talks with Prime Minister ArsenyYatseniuk, Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko and central bankchief Valeria Gontareva, President Petro Poroshenko’s officeannounced a package of measures had been prepared to sta-bilise the currency. No details were immediately given. A newsconference was called for 5:00 pm (1500 GMT).

The bank said the ban on all trades between banks onbehalf of their clients had been imposed to stabilise the cur-rency due to “unfounded” demand from clients.

But Prime Minister Yatseniuk said it would have a “verycomplicated and negative effect on the economy of Ukraine,the balance of the financial system and the currencyexchange rate”. He accused the bank of taking its decisionwithout consulting the government, telling a cabinet meeting

he had found out about it on the Internet.The measure was taken a day after the hryvnia plunged

11.1 percent, shrugging off trading controls imposed by thebank at the start of the week.

War in the east of the country has made it difficult to sta-bilise an economy on the verge of bankruptcy. The hryvniahas already lost more than half its value so far this year afterhalving during all of 2014.

With nearly all trading banned, the bank’s public figures,based on official volumes in the hundreds of thousands ofdollars, gave little clue as to the true value of a currency nor-mally traded in the hundreds of millions each day.

After recording no trades at all before noon, the centralbank recorded 12 official trades totalling $420,000 by 3 pm.The average rate of those tiny trades was recorded as 23.81hryvnia to the dollar. Tuesday’s close, the last market ratebefore the ban, was 31.63.

Demand building upProfessional currency traders were divided on the wisdom

of the trading ban, with some saying it could help stop panicand others saying it could make the situation worse by storingup demand for dollars that would overwhelm the currencylater.

“So, they have halted trade until the end of the week. Whathappens then? Will the situation really improve? Where is thedemand for currency going to go?” said a currency trader atone bank, speaking on condition of anonymity required bythe employer. “On the contrary, it will just build up and willspeed up the fall of the hryvnia next week.”

But another said: “The central bank needs to give a signalthat this is just temporary, to beat back the panicked pacewhen the hryvnia was falling by five hrynvia a day. This is whatall society is demanding the central bank should do. Sothey’ve done it.”

Exchange kiosks in Kiev, permitted to buy up to 3,000 hryv-nias from members of the public, were offering dollars for 39hryvnias, around 20 percent worse than rates advertised inthe windows of commercial banks where dollars were simplyunavailable.

A construction worker exchanging dollars at a kiosk in agrocery shop in return for a bag filled with thousands of hryv-nia, laughed and told shoppers: “Soon we will have to walkaround with suitcases for cash, like in the 1990s.”

There were no queues. A cashier at one central Kievexchange booth said people were buying and selling onlysmall amounts “when they really need to” because of the veryhigh rates. — Reuters

Conflicting data

sends crude oil

rangebound

By Ole Hansen

Commodities had a mixed week with currencies andequities providing little guidance. In Europe the eco-nomic outlook continues to improve while the show-down with Athens carries on with most expecting thata solution will be found.

China and other big Asian economies are on holi-day celebrating Lunar New Year and this triggered aslowdown in activity which left some markets morevulnerable than others, especially industrial and pre-cious metals.

The energy sector was supported by natural gas ascold weather in the US boosted demand for heating,while both crude oils traded sideways for a third con-secutive week.

Forward-looking indicatorssuch as the continued slump inUS oil rig counts combined withsupply disruptions from Libya andIraq provided the support, whilebackward-looking productiondata once again painted a pictureof a very oversupplied market,with US supply and productionrising to a multi-decade high.

Precious metals have been exposed to continuedlong liquidation from traders following the recentslump below technical support levels. Rising US gov-ernment bond yields are a current drag on the marketwhile a less hawkish statement from the latest FOMCmeeting helped settle a few nerves.

USDA gives bean a boostThe grain market, which for the past couple of

months has had to settle for guidance through exportdata, crop developments in South America and cur-rency movements, received the first indication of whatand how much US farmers intend to plant during thecoming months of spring.

The report from the US Department of Agriculturesurprised the market as it lowered the expectedacreage for soybeans which subsequently gave thebean a boost.

Lower prices during the past year for all threemajor crops combined with the reduced competitive-ness due to a rising dollar makes for some difficultdecisions for US farmers. Adding to this, the soon-to-arrive bumper crop from South America means thenear-term outlook for higher prices across the sectorseems limited.

Crude oil has been settling into a range during thepast few weeks with Brent crude having a slight edgeover WTI crude due to international developments.Trading conditions remain difficult with traders beingpushed around with the alternating focus betweenforward- and backward-looking data.

US inventories and production continue to risedespite the one-third reduction in oil rig counts sincelast October. Last week saw US inventories expand toa record of 425.6 million barrels while production roseto 9.28 mn barrels a day, which is the highest since theEIA began compiling such date in 1983.

Positive storage economics - where traders buycheap crude oil in the spot market and place it in stor-age and simultaneously sell in the future at a higherprice - has helped trigger a dramatic rise in inventoriesat Cushing. Since October inventories have more thandoubled to 46.3 mn barrels, not far from the record51.9mn barrels reached two years ago.

This leaves the burning question: Will Cushing runout capacity before production begins to slow? If itdoes it carries the potential consequence of sendingspot crude back towards new lows.

Goldman Sachs, for one, believes this a current riskand it maintains a target of $39 per barrel on WTIcrude oil during the coming months. Whether this isthe reason or not we have recently seen much atten-tion in the option market to the $40/b Put strikes, withexpiry in April and June being the two most activelyoptions traded during the past week.

Oil output to fall Support to oil prices has come from several sources

this week. Apart from the continued fall in US rigcount, EOG Resources, a major US shale producer, stat-ed in its quarterly report that US production will fallfaster than the government currently expects.

The market also found support from supply con-cerns related to reduced shipments from Libya due toa deteriorating security situation and Iraq where badweather added to an already growing export bottle-neck in the south.

WTI crude oil has settled into a range with supportbeing provided by the 21-day moving average. Duringthe sell-off from last summer this moving average pro-vided resistance on several occasions and so far thismonth it has given support on three occasions.Resistance can be found at $55/b with a break aboveclearing the way for a potential, but unlikely, test backtowards $60/b.

Gold traders Gold reached, but initially found support, at

$1,200/oz thereby almost erasing most of the gainsseen this year. Platinum and silver fared even worsewith the platinum: gold ratio falling to a two-year lowwhile silver ended up being one of the worst perform-ing commodities, albeit from a higher peak than gold.

Rising US government bond yields have during thepast month been one of the major negative driversand the outlook for rising US interest rates continue tobe a cause for concern for the bulls.

The publication of a less hawkish set of minutesfrom the January FOMC meeting, together with theongoing concerns about a potential exit of Greecefrom the euro, failed to give gold a lift big enough topush it back into relative safe territory above$1,220/oz.

Selling pressures have come from tactical traderssuch as hedge funds who rushed into gold followingthe move to unpeg the Swiss franc from the euro lastmonth. Greek worries and signs that a rising dollarand global developments may trigger a delay in thebeginning of rate normalization in the US should stilllend enough support to establish a near-term basejust below $1200/oz.

Once established the most likely outcome will be aperiod of rangebound trading where resistance willbe determined by the 200-day moving average, cur-rently at $1,248/oz.

Commodity Weekly Ukraine currency in limbo

after CB bans most trade Poroshenko promises to stabilise currency

British bank TSB

eyes deals after

year profit edges up

LONDON: Britain’s TSB Banking Group Plc said itwould consider acquisitions to accelerate its expan-sion and reported a 2.3 percent rise in pretax profitfor 2014 as it picked up customers from establishedrivals. TSB would not comment directly on specula-tion it approached the owners of British bankingnewcomer Aldermore about a possible bid earlierthis year.

The bank has also been linked with a possiblepurchase of mortgage portfolios from Britain’s ‘badbank’, which is winding down the loans of NorthernRock and Bradford & Bingley.

“If they are the right assets at the right price andthey make sense for our shareholders, then we willlook at them,” Chief Executive Paul Pester toldreporters on Wednesday.

British regulators are keen for new banks to chal-lenge Britain’s big four lenders-Lloyds, Royal Bank ofScotland , Barclays and HSBC-which provide three-quarters of the country’s personal current accounts.

TSB, which became Britain’s seventh biggestlender when hived off from Lloyds Banking Grouplast June, said it had taken an 8.4 percent share of allnew personal current accounts opened over the pastyear with almost 500,000 new TSB bank accounts setup in 2014. The bank wants to lift its share of the per-sonal current account market to 6 percent from a fig-ure of 4.2 percent when it listed on the LondonStock Exchange.

TSB said it had received more than 300 millionpounds ($465 million) worth of applications to datefor its mortgage range it opened to brokers inJanuary. Pretax profit rose to 133.7 million poundsfor the year ended Dec. 31 from 130.7 millionpounds in 2013.

Shares in TSB have fallen 10 percent since theirlisting on the London Stock Exchange. They weretrading up 0.7 percent at 263 pence at 1325 GMT.

Lloyds sold a 38.5 percent stake in TSB through astock market flotation of the business in last Junefollowed by the sale of a further 11.5 percent share-holding in last September.

Lloyds was forced by European regulators to sellthe 631 branches which now form TSB as a conditionof receiving state aid during the financial crisis. Itmust sell the whole of TSB by the end of 2015 and isfree to start selling more shares in the company fromtoday. — Reuters

LONDON: A protester wearing a large papier mache head of the British Prime Minister David Cameron takes part in ademonstration at a tax avoidance schemes operated by some British Banks, in London, yesterday. In Parliament yester-day British lawmakers will talk to the HSBC Bank Chief executive Stuart Gulliver and chairman Douglas Flint about alle-gations that the banks Swiss HSBC private bank helped some people avoid paying tax. — AP

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron could hardlyhave asked for a better run of economic numbers ahead ofMay’s tight election. Yet he and his Conservative Party arenervously waiting to see if they can count on the turnaroundin the economy to deliver electoral gold.

It all looks fairly rosy. Growth this year could be thestrongest in nearly a decade, inflation is at a record low andpay is going up as unemployment falls. Britain’s FTSE 100blue-chip share price index has hit a record high.

Finance minister George Osborne has even been showeredwith praise by Angel Gurria, head of the Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development, who told him onTuesday: “My main message to you is: well done so far ... butfinish the job.” But while some recent opinion polls haveshown the Conservatives edging ahead of the centre-leftLabour opposition party, most still suggest that the electionwill be too close to call.

This may be because most voters remain worse off than atthe time of the last election in 2010, after what the Bank ofEngland has described as the longest and deepest squeeze onearnings since at least the mid-1800s.

British economic growth last year was the strongestamong the world’s rich nations. But in late 2014, wages adjust-ed for inflation remained down about 10 percent from theirlevels before the financial crisis broke in 2008.

“Are we looking at economic growth, or are we looking atpounds in your pocket? Never before has it been so distinct interms of those two factors,” said Katherine Peacock, managingdirector of polling firm ComRes. “Never before have peoplefelt like ultimately the direction of the country and their owndirection are going very, very differently.”

Split UKThe challenge for Cameron and Osborne to persuade vot-

ers that the recovery really is working for them has been madeharder by a split between the winners and losers of the eco-nomic recovery, something Labour is emphasising in its cam-paign.

A survey by human resources organisation CIPD publishedthis month showed two fifths of workers won significant payrises last year but as many endured stagnant salaries.

Critics of the government’s record on employment pointedto numbers released on Wednesday which showed anincrease in the number of people employed on ‘zero-hourscontracts’, which offer no guaranteed amount of work andpay.

Splits over the economy also stand out in opinion polls.A survey by polling firm Opinium showed that 67 percent

of likely Conservative voters rate the current state of the econ-omy as good; only 22 percent of probable Labour votersshared that opinion.

Just as significant for Cameron, barely one in five peoplelikely to vote for the anti-European Union UK IndependenceParty rate the economy as good. Right-of-centre UKIP looksset to cost the Conservatives some seats at the election, mak-ing them a big factor in who emerges victorious in a finelybalanced election.

And polling experts say the government’s ability to winmore credit for the recovery in time for the election remains abig challenge.

“It’s interesting that the latest data has started to pick upagain, and if that trajectory continues, it might not be toolate,” Charles Davis, a director of the centre for Economics andBusiness Research, a forecasting firm.

“But when you’re coming from such a long period ofincomes being squeezed, it’s probably going to take a longperiod of real income increases for people to feel that theeconomy is really much more buoyant.” — Reuters

Cameron waiting for electoral

gold from recovering economy

More subway delays

ahead if NYC can’t

fund transit budget

NEW YORK: It’s an ominous refrain, repeated endlessly in thesame automated monotone: “Ladies and gentlemen, we aredelayed because of train traffic ahead of us.”

Every New Yorker who rides the subway to work each day -all 6 million of them, on the busiest days - has heard that mes-sage echoed over the loudspeakers when a train car has cometo an unexpected halt. What most commuters don’t realize isthat those delays are tied to a contentious political fight cur-rently playing out over the Metropolitan TransportationAuthority’s five-year capital budget plan, which will fund criti-cal improvements and repairs to the city’s sprawling masstransit system.

Right now, the MTA is struggling to find funding sourcesfor about half of that $32 billion plan, a topic that likely will beaddressed at its monthly board meeting today. And if lawmak-ers don’t figure it out soon, commuters will suffer the most.Experts say the city’s aging trains and buses, which already lagfar behind other global metropolises, will deteriorate consid-erably if the transit authority is unable to digitize a century-old subway signaling system, replace miles of subway tracksand cars and fix tunnel lighting, among many critical repairs. Italso won’t be able to forge ahead with major projects, such asthe new subway line that will run along Second Avenue.

“We will start sliding backwards,” said Richard Barone,director of transportation programs for the Regional PlanAssociation, an independent civic group that shapes transitpolicy across the tri-state area. “Stations will be looking worse.We won’t have the money to maintain the track infrastructureto where it should be, and therefore it will result in greaterdelays. If we don’t upgrade our signaling system, well, that’sreally bad because these are signals that are in some casesover 80 years old.”

The problem is that politicians and policymakers are divid-ed over how to come up with the remaining $15 billion need-ed to fund the plan. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who con-trols the MTA, has described the capital plan as “bloated,”which implies that he will expect significant cuts in order for itto pass muster in the state legislature this summer. But thegeneral consensus among transportation experts is that theprice tag actually isn’t high enough to cover the massiveamount of work that needs to be done.—AP

LONDON: Angel GurrÌa, Secretary General of the OECD, makes a statement following the release of the OECD’s economicsurvey of the United Kingdom during a press conference at The Treasury in London, Tuesday. The report from theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlighted the UK’s strong growth and employmentlevels. But it cautioned that a failure to boost productivity was “holding back real wages and well-being”. — AP

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

WELLINGTON: A New Zealand companydeveloping personalised jetpacks sky-rocketed yesterday in the wake of itsdebut on the Australian stock exchangethis week, briefly doubling its shareprice.

The Martin Aircraft Company reacheda high of 91 cents yesterday, up 107 per-cent on its opening price of 44 cents,before retreating to 69 cents in early

afternoon trade. The jetpack is the brain-child of New Zealand inventor GlennMartin, who has been developing theproject for more than 30 years at hisChristchurch workshop.

Inspired by childhood televisionshows such as “Thunderbirds” and “Lostin Space”, Martin set out in the early1980s to create a jetpack suitable foreveryday use by ordinary people with no

specialist pilot training.The result is a one-man jetpack that

can reach heights of more than one kilo-metre (0.62 miles) and fly for 30 minutesat speeds of up to 74 kilometres per hour(44 mph).

The first versions, aimed at emer-gency services personnel, are expectedto be delivered in late 2016 with a pricetag of about $US200,000 apiece.

“Commercial jetpacks are no longerthe domain of science fiction,” MartinAircraft chief executive Peter Cocker said.

“The dream of Glenn Martin to createa commercial jetpack is about to berealised.”

The jetpack is actually propeller driv-en. It consists of a pair of cylinders con-taining propulsion fans attached to afree-standing carbon-fibre frame. It is

powered by a two-litre V4 engine gener-ating about 200 horsepower and comeswith a rocket-propelled parachute incase anything goes wrong.

While initial versions will be targetedat “first responders”, Martin eventuallyplans to make his invention available tothe public. He has said previously that heenvisions the device becoming a “jetskifor the skies”. —AFP

Kiwi jetpack maker flying high after market debut

HONG KONG: A woman crosses a street in the financial district in Hong Kongyesterday. Hong Kong’s leadership yesterday blamed months of pro-democ-racy protests as the economy fell well short of predicted growth in 2014,and warned that “prolonged political bickering” could do more damage toinvestor confidence. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s governmentunveils its first full budget Saturdayunder intense pressure to bringabout promised reforms to growIndia’s economy after winning thebiggest mandate in 30 years at lastyear’s elections.

Modi has promised to slash redtape, reform tax and overhaul landacquisition laws to try to attract for-eign investment and create jobs formillions of young people.

But economists say investorswere left underwhelmed by aninterim budget introduced shortlyafter the prime minister took chargelast year and are looking for con-crete details this time, including onplans to boost India’s manufacturingand improve shoddy infrastructure.

With stocks soaring and slidingglobal oil prices improving publicfinances, economists said this year’sbudget was critical to pushingreforms forward.

“This budget needs to leave amark, just as the 1991 budget didwhen the economy was goingthrough a major crisis,” D.K. Joshisaid on historic reforms and movesto open up the economy to foreigninvestment.

“There is a huge amount ofexpectation. And this is the criticaltime to deliver,” Joshi, chief econo-mist at local ratings agency CRISIL,told AFP. Finance Minister ArunJaitley is expected to increasespending on crumbling roads, rail-ways and dilapidated power infra-structure as part of Modi’s plans toentice foreign businesses to set upshop in India.

Jaitley will likely hike capitalexpenditure to at least two percentof GDP, up from 1.8 in the last budg-et, economist Samiran Chakrabortypredicted in a research note, mean-ing a rise to 2.8 trillion rupees ($45billion).

Delicate balance The defeat suffered by Modi’s

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in lastmonth’s state elections in Delhi onlyincreased the pressure on the newgovernment, with some critics say-ing voters were tired of waiting forchange.

But economists warn Jaitley’splans will be restricted by the needfor further prudence, after commit-

ting to cutting the fiscal deficit to 4.1percent of GDP for 2014/2015 from4.5 percent the year before.

The right-wing government’smoves are aimed at persuading thecentral bank to continue to unwindhigh interest rates to boost businessborrowing and accelerate growth.

After the Reserve Bank of India’sunscheduled rate cut last month,governor Raghuram Rajan said fur-ther reductions would be linked to

“high-quality fiscal consolidation”and continued lower inflation.

“It’s not an easy thing, they (thegovernment) must stick within thefiscal bounds while increasingexpenditure,” Joshi said.

Jaitley’s task has been madeslightly easier by boosted revenuesfrom lower global crude prices,which has lowered the cost of fuelsubsidies and allowed India, an oilimporter, to hike excise duties.

Growth outpacing China The economy, thought to be

struggling through the worst slow-down since the 1980s, is actuallygrowing at 7.5 percent, outpacingeven China, according to a new for-mula for calculating GDP adoptedby the government last month.

As Jaitley presents the budgetto parliament, investors will besearching for specifics on much-trumpeted reforms such as the“Make in India” campaign,designed to turn the country into a

manufacturing hub.“The last budget was all over the

place trying to deliver a little bit ofeverything,” Chakraborty, head ofmacro research for South Asia atStandard Chartered bank, told AFP.

“But this time, the budget has tolay down the roadmap for thefuture as well as provide specificsabout how they are going toachieve their signature policies.That will give a lot of comfort toinvestors.”

Chakraborty also pointed to theneed for details on pledges to over-

haul the tax regime, which busi-nesses have long griped is aggres-sive and arbitrary and deters invest-ment.

British mobile giant Vodafone isembroiled in a bitter, $2.4-billionbattle with India’s tax authorities,while Finnish company Nokia had aplant in India seized over a tax dis-pute. Hindu nationalist Modi’s otherpet projects such as cleaning up theholy Ganges river and building 100

“smart cities” are also expected tofeature, A.K Bhattacharya, editor-in-chief of the Business Standardnewspaper, said this week.

The premier is also expected tocontinue his “Modinomics” agendaof “maximum governance, mini-mum government”, including byhanding more power to the statesto implement such schemes tospeed up decision-making.

“Expectations indeed are highand meeting them is probably theforthcoming budget’s biggest chal-lenge,” Bhattacharya said. —AFP

India under pressure to deliver on ‘Modinomics’

Critics say voters tired of waiting for change

NEW DELHI: Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu (front-R) and Junior Railway Minister ManojSinha (front-L) pose for the media while giving the final touches to the Railway Budget in NewDelhi yesterday. Union Railway Minister will table the railway budget in parliament today. —AFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leadership yes-terday blamed months of pro-democracyprotests as the economy fell well short ofpredicted growth in 2014, and said “pro-longed political bickering” could do moredamage to investor confidence.

The growth rate was just 2.3 percent in2014, down from 2.9 percent the previousyear and far slower than the three to fourpercent predicted in last year’s budgetspeech.

Delivering his budget for 2015-16, financesecretary John Tsang said local industrieshad been damaged by the protests whichbegan in late September last year andbrought parts of the city to a standstill.

“Prolonged political bickering is detri-mental to public administration and theinternational image of Hong Kong as a sta-ble, law-abiding and efficient city,” he said.

“It may even dampen investors’ confi-dence in Hong Kong. Such self-inflicted harmdoes not serve the city well.” Tsangannounced one-off measures to supportsectors he said had been hit by the protests.

“The Occupy movement affected tourism,hotel, catering, retail and transport indus-tries,” he said, with relief measures includingthe waiving of licence fees for restaurants,hotels and travel agents as well as waivingadministrative fees for taxis and buses.

Tsang predicted “even more vehement”disputes in the semi-autonomous Chinesecity as it grapples with how its next leadershould be chosen.

Beijing has promised that the public willfor the first time be able to vote for thenext chief executive in 2017. But it sayscandidates must be vetted by a loyalistcommittee.

That decision sparked 79 days of streetblockades in some areas by pro-democracyprotesters.

‘Challenging’ 2015 The economy’s disappointing growth was

also due to the weak eurozone and Japan’srecession, said Tsang, adding that it was thethird consecutive year that growth had fallenshort of the annual average of 3.9 percent

expansion over the past decade.The year ahead would be “challenging”

with predicted growth of one to three per-cent as expected US interest rate rises,volatile oil prices and uncertainties in Europeplay a part.

He announced a raft of measures to boostpublic spending after slashing it last year, asthe government comes under increasingpressure over social inequality-frustrationswhich also fuelled last year’s mass rallies.

Measures include reductions to salariestax and rent support for low-income familiesin public housing. However, there would stillbe a budget surplus of HK$63.8 billion ($8.2billion) for the 2014-2015 period, Tsang said.

Dozens of protesters outside the legisla-tive council building questioned the govern-ment’s spending choices before the budgetspeech.

“Why is it so many people cannot afford ahouse or that they have to pay such highrents?” asked Ramon Yuen, an accountant.

“It’s because the government reacts tooslowly... they are too conservative. “The gov-ernment should cut down on the surplusand spend more.” “Many grassroots peopleare still under financial pressure in their dailylives,” district councillor Ronald Yeung toldAFP.

“They should spend and invest a lot moreto help these people.” Veteran pro-democra-cy legislator Leung Kwok-hung, known as“Long Hair” was bundled out of the chamberby security guards after shouting for a uni-versal pension scheme.

Tsang said HK$50 billion would be ear-marked for “retirement protection” for theelderly, but gave no further details. Tsangended by paying tribute to his “old friend”Kevin Lau, the former editor of liberal news-paper Ming Pao, who was severely injuredafter being attacked with a cleaver in thestreet in broad daylight as last year’s budgetspeech was delivered.

“This unthinkable violence is my abidingmemory of the last budget,” Tsang said.

“I am glad to see him returning to workand a normal life after a year of treatmentand rehabilitation.” —AFP

Protests blamed as HK misses growth targets

LONDON: SuperGroup Plc, the ownerof the Superdry fashion brand, said yes-terday its finance chief Shaun Wills hadquit after being declared bankrupt twoweeks ago.

Wills, who is a qualified accountant,was made the subject of a personalbankruptcy order on Feb. 10, the com-pany said, but it did not find out aboutit until Feb. 24.

“This is a personal matter ... and iswholly unrelated to the financial posi-tion of the company,” SuperGroup saidin a statement yesterday. It is a criminaloffence for a bankrupt person to act asa company director.

The seller of Superdry jackets, hood-ed tops and check shirts said it hadappointed Nick Wharton, previouslychief executive of Dunelm Group andbefore that chief financial officer (CFO)of Halfords Group, as interim CFO.

Shares in SuperGroup were tradingdown 2.8 percent at 984 pence at 0946GMT, valuing the group at 800 millionpounds ($1.2 billion).

Analyst Freddie George at Cantorsaid the timing could not be worse,coming less then two weeks after thedeparture of Chief Operating OfficerSusanne Given.

However, George said Wharton was a“safe pair of hands” who should workwell with Chief Executive EuanSutherland. Sutherland had more thanhis fill of boardroom problems in hisprevious job running the Co-operativeGroup, resulting in his resignation lastyear. Wills had been SuperGroup CFOfor more than two years whenSutherland joined in October.

Wills had held senior roles at retailersHabitat , Fat Face, New Look andDebenhams and according toSuperGroup’s annual report was paidjust over 500,000 pounds, includingbonus and benefits, in the year to April26, 2014.

SuperGroup, which had one of thebest Christmases on the high street,said trading was in line with previousforecasts. —Reuters

SuperGroup’s finance chief quits after being

declared bankrupt

WELLINGTON: Air New Zealand yester-day unveiled a six percent fall in half-year net profit but said low fuel pricesmeant it remained on track for “signifi-cant” earnings growth in the second half.

New Zealand’s flag carrier said profit

for the s ix months to the end ofDecember was NZ$133 million (US$100million), down from the record NZ$141million in the previous period.

The airline said normalised earnings,which strips out factors such as foreign

exchange hedging, rose 20 percent toNZ$216 million.

Chairman Tony Carter said the resultdemonstrated that Air New Zealand was“one of the few airlines in the world thatis able to generate sustainable profits”.

“The result is one that shareholderscan be very pleased with,” he said.

Carter reiterated guidance from lastyear that Air New Zealand could expect asignificant additional improvement inearnings in the second half of the finan-cial year if jet fuel price levels remainedconsistent.

“Fuel prices are lower than Novemberand the sa les momentum has beenmaintained, further strengthening thecompany’s outlook for the current yearand beyond,” he said.

The result included a NZ$14 millionloss attr ibuted to Air New Zealand’sstake in Virgin Australia, which last weekannounced it had cut its interim loss toAus$47.8 million.

Chief executive Christopher Luxon saidthe airline was “very comfortable” with itsVirgin holding, which gives it exposure tothe Australian domestic market.

“Our 25.92 percent shareholding inVirgin Australia remains a key pillar ofour Australasian strategy, and it hasbeen pleas ing to see that companydelivering better results as market condi-tions improve in domestic Australia,” hesaid.

Air New Zealand shares were up 2.52percent at NZ$2.64 at midday on an NZX50 index that was up 0.82 percent over-all. —AFP

Air New Zealand posts 6% drop in interim profit

MATTHEWS: A customer leaves a Lowe’s home improvement store in Matthews, NC,Nov 18, 2014. Lowe’s Companies reports quarterly financial results yesterday. —AP

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

BEIJING: China has dropped some of theworld’s leading technology brands fromits approved state purchase lists, whileapproving thousands more locally madeproducts, in what some say is a responseto revelations of widespread Westerncybersurveillance.

Others put the shift down to a pro-tectionist impulse to shield China’sdomestic technology industry fromcompetition.

Chief casualty is US network equip-ment maker Cisco Systems Inc, which in2012 counted 60 products on the CentralGovernment Procurement Center ’s(CGPC) list, but by late 2014 had none, aReuters analysis of official data shows.

Smartphone and PC maker Apple Inc

has also been dropped over the period,along with Intel Corp’s security softwarefirm McAfee and network and serversoftware firm Citrix Systems.

The number of products on the list,which covers regular spending by centralministries, jumped by more than 2,000 intwo years to just under 5,000, but theincrease is almost entirely due to localmakers.

The number of approved foreign techbrands fell by a third, while less than halfof those with security-related productssurvived the cull.

An official at the procurement agencysaid there were many reasons why localmakers might be preferred, includingsheer weight of numbers and the fact

that domestic security technology firmsoffered more product guarantees thanoverseas rivals.

China’s change of tack coincided withleaks by former US National SecurityAgency (NSA) contractor EdwardSnowden in mid-2013 that exposed sev-eral global surveillance programmes,many of them run by the NSA with thecooperation of telecom companies andEuropean governments.

“The Snowden incident, it’s become areal concern, especially for top leaders,”said Tu Xinquan, Associate Director ofthe China Institute of WTO Studies at theUniversity of International Business andEconomics in Beijing. “In some sense theAmerican government has some respon-

sibility for that;(China’s) concerns have some legiti-

macy.”Cybersecurity has been a significant

irritant in US-China ties, with both sidesaccusing the other of abuses. US techgroups wrote last month to the Chineseadministration complaining about someof its new cybersecurity regulations,some of which force technology vendorsto Chinese banks to hand over secretsource code and adopt Chinese encryp-tion algorithms.

The CGPC list, which details productsby brand and type, is approved byChina’s Ministry of Finance, the CGPCofficial said. The list does not detail whatquantity of a product has been pur-

chased, and does not bind local govern-ment or state-owned enterprises, northe military, which runs its own systemof procurement approval.

The Ministry of Finance declinedimmediate comment. “We have previ-ously acknowledged that geopoliticalconcerns have impacted our business incertain emerging markets,” said a Ciscospokesman.

An Intel spokesman said the companyhad frequent conversations at variouslevels of the U.S. and Chinese govern-ments, but did not provide furtherdetails.

Apple declined to comment, andCitrix was not immediately available tocomment.—Reuters

China drops leading tech brands for state purchases

SINGAPORE: Tourists visit Singapore’s famous Merlion (C) in front of the sky-line of the city’s financial business district yesterday. Singapore on February23 announced income tax rises for the top five percent of the population tofund rising social spending targeted at the poor and elderly in the rapidlyageing city-state. —AFP

TOKYO: Asian stocks ended mixed yes-terday despite another record close onWall Street, after Federal Reserve chiefJanet Yellen dampened speculation of arate rise before summer and as eurozonefinance ministers backed Greek reforms.

Sydney rose 0.30 percent, or 17.92points, to 5,944.90, and Seoul added 0.73percent, or 14.35 points, to finish at1,990.47. Tokyo closed 0.10 percent, or18.28 points, lower at 18,585.20 asinvestors took profits after a five-day win-ning streak.

“The two potential international risk

events for markets had positive out-comes,” said Ric Spooner, chief marketanalyst at CMC Markets in Sydney.

“Janet Yellen’s testimony movedexpectations for a rate hike out in timewhile the boxes were ticked to cement afour-month funding programme forGreece.”

Chinese markets also rose at the openon the first day of trade after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.

But Shanghai quickly reversed courseto close down 0.56 percent despite a sur-

vey showing Chinese factory activityexpanded in February, snapping twoconsecutive months of contraction.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, added 0.11percent, or 28.21 points, to close at24.778.28. Global markets zeroed in onthe start of Yellen’s two days of congres-sional testimony, where she signalledthat the Fed was preparing for a rate risethis year but hinted such a move wouldnot come before June.

“The reaction of the market (toYellen’s testimony) is weaker dollar, loweryields, higher equities-the classic reaction

you’d see from a slightly dovish Fed,”Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at cur-rency brokerage Commonwealth ForeignExchange, told Bloomberg News.

Promised reforms Speculation has been rising over

when the central bank would raise ratesamid growing optimism over the state ofthe US economy.

But Yellen said the labour market stillshowed cyclical weakness and inflationcontinued to slow, adding that uncertain-

ty over China and Europe posed a risk forthe world’s top economy-supporting theneed to keep loose monetary policy inplace a bit longer.

Wall Street embraced the comments,with the Dow Jones Industrial Averageand the broader S&P 500 both closing atrecord highs.

European stocks also rose strongly,with a record close in London, as euro-zone finance chiefs backed a four-monthextension of Greece’s bailout.

Despite reservations expressed by theInternational Monetary Fund and

European Central Bank over the plan,eurozone ministers also signed off onpromised reforms which Greece’s newleft-wing government submitted to itsinternational creditors.

Several parliaments, including in pro-austerity Germany, must now approvethe extension before the current bailoutexpires on Saturday, while key details willbe hammered out in the coming weeks.

The euro gained in Asian trading at$1.1375 and 135.03 yen, against $1.1342and 134.90 yen in New York.

Yellen’s rate-hike comments helpedpush the dollar down to 118.71 yenagainst 118.94 yen in US trade.

Oil prices were mixed ahead of a keyreport expected to show further build-upin US crude inventories, hitting prices inan already oversupplied market, analystssaid.

US benchmark West TexasIntermediate for April delivery fell ninecents to $49.19 while Brent crude forApril gained 13 cents to $58.79 in after-noon trade.

Gold fetched $1,207.32 an ounceagainst $1,198.59 late Tuesday.

In other markets: Wellington rallied 2.09 percent, or

119.33 points, to close at 5,842.29. AirNew Zealand led the way, surging 7.18percent after a strong interim profitresult, while Fletcher Building was up3.80 percent at NZ$8.75. Taipei rose 0.73percent, or 70.17 points, to 9,699.54.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturingwas up 2.32 percent to Tw$154.5 whilesmartphone maker HTC fell 1.01 percentto Tw$147.5. Manila rose 0.12 percent, or9.20 points, to 7,844.06. Ayala Land rose1.76 percent to 37.65 pesos while top-traded Universal Robina fell 1.56 percentto 214.60 pesos.

Singapore ended flat, adding 3.22points to close at 3,440.83. OCBC Bankadvanced 0.19 percent to Sg$10.63. whileDBS Bank rose 0.25 percent to Sg$19.82.Kuala Lumpur dropped 0.16 percent, or2.82 points, to close at 1,815.86. GentingMalaysia lost 0.49 percent to 4.08 ringgit,Cycle & Carriage Bintang fell 4.39 percentto 1.96 ringgit, while AMMB Holdingsadded 0.16 percent to 6.36 ringgit.

Jakarta ended up 0.51 percent, or27.79 points, at 5,445.11. Agri-food firmJapfa Comfeed Indonesia gained 6.10percent to 870 rupiah, while state-ownedgas firm Perusahaan Gas Negara slipped1.83 percent to 5,375 rupiah.

Bangkok closed down 0.58 percent, or9.33 points, at 1,589.33. Telecoms compa-ny Advanced Info Service dropped 4.22percent to 227.00 baht, while BangchakPetroleum gained 3.88 percent to 33.50baht.

Mumbai closed flat, adding 3.33points to 29,007.99. HDFC Bank closeddown 1.35 percent at 1052.60 rupees andTata Power closed down 1.83 percent at83.00 rupees. —AFP

Asian stocks mixed after Fed chief rate comments

IMF rate-hike comments push dollar up

TOKYO: A man walks past an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, yesterday.Asian stocks were mostly higher in early Wednesday trading, cheered by diminished prospectsthat US interest rates would be raised soon. —AP

MANILA: Supply of new office space inManila is set to break records for the nextfew years as developers scramble to satisfydemand from global firms such as Googleand HSBC looking to outsource businessprocesses to Asia’s second fastest-growingeconomy.

Developers added 466,354 square metres(sqm) of office space last year, near the all-time high of 467,030 sqm in 2009, ColliersInternational Philippines said in a report thismonth. That’s almost equal to the floor areaof two Empire State Buildings and enoughfor tens of thousands of employees. A totalof about 1.85 million sqm of office space isexpected to be added between 2015 and2017 in the Makati, Bonifacio Global City,Ortigas and Quezon City business districts inMetro Manila, according to Colliers.

More than half of the supply enteringthe market this year had been leased as ofFebruary, Rick Santos, chairman of proper-ty services firm CBRE Philippines, toldReuters. Lower operating costs and anEnglish-speaking workforce have lured

firms such as Google, Accenture,Citigroup, JPMorgan and HSBC to relocatesome of their business processes to thePhilippines.

The demand for office space has boost-ed average lease rates in the capital by 8percent to 816 pesos ($18) per sqm as ofthe end of 2014, compared with a 4 per-cent gain in 2013, data from CBREPhilippines shows. Meanwhile, the vacan-cy rate in business hubs in Manila - theNo.2 outsourcing destination afterBengaluru according to strategic advisoryfirm Tholons - fell to 4-5.5 percent in 2010-2014 from 9 percent in 2009.

Local property players Megaworld andAyala Land , whose shares have soared bymore than a third in the past year on thelocal bourse, are ramping up supply. “Wehave close to 200 tenants in our portfolio,so we already know their growth require-ments, and that prompts us to create thesupply,” Megaworld Senior Vice PresidentJericho Go told Reuters. “We don’t foreseea major risk.” —Reuters

Global firms fuel surgein Manila office space

WASHINGTON: Consumer Reportsnamed the luxury electric Tesla S itstop car for the second straight year,calling the market-shaking sedan a“technological tour de force.”

The annual top-10 ranking, basedon independent road performance,reliability and crash tests, also gavetop category honors to three Subarumodels, a landmark sweep for thesmall Japanese maker.

But the Japanese overall won onlysix slots, their lowest tally since theinfluential consumer ratings magazinebegan the list 19 years ago.

Instead, three American brands-theTesla, the Buick Regal and theChevrolet Impala-held their own inthe top 10. “Detroit vehicles are break-ing through in new categories,” saidMark Rechtin of Consumer Reports’car ratings team.

“Many have come a long way inper formance, technology, andimproved reliability.” “These are thecars that ignite the gasoline in ourveins. That we trust. Respect. Andlove,” the magazine said.

“They also happen to score high inour reliability ratings and shine inautomotive crash tests.”

The $80,000-plus plug-in Teslaagain captured the magazine’s fancyas its overall top pick, and not just forthe car’s market-beating 265 mile (426kilometer) range without a charge.

Consumer Repor ts praised theability to update the Tesla’s softwareover the Internet, and that the com-pany surmounted early technicalproblems, including a handful offires that started from objects on theroad surface kicking into its under-

side battery pack.With those problems aside,

Consumer Reports lauded the Tesla S’s“magnificence and sheer technologi-cal arrogance.”

Subaru, whose al l-wheel-drivemodels are popular with both sportdriving fans and outdoorists, led threecategories of the 10.

The Impreza led the compact cargroup as a “strong value,” and theLegacy was the best midsized sedan(it “exceeds those drab, rental-carexpectations... also has the best rideamong its peers”).

And the Forester grabbed one ofthe hottest market segments, thesmall sport-utility vehicles.

“Subaru has nailed the recipe ofcombining practicality, safety, fueleconomy, value, and interior accom-modations,” said the magazine.

The Audi A6 came in tops for a lux-ury car, and, unsurprisingly, on thegreen car side Toyota’s hybrid Priustook the honors for the 12th straightyear.

Toyota’s Highlander was best mid-sized SUV and the Honda Odyssey thewinner among minivans.

But the surprise was the inclusionof the Chevrolet Impala as the bestlarge car, beating out the ToyotaAvalon and Lexus ES 350.

Only slightly less surprising was theBuick Regal as the leading sportssedan. It is better known elsewhere asthe Opel Insignia, with its Germanroots emphasized by ConsumerReports.

“Close your eyes, and you’ll thinkyou’re driving an Audi-a very goodAudi at that,” it gushed. —AFP

Tesla tops US best car list for second year

BEIJING: Chinese factory activity expanded in February,snapping two consecutive months of contraction, aclosely watched private survey showed yesterday in abright spot amid a broad slowdown in the world’s sec-ond-largest economy.

British banking giant HSBC said its preliminary pur-chasing managers’ index (PMI) reading for this monthcame in at a four-month high of 50.1, up from 49.7 inJanuary. The result bested the median estimate of 49.5 ina Bloomberg News survey.

PMI readings above 50 point to expansion, while any-thing below suggests contraction. The index, compiledby information services provider Markit, tracks activity in

China’s factories and workshops and is a closely watchedindicator of the health of the Asian economic giant.

HSBC releases its final reading for February onMonday, while China’s National Bureau of Statisticsannounces the country’s official PMI for the month onSunday. For the first time in more than two years, the offi-cial figure for January showed manufacturing activitycontracting, coming in at 49.8, a decline from 50.1 inDecember.

Despite the improvement in the HSBC survey, thebank’s chief economist for China Qu Hongbin said theresult was mixed, stressing that while domestic demandshowed some strength, new export orders contracted for

the first time since April last year.“Today’s data point to a marginal improvement in the

Chinese manufacturing sector going into the ChineseNew Year period in February,” Qu said in the HSBC release,referring to the week-long holiday which can heavilyimpact monthly economic statistics. “However, domesticeconomic activity is likely to remain sluggish and externaldemand looks uncertain,” he added. “We believe morepolicy easing is still warranted at the current stage to sup-port growth.”

Happy new year? China’s leaders are trying to pull off a managed slow-

down of the economy to make expansion more sustain-able and led by consumer spending, as in other majoreconomies.

The growth slowdown in China last year-grossdomestic product rose an annual 7.4 percent in 2014, a24-year low-prompted some intervention by authorities.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the central bank,cut the percentage of funds banks must hold in reserveacross-the-board earlier this month, seen as a way to freeup more cash for lending and stimulate growth.

That move followed the PBoC’s decision in Novemberto cut benchmark interest rates for the first time in morethan two years.

Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at CapitalEconomics, urged “a degree of caution” on the PMI resultgiven that the shifting timing of the New Year holiday canrender “seasonal adjustments less accurate at this time”.

“The holiday often results in a rush to stock up oninputs and complete existing orders before workersreturn home, while also resulting in longer deliverytimes,” he wrote in an analysis. “Either way, domesticdemand appears to have held up better than foreigndemand-the new export orders component fell sharplyto a 20-month low.” Nomura economists, meanwhile, alsoemphasised the impact of companies replenishing stocksas the main driver in the rebound. “The sustainability ofthis restocking remains in question,” they wrote. —AFP

China manufacturing expands in February

JINJIANG: A man checks on a shirt at a garment factory in Jinjiang in southeastChina’s Fujian province. China’s manufacturing activity edged up to a four-monthhigh in February although export orders decreased for the first time in nearly a year,in the latest sign of uncertainty for the world’s No. 2 economy, according to a privatesurvey yesterday. —AP

t e c hnolo g yTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

WASHINGTON: Most people in the developing worlddo not use the Internet, with access limited by highcosts, poor availability and a lack of relevant content, aFacebook report said Tuesday. Facebook, which carriedout the study through its Internet.org initiative thataims to boost connectivity around the world, said therate of growth on the Internet is slowing.

“By early 2015, three billion people will be online.This is an incredible milestone, but it also means thatonly 40 percent of the world’s population has everconnected to the Internet,” the report said.

In the developed world, some 76 percent of the

population is online, but the figure is just 29.8 percentin developing nations, according to the research.

The rate of growth of Internet users was just 6.6percent in 2014, the fourth year of deceleration.

“At present rates of decelerating growth, the inter-net won’t reach four billion people until 2019,” thereport said.

The report said tech companies, governments andnon-government organizations need to do more toboost the number of people online.

The report said the three main factors which keeppeople offline were lack of infrastructure, affordability

and the lack of relevant content for people in their lan-guages. “People aren’t using the Internet becausethey’re not aware of the Internet, there is insufficientcontent available in their primary language, or theycan’t read or understand content that is,” the studyfound. “To provide relevant content to 80 percent ofthe world would require sufficient content in at least92 languages.”

The report said Wikipedia, for example, is availablein just 52 languages. The report found some regionsespecially lacking in Internet use: only 16.9 percent ofpeople were online in sub-Saharan Africa and 13.7 per-

cent in South Asia. Facebook found that mobile-orgetting access to the Internet by connected phones-was a key factor in many parts of the world.

The Facebook report said the Internet “increasesopportunities for everyone” and its expansion it “willexert a powerful effect on the global economy, partic-ularly in the developing world.”

“A more connected world is a world of more oppor-tunity, freer expression, and greater innovation,” thereport said. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerbergwas to discuss the findings next week in a speech atthe Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. — AFP

Internet access limited in developing world: Facebook

PARIS: European SIM maker Gemalto said yes-terday it had suffered hacking attacks that mayhave been conducted by US and British intelli-gence agencies but denied any “massive theft”of encryption keys that could be used to spy onconversations.

Investigative website The Intercept last weeksaid the US National Security Agency andBritain’s GCHQ hacked into the firm in 2010 and2011 and stole SIM encryption keys, with whichthey can reportedly monitor communicationsover mobiles without using a warrant or wiretap.

The website made the allegations on thetheft of the keys-which encrypt and decryptdata-based on a document leaked by formerNSA contractor Edward Snowden, and its reportprompted some experts to decry a huge breachin mobile privacy.

“In 2010 and 2011, we detected two particu-larly sophisticated intrusions which could berelated to the operation,” Gemalto said in a state-ment.

“During the same period, we also detected

several attempts to access the PCs of Gemaltoemployees who had regular contact with cus-tomers,” it added. “At the time we were unable toidentify the perpetrators but we now think thatthey could be related to the NSA and GCHQoperation.”

But the company denied that these attacksresulted in a large-scale theft of encryption keys.“The attacks against Gemalto only breached itsoffice networks and could not have resulted in amassive theft of SIM encryption keys,” it said.

The company said the aim of the operationwas to intercept the encryption keys as theywere exchanged between mobile operators andsuppliers such as Gemalto.

ScrutinyBut “by 2010, Gemalto had already widely

deployed a secure transfer system with its cus-tomers and only rare exceptions to this schemecould have led to theft.”

“In the case of an eventual key theft, the intel-ligence services would only be able to spy on

communications on second generation 2Gmobile networks.

“3G and 4G networks are not vulnerable tothis type of attack.”

The NSA has come under intense scrutinyboth at home and abroad after Snowden leakeddocuments from June 2013 about governmentsurveillance programmes that sweep up datafrom Americans as well as foreigners.

The revelations led to a public outcry andstrained relations with US allies. Snowden, whofled the United States, has now sought tempo-rary asylum in Russia.

US President Barack Obama vowed to reformthe country’s surveillance programmes follow-ing the outcry, but the US Senate in Novemberblocked a bid by lawmakers to curb NSA bulkdata collection. The USA Freedom Act surveil-lance reform bill that was blocked would havereined in the NSA and also replaced the agency’sblanket authority with a far narrower one allow-ing it to obtain call records from phone compa-nies but only in specific cases. — AFP

PARIS: Gemalto CEO Olivier Piou (C) arrives for a press conference yesterday in Paris. European SIM maker Gemalto said it had suffered hackingattacks that may have been conducted by US and British intelligence agencies but denied any “massive theft” of encryption keys that could beused to spy on conversations. — AFP

SIM maker Gemalto

confirms spy attacks

AMSTERDAM/BOSTON: A cybercrimering that used 3.2 million hacked comput-ers worldwide to steal banking informationby seizing control of servers has been dis-rupted by European police and technologycompanies, officials said yesterday.Europol’s European Cybercrime Centrecoordinated the operation out of its head-quarters in The Hague, targeting the so-called Ramnit botnet, a network of com-puters infected with malware.

It worked with investigators fromGermany, Italy, the Netherlands and Britainand was assisted by companiesAnubisnetwork, Microsoft and Symantec,which said 3.2 million computers werehacked.

“We worked together to shut down thecommand and control servers for the net-work in various countries across theEuropean Union,” Paul Gillen, head of oper-ations at the cybercrime centre, toldReuters. “The criminals have lost control ofthe infrastructure they were using.”

Seven servers used by the cybercrimi-

nals were shut down overnight, officialssaid. The malware, installed through linkson spam email or infected websites,enabled culprits to take control of the PCsand use them for criminal activities.

Computers around the world have beeninfected by the botnet, but most usershave been infected in Britain, Gillen said.Ramnit has been infecting computers since2012.

The British-led investigation is ongoingand Gillen said he could not comment onany possible arrests of suspects becausethat could interfere with police operations.

Europol, the European police agency,has been coordinating cross border effortsto take down criminal infrastructure on theInternet and bring to justice those respon-sible.

In November, US and European authori-ties seized more than 400 secret websiteaddresses and arrested suspects in anoperation targeting black markets fordrugs and other illegal services, known asSilk Road 2.0. — Reuters

Hackers controlling

millions of PCs targeted

in Europol sweep

ISUMI: Incense smoke wafts through the coldair of the centuries-old Buddhist temple as apriest chants a sutra, praying for the peacefultransition of the souls of the departed. It is afuneral like any other in Japan. Except thatthose being honoured are robot dogs, linedup on the altar, each wearing a tag to showwhere they came from and which family theybelonged to.

The devices are “AIBOs”, the world’s firsthome-use entertainment robot equippedwith Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capable ofdeveloping its own personality.

“I believe owners feel they have souls aslong as they are with them,” said NobuyukiNarimatsu, 59, who heads an electronicsrepair company specialising in fixing vintageproducts. Sony rolled out the first-generationAIBO in June 1999, with the initial batch of3,000 selling out in just 20 minutes, despitethe hefty 250,000 yen (more than $2,000)price tag.

Over the following years, more than150,000 units were sold, in numerous itera-tions, ranging from gleaning metallic-silverversions to round-faced cub-like models.

The dog came with an array of sensors, acamera and microphone. The final generationcould even talk. By 2006, Sony was in trouble;its business model was broken and it was fac-ing fierce competition from rivals in all fields.The AIBO, an expensive and somewhat frivo-lous luxury, had to go.

The company kept its “AIBO Clinic” openuntil March 2014, but then-politely-told dedi-cated and loving owners that they were ontheir own. For Hideko Mori, 70, that nearlyspelled disaster.

‘Beautiful noise’ Mori has had her AIBO for around eight years.

She enjoys the conversations she has with it,and thinks it far more convenient than a realpuppy. “He doesn’t require feeding and hedoesn’t pee... actually he does pee by cockinghis leg, making an indescribably beautiful tin-kling sound.” But, she said, nothing actuallycomes out. “I never thought there was a limitto his life.”

But in May last year her beloved AIBO,whose name is simply “Aibo”, became immo-bile. “I e-mailed a former Sony worker (onbehalf of the dog), saying: ‘Do I have no choicebut to die like this because I can’t walk?’,” shesaid.

The engineer introduced her to A FUN, a

company that employs former Sony engi-neers, who fixed her machine in two months.

“I was so happy to see him back to healthand at home,” she said. Hiroshi Funabashi, 61,who supervises repairs at A FUN, said troubledAIBO owners think of him more as a doctorthan an engineer.

“The word ‘repair’ doesn’t fit here,” he toldAFP at his home in Kasama, north of Tokyo.Scattered around him are dozens of AIBOssent in with problems owners typicallydescribe as “aching joints”.

“For those who keep AIBOs, they are noth-ing like home appliances. It’s obvious theythink their (robotic pet) is a family member,”he said. Funabashi says he does not enhancethe functions of aged AIBOs, but tries torestore them to health.

The problem is that repairs can take weeksor even months because of a shortage ofspare parts. Dozens of AIBOs are now “hospi-talised”, with more than 180 on the waitinglist.

Organ donors The only source of genuine parts are “dead”

robots, who become donors for organ trans-plantation, but only once the proper respectshave been paid.

Bungen Oi, a priest at the 450-year-oldKofukuji temple in Isumi, east of Tokyo, saysthe AIBO service last month was an occasionon which the robots’ souls could pass fromtheir bodies. “I was thrilled over the interestingmismatch of giving cutting-edge technologya memorial service in a very conventionalmanner,” he said.

It is a mismatch that humans will probablybecome more used to over the coming yearsand decades, as robots with “personalities”become ever more part of our lives.

Later this year, Japanese telecoms giantSoftbank says it is going to start selling thehumanoid Pepper to the public.

Despite the $2,000 cost, Pepper will beuseless for housework, but developers say itwill learn to imitate and intuit human emo-tions over time.

This blurring of lines means more peoplecould feel the kind of attachment that AIBOowners know so well, said A FUN’s Funabashi.

“I don’t know if people will develop affec-tion (towards a new generation of robots) infive, six years’ time,” he said. “But I think weneed to recognise they are not ordinary elec-trical devices.” — AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: A gender discrimination triallaunched here Tuesday pits an iconic venture capitalfirm against an employee shown the door not longafter her affair with a married partner.

A jury is being asked, essentially, to decide whetherthe suit filed by 45-year-old Ellen Pao is a stand againsta boys club atmosphere at Kleiner Perkins Caufieldand Byers or a money grab by an employee wholacked the skills to join the rarified ranks of SiliconValley venture capitalists.

Pao lawsuit asks for $16 million in pay she con-tends she would have made if she had not beenshown the door at KPCB in late 2012, six months aftershe filed her lawsuit. The civil trial began Tuesday inSan Francisco Superior Court after settlement talksfailed. Pao’s attorney Alan Axelrod told jurors that heintended to show there was not a “level playing field”when it came to the career paths of men and womenat KPCB. Axelrod said that Pao was snubbed at a cele-bratory work dinner, being told that “women kill thebuzz.” Pao also contended she was given a book ofsalacious poetry by a male colleague. Pao and anotherwomen were past over for promotion in favor of menwith less tenure at KPCB, according to Axelrod.

Jurors were promised that they would hear Pao tellof being subjected to talk about porn stars and trips tothe Playboy mansion while on a private jet with col-leagues during a business trip.

Pao said in her suit that she and another womanon the investment team, Trae Vassallo, were asked totake notes at an off-site work event, evidently due totheir gender.

Pao also protested that her performance reviewwas left in the hands of a partner with whom she hadan affair that ended angrily after she learned he didnot plan to leave his wife and children for her.Attorneys for KPCB countered that Pao was hired in2005 to be an office manager for renowned partnerJohn Doerr and years later got a chance at an invest-ment role but didn’t make the grade. “The evidencewill show that it wasn’t because this was a woman, orbecause she had an affair with a co-worker, or becauseshe complained of the affair,” KPCB attorney LynneHermle told jurors. “Ellen Pao did not have the neces-sary skills for that job; she did not come close.”

Not a team player KPCB was established in 1972 and became a

revered Silicon Valley venture capital firm by backingsuccesses such as Facebook, Amazon, and Google.”

Hermle told jurors that Doerr has been on a mis-sion for years to increase the number of women inventure capital and would testify at the trial.

Doerr hired Pao in a technical aide positon to writespeeches; do research, and other tasks.

Hermle provided a glimpse at performancereviews spanning years that indicated Pao was oftenat the center of team controversy and “at some pointin time, Ellen was not getting along with someone.”

The performance evaluations show that membersof the investment teams were all competitive, but“who is penalized for trying to be the best she can: thewoman,” Axelrod said.

The same married partner with whom Pao had anaffair was later accused of making advances onVassallo, who no longer works at KPCB.

Bathrobe-wearing caller After being called as the first witness in the case,

Vassallo told of being invited out for drinks in 2009 by

Ajit Nazre in what she thought was an outing to dis-cuss KPCB investments in eco-friendly technologies.

“He started touching me with his leg under thetable and at that point it was clear to me he was notthere to talk green tech strategy,” Vassallo said underquestioning by Axelrod.

“I quickly got up and left.”Years later, Nazre invited Vassallo to dinner during

an out-of-town business trip under a pretense ofmeeting with an executive who never showed,according to Axelrod. Vassallo testified that later therewas a knock on her hotel room door and she openedit to see Nazre standing there in a bathrobe and slip-pers. He asked to come inside, she said.

A complaint to KPCB prompted an investigationthat substantiated Vassallo’s version of events.

Pao resisted an investigation of her complaint, opt-ing instead to pursue the potential for KPCB to discussthe potential of a separation package of $10 million ormore, according to Hermle.—AFP

Denies ‘massive theft’ of encryption keys

Trial questions treatment

of women in Silicon Valley

In Japan, robot dogs

are for life-and death

TOKYO: Yugo Morimoto, an employee at Japan’s high-tech firm Hitachi, displays a newly devel-oped wearable device for factory workers, at the International Smart Grid Expo in Tokyo yes-terday. The new wearable device is a right-weight head mount display (HMD) with a detach-able mobile camera that connect via Bluetooth wireless technology. Hitachi is expecting tocommercialize the device this year. — AFP

TOKYO: Hideko Mori plays with her robot pet AIBO after she asked “A-Fun” company torepair the AIBO at her home in Tokyo on January 26, 2015. Sony rolled out the first-gen-eration AIBO in June 1999, with the initial batch of 3,000 selling out in just 20 minutes,despite the hefty 250,000 yen (more than 2,000 USD) price tag. — AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ETHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

SAMUT SAKHON: Urine pools under a bedwhere an emaciated Burmese man lies wearingonly a T-shirt and a diaper. As he struggles to sit upand steady himself, he tears at his thick, dark hairin agitation. He cannot walk and doesn’t remem-ber his family or even his own name. He speaksmostly gibberish in broken Indonesian - a lan-guage he learned while working in the country asa slave aboard a Thai fishing boat. Near deathfrom a lack of proper food, he was rescued from atiny island in Indonesia two months ago. He is justone of countless hidden casualties from the fish-ing industry in Thailand, the world’s third-largestseafood exporter.

A report released yesterday by the British non-profit Environmental Justice Foundation said thatoverfishing and the use of illegal and undocu-mented trawlers have ravaged Thailand’s marineecosystems and depleted fish stocks. Boats arenow catching about 85 percent less than whatthey brought in 50 years ago, making it “one of themost overfished regions on the planet,” the reportsaid. Shrinking fisheries in the Gulf of Thailandand Andaman Sea have, in turn, pushed Thai fish-ing boats farther and farther from home. Thegroup estimates that up to half of all fish labeled a“product of Thailand” is sourced from outside its

borders - mainly in Asia, but as far away as Africa.The report, compiled from the group’s ownresearch and the work of others, explains howThailand’s vast seafood industry is almost whollydependent on cheap migrant labor.

Trickery and kidnapping Since few Thais are willing to take the danger-

ous, low-level jobs that can take them far fromhome, a sophisticated network of brokers andagents has emerged, regularly recruiting laborersfrom impoverished neighboring countries such asMyanmar and Cambodia, often through trickeryand kidnapping. Men - and sometimes childrenas young as 13 - are sold onto boats where theytypically work 18- to 20-hour days with little foodand often only boiled sea water to drink, enduringbeatings and sometimes even death at the handsin their captains.

Most are paid little or nothing. They can betrapped at sea for months or years at a time; trans-shipment vessels are routinely used to pick upcatches and deliver supplies. Concerns aboutlabor abuses, especially at sea, prompted the USState Department last year to downgradeThailand to the lowest level in its annual humantrafficking report, putting the country on par with

North Korea, Iran and Syria. It highlighted abuseon both ships and in processing plants, notingwidespread involvement from corrupt officials.

The Southeast Asian nation responded bylaunching a major public relations campaign, withthe government drafting its own country assess-ment to highlight steps taken to clean up theindustry since a military junta took control ofThailand in May. The unreleased Thai report,obtained by The Associated Press, includes estab-lishing a new national registry of illegal migrantworkers and plans for stricter labor regulations onvessels and in the seafood industry. However, justa month after the new government stepped in,Thailand was the only country in the world to voteagainst a UN international treaty aimed at stop-ping forced labor.

“If you drill down, if you look at the substanceof enforcement and the implementation of exist-ing laws and regulations, it’s minimal,” said SteveTrent, the group’s executive director. “What theThai government seems to do repeatedly, againand again in the face of these accusations, is con-duct a high-powered PR exercise rather than seekto address the problem.” A Thai governmentspokesman and officials at the Department ofFisheries did not immediately respond to The

Associated Press’ requests for comment.

Labor abuses at seaThailand, which exported $7 billion in seafood

in 2013, is one of the biggest suppliers to the US.But a study published last year in the journalMarine Policy estimated 25 percent to 40 percentof tuna shipped from Thailand to America is fromillegal or unreported sources - the highest rate ofany species or country examined - and is fre-quently linked to labor abuses at sea. Humanrights advocates say some improvements havebeen noted in domestic waters, but such policieshave little impact when vessels stray into the terri-torial waters of other countries.

Traveling longer distances to catch fish raisesoperating costs, and increases pressure on fishingcompanies to save money by relying on forced,bonded and slave labor. “On long-haul boats,nothing has changed in the brutal working condi-tions and physical abuse meted out by captainsagainst their crews,” said Phil Robertson, deputydirector of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division,who has worked extensively on the issue. “Thereality is the Thai government’s high-soundingrhetoric to stop human trafficking and clean upthe fishing fleets still largely stops at the water’s

edge.” The man rescued from the Indonesianisland in December now remembers his name -Min Min - and bits of his old life in Myanmar, alsoknown as Burma. But his mind remains far fromclear. He knows he worked three years on a boatin Indonesia where his ankles were sometimesbound with rope. He recalls collapsing one day ondeck during a storm and being unconscious forthree hours before the Thai captain forced him toget up and haul the nets back in. Eventually, hebecame too sick and weak to work and was aban-doned on the remote island two years ago.

Min Min was on the verge of starvation whenhe was rescued and taken to the nonprofit LaborRights Protection Network in Samut Sakhon, agritty port town on the outskirts of Bangkok. He’seating well and taking vitamins to try to regain hisstrength, and he can now stand and slowly shuffleacross the floor. He is still far from well. He’s con-fused about such basics as his age, saying oncethat he is 43 and later that he is 36. If his familyback in Myanmar is mentioned, he becomes rat-tled and stutters his thoughts as if it’s too much tobear. “Working on the boat is no good. People liketo take advantage of you,” he said. “If I recover frommy illness, I’ll never be on a boat again in my life.Never again. I’m scared.” —AP

Overfishing driving slavery on Thailand’s seafood boats

Rajendra Pachauri

VIENNA: European surgeons and engi-neers have devised a mind-controlledbionic hand that restores functionalmost as well as a flesh-and-bloodtransplant, but without the risk of rejec-tion, a research paper said yesterday.The three Austrian beneficiaries of theunprecedented technique had suf-fered injuries in car and climbing acci-dents to the “brachial plexus”-a net-work of nerves running from the spineto the upper limbs. This type of injury islike a sort of “inner amputation,” irre-versibly separating the hand from neu-ral signals, said the study published in

The Lancet medical journal.The three patients received their

futuristic robot appendages in surger-ies between April 2011 and May 2014.“For the first time since their acci-dents all three men were able toaccomplish various everyday taskssuch as picking up a ball, pouringwater from a jug, using a key, cuttingfood with a knife or using two handsto undo buttons,” said a statementfrom The Lancet. Oskar Aszmann ofthe Medical University of Vienna, whoinvented the technique, said it was insome ways less risky than a donor

hand transplant, which requires theuse of strong immunosuppressantdrugs that can cause serious healthproblems.

‘Not flesh and blood’In the case of a single hand lost, “I

think the benefits sway towards theprosthetic reconstruction, because itdoesn’t have any side-effects and thequality of hand function beingrestored with the prosthesis is almostas good of that of a hand transplant,”the surgeon said. “Yes, we don’t havesensibility (feeling)” with a bionic

hand, he conceded. “It is not flesh andblood, it’s just plastic and componen-try, but if you just look at it from afunctional point of view, I think a pros-thetic hand today can hold up to ahand transplant.” Cases where bothhands are lost, however, are “still thedomain of hand transplantationbecause of the loss of sensibility andthe fact that you need to put on aprosthesis with another hand.”

The team’s major achievement,said the statement, had been to allowneuronal signals to stimulate therobot hand equipped with sensorsthat respond to electrical impulses inthe muscles. “Existing surgical tech-niques for such injuries are crude andineffective and result in poor handfunction,” said Aszmann. For theirmethod, the team grafted muscle tis-sue taken from the thigh to thepatients’ forearms, and added nervestaken from elsewhere. Before havingtheir useless hands selectively ampu-tated, the patients underwent ninemonths of training to activate thegrafted muscle, and then learned touse the electrical signals to control avirtual hand.

Once they mastered that, theypracticed with a prosthetic handattached with a splint to their non-functioning hand. The prosthesis costsabout 15,000 euros ($17,000) and thesurgery and rehabilitation about thesame, said Aszmann. “Some patients,in the end, will not be candidates forbionic reconstruction, either becausethere are not sufficient nerves avail-able for reconstruction or they arepsychologically not fit for that, or theenvironment is just not OK,” he said.The technique has since been suc-cessfully used in at least one personborn without the use of a hand. —AFP

Surgeons, engineers devise a

mind-controlled bionic hand

A bionic hand - in many ways as good as a graft

VIENNA: Austrian patient Markus Kemeter shows his bionic hand in Vienna. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Rajendra Pachauri, who quitthis week as head of the UN’s climate sci-ence panel following sexual harassmentclaims, is recovering in a New Delhi hospitalfrom a heart problem, his lawyer said yes-terday. Pachauri was admitted to hospitallast week as police investigated claims hesexually harassed a female employee at hisresearch institute in the Indian capital,Shankh Sengupta said.

“He is suffering from a cardiac problemand underwent a stent procedure in 2010.He has been frequently visiting doctors forcheckups,” Sengupta said, referring to a pro-cedure to unblock arteries. “Last week afterthe controversy (his court case), he was feel-ing uncomfortable and doctors advised himto stay in the hospital.” “He has been coop-erating with the investigators,” he added. Anemployee of Pachauri’s think-tank, theEnergy and Resources Institute (TERI), toldAFP: “He’s been in the hospital for four tofive days now.”

Pachauri, 74, resigned on Tuesday aschairman of the Nobel Prize-winningIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) in the wake of the claims

made by the 29-year-old researcher at TERI.She alleged repeated inappropriate behav-iour on his part, including through emails,text and WhatsApp messages. Pachauri hasdenied the allegations, saying his emailsand mobile phone were hacked. The resig-nation comes at a crucial time as the IPCCtries to set the ground for a climate changesummit in Paris in December at which worldleaders are expected to strike a deal ontackling global warming.

Observers and officials said the resigna-tion of Pachauri, a leading voice on the dan-gers of climate change, was unlikely tohamper progress towards the pact. Pachaurihad earlier pulled out of a climate changeconference under way in Nairobi amid thepolice probe into the researcher’s claims.Pachauri’s hearing for anticipatory bail-arequest for bail in the event of any arrest-was scheduled for Thursday. He does nothave to appear in person. An economistand industrial engineer by trade, Pachauri in2002 took the helm of the IPCC, which joint-ly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Hewas elected to a second term in 2008 andwas due to step down in October. —AFP

Ex-climate panel chief in

hospital amid sex claims

DENVER: Mental health experts say the case of an 87-year-oldAlzheimer’s patient suspected of killing his roommate at anassisted living facility in suburban Denver is rare and shows thedifficulty of caring for those with the unpredictable disease,even for the specially trained. Homer Castor, who faces chargesin the beating death Saturday of Gerald Propp, 76, was knownto be a challenge to staff at Atria Applewood in Lakewoodbecause he would wander the facility at night. Just 10 daysbefore the deadly beating, staff noted another interactionbetween the men that left Propp with scratches on his neck.

Violence is rare among Alzheimer’s sufferers and can be diffi-cult to predict, said Ruth Drew, director of family and informa-tion services for the Chicago-based Alzheimer’s Association. “If aperson has not displayed these things before, it can be difficult.But you might have clues along the way,” she said. Castor toldofficers he thought Propp, a fellow Alzheimer’s patient, hadtried to beat him up in the middle of the night and was pretend-

ing to be asleep when he assaulted him. Propp died lateMonday.

The same day, a judge ordered an evaluation of Castor’smental competency. His attorney, Dave Thomas, did not imme-diately return a call seeking comment on the allegations. Anaide who interacted with Castor described him to police as “nev-er listening, hard hitting and did not make much sense,” accord-ing to his arrest affidavit. Propp’s wife told police that, during arecent visit, Castor said of Propp: “He makes me so mad I want topunch him,” according to the affidavit. But it was unclearwhether she relayed that comment to the staff or whether itresulted in any action.

Staff also noted in Castor’s file that he suffers from dementiaand should be monitored because he wanders at night.Sometimes, he would get up and get dressed, believing it wasmorning. An aide told police that she tried several times to getCastor to go to bed the night of the beating, but he kept wan-

dering around the building, finally falling asleep on a couch in acommon area. Once he was back in his own room, the aide saidshe checked on Castor twice between 12:30 am and 5:30 amand found both men sleeping, according to the affidavit.

When she returned for a third check, she heard a voiceyelling for help and found Propp badly bleeding. Neither man’srelatives immediately returned calls for comment. AtriaApplewood issued a statement saying employees were sad-dened by the death and the facility is cooperating with investi-gators. “We are committed to taking all necessary steps toensure that our residents continue to feel safe and protected inour community,” the statement said.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmentwill conduct its own investigation of the facility’s policies andpractices, as is standard after a death. The facility was timely inreporting the assault and has a “good compliance history,” saidRandy Kuykendall, director of the agency’s health facilities and

emergency medical services division. The department is respon-sible for licensing assisted living facilities. The department foundAtria Applewood acted appropriately in other cases, includingone a July 2012 case in which a woman in her 80s threw anobject at another resident and a case last year in which a man inhis 70s pushed a female resident in her 80s, causing her to fall.

The facility has 130 beds and a 50-bed secured unit, which isreserved for people with problems such as dementia and othercognitive impairments, Kuykendall said. There are stringentrequirements for assessing whether a resident should be placedin the unit, which is more restrictive, he said. It was not clear ifCastor lived in the unit. Kuykendall said isolation is not typicallya best practice in health care. “The resident is allowed to flourishto the degree that they can. But these kinds of diseases arehighly individualized,” Kuykendall said. “Different people reactdifferently, and there’s always the potential for significantbehavior issues up to and including violence.”—AP

Alzheimer’s beating shows disease’s unpredictability

SAMUT SAKHON : Min Min, from Myanmar, tears at his thick black hair in agitation, as hetries to remember details about his family. Min Min was rescued from a tiny island inDecember, on the verge of starvation, and brought back to Thailand, the world’s third-largest seafood exporter. —AP

SAMUT SAKHON: Min Min, from Myanmar, tries to extend his leg, while resting on a make-shift bed. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ETHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

KINGSTON: Marijuana has beenpervasive but illegal in Jamaica fordecades, consumed as a medicinalherb, puffed as a sacrament byRastafarians and sung about in theisland’s famed reggae music. Aftermany years of dialogue about theculturally entrenched drug, andemboldened by changes to druglaws in US states, Jamaica’sParliament on Tuesday night gavefinal approval to an act decriminal-izing small amounts of pot andestablishing a licensing agency toregulate a lawful medical marijua-na industry. The historic amend-ments pave the way for a “cannabislicensing authority” to be estab-lished to deal with regulating thecultivation and distribution of mar-ijuana for medical and scientificpurposes. Both houses of Jamaica’slegislature have approved the leg-islation.

And in a victory for religiousfreedom, adherents of the home-grown Rastafari spiritual move-ment can now freely use marijuanafor sacramental purposes for thefirst time on the tropical island. Thelaw makes possession of up to 2ounces of marijuana a pettyoffense that could result in a ticketbut not in a criminal record.Cultivation of five or fewer plantson any premises would be permit-ted. Tourists who are prescribedmedical marijuana abroad willsoon be able to apply for permitsauthorizing them to legally buysmall amounts of Jamaican weed,or “ganja” as it is known locally.

Peter Bunting, the island’snational security minister, said thelegislation does not mean Jamaicaplans to soften its stance on

transnational drug trafficking orcultivation of illegal plots. Jamaicahas long been considered theCaribbean’s largest supplier of potto the US and regional islands. “Thepassage of this legislation does notcreate a free-for-all in the growing,transporting, dealing or exportingof ganja. The security forces willcontinue to rigorously enforceJamaican law consistent with ourinternational treaty obligations,”Bunting said in Parliament.

William Brownfield, the USassistant secretary for counter-nar-cotics affairs, told The AssociatedPress days before the vote that“Jamaican law is of courseJamaica’s own business, andJamaica’s sovereign decision.” Buthe noted that the trafficking ofmarijuana into the US remainsagainst the law. “We expect thatJamaica and all states party to theUN Drug Conventions will upholdtheir obligations, including a firmcommitment to combating anddismantling criminal organizationsinvolved in drug trafficking,” hetold AP in an email.

Debate has long raged inJamaica over relaxing laws pro-hibiting ganja but previous calls todecriminalize small amounts ofmarijuana fizzled out because offi-cials feared they would bring sanc-tions from Washington. Jamaicanofficials now have high hopes thatthe island can become a player inthe nascent medical marijuanaindustry, health tourism and thedevelopment of innovative pot-derived items. Local scientistsalready have a history of creatingmarijuana-derived products, suchas “Canasol,” which helps relieve

pressure in the eyes of glaucomapatients.

Commerce Minister AnthonyHylton said the cannabis industryholds “great potential” for Jamaica,where marijuana has long beengrown illegally on mountainsidesand marshes. The move byJamaican lawmakers adds to aninternational trend of easing

restrictions on marijuana for med-ical or personal use. More than 20US states allow some form of med-ical marijuana and last yearColorado and Washington legal-ized personal use. On Tuesday,Alaska became the third US stateto legalize the recreational use ofmarijuana for adults.

In the Americas, Uruguay last

year became the first nation tocreate a legal marijuana market. InArgentina, personal possession ofmarijuana was decriminalizedunder a 2009 Supreme Court rul-ing that jail time for small amountsof drugs violates the country’sconstitution. A law in Chile permitsuse of medical marijuana. Detailsof Jamaica’s licensing authority

and its hoped-for medical marijua-na sector will need to be refined incoming months. But for now,Jamaican cannabis crusadersapplauded the amendments. “Thisis a big step in the right direction,but there’s still a lot of work to do,”said Delano Seiveright, director ofthe Cannabis Commercial andMedicinal Taskforce. —AP

Ganja! Jamaican parliament eases marijuana law

KINGSTON: Legalization advocate and reggae legend Bunny Wailer smokes a pipe stuffed with marijuana during a “rea-soning” session in a yard in Kingston, Jamaica. —AP

LONDON: Cheap versions of a top-selling drug forrheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease are beinglaunched across major European markets in animportant advance for a new type of medicinesknown as biosimilars. The products from SouthKorean firm Celltrion and its partners Hospira andMundipharma will compete with Remicade, the orig-inal branded drug from Johnson & Johnson andMerck & Co. The potential of biosimilars to grab sub-stantial business from original brands was a key fac-tor behind Pfizer ’s decision this month to buyHospira for about $15 billion. Unlisted Mundipharmasaid on Wednesday that it is launching its biosimilarRemsima in Germany, Italy, Britain, the Netherlands,Belgium and Luxembourg, following expiry of rele-vant Remicade patents.

Hospira is to sell its product Inflectra in marketsincluding Austria, Denmark, France, Germany,Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spainand Sweden. Copies of Remicade have been on salefor several months in some smaller European mar-kets, such as Norway, but the move into majoreconomies is a big step forward for products thatcould disrupt the multibillion-dollar biotechnologyindustry. Because biotech drugs are made from liv-ing cells it is impossible to manufacture exactcopies, as happens with simple chemical medicines,so regulators have come up with the notion of

approving products that are similar enough to dothe job.

Remicade, which has annual European sales ofabout 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), and the twobiosimilar copies all contain an antibody known asinfliximab. There has been a fierce debate for manyyears on how rapidly biosimilars will be adopted bydoctors and the take-up of Remsima and Inflectra inthe likes of Germany, France and Britain will be animportant test. Many more biosimilar copies of drugsfor diseases ranging from cancer to eye disorders arenow in development, posing a threat to leadingbiotech drugmakers such as Roche and AbbVie.

Citigroup analyst Andrew Baum predicted thismonth that biosimilars would result in at least $110billion of value being transferred from innovatorcompanies to copycat producers between 2015 and2025. The upside for society is that they could gener-ate an estimated $50 billion in savings for healthcaresystems, Citi says. Jorgen Jahnsen, professor of medi-cine and gastroenterology at the University of Oslo,said that in Norway the use of biosimilar infliximabhad already enabled the healthcare system to makeconsiderable savings. Another test for biosimilars islooming in the United States, where a Food and DrugAdministration advisory committee will decide onMarch 17 whether to recommend Celltrion’s biosimi-lar version of Remicade. —Reuters

Biosimilar copies of blockbuster drug launch in major EU marketsBiosimilars to disrupt market for biotech medicines

WASHINGTON: Twenty-two out of 24. And 206 to 96.Those numbers tell much about the political impact of aSupreme Court case in which conservatives andRepublicans hope to demolish a pillar of President BarackObama’s health care overhaul. The justices hear argumentsnext week. The plaintiffs say subsidies that help millions ofAmericans afford private insurance are illegal. They say thelaw limits that aid, paid as tax credits, to people buyingcoverage from marketplaces established by states, not thefederal government. Democrats disagree. But with a Junedecision expected, the King v. Burwell case tosses politicalrisks at both parties.

GOP numbers gameOnly 13 states created their own insurance market-

places, where people who don’t get coverage throughwork but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid can pur-chase policies. The federal government’s HealthCare.govserves 37 states, which are mostly Republican-run anddecided against establishing their own systems. Of the 11.4million people who the Health and Human ServicesDepartment says have enrolled for coverage for this year,8.6 million live in states using HealthCare.gov. Some mayeventually not receive policies, but many who do stand tolose them if the plaintiffs win because without federal aid,they couldn’t afford coverage. That pressures Republicans,who uniformly oppose the law, to help the recipients orrisk alienating lots of voters.

Here’s why. Of the 24 GOP senators facing re-election in2016, 22 are from states using the federal marketplace.That includes Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, a possible pres-idential candidate, whose state saw a national high 1.6 mil-lion enroll for coverage; Richard Burr of North Carolina,where 559,000 signed up; and Patrick Toomey of

Pennsylvania, where 472,000 enrolled. No politician enjoysconfronting thousands of constituents who have lostsomething. Nor do they like facing insurance companies,hospitals and others who would suffer if billions in subsi-dies for millions of customers vanish.

Perhaps a third of those 22 GOP senators face competi-tive races next year - enough to put Senate control in play.Republicans have a 54-46 Senate majority, including twoDemocratic-leaning independents. In addition, in the 37federal marketplace states, 206 House members areRepublicans and 96 are Democrats, including one GOPvacancy. All House seats are up for re-election next year,though continued GOP control is likely.

GOP responseShould the court overturn the subsidies, few

Republicans would favor declaring victory and letting mil-lions of people lose federal aid and their health coverage.But so far, Republicans are divided over what to do. “Theresponse can’t be, ‘Well, some people won’t have insur-ance,’” said Mike Leavitt, a Republican and health secretaryunder President George W Bush. Leading congressionalRepublicans say they are readying plans to help subsidyrecipients temporarily, perhaps until the GOP can perma-nently revamp the law. They’ve said little about what bene-fits they’re considering and how they’d pay for them. SenJohn Barrasso, R-Wyo, is among top GOP senators craftinga proposal he says would retain some level of subsidies, letpeople buy narrower policies than the law currentlyrequires and give states more say on health coverage. Heconcedes a broad rewrite of the law is unlikely soon. “Todo a full repeal and replace, you really don’t accomplishthat until 2017 with a new occupant of the White House,”Barrasso says. —AP

US parties face risks as health care case nears

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

All photos submitted for What’s Onshould be minimum 200dpi.Articles must be in plain text andshould include name and phonenumbers. Articles and photos thatfail to meet these requirements willnot be published.

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Stage set for two-day

drama festival ‘Keli 2015’

The stage is set for ‘Keli 2015’, a two-day theatrefestival for Gulf Indian diaspora, organized by theKuwait Chapter of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka

Akademi (KSNA).Indian Ambassador Sunil Jain will inaugurate the festi-

val at a glittering opening ceremony at the IndianCommunity School (Senior), Salmiya at 5.30 pm tomor-row. A judging panel comprising three well-known the-atre personalities from Kerala - Sreejith Ramanan,Sudheer Parameswaran and C K Haridasan — willadjudge the four dramas to be performed during thetwo-day event, KSNA Kuwait Chapter Chairman VijayKarayil said.

On the first day (Wednesday), Nirbhaya Theatre,Kuwait will present ‘Eee Choottonnu Kathichu Tharuo’ at6:00 pm followed by the play ‘Guantanamo’, by AyanamOpen Forum, Kuwait, at 8:00 pm. On the second day,Kalpak Kuwait will present ‘Papasangeerthanam at 5:30pm and Sruti School of Music will present the drama‘Kolangal’ at 8:00 pm.

Theatre festival for Gulf Indian Malayali diaspora,held under the aegis of Kerala Sangeetha NatakaAkademi in order to identify and honor the best theatreartistes in the Gulf region, will also be staged in Qataron February 27-28 and Bahrain on March 1-2. Accordingto the KSNA Ad-Hoc Committee, the entry to ‘Keli 2015’will be free. ‘Keli 2015’ is expected to provide an excit-ing and memorable experience for theatre lovers inKuwait.

KDN to hold 4th

Malabar Maholsavam

Kozhikode District NRI Association (KDNA) Kuwait willconduct Malabar Maholsavam on February 27th atIndian Central School, Abbassiya, Kuwait, as a full-

day event. The venue is titled Kallai Kadav” will landscapethe heritage and cultural significance of Malabar and itsdeep rooted relation with Kuwait, and the same was men-tioned by the organizers in a press meeting. The entrancewill resemble the famous “Kallai Bridge” in Kozhikode.

The event begins at 10 am. Different types of dances,Oppana, Mehfil and comedy show of the famous M-80Moosa & Pathu team, [Vinod Kovoor & Lakshmi Surabhi]and great music are from Afzal, Akhila the fabulous back-ground singers from Malayalam film industry in store forvisitors at the event. The day’s event will begin with Hennacompetition for ladies at 10:00 am, fancy dress completion& face painting competition for children, Cooking competi-tion for ladies. Various types of Malabar foods will be avail-able in the stalls.

The highlight of the day will be a cultural program fea-turing prominent film director IV Sasi, and the musical evelead by famous Afzal and Akhila

KDNA President Aziz Thikkodi, General SecretarySathian Varoonda Program Chairman Suresh Mathur ,Program General Convener Zubair.M.M, Treasurer ZaheerAlakkal, Media Secretary Muhammed Rafi were presentduring the press meet.

Statement from the

embassy of India in Kuwait

The Indian embassy would like to respond to the various suggestions/remarks whichhave been received on “Indians in Kuwait” to further improve the services of theEmbassy:

The Najla Al-Naqqi Forum hosted a delegation from the Egypt Lovers’ Association, headed by Egyptian media figure Tahani Al-Bortuqali. The visitingdelegation included 70 Arab media figures, including actress Shereen, author Dr Antoine Bara, and singer Ala’a Hadi. The Kuwait Corvette Club alsoparticipated in the event.

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) Library host-ed an Open House in February to members of theAUK community. This annual event is held to intro-

duce visitors to the Library’s latest technological featuresand resources, and enhance their overall library experienceby familiarizing them with all the services available at theLibrary.

During the half-day event, Library staff members wereon hand to provide information, give tours of the facilitiesand engage the students in intellectual exchange andcompetitions. Asma Al-Kanan, the Library Director,expressed her pleasure with the success of the event. “Over200 students, faculty and staff participated in the Libraryactivities today. The festivities of the day bring everyone

closer and give librarians the opportunity to promote newresources, meet with old and new students and answertheir questions. This year’s Library Open House featured anInstagram photo booth for visitors to capture theirmoments and a prize wheel game where they learn in amore fun and interactive way,” she said.

The competitions and prizes were sponsored by someof the Library’s international partners and academicresource providers. SAGE, Emerald, and Lexis Nexis repre-sented by their local agent in Kuwait, Virtus Group, offeredprizes that included a Kindle Paperwhite, a Kindle Fire HD,and a Galaxy Tab. The Library also held a raffle drawing, inwhich participants won vouchers from the AUK Bookstoreand an Ipad mini, which was a prize provided by EBSCO

Publishing and was presented through their local agent inKuwait, “Naseej”.

Throughout the day, online demos on the differenttools and resources available at the Library were featured,and visitors were introduced to the digital libraries of theAssociation for Computing Machinery (ACM) and theComputer Society (IEEE), RefWorks, an online citation man-agement tool, Literature Online, a leading online resourcefor the study and teaching of literature in English, andCredo Reference, a research tool and a collection of onlinesources.

The AUK Library holds more than 42,000 print books indifferent disciplines, in addition to thousands of E-booksand other electronic resources. Over the past 12 years of

its existence, the Library has undergone physical and tech-nological upgrades to cater for the growing academic andtechnological needs of the AUK community. Last year, theAUK Library became the first in Kuwait to introduce the 3MSelfCheck kiosk, a device that allows Library visitors to self-checkout books without stopping by the helpdesk.

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an inde-pendent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educationalliberal arts institution of higher education. The educational,cultural and administrative structure, methods and stan-dards of AUK are based on the American model of higherlearning. The language of instruction is English. More infor-mation on the American University of Kuwait can be foundatwww.auk.edu.kw

AUK Library holds Open House

Students from the Riqqa Primary School, Asia Bint Mazahem School, Hind Bint Athathah School and Ghuzairah Bint Jaber School participated in an activity organized in cooperation with the AhmadiEducational Directorate in celebration of the National and Liberation Days.

Famous film director I V Sasi arrived in Kuwait to participate in Malabar Maholsavam, organized by Kozhokode District NRI Association (KDNA). Malabar Maholsavam is organized as a mega carnival every yearby KDNA to promote their charity activities. I V Sasi, the prominent film director of Malayalam film industry, will be honored in the ceremony for his exceptional contribution to Indian film industry. Sunil Jain,the Ambassador of India to Kuwait, will inaugurate the function.

01:45 Animal Cops Houston02:40 Tanked03:35 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari04:00 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari04:25 Animal Cops Houston05:15 Into The Pride06:02 Call Of The Wildman06:25 Call Of The Wildman06:49 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari07:12 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari07:36 The Wild Life Of TimFaulkner08:00 The Wild Life Of TimFaulkner08:25 Too Cute!09:15 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari09:40 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari10:10 Call Of The Wildman10:35 Call Of The Wildman11:05 Gator Boys12:00 Too Cute!12:55 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari13:20 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari13:50 Into The Pride14:45 Animal Cops Houston15:40 Tanked16:35 Devoured: Man-Eating SuperSnake Returns17:30 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari17:55 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari18:25 Into The Pride19:20 Romeo & Juliet: A Monkey’sTale20:15 Tanked21:10 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari21:35 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari22:05 Into The Pride23:00 Romeo & Juliet: A Monkey’sTale23:55 Swamp Brothers

T V PR O G R A M STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

00:00 DIY SOS: The Big Build00:50 Nordic Cookery With TareqTaylor01:15 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill01:40 Baking Mad With EricLanlard02:05 Masterchef: TheProfessionals03:00 Bargain Hunt03:45 Come Dine With Me04:10 The Good Cook04:35 DIY SOS: The Big Build05:25 Nordic Cookery With TareqTaylor05:50 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill06:15 Baking Mad With EricLanlard06:40 Masterchef: TheProfessionals07:30 The Good Cook08:00 Bargain Hunt08:45 Come Dine With Me09:10 DIY SOS: The Big Build10:00 Nordic Cookery With TareqTaylor10:25 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill10:50 Baking Mad With EricLanlard11:15 Masterchef: TheProfessionals12:10 The Good Cook12:35 Bargain Hunt13:20 Come Dine With Me13:45 DIY SOS: The Big Build14:35 Nordic Cookery With TareqTaylor15:00 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill15:25 Baking Mad With EricLanlard15:50 The Good Cook16:20 Masterchef: TheProfessionals17:15 Bargain Hunt18:00 Come Dine With Me18:20 DIY SOS: The Big Build19:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea20:00 Food & Drink20:25 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: London20:50 Rachel’s Favourite Food ForLiving21:15 Nigel Slater’s SimpleCooking21:40 Masterchef: TheProfessionals

THIS IS THE END ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:40 The Weakest Link01:25 Eastenders01:55 Doctors02:25 Upstairs Downstairs03:15 Rev.03:45 Alan Partridge’s Mid-MorningMatters04:15 The Weakest Link05:00 The Green Balloon Club05:25 Mr Bloom’s Nursery05:45 Me Too!06:05 Garth And Bev06:15 The Green Balloon Club06:40 Mr Bloom’s Nursery07:00 Nina And The Neurons: InThe Lab07:15 The Weakest Link08:00 Rev.08:30 Dad’s Army09:00 Eastenders09:30 Doctors10:00 Upstairs Downstairs10:50 The Weakest Link11:35 Rev.12:05 Dad’s Army12:35 One Foot In The Grave13:05 Eastenders13:35 Doctors14:00 Upstairs Downstairs14:55 Getting On15:25 Rev.15:55 Dad’s Army16:25 The Weakest Link17:10 Eastenders17:40 Doctors18:05 Upstairs Downstairs19:00 Dad’s Army19:30 Getting On20:00 Stella20:45 Waking The Dead21:35 Waking The Dead22:25 Lead Balloon22:55 Case Sensitive: The OtherHalf Lives

PUNCTURE ON OSN MOVIES FESTIVAL HD

00:00 Violetta00:45 The Hive00:50 Art Attack01:15 Art Attack01:40 Jungle Junction01:50 Jungle Junction02:05 Jungle Junction02:15 Jungle Junction02:30 Violetta03:10 The Hive03:20 Art Attack03:45 Art Attack04:10 Jungle Junction04:20 Jungle Junction04:35 Jungle Junction04:45 Jungle Junction05:00 Art Attack05:25 Art Attack05:50 Mouk06:00 Kim Possible06:25 Austin & Ally06:50 Girl Meets World07:15 Liv And Maddie07:40 Jessie08:05 Dog With A Blog08:30 Good Luck Charlie08:55 Good Luck Charlie09:20 Sonny With A Chance09:45 Sonny With A Chance10:10 Suite Life On Deck10:35 Suite Life On Deck11:00 That’s So Raven11:25 That’s So Raven11:50 A.N.T. Farm12:15 A.N.T. Farm12:40 Hannah Montana13:05 Hannah Montana13:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place13:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place14:20 Austin & Ally15:00 Binny And The Ghost15:20 Binny And The Ghost15:45 Liv And Maddie16:10 Violetta17:00 Austin & Ally17:25 Jessie17:50 Liv And Maddie18:15 Girl Meets World18:40 Binny And The Ghost19:05 Binny And The Ghost19:30 Violetta20:20 Dog With A Blog20:45 Dog With A Blog21:10 Dog With A Blog21:35 Dog With A Blog22:00 Suite Life On Deck22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Shake It Up23:10 Wolfblood23:35 Wolfblood

00:20 Fast N’ Loud01:10 The Carbonaro Effect01:35 The Carbonaro Effect02:00 The Big Brain Theory02:50 You Have Been Warned03:40 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition04:05 The Liquidator04:30 Auction Hunters

05:00 How It’s Made05:30 How It’s Made06:00 Railroad Alaska06:50 Highway To Sell07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition08:55 The Liquidator09:20 Auction Hunters09:45 How It’s Made10:10 How It’s Made10:35 The Carbonaro Effect11:00 The Carbonaro Effect11:25 The Big Brain Theory12:15 You Have Been Warned13:05 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition13:30 The Liquidator13:55 Auction Hunters14:20 Railroad Alaska15:10 Highway To Sell16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How It’s Made17:15 How It’s Made17:40 Alaska: The Last Frontier18:30 Street Outlaws19:20 American Muscle20:10 The Liquidator20:35 Auction Hunters21:00 Street Outlaws21:50 American Muscle22:40 Hellriders23:30 Alaska: The Last Frontier

00:00 Fashion Police00:55 Extreme Close-Up01:25 Keeping Up With TheKardashians02:20 E! News03:40 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills04:10 E!ES05:05 E! Entertainment Special06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians06:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill10:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 House Of DVF12:05 E! News13:35 Fashion Police14:05 Style Star14:30 Style Star15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 Christina Milian Turned Up17:30 Christina Milian Turned Up18:00 E! News

19:00 THS20:00 House Of DVF21:00 House Of DVF22:00 E! News23:00 The Soup23:30 Fashion Bloggers

00:40 Ade In Britain01:30 Come Dine With Me Ireland02:00 Emmerdale02:25 Emmerdale02:55 Coronation Street03:25 Midsomer Murders05:15 Murdoch Mysteries06:10 Take On The Twisters07:05 Come Dine With Me Ireland07:30 Midsomer Murders09:20 The Chase10:15 Murdoch Mysteries11:10 Emmerdale11:35 Emmerdale12:00 Coronation Street12:30 Ade In Britain13:25 Take On The Twisters14:20 Come Dine With Me Ireland14:45 Murdoch Mysteries15:35 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs16:00 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs16:30 The Chase: CelebritySpecials17:15 Get Your Act Together18:20 Take On The Twisters19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs20:00 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs20:30 The Chase: CelebritySpecials21:15 Get Your Act Together22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:15 Emmerdale23:45 Murdoch Mysteries

00:00 Dangerous Encounters01:00 Rebuilding Titanic02:00 The Human Family Tree03:00 Swamp Men04:00 Rescue Ink05:00 Science of Stupid05:30 Science of Stupid06:00 Sea Patrol07:00 Animal Intervention08:00 Dangerous Encounters09:00 Rebuilding Titanic10:00 The Human Family Tree11:00 The Human Family Tree12:00 Prehistoric Predators13:00 The Indestructibles13:30 The Indestructibles14:00 Animal Autopsy 15:00 Outback Wrangler16:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest17:00 Inside Combat Rescue18:00 Last War Heroes19:00 Outback Wrangler20:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest21:00 Inside Combat Rescue22:00 Last War Heroes23:00 The Human Family Tree

00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:30 Parks And Recreation02:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm02:30 The Boondocks03:00 New Girl04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon06:00 The Goldbergs07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers09:00 New Girl11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 The Goldbergs15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 New Girl19:00 Black-Ish20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart22:00 Family Guy22:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm23:00 The Boondocks23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:00 Crisis02:00 Legends03:00 The Client List05:00 Marvel’s Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.06:00 Crisis07:00 The Night Shift08:00 Unforgettable10:00 Marvel’s Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.12:00 Emmerdale

12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Unforgettable15:00 Crisis16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Unforgettable19:00 Suits20:00 The Flash21:00 American Idol22:00 24: Live Another Day

01:00 Good Morning America05:00 Good Morning America10:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show15:00 Live Good Morning America20:00 Royal Pains

01:05 How It’s Made01:30 Alien Mysteries02:20 Through The Wormhole03:10 How Do They Do It?03:35 How Do They Do It?04:00 Food Factory04:24 Food Factory04:48 Magic Of Science05:12 Magic Of Science05:36 Stephen Hawking’sUniverse06:48 How Tech Works07:12 Food Factory07:36 How Do They Do It?08:00 Weird Connections08:25 How Tech Works08:50 Mega World09:40 Food Factory10:05 How It’s Made10:30 Magic Of Science10:55 Magic Of Science11:20 Stephen Hawking’sUniverse12:35 Mythbusters13:25 How Tech Works13:50 Mega World14:40 Food Factory

15:05 How It’s Made15:30 Magic Of Science15:55 Magic Of Science16:20 Stephen Hawking’sUniverse17:35 How Do They Do It?18:00 Through The Wormhole18:50 How It’s Made19:15 How It’s Made19:40 Food Factory20:05 Food Factory20:30 Magic Of Science20:55 Magic Of Science21:20 Stem Cell Universe WithStephen Hawking22:10 How Do They Do It?22:35 How Do They Do It?23:00 Magic Of Science23:25 Magic Of Science23:50 Stem Cell Universe WithStephen Hawking

00:40 Scorned: Crimes OfPassion01:30 LA: City Of Demons02:20 Police Women OfMemphis03:10 True CSI04:00 Solved04:45 Scorned: Crimes OfPassion05:30 LA: City Of Demons06:20 Solved07:10 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones08:00 Nightmare Next Door08:50 Fatal Encounters09:40 Murder Shift10:30 I Was Murdered10:55 Stalked: Someone’sWatching11:20 Forensic Detectives12:10 Solved13:00 Disappeared13:50 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones14:40 Who On Earth Did IMarry?15:05 Who On Earth Did IMarry?15:30 Solved16:20 I Was Murdered16:45 Stalked: Someone’sWatching17:10 Murder Shift18:00 Disappeared18:50 Fatal Encounters19:40 Forensic Detectives20:30 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones21:20 The Will: Family SecretsRevealed22:10 Who On Earth Did I

Marry?22:35 Who On Earth Did IMarry?23:00 Deadly Affairs23:50 Diabolical

00:10 Zou00:25 Mouk00:35 Jungle Junction00:50 Art Attack01:15 Julius Jr.01:25 Calimero01:40 Henry Hugglemonster01:50 Zou02:05 Mouk02:15 Jungle Junction02:25 Art Attack02:50 Julius Jr.03:00 Calimero03:15 Henry Hugglemonster03:25 Zou03:40 Mouk03:50 Jungle Junction04:00 Art Attack04:25 Julius Jr.04:35 Calimero04:50 Henry Hugglemonster05:00 Zou05:15 Mouk05:25 Jungle Junction05:35 Art Attack06:00 Julius Jr.06:10 Calimero06:25 Henry Hugglemonster06:35 Zou06:50 Mouk07:00 Jungle Junction07:10 Art Attack07:35 Julius Jr.07:45 Calimero08:00 Jungle Junction08:10 Zou08:25 Henry Hugglemonster08:35 Julius Jr.08:50 Mouk09:00 Calimero09:15 Art Attack09:40 Henry Hugglemonster09:50 Doc McStuffins10:05 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps10:10 Special Agent Oso10:20 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps10:25 Special Agent Oso10:40 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps10:45 Special Agent Oso11:00 Sofia The First11:25 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West11:50 Calimero12:05 Jake And The Never LandPirates12:30 Julius Jr.12:40 Henry Hugglemonster12:55 Handy Manny13:05 Justin Time13:20 Sofia The First13:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse14:10 New Adventures OfWinnie The Pooh14:35 Henry Hugglemonster14:45 Zou15:00 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps15:05 Special Agent Oso15:15 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps15:20 Special Agent Oso15:35 Special Agent Oso: 3Healthy Steps15:40 Special Agent Oso15:55 Handy Manny16:05 Justin Time16:20 Sofia The First16:45 Minnie’s Bow-Toons16:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse17:15 Lilo & Stitch17:40 Adventures Of TheGummi Bears18:05 Chip n Dale RescueRangers18:30 Ducktales18:55 Art Attack19:20 Sofia The First19:45 Calimero20:00 Doc McStuffins20:10 Jake And The Never LandPirates20:25 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West20:35 Zou20:50 Minnie’s Bow-Toons20:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse21:20 Sofia The First21:45 Adventures Of TheGummi Bears22:10 Chip n Dale RescueRangers22:35 Ducktales23:00 Minnie’s Bow-Toons23:05 Art Attack23:30 Julius Jr.23:40 Calimero23:55 Henry Hugglemonster

00:00 The Baytown Outlaws02:00 The Ring Two04:00 Prisoners Of The Sun06:00 Escape From L.A.08:00 The Lone Ranger10:30 Babylon A.D12:30 Marvel’s Doctor Strange14:00 Code Of Silence15:45 The Lone Ranger18:15 Escape From L.A.20:00 Babylon A.D22:00 Olympus Has Fallen

00:00 The Ring Two-PG1502:00 Prisoners Of The Sun-PG1504:00 Escape From L.A.-PG1506:00 The Lone Ranger-PG1508:30 Babylon A.D-PG1510:30 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG12:00 Code Of Silence-PG1513:45 The Lone Ranger-PG1516:15 Escape From L.A.-PG1518:00 Babylon A.D-PG1520:00 Olympus Has Fallen-PG1522:00 D-Tox-PG15

00:00 In A World...-PG1502:00 Bachelorette-PG1504:00 Addams Family Values-PG06:00 Standing Ovation-PG1508:00 Big Daddy-PG1510:00 In A World...-PG1512:00 Timer-PG1514:00 Maid In Manhattan-PG1516:00 Big Daddy-PG1518:00 Along Came Polly-PG1520:00 Girl In Progress-PG1522:00 Schuks! Your Country NeedsYou-PG15

01:00 Straight A’s-PG1503:00 The Invisible Woman-PG1505:00 Heaven’s Door-PG07:00 Step Up Revolution-PG1509:00 Won’t Back Down-PG1511:00 Heaven’s Door-PG13:00 Streetdance: All Stars-PG1515:00 All Is Lost-PG1517:00 Won’t Back Down-PG1519:00 Promised Land-PG1521:00 Safe Haven-PG1523:00 Killer Joe-18

00:00 Saturday Night Fever-1802:00 Heart Of The Country-PG1504:00 The Perks Of Being AWallflower-PG1506:00 Twist Of Faith-PG1508:00 Son Of Rambow-PG10:00 Bully-PG1512:00 Faces In The Crowd-PG1513:45 Meet Joe Black-PG1516:45 Son Of Rambow-PG18:30 Kandahar Break: Fortress OfWar-PG1520:30 Stalingrad-PG1523:00 Puncture-18

01:00 How I Live Now-PG1503:00 Captain America: The WinterSoldier-PG1505:15 Lovestruck: The Musical-PG1507:00 The Expatriate-PG1509:00 Closed Circuit-PG1511:00 Captain America: The WinterSoldier-PG1513:15 Last Vegas-PG1515:00 Peeples-PG1517:00 Closed Circuit-PG1519:00 The Heat-PG1521:00 Baggage Claim-PG1523:00 This Is The End-18

01:00 Easter Egg Escapade02:45 Marvel’s Thor: Tales OfAsgaard04:30 Twigson06:00 Everyone’s Hero08:00 Unstable Fables: TheGoldilocks & The Three Bears10:00 Los Campeones De LALucha Libre11:30 Barbie As Rapunzel13:00 Unstable Fables: TheGoldilocks & The Three Bears14:30 Wallace & Gromit: The CurseOf The Were-Rabbit16:00 Fred 2: Night Of The LivingFred18:00 Los Campeones De LALucha Libre20:00 Wallace & Gromit: The CurseOf The Were-Rabbit22:00 Marvel’s Next Avengers:Heroes Of Tomorrow23:30 Fred 2: Night Of The LivingFred

00:00 The Music Never Stopped-PG1501:45 The Host-PG1504:00 Legendary Amazons-PG1506:00 Epic-PG08:00 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones-PG1510:15 Saving Mr. Banks-PG1512:30 The Host-PG1514:45 Peace, Love &Misunderstanding-PG1516:45 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones-PG1519:00 Percy Jackson: Sea OfMonsters-PG20:45 Runner Runner-PG1522:30 Rush-18

00:30 ICC Cricket 36001:00 Live ICC Cricket World Cup09:00 Top 14 Highlights10:00 Golfing World11:00 European Tour Weekly11:30 Live PGA European Tour14:00 Golfing World15:00 Live PGA European Tour17:00 Total Rugby 17:30 Live Dubai World CupCarnival 21:30 Golfing World22:30 Inside The PGA Tour

00:00 PGA Tour Highlights01:00 PGA European TourHighlights03:00 Live NHL07:00 Total Rugby 07:30 Golfing World11:00 Live AFL Nab Challenge 19:00 WWE NXT20:00 WWE SmackDown22:00 Live Premier League Darts

10:00 World Pool Masters11:00 World Cup of Pool12:00 World Cup of Pool15:00 Golfing World16:00 AFL Nab Challenge 18:30 Golfing World19:30 World Pool Masters20:30 World Cup of Pool21:30 World Cup of Pool22:30 Total Rugby23:00 Live Super League

00:00 NHL07:00 Monster Jam08:00 The World’s Strongest Man08:30 WWE Vintage12:00 NHL15:00 WWE Vintage16:00 WWE Raw19:00 NHL22:00 WWE NXT23:00 WWE Smackdown

06:30 Live ICC World Cup: SA v WI14:30 ICC World Cup H/L: AFG v SCO15:30 ICC Cricket 36016:00 ICC World Cup H/L: IND v PAK 18:00 ICC World Cup H/L: BAN v SL

00:20 Extreme Cheapskates00:45 Body Bizarre01:35 Extreme Couponing02:00 Undercover Mums02:50 Say Yes To The Dress

03:15 Little People, Big World03:40 What Not To Wear04:30 Cake Boss05:00 Sister Wives05:30 Sister Wives06:00 18 Kids And Counting06:25 Secret Eaters07:15 Say Yes To The Dress07:40 Little People, Big World08:05 Sister Wives08:55 Brides Of Beverly Hills09:20 Brides Of Beverly Hills09:45 Cake Boss10:10 Sister Wives10:35 Sister Wives11:00 What Not To Wear11:50 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?12:40 Secret Eaters13:30 Bakery Boss14:20 Extreme Cheapskates14:45 Extreme Cheapskates15:10 Cake Boss15:35 Little People, Big World16:00 Hoarding: Buried Alive16:50 Say Yes To The Dress17:15 18 Kids And Counting17:40 Sister Wives18:05 Say Yes To The Dress18:30 What Not To Wear19:20 Oprah’s Master Class20:10 Secret Eaters21:00 90 Days To Wed21:50 Say Yes To The Dress: TheBig Day22:40 Extreme Couponing23:05 Undercover Mums23:55 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?

ClassifiedsTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Prayer timings

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 26/2/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeJAI 574 Mumbai 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:25JZR 267 Beirut 00:30KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 00:40JZR 539 Cairo 00:40THY 772 Istanbul 00:45FDB 069 Dubai 00:55QTR 1084 Doha 01:00RBG 555 Alexandria 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:05KAC 546 Alexandria 01:10DLH 637 Dammam 01:15SAI 441 Lahore 01:30PGT 858 Istanbul 01:35ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45MSC 403 Sohag 02:30GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30UAE 853 Dubai 02:35JZR 553 Alexandria 02:45JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 02:50FDB 067 Dubai 02:55MSR 612 Cairo 03:10ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10KKK 6507 Istanbul 03:20OMA 643 Muscat 03:25QTR 1076 Doha 03:45MSC 401 Alexandria 04:05JZR 503 Luxor 05:25THY 770 Istanbul 05:35DHX 170 Bahrain 05:40BAW 157 London 06:40KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 07:10TAR 327 Tunis 07:45FDB 053 Dubai 07:45QTR 1086 Doha 07:50SVA 512 Riyadh 07:55KAC 352 Kochi 08:10IRA 667 Esfahan 08:10KAC 382 Delhi 08:15KAC 302 Mumbai 08:20KAC 206 Islamabad 08:25KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:30UAE 855 Dubai 08:40KAC 362 Colombo 08:45KAC 284 Dhaka 08:50ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00IRA 673 Ahwaz 09:05ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20FDB 055 Dubai 09:40ABY 129 Sharjah 09:45QTR 1070 Doha 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 11:00IZG 4161 Mashhad 11:10RBG 553 Alexandria 11:15MSC 405 Sohag 11:25JZR 165 Dubai 11:30JZR 561 Sohag 11:45MEA 404 Beirut 11:55SYR 341 Damascus 12:00QTR 8646 Doha 12:30UAE 871 Dubai 12:50JZR 241 Amman 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:05AGY 680 Alexandria 14:15THY 766 Istanbul 14:20KNE 472 Jeddah 14:25SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30

FDB 057 Dubai 14:30MPH 951 Amsterdam 14:35KAC 538 Sohag 14:50RJD 135 Abu Dhabi 14:55KNE 470 Jeddah 14:55GFA 221 Bahrain 15:00KAC 788 Jeddah 15:10JZR 175 Dubai 15:20OMA 645 Muscat 15:25UAE 857 Dubai 15:45ABY 127 Sharjah 15:45FDB 051 Dubai 16:00KNE 460 Riyadh 16:00JZR 535 Cairo 16:10JZR 779 Jeddah 16:10NIA 251 Alexandria 16:15KAC 562 Amman 16:20JZR 257 Beirut 16:30QTR 1072 Doha 16:40RJA 640 Amman 16:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30UAL 982 IAD 17:55JZR 777 Jeddah 17:55UAE 875 Dubai 18:00JZR 177 Dubai 18:20AFG 415 Kabul 18:30KAC 118 New York 18:30ABY 121 Sharjah 18:40FDB 063 Dubai 18:40KAC 786 Jeddah 18:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:50AXB 393 Kozhikode 19:15KAC 618 Doha 19:15KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15KAC 542 Cairo 19:25KAC 674 Dubai 19:25GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30KAC 176 Geneva/Frankfurt 19:45KAC 502 Beirut 19:50KAC 104 London 19:55JAI 572 Mumbai 20:00KAC 614 Bahrain 20:00KAC 742 Dammam 20:00MSR 618 Alexandria 20:05OMA 647 Muscat 20:05JZR 189 Dubai 20:15FDB 061 Dubai 20:20ABY 123 Sharjah 20:35DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:50ALK 229 Colombo 21:10MEA 402 Beirut 21:20ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30FDB 073 Dubai 21:35UAE 859 Dubai 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45QTR 1074 Doha 21:55KNE 480 Taif 22:00JZR 135 Bahrain 22:05JZR 166 Dubai 22:10KLM 417 Amsterdam 22:15ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15FDB 059 Dubai 22:30AIC 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:30BBC 043 Dhaka 23:10UAL 981 Bahrain 23:10JZR 185 Dubai 23:15AGY 684 Sohag 23:20THY 764 Istanbul 23:35PIA 205 Lahore 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45

Departure Flights on Thursday 26/2/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05BBC 044 Dhaka 00:40FDB 072 Dubai 00:45JAI 573 Mumbai 01:10RBG 556 Alexandria 01:40KLM 411 Amsterdam 01:55DLH 637 Frankfurt 02:15SAI 442 Lahore 02:30ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45THY 773 Istanbul 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 03:25MSC 404 Sohag 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:50FDB 068 Dubai 03:55ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:10KKK 6508 Istanbul 04:10OMA 644 Muscat 04:25QTR 1085 Doha 04:30MSC 406 Sohag 05:05JZR 560 Sohag 05:10QTR 1077 Doha 05:15THY 765 Istanbul 05:40FDB 070 Dubai 06:30JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 06:35JZR 164 Dubai 06:55RJA 643 Amman 07:05GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15JZR 240 Amman 07:15THY 771 Istanbul 07:30KAC 537 Sohag 08:20FDB 054 Dubai 08:25TAR 327 Dubai/Tunis 08:35BAW 156 London 08:45QTR 1087 Doha 08:50SVA 513 Riyadh 08:55JZR 256 Beirut 09:05IRA 668 Mashhad 09:10JZR 534 Cairo 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:25KAC 671 Dubai 09:25ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 101 London/New York 09:50UAE 856 Dubai 09:55IRA 672 Ahwaz 10:05ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:20ABY 120 Sharjah 10:25KAC 561 Amman 10:25JZR 778 Jeddah 10:30FDB 056 Dubai 10:35JZR 174 Dubai 10:45QTR 1071 Doha 11:00KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:15GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25RBG 554 Alexandria 11:55KAC 501 Beirut 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05IZG 4162 Mashhad 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:20MSC 402 Alexandria 12:25UAE 874 Dubai 12:30MEA 405 Beirut 12:55SYR 342 Damascus 13:00KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00QTR 8647 Doha 13:45JZR 176 Dubai 13:45MSR 611 Cairo 14:00UAE 872 Dubai 14:15

KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KAC 617 Doha 15:00QTR 1079 Doha 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:10AGY 685 Sohag 15:15THY 767 Istanbul 15:20KNE 473 Jeddah 15:20JZR 188 Dubai 15:40GFA 222 Bahrain 15:45KNE 471 Jeddah 15:50KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50SVA 505 Jeddah 16:00MPH 951 Dubai/SIN 16:05RJD 136 Abu Dhabi 16:05OMA 646 Muscat 16:25ABY 128 Sharjah 16:25KAC 613 Bahrain 16:35KNE 481 Taif 16:50KAC 741 Dammam 17:00FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:05NIA 252 Alexandria 17:15JZR 15 Dubai 17:35QTR 1073 Doha 17:40JZR 538 Cairo 17:45UAE 858 Dubai 17:45ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:50RJA 641 Amman 17:55SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:50JZR 134 Bahrain 19:10UAL 982 Bahrain 19:15ABY 122 Sharjah 19:20AFG 415 Jeddah 19:30UAE 876 Dubai 19:40QTR 1081 Doha 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:55AXB 393 Kozhikode 20:15GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15KAC 283 Dhaka 20:30KAC 361 Colombo 20:50KAC 343 Chennai 20:55JAI 571 Mumbai 21:00JZR 554 Alexandria 21:05OMA 648 Muscat 21:05MSR 619 Alexandria 21:05KAC 331 Trivandrum 21:10KAC 351 Kochi 21:15ABY 124 Sharjah 21:15FDB 062 Dubai 21:20DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50KAC 381 Delhi 22:00ALK 230 Colombo 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 301 Mumbai 22:15MEA 403 Beirut 22:20KAC 203 Lahore 22:20FDB 074 Dubai 22:30GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30UAE 860 Dubai 22:50KNE 461 Riyadh 22:50KAC 205 Islamabad 22:55ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00QTR 1075 Doha 23:05KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 23:15KAC 543 Cairo 23:20KAC 415 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 23:25KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:30

SHARQIA-1FOCUS 1:00 PMSERENA 3:00 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 5:15 PMFOCUS 7:00 PMSERENA 9:00 PMFOCUS 11:15 PMFOCUS 1:15 AM

SHARQIA-2THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 11:45 AMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 1:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 3:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 6:00 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 8:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 10:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:30 AMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 1:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 1:15 PMSUN+MON+TUE+WEDTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 3:15 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 5:00 PMDRAGON BLADE 7:15 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 9:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-1FOCUS 12:00 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 2:00 PMSERENA 3:45 PMFOCUS 6:00 PMSERENA 8:00 PMFOCUS 10:15 PMFOCUS 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-2TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 1:00 PMTHU+SATKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 1:00 PMSUN+MON+TUE+WEDTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 3:00 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 4:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 6:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 8:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 10:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 2:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 5:00 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 9:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 11:45 PM

FANAR-1FOCUS 12:00 PMFOCUS 2:00 PMFOCUS 4:00 PMFOCUS 6:00 PMFOCUS 8:00 PMFOCUS 10:00 PMFOCUS 12:05 AM

FANAR-2KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:45 AMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 1:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 3:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 5:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 7:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 9:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:45 PM

FANAR-3THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 12:15 PMDRAGON BLADE 2:00 PM

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 4:30 PMDRAGON BLADE 6:30 PMDRAGON BLADE 9:00 PMDRAGON BLADE 11:30 PM

FANAR-4YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 1:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 3:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 6:00 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 8:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 10:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:45 AM

FANAR-5TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 1:15 PMTHU+SATSERENA 12:45 PMSUN+MON+TUE+WEDSERENA 3:00 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 5:15 PMSERENA 7:00 PMSERENA 9:15 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 11:30 PM

MARINA-1TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 12:15 PMTHU+SATKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 12:15 PMSUN+MON+TUE+WEDSERENA 2:15 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 4:30 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 6:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 8:15 PMSERENA 10:15 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 12:30 AM

MARINA-2YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 2:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 5:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 9:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:05 AM

MARINA-3THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (3D) 1:00 PMFOCUS 3:00 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (3D) 5:00 PMFOCUS 7:00 PMFOCUS 9:00 PMFOCUS 11:00 PMFOCUS 1:00 AM

AVENUES-1YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 3:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 5:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 8:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 10:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 1:00 AM

AVENUES-2TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 11:45 AMTHU+SATTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 1:45 PMTHU+FRI+SATKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 1:15 PMSUN+MON+TUE+WEDTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 3:45 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 5:45 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 7:45 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 9:45 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 12:15 AM

AVENUES-3SERENA 12:30 PMSERENA 3:00 PMSERENA 5:30 PM

SERENA 8:00 PMSERENA 10:30 PMSERENA 1:00 AM

AVENUES-4YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:15 PMSERENA 2:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 5:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 10:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:45 AM

AVENUES-5FOCUS 12:30 PMFOCUS 2:30 PMFOCUS 5:00 PMFOCUS 7:15 PMFOCUS 9:30 PMFOCUS 11:45 PM

AVENUES-6FOCUS 1:00 PMFOCUS 3:15 PMFOCUS 5:30 PMFOCUS 7:45 PMFOCUS 10:00 PMFOCUS 12:15 AM

AVENUES-7CAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 11:30 AMCAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 1:45 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 4:00 PMCAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 6:30 PMWEDSpecial Show “FOCUS” 6:30 PMWED- 04.03.2015CAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 8:45 PMCAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 11:00 PMCAPTAIN SABERTOOTH AND THE LAMA RAMA TREASURE 1:15 AM

AVENUES-8DRAGON BLADE 1:45 PMWHIPLASH 4:30 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 6:45 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 9:00 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 11:15 PM

AVENUES-9KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:30 AMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 1:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 3:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 5:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 7:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 9:30 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:30 PM

AVENUES-10THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 12:45 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 2:45 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 4:45 PMDRAGON BLADE 6:45 PMDRAGON BLADE 9:30 PMDRAGON BLADE 12:30 AM

AVENUES-11YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 11:45 AMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 2:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 4:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 9:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:15 AM

360º- 1FOCUS 12:00 PMFOCUS 2:15 PMFOCUS 4:30 PMFOCUS 6:45 PMFOCUS 9:00 PMFOCUS 11:15 PM

FOCUS 1:15 AM

360º- 2BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 1:15 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3:30 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 5:45 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 8:15 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 10:30 PMBEAUTY AND THE BEAST 12:45 AM

360º- 3TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 12:45 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 2:45 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 4:45 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 6:45 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 8:45 PMKINGSMAN: The Secret Service 11:15 PM

AL-KOUT.1YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 2:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 4:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:00 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 9:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.2TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 1:15 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 3:15 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 5:00 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 6:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 9:00 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 11:00 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.3FOCUS 12:30 PMFOCUS 2:30 PMFOCUS 4:30 PMFOCUS 6:30 PMFOCUS 8:30 PMFOCUS 10:30 PMFOCUS 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.4THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 12:00 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 2:00 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 3:45 PMSERENA 5:30 PMDRAGON BLADE 7:45 PMSERENA 10:15 PMDRAGON BLADE 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1FOCUS 11:30 AMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (3D) 1:30 PMFOCUS 3:30 PMTHE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (3D) 5:45 PMFOCUS 7:30 PMFOCUS 9:30 PMFOCUS 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 1:00 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 3:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 5:30 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 7:45 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 10:15 PMYOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-3TOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 12:45 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 2:30 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 4:30 PMTOM LITTLE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR 6:15 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 8:00 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 10:00 PMKIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN 12:05 AM

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If you are looking for a mate, relations with members of the opposite sex arestrengthened at this time-it is a good time to ask favors from someone close or to do somethingfor a teammate. You may be pleased that many projects will come to an end-expect a sense ofsupport and goodwill from those around you. Your discipline has really been beneficial to all. Youare able to tackle tasks that require real organization. You find yourself in a very practical moodand working with, instead of against, yourself. Take the time to show your appreciation of a friendor loved one this evening-perhaps you can purchase some flowers on the way home from work.You can add to your savings account soon. You will be happy with the new balance.

Mental stimulation from others is ongoing and you will find it a good ideato make every effort to cooperate as well as work out a compromise if needed. An ongo-ing project is successful and you continue to get new ideas on how to improve a project.This could be anything from advising to performing. You may spend a considerableamount of time and effort to improve finances and you may find yourself involved insome manual activity. There is a strong desire for material success as well as considerablemonetary gain. You have an increased energy for work or play. Romance should be puton hold for a short while as there is some travel time coming up for you. However, this isan excellent time for taking part in social activities.

This is a great day to get things done, whether you are alone or with others,especially if you lead. State your agenda logically and even those who may

disagree with you will open up their minds to your ideas. Strong-minded persons areattracted to you and you to them. This is a most favorable time to engage in intellectuallystimulating leisure activities. Perhaps you will be able to entertain others this afternoon.You are particularly witty and make stimulating company. This may involve business asso-ciates or family visiting from afar. You will find this a period of optimism and emotionalstability, perfect for evaluating and modifying existing relationships, or perhaps to start anew one. This is an extremely creative stage in your life.

This is one of those days when anything is possible. You have a tiger in your tankand a green light for all activities-particularly in groups. Be sure to include some physical activity inthe day. Work off some of that energy with friends later-or at the noon break. There are opportu-nities now for success or financial growth that were not previously available. You face tremen-dous responsibilities in relationships with loved ones just now and you may find it difficult toexpress your wants and desires openly to your companions. Try to relax since anxiety can be para-lyzing. These difficult situations will pass and you will have positive opportunities to try out yourproblem-solving abilities. You have a natural sense of where you can best serve others.

Finding a few things hard to believe this morning, you are encouraged to investi-gate areas that you might also enjoy in a classroom. Just think, in most cities there are junior col-leges that offer extension or continuing education classes teaching theories of just what youalways wanted to know. If you cannot find this, perhaps searching the internet or library will helpyou find a correspondence course. Now you can set yourself to learning a new language, magic,nutrition or animal husbandry. Open yourself to new horizons and join a club that investigatesthe things that grab your attention: poetry, book reviews, skate boarding, machine building, etc. Itis good that you continue building your circle of friends. Tonight you celebrate.

Everything is positive this morning. You will be fast-thinking and ready for actiontoday. You will be extremely busy for a while and there may be little time to think about your ownpersonal agenda. This afternoon you will enjoy great success and attention through your profes-sion. You have ideas and you find answers to most any problem that draws your attention. Othersvalue you for your ability to make practical decisions. You may be able to enjoy and value yourown life situation today. You take some time to help a friend this afternoon-perhaps a car batteryhas died and you have the proper equipment to help. There may be more than one visitor in yourhome this evening. An emphasis on close relationships makes for a perfect ending to this day.

You appear perhaps more charming than usual. Now could be the time to makethat date, apply for a particular job or otherwise make yourself known. Worry about your abilitiesmay creep into the picture today and unfortunately, nobody around you is offering any encour-agement. If you are involved in a leadership role, you may find that this anticipation is perhaps,the way your mind and body prepares itself for performance. You are able to handle most any sit-uation that may occur now. Your creative talents are exalted and these special talents of yoursmay bring personal or career gains. You have an inner peace to your consciousness. You arecheerful and friendly to all, making you popular. This is an excellent time for love.

This is a good time to lead the way in a project, for your originality is unusuallyheightened. This is an excellent time to sway others to your cause through speeches or cleverarguments; your thinking is most lucid and grasping. At this time, you may actively be concernedabout the welfare of others in your business or people who work under you. Try listening to theirneeds before deciding for yourself how best to help them. You have an excellent opportunitytoday to gain new insight into an unresolved problem at work. You may not appreciate a secre-tive approach of someone you encounter. You may not care to work through their inner goings-on. Friendships are important and you find ways to build on your relationships at this time.

You are pleased with the results of your efforts today. Excitement! New discoveries,encounters and ideas should make this a day to remember. You will not have to look for them;they will find you. Perhaps an old problem can finally be resolved due to original thinking. Thepractical use of your time and energy will most certainly pay you well. This is a great time to bewith others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job.Chuck the routine and leave part of your day open for surprises and new adventures. Expand yourinsights with some fascinating nonfiction this evening. You will soon meet someone who willbroaden your perspective. There could be travel to new or unexplored places.

Any need for a little give and take has found its day. Your mind is clear and alert andanyone should be able to grasp your point of view. Your abilities and expectations for success maybe slowed down however. You may feel that further education or experience is just what youneed. You may face criticism from co-workers or your boss, particularly about a project or idea ofyours. You have a great amount of inner strength in light of obstacles that may suddenly appear.Do not hide beneath a shell but open up to the truth. You may enjoy making future plans orinvolving yourself in some writing or expanding your intellectual horizons-sign up for a class-startthat book. Planning a little country outing should be fun too.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 82٧

ACROSS1. (folklore) Fairies that are somewhat mis-chievous.4. Small free-swimming tunicates.12. The compass point that is one pointwest of due south.15. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand.16. Cosmopolitan genus of ferns.17. 10 hao equal 1 dong.18. Type genus of the Alcidae comprisingsolely the razorbill.20. A very light brown.21. Port city on southern Honshu on OsakaBay.23. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that wasformed by an explosion.24. Flower arrangement consisting of a cir-cular band of foliage or flowers for orna-mental purposes.27. A plant hormone promoting elongationof stems and roots.29. The 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.30. Impressive in appearance.34. An Indian gum from the dhawa tree.38. (Greek mythology) Greek god of war.39. The length of a straight line passingthrough the center of a circle and connect-ing two points on the circumference.40. A soft silvery metallic element of thealkali earth group.41. The month following September andpreceding November.44. A former copper coin of Pakistan.45. A room or establishment where alco-holic drinks are served over a counter.46. Lean end of the neck.49. A graphical record of electrical activityof the brain.50. Squash bugs.52. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974)that was responsible for research intoatomic energy and its peacetime uses inthe United States.54. Any cognitive content held as true.56. Not subject to change or variation espe-cially in behavior.59. A fencing sword similar to a foil but witha heavier blade.60. The capital and largest city of Zambia.64. Large scissors with strong blades.68. Characterized by malposition.70. A starch made by leaching and dryingthe root of the cassava plant.72. A loose cloak with a hood.73. A member of the Siouan people inhabit-ing the valleys of the Platte and Missouririvers in Nebraska.74. Teaching pupils individually (usually bya tutor hired privately).77. (British) Your grandmother.78. A colloid in a more solid form than a sol.79. A Cox-2 inhibitor (trade name Celebrex)that relieves pain without harming thedigestive tract.80. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

DOWN1. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.2. Among the largest bony fish.3. Large burrowing rodent of South andCentral America.4. A white soft metallic element that tar-nishes readily.5. The state capital of South Australia.

6. Grains used as food either unpolished ormore often polished.7. A highly contagious viral disease charac-terized by fever and weakness and skineruption with pustules that form scabs thatslough off leaving scars.8. (Babylonian) The sky god.9. A New England state.10. A bivalent and trivalent metallic ele-ment of the rare earth group.11. Any plant of the genus Amorpha havingodd-pinnate leaves and purplish spicateflowers.12. A carriage consisting of two wheels andcalash top.13. Cook and make edible by putting in ahot oven.14. A blue dyestuff obtained from the woadplant.19. (music) A short recitative that is melodicbut is not an aria.22. The world's largest desert (3,500,000square miles) in North Africa.25. A state in northwestern North America.26. A motley assortment of things.28. An associate degree in nursing.31. Requiring secret or mysterious knowl-edge.32. Moving or directed or tending in a back-ward direction or contrary to a previousdirection.33. Affected manners intended to impressothers.35. Infections of the skin or nails caused byfungi and appearing as itching circularpatches.36. (music) Brought to correct pitch.37. An iconic mental representation.42. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.43. Small European freshwater fish with aslender bluish-green body.47. (law) A comprehensive term for anyproceeding in a court of law whereby anindividual seeks a legal remedy.48. Desert shrub of Syria and Arabia havingsmall white flowers.51. A mountain peak in the southern SinaiPeninsula (7,500 feet high).53. A clear oily brown solution of cresols insoap.55. Grass with wide flat leaves cultivated inEurope and America for permanent pastureand hay and for lawns.57. Report or maintain.58. (used technically of a device or process)Having two parts.61. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in thepractice of Yoga).62. Cubes of meat marinated and cookedon a skewer usually with vegetables.63. A city in southern Turkey on the SeyhanRiver.65. The emotion of hate.66. An organic compound that contains ahydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atomwhich in turn is doubly bonded to anothercarbon atom.67. A training program to prepare collegestudents to be commissioned officers.69. Slightly open.71. Any of numerous hairy-bodied insectsincluding social and solitary species.75. A soft gray malleable metallic elementthat resembles tin but discolors on expo-sure to air.76. 16 ounces.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

34s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

Today you may want to focus on the higher aspects of life-the big picture-peskydetails are a waste of time. You may be drawn to the study of religion, philosophy or psychology.Just remember not to pontificate to others, or give the impression that you know all the answers-you may not realize the urge is present; it is the quickest way to lose converts. You may, however,find that someone wants to join you in your search for the meaning of life, so to speak. You mayalso find this a pleasant day of optimism. You enjoy good relations with family members and therelationships just keep getting better. Your financial position may improve because of your associ-ation with a relative. You have an opportunity to take part in some fun activities tonight.

You will tend to experience abrupt changes in matters of fortune, good or bad, in arelatively short period of time. Avoid extravagance and take time to reexamine your path withthis regard. Listen to the suggestions of a more experienced investor, perhaps a friend or associ-ate. Make your plans today and execute tomorrow. At work you may be completing unfinishedbusiness and clearing away the small stuff. Your mind is clear and fertile and going a mile aminute. You will enjoy communicating, you have plenty of things to say and may find yourselfwriting letters, playing mental games and working at solving puzzles-anything to give your activemind some sort of creative vent. You are good at keeping a good balance in your life.

inf or m at ionTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

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Afghanistan 0093

Albania 00355

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Andorra 00376

Angola 00244

Anguilla 001264

Antiga 001268

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Bangladesh 00880

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Ecuador 00593

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England (UK) 0044

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Holland (Netherlands) 0031

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Netherlands 0031

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New Caledonia 00687

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Saint Helena 00290

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Suriname 00597

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Virgin Islands UK 001284

Virgin Islands US 001340

Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263

he ‘Boyhood’ actress, who sparked controversy after calling for“wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women”while accepting the Best Supporting Actress Oscar on Sundayhas fired back at her critics on Twitter and says she doesn’t careif people are angry with her. Responding to suggestions she is

privileged and earns plenty of money, the 46-year-old star tweeted: “Don’ttalk to me about privilege. As a kid I lived well below the poverty line. Nomatter where I am I won’t forget women’s struggle. “I was a working singlemom at 20. I know how hard it is to pay for diapers and food. Explain whywomen should be paid less? “The working poor women of this countryhave been asking for help for decades. If I have ‘privilege’ or a voice I willshine a light on them.” Patricia was widely praised for her original speech,but attracted backlash for comments she made afterwards when shecalled on “all the men that love women, and all the gay people, and all the

people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight forus now.” The actress is standing by her comments,but attempted to clarify them in a rant on Monday.She tweeted: “I don’t care if people are angry. Thetruth is that wage inequality adversely affectswomen. “I have long been an advocate for the rightsof the #LBGT community. The question is why aren’tyou an advocate for equality for ALL women? “If you arefighting against #Equalpay you are fighting for ALLwomen and especially women of color to make less mon-ey than men.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

l if e s t y l eG o s s i p

T

Arquette insists she didn’t grow up privileged

The 41-year-old host appeared on stage injust a pair of tight, white Y-fronts duringthe ceremony in a joke mocking the BestPicture winner, ‘Birdman’, and requiredextra thickness to his underwear because

his member was visible under the Dolby Theaterstage’s strong lights during rehearsals. Speaking on‘Live! With Kelly and Michael’, wrote: “With the lights,

they see through things [in rehearsals]. We had to dosomething so you couldn’t tell my religion. “They hadto take a second pair of underwear and sew it to thefirst so you couldn’t see through it.” While the comedi-an admitted to having double-layered pants, he insist-ed what viewers saw was entirely his own manhoodand he used “no sock” or any other padding toenhance his bulge. The ‘How I Met Your Mother’ star -

who is married to actor and chef David Burtka - addedhe had no qualms about stripping off for the segmentof the show because he previously appeared on stagein tight leather hot pants as a transgender singer inBroadway show ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’. He toldE! News: “I did ‘Hedwig’, so I’m used to being on stagewithout much on.”

Harris wore special under garments for Oscars

he musician shot to fame as part of TheJonas Brothers - which was also comprisedof his siblings Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas -several years ago and at the height of theirpopularity they became known for wearing

purity rings to signify they were abstaining from sex.Nick, now 22, admits it made him uncomfortable to havepeople commenting and making judgments about hisbedroom behavior when he was so young. Addressingthe Oxford University Union on Monday night he said:“Living your life in front of people is incredibly uncom-fortable for many reasons. You go through your awkwardstage at some point and ... everybody’s hair looks dumband everybody thinks an Ed Hardy T-shirt is a good idea.“For me, the hardest part of all of it was the emphasis onsex and sex life and how at 13 or 14 years old andbecause of the detachment of seeing someone on TV orthe computer it was OK to comment on a 13 or 14 yearold’s sex life. You wouldn’t do that in a normal setting but

because I’m living a public life as a celebrity (people did),that was hard. That became a big topic... we all wentthrough a journey.” Nick - who is in a relationship withMiss Universe Olivia Culpo - and his brothers workedwith Disney throughout their time as a band appearingin Disney Channel movie ‘Camp Rock’ and the sequel andtheir own series ‘JONAS’. The ‘Jealous’ singer accepts heand his siblings became role models because of theirassociation with the family entertainment company buthe says it’s important to remember they were playing“characters”. He explained: “I don’t think Disney createsrole models; I think it creates characters and it just sohappens that there are real people that are those charac-ters. Everyone when they choose to be an actor isn’talways a role model, that’s a role you have to decide foryourself. There’s a willing to do that and to choose tohave that responsibility or not.

Jones believes personal

questions were the hardest

Keaton caughtputting back

acceptance speechhe ‘Birdman’ star lost out to EddieRedmayne - who won the accolade forhis portrayal of physicist StephenHawking in ‘The Theory of Everything’ -and when the 33-year-old actor was

preparing to take to the stage to collect the prize,Michael was captured putting what appeared to behis speech back in his jacket pocket. The footage ofMichael slipping the note back into his breast pock-et was made into a Vine video - a short clip - andposted online, much to the Twittersphere’s devasta-tion. Some have since dubbed the moment the“saddest Vine of all time” as the 63-year-old star han-dles the piece of paper while all around him breakinto a round of applause to congratulate Eddie.Reacting to the video, mollyfitz tweeted: “This hurtsmy heart a little bit: Michael Keaton putting hisspeech back in his pocket after realizing he lost.Twitter users even compared the moment to leg-endary actor Nick Nolte losing out on a Best ActorOscar to Roberto Benigni in 1998. Fortunately,Michael did get to take to the stage on the night ina winning capacity when ‘Birdman’ won Best Picture,and director Alejandro Gonz·lez Inarritu allowedhim to say a few words to the Dolby Theater audi-ence. He said: “This has been a tremendous experi-ence. “These guys are as bold as bold could be, itwas just a tremendous honour for me - look, it’sgreat to be here who am I kidding, this is just greatfun, thank you very much.”

uring an interview with UK station BBCRadio 1, Ed’s close friend Taylor Swiftrevealed that the 31-year-old Hollywoodactress is the celebrity woman he lustsafter. Asked to name who in the entertain-

ment industry Ed is attracted to, Taylor shared: “Thiswas at a certain time, Mila Kunis.” However, Ed waskeen to stress that his attraction to Mila was before shegot engaged to her former ‘That ‘70s Show’ co-starAshton Kutcher - with whom she has a five-month olddaughter, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher - and also before he

started dating his current girlfriend Athina Andrelos,who he’s reported to have been seeing since early2014. He said: “I’m involved now.” Taylor replied: “Andthen you got a girlfriend, but this was your last one.” Edalso insisted he wouldn’t have felt awkward meetingMila at the height of his attraction to her because hedoubts she’d have recognized him. He explained,modestly: “The last time I said it was like 2012 so thatwas at a point where she wouldn’t have known who Iwas so that’s fine.”

Sheeran has a crush on Mila Kunis

DT

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The 28-year-old actress is “doing well”under the care of Lynn Bynes - who wasput in charge of her affairs for the secondtime last November after the ‘Easy A’ starunderwent a stint in a psychiatric hospi-

tal - and a judge ruled at a hearing yesterday that thearrangement will continue until the next hearing onJune 23. Her attorney David Esquibias told ‘AccessHollywood’: “I am glad the arrangement is continu-ing. The legal process is working in Amanda’s favor.She’s doing well.” The hearing comes a few weeksafter it was ruled Amanda will not be charged withdriving under the influence (DUI). The troubledactress was arrested in the early hours of September28 2014 but the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Officehave now opted not to press charges but “after muchdeliberation and review”, her case is being forwarded

along to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office as apossible probation violation. The ‘She’s the Man’ star’sarrest came just six months after she had got herdriving license back after it was suspended by theDepartment of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in September2012 following two alleged hit-and-run incidentsthat year, though the charges were later dismissed.The ‘Hairspray’ actress was also charged with DUI inApril 2012 after she hit a police car in WestHollywood, but the charge was dropped in February2014 and she was sentenced to three years of proba-tion for reckless driving as part of a plea deal. TheDMV restored her license last April following threemonths of alcohol education classes as part of herplea deal.

Bynes mother taking care of her

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he 30-year-old star says she is “seriously questioning staying on the show” after her co-host Giuliana Rancic made an offensive remark about her friend Zendaya Coleman’sdreadlocks at the Oscars. After receiving a lot of negative comments on Twitter, shewrote: “i will not be draged into this! The situation is being rectified like ADULTS byboth parties. I hope you can leave it to them & do the same! “you guys do realize that

@Zendaya is my friend right? “I’m giving everyone involved 24 hours to make it right or theworld will hear how I really feel. Contractually I’m not allowed to speak! “I did not make theweed comment. I do not condone racism so as a result of this I’m seriously questioningstaying on the show!” Zendaya previously slammed Giuliana for saying “I feel likeshe smells like patchouli oil ... or maybe weed” while critiquing her red carpetlook at the Oscars on the E! Series. She wrote on Instagram: “To say that an18-year-old young woman with locs (dreadlocks) must smell of patchouli oilor ‘weed’ is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive.” The 40-year-old star initially apologized on Twitter but following Kelly’s tweets shealso issued a public apology to the young actress on E! News on Tuesday say-ing: “Something I said last night did cross the line. I didn’t intend to hurt any-body, but I’ve learned it’s not my intent that matters, it’s the result.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

l if e s t y l e

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he 28-year-old actress - who was horrified hena list of 36 former lovers was leaked last year -has told pals she is planning a “emotionaldetox” as part of her plan to get her life andcareer back on track. A source told Closer mag-

azine: “Lindsay is fed up with the emotional roller coasterthat comes with dating, so she’s told friends that she’s giv-ing up sex and dating in a bid to clear her head. “She wantsto have an emotional detox - her routine is crazy right nowand she’s keen to have a more settled life. “She knows thatusing men to boost her confidence is not the best way tofeel good.” Lindsay’s pals are said to be doubtful whethershe will still to her no sex vow but have pledged their sup-port anyway. The source added: “She says she wants to

focus on being drama-free as she adjusts to a healthier lie.“It’s going to be tough and her friends aren’t entirely confi-dent she’ll pull it off, but everyone is being totally support-ive.” Among Lindsay’s confirmed former lovers are formerThe Wanted singer Max George, England rugby playerDanny Cipriani and Calum Best, while she is rumoured tohave had romantic liaisons with James Franco, JustinTimberlake, Ryan Reynolds and Colin Farrell. She was in anon/off two-year lesbian relationship with DJ SamanthaRonson - the sister of producer Mark Ronson.

Lohan going

celibate for a yearT

he ‘Style’ hitmaker has admittedher life is “peppered with anxiety”both when she is awake andasleep and she is constantlydogged by nightmares that a pho-

tographer is stood inside her room taking pic-tures of her. She said: “Oh my God, yes, anxi-ety dreams, and also my reality, even when I’mnot dreaming, is peppered with lots of anxiety.“There’s a dream that, any time I’m paparazz-ied out, which is a lot, I have dreams that nightthat they’re in my room taking pictures of mewhile I’m sleeping! So I’ll find myself smiling inmy sleep, because I think there are people inmy room taking pictures of me. Not smilingbecause I’m happy, smiling because I thinkpeople are taking pictures of me!” Taylor willbe rooting for her pals Ed Sheeran and SamSmith at the BRIT Awards - where she will alsoperform - but joked if the pair had to literallyfight it out for prizes then the flame-hairedstar would prevail. Speaking to Dave Berry onthe Capital Breakfast show, she added: “Edcould beat anyone in a fight, just because he’slike a little street urchin! “But only sensitivewhen writing songs, but in a conversationabout competition or anything - scrappy! “Ifwe’re talking about the BRITs it’s Sam’s year,he’s having an amazing year, I love him. Ed’sone of my best friends so I want him to winsomething too. I think they’re both gonna winstuff right?!”

Swift has

nightmares about

photographers

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Osbourne threatens

to quit ‘Fashion Police’

he ‘Can’t Remember to Forget You’ hitmaker - who hassons, Milan, two, and Sasha, three weeks, with FCBarcelona footballer Gerard Pique - admits she “interrogat-ed” her own mother when she was pregnant for the firsttime, but feels a lot more relaxed this time around. In a

new post on her blog, the 38-year-old star shared: “When I waspreparing to become a mother for the first time, I couldn’t getenough information on what I needed to be prepared. Icombed blogs, baby books, polled my friends who werealready mothers, interrogated my own mother. I wanted tosoak up every bit of research I could find. Glass bottle orplastic? Pacifier or no pacifier? The logistical questions wereendless and at times, overwhelming. Like any new mother,I wanted to do everything I could to ensure a safe, happy

environment for my baby. “This time around, during my second pregnancy, likemany mothers, I felt more confident. The questions that kept me up at night withmy first now seem more manageable and I have more perspective about theirimportance in the bigger picture.” In lieu of baby gifts, the couple asked their fans,friends and family members to donate to UNICEF’s World Baby Shower campaignduring both of her pregnancies, and the Colombian singer is determined to con-tinue helping other babies and mothers living in extreme poverty. She added:“My hope is that by the time my sons are adults, they can look back and see howeven small efforts can have a big impact when multiplied-and that they take thetime to tackle the big questions of their time too.”— Bangshowbiz

Shakira ‘confident’ in raising second child

Madonna needed

inhaler during rehearsalshe 56-year-old singer will take to the stage at the O2 Arena to per-form her new single ‘Living For Love’ but has been struggling toget through practice shows, forcing her to use a vaporizer tosoothe her vocal cords as she is “desperate to give the perform-ance of her life.” A source revealed: “She is putting all her efforts

into putting on a great show. She is working every hour, day and night, toensure it will be her part of the show that everyone will be talking and tweet-ing about.” The ‘Hung Up’ hitmaker hasn’t performed at the ceremony since1995 and will be hoping to upstage fellow singers Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran,Sam Smith, and Kanye West during the event. And the performer - who has 18-year-old daughter Lourdes, son Rocco, 14, and adopted children David andMercy, both nine - has been showing the other stars who’s boss with her spa-cious backstage area, which includes four dressing rooms and a regal throne.The source continued: “There’s no mistaking who the Queen of Pop is backhere.” As well as a rider featuring Champagne and Earl Grey tea, the star has aboudoir which includes a changing room, living room, bathroom and a roomdedicated to her make-up. The source added to the Daily Mirror newspaper:“Madonna has by far the biggest backstage area and it has been decoratedespecially for her. Even the wash basin is draped in silver velvet curtains. It hasan incredibly regal feel to it.”

he 44-year-old actress admitsher two-year-old daughterLuna - from her relationshipwith former partner ArpadBusson - has been scratching

and biting her so much she had to look upon the internet if that was normal for ayoungster because she didn’t have thatexperience with her older two kids, Maya,15, and Levon, 12. She said: “Now I have akid who bites and scratches and does allthese things that I’m not used to. “So I’mhaving to go on to the internet and Googletwo-year-old behavior. OK, biting andscratching is normal. “But she’s completely

charming.” The ‘Kill Bill’ star - who had herfirst two children with ex-husband EthanHawke - admits she has certainly learned alot more about child behavior since givingbirth to Luna after finding it “easy” to bringup her Maya and Levon. She added in aninterview with Britain’s HELLO! Magazine:“It’s definitely different. She’s a wonderfullittle tyrant and that’s definitely a lesson tome because the first two were so easy.”

Thurman needs help

dealing with ‘tyrant’ child

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

l if e s t y l e

In a loft in a disused school, Dutch artist NoortjeZijlstra takes a frozen crow carcass from a refrigera-tor and cuts it open, pursuing her latest “dead ani-

mal art” project. Wearing surgical gloves, Zijlstra gin-gerly cuts into the dead bird’s breastbone beforegoing on to remove most of its insides.

“This is what I do. I take its ‘jacket’ off and use it asmy medium for art. As soon as that happens, it ceasesto be a dead animal,” Zijlstra tells AFP as she slicesaway at the defrosting bird with a razor-sharp scalpel.

‘Macabre’ Zijlstra, 28, is part of a new group of young Dutch

artists gaining international recognition in the artworld by using taxidermy as their creative medium.Their work has won critical acclaim for elevating thecenturies-old practice of mounting animals to a “high-er plane”, a review said recently. But for some ordinaryart enthusiasts, the sight of a stuffed dead animalremains macabre and sometimes hard to stomach,Zijlstra said.

Many of Zijlstra’s unconventional works adorn herdesk at her studio overlooking a drab working-classsuburb of The Hague. Earlier in February they wereready to be shipped off for display at the RotterdamFestival of Contemporary Art. There’s a stuffed squirrelstanding upright on its hind legs, a test tube insertedinto its throat that serves as a flower holder, and awhite dove’s head mounted on a shuttlecock. An art-

work simply entitled “Drumstick” features a single pre-served baby chicken leg, mounted on a woodenstand, covered in fluffy white feathers. Two gooseheads blend into a strange new animal in anotheruntitled work.

‘A vegetarian’ “My work fuses taxidermy and art, sometimes cre-

ating work that may shock or even revolt, but I hope(it) serves as a catalyst for conversation,” Zijlstra says.Wearing a purple dress and plaited hair, she bears anuncanny likeness to late Mexican art icon Frida Kahlo.Elsewhere in her studio, a family of mice was mount-ed, but instead of fur, their hides were replaced bydecorative sugar in different hues of red, green, blueand yellow.

“Food often features in my art,” says Zijlstra, as shecontinues working on the dead crow, which now hasits skin and feathers partially detached from its skele-ton. “I use dead animals because I want people tothink about what they put into their mouths. My arthas a lot to do with the concept that you are what youeat,” she says.

“And I am vegetarian,” Zijlstra adds with a smile. Inthe nearby Dutch city of Haarlem, Jaap Sinke andFerry van Tongeren have just returned from exhibi-tions in Britain that earned rave reviews. Titled“Darwin’s Menagerie” in reference to the famed natu-ralist, the hugely popular expo by Sinke and VanTongeren debuted at the prestigious Jamb gallery in

London in October before moving to the city ’sShapero Modern Gallery. At Shapero, their creationsrecreating Dutch masters’ paintings depicting animalshobnobbed with works by top artists such as AndyWarhol, Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst as part of the“Natural Selection” show.

‘Making a comeback’ After the exhibit a private collector scooped up the

Sinke-Van Tongeren collection for an undisclosedsum, Sinke told AFP. “This is not quirky nature meetsurban cool, this elevates taxidermy to a higher plane,”said art reviewer Henrietta Thompson of the works inBritain’s Daily Telegraph.

“Taxidermy as art is definitely making a comeback,”Sinke said, saying works can fetch prices ranging from$3,000 to $30,000. The revival started in the late1990s, with German artist Thomas Gruenfeld usingthe medium to create new animals in his “Misfits”series, said Leontine Coelewij, curator at Amsterdam’sfamed Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art. Today theDutch artists’ works “link into a larger trend about howartists use nature and think about nature,” Coelewijsaid.

“They want to raise important questions abouthow we as humans view the natural world-and howwe relate to nature and use nature,” Coelewij said.Back in her studio in The Hague, Zijlstra takes a sec-ond look at the crow’s skin and feathers, now

detached from the skeleton. “I’m not sure what it’sgoing to become,” she said. “But whatever it will be, Ihope it gets people talking.” — AFP

‘Dead animal’ art gains international acclaimDutch artist Noortje Zijlstra poses with one of her creations at her studio in The Hague. — AFP photos A creation by Dutch artist Noortje Zijlstra is displayed at her studio.

This year’s Oscars weren’t just a disappoint-ment in terms of viewership-down 16%, withtepid reviews for host Neil Patrick Harris-it

also speaks to a much larger problem forHollywood. The Oscars are supposed to be a cele-bration of all facets of the movie-making business,but in recent years, the ceremony has started tofeel more and more insular, like an employee-of-the-year celebration that happens to be televisedfor the entire world.

Here are five major suggestions for how theAcademy can fix the telecast.

Solve the Hosting CrisisThe Academy has struggled for the last decade

to find an appropriate ambassador for its mostimportant event. The problem is that the job nowcarries a stigma, with more scarred victims thansuccess stories: just ask Anne Hathaway, JamesFranco, Seth MacFarlane or Jon Stewart. EllenDeGeneres, who delivered a winning performancelast year-between ordering pizza and her famouscelebrity selfie-was reportedly invited back, butshe declined. On paper, Harris may have seemedlike a smart choice (after hosting the Emmys and

Tonys numerous times), but in reality, he turnedout to be too safe. He’s not a traditional comedian,he’s not a movie star, and he seemed uncomfort-able with the string of terrible puns that his writingteam had cobbled together. The Academy shouldfollow the Golden Globes’ example, and sign a mul-tiyear deal with a superstar. That way, it won’t needto renegotiate with a successful host to come back,and it would give the show consistency.

Fix the Voting The Emmys recently overhauled some of their

voting guidelines (although who knows if those

changes will make the show better), and the Oscarsdesperately need to do the same. In recent years,the Academy has tried to invite younger membersto its 6,000-or-so group, but that hasn’t necessarilymade the nominations mainstream. As the NewYork Times reported on Tuesday, the addition of acasting director branch in 2013 has meant morevoters who prefer smaller performances, andthere’s something very wrong with an animationbranch that wouldn’t include “The Lego Movie”among its contenders. In other words, everythingnew the Academy has done to shake up the voting

hasn’t been working when it comes to making theshow more watchable.

Tighten the Show At 3.5 hours, the Oscars are too damn long. The

Academy has resisted a frequently offered sugges-tion of awarding some of its prizes off-camera, butwith the advent of a new phenomenon known asthe Internet, it wouldn’t be so bad. They could easi-ly chip away 30 minutes from the telecast by live-streaming the winners for live action short, animat-ed short, documentary short and soundmixing/editing just before the ceremony starts(and during ABC’s live-red carpet coverage). Andit’s time to change best picture back to five nomi-nees. The experiment of adding extra nominees inthe category in 2009, following the embarrassingsnub for “The Dark Knight,” has not been a success.Instead of including films like “Interstellar,” “TheGuardians of the Galaxy” or “The Hunger Games,”the Academy often uses the extra spots for moreindies like “Whiplash,” “The Tree of Life” or “Amour.”

Engage the ViewersPerhaps just as concerning as the drop in the

Oscars audience, tweets were down 47% duringthis year’s show. That might be because the Oscarstrudge along just as they always have, as if theInternet doesn’t exist. There’s no informativepolling, no audience participation, no directengagement with the viewers at home. It’s not thatthe Oscars should turn into “American Idol”(although the show features just as much singingas the Fox reality series), but it couldn’t hurt toincorporate a few hashtags throughout the night.

Keep the Celebrities EngagedThe Oscars are boring unless the people attend-

ing the show are having a good time. Perhaps fore-shadowing the flatness of this year’s ceremony,Harris somberly reminded the audience that therewould be no snacks. Really? He should have one-upped Ellen’s pizza by serving the celebrities WhiteCastle Burgers (a nod to his popular cameos in“Harold and Kumar”) instead of awkwardly askingOctavia Spencer to watch his prediction box, a skitthat never paid off. Finally, the best solution tospicing up the Oscars is a relatively easy fix: Serveeverybody alcohol in their seats. The bar outsidethe auditorium was busy, and the seat fillers wereworking overtime, because fewer attendees stayedto watch the show. — Reuters

Chris Brown denied entry to Canada

R&B star Chris Brown, notorious for brushes withthe law including an assault on then-girlfriendRihanna, ditched a performance Tuesday in

Canada at the 11th hour after he was barred entry.“Unfortunately I will not be able to perform in front ofsold-out crowds in Montreal and Toronto,” the contro-versial US singer wrote on Twitter.

“The good people of the Canadian governmentwouldn’t allow me entry. I’ll be back this summer andwill hopefully see all my Canadian fans!” Brown madethe announcement hours before he was to go onstage at the 21,273-capacity Bell Centre hockey arenain Montreal. He was due to play a similar-sized showWednesday in Toronto.

Promoter Evenko tweeted that the show was can-celled due to “immigration issues,” and most ticketholders would be automatically refunded. Brown didnot elaborate on the reasons why he was deniedentry, but many countries refuse to let in individualswith criminal records. Brown in 2009 pleaded guilty toassaulting Rihanna, who suffered facial injuries andwas forced to cancel an appearance at that year’sGrammy Awards.

Scandalizing her fans and advocates againstdomestic violence, Rihanna later resumed a relation-ship with Brown. Brown was also arrested inWashington in 2013 for hitting a fan outside his hotel.He pleaded guilty in September. Brown last weekreleased a collaborative work with rapper Tyga enti-tled ‘Fan of a Fan: The Album’. — AFP

5 Steps to fix the Oscars

Michael Keaton, left, and Alejandro G Inarritu, and the cast and crew of ‘Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtueof Ignorance)’ accepting the award for the best picture at the Oscars. — AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

l if e s t y l e

We all love a good bold look every now and then, wetend to go for winged eyeliner or a nice smoked outevening look. However, most of our make up looks

tend to involve using eyeliner, whether it is gel, liquid or pen-cil. Of course there are thousands of options and brands thatprovide various eyeliners and it’s difficult to find the right one.We tend to use whatever a friend, or make up artist recom-mends, but truth is, not every “good” eyeliner will look or feelgood on you, it depends on many factors including your skin

type, the applicator on the product and ofcourse your personal preference. Here

are a few eyeliners that I’ve usedrecently and felt that they are trulyawesome. Again, not every eyelinerwill work great on you, so try to keepan open mind and try them out!

Make Up Forever Graphic Liner:This liner is super precise and lasts forabout 12 hours. It ’s ultra fine andcomes in the carbon black color. This

pen defines like a pro, the applicatorhas a foam tip that helps you with draw-

ing on fine lines and if you wanted to gofor a more dramatic look.

Gucci - Power Liquid Liner: From the first and newestGucci make-up line, it is similar to the Make up Forever graph-ic liner, but I think using it and actually applying it this way is

easier for girls who aren’t so professional in drawing on eyeliner or winged eyeliner, only because it gives you a few sec-onds before it dries out. This eyeliner is also very difficult toremove and you’ll have to use an oil-based make up removeror wipes.

Inglot No77 Gel Eyeliner: This gel is very thick and dark.You need to be comfortable with using it to love it, it alsodries up real quick and is harder to blend if you’re going forthat smokey look.

Mac ‘BlackTrack’ Gel eyeliner: This is one of the easiesteyeliner gels I’ve ever used. It’s very creamy in texture ie youhave more time to blend it with another liner or into your eye-shadow and this makes it very easy to work with. It’s also verydark in color but the more you build it up the more dramaticand intense it will look.

Givenchy ‘Magic Kohl’ eyeliner pencil: I am not a hugefan of eyeliner pencils, I find them to be the hardest to useand to blend, however, I fell in love with this pencil. It doesn’tsmudge nor fades out during the day. It is super black and Itend to use this pencil in my waterline.

How to smudge-proof your eyeliner!We girls suffer from smudging liner or make up that

doesn’t really last all day, especially our eye make-up. Here area few things you can try out to have your eyeliner last longer:• Always use a eye primer before applying your eye make-

up

• Dust a translucent loose powder over the eye primer toset it

• Liquid eyeliner tends to last longer• Use a waterproof liner that isn’t oil-based• If you’re using a pencil or gel eyeliner, you can set it with

black eye shadow • Keep your make up remover on hand, to clean up or re-

apply your eyeliner during the day.

Whatever method you choose to use, always keep in mindthat your eyeliner might not set because of your skin type. Ifyou had oily skin, your eyeliner or eye make-up will tend tocrease or smear. If you have teary eye tear ducts or a waterlinethat tends to water a lot or are super sensitive it will tend tosmear your makeup due to the tears. You can also use an eyedrop with that or eye lubricant to help protect and moistureyour eyes. However, it also depends on the product you areusing, not all products will set the way you want but you canalways use the steps above to at least have it set for a fewmore hours. At the end of the day, it’s always about trial anderror, with any make up products you use, and go for whatworks for you, and not everyone else!

See you next week my beauts xo!

My favorite eyeliner products

Awards 2015

British Formula One racing car driver LewisHamilton poses for photographers.

British designer Stuart Vevers poses with his acces-sories designer award.

German actress Diane Kruger poses withher Film Actress award.

Australian actress Rebel Wilson (right) poses with herrising star award

Fashion designers Katie Hillier (left) and Luella Bartley (right) hold their Contemporary Brand award asthey pose with singer MIA.

British model Jourdan Dunne poses on the red carpetBritish model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, winner of the model ofthe year award. — AFP photos

British model Cara Delevingne poses with her award forBreakthrough Actress.

38‘Dead animal’ art gains

International acclaim

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

An art dealer prepares to hang a framed artwork during preparations for ARCO, the international contemporary art fair in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday. The Arco art fair will run from Feb 25 to March 1. —AP

Forget rainbow knits and ruby galoshes. All thesigns are that black is back in a big way asMilan fashion week kicks off. After Gothic

trends dominated catwalk shows in New York andLondon, all eyes now turn to Italy to see if the likesof Prada, Gucci and Armani embrace the vampiricgarlic-and-stake look for next winter’s must-haves.Fashionistas, models, buyers and their chauffeursare descending on the northern Italian city for afast-paced week of catwalk shows, stellar swagbags and champagne-fuelled parties in the streetsaround the Gothic cathedral. The New York andLondon Fall-Winter 2015 shows left Brooklyn hip-sters and Shoreditch hepcats rushing to get theirhands on black frocks, studded coats and someserious eyeliner.

Trend-spotters will be looking to see if the cities’penchant for brocade, fur and shearing will be giv-en a stiletto twist by Italy’s masters of chic-whilerenegade unisex norm cores will ignore all of theabove and stick to strictly casual with comfy shoes.

In the pinkWhether black turns out to be the new black or

not, Milan is decidedly in the pink after a long eco-

nomic downturn which hit the luxury industryhard. “The fashion economy is back on track. It’sgoing to be an excellent fashion week shaped bythe sort of economic situation we’ve not seen foryears,” said Mario Boselli, head of the Italian FashionChamber. After a 3.7 percent rise in turnover in2014, the chamber has forecast just a 1.6 percentincrease for 2015.

But “favorable economic circumstances meanthat figure is destined to grow,” said the fashionforce who is stepping down in April after 15 yearsin which he has boosted ties with emerging mar-kets and Chinese talent in particular. A longstand-ing row over timetables has been resolved-at leastfor this season -so that Gucci and Armani will book-end the shows before the fashion extravaganzadecamps to Paris. The Gucci expo is the most hotlyawaited of the season as new creative director andformer accessory designer Alessandro Micheleunveils his first women’s wear collection after tak-ing over from the formidable Frida Giannini.

New stars in town The rest of the week’s line-up is packed: 68

catwalk shows, 80 presentations and 151 collec-

tions unveiled in total, along with numerousexhibitions and projects linked to Milan’s Expo2015 world fair, which kicks off in May.

Beyond the shining lights of the city’s luxurystores in the renowned “golden triangle”, work-shops, showrooms and art galleries will also beopening their doors for the “5Vie” (“5 Streets”)festival in the historic centre. Those looking forupcoming talent will be sure to catch the presen-tation by Vienna-born Arthur Arbesser, whostudied at Central Saint Martins and did sevenyears at Armani before striking out on his own,and has been shortlisted for the prestigiousLVMH prize. And of course no one will missItalian-Haitian designer Stella Jean, a 35-year-oldwhose bold artisan prints have already beenspotted on R&B superstar Rihanna. — AFP

Support follows racial slur on ‘Fashion Police’

On Tuesday’s episode of “E! News,” Giuliana Rancic made a publicapology, taking some time out of the broadcast to address thecontroversy. “I want to apologize for a comment I made on last

night’s ‘Fashion Police’ about Zendaya’s hair,” she said. “As you know,‘Fashion Police’ is a show that pokes fun at celebrities in good spirit, but Ido understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I justwant everyone to know, I didn’t intend to hurt anybody. But I’ve learnedit’s not my intent that matters, it’s the result, and the result is that peopleare offended, including Zendaya, and that is not okay. Therefore, I wantto say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I amso, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me.”

The E! show “Fashion Police” is notoriously irreverent, harsh, evenmean-those words are practically in the show’s mission statement. Butwhen Giuliana Rancic said 18-year-old actress-singer Zendaya’s dread-locked hair probably “smells like patchouli oil” or “weed,” many peoplefelt the comment went too far. Zendaya reacted to the comments bytaking to Twitter and Instagram. “To say that an 18 year old youngwoman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed’ is not only a largestereotype but outrageously offensive,” she wrote.

Ignorant people “There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society

without the help of ignorant people who chose to judge others basedon the curl of their hair,” reads part of the Disney star’s post. Since then,Zendaya has changed her main Twitter picture to herself at the Oscars,rocking the locs, plus uploaded a cover photo of fans who’ve postedsocial-media selfies of their same hairdo, in support of the “KCUndercover” actress. Celebrities including “Selma” director Ava DuVernayand “Scandal” actress Kerry Washington responded to Zendaya, praisingher reaction. “You’re beautiful, Queen. We bless the ignorant and wishthem well. Onward. xo,” reads DuVernay’s tweet.

Actress Chloe Grace Moretz tweeted “... people need to grow up, real-ize it’s 2015, and act like it. Beautifully written.” Rancic apologized onTwitter, saying “I’m sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to abohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!”Despite Rancic’s apology, many still feel it wasn’t enough. Tuesdaymorning on “The View,” Rosie Perez said the apology doubled down onthe insult. “Everyone who’s bohemian chic looks like they smoke weedand smells like patchouli?” she asked. Whoopi Goldberg also weighed inon the subject, reminding Rancic of her own hairstyle, and adding thatthe only person who can pull off such caustic remarks is “FashionPolice’s” former host Joan Rivers. “If you ain’t Joan Rivers, back up,Giuliana,” she added. - Reuters

Zendayashows-off

her dread-locks on

the Oscarred carpet.

— AP

Black is back as Milan fashion week revs up

Models present creations from Serbian designer Marko Mitanovski during the 2015 Autumn / Winter London Fashion Week in London. — AFP