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Kuwait ‘noble’ unity foils evil sedition bids: Amir

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L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

Local Spotlight

We can all recall the time when we wereyoung and our mothers used to advise usnot to speak to strangers out of fear they

might kidnap us. As we grow older, we mix withlots of strangers in life, but we tend to rememberthat tip when something goes wrong. My mother,may Allah rest her soul in peace, was not an excep-tion, but she did not tell me anything about black-clad persons - I mean people who cover their faceswith the niqab.

The school of life taught me that I should becareful. No thanks to terror groups who make usfeel scared being close to any person who wearsthe niqab, regardless of the fact that he or she is aterrorist or not. This is now becoming a general per-ception about the niqab all over the world. Here iswhy:

A Pakistani man was recently arrested dressedlike a woman in a black abaya and niqab. The‘woman’ was talking on a cell phone near a mosque

in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh when stopped by a police-man. The fact that he was posing as a woman witha niqab is worth questioning. The suspect wasreferred to relevant authorities for further investi-gation.

Why was this man pretending to be a womanand why was he covering his face? Maybe he wason his way to commit a crime and disappear with-out being noticed or seen due to the face cover,and no one would be able to identify him. I can’tthink of any other reason. Such acts create confu-sion and concern among the public. As long as Ican’t see a face, I can’t communicate with a person.I can’t even identify him/ her.

Some may claim that this man loves wearingwomen’s clothes and as long as nothing was foundwith him, he should be freed. I disagree. We are in aculture that doesn’t permit men to put on women’sclothes in public, so when a man dons a niqab, thenhe has something on his mind and this is no doubtscary because no one knows what he is hidingunderneath.

We are passing through a delicate security situa-tion in Kuwait and the Middle East due to thespread of terror organizations and their active cellsand followers. The truth of the matter is that we donot know if we will be lucky enough to reach homein one piece, safe and sound. If terrorists can reachyou in a mosque, this means no one is safe andthey can target other places such as churches,malls, schools, etc. So we do need to be careful ofthe surroundings all the time and in all places.

Better safe than sorry.

This is why theniqab scares me !

1436 - 2015

23. What is the name of the Prophet to whomInjeel was revealed?

Prophet Isa (Jesus) Alaihis-Salam

Prophet (Ebraheem) Alaihis-Salam

Prophet (Yousuf) Alaihis-Salam

This is now becoming a

general perception

about the niqab all

over the world.


By Batul K Sadliwala

On 26th June 2015, as worshippers bowedto the Almighty in submission of His gloryin the holy month of Ramadan, a young

man walked into the Al Imam Al Sadeq mosquein Kuwait City, and in hopes of dining with theProphet (PBUH), took the surest road to hellinstead. Before violating the most sacred tenet offaith, that of the preservation and cherishment ofall life, he besmirched the call to God that billionsaround the world utter daily to thank the gen-erosity and kindness of Allah. Chaos, drenched ininnocent blood, followed. On an otherwise ordi-nary summer Friday afternoon, the residents ofKuwait found themselves staring into an abyss.

Speaking for myself, but I suspect that manyof us may share the sensation, the ruthlesstragedy of this act of terror has yet to sink in. “Asuicide attack, here? Is that possible?” I repeatedlyasked myself that Friday. It was devastatingly sur-real. And every day since then, I have left myselflittle mental reminders that the attack actuallytook place, that blood was shed and lives werelost in my beloved Kuwait. I have found myselfstraddling sadness and disbeliefand the feeling isthoroughly sobering.

Nearly everyday, the news is replete withreports and analyses of the violence that plaguesthe world, particularly the Middle East. Yet, eventhose of us who reside in the calmer regions ofthis neighborhood, albeit but a block away fromconflict, have become desensitized to the car-nage, injustice and fear that runs amok aroundus. As IS has metastasized in neighboring Iraq and

Syria, we have been appropriately outraged andshocked. We have condemned the perversion ofour faith innumerable times over. We have senthumanitarian aid to those forced to flee theirhomes. The Kuwaiti government has contributedmilitarily to stem the tide of terror. Yet, in hind-sight, we have done all this with a latent air ofsmug complacency. For if we are honest with our-selves, to most of us, that something like thatFriday’s attack could happen in Kuwait seemedhighly improbable, if not unimaginable.

Radical extremism But now, we can no longer shove aside the

reality that our immunity to the sting of radicalextremism is not quite as complete as we wouldlike. Whether you are Kuwaiti or an expat like me,we know that something must be done. Thequestion is, what? Do we give into fear and allowourselves to be subjected to an uncritical policestate? Do we raise the banner of national unityonly to avoid answering tough questions aboutour underlying divisions? Nothing could be lessuseful.

To be clear, I am not against commonsensical,heightened security measures that aim to ensurethe safety of the people. Nor do I think that callsfor unity in this time of national mourning are far-cical. I have always been critical of life in Kuwait.But if there’s one thing that I genuinely admire,it’s the swiftness with which Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis alike come together in times of crisis.That’s something you only see in societies with along and rich history of multiculturalism.

Even so, as a student of the social sciences and

particularly as a third-generation expat, it’s hardto miss the reticence that colours conversationsabout sociopolitical inequalities and differences.Depending on the invasiveness of the dichotomy-Kuwaiti/non-Kuwaiti, Kuwaiti/bedoon,badu/hadar, or Sunni/Shiite - there’s somethingtaboo about acknowledging it candidly withoutobscuring the power relationships betweengroups. You see it in the university classroom, onsocial media and in our newspapers, where thelanguage of a single identity remains marred bythe assumption of a distinct “us” and “them”.

The reason for this, as I came to appreciatemore keenly in a conversation with a few Kuwaitifriends on Friday night, is that Kuwait’s brand ofmulticulturalism, as in other countries, haspaused at tolerance. It may sound counterintu-itive, but tolerance is not a hallmark of societalcohesion. Just switching to the verb formshowed us how unpleasant the concept sounds:“We tolerate them.” Tolerance is merely theacceptance of difference, not the appreciation ofdiversity. This is illustrated by how Kuwait’s resi-dential areas are segregated along class andnationality lines and how intermarriage betweensects still raises controversy. This, of course, is abitter truth to swallow. And it’s precisely whyopenly talking about societal divisionscan be sohard.

Sectarianism in KuwaitIn the present context, it is reassuring to note

that fortunately, unlike some of our neighbors,sectarianism in Kuwait is not a pronounced socialissue. Politically though, the sectarian lines in the

National Assembly have been much more visible,which is why the dialogue about sectarianismdoes need to happen. Politics and society do notoperate in isolation of each other. While the lat-ter may eschew religious polarization, the formerhas the ability to use it as a power-maximizingtool, to the detriment of the country as a whole.

The attacker who targeted the Al SadeqMosque may not have lived in Kuwait and his bidto incite sectarian tensions has been an utter fail-ure, but this does not mean we should be satis-fied merely with greater security measures. Whilethese may be effective in the short run, it is notthe police or security services that will shieldKuwait from terrorist violence in the long term.An excessive emphasis on security can evencome at the cost of the liberties we seek to pro-tect. On the road ahead, open, honest, and per-haps even harsh dialogue will prove essential,not only about sectarianism but also about allthe dichotomies that box each of us in our ownlittle bubbles of privilege and discrimination.

As we mourn the loss this country has suf-fered, as we condole with the grieving families ofthose who lost their lives, to see the spirit of soli-darity and defiance in the face of terror amongstmy peers gives me hope. Kuwait is home to avibrant and vocal civil society. And it is up to theyouth to build on it and champion the cause ofharmonious, not merely tolerant, sociopoliticalintegration. Extremists speak the deceitful lan-guage of fear. Let us respond in clear words ofcourage. We’re great at joining hands in times ofperil; let us not abandon each other when thestorm subsides.

When terror hits home

L o c a l10 Friday

July 2015

By Shakir Reshamwala

Ramadan is a time of piety and prayers,fasting and feasting, and spending timewith family and friends. But as is often

the case, every nation and community devel-ops a set of traditions and customs over theages that come to symbolize the culture ofthe land. Kuwait too has its own uniqueRamadan traditions that have been observedby generations of locals and residents of thiscountry, and are a source of comfort andbelonging.

But Kuwait’s rapid transformation from asleepy fishing and pearl diving backwater toan affluent, modern state also turned manylocal traditions on their head, while some qui-etly disappeared. Daq al-harees (crushing ofwheat) was a pre-Ramadan tradition in oldKuwait, where a family bought large amountsof wheat that was crushed by skilled womenaccompanied by folk singing, but the customnow has waned. The Abu Tubailah no longerwalks the streets of the neighborhood withhis drum to wake people up for suhoor(predawn meal), and has retired to become acultural figure.

Nevertheless, in this modern, technologi-cal era of precision timekeeping, astronomi-cal calculations and even mobile apps, theiftar cannon is an unlikely survivor of the

bygone era, when the sound of the blast sig-naled to the faithful it was time to break theirfast. The ‘midfa al iftar’ takes place every dayat the beautifully restored Naif Palace inKuwait City. The firing of the cannon attractsdozens of families and children daily, and isbroadcast live on Kuwait TV and radio. Theopen yard in the palace where the ceremonytakes place is set up to resemble pre-oilKuwait, complete with vintage cars, artisansand children in traditional garb. The firing isconducted by three uniformed guards in redlivery.

A few of Kuwait’s other rich Ramadan tra-ditions have also stood the passage of time,continuously evolving to reflect changingsocial, economic and familial developments.These include Graish, the traditional pre-Ramadan feast when family members andeven neighbors gather before the onset ofthe fasting month; Girgian, when children go‘trick or treating’ to collect candies and nutsdoor to door in mid-Ramadan and ghabqas,gatherings of families and friends in theevenings of Ramadan.

Some ‘traditions’ are more recent, likewatching lavishly produced soap operas andimbibing copious amounts of Vimto duringiftar. But one can be sure that while customsand traditions come and go, the spirit of thisholy month is alive and thriving.

Like some other Ramadan traditions, the iftar cannon stands the test of time

The canon waiting to be fired.

Families wait for sunset.

10 FridayJuly 2015

Children gather wearing traditional outfits. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Locals crafting


KUWAIT CITY: Ooredoo Kuwait, a member of the internation-al Ooredoo Group, held a Gergian event at the Kharafi ActivityKids Centre for kids with special needs on Monday evening.The event included several entertainment segments, competi-tions, and the distribution of Gergian treats.

This initiative comes as part of Ooredoo’s corporate socialresponsibility program, and stems from the company’s beliefin helping underserved communities. The visits are conductedin cooperation with Ooredoo’s Volunteer Program members,as well as Ooredoo employees.

Commenting on the initiative, Ooredoo Senior Manager,Social Media, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) andSponsorship Yousef Al-Shallal said: “Our CSR team has madeplenty of visits to several locations throughout the month ofRamadan. We’re very proud of our employees who are super-vising the operations of the tent, and we are proud of eachand every participant from the volunteer groups that areworking with us. We’re very proud of their dedication andtheir reason to give and volunteer their time and effort for agood cause.”

WASHINGTON: The charitable Kuwait-AmericaFoundation is planning to honor a number of studentsinvolved in its annual educational program, “write cor-rectly” next week. The chairman, Dr Hassan Al-Ibrahim,said in remarks to KUNA that the program, involvingintermediate-level students from various US states, tack-les violence renunciation.

The involved students would express their views inwriting about ways to combat violence. The program is apart of the foundation’s “national campaign for renounc-ing violence,” launched in Washington in 1994. The cam-paign has reached more than two million students in var-ious states.

The foundation was established in May, 1991, twomonths after Kuwait’s liberation from the blatant Iraqiaggression, with aim to express gratitude to the US forsupporting the country. Dr Al-Ibrahim noted that thefoundation, since its founding, has been supported byHis Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah, also its honorary chairman. The Kuwaitiembassy in Washington participates in organizing, incoordination with the foundation, annual philanthropicgatherings to raise financial support for humanitarianorganizations. — KUNA

Kuwait-AmericanFoundation to

honor students

The chairman Dr Hassan Al-Ibrahim

Ooredoo holds Gergian eventin Kharafi Activity Kids Centre

Additionally, Ooredoo’s Volunteer Program continues tosupervise meal distribution at the tent daily, which serves Iftarmeals for workers in Kuwait City, opposite Ooredoo’s head-quarters. Ooredoo launched its volunteer group initiative ear-lier in May as part of its corporate social responsibility pro-gram. The program aims to train and qualify participants inthe field of volunteerism according to international standards.


By Ben Garcia

Moathe Ahmed, 23, has a medical and physical con-dition known to many as cerebral palsy (CP).Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent movement

disorders that often includes poor coordination, stiff andweak muscles and trouble swallowing or speaking.Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development ordamage to the parts of the brain that control movement,balance and posture. Moathe’s condition is related to bal-ance and coordination and he underwent several surgeriesand operations to make his legs straight.

He claims his condition is a result of his premature birth.“I came out earlier in this world than usual. A baby shouldbe delivered only after nine months, but I came out aftersix months, or three months ahead of my mom’s deliverydate, so my mother told me that in order to live, I had tostay in the hospital for four months,” he said. “I thank Godbecause I am alive. I was in the incubator for four monthsand had to stay there with other noisy babies like me,” hesaid, laughing.

Not a HindranceMoathe said his condition has never been a hindrance in

achieving his ambition and goals in life. “I am lucky to havevery supportive parents who love me unconditionally. Myparents are my real superheroes,” he said. And is he upsetwith anyone or does he ever blame his mother or father forhis physical condition? “No, I am not upset with anyone,”he said. “As a matter of fact, I am very thankful to my moth-er who fought for my survival, and allowed me to livedespite my condition. I am grateful. I love my parents andthe people around me who understand my condition. Ithank my nannies, who are as important as my parents, forcaring for me and helping me survive,” he said.

As a young boy, Moathe lived like any other growing kidhis age. He played with almost anyone around him. “I don’tbother people who don’t want to play with me. I perfectlyunderstand. I have accepted my condition 100 percent, so Iknow where I stand and I also know my limitations so Idon’t bother other people if they don’t want me,” he said.“So far, in my life, I haven’t experienced disappointmentsfrom my friends and families. They are very cool and Ithank God people understand,” he added.

Dream of helping people with disabilitiesNow, a grownup Moathe has a big dream of conquering

the world of young human minds and also helping peoplewith disabilities to face their challenge. Currently, he is asecond year student at Kuwait University pursuing adegree in child psychology. “This is my dream in life - to fin-ish college and be able to help other people, especiallythose who are in a similar situation as myself and evenbeyond. I am sure I can help, especially by encouragingpeople around me to live life despite their physical chal-lenges,” he said.

He is studying child psychology because he wants to bean inspiration for many. “I took up psychology for kidsbecause children need guidance - children need to beassisted. Just like me, I want them to have a good life andhopes and be able to build their confidence while stillyoung. I am very lucky that both of my parents are verysupportive but I know there are people who are physicallychallenged but are also suffering because their families arenot that supportive,” he said.

Fitness awardsFor four consecutive years now, Moathe had won sever-

al “natural fitness awards” in various fitness competitions

around Kuwait and is helping people with disabilities tobecome more active and healthy through natural workouts- without using any drugs. “I have won several powerawards already. I have won four natural fitness awards at acompetition organized by an institution for the disabled,”he said.

“I have been active in bodybuilding and weightliftingprograms. I am doing this to showcase my achievementthat despite my condition - I can do it. And I am sure peo-ple without this condition will take this as a big challengethat we can do so even without drugs,” he noted. He saidshaping the body can be done through natural means, butmany people, especially in Kuwait, are seeking perform-ance enhancing drugs to tone their bodies. His group pro-motes the natural way of bodybuilding.

Cerebral palsyno barrier for bodybuilder


KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir called forabiding by moderate teachings of Islam,boosting values of nationalism, while invest-ing in skills of the youth. He said he waspleased of achievements of “Kuwait Listens”national youth project, which encouragedthem to start their own private businesses.

HH the Amir, meanwhile, warned against“critical circumstances” in the region whichrequired doubling of efforts to protecting“our country and safeguard its security andstability, and prevent dangers. “This will notmaterialize but with the strengthening of ourdomestic front, unity and stand against any-one attempting to undermine our nationalunity. We should cement bonds within societyand protect the Kuwaiti spirit” he said.

“We believe that Kuwait is for all and not

excluded for a particular segment. All live onits soil and belong to it,” he affirmed. HH theAmir said democracy was deep-rooted inKuwait, where people enjoy freedom ofexpression. “We should be proud of our con-stitution, which we cherish,” he added.

Loyalty, dedication and sacrificeThe Kuwaiti leader said citizenship was

measured by loyalty, dedication and sacrifice,not mere slogans. His Highness the Amir saidthe Muslim nation has been witnessingRamadan for many years amidst “critical cir-cumstances, disasters, dangerous politicaland security challenges coupled with sedi-tions, ordeals and callers of Takfir, vanity andheresy.”

He praised Allah the Almighty to unite

Muslims and bestow them with wisdom “toaddress these banes and challenges.” HH theAmir called on his fellow citizens to remem-ber, during the holy month of Ramadan, theirbrethrens in other Arab countries who weresubjected to conflicts and wars, lack of securi-ty and stability and displacement and hunger.

He called on the generous Kuwaiti peopleto help those in need. The conflicts in Syria,which is in its fifth year now, killed more than220,000 people, and has displaced millionsinternally or living as refugees in neighboringcountries. More than a million internally dis-placed are in Iraq due to the conflict causedby the so-called Islamic State in Iraq andLevant (ISIL).

A US-led international coalition has beenlaunching airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and

Syria with the aim of eliminating the terroristgroup. HH the Amir said terrorism has beenexpanding and posing a greater threat tocountries’ security and stability.

“The international community should useall of its energies to confront and eliminate it(terrorism), dry out (financing) resources sonations and peoples can live in peace andsecurity,” said HH the Amir. He also said theinternational community should doubleefforts to address heinous sectarian conflictand preventing its spread because it posed athreat to unity of nations. His Highness theAmir also praised Allah the Almighty tobestow blessing on late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and late FatherAmir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Kuwaitis foil bid to sow sectarian divisions: Amir

‘We should cement bonds within society and protect the Kuwaiti spirit’

9L o c a lFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

MPs hail Amir’s speech, urge nationwide unitySunni political groups strongly condemn mosque attack

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Nine Sunni Islamist groups,movements and personalities yesterdaystrongly condemned the suicide bomb-ing on the Shiite mosque, stressing it wasan attack against humanity and innocentpeople. The groups called in a joint state-ment for national unity in the face of suchterrorist attacks that aim at destabilizingthe society by sowing seeds of dissent.

The statement insisted that terrorismis not linked or related to Islam as a reli-gion but a product of extremist ideologiesembraced by ignorant people, addingthat terrorism can happen and does takeplace in all societies and by all religions.They said that the Islamic trends in Kuwaitare moderate in general and accordinglyit is unfair to treat them on equal footingwith extremists.

The groups declared their support forthe interior ministry to crackdown and

arrest the perpetrators but also called forproviding legal protection for innocents.The statement also warned againstexploiting the attack to force a change inthe school textbooks under the claim thatit contains extremist ideology.

Those who signed the statementinclude the Islamic ConstitutionalMovement, the Islamic Salaf Alliance, theSalafi Movement, Kuwait PreachersSociety and others. In the meantime,National Assembly speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem and several MPs hailed thespeech of the Amir which he deliveredyesterday on the occasion of the last tendays of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ghanem said in a statement that theAmir’s emphasis on national unity andfighting terrorism reflects his wisdom inleading the country and safeguarding itssecurity and stability. The speaker saidthat stances of the Amir have strength-ened national unity and warded Kuwait

against divisions. Deputy speaker MPMubarak Al-Khrainej said the Amir hasunderscored the strength of Kuwaitnational unity and the ability of theKuwaiti people to remain unaffected byattempts to undermine their security andunity.

MP Madhi Al-Hajeri praised the Amir’scall for the international community toconsolidate efforts to confront and eradi-cate terrorism so countries and peoplecan live in peace. MP Mansour Al-Dhafirisaid the speech contained wise instruc-tions and a thorough vision that all areurged to comprehend for Kuwait to sailto safety. Describing the speech as histor-ical, Dhafiri called for translating his callsto strengthen efforts to contain sectariantensions which threaten the very exis-tence of nations. MP Faisal Al-Kundarisaid the speech has drawn a roadmap fortrue national unity and for tolerance inthe society.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Two citizens were recently arrested with the posses-sion of 31 pieces of hashish. Case papers indicate that a coast-guard boat spotted a boat on radar systems. When theyreached the scene, the sailors on boat tried to make a quickescape but were chased down and forced to stop. Securitysources said that the two men on the boat threw somethingin the water and that on jumping into their boat coastguardsfound 31 pieces of hashish onboard. A case was filed and fur-ther investigations are in progress.

Child locked in room KFSD received a report about a child locked in a room at

his family house in Zahra where the door lock was broken andit could not be opened. Security sources noted that rescueforces had rushed to the scene, pried opened the door andfreed the child.

Fire in Masayel A fire broke out yesterday at three under construction

buildings at the Masayel area. Security sources noted that fire-fighters from Qurain and Mubarak Al-Kabeer rushed to thescene where they managed to control the fire in record timewithout reporting any casualties except for a fireman sufferingfrom thermal stress.

Deadly car crash A citizen was instantly killed and another seriously injured

when they were trapped inside the wreckage of their vehiclefollowing a collision along King Faisal highway. According toreports, the steel had to be cut open to release the injuredand retrieve the body.

Citizens smuggle 31 packets of hashish

KUWAIT: Director of Kuwait Society forHuman Rights (KSHR) Mohammad Al-Humaidion Wednesday urged local public benefitsocieties to work for a unified comprehensiveand effective strategy to counter “culture ofhatred” and enhance coexistence, tolerance,and acceptance of others.

“Despite stability, security and tolerancewe cherish under our wise political leadership,latest developments and the sectarian con-flicts the Arab region is suffering from.Together with the rising spread of the cultureof extremism and terrorism, prompt us aspublic benefit societies to set off alarm bells,”he said in press remarks. He stressed theimportance of exerting efforts to conclude aunified vision to face these phenomena.

Meanwhile, KSHR and the NationalAssociation for Family Security will hold apress conference on Sunday to “launch thecivil coalition for boosting peaceful coexis-tence, and renouncing violence”, an initiativeseeking to consolidate national security. Inthe meantime, director of the NationalAssociation for Family Security Khadija Al-Muhaimeed said that the society is facing anumber of challenges that require freshmeasures to counter the culture of hatred,radicalism and violence. The proposed coali-tion will launch a host of activities, and form anational team from public benefit societies,to draft a national charter that renounces vio-

lence, hatred, sectarianism, and all forms ofdiscrimination.

Everything possible to aid refugees In other news, Kuwait is doing everything

possible to dispatch relief aid to Iraqi refugeesin Iraq’s Kurdistan, affirmed Deputy Chairmanof Kuwait Red Crescent Society Anwar Al-Hasawi. Al-Hasawi, speaking to KUNA afterholding talks with local officials in Arbil, saidthe humanitarian initiatives by His Highness

the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah would remain eternal in the historybooks, indicating that the Amir donated USD200 million for the Iraqi refugees.

The deputy chairman of the Kuwaiti societysaid the Iraqi officials welcomed the visitingKuwaiti society’s delegation and praised theKuwaiti leadership for its unwavering backingfor the Iraqi people. He added that 26,000 foodparcels would be distributed to the Iraqirefugees in the next days. —KUNA

Public benefit societies united against ‘culture of radicalism’

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s financial reserves defied a slumpin oil prices to hit a record 179.2 billion dinars ($592billion) at the end of the 2014-15 financial year, areport said yesterday. They grew by $53 billion in theyear to March 31, Al-Qabas newspaper reported, cit-ing figures released by Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh to a closed session of parliament last week.

Kuwait normally does not reveal the size of itsassets most of which are invested abroad, mainly in

Europe and the United States. The reserves are heldin two state funds, the State Reserve Fund and theReserve Fund for Future Generations. Both are run bythe Kuwait Investment Authority, the Gulf emirate’ssovereign wealth fund.

Years of high oil prices have given Kuwait healthybudget surpluses to invest in foreign assets. Thefinance minister told parliament last week thatdespite the sharp drop in oil prices since June last

year, the emirate posted a surplus of $13 billion in2014-15.

He said revenues fell by 21.6 percent to $82.5 bil-lion from the previous year, while spending rose by11.1 percent to $69.5 billion. Saleh warned, however,that Kuwait was likely to post a deficit of $23.2 billionin the current fiscal year. Oil income contributes morethan 90 percent of public revenues in Kuwait, whichpumps around 2.8 million barrels per day. —AFP

Kuwait fiscal reserves hit record $592 bn: Report

KUWAIT: Interior Minister province of Kurdistan mediates the Kuwaiti delega-tion to the north and the Minister of Planning in the region. —KUNA

12Sinai blastwounds 20Egyptian policemen11 18

Syria army battles IS outsidePalmyra

Thai PM defends decision to send Uighurs back to China

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

VIENNA: Iran and six world powers were close to anhistoric nuclear agreement yesterday that couldresolve a more than 12-year dispute over Tehran’snuclear ambitions, but they remained deadlockedon the issue of Iranian arms and missile trade. Overthe past two weeks, Iran, the United States, Britain,France, Germany, Russia and China have twiceextended a deadline for completing a long-termdeal under which Tehran would curb sensitivenuclear activities for more than a decade inexchange for sanctions relief. Russian DeputyForeign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said yesterday hecould not rule out that there would be an agreementin the coming hours.

But the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV cited anIranian official as saying it was unlikely an agreementwould be reached yesterday. US Energy SecretaryErnest Moniz and Iranian nuclear chief Ali AkbarSalehi were meeting on yesterday morning. Salehitold reporters, “Hopefully today is the last day.” Monizadded: “We’re going to resolve the last issues, if wecan.” However a senior Western diplomat said it was“very doubtful” the talks would finish on Thursday.

Western countries accuse Iran of seeking thecapability to build nuclear weapons, while Tehransays its program is peaceful. A deal would depend onIran accepting curbs on its nuclear program in return

for the easing of economic sanctions imposed by theUnited Nations, United States and European Union.

A successful deal could be the biggest milestonein decades towards easing hostility between Iran andthe United States, enemies since Iranian revolutionar-ies stormed the US embassy in Tehran in 1979. Itwould also be a political success for both USPresident Barack Obama and Iran’s pragmaticPresident Hassan Rouhani, both of whom face skepti-cism from powerful hardliners at home.

The latest extension of the talks to Friday left openthe possibility an agreement would not arrive in timeto secure a 30-day review period by the Republican-dominated US Congress. If a deal is sent to Congressafter yesterday, the review period would be doubledto 60 days, increasing the chance that the deal couldunravel. US Secretary of State John Kerry and IranianForeign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have beenmeeting daily for two weeks to overcome the lastremaining obstacles to a deal. French ForeignMinister Laurent Fabius and his British and Germancounterparts have also rejoined the negotiations.

“96 PERCENT COMPLETE”The White House said President Barack Obama

and his national security team held a video confer-ence on Wednesday with Kerry, Moniz and the US

negotiating team in Vienna.Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said

the main text of the agreement, as well as five techni-cal annexes, were “around 96 percent complete.”While the lifting of sanctions was largely agreed,Araqchi said Tehran’s demand for an end to a UNSecurity Council arms embargo was among the mostcontentious unresolved points. Tehran says the UNembargo on conventional weapons must be lifted ina nuclear deal. Western countries are keen not toallow Iran to begin importing arms because of its rolesupporting sides in conflicts in the Middle East.

Iran has powerful support on this issue fromRussia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the UNarms embargo should be among the first sanctionslifted in a deal.

“We are calling for lifting the embargo as soon aspossible and we will support the choices that Iran’snegotiators make,” he said at a summit of BRICScountries - Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa.Iran’s President Hasan Rouhani was also at the sum-mit and due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Before leaving Tehran on Wednesday, Rouhaniwas quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency assaying that “Iran is preparing itself for after the negoti-ations and after sanctions, in which our relations withother countries ... will expand.” —Reuters

Iran nuke talks lurch towards deadlineImpasse over weapons, missiles persists

VIENNA: The European and US leaders along with representatives from China and Russia meet at a hotel in Vienna yesterday. Iran’s nuclear program lurched toward another deadline yester-day with diplomats reconvening amid persistent uncertainty and vague but seemingly hopeful pronouncements from participants. —AP

Jet Airways plane diverts to Muscat after bomb threat

NEW DELHI: A Jet Airways flight from Mumbaito Dubai made an emergency landing inMuscat yesterday after a bomb threat, an offi-cial said, in the second such incident in twodays. All 54 passengers and seven crew mem-bers were evacuated once the plane landedsafely in an isolated area at Muscat’s interna-tional airport, a senior Jet Airways spokesmantold AFP. “There was a bomb threat on theflight. It was a serious threat prompting thepilot to land at the closest airport,” said ManishKalghatgi. “All guests and crew disembarkedwithout any incident and were taken to the air-port terminal,” Kalghatgi said, adding theOmani security agencies were carrying out asearch of the aircraft, baggage and cargo.

Jet Airways is one of India’s biggest airlineswith a fleet of 116 aircraft. On Tuesday, aTurkish Airl ines flight from Bangkok toIstanbul made an emergency landing in NewDelhi after a bomb threat was scrawled in lip-stick on a bathroom mirror. It was the thirdsuch bomb threat to affect Turkish Airlinesthis year alone. —AFP

11I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

Syrian children who fled their home with their family due to fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, lie on theground while they and others take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of therefugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz. —AP

Syria army battlesIS outside Palmyra

More than 4 million refugees have now fled Syria: UN BEIRUT: Syrian army troops backed by warplanes advanced to within several kilometresof Palmyra yesterday, battling Islamic Stategroup fighters outside the famed ancient city,a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights said government troops werenow some five kilometres (three miles) westof the city and engaged in fierce clashes withforces from the extremist group.

“Regime forces could enter the city at anymoment, they are not far away and the areabetween them and the city is desert,”Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahmansaid. The Britain-based monitor said the fight-ing was accompanied by intensive regime airstrikes on the city of Palmyra, which is famedfor its ancient ruins, a UNESCO World Heritagesite. The group said civilians in Palmyra werefleeing the aerial bombardment, which hasintensified in recent days.

There was no immediate toll in the fight-ing or the air strikes, which have generally tar-geted the residential part of Palmyra, not itsancient sector. In Damascus, a security sourceconfirmed the army had advanced to withinseveral kilometres of Palmyra.

“Yesterday, the army was able to make sig-nificant progress in advancing towards thecity,” he said, speaking on condition ofanonymity. “Fighting is continuing betweenthe army and Daesh,” he added, using theArabic acronym for IS. Official news agencySANA said air raids hit IS positions in Palmyraas well as on the outskirts of the Shaar gasfield and other areas in Homs province.

IS forces overran Palmyra on May 21, aftersweeping towards the city from their strong-holds in eastern Deir Ezzor and northern Raqa.Their capture of Palmyra raised internationalconcerns they might destroy the city’s ancientruins, as they have in other places in Syria andIraq. Though IS fighters have reportedlydestroyed at least one statue, no damage tothe ruins has been reported. However, thegroup carried out at least one mass executionof government soldiers in Palmyra’s famed

ancient amphitheatre, later publishingfootage of the killings online.

ExodusMore than 4 million Syrians have fled

abroad since the 2011 outbreak of civil war,the largest number from any crisis in almost25 years, the United Nations said yesterday.

A recent wave of people leaving Syria andan update of Turkish statistics confirmed thetragic milestone, according to the UN refugeeagency, UNHCR. The agency said 7.6 millionadditional people have been displaced fromtheir homes within Syria by the fighting.

The 4 million refugees are the most to fleea conflict since the Afghan civil war forced 4.6

million out of their country beginning in1992. “This is the biggest refugee populationfrom a single conflict in a generation,” UNHigh Commissioner for Refugees AntonioGuterres said. “It is a population that needsthe support of the world but is instead livingin dire conditions and sinking deeper intopoverty.”

The flow of refugees is accelerating only10 months after the agency said more than 3million Syrians had fled their country. Turkeyhas borne much of the impact. In June alone,according to UNHCR, more than 24,000 peo-ple arrived from northern Syria amid fightingbetween the Islamic State group and Kurdishmilitants. —Agencies

Algeria mobilizes armyagainst ethnic violence GUERARA, Algeria: Algeria was mobilizing the army yesterday after 22people were killed in the worst ethnic clashes between Berbers andArabs in years, as more details emerged of the violence.

The fighting erupted late on Tuesday in the town of Guerara in theM’zab valley, a UNESCO world heritage site on the edge of the Saharathat has seen mounting tensions between its Berber and Arab commu-nities. An AFP photographer who toured the town yesterday sawmakeshift barricades of tyres and wheelbarrows erected between therival neighborhoods and burned out homes, shops and cars.

After crisis talks on Wednesday, President Abdel Aziz Bouteflikaordered the army to restore order across the province but the AFP pho-tographer saw no troop reinforcements yet deployed in Guerara. ABerber leader told AFP that 16 of the dead were from his communityand three were Arabs. The two communities are divided not only bylanguage but also by religion. The Mozabite Berbers are followers ofthe Ibadi faith, an austere form of Islam that predates the split betweenSunnis and Shiites. The Chaamba Arabs, like the majority of Algerians,are Sunnis. Algerian newspapers gave harrowing accounts of the vio-lence yesterday, with El Watan daily speaking of “hordes” of maskedgunmen who went on a killing and arson spree. El Watan said the gun-men rode through town on motorcycles, forcing residents out ofhomes which they later torched as policemen failed to intervene.

El Khabar newspaper said masked men carrying hunting riflesopened fire in the streets, drawing out residents they then moweddown. There have been on-and-off confrontations between the twocommunities since December 2013 over property and land ownershipafter a Berber shrine was vandalised. But this week’s violence was theworst so far, prompting Bouteflika to summon Prime MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal and army chief General Ahmed Gaid Salah for emer-gency talks.

‘Ancestral values’ Bouteflika ordered regional commander General Cherif Abderrezak

to “supervise the actions of the security services and local authorities tore-establish public order”. He also asked Sellal to punish “all violationsof the law with diligence and severity” and to ensure the security ofpeople and their goods, his office said.

But some newspapers and analysts criticised the government’sresponse. La Tribune newspaper complained that each time there wasa flare-up in the M’zab the government announced security measuresbut failed to address the underlying causes of the tensions. An editori-alist said the failure reflected a wider crisis in Algeria, where “the speci-ficity of a region and its ancestral values” tend to be ignored by author-ities.—AFP

GUERARA: Algerian men from the Arab community look atthe damage in a house yesterday following clashesbetween Berbers and Arabs in the town of Guerara in theM’zab valley. —AFP

SANAA: A humanitarian ceasefire forYemen is expected to be announced within24 hours, the news agency of the dominant,Iranian-allied Houthi group quoted the UNspecial envoy to the country as saying.

The report by the Saba news agencycame as the envoy, Ismail Ould CheikhAhmed, left the capital Sanaa after meetingHouthi officials. The talks were part of inten-sive efforts to broker a ceasefire to halt morethan three months of fighting and Saudi-ledair strikes that have killed more than 3,000people. Ould Cheikh Ahmed had earlier heldtalks with exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the Saudi capitalRiyadh on a ceasefire that would last untilafter the Eid Ul-Fitr holiday, which is expect-ed to start on July 17.

Hadi’s government told the UnitedNations on Wednesday it would agree to ahumanitarian truce provided key guaranteeswere met, government spokesman RajehBadi told Reuters by phone.

These included a release of prisoners,

including the defence minister, by theHouthis, and their withdrawal from foursouthern and eastern provinces where theyare fighting local militias. Saudi Arabia andan Arab coalition have been bombing theHouthis and their allies in Yemen’s army inan effort to restore Hadi and bolster armedopponents of the Houthis. There was noimmediate comment from the Houthimovement, which views its takeover ofSanaa last September, and of much of thecountry since, as a revolution against a cor-rupt government backed by the West.

The group has previously welcomedany ceasefire. The Houthis have yet toaccept a UN Security Council Resolutionpassed in April which recognises Hadi asthe legitimate president and calls onthem to quit seized land. Aid agencies saythe fighting and a near-blockade imposedby an alliance of Arab states, aimed atstopping weapons deliveries to theHouthis, have caused a humanitariancatastrophe. —Reuters

Yemen ceasefire announcementwithin 24 hours

Dubai skydiving plane makes emergency landing

DUBAI: A Dubai skydiving company says one of its planes carrying 15passengers was forced to make an emergency landing in the desertshortly after takeoff because of a technical problem. Skydive Dubaisaid in a statement on a company Facebook page Thursday that noone aboard the Cessna Caravan was hurt in the incident, which hap-pened at 8 am Tuesday near its desert campus outside of Dubai. Localauthorities are investigating.

Skydive Dubai officials could not be reached for further com-ment. Photos shared on social media and published on local newswebsites showed smoke rising from the crashed plane and its fire-gutted fuselage. In addition to its desert site, the company operates aprominent drop zone near the Dubai Marina and the Gulf city’sfamous man-made Palm Jumeirah island. — AP


ASHKELON: Two Israelis are beingheld captive by Hamas in the GazaStrip after having crossed into thePalestinian territory, Israeli officials saidyesterday, raising fears of anotherhostage crisis. In 2011, Israel releasedmore than 1,000 Palestinian prisonersin exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit,who had been held by Hamas for fiveyears, and critics said that wouldencourage further abductions.

And the Shalit case already appearsto be having a bearing on this one,with a Hamas official saying formerprisoners re-arrested by Israel last yearmust be freed before there is any talkabout releasing the Israelis. Thedefense ministry said that, “accordingto credible intelligence” AvrahamMengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopiandescent, “is being held against his willby Hamas in Gaza.”

Mengistu had “independentlycrossed the security fence” into Gaza,the Palestinian territory ruled byHamas, a statement said. “The defenseestablishment is currently dealing withan additional case of an Israeli Arabalso being held in Gaza,” it said, with-out elaborating.

Israeli Defense Minister MosheYaalon said the two were “held byHamas,” and Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu said “we hold Hamasresponsible for their welfare.” “I expectthe international community, whichexpresses its concern over the human-itarian situation in Gaza, to issue aclear call to release the citizens andensure their return,” Netanyahu said ina statement.

The defence ministry said Mengistu

entered the Palestinian territory onSeptember 7, shortly after last sum-mer’s war between Israel and Hamas.Israel does not allow its citizens toenter Gaza, partly out of fears thatthey may be used as bargaining chipsto demand concessions, including therelease of prisoners.

The case had been kept quiet due

to an Israeli gag order, which was lift-ed on Thursday by a judge in thesouthern city of Ashkelon, whereMengistu lived, local media reported.

The reports said information on theIsraeli Arab was still under a gag order,but implied he had been missing for anumber of months.

Family demands return Mengistu’s family briefly addressed

journalists outside their home yester-day, calling on Hamas to release himand the Israeli government to worktoward his safe return. “The familychose until now to remain discrete,”said brother Asho Mengistu, surround-ed by other family members, includinghis mother, who had tears in her eyes.-

Asho Mengistu said his brother wasnot in good health but did not providedetails. A friend of the family, wearinga shirt with Mengistu’s name on it, toldreporters outside their home thatmany questions remained unan-swered. The family was told earlier onthat they should keep quiet, he said.

Avi Yaalo said “we know that he hasbeen in Gaza for several months. Wedon’t have any more information. Thefamily is demanding the return of theirson in good health.”—AFP

Israel claims two held in Gaza

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu said he expected to receive a man-date to form a new government yesterday,paving the way for coalition talks more than amonth after an election deprived his AK Partyof a parliamentary majority. Davutoglu wasdue to meet President Tayyip Erdogan at 1330GMT. Opposition lawmakers have accusedErdogan, a founder of the AKP and Turkey’smost popular - and polarising - political figure,of deliberately delaying coalition talks to pushfor a snap election he hopes would give theAKP a majority.

“Today the president will probably give themandate to me to form a government. Afterreceiving the mandate, I will ask for meetingswith all political parties,” Davutoglu told mem-

bers of his party in parliament.“I plan to make the first round of coalition

talks next week.” Under parliamentary proce-dure, formal coalition talks cannot begin untilthe prime minister receives the mandate, atwhich point he has 45 days to form a new gov-ernment or face the prospect of another elec-tion.

It remains unclear whether the Islamist-rooted AKP is leaning toward forming a coali-tion with the rightist Nationalist MovementParty (MHP) or the main opposition left-leaningRepublican People’s Party (CHP). While thenationalists are closer to the AKP ideologically,an alliance would likely scupper a peaceprocess with Turkey’s Kurdish minority, some-thing Erdogan sees as part of his legacy.

Sources have told Reuters some of theAKP’s top brass are leaning towards a grandcoalition with the secularist CHP, although itremains to be seen whether that would bepalatable to the AKP’s rank and file, many ofwhom are devout Muslims.

‘STICKING POINTS’MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said yesterday

his party would do “whatever it takes” to avoidpolitical instability, in an apparent sign of readi-ness to negotiate.

Apart from the Kurdish peace process, ana-lysts say the AKP is likely to face two other key“sticking points” in the coalition talks: potentialmilitary intervention in neighboring Syria andthe powers of the presidency in Turkey. Whilethe nationalists oppose talks with the Kurds,the CHP has come out against intervention inSyria. Ankara has been boosting its securitypresence along the Syrian border, where pro-government newspapers have said it is lookingat creating a “buffer zone”.

Neither the CHP nor the MHP hasexpressed support for the idea of a strong pres-idency championed by Erdogan and the AKP.Under Turkey’s current constitution the presi-dent has relatively limited powers, a situationErdogan has vowed to change.

Davutoglu said last month he would notaccept any coalition negotiations that ques-tioned the legitimacy of Erdogan’s role. Thepro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)which entered parliament for the first timeafter breaching a 10 percent voting thresholdin the June election, has ruled out joining acoalition with the AKP. —Reuters

Turkish PM expects to start coalition talks next week

Kurdish issue, Syria among possible obstacles to deal

GAZA CITY: Palestinian Abu Obeid, spokesman of Hamas’s armedwing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, delivers a statement in Gaza City lateon Wednesday. —AFP

Sinai blast wounds 20 Egyptian policemen

CAIRO: A roadside bomb blast wounded 20 Egyptian police-men yesterday as they travelled in a bus in northern Sinai wheremilitants have launched deadly attacks against security forces,officials said. The military is fighting an Islamist insurgency inNorth Sinai, which grew since the 2013 ouster of presidentMohamed Morsi by then army chief and now President AbdelFattah Al-Sisi. Thursday’s attack on the outskirts of North Sinai’sprovincial capital of El-Arish targeted a bus carrying policemenwho were on leave, medics and security officials said. The bombwas detonated by remote control, security officials said.

The 20 policemen and a civilian were wounded in the blast,health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said, addingthat three of the wounded were in serious condition. In a sepa-rate incident on Thursday morning, gunmen on a motorbikeshot dead a police captain near his home in the Nile Delta townof Beni Sueif, south of Cairo, police said.

North Sinai is a bastion of a jihadist group calling itself “SinaiProvince”. Formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, it changedits name when it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State groupin November. On July 1, the group carried out a series of attackson security forces in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in the Sinai. Themilitary said 21 soldiers were killed in those attacks, after severalmedia outlets reported higher tolls from security officials.

The jihadists say their attacks are in response to a crackdownlaunched by the authorities after Morsi’s ouster which has seenat least 1,400 people killed and thousands more jailed. —AFP

EL-ARISH: A member of the Egyptian security forcesstands guard next to a damaged bus following aroadside bomb blast which wounded 20 Egyptianpolicemen on the outskirts of the northern Sinai’sprovincial capital of El-Arish yesterday. —AFP

Last surviving leader of Turkey’s 1980 coup dies

ISTANBUL: Turkish former air force general Tahsin Sahinkaya, the last surviv-ing leader of the 1980 coup which led to military rule and left lasting scars onthe country, died yesterday. He was 90. The putsch on September 12, 1980 wasthe bloodiest in Turkey’s coup-ridden history, overthrowing a civilian govern-ment and putting in place a military junta that ruled Turkey for three years.

Sahinkaya was the last remaining survivor of the coup leaders after thedeath in May aged 97 of Kenan Evren, the army general who led the junta andserved as president from 1980 to 1989.

Sahinkaya died at a military hospital in Istanbul, the official Anatolia newsagency said. He passed away after three days on a life support machine.

With the powers of the military, which ardently defended Turkey’s secularorder, clipped under the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP)which came to power in 2002, prosecutors began investigating the coup lead-ers on charges of acting against the state. —AFP


CATANIA, Italy: Italy’s battle against the mafia hasprovoked an unusual problem for the government-the headache of managing a staggering portfolio ofassets and cash seized from mobsters. Officials controlby some estimates about 3,000 companies, 12,000properties and two billion euros in bank deposits andother assets from organised crime outfits, leaving thegovernment with hundreds of extra employees andproperties not seen very favourably by banks. “In Italyit is more difficult to manage the property seized fromthe mafia than it is to confiscate it,” MichelangeloPatane, a prosecutor in Sicily, said. Authoritiesannounced a new seizure Wednesday of 1.6 billioneuros ($1.75 billion) in alleged mafia property, thatincluded dozens of businesses as well as some 700houses, villas and buildings. Seized mafia assets aresuch an issue in Italy the government created in 2010a national agency, the ANSBC, to manage the moun-tain of property in hopes of better handling it. “Wehave real estate holdings, companies and other seizedmafia assets that have grown more than expected,”ANSBC head Umberto Postiglione told AFP.

One of the properties it manages is a sprawlingand spectacular beach resort in the Sicilian town ofCatania. Its gardens are local historic landmarks andthe resort holds some 300 beach huts for tourists, butbanks are left nervous by its past as a mafia-ownedproperty. “The banks slow us down, they don’t trustconfiscated businesses and if we ask for a loan theyrefuse to give us one,” said Salvatore Piggioli, whoworks for the company that runs the site.

It is no surprise the government is drowning inmafia assets because it possesses considerable powersto seize them.Italian law allows authorities to carry outpreventative seizures when mafia involvement is sus-pected, said accountant Giuseppe Giuffrida, an expertin managing seized mafia assets. He said an officialfund for seized assets like bank deposits and stocks

currently holds some two billion euros.

Staggering sums Determination of whether the assets are ill-gotten

gains can come swiftly. Authorities simply look to seeif the values of the property matches up with the own-er’s publicly declared income.

The assets can also be held while their owner is ontrial and are returned in the case of a not guilty verdict.“I have managed assets temporarily (under govern-ment control) as well as those that have been seized,”said Giuffrida. “I have never had any problems withthe heads of mafia businesses because they know itsuseless. I have been named by a court and I do mybest for the company in question.” The seizure fig-ures are impressive. Over the past six years authoritieshave seized 1,286 hectares (3,178 acres) of land, whichis about a tenth of the size of Catania, prosecutorssaid. Over the same period the number of employeesin the seized companies has hit 684, making the col-lection of properties that fourth largest privateemployer in Sicily. But taking away assets from theCosa Nostra in Sicily, the Camorra in Naples and the‘Ndrangheta in Calabria is not without risks. Two work-ers from ANSBC who went to seize a house owned bya local mafioso in Naples got a nasty surprise whenthey tried to open the home’s door. “When theyinserted the key handed over by the former ownerthey were thrown into a wall by a shock of 380 volts,”agency head Postiglione said.”Luckily they weren’t try-ing to kill us,” he added. Once seized, properties canbe sold or leased at no cost to towns and associationsfor new, more honourable uses. One example is thevilla that once belonged to Naples crime boss EgidioCoppola and was turned into a museum. It is also notunusual to spot a flashy Porsche bearing the Red Crosslogo at events like the marathon in Rome which alsohas a label saying “Vehicle confiscated from the Mob.”

Italy grapples with mountain of seized mafia assets

ADDIS ABABA: Five bloggers and journal-ists held in Ethiopia for more than a yearhave been freed after the charges weredropped, their lawyer said yesterday,weeks before US President Barack Obamais due to visit the country. In a separatecase, journalist Reeyot Alemu, jailed inJune 2011 after being found guilty of plot-ting a terrorist act, was released yesterday,campaigners said.

Four others also arrested in April 2014remain in jail, accused of planning attacksand collaborating with US-based opposi-tion group Ginbot 7, labelled a terroristorganization by Ethiopian authorities.

“They have suffered, their rights havebeen violated, but now we are happy,”defence lawyer Ameha Mekonnen told AFPafter the five journalists and bloggers werereleased on Wednesday. Ameha said thedecision to drop the charges was unex-pected. “We are all surprised. The questionis why did it take more than one year?We’ve been crying, shouting to the court,to the government,” he said.

The trial of the four remaining bloggersis due to resume on July 20. Rights activistswelcomed the releases but said moreneeded to be done. “It’s very good newsthat six journalists and bloggers have beenreleased, though they shouldn’t have beenimprisoned in the first place,” said LeslieLefkow, deputy director for Africa atHuman Rights Watch.

“The government should show this isonly a first step toward releasing all politi-

cal prisoners and opening up space forEthiopians to voice dissent on a range ofissues.”

Tom Rhodes from the Committee toProtect Journalists (CPJ) called the release,“a welcome turn of events in Ethiopia,where the number of journalists in prisonhas steadily increased in recent years”. “Wecall on authorities to release the remainingZone 9 bloggers and all the journalists injail for their work, and to drop all chargesagainst them,” Rhodes said in a statementyesterday. Reeyot Alemu, who won a UNpress freedom prize in 2013, was originallysentenced to 14 years, reduced to fiveyears on appeal.

Dozen journalists remain in jail Rights groups have criticized Ethiopia’s

anti-terrorism legislation for being vaguelyworded and used to stifle peaceful dissent.The CPJ said that at least 12 other journal-ists were still incarcerated, most facing ter-rorism charges, making Ethiopia the sec-ond-worst jailer of journalists in Africa,after its oppressive neighbor Eritrea.Ethiopia is an ally of the West in the fightagainst Islamist extremism in

East Africa, receiving millions of dollarsin foreign aid, but has a dire record when itcomes to human rights and press freedom.In elections in May the ruling EthiopianPeople’s Revolutionary Democratic Front(EPRDF) coalition, in power since the endof a civil war in 1991, and its allies wonevery seat in parliament. —AFP

Ethiopia releases journalistsahead of Obama visit

LONDON: A major British inquiry intodecades of child abuse and the possiblerole of powerful figures in covering it up islikely to last around five years, its head saidyesterday, warning that no one would beimmune from scrutiny. Britain has beenrocked by a series of child sex abuse scan-dals dating back to the 1970s involvingcelebrities and politicians. Various institu-tions have been accused of failing to followup abuse allegations and, in some cases, ofactively covering them up.

They include high-profile cases such asBBC presenter Jimmy Savile, who abusedhundreds of victims for decades, and accu-sations about former lawmaker Cyril Smith.Both men are now dead.

The government ordered the independ-ent inquiry last July but it has been delayedafter the first two chairwomen appointedby interior minister Theresa May had to quitbefore starting because of their links to fig-ures connected to the allegations.

“The task ahead is daunting. The sexualabuse of children over successive genera-tions has left permanent scars, not only onthe victims themselves, but on society as awhole,” inquiry chair, New Zealand HighCourt judge Lowell Goddard, said at its for-mal launch.

Goddard said the inquiry would be com-prehensive, inclusive and thorough, addingthat too many individuals and institutionshad been “sheltered from accountability”.The inquiry will provide an opportunity toexpose past failures to protect children andconfront those responsible, Goddard said.

“We must travel from the corridors ofpower in Westminster to children’s homesin the poorest parts of the country.”

“Ambitious”Goddard said the government had giv-

en the “largest and most ambitious publicinquiry ever established in England andWales” a budget of 17.9 million pounds($27.5 million) for the coming year.

She said she expected to complete theinquiry by the end of 2020, but would pub-lish annual reports from next year including

findings and recommendations.The inquiry can compel witnesses to

give evidence and has already written tomore than 240 institutions warning themnot to destroy records which may beneeded. “No one, no matter how appar-ently powerful, will be allowed to obstructour enquiries into institutional failingsand no one will have immunity fromscrutiny by virtue of their position,” saidGoddard. “We have the tools we need toget the truth and we will not hesitate touse them.” — Reuters


LOUISVILLE: In this file photo, Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky holds up his cell phone ashe speaks before announcing the start of his presidential campaign. — AP

Kremlin critics say ‘climateof fear’ grows in Russia

Two NGOs branded ‘foreign agents’ opt to closeMOSCOW: Kremlin critics say a climate offear is growing in Russia after the upperhouse of parliament drew up a list of“undesirable” civil rights organizations andtwo similar groups decided to close.

Dynasty, a charitable foundation whichsponsors science and education, and theCommittee Against Torture said they wouldstop operating after being branded “for-eign agents” under a law that applies togroups that receive funding from abroad.Twelve more non-governmental organiza-tions were named on a “patriotic stop-list”approved by the Federation Council upperhouse on Wednesday and sent to the pros-ecutor general to consider whether theyshould be closed. Opposition and humanrights activists say the moves are part of abroader clampdown on civil society andKremlin opponents since Vladimir Putin’sreturn to the presidency in 2012.

The Kremlin denies launching a clamp-down but Tanya Lokshina, Russia programdirector for New York-based Human RightsWatch, said other lists of “undesirables”were likely to be presented soon by law-makers. “These lists have no legal power,but they do enjoy the very real power tointimidate and incite self-censorship. Theyhave already become an important part ofthe witch hunt against critics of the govern-ment by creating a climate of hostility, fear,and suspicion,” she said in a statement.

In a sarcastic reaction to the decision bythe Dynasty Foundation to shut its doors,opposition politician Alexei Navalny said onTwitter it was “mission accomplished”.

“An excellent, accurate and effectiveblow by Putin’s Patriots. Right in the nest ofthese hostile vipers - young physicists,mathematicians and molecular biologists,”he wrote. Navalny, one of the leaders of2011-12 protests against Putin, has a sus-pended jail sentence hanging over him onembezzlement charges which he says arepolitically motivated. Some other Putincritics are in prison or have fled Russia.

‘Foreign Agents’The 12 NGOs on the lawmakers’ “patri-

otic stop-list” included several that arebased in the United States. Among thegroups were Freedom House, a democracyand civil liberties group, and the OpenSociety Foundation, a grant-making net-work founded by investor and philanthro-pist George Soros. The upper house hasasked the prosecutor general to decidewhether the 12 are a threat to nationalsecurity under a new law that allows suchgroups to be shut and carries a jail sen-tence.

Putin has warned against allowing theWest to use local civil rights groups tofoment unrest in Russia and KonstantinKosachev, a senior member of the upper

house, cited similar concerns when pre-senting the list to the chamber.

Soon after Putin returned to the Kremlinin 2012, he approved a law tightening con-trols on NGOs funded from abroad, forcingany that engages in “political activity” toregister as a “foreign agent”, a derogatoryterm dating to the Cold War. Dynastyannounced its decision to close onWednesday in a brief statement on its web-site. Its main sponsor, wealthy businessmanDmitry Zimin, said he was not prepared tolet it operate under such a label.

Groups that have been affected saybeing included on the “foreign agents”register attaches a stigma to them whichmakes it impossible to find sponsors andcollaborators inside Russia, and they arealso subject to burdensome off ic ialaudits.

Supporters of Dynasty, which gavegrants to young scholars, have said itstreatment shows the law is f lawed.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saidthe decision had nothing to do with thepresidential administration, adding that“the foundation could have continuedits operations”. The Committee AgainstTorture, which tries to prevent tortureand whose office in the Chechnya regionhad been attacked, also said it was notwi l l ing to work under the “ foreignagent” tag.—Reuters

Angolans resentful as China tightens its grip

LUANDA: When a halving of oil prices left a gaping hole in Angola’sfinances this year, it became clear sub-Saharan Africa’s third largesteconomy needed help fast - and President Jose Eduardo dos Santosknew exactly where to turn. But the multi-billion dollar loans he signedwith China last month have angered Angolans who say they have beenleft behind as politicians and China share the spoils and Africa’s second-largest oil producer becomes ever more reliant on Beijing.

China has lent Angola around $20 billion since a 27-year civil warended in 2002, according to Reuters estimates. Repayments are oftenpaid with oil or funds go directly to Chinese construction firms that havebuilt roads, hospitals, houses and railways across the southern Africancountry. This means, however, dollars don’t end up entering the realeconomy, increasing costs for ordinary Angolans. “I think the presidenthumiliates Angolans,” 35-year-old cook Marisa told Reuters as shebartered with a street trader over peanuts and bananas in the capital.“The agreements with China are a benefit for them and the presidentand not for us.” Police visibility has increased in the streets of Luanda inresponse to public suspicion and dissent over how much the govern-ment would concede to Chinese interests in its bid to revive an econo-my hit by low crude prices. More than a dozen people were arrested onJune 20 for allegedly planning protests threatening “order and publicsecurity” in response to dos Santos’ China trip.

FLEC, a militant group that wants independence of the northern oil-rich exclave of Cabinda, demanded China repatriate all its citizens fromthe region within two months or risk being “severely punished”. Angolahas the best-funded military in sub-Saharan Africa and dissent is usuallyquelled quickly and ruthlessly, making any significant public backlashagainst the government unlikely, security experts say.

‘In a pickle’Apparently aware of unease at home, dos Santos, a Soviet-educated

petroleum engineer who has been in charge for 36 years, kept thedetails of the latest deals secret and stressed the “cooperation” and“mutual benefits” from his Beijing visit. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping hint-ed at a much more lopsided relationship, saying he had agreed to“assist” Angola, China’s largest supplier of crude after Saudi Arabia. It isalmost impossible to miss Beijing’s influence in Angola, from construc-tion site signs in Chinese script to expensive Chinese restaurants andseedy “Asian-only” massage parlors in the capital’s alleyways.

Despite reservations from jobless Angolans, economists see China’sdominant role in Angola as necessary. Angola, which relies on oil salesfor 95 percent of foreign exchange revenues, slashed a third off itsbudget and said it would need to borrow $25 billion this year - $15 bil-lion domestically and the rest abroad.

“Lower oil prices have put Angola in a bit of a pickle and the mostobvious place to turn is China,” said Cobus de Hart, an analyst at NKCAfrican Economics. “If China can help Angola get out of the fiscal holethen it could be a positive step.” Despite this, many Angolans are dis-trustful of the relationship, pointing to the millions who still live on lessthan $2 a day and World Bank studies that rank the country 169 out of175 countries in terms of income equality. Beijing’s role in Africa hasoften been criticized by Western governments and some African lead-ers who call it neo-colonial - taking resources in return for infrastructurethat supports China’s construction industry.

“China the master”There are around 50 Chinese state companies and 400 private com-

panies operating in Angola. They are supposed to use 30 percentAngolan labor but industry sources say this is rarely observed andAngolans tend to get the lowliest positions. —Reuters

‘Daunting’ UK child abuse inquiry to take five years

LONDON: Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (cen-ter) smiles as he speaks with pilot John Romain (left) andThomas S Kaplan (American philanthropist and art collectorand donor of the Spitfire) during a visit to the Imperial WarMuseum in Duxford, north of London yesterday.—AFP


WASHINGTON: Marine Corps Gen Joseph Dunford testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination tobe the chairman of the joints chiefs of staff, yesterday in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.—AFP

WASHINGTON: South Carolina lawmakersagreed yesterday to banish the Confederateflag from the grounds of the State Capitol,seeking reconciliation and healing after lastmonth’s shooting massacre at a black church.

In a pre-dawn vote capping a tense leg-islative debate, the state’s House ofRepresentatives agreed overwhelmingly toremove the polarizing battle symbol, whichfor decades has held a place of prominencein front of the legislature building. The meas-ure was passed by a resounding 94 in favorand 20 against-far above the two-thirdsmajority needed for final approval.

The same bill cleared the state Senate onMonday by a vote of 37 to three. It now goesto the desk of South Carolina Governor NikkiHaley, who had made an ardent plea to law-makers to approve the measure followingthe June 17 massacre of nine AfricanAmericans at an evening prayer service.

Dylann Roof, 21, a suspected whitesupremacist charged with the killings inCharleston, has been seen in online photo-graphs flaunting the Confederate flag, whichfor many critics symbolizes the slavery era of

the US South before the Civil War. Haley, in aposting on her Facebook page, praised law-makers for voting to remove the divisive ban-ner from the grounds of the state capitalbuilding-a move which just a few shortweeks ago would have been unthinkable.

“It is a new day in South Carolina, a daywe can all be proud of, a day that truly bringsus all together as we continue to heal, as onepeople and one state,” she wrote.

Lawmakers said Haley could have the flaglowered before the end of the week. She has24 hours to do so after signing the measureinto law. The vote came after more than 13hours of heated debate in the South CarolinaHouse, with opponents of the flag defeatinga raft of amendments intended to slow downpassage of the measure. Late into the debate,one lawmaker made an impassioned plea toremove the “symbol of hate.”

“I cannot believe that we do not have theheart in this body to do something meaning-ful, such as take a symbol of hate off thesegrounds on Friday,” cried RepresentativeJenny Horne, a Republican. As Horne madeher stirring speech, she thrust her finger

repeatedly toward the ground while raisingher voice, at times fighting back tears. Thedesk and chair of late senator ClementaPinckney, slain in the massacre, was drapedin black as his one-time colleagues debatedthe issue and evoked his memory.

Symbol of heritage or hate?Backers said the vote marks the begin-

ning of a new era in South Carolina andelsewhere in the South. “It’s been a longtime coming but I always felt this day wouldcome,” tweeted James Clyburn, a longtimemember of the US House from SouthCarolina, who is African American. “I lookforward to Gov Haley expeditiously signingthis bill and finally removing theConfederate battle flag from the Statehousegrounds.”

Officials said once removed, the flag willbe taken to a museum where it will be dis-played as an artifact of Southern history.Longstanding calls for the removal of thebanner, but they were rekindled after thekillings at the historic Emanuel AfricanMethodist Episcopal church.—AFP

S Carolina lawmakers vote to banish Confederate flagBid to seek reconciliation after shooting massacre

Catholic Church getswin in liberal

California LegislatureLOS ANGELES: The Catholic Church, often out of step withCalifornia’s liberal Legislature, notched a prominent win at the state-house this week after aligning with advocates for the disabled andmedical groups to defeat a proposal to allow terminally ill patients tolegally end their lives. The decision by a legislative committeeTuesday to shelve the bill followed weeks of lobbying by competinginterest groups over whether to make California the next state toallow physicians to legally prescribe fatal medication, followingOregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont.

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez wrote to the AssemblyHealth Committee last month, warning against a state that respondsto suffering by “making it easier for people to kill themselves.”

An archdiocese website urged volunteers to get involved.Parishioners and seminarians called and met with legislators. UsingEnglish and Spanish, the Diocese of Orange urged parishioners on itswebsite to write members of the Legislature to oppose the bill.

He characterized the archdiocese as part of a “broad and diversecoalition,” that included health care workers, disabled people andother groups. California lawmakers have long been at the forefront ofadvancing gay and reproductive rights, issues that frequently conflictwith Catholic teachings.—AP

Europeans rush to seekCuba deals in light of

US-Cuba thawHAVANA: European officials and businesses are visiting Cuba inunprecedented numbers, attracted by its market-oriented reformsand hastened to act by Havana’s improved relations with theUnited States. Seventy-five companies accompanied Spain’sMinister of Industry, Energy and Tourism Jose Manuel Soria duringhis visit this week, and 140 Italian firms also visited with Italy’sdeputy minister for economic development, Carlo Calenda.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was alsoscheduled to lead a delegation of 100 businesses to Cuba, but thattrip was postponed due to ongoing talks with Iran and the crisis inGreece. Similar delegations from France, Britain and theNetherlands have arrived in recent weeks. “No one wants to missthe train,” said Herman Portocarero, the European Union’s ambas-sador to Cuba.

Since US President Barack Obama and Cuban leader RaulCastro announced last December they would restore diplomaticties, scores of US businesses have come calling, including con-glomerates such as Johnson & Johnson, Dow Chemical , Microsoft,Google, Dell and US airlines. They remain largely shut out by a USeconomic embargo, which Obama is asking Congress to lift, so theEuropeans are attempting to seize the moment while they stillhave an advantage.

“The crowning glory was when President Raul Castro visitedRome (in May). He told us to hurry up and come with our compa-nies, and we did so quickly,” Mario Giro, Italy’s under-secretary forforeign affairs, told reporters in Havana late on Wednesday. Italiancompanies have 14 projects planned for Cuba’s Chinese-style spe-cial development zone around the newly built container port atMariel, he said. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Agapita Montes-Rivera (center), the mother ofAntonio Zambrano-Montes, is comforted following the funeralfor her son in Pasco, Washington. A Washington state man washolding a large rock and drew back his arm as if he was goingto throw it when police officers opened fire and killed him, oneof the officers said in a recording released Wednesday.—AP

San Francisco defendant’s immigration history is common

SAN FRANCISCO: Long before he was arrest-ed in the shooting death of a woman at one ofSan Francisco’s most popular tourist sites, JuanFrancisco Lopez Sanchez was using the USMexican border like a revolving door.

He was arrested while in the US illegallyand deported to his native Mexico five timesfrom June 1994 to June 2009, only to slip backinto the country. He served roughly 15 years infederal prison in three stints for illegal re-entry,completing the most recent stretch earlier thisyear. But his habit of sneaking across the bor-der is not all that uncommon. His case hasillustrated yet again how border enforcementalong the nearly 2,000-mile (3,220-kilometer)boundary with Mexico is an often frustratingtask. Last week, Sanchez was arrested andaccused of killing 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle

as she walked with her father. He pleaded notguilty Tuesday to murder charges. It turnedout that Sanchez, 45, was out on the streetsbecause of San Francisco’s “sanctuary” policyof minimal cooperation with federal immigra-tion authorities.

“It’s hard to physically prevent a committedimmigrant from finding a way to get back inthe US,” said Marc Rosenblum, deputy directorfor US immigration policy at the MigrationPolicy Institute. In 2013, a total of 18,498 peo-ple were sentenced for the federal crime offelony re-entry of the US. The offenders hadbeen deported an average of 3.2 times each.The average sentence was 18 months, accord-ing to the US Sentencing Commission. A dra-matic increase in border enforcement after theterror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 made it increas-

ingly difficult to cross. The Border Patrol dou-bled to more than 20,000 agents underPresident George W. Bush, and fences wereerected on about one-third of the border.

Exactly how Sanchez managed to keepslipping back into the US was not clear. But hewas sent to federal prison in 1998, servingabout 41/2 years, and again in 2003, where heput in nearly six years, and again in 2011, whenhe got close to four years. After he completedthat term, federal officials transferred him toSan Francisco’s jail in March to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge. But local prosecutorsdropped the drug charge, and the SanFrancisco sheriff, citing the city’s sanctuary pol-icy, released Sanchez in April, despite anImmigration and Customs Enforcementrequest to hold him for deportation.— AP


Despite talks breakthrough, Afghan Leader still under pressure at homeParliament rejects defense minister nominee again

KABUL: If Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wassavoring inaugural peace talks with Talebaninsurgents held in Pakistan on Wednesday, cel-ebrations of the milestone he has worked sohard to reach may be short-lived. Back inKabul, the 66-year-old faces growing discon-tent from lawmakers who are making life diffi-cult on several fronts nine months after hetook office. The lower house of parliament isthreatening to impeach Ghani’s interior minis-ter over his failure to stem violence by Islamistmilitants. Last week lawmakers rejected thepresident’s third nominee for defense minister.

Casualties among Afghanistan’s fledglingarmed forces are on the rise, they are losingpockets of territory to insurgents and there areless than 10,000 foreign troops left to supportthem after most NATO soldiers withdrew lastyear. Little wonder the president calls his “themost difficult job in the world.” Ghani’s deputyspokesman, Sayed Zafar Hashemi, down-played the political turmoil. “There are prob-lems in Afghanistan, and the environment cannever be ideal for a leader,” he said. The Senateupper house of parliament has been on strikesince Sunday, protesting that the governmenthas failed to respond to members’ concerns.

Another problem for Ghani is the lack ofcohesion in his unity government, so-calledbecause he and rival presidential candidateAbdullah Abdullah were convinced to sharepower after months of wrangling over a con-tested election last year. “This government is

absolutely lacking national unity,” saidMohammad Mohaqiq, an influential figurerepresenting the Hazara ethnic minority.Leaders of Afghanistan’s various ethnicgroups, including Abdullah’s powerful Tajikfaction of “mujahideen”, complain that Ghanifavours his own Pashtun kin when it comes tofilling key posts, an issue that has doggedAfghan politics for decades. A senior diplomatin Kabul said that he had reached “a pes-simistic low” over the government’s survivalprospects.

Few real alternativesFor now, a growing number of critics say-

ing Ghani should go have few legal optionsother than blocking his agenda. Removing anAfghan president is constitutionally complicat-ed and would require new elections that fewwould relish after last year’s political crisis thatthreatened to spill into violence. But inAfghanistan, where some power brokers com-mand well-armed factions, deep discontent isworrying.

Influential northern governor AttaMohammad Noor, who last year issued veiledthreats of a breakaway government, this weekissued a list of “suggested” defense ministersafter parliament rejected Ghani’s latest nomi-nee, Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai. Atta’sloyalists in parliament led a campaign againstStanekzai’s nomination, joined by Uzbek law-makers who are reportedly seeking a member

of their own ethnicity as defense minister, saidpro-Ghani parliamentarian Qader Zazai. “TheTajiks and former mujahideen MPs did notvote because they think all security sectors areoccupied by Pashtuns and power must beshared,” he said. On Wednesday, parliamentalso voted down Ghani’s nomination for thefirst woman to the Supreme Court.

Next on its hit list could be Interior MinisterNoor ul Haq Ulomi, likely to be called for ques-tioning before lawmakers, some of whom arethreatening to remove him. “We are going tosummon the interior minister and will likelydismiss him,” said lawmaker Allah Gul Mujahid,citing spiraling violence that included aTaleban attack on the parliamentary com-pound last month. However, it was unclearwhether Ghani’s opponents in parliamenthave enough votes to remove Ulomi. Ghanihas pushed for peace talks with the Taleban toend the war, and achieved a rare break-through when his government met militantsformally for the first time this week.

Complaints take on ethnic hueAfghanistan’s fledgling democracy set

up after the US-sponsored military inter-vention that toppled the Taleban in 2001has been hampered by power strugglesand corruption throughout. Ghani cam-paigned on promises to tackle graft andcreate a professional administration basedon merit. —Reuters

Top Tibetan monk faces India money-laundering charges

NEW DELHI: A top Tibetan monk who is seen as a potential successorto the Dalai Lama is to be prosecuted for money-laundering after anIndian court overturned a decision to drop charges, police said yester-day. At a hearing on Wednesday at the Himachal Pradesh High Court,a judge issued an order for authorities to open criminal proceedingsagainst Karmapa Urgyen Trinley over the recovery of around $1 mil-lion in foreign currency during a raid on his Buddhist monastery fouryears ago. Although criminal conspiracy charges were filed in theaftermath of the raid, a district court had dismissed the case in 2012 ina verdict that was later appealed and the subject of Wednesday’shearing. “The impugned order of May 21, 2012, passed by the judicialmagistrate of Una is quashed and dismissed,” Judge SureshwarThakur said in his judgment, a copy which has been obtained by AFP.

Local police chief Anupam Sharma confirmed that the first step inbringing a prosecution had begun. “We have already filed achargesheet in the court against him,” Sharma said, meaning thatpolice have filed an outline of the evidence against the accused withthe court. The case dates back to a raid in January 2011 on amonastery in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala in which investiga-tors say stacks of bank notes from 26 different currencies were recov-ered, including more than $100,000 worth of Chinese yuan.

Fuelled speculationThe raid came after two people were pulled over by police in a car

containing large amounts of cash. During interrogations, the pair saidthe money was meant for a land deal involving a trust headed byTrinley. The 30-year-old Trinley has denied any wrongdoing, sayingthe bank notes found in the monastery were donations from devo-tees which had accumulated over the years and that he had noinvolvement in the land deal. The monk is revered by followers as the17th incarnation of the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of thefour major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He fled Tibet at the turn ofthe century at the age of 14, reaching India after an eight-day journeyby foot and horseback over the Himalayas. Since fleeing, he has main-ly lived at the Gyuto Monastery in Dharamshala, the northern Indianhill station that is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile.

Trinley is recognized by both China and the Dalai Lama as the rein-carnation of the Karmapa Lama, head of the Karma Kagyu lineage,one of Tibetan Buddhism’s four major schools. He is seen as havingthe highest profile of a cast of young lamas who could succeed the

Dalai Lama who has just turned 80. His appearances with the DalaiLama have fuelled speculation he is being groomed as the Nobelpeace laureate’s spiritual successor. His spokesman KunzangChungyalpa said Trinley has great faith in India’s judicial system. “Hestrongly believes truth will prevail at the end,” he said.—AFP

KABUL: On the dusty streets of Kabul, amid the ruinsof war, a group of young Afghans are finding freedomamong the blast walls and checkpoints through thejumping, backflipping sport of parkour. They practicethe discipline, which combines running, acrobaticsand gymnastics, in forgotten corners of the Afghancapital such as Darul Aman, the former royal palacereduced to a wreck by nearly 40 years of war. Parkour,which originated in France in the 1990s and is alsoknown as free-running, involves getting around urbanobstacles with a fast-paced mix of jumping, vaulting,running and rolling.

For Khair Mohammad Zahidi and the rest of AfghanParkour Generation, a 20-member group based inKabul, it brings joy and a sense of liberty in a city per-manently on edge for fear of Taleban attacks. “Whenwe do parkour, it raises our confidence. It brings usexcitement. And we really enjoy it,” the 21-year-oldtold AFP outside Darul Aman. It is a far cry from thedays of the hardline Taleban who banned most sportsapart from football and bodybuilding during their1996-2001 rule. Exposure to Western culture since theTaleban were overthrown in a US-led invasion in 2001has transformed Afghanistan’s previously isolatedsociety. “Since this sport is new in Afghanistan, whenwe do parkour a lot of spectators come around us, andit looks funny for them, they think we have springsinside our bodies,” Zahidi said.

Self-taught Parkour has thousands of loyal followers and prac-

titioners around the world, but it remains rare inAfghanistan. Zahidi and his friends discovered it onthe internet and taught themselves through onlinetutorials-and this new-found passion brought themtogether. They started training together five years agoand now practice every day. Zahidi, a student, said hetook his inspiration from Frenchman David Belle,regarded as the pioneer of parkour. Leaping aroundthe rusting shell of an old bus, throwing giddyingbackflips from its roof is 19-year-old Ali Amiri, whoused to do gymnastics before discovering parkour.

With the international troop presence inAfghanistan falling fast, the future direction of Afghansociety is uncertain after the tumultuous experiencesof recent years. For some Islamic clerics, the end ofNATO’s war is a chance to re-establish traditional val-ues and end the baleful influence of the West. ButAmiri says he hopes parkour can help to keepAfghanistan on a progressive track. “When we practicethis sport, we try to push our country forward, and asparkour gets developed our country becomes moredeveloped,” he said. “When we do parkour, we don’tcare about anything, we forget about war and standagainst the challenges facing our country.”

Not just for boysThe group is keen for girls to take up parkour-a

daring choice in a deeply conservative country thatusually expects women to lead lives of cloistereddomesticity. To help girls take part they rented a gymso they could train away from prying eyes. “If wewant to train girls, it’s better to have an indoor club,”male student Habib Afzali, 23, said. “Since our societyis conservative, if girls get training outside, peoplewill think that these girls have loose morals or badcharacter.”

One of the girls, 18-year-old Gulbahar Ghulami, waspart of the national gymnastics team but was drawnto parkour by its dizzying moves. She has been train-ing in the gym, but has yet to practice outside in thecity. “I love parkour stunts, that’s why I decided tochange from gymnastics to parkour,” said Ghulami,wearing a black headscarf as she practiced backflips atthe gym with the help of a trainer. “There aren’t manyopportunities for girls to do this in Afghanistan, that’swhy I joined this group. I want to be the first Afghanwoman to do parkour.”—AFP

Young Afghans findfreedom throughfree running flips

INDIA : (FILES) Tibetan spiritual leader, the 17th Karmapa,Ogyen Trinley Dorje, takes part in a prayer meeting alongwith other monks on the banks of river Yamuna.—AFP


JAKARTA: Members of an Indonesian minor-ity Islamic sect protested yesterday againstthe forced closure of one of their mosquesamid concerns over rising religious intoler-ance in a country which is home to world’slargest Muslim population. The closure of theAhmadiyah mosque is the latest in a series ofincidents across the country in which reli-gious minorities have faced harassment fromhardline Islamic groups, but a rare event inthe capital Jakarta. “This is a slap in the face ofthe local government of Jakarta because it’ssupposed to be a cosmopolitan and pluralis-tic place,” Bonar Naipospos, director of rightsNGO Setara Institute, told Reuters.Ahmadiyah is one of several religious minori-ties in Indonesia. Hardline IndonesianMuslims accuse Ahmadiyah and otherMuslim minorities of apostasy.

Members of a hardline Islamic group lastweek forced the cancellation of a religiousevent involving nearly 1,500 Protestants inCentral Java, media said. Other groups likethe Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have beenknown to break up prayer sessions atchurches and Ahmadiyah and Shia mosquesacross Java, calling for them to be closed.Police said the Ahmadiyah mosque wasclosed this week because it violated buildingpermits. But members of the Ahmadiyahcommunity said it has stood there fordecades and that hardline Islamic groupshad pressured authorities to seal it. “Recentlythere has been an inclination among thepolice and the state apparatus to allowthings like this to happen because theydon’t want the situation to escalate,” saidYendra, a spokesman for the Indonesia

Ahmadiyah Community.A senior police official this week admit-

ted officers were often too scared for theirown safety to take on religious hardliners,media reported. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, thecity’s first Christian and ethnic Chinese gov-ernor, has himself been the target of FPI’sprotests but has yet to address the issue ofreligious intolerance. Activists believe theclosure of a mosque, in the president’s back-yard, may provide the impetus for the nine-month-old government to address the issue.“So far we have seen Jokowi appoint minis-ters who are progressive and open-mindedabout how to resolve these issues,”Naipospos said, using the president’s nick-name. “But we haven’t seen meaningfulchange yet. There’s a lot of homework to bedone.” — Reuters

JAFFNA: A Sri Lankan Tamil villager walks past a newbarbed-wire fences that has come up in his area.

JAFFNA: Tamil refugee Balasundaram Rasamalar, 53speaks to an AFP reporter.—AFP photos

Indonesia Islamic minority protests mosque closure

Rising religious intolerance raises concerns

India’s apex courtorders federal

investigation intojob scam, deaths

NEW DELHI: India’s top court yesterday ordered afederal investigation into a multimillion-dollar collegeadmission and government job recruitment scandalin central India said to be linked to dozens of mysteri-ous deaths. The Supreme Court ordered the CentralBureau of Investigation, India’s FBI, to take over fromthe state police the investigation into the allegedirregularities in job recruitment and college admis-sions as well as the deaths of nearly 50 people associ-ated with the scam.

Police have arrested hundreds of parents and stu-dents for paying bribes and officials for allegedly rig-ging eligibility tests for admission to medical collegesand recruitment for jobs in the police force, schoolsand banking sector in Madhya Pradesh state. Thecourt also directed the Madhya Pradesh governmentto respond to a petition demanding the removal ofthe state’s federally appointed governor after ques-tions were raised about his involvement in the scan-dal. Gov. Ram Naresh Yadav’s son Shailesh Yadav diedmysteriously in May after the younger man wasalleged to have accepted bribes in the governor’shouse.

Opposition Congress party leaders had beendemanding a federal inquiry into the scam, accusingthe Madhya Pradesh government of trying to influ-ence the outcome of the inquiry by the state police.Congress leader Digvijay Singh demanded the resig-nation of Madhya Pradesh’s top elected official, say-ing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should stepdown to allow for a free and fair investigation.“Students who have been arrested in connection withthe scam should be made witnesses for the state,”Singh said. “Isn’t it strange that hundreds of studentsand their parents are in jail, while those who took thebribes are roaming free,” he told reporters yesterday.

More than 2,500 people have been accused in con-nection with the scandal and around 1,900 of themhave been arrested. Dozens of people, either witness-es or accused participants in the scam, have died overthe last five years in inexplicable circumstances.Congress leaders have alleged that some top statebureaucrats and politicians accepted millions of dol-lars in bribes to facilitate the admissions. The scandalhas come to be known in India as the “Vyapam scan-dal,” after the Hindi language acronym for the state-run employment agency in Madhya Pradesh. For thepast couple of weeks, Indian media have given widecoverage to the sudden deaths of a number of peopleconnected to the scam.

The scandal hit the front pages of newspapersonce again last weekend after the death of an inves-tigative journalist who had gone to Madhya Pradeshto speak with witnesses. The following day, the bodyof a medical college dean was found in a New Delhihotel. The official, Arun Kumar, headed a medical col-lege in Madhya Pradesh that was involved in theadmissions scandal. Kumar was helping the statepolice in its investigation. The many suspiciousdeaths of people linked to the scam have raised con-cerns among civil society groups who feel the deathswere in some way connected. Many of the dead wereyounger than 40 and autopsy reports in most caseswere inconclusive.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Babulal Gaur dis-missed the opposition’s charge that witnesses andwhistle-blowers were being targeted to shield toppoliticians and bureaucrats. He said most of thedeaths were due to natural causes. The scam dates to2007, but investigations began only in 2013 afterdetails emerged that many unqualified and undeserv-ing candidates had been admitted into medical andengineering colleges. Medical school entrance testpapers were leaked before the examination, imper-sonators were allowed to appear for exams, or themarks of undeserving candidates were enhanced - allfor a fee.— AP

For Lanka’s displaced Tamils, homecoming is bittersweet

JAFFNA: When Balasundaram Rasamalar finallygot back her home in Sri Lanka’s battle-scarrednorth after years of military occupation, therewas an unexpected problem. The toilet was stillin the militarized zone-where civilians are notallowed. Sri Lanka’s army this year beganreturning land it has occupied since the end ofa decades-long separatist conflict to its originalowners in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna.

The move followed the election in Januaryof President Maithripala Sirisena, who stood ona promise to bring about reconciliation with theisland’s Tamil minority. But the process has cre-ated new boundaries that have split communi-ties-and even individual homes-creating freshresentment. “I never thought we would get ourland back,” said Rasamalar, a 53-year-old Tamilwho fled her home village of Varathalaivilawhen fighting broke out in 1990. “We have tostart our lives all over again.”

Before 1990 some 10,000 families were esti-mated to live in Varuthalai Vilan, which liessouth of a military airbase that served as one ofthe main staging posts in the battle against theTamil Tiger rebels. Many, like Rasamalar, havebeen living ever since in camps for the internal-ly displaced. For the around 1,200 that havenow returned, it is a bittersweet homecomingall the houses and temples bear the scars ofdecades of fighting, and only a handful of vil-lagers have been able to reclaim their property

in full. Rasamalar’s neighbor got his water wellback, but his house remains inside army-occu-pied territory. Another villager faced the oppo-site problem: able to return to the house butwith no access to water.

Military ‘holding land’ Village chief S Sugeerthan said people were

hopeful when the new government beganhanding back military-occupied land this year,but he added, the military’s continued claimover some private land six years after the warended was not justified. “The military released600 acres here in March, but from that theytook back a 40-acre enclave for themselves,” hetold AFP as he pointed to newly erectedbarbed-wire fences.

The fences force residents to make a detourof about 50 kilometers to travel from one end ofthe village to the other-a distance of just fourkilometers. Inside the enclave Sri Lankan troops,most of them in camouflage T-shirts andtrousers, can be seen tending to crops. Afterdecisively crushing the Tamil Tigers in a no-holds-barred offensive that ended in May 2009security forces held onto large swathes of landin Jaffna, 400 kilometers north of Colombo.They set up lucrative hotels, restaurants andfarming ventures-often selling crops to the verypeople whose land they were cultivating, whohad been left destitute by the conflict. “We

believe the military is running at least a dozenhotels and restaurants on land taken from ourpeople,” said Sugeerthan.

Resettlement key Sri Lanka has won praise for starting to

hand back land seized by the military after theend of one of South Asia’s longest and bloodi-est ethnic wars that claimed over 100,000 livesbetween 1972 and 2009. But President Sirisenais under international pressure to do more torestore normality and ensure reconciliation inan ethnically divided nation. “We’ll do all wecan to support the (Colombo) government as itmakes progress in such areas as returning land,limiting the role of the military in civilian life,and trying to provide the answers on disap-peared people,” said US Secretary of State JohnKerry during a May visit to Colombo. Sirisenahas dissolved parliament and called a generalelection for August in an attempt to consoli-date power and carry out his promise of morereforms.

The top civil administrator in Jaffna,Nagalingam Vethanayahan, says resettlinginternally displaced people is key to the suc-cess of any reconciliation process. “We havehad discussions with the security forces and weexpect, with time, more land will be madeavailable,” Vethanayahan said at his district sec-retariat office in Jaffna. —AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

BANGKOK/ISTANBUL: Thailand’s primeminister defended a decision to forciblyreturn nearly 100 Uighur Muslim migrants toChina despite rights groups concerns theycould face ill-treatment upon their return,saying if they encountered any problems itwas not Bangkok’s fault.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ochaalso held out the possibility of shutting theThai embassy in Turkey after protestersattacked the honorary consulate in Istanbul,smashing windows and ransacking parts ofthe building, over the expulsion of theUighurs back to China. China’s treatment ofits Turkic language-speaking Uighur minorityis a sensitive issue in Turkey and has strainedbilateral ties ahead of a planned visit toBeijing this month by President TayyipErdogan. Many Turks see themselves as shar-ing a common cultural and religious heritagewith their Uighur “brothers” and Turkey ishome to a large Uighur diaspora.

“I ask that we look after the safety of theembassy staff first,” Prayuth told reporters.“But if the situation gets worse then wemight temporarily have to close the embassyin Turkey.” Hundreds, possibly thousands, ofUighurs keen to escape the unrest have trav-elled clandestinely via Southeast Asia toTurkey. China is home to about 20 millionMuslims spread across its vast territory, onlya portion of whom are Uighurs.

“Thailand sent around 100 Uighurs backto China yesterday. Thailand has workedwith China and Turkey to solve the UighurMuslim problem. We have sent them back toChina after verifying their nationality,”Colonel Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak,deputy government spokesman, toldreporters yesterday.

A group of more than 170 Uighurs wereidentified as Turkish citizens and sent toTurkey, and nearly 100 were identified asChinese and sent back to China. Fifty othersstill need to have their citizenship verified. “Ifwe send them (the Uighurs) back and there isa problem that is not our fault,” said Prayuth,the general who led a coup against an elect-ed government last May.

Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for

China’s foreign ministry, would not confirmwhether the Uighurs had been deported toChina but spoke in general terms about theissue at a daily news briefing in Beijing onThursday, saying the Uighurs were “firstlyChinese”. Beijing denies restricting theUighurs’ religious freedoms and blamesIslamist militants for a rise in violent attacksin its western Xinjiang region in the pastthree years in which hundreds have died.

Anger in TurkeyThe Istanbul protesters, using wooden

planks and stones, smashed windows andbroke into the Thai consulate late onWednesday, throwing folders and personalbelongings on the floor, pictures and videofootage published by local media showed. Itwas the latest in a series of attacks in Istanbulin recent days, mostly by a youth grouplinked to the national opposition MHP, inprotest at Chinese treatment of Uighurs. AChinese restaurant, its owner Turkish and itscook ironically Uighur, was vandalized last

week, while a group of Korean tourists wasmistakenly attacked in Istanbul’s historicSultanahmet district, according to theHurriyet newspaper.

Turkey has vowed to keep its doors opento Uighur migrants fleeing persecution inChina, exacerbating a row with Beijing.Around 170 Uighur women and childrenarrived in Istanbul last week from Thailand,where they had been held for more than ayear for illegal entry. “It is very shocking anddisturbing that Thailand caved in to pressurefrom Beijing,” Sunai Phasuk, Thailandresearcher at Human Rights Watch, toldReuters.

“In China they can face serious abusesincluding torture and disappearance.” TheUN refugee agency said it was alarmed byThailand’s decision to deport the Uighurs.“We are shocked by this deportation of some100 people and consider it a flagrant viola-tion of international law,” said Volker Turk,UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner forProtection. —Reuters

Inside Thailand’strafficking crackdown

BANGKOK: Sheltering in the backroom of a provincial Thaipolice station is a 35-year-old street vendor who triggered ahuman trafficking investigation that has reverberated acrossSoutheast Asia. He is a Rohingya Muslim, a mostly statelessgroup from western Myanmar. He had scraped a living for thepast decade selling fried bread, or roti, from a push cart inNakhon Si Thammarat, a city in southern Thailand. Then hisnephew fell into the hands of murderous human traffickers.

The roti seller’s desperate bid to save him ultimately led tothe discovery of scores of jungle graves on the Thai-Malaysia bor-der in May and sparked a regional crisis over boatloads ofunwanted Rohingya. Now the roti seller fears traffickers couldtarget him. His new home in the police station is a primitive formof witness protection. (Reuters has withheld his identity at therequest of police.)

His predicament raises questions about the long-term effec-tiveness of Thailand’s crackdown on resilient and lucrative traf-ficking syndicates. Witnesses have been intimidated, police say.Key suspects are represented by lawyers with powerful politicalconnections. And while 72 people have been arrested, police arestill seeking many others. Thailand’s investigation comes aheadof a new US report card on its anti-trafficking efforts, due out inmid-July. Police spearheading the campaign on the ground toldReuters they encountered official indifference about the evi-dence they had gathered on trafficking networks - even after theUS State Department identified Thailand in June 2014 as one ofthe world’s worst trafficking offenders. Katrina Adams, a spokes-woman for the State Department’s East Asia and Pacific Bureau,said this year’s report only covers the year to March 2015, andthus would not include Thailand’s latest crackdown. “We wel-come Thailand’s law enforcement actions, including the arrestsof dozens believed to be involved in migrant smuggling andabuses against migrants, which may include human trafficking,in southern Thailand,” Adams added.

IndifferencePolice Major General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, who led early

anti-trafficking efforts in southern Thailand was told his investi-gation was damaging Thailand’s image, though he declined tobe more specific about who was telling him that. “No one cared,”he said. Thatchai felt otherwise. “If we want to eradicate humantrafficking, we can’t hide it. We must put it on the table.”

Deputy National Police Chief Aek Angsannanont, who is incharge of the anti-trafficking crackdown in Thailand, said the mil-itary government that came to power in a coup last May took theissue seriously. “I don’t know what the policy was of previousadministrations,” Aek said. “I took up this trafficking issue underthe military government and the military government has giventhis issue importance.”

After last year’s coup, Thailand’s military junta promised whatit called a “zero tolerance” policy to human trafficking. YetThailand convicted fewer perpetrators of human trafficking lastyear than in 2013, according to the government’s own anti-traf-ficking report. Aek said he could not “give an opinion on this. ButI can say that since the June 2014 (US anti-trafficking) report,everyone woke up and has taken this issue seriously.”

The Thai crackdown has disrupted the region’s traffickinginfrastructure for now but some experts question how lastingthat will be. The investigation has “made trafficking in Thailand abit harder,” said Steve Galster, director of FREELAND Foundation,an anti-trafficking NGO that has given technical help to the Thaipolice. “The question remains, however, if anyone higher up thechain . . . will be investigated.” If that doesn’t happen, Galsterwarned, “trafficking in this region will remain a big problem.”

Preying on RohingyaThe trafficking syndicates have particularly preyed on the

Rohingya, who are fleeing poverty and oppression in Myanmar.The number of people leaving on boats from Myanmar andBangladesh has nearly tripled in three years - from 21,000 in 2012to 58,000 last year, according to The Arakan Project, a Rohingyaadvocacy group based in Bangkok. Most of them came ashore inThailand and were moved to trafficking camps. The camps alongthe jungly border between Thailand and Malaysia had beenexposed as early as 2013. But they became impossible to ignorein May after police from both countries found the graves of 175suspected migrants at dozens of hastily vacated traffickingcamps on both sides of the border.

The ensuing crackdown meant traffickers could no longerbring their human cargoes ashore so they simply abandonedthem at sea. The boats eventually washed ashore in Malaysia,Indonesia and Myanmar, their passengers sick and thirsty. Atleast 1,200 remained stranded at sea, according to a June 16United Nations report. The roti seller, who Reuters interviewed atthe police station, said his nephew fell into the hands of traffick-ers during last year’s smuggling season. —Reuters

Thai PM defends decision to send Uighurs back to ChinaBangkok sends nearly 100 Uighur Muslims back to China

TURKEY: Turkish nationalists burn a Chinese flag, during a protest todenounce China’s treatment of ethnic Uighur Muslims, in front of the Chineseconsulate in Istanbul. — AFP

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L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

Beyonce and Pearl Jam will headline the Global CitizenFestival in New York, which for the first time will broad-cast internationally as organizers seek to expand its anti-

poverty message. Other performers at the September 26 showin Central Park will include Coldplay, whose frontman ChrisMartin has signed on to a long-term role in arranging the festi-val, and English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who previouslyannounced his participation.

Launched in 2012, the annual concert coinciding with theUN General Assembly is free for fans who commit to actionsaimed at eradicating extreme poverty. Beyonce will be playingone of only two announced shows since the pop superstar end-ed a world tour last year. This year’s festival “is especiallyrewarding as we all join focuses and utilize our talents for onegoal: to end extreme poverty globally,” Beyonce said in a state-ment released yesterday.

The festival, which in the past has been broadcast only inthe United States by MSNBC, will aim to reach a worldwideaudience through a YouTube livestream, among other broad-cast plans. Beyonce was a surprise performer at last year’s festi-val during a set by her husband, rapper Jay Z. Another unex-pected guest was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whovowed to improve sanitation for his nation’s poorest. Leaders ofthe Global Poverty Project, which spearheads the event, recent-ly traveled to India to meet Modi and discuss collaboration withIndian stars, said Hugh Evans, its chief executive.

Seeking commitments on poverty The concert will come a day after the United Nations is

expected to announce new targets at the end of a 15-year glob-al push against poverty known as the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. “The stakes are a lot higher than any previous year,”Evans said. “There is a huge focus this year on ensuring thesenew goals are not just a nice wish list for development but arefully financed, and that we actually have the means to ensurethat these goals are achieved,” he said.

One goal of the campaign is to ensure that most assistancegoes to the world’s poorest. Only 32 percent of US foreign aidgoes to least developed countries, according to a recent study.The festival will also seek firm commitments on funding for san-itation, food security and education. Teenage Nobel laureate

Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in 2012 for her support of edu-cation for girls in Pakistan, on Tuesday urged world leaders togive all children access to 12 years of free education. The cost,she told a forum in Oslo, would be $39 billion-which shedescribed as the equivalent of eight days of global militaryspending. The United Nations points to substantial progress inthe 15 years since establishing the Millennium DevelopmentGoals.

Some 836 million people live in extreme poverty, downfrom 1.9 billion in 1990, and tens of millions of lives have been

saved through disease prevention efforts, according to a UNprogress report. But it pointed to persistent problems, includ-ing out-of-school children, gender disparities and rising waterscarcities which affect 40 percent of the world’s people.

The concert aims to put development high on the agendawith young people, at a time of a myriad global crises fromSyria to Ukraine and economic uncertainties in China and theeurozone. Tickets for the concert will be earned by actionsagainst poverty that include calling government offices and, forthe first time this year, volunteering. The festival has generated2.3 million such actions since 2012, organizers said. — AFP

Beyonce to lead expanded anti-poverty concert

Pearl Jam performs at the “Made In America” musicfestival in Philadelphia. — AP photos

AC/DC drummer escapesjail over drugs, kill threat

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd yesterday avoided prison for drug pos-session and threatening to kill an employee, but a New Zealandjudge warned him failure to kick a narcotics habit would result in

jail time. Rudd, 61, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court to eightmonths home detention after pleading guilty to the charges in April.The drummer had faced a maximum seven years inside for threateningto kill a former employee, with prosecutors arguing for an 18-monthterm and the defense pleading for discharge without conviction. JudgeThomas Ingram said Rudd’s limited criminal history meant homedetention was appropriate, saying he would be closely monitored andimprisoned if drugs were found in his system.

“I stone cold guarantee that’s where you’ll end up,” Ingram said.Motoring enthusiast Rudd arrived at court in a chauffeur-drivenBentley with a group of family and friends to support him. Dressed in apurple velour dinner jacket and jeans, he said little to waiting media ashe entered the courthouse beyond thanking fans for their “fantastic”support. After being sentenced, he swore at a reporter outside thecourt and told him to “get a fucking job”. Rudd’s own employmentwith AC/DC is in doubt, despite his stated intention to rejoin the leg-endary hard rockers.

The band have replaced him with Briton Chris Slade on their current“Rock or Bust” world tour and his conviction will create difficulty travel-ling internationally, even when his home detention is over. Rudd wasarrested in November at his waterfront mansion in the North Islandcoastal town of Tauranga, with court documents revealing he wasaccused of threatening to kill a former employee.

He was allegedly upset about poor organization at a function tolaunch his solo album “Head Job” in August, calling an associate fourweeks later to say he wanted the ex-employee “taken out”, then phon-ing the man and threatening his life. He allegedly offered the associate“NZ$200,000 ($153,000), a motorbike, one of his cars or a house”. Whenpolice raided Rudd’s home, they found 0.478 grams (0.017 ounces) ofmethamphetamine and 91 grams (3.21 ounces) of cannabis, the docu-ments said.

Rudd initially faced another charge of “attempting to procure mur-der”, but it was dropped after prosecutors decided there was insuffi-cient evidence. Rudd first joined AC/DC in 1975 and left in 1983, only toreturn 11 years later. He was part of the AC/DC line-up inducted intothe Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and won a Grammy for best hardrock performance with the band for “War Machine” in 2010. — AFP

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd gestures to fans as hearrives for sentencing at the New Zealand District Court inTauranga yesterday. — AFP

US pop star Ariana Grandeinsisted Wednesday that she“loves” her country after a

furor over a jibe she said was overobesity. A video at a Californiadoughnut shop showed Grandeand one of her back-up dancersplayfully licking the sugary pastrieswhile they were still on the counter.The gossip site TMZ released thevideo and outrage erupted onsocial media over the comments byGrande who, upon seeing a new

tray of doughnuts, is heard saying aprofanity and then, “I hateAmerica.”

As the controversy grew, thesvelte 22-year-old said her remarkcame from her distaste forAmerican overeating. “I amEXTREMELY proud to be anAmerican and I’ve always made itclear that I love my country,” shesaid in a statement. “What I said in aprivate moment with my friend,who was buying the doughnuts,

was taken out of context and I amsorry for not using more discretionwith my choice of words.”

Grande, whose dance pop hasrarely been political, called forgreater awareness “about the dan-gers of overeating and the poisonthat we put into our bodies.” “Weneed to demand more from ourfood industry,” she said. Grandevoiced concern that the UnitedStates “has the highest child obesityrate in the world.” A study last year

by the OECD group of developedeconomies showed that the UnitedStates had a higher-than-averagechild obesity rate, although severalcountries including Greece andNew Zealand fared worse. Amid thecontroversy, Grande was replacedas the headline entertainment fornext week’s Major League BaseballAll-Star Game by fellow singer DemiLovato. However, Grande said thatthe change was because she isundergoing oral surgery.—AFP

Ariana Grande ‘loves America’ after obesity jibe


As couture week in Paris entered its final furlong, theFrench capital was electrified by celebrity concertsand eccentric, creative designs. But Karl Lagerfeld’s

fur-only couture show for Fendi provoked disruptive ani-mal-rights protests. Here are the highlights of the fall-win-ter 2015-16 shows on Wednesday, including Jean PaulGaultier, Viktor & Rolf and Elie Saab.

Elie Saab’s princessesAll the colors of Rapunzel’s sleepy, overgrown magical

tower featured in the Lebanese designer’s subdued cou-ture collection Wednesday. Long lace column gowns hadglimmering organic embroideries that seemed to havedelicately grown up on them like the plants and vines inthe fairytale princess’s tower. Sheer tulle sections in theskirts and torso played on transparency, evoking the three-dimensionality of flora.

Saab made sure his color palette this season mirroredthis - doing away with his bread-and-butter, traffic-stop-ping bright gowns for a softer color wheel. Gold and silverembroidered dresses captured the hues of metal.Elsewhere, nude pink evoked flesh, pale terre verte theplants, and beige and black, the Earth. The models, whowore organic golden crowns, made it clear this indeed wasa collection aimed at women who see themselves asprincesses.

Gaultier goes BretonThe Breton stripe, as worn by sailors, has become syn-

onymous with Jean Paul Gaultier over the years (alongsidethe conical bra.) So Wednesday’s fall-winter couture collec-tion - inspired by the French region of Brittany - seemedlike a wholly natural place for the French designer.

The results were more theatre than couture. But theexuberant couturier produced a highly infectious presen-tation, replete with an entire traditional Breton orchestraperforming bagpipes on the runway, crepe-makers hand-ing out delights and one model marching theatricallydown in a giant patchwork couture explosion with a tubewig that had one guest weeping with laughter.

Anti-fur protest and celebrity

concerts cap Paris couture


Models walk the runway for the presentation of Eli Saab Fall-Winter 2015-2016 Haute Couture collection in Paris, France. — AP photos

The collection saw lashings of Breton stripes, in blue andwhite tights, sheer black velvet blouses - and traditionallace Breton tube hats in exaggerated heights. The CelticCircle defined many of the silhouettes - appearing as giantcircle skirts often embroidered in traditional patterns - andone gold show-stopper with black feather fringing.Catherine Deneuve applauded enthusiastically from thefront row alongside American actress Michelle Rodriguez.“I’ve loved Gaultier since I was in my twenties,” Rodrigueztold The Associated Press. “He’s just got always that edge,you know? He’s like an artist and he’s never scared.”

Viktor & Rolf answer couture’s most existential question

Should fashion be considered art? That existentialdebate has gone on for decades. Dutch duo ViktorHorsting and Rolf Snoeren tried to put the question to rest

by wrapping their latest couture creations in giant pictureframes and blank canvasses - an ingenious, creative andhilarious idea. The bespectacled designers stood at thefoot of the white, sanitized catwalk holding squashedwhite-framed canvass shapes crushed into abstract, oftenA-line, skirts. A model would appear, wearing nothing buta plain loose indigo minidress, and get “framed” by thedesigners, who fitted her into the skirt.

Beyond getting fashionistas chuckling, they producedsome very thought-provoking looks - like a jagged trapezeshape with one arm out and the other arm’s hand juttingwonkily up like a cubist work of art. Then blue and othercolors were splashed on the canvasses, which developedgilded, gold frames. The show was a work of art - but was itwearable fashion?—AP

Models wear creations for Jean-Paul Gaultier’s fall-winter 2015/2016 Haute Couture fashion collection.


Models Zuhair Murad’s fall-winter 2015/2016 Haute Couture fashion collection.

Models walks the runway for the presentation of Viktor & Rolf Fall-Winter 2015-2016 Haute Couture collection.

10 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

Get in the mood for Italian and try your hand with some scintillating Italian chicken recipes thatare sure to please your taste buds.

Simple Italian chicken recipes

Baked Italian Chicken

Ingredients 1 fryer chicken, cut up1/2 cup butter, melted1 cup dry Italian breadcrumbs1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese1 tablespoon parsley1 tablespoon minced garlic1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper

PreparationRinse chicken pieces; pat dry. Place butter in shallow dish. Mix remain-ing ingredients in shallow dish. Dip pieces in butter, then in bread-crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 35ºC for 1 hour.

10 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

Ingredients 1 (3 1/2 lb) fryer chickens2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basil1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 clove minced garlic

PreparationWhisk together balsamic vinegar, oliveoil and lemon juice. Add rest of season-ing ingredients and mix well. Slip yourfingers under the skin of the breastand legs to form a pocket and spoonherb mixture inside. Place chicken,breast side up in a shallow roastingpan and bake at 375∞ for 1 1/4 hoursor until done. Remove chicken fromoven, cover with foil and let rest for 10minutes before carving.

Balsamic Roast Italian Chicken

Ingredients 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked chicken1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (5 ounces)1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves1/2 teaspoon basil leaves1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste1/2 cup original Bisquick baking mix1 cup milk1/4 teaspoon pepper2 eggs

PreparationPreheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle ParmesanCheese in pie plate. Mix chicken, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, theoregano, basil, garlic powder and tomato paste; Spoon over Parmesancheese. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour overchicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarellacheese. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or longer or until knife inserted in centercomes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. To Freeze: Freeze serving size in a rigidcontainer. Label and Freeze. To Reheat: Remove it from container, put it ina proper fitting dish, leave it uncovered, Bake at 425 degrees for 35 min-utes(The time would have to be adjusted for how much you are reheatingto make sure it is heated through).

ItalianChicken Pie

10 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

Entertainment

By Nathan Rabin

It seems like whenever someone remakes a movie, television show,cartoon, board game, or series of shape-shifting action figures, an out-cry erupts on the Internet that the usurper is retroactively ruining (orworse, “raping”) people’s childhoods. Sometimes this criticism is made

in jest, with an implicit acknowledgment that it’s ridiculous for grown-upsto get apoplectic over the notion of someone rebooting a series aboutmartial-arts-adept mutant amphibians. But there’s often a real sense ofhurt and injury, even betrayal, to these criticisms as well. Sure enough, the

announcement that Paul Feig will reboot the Ghostbusters franchise withan all-female cast led by Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy prompted theusual deluge of complaints that Feig and company were ruining people’schildhoods and tainting something sacred.

‘Ruining our childhoods’ With the case of Ghostbusters at least, these criticisms are aimed at

defending, or protecting something genuinely good. Too often, the “Youmonsters are ruining our childhoods” brigade direct their anger towardcontemporary versions of entertainment like The Smurfs, Teenage MutantNinja Turtles, Scooby Doo, or Yogi Bear-stuff that was never any good inthe first place. When someone makes a terrible movie out of The Smurfs,they’re not desecrating it so much as honoring the franchise’s legacy oflazy sub-mediocrity. But nostalgia is a powerful force, particularly whenconnected to adults defending the entertainment they worshipped duringa pre-critical phase of their thinking. Nostalgia can cloud judgment in waysthat romanticize an often-crappy past while damning a future that radiatesa lot more promise than the nostalgic are willing to allow.

Myopic nostalgia assumes that the new will inherently be worse thanthe old out of a combination of misplaced romanticization of the past andknee-jerk cynicism about the future. Some were enraged by the notion ofChris Pratt as a new Indiana Jones, but which would you rather see, acharming, fresh-faced new star in his thirties tackling an iconic role, orcranky, dispirited old Harrison Ford lugging his aged bones around in a fol-low-up to the widely reviled Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of TheCrystal Skull? Perhaps because I was not a Star Trek fan growing up, I foundJ.J. Abrams’ reboot of the franchise exciting, dynamic, and fun. Who’s tosay that talented people like Feig, Wiig, and McCarthy won’t find ways tomake Ghostbusters their own? Would audiences really prefer the thinkingbehind Ghostbusters 2 (the same as before, but worse) over a radical re-invention of the series from people who grew up revering Ghostbusters?

Why your childhood entertainment is not sacred

Reboots, remakes and nostalgia

10 FRIDAYJULY, 2015

Generational chauvinismThere’s an unmistakable element of generational chauvinism to these

complaints as well. I want my son, who is now just under four months old,to watch and love Ghostbusters the way I did when I was eight years old.But I’m also excited about him growing up with a Ghostbusters franchisewhere women are front and center in heroic, central roles, rather than lim-ited to supporting roles as secretaries and love interests inhabited bydemons at key moments. Old isn’t necessarily good, just as new isn’t nec-essarily bad.

I want my son to be a cinephile with a deep sense of history, but I wouldalso understand if he wanted to watch Star Wars, Star Trek, orGhostbusters movies with technology, fashion, and a sensibility he canrelate to immediately, rather than trying to force him to love movies andshows that he’ll likely see as period pieces made long ago, in a land faraway. I would not mind at all if my son skipped over the Jar Jar years of theStar Wars franchise movies to the ones directed by the dependable, freshlikes of Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams. And I’m not invested enough in thesupremacy of the original Star Wars trilogy to demand that my genera-tion’s version of it be the conclusive, unbeatable version. Nor am I pes-simistic enough to assume that the upcoming slate of sequels won’t liveup to the originals. Besides, isn’t it better to have a bold new generation offilmmakers and storytellers charting new paths and directions for StarWars? After the culture-wide shrugs of disappointment that greetedCrystal Skull and The Phantom Menace, doesn’t it make sense to givesomeone else a crack at telling these stories?

If Chris Pratt stars in an Indiana Jones reboot, the Harrison Ford movieswill not magically disappear. They’ll continue to exist, and to delight newgenerations who’ll understand that characters and roles can be played bydifferent people of different races and genders in different ways in differ-ent movies. Otherwise, their fragile young psyches will explode from thenever-ending spate of reboots, re-imaginings and sequels that will domi-nate the second half of this decade.

Evolving as a cultureAs a kid, I understood that Sean Connery and Roger Moore could both

be James Bond. And truth be told, I liked the Moore Bond movies as muchas the Connery versions because they were closer to my sensibility both interms of the age in which they were made, and in appealing somewhatnakedly to kids rather than adults. As an adult, I can now objectively seethat Connery’s films were superior in almost every way, but as a kid, I didn’tfind Moore’s campy, tongue-in-cheek take on Bond to be inferior: It wasjust different. And we all better stop being terrified of difference if we’reever going to evolve as a culture.

So let’s all try to calm down. The entertainment of your childhood is notsacred. Adults, our childhoods are over, and waxing apoplectic overMichael Bay’s Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies won’tdo anything but broadcast our inability to move beyond the silly, enter-taining ephemera of our youth, or understand how it might appeal to ayounger generation with a different set of ideas about how entertainmentworks. And for those rending their garments and weeping openly in thestreets at the idea that new people are going to come along and changeStar Wars and Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones in ways that deviate radical-ly from the ones we cherished in our childhoods, let’s at least allow thepossibility, radical as it may seem, that these new versions of old favoritesmight be just as good as the movies we loved as kids. Maybe even better,even if they are suddenly full of cooties-carrying girl actors guilty of notbeing Bill Murray. (www.dissolve.com )


Bosnia & Herzegovina

9 reasons to visit

One of Europe’s less-visitedcountries, the former-Yugoslavian nation of Bosnia &Herzegovina (BiH) is a treasure-trove of architectural and natu-ral beauty. Even if you have justa couple of days, it’s worth nip-ping in from neighboringCroatia or Serbia to see Mostar’siconic bridge or to stroll theOttoman-flavored alleys ofSarajevo. But if you’ve gotlonger, there are many morehighlights to discover.

Sarajevo Tunnel Museum.

War and peace in Sarajevo

Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, has a delightful Ottoman-era cen-tre ringed by neo-Moorish Austro-Hungarian architecture,

all set deep within a mountain valley blushing with red-tiledroofs and dotted with minarets. It’s a photogenic, friendly city.Yet most visitors know its name for only two reasons. And bothare associated with war.

A century ago, a gun-shot fired on the street corner besideSarajevo’s Latin Bridge killed Franz Ferdinand. That’s theAustro-Hungaran Crown Prince, of course, not the Scottishrockers. His death proved the fuse that ignited WWI.

The other conflict, Bosnia’s messy 1990s civil war, finished20 years ago. For nearly four years Sarajevo was besieged byBosnian Serb forces and the only way in or out of the city forthe defenders was through a hand-dug tunnel beneath the air-port runway.

Today, a section of that tunnel, along with the battle-scarred house in which the entrance was hidden, forms the un-missable Tunnel Museum.

T r a v e l


Forget bungee-jumping. In Mostar,the real daredevils throw themselvesstraight off the parapet of the world-

famous Stari Most (Old Bridge), droppingover 20m straight into the icy waters of

the River Neretva. It’s a tradition datingback long before the 1990s war whichsaw the bridge bombed to rubble. Thebridge was painstakingly rebuilt in 2004,recreating the swooping stone arch of the

1567 original. Each July there’s a bridge-diving competition. At other times, pro-fessional jumpers will only perform oncetheir touts have collected sufficient photomoney from passing tourists. Some visi-

tors even try it for themselves, paying Ä25for advice and a practice jump from a low-er platform on the river bank. But thatdoesn’t mean it’s safe - travelers havedied in the attempt.

Daredevil bridge-jumping

in Mostar

Rich and distinctive coffee culture

‘Any time Bosnians want to discuss something,they’ll head for the nearest cafe,’ says Asem,my local guide. ‘Coffee is just the setting for

conversation. But I don’t ever worry that it might bebad.’ Indeed, wherever you go in BiH, it does seemalmost impossible to find a bad brew. Many Bosniansnow choose an Italian-style espresso, but a properBosnian coffee is something unique. It comes in anindividual, long neck copper pot called a dûezva.Flavour-wise it’s similar to Turkish - served mud-thickin thimble-sized cups, often with a cube of lokum(Turkish delight) - but unlike Turkish coffee, thegrounds are brought to the boil several times to createa suitable crema. And thanks to the dûezva thosegrounds stay out of your cup... as long as you wait.‘Aha!’ adds Asem... ‘Coffee also teaches you patience!’

Is all of traditionally taught pre-historywrong? That is the controversial mes-sage propagated by the archaeolo-

gists and new-age dreamers of Visoko’sPyramid of the Sun Foundation. Theircentral claim is that the hills surround-ing the otherwise forgettable leather-tanning town of Visoko, are in fact, the

world’s biggest pyramids. The main‘pyramid’ is even said to have an energybeam emanating from its apex. Andbeneath town is a labyrinth of tunnelsthat they claim to be well over 10,000years old. Volunteers are busy diggingout these tunnels, revealing rune stones,‘energy rocks’ and water claimed to

have special ‘happy’ properties.Whatever you might think of the claims,which have been widely discredited bymainstream archaeologists, it’s certainlycurious to delve into the labyrinth orsimply drop by the foundation’sSarajevo office-shop for some mind-bending conversation.

‘The World’sBiggest

Pyramid’ in Visoko

T r a v e l


Ottoman architectural treasures

Where it has survived or beenpainstakingly rebuilt, Bosnia’s architec-tural heritage is a fascinating interplay ofmedieval Ottoman and later CentralEuropean styles. The old city centers ofMostar and Sarajevo are the prime exam-ples, but the town of Travnik retains afine sprinkling including two old clocktowers, a ‘many-colored mosque’, afortress and array of Ottoman graves.Travnik was the setting for one of thegreat novels of Nobel Prize-winningBosnian author Ivo Andric. Meanwhile inVisegrad, the author is commemoratedin a new pseudo-antique town core builtas a kind of historic theme-park. Visegradwas the setting for Andric’s masterwork,Bridge on the Drina, whose main ‘charac-ter’ is a real-life 1571 stone bridge. TheMehmet Pasa Sokolovis Bridge stil lstands and often appears to ‘float’ in themisty canyon that fronts the town.

The Una Valley’s rapids and waterfalls

The adorable Una River goes througha variety of moods. In the lush greengorges northwest of Bihac, some sec-tions are as calm as mirrored opal.Others gush over widely fanned rapids,as happens at Kostelski Buk where youcan enjoy the spectacle while dining atone of BiH’s most appealing riversiderestaurants. Most dramatic is the glori-ous Strbacki Buk, a waterfall that formsthe centrepiece of the Una National Park.The Una Regatta in late July sees hun-dreds of kayaks and rafts following athree-day course from Kulen-Vakuf toBosanska Krupa, a quaint castle townwhere it’s still possible to snap a photoof Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox placesof worship all in a single frame.

Easy-access skiing at BjelasnicaOut of the plane and onto the piste in

an hour? Not many resorts can offer youthat. But being under 30km fromSarajevo’s compact airport, Bjelasnica is

one place where you just might manageit. The small resort is hardly glitzy, buttwo of its three hotels are new and fash-ion-conscious, and the slopes are ofinternational quality. After all, events ofthe 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics wereheld here. Today there’s the addedattraction of floodlit night skiing (6pm-9pm). And in summer, the area of moun-tain villages tucked behind Bjelasnicaoffers a whole gamut of exploration pos-sibilities on foot, mountain bike or quad.

Hiking through pristine forest in Sutjeska National Park

Perucica is one of Europe’s last gen-uinely primeval native forests withstands of spruce, fir and beech some-times exceeding 50m high, rangedaround a 70m waterfall . As a StrictReserve it can only be visited with anofficial guide, but numerous other trailsin the surrounding Sutjeska NationalPark are open to all. These allow hikingand mountain bike access to some fabu-lous upland lakes. Start a visit by buyinga map from the Hotel Mladost atTjentiste, where bicycles are also avail-able for rent.

Dozens of atmospheric castles

Perched high above the Una Valley,Ostrozac Fortress is so spookily gothicthat it feels like the film set for a horrormovie. Jajce, one of Bosnia’s finest forti-fied towns, is made all the more photo-genic by a ring of urban waterfalls thatcascade in front of the old citadel area.On a crag overlooking a deep cut valleyhigh above Kljuc, the recently restoredcastle was the last of many RoyalBosnian fortresses to fall to theOttomans (1463). But there are many,many more.. . from Sarajevo’s heftyVratnik Citadel to the pretty fortress vil-lage of Pocitelj outside Mostar, anddozens of lesser-known ruins, there’s aremarkable wealth of fortifications forcastle-addicts to explore.

— (www.lonelyplanet.com) Bjelaönica

L e i s u r eFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

ACROSS1. The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by.4. A republic in Central America.12. 10 grams.15. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited

yearly sum toward your retirement.16. Determining or having the power to determine an outcome.17. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning.18. Humorously vulgar.20. Measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave

radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects.21. A coral reef off the southern coast of Florida.22. Located in or toward the back or rear.24. (British) A member of the military police.26. Irish prelate who deduced from the Bible that Creation occurred in

the year 4004 BC (1581-1656).28. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.31. Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger.32. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer

programs that can solve problems creatively.33. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia (20,870 feet high).34. Sensationalist journalism.37. A public promotion of some product or service.38. A bachelor's degree in music.42. Used of a single unit or thing.45. A tool for tamping (e.g., for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl or a

charge into a drill hole etc.).46. United States physiologist (born in Germany) who did research on

parthenogenesis (1859-1924).50. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.52. A run that is the result of the batter's performance.53. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Cataflam).57. A team of professional baseball players who play and travel together.59. United States astronomer (1835-1909).62. Relating to the deepest parts of the ocean (below 6000 meters).63. A Buddhist who has attained nirvana.64. Chief port of Yemen.66. The deep vascular inner layer of the skin.70. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

C R O S S W O R D 9 5 971. Shrubby climbers of tropical America.74. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.75. The sign language used in the United States.76. A resident of Alabama.77. The federal agency that insures residential mortgages.78. The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located adv.79. A great raja.80. The bill in a restaurant.

DOWN1. (Babylonian) God of fire.2. A small zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere.3. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.4. A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood.5. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles.6. A state in southeastern United States.7. A full skirt with a gathered waistband.8. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states

in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and theHawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

9. (usually followed by `of') Released from something onerous (especiallyan obligation or duty).

10. Evergreen Indian shrub with vivid yellow flowers whose bark is usedin tanning.

11. (used especially of vegetation) Having lost all moisture.12. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.13. Deciduous South African tree having large odd-pinnate leaves and

profuse fragrant orange-yellow flowers.14. Glyptic art in the form of a symbolic figure carved or incised in relief.19. Of or relating to or involving an area.23. A female domestic.25. The state of being unsure of something.27. A public act of violence by an unruly mob.29. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.30. A quantity of no importance.35. Small buffalo of the Celebes having small straight horns.36. Biennial Eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root.39. Of or relating to or characteristic of Morocco or its people.40. A region of complete shadow resulting from total obstruction of

light.41. Plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson).43. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.44. The fluid (red in vertebrates) that is pumped by the heart.47. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many

seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.48. Reflecting gloom.49. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.51. City in central Iran.54. The floating wreckage of a ship.55. The mother of your father or mother.56. A unit of length equal to 1760 yards.58. Of or relating to the palm of the hand or to the area at the base of the

thumb.60. Remove from memory or existence.61. A very large person.65. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.67. A flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for trans-

port or as a platform for swimmers.68. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river

valley in NE Nebraska.69. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.72. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing

paper.73. British dominion over India (1757-1947).

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T V l i s t i n g sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

00:20 Eastenders00:50 Rev.01:20 Lark Rise To Candleford02:10 Single Father03:05 Spooks03:55 Lark Rise To Candleford05:00 The Green Balloon Club05:25 Mr Bloom’s Nursery05:45 Show Me Show Me06:10 Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll06:30 The Green Balloon Club06:55 Mr Bloom’s Nursery07:15 The Weakest Link08:00 Last Of The Summer Wine08:30 Last Of The Summer Wine09:00 Doctors09:30 Eastenders10:00 Lark Rise To Candleford10:55 Breaking Pointe11:35 The Weakest Link12:20 Last Of The Summer Wine12:50 Last Of The Summer Wine13:20 Lark Rise To Candleford14:15 Breaking Pointe14:55 Last Of The Summer Wine15:25 Last Of The Summer Wine15:55 Doctors16:25 Eastenders16:55 The Weakest Link17:40 Last Of The Summer Wine18:10 Last Of The Summer Wine18:40 Doctors19:10 Casualty20:00 Orphan Black20:45 Orphan Black21:30 Alan Carr: Chatty Man22:15 Dead Boss22:45 Rev.23:15 The Weakest Link

MAN OF STEEL ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

00:35 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery01:00 Come Dine With Me01:25 Simply Italian01:50 Masterchef: The Professionals02:40 Chefs: Put Your Menu WhereYour Mouth Is03:30 Bargain Hunt04:20 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style05:10 Masterchef: The Professionals06:05 Bargain Hunt07:00 Bargain Hunt07:50 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style08:40 Come Dine With Me09:05 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking09:30 Masterchef: The Professionals09:55 Masterchef: The Professionals10:20 DIY SOS: The Big Build11:10 Bargain Hunt12:05 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style12:50 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking13:15 Chefs: Put Your Menu WhereYour Mouth Is14:00 Come Dine With Me14:25 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery14:50 Masterchef: The Professionals15:15 Masterchef: The Professionals15:45 DIY SOS: The Big Build16:35 Bargain Hunt17:30 Chefs: Put Your Menu WhereYour Mouth Is18:15 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style19:00 Chefs: Put Your Menu WhereYour Mouth Is19:45 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking20:10 Masterchef: The Professionals20:35 Masterchef: The Professionals21:05 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery21:30 Bargain Hunt22:25 DIY SOS: The Big Build23:15 Chefs: Put Your Menu WhereYour Mouth Is

00:20 Fast N’ Loud01:10 King Of Thrones02:00 Insane Pools: Off The DeepEnd02:50 Tanked03:40 The Liquidator04:05 Storage Wars Canada04:30 Auction Hunters05:00 How It’s Made: Dream Cars05:30 How Do They Do It?06:00 Railroad Alaska06:50 Kindig Customs07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 The Liquidator08:55 Storage Wars Canada09:20 Auction Hunters09:45 How It’s Made: Dream Cars

10:10 How Do They Do It?10:35 King Of Thrones11:25 Insane Pools: Off The DeepEnd12:15 Tanked13:05 The Liquidator13:30 Storage Wars Canada13:55 Auction Hunters14:20 Edge Of Alaska15:10 Kindig Customs16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How It’s Made: Dream Cars17:15 How Do They Do It?17:40 Gold Rush18:30 Fast N’ Loud19:20 Misfit Garage20:10 Storage Wars Canada20:35 Auction Hunters21:00 Fast N’ Loud21:50 Extreme Car Hoarders22:40 Fat N’ Furious: Rolling Thunder23:30 Street Outlaws

00:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A TeenageWitch01:15 Sabrina: Secrets Of A TeenageWitch01:40 Wolfblood02:05 Wolfblood02:30 Violetta03:20 Sabrina: Secrets Of A TeenageWitch03:45 Sabrina: Secrets Of A TeenageWitch04:10 Wolfblood04:35 Wolfblood05:00 Violetta05:50 Mouk06:00 Lolirock06:25 Girl Meets World06:50 Girl Meets World07:15 H2O: Just Add Water07:40 H2O: Just Add Water08:05 The Next Step08:30 Hank Zipzer08:55 Jessie09:20 Jessie09:45 Austin & Ally10:10 Austin & Ally10:35 Liv And Maddie11:00 Liv And Maddie11:25 Girl Meets World11:50 Girl Meets World12:15 Jessie12:40 Jessie13:05 Dog With A Blog13:30 Dog With A Blog13:55 H2O: Just Add Water14:25 H2O: Just Add Water14:55 Lolirock15:25 Austin & Ally16:00 Jessie16:30 Jessie

17:00 Enchanted18:40 Liv And Maddie19:05 Liv And Maddie19:30 Lolirock19:55 Hank Zipzer20:20 Binny And The Ghost20:45 Good Luck Charlie21:10 Good Luck Charlie21:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place22:25 Sabrina: Secrets Of A TeenageWitch23:10 Wolfblood

00:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On00:55 Extreme Close-Up01:25 Keeping Up With TheKardashians02:20 E! News03:15 Giuliana & Bill04:10 The E! True Hollywood Story05:05 E!ES06:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill10:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 Beyond Candid With Giuliana12:05 E! News13:05 Eric And Jessie: Game On14:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians18:00 E! News19:00 E!ES20:00 Giuliana & Bill21:00 Fashion Bloggers21:30 Fashion Bloggers22:00 E! News23:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills

00:00 Chopped01:00 Trisha’s Southern Kitchen02:00 Farm King03:00 Man Fire Food03:30 Man Fire Food04:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives05:00 Chopped06:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives07:00 Man Fire Food08:00 Chopped09:00 The Big Eat...10:00 The Kitchen11:00 The Pioneer Woman12:00 Chopped13:00 Guy’s Big Bite14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

15:00 Man Fire Food16:00 Chopped17:00 The Kitchen18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics19:00 Chopped20:00 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts20:30 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts21:00 Siba’s Table21:30 Siba’s Table: Fast Feasts22:00 Chopped South Africa23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:10 The Chase01:05 The Hungry Sailors02:00 Emmerdale02:25 Brendan’s Magical MysteryTour02:55 Coronation Street03:25 Paddock To Plate04:20 Come Date With Me Australia05:15 Big Star’s Little Star06:10 The Hungry Sailors07:05 Coronation Street07:30 Paddock To Plate08:25 Come Date With Me Australia09:20 Peter Andre’s 60 MinuteMakeover10:15 Brendan’s Magical MysteryTour10:40 The Chase11:35 The Hungry Sailors12:30 Big Star’s Little Star13:25 Emmerdale14:15 Coronation Street14:40 The Chase15:35 Peter Andre’s 60 MinuteMakeover16:30 Who’s Doing The Dishes?17:25 Come Date With Me Australia18:20 Big Star’s Little Star19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Peter Andre’s 60 MinuteMakeover20:30 Who’s Doing The Dishes?21:25 Come Date With Me Australia22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:45 Big Star’s Little Star

05:00 Crowd Control06:00 Going Deep With David Rees07:00 Wild Untamed Brazil08:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest09:00 Best Of Hard Time10:00 Hard Time11:00 The Known Universe12:00 Dead End Express13:00 Live Free Or Die14:00 Banged Up Abroad15:00 Naked Science16:00 Bid & Destroy17:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest18:00 80s: The Decade That Made Us19:00 Naked Science20:00 Bid & Destroy21:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest22:00 80s: The Decade That Made Us23:00 The Known Universe

00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore01:30 Modern Family02:00 Black-Ish02:30 Parks And Recreation03:00 Cristela04:00 Hot In Cleveland04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 My Name Is Earl06:00 My Boys07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Hot In Cleveland08:30 My Name Is Earl09:00 Cristela09:30 Two And A Half Men10:00 Community11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 My Boys12:30 Hot In Cleveland13:00 My Name Is Earl14:30 Two And A Half Men15:00 Community15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore16:30 My Boys17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Cristela18:30 New Girl19:00 Two And A Half Men19:30 Fresh Off The Boat20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore22:00 Modern Family

00:00 Red Band Society01:00 Chicago Fire02:00 Justified03:00 Once Upon A Time04:00 The Fosters05:00 Criminal Minds06:00 Red Band Society07:00 Once Upon A Time08:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.09:00 Criminal Minds10:00 The Fosters11:00 Chicago Fire12:00 Emmerdale13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.15:00 Red Band Society16:00 Emmerdale17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.19:00 The Astronaut Wives Club20:00 Drop Dead Diva21:00 Sleepy Hollow22:00 Downton Abbey23:00 Once Upon A Time

01:00 Good Morning America03:00 Castle05:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 Prison Break10:00 Emmerdale11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter13:00 Grey’s Anatomy14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 Prison Break17:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter18:00 Grey’s Anatomy19:00 Prison Break20:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter21:00 Grey’s Anatomy22:00 Castle23:00 The Voice

00:00 The Monkey’s Paw02:00 The Recruit04:00 40 Days And Nights06:00 Terminal Velocity08:00 Judge Dredd09:45 Man Of Steel12:15 40 Days And Nights14:00 Terminal Velocity15:45 The Recruit17:45 Empire State19:30 Man Of Steel22:00 Rage

00:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest01:00 Best Of Hard Time02:00 Hard Time03:00 Close Quarter Battle03:30 Close Quarter Battle04:00 The Border

00:00 The Recruit-PG1502:00 40 Days And Nights-PG1504:00 Terminal Velocity-PG1506:00 Judge Dredd-PG1507:45 Man Of Steel-PG1510:15 40 Days And Nights-PG1512:00 Terminal Velocity-PG1513:45 The Recruit-PG1515:45 Empire State-PG1517:30 Man Of Steel-PG1520:00 Rage-PG1522:00 The Wicked Within-PG15

00:00 13 Going On 3002:00 The Way Way Back04:00 Stand Up Guys06:00 Shanghai Calling08:00 Imogene10:00 The Way Way Back12:00 Shanghai Calling14:00 Mafia!16:00 Imogene18:00 The Last Shot20:00 Until She Came Along22:00 Malavita

01:00 Shadow Witness-PG1503:00 The English Teacher-PG1505:00 See Girl Run-PG1507:00 The Trouble With Bliss-PG1509:00 Robot & Frank-PG15

T V l i s t i n g sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

THOR- THE DARK WORLD ON OSN MOVIES HD

11:00 See Girl Run-PG1513:00 10 Years-PG1515:00 Seven Days In Utopia-PG1517:00 Robot & Frank-PG1519:00 The Trouble With Bliss-PG1521:00 A Secret Promise-PG1523:00 What Maisie Knew-PG15

02:00 Live Caribbean PremierLeague : Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago10:30 Caribbean Premier LeagueH/L: Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago11:30 ICC Cricket 360, Episode 2713:00 Live The Ashes: ENG v AUS,1st Test, Day 321:00 Live Natwest T20 Blast : Kent vSomerset

00:00 Ultimate Wheels01:00 Alaska Off-Road Warriors02:00 Counting Cars02:30 Counting Cars03:00 Ultimate Wheels04:00 Big Rig Bounty Hunters05:00 American Pickers06:00 American Restoration06:30 American Restoration07:00 The Curse Of Oak Island08:00 Ax Men09:00 Alaska Off-Road Warriors10:00 Big Rig Bounty Hunters11:00 Counting Cars11:30 Counting Cars12:00 American Restoration12:30 American Restoration13:00 Storage Wars13:30 Storage Wars14:00 Pawn Stars14:30 Pawn Stars15:00 Shipping Wars15:30 Shipping Wars16:00 Alaska Off-Road Warriors17:00 Counting Cars17:30 Counting Cars18:00 American Pickers19:00 Storage Wars19:30 Storage Wars20:00 The Curse Of Oak Island21:00 Pawn Stars21:30 Pawn Stars22:00 Shipping Wars22:30 Shipping Wars23:00 Pawn Stars23:30 Pawn Stars

00:45 Oprah Presents: Master Class01:35 Extreme Cheapskates02:00 90 Days To Wed02:50 Say Yes To The Dress03:15 Say Yes To The Dress√¢‚Ç¨‚Äú Bridesmaids03:40 Randy To The Rescue04:30 Cake Boss05:00 Little People, Big World05:30 Extreme Couponing06:00 Say Yes To The Dress06:25 Cake Boss09:45 Toddlers & Tiaras10:35 Toddlers & Tiaras11:25 Something Borrowed,Something New11:50 Something Borrowed,Something New12:15 Something Borrowed,Something New12:40 Say Yes To The Dress√¢‚Ç¨‚Äú Bridesmaids13:05 Say Yes To The Dress√¢‚Ç¨‚Äú Bridesmaids13:30 Oprah’s Next Chapter14:20 Oprah Presents: Master Class15:10 Little People, Big World17:15 Something Borrowed,Something New17:40 Something Borrowed,Something New18:05 Your Style In His Hands18:55 Cake Boss19:20 Kate Plus 820:10 Sister Wives22:40 Extreme Cheapskates23:05 90 Days To Wed

03:20 Total Drama: All Stars03:42 Total Drama: All Stars04:05 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu04:28 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu04:50 Teen Titans Go!05:00 Teen Titans Go!

05:10 Grojband05:35 Grojband06:00 Regular Show06:40 Uncle Grandpa06:50 Uncle Grandpa07:00 Adventure Time07:11 Adventure Time07:25 Steven Universe07:35 Steven Universe07:45 The Amazing World OfGumball08:10 Ben 1008:55 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu09:15 Regular Show09:27 Regular Show09:40 The Amazing World OfGumball10:00 Uncle Grandpa10:12 Uncle Grandpa10:25 Total Drama: PahkitewIsland10:45 Total Drama: PahkitewIsland11:10 Adventure Time11:20 Adventure Time11:30 Adventure Time12:40 Regular Show13:25 Clarence13:45 Uncle Grandpa14:10 Grojband14:30 Total Drama: Revenge OfThe Island14:55 Ben 10: Omniverse15:15 Ben 10: Omniverse15:40 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu16:00 Matt Hatter New16:25 Steven Universe16:36 Steven Universe16:45 Teen Titans Go!17:10 The Amazing World OfGumball17:30 Regular Show18:15 Adventure Time18:40 Johnny Test19:25 Clarence19:45 Uncle Grandpa19:57 Uncle Grandpa20:10 Teen Titans Go!20:55 Ben 10: Omniverse21:17 Ben 10: Omniverse21:40 Adventure Time21:51 Adventure Time22:02 Adventure Time22:13 Adventure Time22:25 Johnny Test23:10 Regular Show23:55 Total Drama: All Stars

01:00 Everything Must Go03:00 Phantom05:00 Mr. Pip07:00 The Cutting Edge09:00 Unstrung Heroes10:45 Everything Must Go12:30 Mr. Pip14:30 The Portrait Of A Lady17:00 Unstrung Heroes19:00 191121:00 The Motel Life23:00 There Be Dragons

01:00 Chef-PG1503:00 Enough Said-PG1505:00 Guardians Of The Galaxy-PG1507:00 Earth To Echo-PG1509:00 Thor: The Dark World-PG1511:00 Playing For Keeps-PG1513:00 Percy Jackson: Sea OfMonsters-PG15:00 Planes: Fire And Rescue-PG17:00 Thor: The Dark World-PG1519:00 Inside Llewyn Davis-PG1521:00 A Promise-PG1523:00 Getaway-PG15

01:00 See Spot Run02:45 Planet 5104:30 Asterix: The Mansions Of TheGods06:00 Minuscule: Valley Of The LostAnts08:00 A Turtle’s Tale 2: Sammy’sEscape From Paradise10:00 Happy Feet12:00 Planet 5114:00 Sir Billi15:45 Speed Racer18:00 Happy Feet20:00 The Adventures Of Rocky AndBullwinkle21:45 Sir Billi23:15 Speed Racer

00:00 2 Fast 2 Furious-PG1502:00 Horizon-PG1504:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear-PG1506:00 Killer Reality-PG1508:00 High Moon-PG1510:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear-PG1512:00 Hellboy: Blood & Iron-PG14:00 Killer Reality-PG1516:00 High Moon-PG1518:00 Muppets Most Wanted-PG20:00 The Hobbit: The Desolation OfSmaug-PG23:00 Deadfall-PG15

02:30 Super League07:00 Golfing World08:00 World Rugby08:30 ICC Cricket 36010:00 Inside The PGA Tour10:30 Web.com Tour12:30 Live AFL Premiership16:15 Live Cricket - Natwest T20Blast20:00 Golfing World22:30 Inside The PGA Tour23:00 Live PGA Tour

00:00 Rugby League State Of Origin 08:30 AFL Premiership 12:15 NRL Full Time 12:45 Live NRL Premiership 18:00 WWE Tough Enough 19:00 WWE Bottomline

20:00 WWE Superstars21:00 WWE Main Event22:00 Live Super League

03:10 Henry Hugglemonster03:20 Calimero03:35 Zou03:45 Loopdidoo04:00 Art Attack04:25 Henry Hugglemonster04:35 Calimero04:50 Zou05:00 Loopdidoo05:15 Art Attack05:35 Henry Hugglemonster05:50 Calimero06:00 Zou06:15 Loopdidoo06:25 Limon And Oli06:35 Art Attack07:00 Calimero07:10 Zou07:25 Nina Needs To Go07:30 Jake And The Never LandPirates07:55 Sofia The First08:20 Doc McStuffins08:45 Loopdidoo08:55 Limon And Oli09:05 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West09:30 Minnie’s Bow-Toons09:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse10:00 Sofia The First10:25 Nina Needs To Go10:30 Jake And The NeverlandPirates10:55 Runaway Shuffle/Surfin’The Whirlpool11:20 Doc McStuffins11:45 Henry Hugglemonster12:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse12:35 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West13:00 Sofia The First13:25 Minnie’s Bow Toons13:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse13:55 Jake And The Never LandPirates14:20 Runaway Shuffle/Surfin’The Whirlpool14:45 Messages From Miles14:50 Doc McStuffins15:15 Sofia The First15:40 Minnie’s Bow Toons15:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse16:10 Lilo & Stitch16:35 Adventures Of The Gummi

Bears17:00 Chip n Dale RescueRangers17:25 Ducktales17:50 Jake And The NeverlandPirates18:00 Runaway Shuffle/Surfin’The Whirlpool18:25 Messages From Miles18:30 Sofia The First18:55 Nina Needs To Go19:00 Jake And The Never LandPirates19:30 Loopdidoo19:45 Doc McStuffins20:00 Adventures Of The GummiBears20:30 Sofia The First20:55 Cars Toons21:00 Chip n Dale RescueRangers21:25 Ducktales21:50 Lilo & Stitch22:15 Zou22:30 Art Attack22:55 Limon And Oli23:05 Henry Hugglemonster23:20 Calimero23:35 Zou23:50 Loopdidoo00:05 Art Attack00:30 Henry Hugglemonster00:45 Calimero01:00 Zou01:15 Loopdidoo01:30 Art Attack01:55 Henry Hugglemonster02:05 Calimero02:20 Zou02:30 Loopdidoo02:45 Art AttackDisney XD06:00 The 7D06:10 Randy Cunningham: 9thGrade Ninja06:35 Mini Ninjas07:00 Phineas And Ferb07:25 Boyster07:50 Supa Strikas08:15 Supa Strikas08:40 Mighty Med09:05 Lab Rats09:30 Zeke & Luther10:00 Zeke & Luther10:25 Zeke & Luther10:50 Zeke & Luther11:15 Zeke & Luther11:45 Zeke & Luther12:10 Kirby Buckets

There’s little chance of sidestepping relationship dramatoday so don’t let a sudden emotional interaction catch you offguard. Thankfully, you are more likely to respond without losing yourfooting if you have a clue as to what’s coming. Although you mightprefer to postpone a difficult discussion, the more honest you arefrom the beginning, the better the outcome. Just remember thatmaintaining clear communication channels is essential or you couldbe in for a rude surprise. Your willingness to listen as much as youspeak saves the day.

S t a r sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345Central African 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689Gabon 00241Gambia 00220Georgia 00995Germany 0049Ghana 00233Gibraltar 00350Greece 0030Greenland 00299Grenada 001473Guadeloupe 00590Guam 001671Guatemala 00502Guinea 00224Guyana 00592Haiti 00509Holland (Netherlands) 0031Honduras 00504Hong Kong 00852Hungary 0036Ibiza (Spain) 0034Iceland 00354India 0091Indian Ocean 00873Indonesia 0062Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218

Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands 0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672N. Ireland (UK) 0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Serbia 00381Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates 00976United Kingdom 0044Uruguay 00598USA 001Uzbekistan 00998Vanuatu 00678Venezuela 00582Vietnam 0084Virgin Islands UK 001284Virgin Islands US 001340Wales (UK) 0044Yemen 00967Yugoslavia 00381Zambia 00260Zimbabwe 00263

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

COUNTRY CODES

Sharing responsibilities at work lightens your load onone hand but also brings an additional layer of complications onthe other. You can’t escape the fact that the more people workingtogether also means multiple strategies to reach a common goal.Accordingly, you may need to be flexible enough to incorporatethe best ideas of the group into your preconceived plan.Nevertheless, if you want the collaboration to succeed, establish aharmonious rhythm early in the day that everyone can sustain.

Making steady progress at work today leaves you witha feeling of deep satisfaction. But prepare for unusual things tooccur when you take time to communicate your ideas to yourpeers. Fortunately, others are receiving your message with openminds now, increasing the odds of a favorable outcome. However,you’re particularly effective when you don’t say everything that’son your mind, leaving your audience wanting more. Saving someof the magic for another day works to your advantage in the longrun.

All work and no play is your motto today. However,even the most arduous tasks could lead to a good time as pleasure-seeking Venus and jolly Jupiter get busy in your 10th House ofCareer. However, you still might grow weary of the emotional con-straints that go along with climbing the professional ladder. Atsome point in the very near future you may realize that your person-al connections with people are more important to you than any jobpromotion. When all is said and done, there are many ways tomeasure success.

The promise of romance inspires you to take a riskwith your heart today. However, your passions move to the backburner as the day wears on, so express your feelings in themoment if you believe they are more than just a passing fancy.Although your emotions cool off by mid-afternoon, your thoughtsgrow more rebellious as mental Mercury creates sparks with irre-pressible Uranus in your sign. Thankfully, your ingenuity can beused for constructive purposes if you set your intentions inadvance and work for a greater cause than just your own.

You’re already planning ahead as you consider themerits of starting a new project. However, circumstances requireyou to tie up loose ends before moving forward. Althoughprogress may be slow, clearing your plate early in the day makesroom for the exciting changes waiting in the wings. However, themoody Moon’s return to your sign conjures up unresolved feel-ings from the past. You might have to take one more bittersweetlook back before you can release any lingering regrets. It’s exhila-rating when you finally let go of old emotional baggage and stepinto the future.

Ingenious ideas are flying around fast and furious, butyou aren’t quick enough to grab one as it speeds by today. Try asyou might, the most brilliant speculations slip through your fingersand vanish into thin air, leaving you annoyed and unsatisfied.Instead of repeatedly attempting to prolong fleeting moments, atotally different strategy is advised. There’s no need to capture themuse; allow your thoughts to ebb and flow without intervention.Paradoxically, you’ll be able to recall the cream of the crop after theenergetic wave passes and you can focus on coloring in the details.

Although Crabs are often known for hiding in theirshells, you’re likely to be the one to take center stage today. In fact,you can stand out in a group as well as anyone else as long as youare playing to a friendly crowd. Fortunately, your originality andscintillating wit are apparent as clever Mercury in your sign createsa magical quintile with brilliant Uranus. Don’t wait for a better dayto strut your stuff since cosmic luck is on your side now. Shine,baby, shine.

People depend on your inspiration for guidance asthe reflective Moon enters your 10th House of PublicResponsibility. Oddly enough, your growing popularity comes at atime when you want nothing more than to retreat into the privacyof your lair. You’re weary of all the drama and deserve a break. Thegood news is everyone will survive the temporary loss of your lead-ership because they know you will return to the fray soon enough,rejuvenated and roaring to go. Believe it or not, someone else canrun the show while you luxuriate in the quiet inner sanctums ofyour imagination.

You may assume there is safety in numbers today,prompting you to actively seek support from your social network.Ironically, you might actually be the one who is nurturing someoneelse’s dreams these days. Fortunately, this is a win-win situation;everyone benefits from your need to be a valuable part of a largergroup or collective cause. As much gratification as you gain fromresponding to the needs of others, the real gift is the spiritualgrowth you experience when you also acknowledge the yearningsof your own heart, too.

You might want to spend the day basking in relation-ship bliss, but you have professional promises to keep. Your personallife may be sweet these days, but it could distract you from the realchallenge at hand. Luckily, you can deftly manage both the personaland business ends of your life but it will take extra charm and finesseto juggle everyone’s demands. Allocating your resources strategical-ly is the key to everything working seamlessly. It’s true you can havethe best of both worlds if you’re willing to put in the effort.

You may experience a lack of support as you try toexpress your unique brand of creativity today. In fact, it could evenseem as if others are purposefully thwarting your efforts or belittlingyour talent. Unfortunately, a temporary retreat won’t likely be a pro-ductive one. Although it’s understandable if your feelings are hurtnow, don’t waste time putting credence into anyone else’s negativi-ty, real or imagined. Continue on your chosen path with unwaveringdetermination; your persistence is your secret weapon.

H E A L T HFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

ALGIERS: Like many women inAlgeria infected by their husbandswith HIV, 30-year-old Sihem is a vic-tim twice over, living with her dis-ease and suffering as a social out-cast. Infected by her husband at age20, Sihem has spent a decade livingwith the stigma that comes withbeing infected with HIV in Algeria. “Idivorced and went off with HIV. Myhusband told everybody I had AIDS,”she said, misty eyed and her voicechoking.

In the eyes of Algerian society,she must have been to blame for themarital breakdown, while her ex-husband remains “above suspicion,”said Sihem, using a false name to tellher story. Like in many other conser-vative Muslim countries, in Algeria awoman with HIV is considered tohave brought shame and dishonoron her family, regardless of her cir-cumstances. Relatives cover upAIDS-related deaths, giving othercauses, and those with HIV areshunned if their infections becomepublic. In 2014, Algeria recorded 845cases of HIV infection, 410 of themwomen, with a total of 9,100 official-ly registered cases in the country asof the end of last year.

Most women caught the diseasefrom their husbands, according toUNAIDS, the United Nations pro-gram on HIV/AIDS. Hayet, a 41-year-

old seamstress, said she has two bat-tles on her hands-against the diseaseand against prejudice. She learned ofher infection 20 years ago on thebirth of her daughter, who died withHIV three months later. The babywas followed a year later by herfather. Hayet’s in-laws knew thattheir son, a former drug addict, hadHIV but had kept silent. On his death,they thought “it was unfair for theirson to have died and not me,” saidHayet, who became a widow at 22and was denied any inheritance.

‘Symbol of dishonor’Aisha divorced in 2005 at the age

of 19, a few months after herarranged marriage to a man who hasnever admitted to infecting her. “If itweren’t for the support of my par-ents, I would have gone mad,” shesaid, holding back tears. The womenwere interviewed anonymously byAFP but otherwise they remainsilent, fully aware that Algerian soci-ety judges them as guilty. For infect-ed women, “AIDS is a symbol of dis-honor, giving rise to feelings of rejec-tion and stigmatism,” said AdelZeddam, who heads UNAIDS inAlgeria. He said some women steerclear of treatment centers in theirareas for fear of being recognizedand are left without proper care.

Such women face “double pun-

ishment, infected by their spouseand stigmatized by society,” saidNawel Lahoual, president of Hayet, asupport group for HIV/AIDS patients.A doctor at El Kettar hospital inAlgiers told AFP he knew of an aca-demic in his 50s who had married

four times despite knowing he wasinfected with HIV. Left without treat-ment, all four women died. In a rarepositive story, Safia, a 42-year-oldwho lost her husband to AIDS in1996, managed to re-marry 15 yearslater with a man who knew of her

condition. “He married me out oflove and hid the facts from his par-ents,” she said. Advised before theirmarriage by a doctor on what pre-cautions to take, the couple havelived together for four years withouthim getting infected.— AFP

ALGIERS: Picture shows Algerian women getting tested for HIV by health workers at a mobile centre inthe capital Algiers during an operation for the prevention of AIDS organized by the United NationsProgram on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) offices in Algiers. —AFP

Algerian women with HIV suffer ‘double punishment’

H e a l t hFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

MADKHEDA: Clutching batteredmetal plates, the children waitedpatiently in a remote central Indianvillage for the two small flat pieces ofbread and scoop of boiled potatocurry that would be their only fullmeal that day. They are among the120 million malnourished childrenacross India who depend on a gov-ernment-run program serving lunchfive days a week.

Still, the modest menus are clearlynot enough to make up for the calo-ries and nutrition that poverty hasdenied. All 35 or so children gatheredon the dirt floor of their preschool inMadkheda, a village in the state ofMadhya Pradesh, show the telltalesigns of malnutrition - coarse hairlightened to a sandy brown for lackof nutrients, limbs stick thin, and bel-lies swollen from chronic hunger.More than half the children inMadhya Pradesh state, with a popula-tion of nearly 77 million, are under-weight and malnourished.

So last month, it was suggestedthat eggs - a key source of protein -be added to the lunch program. Butthat idea was rejected by ChiefMinister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, thestate’s top elected official, a memberof Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sHindu nationalist Bharatiya JanataParty and a strict vegetarian. He sug-gested that milk and bananas be giv-en to children instead. “As long I amthe chief minister of MadhyaPradesh, eggs will not be intro-duced,” Chouhan declared in thestate capital, Bhopal. “The humanbody is meant to consume vegetari-an food, which has everything thehuman body requires.”

Nutritionists outraged The decision has outraged nutri-

tionists and social activists who saypoliticians are using food to push a

religious and political agenda at theexpense of children’s health. Theyaccuse governments of pandering toa nationwide agenda led by the rul-ing Bharatiya Janata Party to drawpoor and tribal communities, withtheir mostly animist beliefs, towardthe majority religion by forcing themto become vegetarian.

India has the highest number ofvegetarians in the world owing toHinduism’s predominance, althoughnot all Hindus are vegetarians andthere are millions who eat meat.Most of Madhya Pradesh’s under-nourished children come from eth-

nic, non-vegetarian tribes, some ofwhom are animists, who have livedfor centuries in central Indian jungles,or belong to the lowest castes. Themove suggests that Modi’s partyhopes to spread and deepenHinduism’s influence in India byappeasing vegetarians.

‘Hinduization’“There is a deep political motive

behind the decision to stop eggs.The government is forcing thesepeople to become vegetarians anddraw them closer to Hinduism,” saidNaresh Biswas, a food rights activist

working to revive traditional farm-ing methods and improve nutritionin Madhya Pradesh. Similar allega-tions were made amid the Modigovernment’s push to make yogacompulsory in schools nationwide,with many Muslims objecting towhat they see as attempts at a“Hinduization” of the country.

Chouhan found support for hisdecision from his party colleague,India’s Minister for Women andChild Development, MenakaGandhi, who said the benefits ofeggs were exaggerated. Besides,“eggs are expensive and there are

cheaper sources of protein thatcould be used to feed children” ingovernment lunch programs,Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi.India has the world’s highest num-ber of chronically undernourishedpeople in the world, with nearly 195million scarcely able to afford evenone meal a day, according to theFood and Agriculture Organization.That number has barely changeddespite a decade of rapid economicgrowth that has created legions ofmillionaires and a burgeoning mid-dle class. Only 10 out of India’s 29states include eggs in children’smeal programs.

While none of the BJP-ruledstates include eggs in children’slunch scheme, activists say evenstates run by other parties, such asin the Congress Party-led Karnatakastate, have not included eggs toappease Hindu sentiments. Earlierthis year, the government of theneighboring state of Maharashtra,also ruled by the BJP, banned cattleslaughter and beef sales in a movethat has deprived millions of lowercaste and non-Hindus of a cheapsource of protein. Beef in India ismostly buffalo meat and is cheaperthan chicken, goat or lamb.

Development economist JeanDreze said excluding eggs from theschool supplement program was a“missed opportunity,” given thatthey not only boost nutrition butalso improve school attendance,according to studies carried out inseveral states. “Indian children areamong the most undernourished inthe world,” said Dreze of the DelhiSchool of Economics. “The situationis worse when it comes to rural andtribal people, who are even moredeprived. They are starved of pro-tein, vitamins, iron and other essen-tial nutrients.” —AP

Food politics hits India’s most malnourished children

MADHYA PRADESH: Children have a meal of two flatbreads and a scoop of boiled potato curry at a gov-ernment-run program serving lunch five days a week at Madkheda, Madhya Pradesh state, India. —AP

GRANTS PASS: Drought and record hotweather are producing lethal conditions forsalmon and trout in rivers across the West. Arecent survey released Wednesday of the lowerreaches of 54 rivers in Oregon, California andWashington by the conservation group WildFish Conservancy showed nearly three-quar-ters had temperatures higher than 70 degrees,considered potentially deadly for salmon andtrout. Low river flows from the record low win-ter snowpack, which normally feeds riversthrough the summer, combined with recordhot weather have created a “perfect storm” ofbad conditions for salmon and trout, said USFish and Wildlife Service supervisory fisheriesbiologist Rich Johnson. “It’s unprecedented, I’dsay,” Johnson said.

Oregon Climate Center Associate DirectorKathie Dello says the entire West Coast sawrecord low snowpack last winter, leading tolow rivers this summer. All three states hadrecord high temperatures for June, withOregon breaking the record by 3 degrees, andthe three-month outlook from the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forcontinued warmer and drier-than-normal

weather made worse by the ocean-warmingcondition known as El Nino, she added. “This isthe worst case scenario playing out right now,a warm winter and then a warm and dry sum-mer,” she said.

The Willamette River saw scores of deadsalmon in June. This week, state biologistsexamined about 50 dead sockeye salmon inthe mouth of the Deschutes River. State fish-eries biologist Rod French said they appearedto have been infected with a gill rot diseaseassociated with warm water, and had probablyleft the warm waters of the Columbia River insearch of cooler water. In California, inland fish-eries manager Roger Bloom says they are con-sidering emergency fishing closures on severalrivers so that fish weakened by the warm waterdo not die from being played by an angler,even if they are released. They include the low-er Merced, the American and the Klamath.

In Washington, two federal fish hatcheriesin the Columbia Gorge released 6 million juve-nile salmon two weeks early in the ColumbiaRiver, in hopes they would have a betterchance of reaching the ocean before tempera-tures got even warmer, said Johnson. “It’s just a

perfect storm of bad weather conditions forsalmon,” he said. “Pray for rain and snow.” Riverflows are so low, the Washington Departmentof Fish and Wildlife is sending out crews toclear out impromptu dams people build withrocks to create a pool to cool off in, so thesalmon can swim upstream to spawn, saiddepartment drought coordinator Teresa Scott.Rivers are at levels normally not expected untilSeptember, and no one knows if they will dropeven further.

“This is such a huge magnitude comparedto previous droughts,” she said. “Records avail-able from before don’t come close to preparingus for what we are encountering this year.” InOregon, deputy fisheries chief Bruce McIntoshsays they have imposed closures around coolwater areas where salmon seek refuge at themouths of tributaries flowing into the lowerUmpqua River, but he did do not anticipateany more closures unless things get worse.“Certainly we’ve had significant droughts in thepast, such as the late 70’s,” he said. “But thechallenge this year has been not only are theredrought conditions, we’re having August tem-peratures in June. —AP

Stress from heat, drought on fish spurs push to reduce kills

Record low snowpack in West Coast

Funding crunch affects India’s

fight against TBNEW DELHI: India’s program to fight tuberculosis is in disarraydue to a shortage of funds and the government has failed tomeet annual targets to control spread of the nation’s most fatalinfectious illness, a leaked assessment report said. India recordsmore than 300,000 tuberculosis-related deaths and 2.2 millionnew cases of TB each year, resulting in an economic loss of $23billion, the government says.

The report was drafted by several experts including thosefrom the government’s TB division and the World HealthOrganization. The draft is not in the public domain but wasleaked on the Internet by health activists late on Wednesday.Reuters could not verify its authenticity. “There is a growing gapbetween the allocation of funds and the minimum investmentrequired to reach the goals,” according to the report that wasseen by Reuters. “As a direct result, while bold policies are inplace, many planned activities have not been implemented.”

Under the plan, India failed to achieve the projected increasesin detection of those suffering from the disease. In the year end-ing March, 1.42 million TB patients were given treatment, com-pared to the target of 1.65 million patients. The report warned ifthe funding trend continues, spending on the plan would drop toabout 30 billion rupees ($472 million) by 2017, only two-thirds ofthe minimum amount required. The findings come as PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has faced criticism for not allocatingenough money to the public health system, which is plagued bydrug shortages and dilapidated health clinics. —Reuters

BusinessFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

China stocks edge higher on government moves

Page 41

ATHENS: Members of the Greek Cabinet applaud as Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives at the Greek Parliament in Athens yesterday. —AP

Malaysia central bank sukuk pull-back opens door wider Page 38

Greece racing against time to finalize reforms Desperate bid to stave off catastrophic exit from Europe

ATHENS: Greece’s government was racing yes-terday to finalize a plan of reforms for its thirdbailout, hoping this time to get its Europeanpartners’ approval and to stave off a looming,potentially catastrophic exit from Europe’s jointcurrency, the euro.

Details of Greece’s reforms were to be sub-mitted later to give creditors time to reviewthem ahead of a summit of the EuropeanUnion’s 28 members on Sunday.

Hopes for a deal rose after Donald Tusk, whochairs the EU summits, said Greece’s plan wouldhave to be accompanied by creditors’ sugges-tions on how to make the country’s debt man-ageable in the longer term. “The realistic pro-posal from Greece will have to be matched byan equally realistic proposal on debt sustainabil-ity from the creditors. Only then will we have awin-win situation,” Tusk said.

Easing the terms of Greece’s existing bailoutloans has been a key dividing issue in thebailout talks for months - with Greece and theInternational Monetary Fund pressing in favorand key European states like Germany resistingthe idea.

Tusk’s comments boosted confidence that

the sides will be able to find a compromise. TheStoxx 50 index of top European shares jumped2.6 percent.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met withfinance ministry officials and was holding a cabi-net meeting Thursday afternoon to finalize hiscountry’s plan, a day after his governmentrequested a new three-year aid program fromEurope’s bailout fund and promised to immedi-ately enact reforms, including to taxes and pen-sions, in return.

The last-minute negotiations come asGreece’s financial system teeters on the brink ofcollapse. It has since June 29 put limited cashwithdrawals to 60 euros ($67) per day to stancha bank run. The banks and the stock markethave been shut for just as long.

The closures, which have been extendedthrough Monday, have led to daily lines at ATMmachines and have hammered businesses.Payments abroad have been banned withoutspecial permission.

“Can you see anybody in the shop? Nobody’scoming in, because everyone’s living off a drip,”said Magda Petridi, a fortune teller who runs ashop selling good luck charms, aromatic oils and

trinkets. “Until a month ago business was goingpretty well.”

Rush on banksPensioners without bank cards have been

particularly hard hit as they have struggled toaccess their accounts. Some branches havebeen opened so the elderly and unemployedwithout bank cards can withdraw a maximumweekly sum of 120 euros each. Hundreds linedup outside banks yesterday morning, many fac-ing hours-long waits in the heat.

Meanwhile, many ATMs had a shortage of 20euro notes, effectively reducing the daily with-drawal limit to 50 euros. If Tsipras does not get adeal, Greece faces an almost inevitable collapseof the banking system, which would be the firststep for the country to fall out of the euro.

“I believe he will have to get an agreement.We will pay dearly for it, but at least we’ll get anagreement,” said mechanic Pantelis Niarchos,walking down the street in central Athens.

After months of fruitless negotiations withTsipras’ government, elected in January onpromises to repeal bailout austerity, the skepti-cal euro-zone creditor states have said they

want to see a detailed, cost-accounted plan ofthe reforms.

Greece’s financial institutions have been keptafloat so far by emergency liquidity assistancefrom the European Central Bank. But the ECBhas not increased the amount in days, leavingthe lenders in a stranglehold despite capitalcontrols. German ECB governing council mem-ber Jens Weidmann argued yesterday thatGreek banks should not get more emergencycredit from the central bank unless a bailoutdeal is struck. He said in a speech it was up toeuro-zone governments and Greek leadersthemselves to rescue Greece.

The central bank “has no mandate to safe-guard the solvency of banks and governments,”he said.

The ECB capped emergency credit to Greekbanks amid doubt whether the country will winfurther rescue loans from other countries. Thebanks closed and limited ATM withdrawalsbecause they had no other way to replacedeposits. Weidmann said he welcomed the factthat central bank credit “is no longer being usedto finance capital flight caused by the Greekgovernment.” —AP

ABU DHABI/DUBAI: The chief executiveof the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stockmarket regulator, Abdullah Al-Turifi, isdue to retire, four sources familiar withthe matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Turifi, a founding member of the reg-ulatory body, is serving his last month atthe Securities and CommoditiesAuthority (SCA), one of the sources said.Another said an announcement on hisdeparture could be made as soon asafter the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, due aroundJuly 17.

Obaid Saif Hamad Al-Zaabi, SCA’sdeputy chief executive for legal affairsand issuance, and Emirates InsuranceAuthority director general EbrahimObaid Al-Zaabi were among the possi-ble replacements, the sources said.

A media adviser for the SCA said inan emailed response to questions fromReuters that Turifi “is in office and doinghis work as usual”, adding any claims tothe contrary were “rumours”.

Turifi has served since 2003 as chiefexecutive officer of the SCA, which over-sees the UAE’s two stock exchanges,Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange andDubai Financial Market, as well as theDubai Gold and Commodities Exchange(DGCE). Leadership changes at the UAE’sfinancial regulators are relatively rare.Mubarak Rashid Al-Mansouri, an invest-ment fund chief, was appointed centralbank governor in September, replacingSultan Nasser Al-Suweidi, who had beenat the helm of the central bank since1991. Turifi’s position is a politicalappointment at the rank of undersecre-tary. Prior to his role at the SCA, he

served as assistant under-secretary forinternational economic affairs at theMinistry of Economy & Trade, accordingto his profile on the SCA website.

While heading the regulator, the UAEhas emerged from a relative backwaterto a member of MSCI’s EmergingMarkets Index, which it joined in Maylast year. The global regulatory environ-

ment has tightened in recent years asgovernments seek to guard against arepeat of the financial crisis. The UAEhas been considering adopting a so-called twin peaks model, which couldhand the SCA extra powers relating toconduct of business matters, includingmarkets oversight and consumer pro-tection.—Reuters

38B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

SYDNEY: A man (center) performs to pedestrians passing by along the pave-ment in central Sydney yesterday. Australia’s jobless rate inched up to 6.0 per-cent in June, official data showed on July 9, as more people entered the laborforce and amid signs that companies were hiring additional workers. —AF

KUALA LUMPUR/DUBAI: A decision byMalaysia’s central bank to stop issuingIslamic bonds has slashed the global supplyof sukuk but opens the door wider for otherborrowers, and may begin to shift the focusof sukuk issuance westwards towards theGulf.

Malaysia has long accounted for the vastmajority of the world’s new sukuk sales. ButGulf governments, multilateral institutionsand even corporate issuers could now findmore room in the market to issue. “Theremay be a recovery in sukuk volumes on anoverall basis, though it could take sometime for other issuers to fill the gap giventhe unfavourable market conditions,” saidFakrizzaki Ghazali, credit strategist atMalaysia’s RHB Bank. Low oil prices haveslowed the oil-exporting economies ofMalaysia and the Gulf.

The Malaysian central bank issued about$45 billion worth of sukuk last year, most ofit ringgit-denominated, accounting formore than a third of total global issuance of$116.4 billion, Standard & Poor’s estimated.This year, the central bank has haltedissuance entirely, almost singlehandedlycausing global volumes to shrink 42.5 per-cent from a year ago to $38.6 billion in thefirst half. S&P projects that if it stays out ofthe market, global issuance will total just$50-60 billion this year.

In a statement to Reuters, the Malaysiancentral bank said “evolving global and

domestic liquidity conditions” had caused itto move away from sukuk, which are rela-tively long-term, and use more shorter-dat-ed instruments to manage liquidity: qard, atype of Islamic loan, and commoditymurabaha placements It said there were stillplenty of Islamic assets and instruments,including investment sukuk issued by thegovernment, to meet Islamic banks’demand.

S&P said the central bank may also havechanged the way it managed liquiditybecause it felt its sukuk were being snappedup by too broad an array of investors, pre-venting them from reaching their intendedusers among banks. As a result, it shifted tooffering instruments restricted to banks,S&P said.

Other issuersExcluding the central bank effect, global

issuance dropped only 10.7 percent in thefirst half, S&P calculated. Several classes ofissuer may partly fill the gap left byMalaysia’s central bank - probably notenough to restore global sales to last year’slevels any time soon, but enough for agradual recovery. They include two majormultilateral bodies, the Jeddah-basedIslamic Development Bank and theMalaysia-based International IslamicLiquidity Management Corp. The IDB lastmonth raised the ceiling of its sukuk pro-gram to $25 billion from $10 billion, as it

increased lending across member coun-tries.

Meanwhile, the range of potential sov-ereign sukuk issuers around the world isexpanding as governments seek to tappools of Islamic funds and develop theirIslamic banking industries. Both Jordanand Tunisia are working on debut issues.

The biggest potential new issuers areGulf governments, which need to coverbudget deficits created by cheap oil. So farthey have been doing this by runningdown fiscal reserves, but Saudi Arabia andKuwait have said they may begin sellingdebt; Oman’s government plans its firstsukuk issue this year. The InternationalMonetary Fund estimates that at current oilprices, Saudi Arabia will run a budget deficitof roughly $150 billion this year. Even cov-ering a fraction of that with sukuk wouldmean major new issuance.

The Gulf governments are likely toissue in their own currencies to tap ampleliquidity in their banking systems. Butthey may also choose to issue some inter-national sukuk, to establish a presence inthe global debt markets. Meanwhile,high-rated Malaysian corporates will haveplenty of room to issue in the absence ofcentral bank supply. National uti l ityTenaga Nasional plans to raise as much as10 billion ringgit ($2.7 billion) via sukuk inwhat would be the world’s largest issuethis year. —Reuters

Malaysia central bank sukuk pull-back opens door wider

Gulf govts could become big issuers to cover deficits

NewsI n b r i e f

Price of Kuwaiti crude oil drops to $53.34

KUWAIT: Price of Kuwaiti crude oil dropped by 75 cents to $53.34 perbarrel on Wednesday, as compared to $54.09 pb on Tuesday, accord-ing Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). US crude stockpiles had alsodropped by $0.4 million barrels to $465.8 million barrels during thelast week ending July 3, as compared to $2.4 million last week.Meanwhile, reserves of diesel in the US grew by 1.2 million barrels,higher than the average during this time of the year. Refined crudederivatives including heating oil also rose 1.6 million barrels.

UNB says plans to raise $500m 3-yr loan

DUBAI: Union National Bank, 50 percent owned by the AbuDhabi government, has picked five banks to raise a $500 millionthree-year syndicated loan, it said in a statement yesterday. Thefifth-largest lender on the Abu Dhabi exchange by assets hasmandated Commerzbank, First Gulf Bank, HSBC, National Bank ofAbu Dhabi and Standard Chartered to arrange the deal, it said inthe bourse filing. The bank posted a 20 percent rise in first-quar-ter net profit in April.

Egypt’s Banque Misr to raise $500m via bond sale

CAIRO: Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest state bank, plans to raise$500 million via a dollar-denominated bond on international marketswithin three months, three banking sources said yesterday. Two of thesources said the bank was currently negotiating with internationalinstitutions to promote the bond sale. The Egyptian governmentpaved the way for the country’s banks to tap financial markets for cashwhen it returned to the international debt market last month after afive-year hiatus due to political and economic instability. Egyptianbanks are now lining up to raise more dollars to fill a gap that haspushed up inflation, putting economic recovery at risk.

Egyptian pound steady at auction

CAIRO: Egypt’s central bank held the Egyptian pound steady at7.73 to the dollar at a foreign exchange auction yesterday follow-ing a depreciation over the past week, while the currency weak-ened on the parallel market. The central bank said it had offered$40 million and sold $37.8 million at a cut-off price of 7.7301pounds per dollar , unchanged from Tuesday’s rate. The centralbank had held the pound at 7.5301 pounds for the past fivemonths until last Thursday, when it allowed it to weaken to7.6301. On Sunday, the bank shaved a further 0.10 pounds off therate. Analysts say allowing the pound to weaken in a controlledmanner could boost exports and attract further investment.

UAE market regulator chief to step down

Saudi bank NCB posts 2.6% drop in net profit

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s National Commercial Bank (NCB), the kingdom’slargest lender, posted a 2.6 percent fall in second-quarter net profit yes-terday, missing analysts’ forecasts as fee income weakened and operatingexpenses rose. NCB is the fifth Saudi bank to report earnings for the sec-ond-quarter. The sector’s performance is more mixed than in the firstquarter when all of the top seven lenders but one - Al Rajhi Bank - report-ed higher profits. While Banque Saudi Fransi and Saudi Hollandi Bankcontinued the buoyant picture in the second quarter, reporting double-digit earnings growth, Al-Rajhi Bank and Saudi British Bank (SABB) report-ed small declines in net profit. NCB, which listed in November after thelargest ever initial public offer of shares in the Arab world, reported a netprofit in the three months to June 30 of 2.36 billion riyals ($629 million).

This was below the 2.43 billion riyals made in the same period of 2014,and off the 2.47 billion riyals forecast by four analysts surveyed byReuters. Despite the earnings decline, the bank’s shares were up 1.46 per-cent at 0915 GMT. “NCB reported weak results driven by lower non-inter-est income, which may be perceived negatively by the market,”Chiradeep Ghosh, banking analyst at SICO Bahrain, said in a researchnote. NCB’s non-interest income fell 15.7 percent year-on-year, accordingto SICO.

Banks in the kingdom have generally enjoyed strong profits in recentyears as surging oil revenues have helped propel lending. NCB, BanqueSaudi Fransi and SABB all reported higher operating expenses during thequarter, which was partly attributed to the lenders likely spreadingbonuses to staff over four quarters, said Ghosh.— Reuters


Indian business dreads lifting of Iran sanctionsExporters face renewed competition for Iran market

NEW DELHI: Indian businessman PankajBansal is losing sleep. He says that anynuclear deal under which global powers liftsanctions against Iran could wipe him out.

“I have been forced to take sleeping pillsnow to avoid nightmares as my businesswith Iran has drastically come down,” saidBansal, 43, from his base in a teeming com-mercial district of South Delhi.

Bansal’s trading firm, TMA International,has expanded from metals into motors,auto parts and chemicals as rivals were shutout of Iran by Western sanctions aimed atforcing Tehran into a nuclear compromise.Talks to finalise a deal have run deep intoovertime but may wrap up today.

He is one of thousands of exporters whoenjoyed a three-year run because India didnot back the sanctions. In that time, India’sexports to Iran doubled to $5 billion, help-ing to halve its bilateral trade deficit. Now,they could be forced aside by European andUS competitors just as Asia’s third-largesteconomy reels from a 20 percent exportslump prompted by a global slowdown intrade.

The revival of India’s historic friendshipwith Iran, shared with Russia and Venezuela,does hold the promise of long-term tradegains. Yet short-term pain looms for oil buy-ers and banks that benefited from sanc-tions-related payment delays.

Helping handA delegation of Indian exporters met

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week tolobby for support to help them cope with arevival of competition for the Iranian mar-ket. They came away empty handed. “Thelifting of Western sanctions on Iran would

have an adverse impact, particularly onnon-agricultural commodities,” said S.C.Ralhan, president of the Federation ofIndian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Yet millions of farmers too would face ahit from the easing of sanctions on Iran, abuyer of basmati rice, soymeal, sugar, barleyand meat. Under sanctions, Iran paid a pre-mium of up to 20 percent over global pricesto buy from India.

“Iran is shifting to other suppliers likeSouth American countries. They are supply-ing at much lower prices compared to India.We cannot compete,” said B.V. Mehta, exec-utive director at the Solvent Extractors’Association of India.

Europe’s edgeIndian exporters say firms from

Germany, Italy and France that once domi-nated in Iran will be back selling consumerproducts ranging from clothing to cars, andpitching for big-ticket contracts like thedelayed Tehran metro.

“Traditionally, Iranians have a liking forEuropean products. With the weakening ofthe euro, it will not be easy for us to com-pete,” said Rafeeq Ahmed, a Chennai-basedexporter who used to head the Indianexport federation.

India’s oil ministry fears that Iran couldaward the right to develop the giant FarzadB gas field to Europeans who can deploy thelatest technology and commit billions ofdollars to modernising the OPEC memberstate’s oil-and-gas infrastructure. “So farthey have not said ‘no’ to granting develop-ment rights of Farzad B field to ONGC,” saidan oil ministry official, referring to state-con-trolled Oil and Natural Gas Corp . “But there

is no ‘yes’ also.” Refiners in India, the world’sNo.4 oil consumer and Iran’s top client afterChina, want Iran to sweeten terms on crudedeals to boost imports, which fell by 23 per-cent over January-June.

With the fall in crude oil prices anddecline in volumes, total imports from Iranhave fallen from a record $13.8 billion in2011/12 to $9 billion in 2014/15. Exportspeaked at $5 billion in 2013/14 beforefalling back last year. Oil buyers have beenordered to raise $6.5 billion in hard currencyto settle oil dues that they have beenunable to pay due to the sanctions. State-controlled UCO Bank holds $2.8 billion inIranian oil money, interest free, that wouldbe unlocked by the lifting of sanctions, forc-ing up funding costs.

Strategic tiesTrade ministry officials say that the eco-

nomic boost to Iran from the lifting of sanc-tions could offer opportunities for Indianpharmaceutical, IT and commodity firms. InMay, for example, the two countries signeda deal to develop the Iranian port ofChabahar, on the Gulf of Oman, that wouldopen up a new trade route to Central Asia.“We may lose some engineering exports,but new opportunities could come up forproducts currently covered under sanc-tions,” said an official. Some officials favourextending soft loans to exporters and lob-bying for infrastructure deals.

That will be no substitute for beatingthe competition, said Rumel Dahiya, headof the Institute for Defence studies andAnalyses in New Delhi: “Nobody can hopefor a business deal on concessional terms,”he said. — Reuters

BoE keeps rates steady, eyeswages and global risks

LONDON: The Bank of England kept interest rates at a record lowonce again yesterday, as its policymakers grappled with how tobalance improving wage growth in Britain against more ominoussignals from the global economy. The BoE’s Monetary PolicyCommittee, as expected, left its Bank Rate at 0.5 percent, where ithas been since the depths of the financial crisis more than sixyears ago, and made no statement.

The outlook for BoE interest rates hinges to a large extent onhow rapidly British wage growth picks up, which was a key focusof a government budget presented by finance minister GeorgeOsborne on Wednesday. Osborne announced a new nationalminimum wage for those aged 25 and over, which some econo-mists said could boost the chances of an interest rate hike in thecoming months.

“The ... introduction of a ‘living wage’ may well-given the tightlabour market-lift pay growth, especially at the bottom end of thepay scale,” said Michael Saunders, chief UK economist at Citi.

“This prospect probably makes it more likely that the MPC willhike rates in the next few quarters, unless external factors, forexample Greece, threaten to derail the UK recovery.”

The past month has seen a renewed divergence in commentsfrom MPC members about the risks to the outlook for Britishinflation, which turned positive again in May after dipping belowzero for the first time in 55 years. Martin Weale suggested hewould soon vote to increase interest rates-as he did through thesecond half of 2014 — because of the swift improvement inwages. These grew at their fastest pace in nearly four years in thethree months to April.

His MPC colleagues Kristin Forbes and Deputy Governor JonCunliffe have also noted the significance of an improving labourmarket. But Andy Haldane, the BoE’s chief economist, cautionedagainst an early rate, saying such a move could be “self-defeat-ing” as Britain and other major economies struggle to overcomethe lasting scars from global recession.

BoE Governor Mark Carney said last week Greece’s debt crisiswas the biggest looming threat to financial stability in Britain,while a slowdown in No.2 economy China also threatens to derailglobal economic growth. The domestic outlook for Britain’s econ-omy looks strong for the time being, however. Business surveysthis week pointed to solid economic growth, albeit reliant onconsumer spending and the country’s vast services sector ratherthan manufacturing and exports. The longer term outlook for theeconomy depends on dire British productivity growth improving.Osborne will publish a plan for productivity today.—Reuters

Many consumers worryabout safety of financial

info: SurveyNEW YORK: While the safety of their private financial information is abig deal for a lot of people, when it comes to protecting it, many areactually pretty lax, a new survey says. According to the phone surveycommissioned by MasterCard, 77 percent of the 1,000 people polledsay they’re worried about their financial information being compro-mised. And the same percentage of people polled say they’re worriedabout their Social Security number staying private.

Those concerns ranked higher than worries about being a victimof other kinds of crime. Sixty-two percent of those polled say they’reworried about having their email hacked, while 59 percent say theyfret about their home being broken into. And if they had to make achoice, 55 percent of those polled say they would rather have nakedphotos of themselves leaked online than have their financial informa-tion stolen.

But at the same time, a little less than half of those polled admit-ted to practices that would be considered bad password hygiene.Forty-six percent of those surveyed say they rarely or never changethe passwords for their financial accounts, while 44 percent say theyuse the same password for multiple accounts. In addition, 39 percentsay they use public networks to access their financial information,according to the poll, which was conducted between May 8 and May12. Experts say habits like those make people easy targets for hackers.The longer a password hangs around, the more likely it will beguessed or stolen. Meanwhile, using the same password for multipleaccounts could result in more than one account being compromisedif the password becomes known. And accessing financial informationthrough public networks, such as a coffee shop’s Wi-Fi, could exposethe information to nefarious people using the same network.

On the upside, 77 percent of those surveyed say they’re optimisticthat new payment technologies are having a positive effect on theirpersonal security and 77 percent also believe that there are moresecure ways to pay today than ever before. —AP

SEOUL: South Korea’s central bank cut itseconomic growth forecast yesterday, citinga severe drought and the spread of MiddleEast respiratory syndrome. Bank of Koreagovernor Lee Ju-yeol said that SouthKorea’s economy will likely expand 2.8percent this year, down from 3.1 percentforecast in April. The central bank kept itskey interest rate at a record low of 1.5 per-cent, following a quarter of a percentagerate cut last month. The central bank’sforecast cut follows a similar move by thefinance ministry last month. The ministryblamed the MERS outbreak for sappingconsumption and tourism. It pledged tospend 12 trillion won ($10.6 billion) in astimulus package to aid growth for the restof this year. Lee said the stimulus packagewill contribute 0.3 percentage point toannual growth.

Hundreds of thousands of foreign visi-tors from China cancelled visits to SouthKorea after the outbreak of the disease inMay. The ministry said the number of for-eign visitors plunged 40 percent duringthe first four weeks in June, compared witha year earlier. Chinese tourists are a lifelinefor many businesses in the country’s cos-metics, hotel, transport and restaurantindustries. Lee said a recovery in the cur-rent quarter depends on whether foreigntourism bounces back from the MERS out-break. Meanwhile domestic consumption

is expected to recover as MERS is con-tained, he said.

Following the central bank’s announce-ment, South Korea’s finance ministry said itwould step up promotional and advertis-ing activities to bring more foreign touriststo the country. Finance Minister ChoiKyung-hwan urged South Koreans to picka domestic destination for their summer

vacation to help the tourism industry.MERS killed 35 people and infected 151

others, making South Korea the second-largest outbreak after Saudi Arabia. Most ofthe South Koreans infected were patientsat hospitals treating people with MERS,their relatives or hospital workers. SouthKorea hasn’t had a confirmed new case ofMERS since Sunday. —AP

S Korea CB cuts growth forecast

SEOUL: A person (left) wearing a dog mask advertises an animal café to pedes-trians passing by, in a shopping district in Seoul yesterday. —AFP


TORONTO: Canada’s housing boom is increas-ingly driving homebuyers to seek mortgagesfrom private lenders, who demand rates thatcan be more than five times higher than thosecharged by the nation’s banks. Canadian houseprices have risen 36 percent since June 2009,according to the Teranet-National Bank houseprice index. At the same time, Canadian bankshave become more conservative and regula-tors are making it harder to lend, giving rise toan alternative market, including Canadianswho refinance their own homes at low ratesand then use the money to become mortgagelenders themselves.

Some analysts say a housing investment isincreasingly risky because the pace of price

increases has vastly outstripped wage growth,all amid a time of historically low interest ratesand record debt levels. If and when interestrates rise, the concern is that consumers wouldhave little ability to increase their payments,because they have so much debt.

“The risk arises if the unintended conse-quence of regulation is to push out the risk pro-file of the less regulated sector, and to encour-age it to grow quickly at the same time,” saidFinn Poschmann, vice-president of policyanalysis at the C.D. Howe Institute, a think-tank.“In dollar terms it is not a huge part of the econ-omy (but) my concern is that we pay attention,because small problems sometimes get unex-pectedly large, and quickly so.”

Mortgage broker Lou Perrotta said that interms of volume, 20 percent to 30 percent ofthe mortgages he puts together are now pri-vately financed, typically because borrowersare declined for a bank loan for reasons like alow credit rating or unsteady income. That rep-resents about C$4 million to C$5 million of theC$20 million ($15.69 million) of mortgage busi-ness he does annually, he said.

“Business is brisk, without question. (It has)probably tripled in the past three years,” saidPerrotta, president of Domus Financial Corp inToronto, where house prices have increased by55 percent in the last six years. Perrotta acts as amatchmaker between individuals who havemoney to lend - and who are seeking higher

rates of return than can be had in stocks orbonds - and borrowers who are willing to pay ahigher mortgage rate to get into the market.

He also invests his own money, lendingbetween C$25,000 and C$250,000 each to “fiveor six” borrowers a year who offer a good bal-ance between risk and return.

“It’s not for the faint of heart, and you needto understand the dynamics of real estate,”Perrotta said. One private lender, who askednot to be named because she is close to thereal estate market and fears hurting her busi-ness, took out a C$400,000 mortgage on herpaid-off home at 2.49 percent and then gavethat money to a broker that lent it to a borrow-er at a higher rate, for a fee. —Reuters

Ordinary Canadians turn bankers as shadow mortgage lending rises

UFA, Russia: The New Development Bankbeing launched by the BRICS group ofemerging economies plans to raise moneyboth on local markets and internationally, itspresident said yesterday. The bank, with aninitial capital of $50 billion, is being intro-duced at an organizational summit theBRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, Chinaand South Africa - in the Russian city of Ufa.

The summit is a showcase for RussianPresident Vladimir Putin, and comes at atime when Moscow’s ties with the West arestrained because of the Ukraine crisis.

Kundapur Vaman Kamath, 67, a formerexecutive with India’s largest private bank,ICICI Bank, was appointed president of NDBin May this year. The bank is headquarteredin Shanghai, China. The bank, which theBRICS countries see as an alternative to theWorld Bank, will have its capital expanded to$100 billion within the next couple of years.It plans to issue its first loans, yet to be

agreed, in April - a plan K V Kamath said wason track.

“We will explore resource raising on vari-ous markets - hard currency markets andlocal currency markets,” KV Kamath said inan interview in Ufa.

He added that the NDB will seek interna-tional and local agencies ratings - a neces-sary step for issuing debt. “We are a cleansheet of paper, so I will get to Shanghai thisweek, (or) next week and we will sequenceit,” KV Kamath said when asked on timing forgetting ratings cleared.

Russia has been hit by Western sanctionsover its role in the Ukraine crisis, measuresthat limited access to foreign financing formany large firms and banks, such as thestate oil company Rosneft, private gas pro-ducer Novatek and Russia’s biggest bank,Sberbank.

KV Kamath said that the NDB should notbe viewed as a tool to help sanctions-hit

companies but said the bank will look atrequests from Russian companies. “We arenot looking at it in that context at all ... Wewill look at any proposal that the govern-ment or entity in the country wants us tolook at,” he said.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanovtold reporters this week that some projects,such as a request by Rosneft for financialsupport, may be listed for possible NDBfunds.

KV Kamath added that there were nospecific deals yet in the pipeline and no limithad been set on the size of loans. The size ofthe loan “will depend on what is the struc-ture of the loan, what is a need of a borrow-ing country and then we will look at it,” hesaid.

“Our mandate is very wide... Webelieve that development happens ininfrastructure so primarily we are focusingon that.” —Reuters

UFA:(From left clockwise): President of China Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma, Brazil’s PresidentDilma Rousseff, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet during aworking breakfast of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Ufa, Russia yesterday.—AP

BRICS bank to look at local,international borrowing

Bank to have initial capital of $50 billion

India’s 2-speed inflation strains country’s

indebted companiesMUMBAI: Indian firms battling towering debts are calling formore interest rate cuts as they worry the central bank is tyingmonetary policy too much to consumer inflation and ignoringthe longest streak of wholesale price falls on record. ReserveBank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan in 2014 startedusing consumer prices as the bank’s key inflation measure tofocus policy on ordinary Indians. This year, the link betweenconsumer prices and monetary policy became even strongeras the RBI formally adopted an inflation-targeting regime.

But a growing divide between consumer and wholesaleinflation has revived a long-standing debate on which inflationmeasure should be used to determine India’s interest rates.The wholesale price index (WPI) has been falling since late2014, dragged down by lower energy costs, while the con-sumer price index (CPI) is currently at 5 percent.

The RBI has cut interest rates three times this year as corpo-rate profits shrank and companies small and large shied awayfrom new investments. But India’s hundreds of indebted com-panies are saying that’s not enough. They argue the RBI hasroom to further ease policy, as the WPI has dropped for anunprecedented seven straight months.

“It may not be suitable to be focused on only one (inflation)index at a point in time,” said R. Shankar Raman, chief financialofficer of infrastructure conglomerate Larsen & Toubro.

“Just as focus on WPI alone is not going to serve the pur-pose, focusing on CPI alone is also not going to serve the pur-pose,” he added, referring to kick-starting economic growth.

That echoes the argument made by India’s chief economicadviser, Arvind Subramanian, who last month suggested thatin “unusual times” of stress, a policy based on consumerprices alone may not reflect firms’ realities. Rajan has notpublicly spoken about the discrepancy, but some policymak-ers have attributed the widening gap between the twoindices to commodity prices, and not to deflationary forces inthe economy.

The RBI could not immediately comment. The reality is low-er interest rates reduce the cost of borrowing. In India, bankloans continue to form the lion’s share of corporate financing,even though fund-raising in the equities market, for example,has increased this year.

Indian companies, particularly small and mid-cap firms, car-ry Asia’s biggest debt burden because of their aggressive bor-rowing in the boom years after the 2008 global crisis. Totaldebt for listed Indian companies excluding financials fell only 4percent to $368 billion in the year ended in March 2015.Adding to their woes, banks have yet to pass on most of theRBI rate cuts. The central bank has reduced its policy rate thisyear by a total of 75 basis points to 7.25 percent. But bankshave cut their rates by an average of 25 to 30 basis points,reducing incentive for companies to increase investment.

MONSOONRajan ended the RBI’s decades-long focus on wholesale infla-

tion in January last year. At that time, CPI was 8.79 percent,much closer to wholesale inflation of 5.11 percent. But that deci-sion is now coming under increasing scrutiny as firms struggleand Rajan has tied any additional easing to how food pricesreact to the current monsoon season. That is prompting concernhe is turning cautious on rate cuts despite a struggling corporatesector and an unprecedented period of deflation as measuredby the WPI, which is less affected by food and energy costs anddoes not reflect the services sector. —Reuters

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

SHANGHAI/BEIJING: Chinese companies thatborrowed money using shares as collateralmay have to put up more assets or repay theirdebts, carrying the ripples from the stock mar-ket plunge into the wider economy. A near 30percent collapse in share prices has started toendanger some businesses using such financ-ing, and the country’s banking regulator saidon Thursday it would let financial institutionsrenegotiate lending terms in these circum-stances.

Bank and other loans backed by listedshares officially increased around 260 percentin May to 58.4 billion yuan ($9.4 billion) from ayear earlier, representing about 4.8 percent oftotal social financing for the period. “There isno doubt all the companies are facing afinancing dilemma,” said Zhang Jihong, boardsecretary at Hubei Landing Holding Co Ltd, atextile company that suspended its sharesfrom trading on Tuesday - roughly half of allshares on mainland bourses are now sus-pended - after its stock fell 61 percent.

Hubei Landing has 29.9 percent of its

shares pledged as collateral for a loan from atrust company. Around 20 percent of theroughly 1,500 companies that have suspend-ed trading pledged shares for loans in the lastmonth, according to a Reuters calculation.The total number that have pledged shares ismuch higher. “It is too early to predict whatinfluence the stock crash will have on the realeconomy,” Zhang said.

EQUITY COLLATERALOn Thursday, the China Banking

Regulatory Commission announced addition-al proposals to support the market, includingmeasures authorizing banks to adjust thematurity of loans using stock as collateral.Other measures included letting banks adjustthe levels at which equity collateral must besold, and supporting listed companies enter-ing the market to buy back their own shares.

Bank of Communications Co Ltd plans tolend at 60 percent of share value for stockbuybacks by companies and their sharehold-ers, three sources said.

BoCom could not be reached immediatelyfor comment. “There is bleeding, but it won’thurt the system on the whole,” said YangZhao, chief economist at Nomura HoldingsInc. in Hong Kong. “I don’t see systemic risk.”

Yang estimated total equity financing atabout 600 billion yuan. The total value ofpledged shares could be four times thatamount. Huatai Securities in a research notelast weekend said the value of equitiesoffered as collateral reached 2.53 trillion yuanat end-June. Official measures of equityfinance rose in the first five months of 2015 to4.2 percent of new total social financing from2.6 percent in 2014, according to data fromthe People’s Bank of China.

While pure equity finance isn’t a large pro-portion of total lending, share pledges areoften part of collateral packages taken bybanks, according to lawyers, so reeling mar-kets may have a wider impact on corporatefinance. “It could potentially be quite seriousbecause if a company has to provide cash (totop up collateral), it will affect liquidity, and if

it has to pledge more assets, that lessens yourability to borrow more money,” said JonathanSilver, a banking and finance partner atNorton Rose. “It will potentially limit their abil-ity to expand,” he added.

BANKING ON A BREAKThe current market loan to value ratio is

typically 40 percent, so for every 100 yuan ofshares, a bank might lend 40 yuan. “Currently,because we give a discount of 20 to 30 per-cent, we are in a safe place,” said one bankerfrom a top-10 listed Chinese lender.

But China’s banks, which have alreadyseen their margins eroded by repeated inter-est rate cuts and increasing competition fromother lending institutions, face further painfrom the possibility of defaults and regulator-enforced refinancing.

“We are afraid to lend on share collateralnow,” said another loan officer from a top-10listed Chinese bank. “We are still worried wewon’t get back our investment in such loans,”she added. — Reuters

China’s companies at risk of stock-backed loan recalls

SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks stormed intopositive territory in volatile trade yesterday asBeijing launched new measures to halt a dra-matic sell-off, prompting Asian markets torebound, but dealers questioned whether thegains would last.

The main Shanghai Composite Index hadfallen more than 30 percent since a spectacu-lar bull run peaked on June 12, raising fearsfor the wider economy, the world’s second-largest. But the benchmark surged 5.76 per-cent, or 202.14 points, to 3,709.33 onturnover of 673.3 billion yuan ($110.1 billion).It fell as much as 3.81 percent and rose up to6.88 percent during the day, representing aswing of more than 10 percent. TheShenzhen Composite Index, which tracksstocks on China’s second exchange, endedup 3.76 percent, or 70.90 points, to 1,955.35on turnover of 277.6 billion yuan. More than1,100 stocks on both markets surged by their10 percent daily limits, data from the

exchanges showed.The gains came after China moved to stop

“major” shareholders-those holding at least afive percent stake-from selling their stocksand launched a probe into short-selling in abid to calm markets.

“As China beefs up its efforts to rescue themarket... market sentiment is recoveringslightly,” Qian Qimin, an analyst at ShenwanHongyuan Group, told Bloomberg News.

“The rise today may help ease some sell-ing pressure when companies resume theirshares from trading, but whether it’s sustain-able will depend on what policies are comingnext.” More than 1,400 companies have beensuspended from trading on China’s sharemarkets as of yesterday, representing around50 percent of listed stocks, according toBloomberg. The move temporarily averts fur-ther falls in their prices, but seizes up the mar-kets. Heavyweight financial stocks rose.Shanghai-listed banking giant ICBC added

2.01 percent to 5.58 yuan, while Shenzhen-listed Ping An Bank jumped 8.11 percent to14.26 yuan.

Asian markets also rose yesterday, revers-ing heavy morning losses and tracking thesurge in Shanghai. Hong Kong closed up 3.73percent after the market recorded its biggestsingle-day loss for more than six years onWednesday. Tokyo recovered from losses ofmore than three percent to end 0.60 percenthigher. But US shares retreated overnight onworries about how the stock market routcould affect the Chinese economy-a key driv-er of global growth-and worries of a messyGreek exit from the euro-zone. The DowJones Industrial Average finished down 1.47percent. The falls of recent week were trig-gered by restrictions on margin trading, rein-forced by concerns about overvaluations, andaccelerated by “panic” selling among theretail investors who make up the vast majori-ty of the market. —AFP

China stocks edge higher on government moves

Dealers wonder if the gains would last

SHANGHAI: People walk on a footbridge with an electronic stock ticker showing real time stock market indices atLujiazhui Financial and Trade Zone in Shanghai yesterday. — AP

NEW YORK: As the Chinese stock market free-fall shows no signs ofstopping, some US-based fund managers said the government’seffort to prop up stock values is having the opposite effect, even assome buy at what they consider panic-driven prices.

The Shanghai Composite Index has tumbled by 32 percent sincemid-June, wiping out about $3 trillion in market value and ending arally that had previously seen the market double from its June 2014low. In response, Beijing has cut interest rates and stopped the trad-ing of thousands of stocks, preventing some shareholders from sell-ing their positions in hopes of ending the downturn.

The measures have instead helped spread the rout to the HongKong-based Hang Seng index, whose listings of so-called H sharecompanies are largely owned by foreign investors and trade at lowervaluations, fund managers said. “You’ve had some misguided effortsto cushion the selloff and that’s ultimately led to the unintended con-sequence of making the situation worse,” said Charles Wilson, co-portfolio manager of the $2 billion Thornburg Developing Worldfund who has been adding to his positions in Chinese consumer,internet and utility stocks over the last few days of the selloff.

The Hang Seng index fell 5.8 percent Wednesday, its biggestdecline so far this year. The index is still up 5.8 percent for the year todate, while the Shanghai index is up 16.7 percent over the same time.Reuters contacted several prominent mutual fund managers, includ-ing the $8.7 billion T Rowe Price Emerging Markets Stock fund, the $1billion Columbia Global Equity Value fund, and the $76 millionMorgan Stanley Global Opportunity fund, who all declined to com-ment. It’s the widest selloff in China, home of the world’s secondbiggest economy, since the global financial crisis of 2008.

While it is unclear what will happen when Chinese marketsresume full trading, most fund managers and analysts expect thereto be further losses as sell orders move through the market. Beijinghas moved to curb new listings and extracted promises from fundmanagers and brokerages to buy at least $19 billion in stocks to pro-vide support for blue chip shares. In addition, the China SecuritiesFinance Corp, the country’s official margin lender for brokerages, hasraised its capital base to 100 billion yuan ($16.1 billion) from 24 bil-lion yuan, in order to stabilize markets.

On Wednesday night in China, the securities regulator orderedshareholders with stakes of more than 5 percent from selling sharesfor the next six months in a bid to halt the plunge in stock prices.

OUTLOOK DEPENDS ON BEIJINGWhile US investors say that they remain largely bullish that con-

sumer spending will expand and the fallout from the stock marketcrisis will be limited to the relatively small upper class of speculatorsthat own A shares, every portfolio manager interviewed by Reutersnoted that additional policy changes by Beijing could alter their out-look. At the same time, fund managers like Wilson say the volatilityand selloff is making the Chinese market more attractive for long-term investors, even if the market has not hit bottom yet.

Emily Alejos, portfolio manager of the $20.8 million NuveenTradewinds Emerging Markets fund, noted that companies that focuson domestic consumption in the country are trading at enticingprices. “For a long-term investor, some of these valuations [in Hshares] are quite compelling,” she said, adding that the steepdeclines are not affecting her outlook for the Chinese economybecause the losses in wealth among the relatively small percentageof Chinese who own stocks are not likely to dent the country’sexpected GDP growth of 7 percent. —Reuters

US funds not bailing on China yet amidfree-fall in stocks

42S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO: All-Star Jacob deGrom allowed twohits over eight innings, Eric Campbell hit a two-runhomer and the New York Mets beat the San FranciscoGiants 4-1 Wednesday to win consecutive road seriesfor the first time this season. Juan Lagares also drovein a run for the Mets, who took advantage of an errorby All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford to break a 0-0tie in the sixth. DeGrom (9-6) allowed a double toHunter Pence in the third inning and a bloop single toBrandon Belt in the fourth, then retired 13 consecutivebatters. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year, deGromstruck out 10 and walked one. He is 5-1 with a 1.09ERA in day games. Mets starting pitchers haveallowed three or fewer hits in each of their last fourstarts. Jeurys Familia got two outs for his 24th save in26 chances. In his second start after missing 2 1/2months because of a strained back, Jake Peavy (0-4)gave up two runs - one earned - and six hits in seveninnings.

ROYALS 9, RAYS 7Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson hit two-run

homers, Alcides Escobar had four hits and Kansas Citypounded All-Star Chris Archer before holding offTampa Bay. The Royals lost All-Star outfielder AlexGordon to a strained groin in the fourth inning. He washurt on Logan Forsythe’s inside-the-park homer. Dysoncountered with an inside-the-park homer two inningslater. It was the first time there were two in one gamesince the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa and Pirates’ Tony Womackdid it on May 26, 1997. Tampa Bay, swept in a double-header Tuesday, fell for the 10th time in 11 games.Jeremy Guthrie (7-5) got the win. Joe Blanton gave upthree runs in the ninth before Greg Holland got thefinal two outs, stranding runners on second and third,to earn his 17th save. Archer (9-6) allowed a career-high nine runs on 11 hits over six innings.

CARDINALS 6, CUBS 5Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer with two outs

in the ninth inning and St Louis jolted Chicago. TheCardinals trailed 5-4 and Cubs reliever Pedro Strop (1-4) quickly retired the first two batters in the ninth. MattCarpenter followed with a four-pitch walk and Peraltaconnected on a 1-2 pitch, hitting a drive that barelycleared the wall in left field for his 12th home run.Miguel Socolovich (3-1) got two outs for the win.Trevor Rosenthal gave up a two-out double toAddison Russell in the ninth, but struck out DexterFowler for his 25th save in 26 chances. The Cubs tooka 5-4 in the sixth on Miguel Montero’s three-run dou-ble. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and catcherYadier Molina were ejected after Montero’s hit, argu-ing that the pitch before the double should’ve beencalled a strike instead of a ball.

DODGERS 5, PHILLIES 0Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 in snapping a five-

start winless streak with an eight-hit shutout, andJimmy Rollins hit a three-run homer against his formerteam to help Los Angeles beat Philadelphia. Kershaw(6-6) walked none and threw 123 pitches. The left-han-der hasn’t allowed a run in his last 31 innings againstthe Phillies while making three straight scoreless startsagainst them. He earned his 10th career shutout and18th complete game in his 227th start. Kershaw, thereigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Awardwinner, is bidding for his fifth straight All-Star selec-tion. He’s among five candidates in the fan vote for thefinal National League roster spot for next week’s gamein Cincinnati. AJ Ellis added a two-run homer for theDodgers.

PIRATES 5, PADRES 2With the win, Pittsburgh completed a sweep of

San Diego for its 10th series sweep of the season to tiea club record. Gregory Polanco, Andrew McCutchenand Jung Ho Kang had RBI singles in a three-runeighth, all with two outs. Andrew Cashner allowedone hit in his first six innings for San Diego, but wasgone in the eighth. Brandon Maurer allowed his inher-ited runners to score and Cashner (3-10) was chargedfor four runs in 7 2/3 innings. Deolis Guerra (2-0)retired all six batters in the seventh and eighth for the

win. Antonio Bastardo worked a scoreless ninth to pickup his first save of the season.

YANKEES 5, ATHLETICS 4All-Star slugger Mark Teixeira homered twice after

Scott Kazmir left his start with triceps tightness, andCC Sabathia won for the first time in a month as NewYork held off Oakland. Stephen Drew, who entered asa late-game defensive replacement in a 1-for-24slump, homered off Fernando Abad in the eighth togive New York a 5-2 lead. Andrew Miller, just off thedisabled list, nearly gave it all back in his first appear-ance since June 9, allowing a two-run shot in the ninthto Marcus Semien. Stephen Vogt reached second onthird baseman Gregorio Petit’s two-out throwingerror. But Petit charged Ben Zobrist’s soft grounderand made a quick throw to first for the final out, withTeixeira making a tough stretch. That gave Miller his18th save in 18 chances.

ANGELS 3, ROCKIES 2Mike Trout homered twice and Johnny Giavotella

singled in the tiebreaking run with two outs in theninth inning to lift Los Angeles over Colorado for itsfifth straight win. The start was delayed by rain for 2hours, 7 minutes, and the teams played in 50-degreeweather throughout. It didn’t bother Trout, who hitmammoth homers in the first and sixth to account forthe Angels’ runs against starter Chris Rusin. It was thefifth multihomer game of Trout’s career and secondthis season. The reigning AL MVP has gone deep 24times on the year, second in the league to teammateAlbert Pujols (26). Troy Tulowitzki had a first-inningsingle that extended his hitting streak to 20 games. It’stied for the longest in the majors this season, and hehas reached safely in 35 consecutive games. TheAngels loaded the bases against John Axford (1-2)with one out in the ninth. After pinch-hitter EfrenNavarro struck out, Giavotella grounded a single to leftto give Los Angeles the lead. Joe Smith (3-2) got thewin in relief, and Huston Street pitched the ninth forhis 24th save.

WHITE SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 6, 11 INNINGSAdam Eaton’s walkoff home run in the 11th inning

lifted Chicago to a win over Toronto. Eaton hammereda 1-0 pitch to right field off Toronto reliever RobertoOsuna (1-3) for his sixth home run of the season. JoshDonaldson hit a pair of doubles and drove in two runsfor Toronto. Zach Putnam (3-3) pitched a scoreless11th and White Sox relievers tossed scoreless ball for 62/3 innings, giving up two hits. The Blue Jays had a

scoring opportunity in the 11th but pinch-runner RyanGoins got caught between second and third onDevon Travis’ grounder. Travis was tagged out for thesecond out after trying to retreat back to third.

INDIANS 4, ASTROS 2David Murphy drove in two runs with a double in

the eighth inning to send Trevor Bauer and Clevelandto a win over Houston. Murphy, who came in 3-for-9vs. left-handers this season, snapped a 2-2 tie bypulling a pitch from lefty Joe Thatcher (1-3) over rightfielder Preston’s Tucker’s head, scoring rookieFrancisco Lindor and Michael Brantley. Bauer (8-5)allowed Evan Gattis’ two-run homer in the first but set-tled down nicely, allowing six hits and no walks ineight innings. The right-hander retired 13 of the final14 batters he faced. Cody Allen worked the ninth forhis 17th save. With the score tied 2-2, Lindor doubledwith one out in the seventh, barely beating left fielderColby Rasmus’ throw to second with a head-first slide.Brantley walked and Murphy, a Houston native bat-ting .368 in his last 49 games, came through with hisclutch double.

DIAMONDBACKS 7, RANGERS 4AJ Pollock hit a three-run homer during a five-run

second inning in Texas left-hander Matt Harrison’s firststart in more than a year, and Arizona beat theRangers. Harrison (0-1) made his previous start onMay 13, 2014, against Houston, when he left with backstiffness about a month before career-threateningspinal fusion surgery. It was the last of three proce-dures for back problems that limited him to sixappearances over two seasons. Randall Delgado (4-2)was the second of five Arizona relievers behind right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who came out after fourinnings because of a blister on his right thumb. BradZiegler pitched a perfect ninth for his career-best 14thsave. Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer for theDiamondbacks.

BREWERS 6, BRAVES 5Carlos Gomez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in

the eighth inning and also had a solo shot in the sixthto help Milwaukee beat Atlanta. The Brewers trailed 5-3 before Gomez’s eighth home run off reliever LuisAvilan (2-3), who failed to hold the lead for JulioTeheran and Atlanta. Shane Peterson and GerardoParra each reached on bloop hits before Avilan struckout Jonathan Lucroy. Gomez followed and drilled a 3-1 pitch into the seats. Jeremy Jeffress (3-0) picked upthe win with 1 1-3 scoreless innings of relief, and

Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 19thsave in as many chances. Teheran pitched sevenstrong innings but Atlanta failed to sweep the three-game series.

RED SOX 6, MARLINS 3Rick Porcello held Miami to two runs in six innings

to snap a career-worst, seven-game losing streak,David Ortiz hit a two-run homer and surging Bostonwon its season-high fourth straight. The victory com-pleted a two-game sweep of the interleague series. Itwas Boston’s fourth consecutive series victory, also aseason high. Michael Morse hit a solo homer for theMarlins, who lost their fourth straight. Porcello (5-9)gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked one,halting a stretch that included giving up seven runs intwo innings in his previous start. Koji Uehara got thefinal three outs for his 21st save, collecting one for thethird straight game. Tom Koehler (7-5) was chargedwith five runs - one earned - on five hits in six innings.

TWINS 5, ORIOLES 3Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer hit back-to-back home

runs with two outs in the sixth inning, propellingMinnesota past Baltimore to complete a three-gamesweep. Manny Machado and Chris Davis hit consecu-tive homers off Casey Fien in the eighth for theOrioles, but Glen Perkins got his 28th save in 28attempts with a perfect ninth. Tommy Milone (5-1)stayed unbeaten in seven starts since being broughtbackfrom Triple-A Rochester at the beginning of June,striking out five in seven innings to lower his ERA to2.84. Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez pitched fivescoreless innings, but he needed a season-high 110pitches to finish them. Bud Norris (2-9), who wasbumped from the rotation last week, took over in thedecisive sixth.

TIGERS 5, MARINERS 4Jefry Marte got an RBI double for his first major

league hit, then added a solo home run that sentDetroit over Seattle. Marte made his big league debutlast Sunday and had struck out in his only at-bat. The24-year-old played first base while the Tigers areminus injured Miguel Cabrera. Making his first start,Marte doubled during a three-run second and scoredlater in the inning. Marte homered in the fourthagainst JA Happ (4-6) to make it 4-2. Nick Castellanoshit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh that broke a4-4 tie. Anibal Sanchez (8-7) got the win. Joakim Soriaput two runners on base in the ninth but finished forhis 19th save in 21 opportunities.— AP

DENVER: (From left) Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, left fielder Daniel Robertson, shortstop Erick Aybar, right fielder KoleCalhoun and second baseman Johnny Giavotella celebrate after defeating the Colorado Rockies 3-2 in a baseball game Thursday, July9, 2015, in Denver. — AP

Mets overpower San Francisco Giants 4-1

S p o r t sFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

LAUSANNE: It seems many moons ago thatDavid Rudisha streaked to a world record-breaking victory in the 800m at the LondonOlympics. The Kenyan set the end of a fantas-tic track and field spectacle at the 2012 Gamesalight when he clocked a breath-taking 1min40.91sec around two laps of the track. Butthen injury hit, with 26-year-old Rudisha miss-ing out on the world championships inMoscow in 2013. There was another injuryscare earlier this season when Rudisha quicklypulled up in a 600m race clutching his thigh.

He has rebounded from that incident,however, with victory in the New YorkDiamond League and insisted Wednesday

that his focus was on next month’s worldchamps in Beijing. “Injury is gone and all isgood to reach about 1:43,” he said ahead of anouting at the Diamond League at Lausanne, avenue where he won his first race still as a jun-ior athlete and still at school. “My main aim for2015 is the world championships in Beijingand see what I can do there. “Since 2012, withall my disappointment and injuries, it hasbeen difficult to get preparation and training. Iwas not finishing training well, sometimes atabout 70 percent. And this also reflects on mycompetitions.

“So, it is a good way to test different tactics.But now I am in good shape and I am strong,

so I will start strong and finish strong.” Rudishaadded: “With all these difficulties, I had lots ofdisappointments, but I always fight back andcome back. As we say, What does not kill youmake you stronger.” The lean, softly-spokenKenyan did not rule out an attempt on theStade de la Pontaise record of 1:42.61 held byKenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer, withweather forecast to be hot and sunny. “Theweather needs to be good, I believe we are ingood shape for 1:42 something. But we needgood weather. Even 1:42.50 is not easy toachieve. But why not?!”

Rudisha said that the increased rivalry inthe 800m was only for the good. “I believe my

friends, like (Ethiopian) Mohammed Aman, wewill be able to push each other,” he said.“When the competition is up there, everybodyis more competitive. Since 2010, we havebeen seeing good races, I have been able topush my colleagues. Sometimes they are ingood shape, but not always confident. Finally,it results a lot in your training.” Rudisha put hisinjuries down more to bad luck than “bad”training. “It is difficult to know what exactlycauses the problems and the injuries,” headmitted. “We have good physiotherapist andmedical support in Kenya, not as many as inEurope. But we work very closely with them. Ithink my body is just a bit sensitive!” — AFP

Rudisha aiming to bury injury woes for Beijing push

Bangladesh upbeat for

S Africa ODIsDHAKA: A fast-improving Bangladesh are confident ofupsetting another of world cricket’s powerhouses onhome turf when they take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series starting today. Although Bangladeshsuffered a 2-0 reverse in the recent Twenty20 seriesagainst the visitors, the game’s one-time whippingboys have become a force to be reckoned with in the50-over format and have not lost an ODI series athome since February last year. After their making it tothe World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in theirhistory earlier this year, Bangladesh then trouncedPakistan 3-0 in April before following up with a 2-1 tri-umph over India last month.

Although India’s consolation win marked the endof a record 10-match home winning streak,Bangladeshi opening batsman Tamim Iqbal said thatconfidence in the camp was high despite losing theT20s to the Proteas. “In the past year, the players havebeen reading ODIs much better and that’s the reason Iam sure that we will get more success in this format,”Tamim told reporters ahead of the opening match atthe Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

“So as a unit we are obviously confident. You can’tlose all your confidence because of one or twodefeats. When it comes to ODIs, we are a lot more con-fident unit and we will only grow in confidence.” A vic-tory would cement Bangladesh’s place in the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 which would beanother important milestone in the side’s develop-ment. Faf du Plessis, who led the South Africans in theT20s but will now hand over the captaincy for theODIs to Hashim Amla, said the Proteas had managedto dent the hosts’ confidence with their triumph in theshortest format.

“But I also appreciate and understand that one-daycricket is a different format so we will go back to mak-ing sure we prepare really well for the one day series,”du Plessis told reporters. South Africa are resting theirnormal ODI captain AB de Villiers who would anywayhave been banned from the first game as punishmentfor a slow over rate during the World Cup semi-finalloss against New Zealand. Coach Russell Domingoinsisted that the absence of one of the world’s bestbatsmen could be a blessing in disguise as SouthAfrica look to rebuild after their World Cup disappoint-ment. “It would be a great opportunity to develop thenext tier of batters during this series,” Domingo said.

Leg-spinner Eddie Leie, who took 3-16 in animpressive international debut in the secondTwenty20 international, has replaced de Villiers in theODI squad. Bangladesh have recalled batsmenMohammad Mahmudullah and Anamul Haque in their14-man squad. Mahmudullah missed the India seriesafter fracturing his left index finger while Anamul wasinjured during the World Cup in March and was sentback home from Australia. The second and third ODIswill be held on July 12 and 15 in Dhaka andChittagong. The two teams will also play a two-Testseries following the ODIs. — AFP

PAMPLONA: Half-ton fighting bulls crashed into and trampledthrill-seeking runners as they raced down the cobblestone streetsof Pamplona in northern Spain yesterday, injuring five men, offi-cials said. A huge black bull called “Jubilado”, or “Retired”, spedahead of a pack of six bulls, and charged runners before slippingand falling on a group of daredevils. An isolated bull is more dan-gerous because it can become disoriented and more likely toattack. Runners, many wearing traditional white clothes with redneck scarves, collided into each other or pushed one another outof the way as the galloping animals neared.

“There was a lot of panic this morning. I jumped over six peo-ple today,” said Peter Milligan, a 44-year-old lawyer from NewJersey in the United States who took part in the run with hisbrother and son. “One of the bulls hit me in the back with its noseand then ran off. The whole time my son was running a couple ofsteps ahead of me.”

No one was gored but five Spanish men between the ages of27 and 58 were taken to hospital for injuries to the head, knees orelbows, the regional government of Navarra said in a statement.None of the injuries were serious.

The bulls from the Los Victoriano del Rio ranch near Madrid

took just two minutes and 27 seconds to cover the 846.6-metre(925-yard) course from a pen to the city’s bull ring, where theywill face matadors and certain death in the afternoon. Just beforethe herd arrived in the ring one man grabbed the horn of the leadbull, causing other runners to fall. Touching the bulls is forbidden.It was the third of eight scheduled runs. A 27-year-old Australianman was gored in the groin and thigh in Pamplona bull ring atthe end of the second run on Wednesday. Two Americans and aBriton were gored in the first run on Tuesday.

All of the injured were treated in hospital and later released. “Itripped and fell backward and a bull got me right in the armpit. Igot up, noticed a little blood. I looked under my shirt and noticeda hole,” said one of the Americans who was gored on Tuesday,Mike Webster. The 38-year-old occupational therapist fromGainesville, Florida has been taking part in San Fermin for thepast 11 and it was his 38th bull run but he said he would not runagain. “I made an agreement with my wife that if I got injured Iwould stop and watch,” he said. Fifteen people have been killedin the bull runs since modern day records started in 1911, mostrecently in 2009 when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in theneck, heart and lungs. — AFP

Charging bulls injure five in Spanish fiesta

PAMPLONA: Victoriano del Rio fighting bulls run over revelers during the running of the bulls, at the San Fermin festival, inPamplona, Spain yesterday. Revelers from around the world arrive in Pamplona every year to take part in some of the eightdays of the running of the bulls. — AP

LAS VEGAS: Diving for loose balls, gettinga hand in passing lanes for a deflection,being close enough to contest a shot, orsacrificing the body and taking a charge.For years, they’ve been called intangibles.The NBA is about to try to make them tan-gible. All 67 games in the NBA SummerLeague at Las Vegas will have so-called“hustle stats” officially tracked, a nod to theleague’s evolving reliance on analytics andall the things besides scoring that helpdecide the outcome of games. A trainedcrew will chart 2-pointers contested, 3-pointers contested, deflections, loose ballsrecovered and charges taken.

Those numbers will all go into a formulato determine which players hustled most inany given game, and will be availablethrough advanced box scores that will bedistributed in-game to team personnel,media and broadcasters. Fans will havepostgame access to the information byopening box scores posted to the NBA’swebsite. “I think we’re all just scratching thesurface,” said Kiki Vandeweghe, the NBA’ssenior vice president for basketball opera-tions. “We don’t know where the analyticsis going to take us. The more data youhave, the longer we do this, the better ideawe’ll have of the direction. It’s really inter-esting because a lot of the basketball deci-sions are data-driven. The analytics are nowaffecting the way the game is played.”

Hustle-stat-trackingMuch like referees using headsets to

talk with one another - and in some cases,the NBA’s office in Secaucus, New Jersey -in games this summer, the hustle-stat-tracking project is in its infancy and likelywouldn’t be added to the regular-seasonrepertoire until at least the 2016-17 season.But while teams use summer league to finda hidden gem or two, the league itself usesit as a laboratory of sorts to see how thegame can get better for all involved. Hence,the tinkering with refs and stats. “You’vegot to look at everything,” said Joe Borgia,the NBA’s senior vice president for replayand referee operations. “We’re always try-ing to look at things that possibly couldhelp us.”

Teams have been charting hustle num-bers for years. Many will want a certainnumber of deflections per game, for exam-ple. But for the most part, fans haven’t

been able to have access to that info.Players briefed on the general idea say itstime has come. “It wins games. Hustle winsgames,” Miami forward Udonis Haslemsaid. “Whether you want to keep a stat for itor whether you want to say it’s not a bigdeal, it wins games. We’re not going outthere and just running like a chicken withyour head cut off. That’s two differentthings. I’d say 95 percent of the time, whenwe win the hustle areas, dominate theloose balls, dominate rebounds, dominatesteals, those categories, we win the game.It’s a fact.”

Adding them to the box score, or atleast getting the nitty-gritty-type numbersout there more openly, might serve asmotivation to players as well. “When youcan put numbers and stats on things, itgives a player a reason why we’re tellingthem to do certain things,” said Minnesotaassistant coach Ryan Saunders, theTimberwolves’ summer league coach. “Soto have physical data and reasons for thosekinds of plays is definitely a positive for usas coaches.” Vandeweghe stressed that theidea is a long way from becoming part ofthe everyday NBA. A team of stats peoplewas trained specifically to monitor hustle inLas Vegas, and then feedback will be need-ed from teams to see if any of it was actual-ly helpful.

Technology is obviousSo, too, is the headset idea that referees

are playing with this summer. It’s not new.Borgia said that Darell Garretson, a long-time referee and officials supervisor untilthe late 1990s, experimented with head-sets during summer play in the 1980s.Technology is obviously way moreadvanced now, and the equipment refer-ees are using this summer is hardly notice-able. “The one major drawback, which I’msure could be fixed with the technology wehave out there, is it’s kind of having swim-mer’s ear,” said NBA referee Brent Barnaky.“And you can’t really hear out of one ear.You really need your senses as a referee.You need to be able to hear.”

There are other challenges. So far,they’ve been used in relatively quiet gyms.How would they work in a loud arena dur-ing a playoff game? Will officials inSecaucus be able to stay in constant con-

tact, and will teams want that to happen?Will custom equipment be needed? All thatand more is still guesswork, and those aresome of the things the NBA will assessbefore going forward. “We look at the

game as a whole,” Borgia said. “We hearfrom everybody. The rules of the game perse haven’t changed, but a lot of the inter-pretations have changed. We’re always -always - monitoring the game.” —AP

New stat-tracking coming to NBA summer league


DALLAS: In this file photo, Dallas Mavericks’ Amar’e Stoudemire (1)dunks against the Houston Rockets in the second half of Game 4 in anNBA basketball first-round playoff series in Dallas. Soudemire can stillput up good numbers even late in his career, making him potentialaffordable option for teams looking for a scoring forward. —AP

DALLAS: DeAndre Jordan gave the Dallas Mavericks his word. Then hegave the Los Angeles Clippers his signature. After a Clippers contingentincluding Blake Griffin, JJ Redick, Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers descendedon Jordan’s home in Houston on Wednesday night for a last-ditch pushto keep their defensive pillar, Jordan backed out of a verbal agreementwith the Mavericks to stay with the only NBA home he’s ever had.

The Clippers announced Jordan’s deal late Wednesday night. It’s afour-year pact worth more than $87 million, a person with knowledge ofthe agreement told The Associated Press. The terms, first reported byUSA Today, include a player option after the third season. The personspoke on condition of anonymity because the team was not releasingcontract details. The Clippers also sent out a tweet welcoming Jordanback to Los Angeles.

“WE’RE OFFICIALLY CENTERED,” the tweet read. Once and for all.Jordan initially agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $80 million toleave the Clippers after seven seasons and join the Mavericks, a team thatoffered him a more featured role on offense. But that was last Friday, andthe contract could not be signed until 12:01 am Eastern time, accordingto NBA rules. That gave Jordan time to think it over, and when word gotback to the Clippers that he was having second thoughts, they pounced.

They gathered to meet with Jordan and talk things over, then heldthe Mavericks at bay as owner Mark Cuban tried to get one more meet-ing to close the deal. Cuban and Jordan’s agent, Dan Fegan of RelativitySports, tried repeatedly to reach the big man while he was holed up inhis house with his teammates to no avail, according to two people withknowledge of the situation. They spoke on condition of anonymitybecause all parties involved were not publicly discussing the process.Griffin even tweeted a photo of a chair pushed underneath the handle ofa door. “Don’t agree with the furniture layout but I’m not an interiordesigner,” Griffin quipped. Desperate measures for a desperate team.

Earlier this week, Redick said on Bleacher Report radio that theClippers deserved an “F” in free agency after losing Jordan. “We had onepriority this summer, and that was to re-sign D.J., and we missed out onthat,” the guard said. “So barring some miracle, (the) makeup of our teamis completely different now.” Without him, the Clippers were scramblingto find an answer at center and in danger of falling far back in the loadedWestern conference. Now, with Jordan back to center a lineup thatincludes All-Stars Griffin and Chris Paul and added Pierce and LanceStephenson this summer, the Clippers again will have plenty of talent tocompete. —AP

Jordan spurns Mavericks for Clippers after pleas

Wie set for title defenseat the US Women’s Open

LANCASTER: Michelle Wie breaks into a huge smile any timeshe recounts her first major victory. But it’s not the clinchingputt, award ceremony or winner’s trophy that brightens Wie’ssmile. Oddly, she says it’s the way she handled a damagingdouble-bogey on the 16th hole of the final round of last year’sUS Women’s Open, cutting her lead to a single stroke. Shewent on to birdie 17 and close out a two-stroke win for her firstmajor title. A year later, she’s still most proud of how she han-dled the challenging turn of events in the biggest event inwomen’s golf.

“A lot of people talk about hole No. 17 when I birdied, but Ithink the moment I was most proud of was when I made thatdouble bogey putt on 16,” Wie said this week as she preparedto defend her title. “That, for me, was the moment that I felt likeI was the most in control that I’ve ever been.” Wie finished withthree victories last season, but 2014’s happiness has morphedin 2015’s hardship. Her season has been slowed by injury andillness. She has battled strep throat and a sinus infection, andshe’s just showing signs of moving past a debilitating left hipinjury that forced her to withdraw from a tournament atKingsmill after one round. She’s still looking for a top-10 finish,with her best a tie for 11th in the Lotte Championship. —AP


AMIENS: German cycling is riding thecrest of a wave after Andre Greipel wonWednesday’s fifth stage of the Tour deFrance. A year after Germans won four ofthe first six stages before ending withseven in total, Greipel’s second stage thisyear made it three in five days. And it hasmade the decision by German broadcast-er ARD to air the Tour for the first time infour years pay off. ARD had boycottedthe race in protest at the number of dop-ing scandals and the poor reputation ofthe sport in cleaning up and combatingthe cheats. But with Germans taking 21stage wins since 2011, including threemore this year, German cycling is boom-ing again.

“I’m really happy for the media atten-tion we are getting now from the first TVprogram in Germany (in four years). Ithink it’s also a big honor after four or fivesuccessful years of German riders,” saidGreipel, who also won Sunday’s secondstage. “The last years it’s also somethingwe can be proud of because with our vic-tories we could get the attention of theTour de France back to Germany.” As wellas Greipel, Tony Martin won Tuesday’sstage and also took the Tour yellow jer-

sey for the first time in his career.It means the absence of Marcel Kittel,

a winner of eight stages over the previ-ous two years who wore yellow duringboth editions after winning the openingstage, has not been felt.”It’s a big honourthat German television is coming backfirst of all because we showed that wemake some good sport, successful sport,”said Martin, 30, a three-time world timetrial champion. “So the pressure was real-ly high to show now what we are able todo, to repeat what we did in the (recent)past and I’m really happy we could do itso early in the Tour. “Five stages, threewins and the yellow jersey, you can’texpect a better start from Germancycling.”

Twitching musclesMartin is a timetrial specialist and has

five stage wins since 2011, but Germanyas a whole have won 21 stages since thenwith the other 16 coming from sprintersGreipel and Kittel. “I think it’s mothernature (either) you have the fast twitch-ing muscles or you dont have them,” saidGreipel, 32. “I think my parents did agood job as I have some fast twitching

muscles!” Despite that sprint success,Greipel had never even worn the sprint-ers’ green jersey until this year and Kittelhad only held it fleetingly. Peter Saganhas won the last three green jerseys andLotto-Soudal’s Greipel believes it will betough to beat the Slovakian, despiteholding the jersey since Sunday.

“The focus is to go for stage wins. We(Lotto) won already two, now I’m stillahead even if it’s not such a big differ-ence between Sagan and me,” saidGreipel on Wednesday. “I’m pretty cer-tain Sagan will get on hilly days morepoints than me. (Thursday) there are 50points on the line (in an uphill finish), itwill be a tough sprint for me but everyday I’m enjoying keeping the green jer-sey. “I have the green jersey so I will notjust give it away like that.” LikewiseMartin knows he cannot keep the yellowjersey all the way to Paris but he’s enjoy-ing his moment in the spotlight. “GC(general classification) doesn’t play forme a big role, I want to keep the yellowjersey now as long as possible but I’malso realistic that when the big moun-tains come, I won’t be able to stay withthe best riders,” he admitted. —AFP

Germans reveling in media attention

The pack rides along the English Channel on France’s west coast during the sixth stage of the Tour de Francecycling race over 191.5 kilometers with start in Abbeville and finish in Le Havre, France. —AP

Depletions rock CAF Cup pacesetters Ahly

JOHANNESBURG: A heavily depleted Al Ahly squad visitsMali this weekend wanting to build on a great start to theCAF Confederation Cup group phase in defence of thetitle. The Egyptians, winners of a record 19 African titles,play Stade Malien two weeks after thumping TunisiansEsperance 3-0 in the main attraction of that round ofgames. Stade lost 1-0 the same weekend at TunisiansEtoile Sahel, had a player red-carded to boot, and wouldhave suffered a heavier loss but for inspired goalkeepingfrom Djigui Diarra. However, Ahly have never won anaway group game in the second-tier competition and theabsence of seven stars is a major blow to coach FathyMabrouk. Suspensions rule out midfielders HossamAshour and Mohamed Hany and winger Walid Soliman.Midfielders Mohamed Rezk and Islam Roshdi are barredfrom travelling outside Egypt because they are due toreport for military service.

And injuries have sidelined winger Karim Bambou andNigeria-born striker Peter Ebimobowei. This leavesMabrouk with only one natural central midfielder-formerTottenham Hotspur footballer Hossam Ghaly. An addedchallenge for Ahly is that the Bamako clash with 2009Confederation Cup winners Stade kicks off Sunday at1630 local time. This is several hours before Muslimsbreak a daily dawn-to-dusk fast during the holy month ofRamadan. “I will not force my players to stop fasting andeat before the game although they have a license to doso,” stressed Mabrouk. “Our final training session will beheld at the same time as the match so the players can getused to the conditions “

The other Group A fixture is a Tunisian derby betweenEsperance and Etoile Saturday in Tunis suburb Rades. On-going post-Arab Spring security concerns led authoritiesto impose a 30,000 crowd ceiling, meaning the nationalstadium will be half full. Etoile must face their archdomestic rivals without Algeria-born leading scorerBaghdad Bounedjah, one of many North African starswho have recently moved to the more lucrative MiddleEast. As if being hammered by Ahly was not sufficientlydepressing, new Esperance coach Jose Anigo from Francehad a training session interrupted by disgruntled sup-porters.

South Africans Orlando Pirates host Egyptians ZamalekSaturday in north-eastern city Nelspruit — 380 kilometersfrom their unavailable Soweto ground-in a top-of-the-tableGroup B clash. The Buccaneers secured a lone-goal victoryover AC Leopards 1-0 on a Congolese ‘cabbage patch’while Burkinabe Abdoulaye Cisse snatched a late winnerfor the White Knights against Tunisian visitors CS Sfaxien.Confederation Cup winners a record three times, Sfaxienhost Leopards Friday in a match neither club dare lose afterlosing starts. Leopards will make the long trip north asunderdogs, but they stunned hosts Sfaxien 2-0 three yearsago en route to winning the competition. —AFP

JOHANNESBURG: CAF Champions League co-titlefavorites Entente Setif and TP Mazembe desperatelyneed away points this weekend after bad starts to thegroup stage. Defending champions Setif lost 2-1 athome against fellow Algerians USM Alger two weeksago while Congolese Mazembe were held 0-0 bySudanese visitors El Hilal. Setif took 84 minutes to scorea consolation goal and a couple of great saves fromveteran Robert Kidiaba in the closing stages preventedMazembe losing. If playing away is not sufficientlychallenging, Setif and Mazembe meet rivals whomade losing starts and are equally desperate forpoints.

On Saturday, Setif face Mouloudia El Eulma, thethird Algerian club in Group B, which is completed bySudanese outfit El Merreikh. Mazembe travel from theheart of central Africa to Morocco in the north west

corner for a Sunday night Group A date with MoghrebTetouan. USM and Merreikh get the ball rolling Fridayin Algiers and Hilal host Egyptians Smouha Sunday inother match-ups. Kheireddine Madoui, who changedhis mind about quitting as Setif coach after earliercomplaining of fatigue, is upbeat before facing Eulma,who were relegated to the Algerian second division inmid-year. “Nothing is lost-there are still 15 points atstake,” said the 38-year-old who last year became theyoungest CAF Champions League-winning coach.

“We paid dearly for a couple of mistakes againstUSM and must redeem ourselves with a victory atEulma.”One should not dramatize the situation. Amatchday 1 loss does not mean we have been elimi-nated from the Champions League.” Setif have lost anumber of stars from the squad that conquered Africalast year by edging Congolese V Club on away goals

after both legs of the final were drawn. MidfielderAkram Djahnit, a 2014 CAF Africa-based Footballer ofthe Year finalist, is the latest departure for the morelucrative Middle East region, joining Kuwaiti side AlArabi. Mazembe, a mix of Congolese, Ghanaian,Malian, Tanzanian and Zambian stars, did not look likepotential champions against well-drilled Hilal and cre-ated few clearcut scoring chances.

Coach Patrice Carteron is under pressure andSerb Zlatko Krmpotic has been hired to assist theFrenchman. “We lacked concentration againstHilal,” admitted former Mali handler Carteron, “andfailed to do the simple things correctly.”All of us,players and coaches, have to accept responsibilityfor that result and now we must collect awaypoints to win the group.” Tetouan, hoping tobecome the first African champions from Morocco

since Raja Casablanca in 1999, surrendered a two-goal lead to fail 3-2 at Smouha.

And they have lost the leading 2015 ChampionsLeague scorer, six-goal Mouhcine Iajour, to a Qatariclub in another Middle East raid into North Africa.Coach-less USM are poised to sign Belgian GeorgeLeekens, who quit as Tunisia boss recently over anunpaid 2015 Africa Cup of Nations bonus. TheAlgerians will be favored to win the top-of-the-tableshowdown with Merreikh, who consistently fail toreplicate home form when playing outside Sudan.Twice Champions League runners-up, Hilal want to fol-low up the unexpected away draw against Mazembeby defeating group debutants Smouha. It is a realisticgoal for the Omdurman outfit given that theAlexandria club lost all three away qualifiers en routeto the mini-league stage. —AFP

Setif and Mazembe under pressure after bad starts


WASHINGTON: Frank Lampard might beforgiven for feeling a sense of apprehen-sion as he embarks on his new career atNew York City FC. The former Chelsea andManchester City midfielder has joined anewly formed club that has spent most ofits first season in the basement of MajorLeague Soccer’s Eastern Conference and inthe absence of its own home is playing atYankee Stadium. David Beckham, the for-mer England star who is launching his ownMiami team, will also be taking a keeninterest in the fortunes of New York City,built from scratch with the eye-wateringwealth of Manchester City’s Abu Dhabiowners. But history suggests that all themoney in the world does not necessarilyattract fans, ensure supporter loyalty andbring on-field success.

So what does it take?Beckham and the City money men

might want to take a look at DC United,who sit 11 points clear at the top of theEastern Conference and are among themost successful teams in MLS history. Thekey to long-term sustainable success, chiefoperating officer Tom Hunt told AFP, is forDC United to have their own stadium-which will happen as early as 2017. Sincebeing founded 20 years ago they have

played at the ramshackle RFK Stadium. “Ifyou’re creating a nice little stew, one of theprimary ingredients has to be owning andoperating your own stadium,” he said.

“Here at RFK, we are a tenant, andbeing a tenant we don’t have access to therevenue streams that you need to have tobe successful as a business-not having theability to sell naming rights, building ourpartnerships on the sponsorship side. “Ifyou’ve been to any modern facility-stadi-um or arena — (they have) technology,food options. The whole guest experienceis very different from what we can poten-tially provide here at RFK.” The club haslost money for 20 years running and Huntdoes not expect that to change until DCUnited are in their own home.

‘Struggling for respect’The supporters might be passionate

and the team top of the league, but homeattendances have been falling-a sorepoint for many fans, some of whomaccuse the club of not doing enough toget bums on seats. According to a fanstudy posted on the Black and Red Unitedblog, DC United consistently had over17,000 for home games from 1996 to2010.

But that dipped to less than 15,000

since 2011, among the poorest in the MLS,according to the study. Chris Dodds, a sea-son-ticket holder and member of theScreaming Eagles supporter group, agreesthat the lack of amenities at the crumblingRFK is hurting attendances. “The club alsohas failed to invest sufficient resourcesinto marketing and promoting the team,”said Dodds, who was among a group offans who recently met club officials tooffer feedback. “This is one area that hasstarted to improve this season. The frontoffice has taken visible steps to reach newfans.” Dodds and Hunt agree that it is notmuch good having a great stadium if theteam is useless.

Hunt concedes that the MLS isnowhere near the Premier League yet,where teams play out to full houses evenif they are battling relegation, but saysthat American sports owners and adminis-trators have a strong track record when itcomes to building successful sports clubs.A “historically awful” 2013 season drovemany casual fans away, said Dodds, whoadmits he often cannot find anyone toaccompany him to games. “Sadly, after 20years, DC United still struggles for respectamong the sports fans in the DC metroarea,” said Dodds. “This is really difficult tobelieve since DC had the highest televi-

sion ratings for the men’s World Cup, thesecond highest for the women’s WorldCup, a team with four MLS league titles,and some of the top soccer writers in thecountry.”

‘Making stars’Hunt points out that while the figures

show a healthy appetite for “soccer” in thecapital, the local sports scene is alreadychockablock, boasting baseball, hockeyand basketball teams, as well as the NFL’sWashington Redskins. Washington is notunique, however, in that respect-Beckham’s team will have to competewith several professional sports teams inMiami, including the Dolphins (NFL) andMiami Heat, the NBA champions in 2012and 2013.

Sometimes, a dose of old-fashionedpatience goes a long way. “It’s building upstars,” said Hunt. “RGIII (Robert Griffin, theRedskins quarterback) goes into a grocerystore and everyone knows him. Bill Hamid(DC United goalkeeper) - people mightlook at him and think he’s an athlete butnot everybody knows him yet. “Ten yearsfrom now that will change. Back in thedays when the NBA really had to makestars... we are at that point where we needto start making recognizable stars.” —AFP

Building a club from nothing into champions

ZURICH: FIFA yesterday ordered a life ban against ChuckBlazer, a central figure in the corruption scandal that hasengulfed world football, for taking millions of dollars inbribes. “Mr Blazer committed many and various acts of mis-conduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as anofficial in different high-ranking and influential positions atFIFA and CONCACAF,” said a statement.”In his positions as afootball official, he was a key player in schemes involving theoffer, acceptance, payment and receipt of undisclosed andillegal payments, bribes and kickbacks as well as other mon-ey-making schemes.”

The ban on the 70-year-old American was ordered byFIFA’s ethics committee adjudicatory chamber after investiga-tions by football’s world body and US prosecutors. The one-time powerbroker of North American football is a former allyof FIFA leader Sepp Blatter who has agreed to step downbecause of controversy over US and Swiss investigations intothe world body and World Cup tournaments.

Blazer has given evidence to US authorities investigatingfootball corruption and is gravely ill in a New York hospitalsuffering from cancer. Blazer has acknowledged to US investi-gators that he took more than $11 million in bribes from 2005to 2010.He has been working undercover for US prosecutorssince 2011 even wearing wire taps to record conversationswith other FIFA officials. Media reports say he gained substan-

tially more during his time running the Confederation ofNorth, Central American and Caribbean Association Football,or CONCACAF.

Football racketeerBlazer was CONCACAF general secretary from 1990 until

2011 when he was forced to step down. He was also a FIFAexecutive committee member from 1996 to 2013 and a vicepresident of the US Soccer Federation. As part of his deal withthe US authorities he has agreed not to oppose any banimposed on him by FIFA or any other football governingbody. Blazer has pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including rack-eteering, tax evasion, wire fraud and money laundering con-spiracies.As a FIFA official he influenced the award of WorldCup tournaments. And he has admitted to US investigatorsthat he took bribes.

As the powerbroker of US soccer he travelled by privatejet, kept two multi-million-dollar apartments in New York-one reportedly for the use of his cats-and a home in theBahamas. Behind his back, he was known as “Mr TenPercent,” a nod to the kickbacks on which he allegedly insist-ed. Now wheelchair-bound, he formally pleaded guilty at aclosed-door court hearing in Brooklyn in November 2013 -one of four people to plead guilty as part of the sweeping USinvestigation. —AFP

FIFA bans Blazer for life

In this file photo FIFA official Chuck Blazer leaves theFIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. As it wasannounced yesterday, FIFA’s ethics committee hasexpelled former executive committee member Blazerfrom football for bribery and other corruption. —AP ZURICH: Two persons are reflected in the FIFA logo at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. —AP

FIFA president shifts blameto confederations

in interview ZURICH: Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter has told a Swissnewspaper that continental confederations, rather than soccer’sworld governing body, were to blame for the corruption scandalengulfing the game. In a wide-ranging interview with the right-wing weekly Weltwoche, published yesterday, Blatter main-tained his view that FIFA had done nothing wrong and could notbe held responsible for the actions of individuals from continen-tal federations.

“There is no wangling under the direct influence of FIFA,” Blattersaid. “But our influence over contracts concluded by the confedera-tions is practically zero.” Asked whether he bore any responsibility asthe head of FIFA, Blatter replied that crime was a part of all walks oflife. “It is impossible to stamp out robbery and murder, even with afunctioning courts system down to community level,” Blatter said.

“Football is not better than our society.” FIFA was thrown intoturmoil after 14 sports marketing executives and soccer officials,including several from Zurich-based FIFA, were indicted by theUnited States in late May on bribery, money laundering and wirefraud charges. Seven of those accused were arrested by Swiss policein a dawn raid on a luxury Zurich hotel two days before the FIFACongress, where Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term as president.They are in custody awaiting extradition to the US. —Reuters

LONDON: Sentimental favorite Roger Federer faceshome star Andy Murray for the 24th time today hopinghis near perfect Grand Slam grip on the Scot will steerhim into a 10th Wimbledon final. Such is the anticipationthat today’s other semi-final between defending champi-on Novak Djokovic and Richard Gasquet is in danger ofbecoming a warm-up act. Second seed Federer, the sev-en-time champion, boasts a narrow 12-11 lead in hisdecade-long rivalry with Murray. But he is 4-1 to the goodat the Grand Slams, including a four-set win in the 2012Wimbledon final which delivered his 17th and mostrecent major title. Federer, at 33 and hoping to becomethe oldest champion of the Open Era at the All EnglandClub, also came out on top in the 2008 US Open final, the2010 Australian Open final and last year back inMelbourne in the quarter-finals.

Murray, five years the Swiss star’s junior, won theironly other clash at the Grand Slams-a five-set semi-finalthriller in Australia in 2013. Federer, runner-up toDjokovic 12 months ago, will be playing in his 10thWimbledon semi-final and 37th at all the majors. Murray,who became Britain’s first men’s Grand Slam title winnersince Fred Perry in 1936 when he lifted the Wimbledontitle in 2013, is in his sixth All England Club semi-final and17th at the majors. Three years on from 2012, whenFederer won a seventh Wimbledon and Murray provedhe could win big titles by defeating the Swiss in theOlympic final, both men agree that that summer was acrucial point.

“There was a lot on the line with Andy. I think he wasgoing for his first Wimbledon in ‘12. So obviously it wasalways going to be tough. He had lost some majorsbefore that (three finals in total),” said Federer. “Then theOlympics was just a different vibe altogether. I was a bitweathered but Andy played as good a final as you canplay.” The gold medal for Murray was followed by his firstGrand Slam title just two months later in New York.Federer reached today’s semi-final with the minimum offuss, dropping serve just once to Gilles Simon in the quar-ter-finals which ended a streak of 116 service holdsstretching back to the first round in Halle last month.

Embarrassing Murray’s defense of his Wimbledon title ended in the

quarter-finals last year but 12 months on the 28-year-oldhas cruised through the draw, recording his 150th GrandSlam match win in his quarter-final stroll past VasekPospisil. To get to the semi-finals, Murray hasn’t had tobeat a player inside the top 20. Federer has won their lastthree meetings, including a 6-1, 6-0 rout at the WorldTour Finals in their most recent clash at the end of 2014.

“It was obviously embarrassing,” said Murray. “But inindividual sports, it’s all about who performs on thatday.” Defending champion Djokovic will take an 11-1record over Gasquet into his semi-final, his seventh atWimbledon and the 27th Grand Slam semi-final of hiscareer. Gasquet, the 21st seed, knocked out fourth seed-ed French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in five sets toreach his second Wimbledon semi-final-eight years afterhis first. “Obviously an experience of being in these finalstages of Wimbledon many times is going to help me toapproach it in a proper way,” said Djokovic, the AustralianOpen champion and also Wimbledon winner in 2011.

Djokovic’s bid for a career Grand Slam was shatteredin the French Open final by Wawrinka but he now findshimself in touching distance of a fourth Wimbledon finalas he looks to win a ninth Grand Slam title. Gasquetsummed up his shock appearance in the semi-finals byadmitting: “I’m the worst”. “I’m proud because there arebig players in the semis. But I’m the worst when you seeFederer, Djokovic and Murray and me,” said Gasquet wholost to Federer in the 2007 semi-finals at Wimbledonwhile, in his only other last-four run at a major, he wasbeaten by Rafael Nadal at the 2013 US Open. His only winover Djokovic came at the 2007 Masters Cup while hewas crushed by the world number one in the fourthround of the French Open last month, winning just sixgames.— AFP


Gold Cup: McAnuff strikes as Jamaica hold Costa Rica

LOS ANGELES: England-based striker Jobi McAnuff scored a superbindividual goal to give Jamaica a surprise 2-2 draw with highly-ratedCosta Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup here Wednesday. McAnuff, whoplays for English lower league side Leyton Orient, jinked his way past aseries of Costa Rican defenders to prod home a 48th-minute equaliserat Los Angeles’s StubHub Center. The Group B result came as a disap-pointment to Costa Rica, the highest placed CONCACAF team in theFIFA world rankings at 14th. In the late contest Wednesday, Canadaand El Salvador played to a 0-0 draw as all four teams in the Group Bearned a single point in their openers. Los Ticos, one of the surprisepackages at last year’s World Cup where they defeated Italy andUruguay during a fairytale run to the quarter-finals, trailed early on afterJamaica took the lead through Garath McCleary on 13 minutes.However the Central Americans soon took the lead through goals fromRoy Miller and David Ramirez. Ramirez gave Costa Rica a 2-1 lead in the37th minute as he won a foot race and chipped the ball over the headof Jamaican goalkeeper Dwayne Miller into the net.

His goal came just four minutes after Roy Miller headed home froma set piece to cancel out McCleary’s opener. Both teams had chances toget the go-ahead goal in the final minutes but couldn’t capitalize.Jamaica failed to get a shot on goal after a four-on-two fast break in the85th minute and Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado made a bril-liant diving save off a blast by Simon Dawkins in the 88th. Costa Rica areaiming to win their first Gold Cup title in the 12-team, 19-day tourna-ment. Despite their ranking, Costa Rica are not coming into the tourna-ment on a high note as they have lost three and drawn two in their lastfive contests.

Caribbean minnows Jamaica meanwhile will be satisfied with apoint, after a difficult campaign at the Copa America last month wherethey lost all three group games. After a sloppy first half defensively,Canada settled down in the second to earn a tie with El Salvador.Forward Tosaint Ricketts had Canada’s best chance to score but hisoverhead kick, as he was falling backwards, sailed over the crossbar inthe 80th minute. Russell Teibert’s left foot shot also went over the barfive minutes later and forward Marcus Haber outjumped an El Salvadordefender for a header in close but goalkeeper Derby Carrilo made anice save in the final minutes of regulation. Up for grabs in the tourna-ment is a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.—AFP

Magnificent Gasquet halts top four charge to semis

Frenchman overcomes Wawrinka in five set thrillerLONDON: Just as the top four men’s seedsseemed set to contest the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in 20 years, dashingFrenchman Richard Gasquet fired a broad-side of backhands straight through the scripton Wednesday. Defending champion NovakDjokovic, seven-times title holder RogerFederer and home hope Andy Murray allkept to their side of the bargain with straightsets wins. But Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, theFrench Open champion, let the side down.Then again, there was no shame in a 6-4 4-63-6 6-4 11-9 defeat against a daring manplaying one of the matches of his life in acontest dubbed “the battle of the back-hands”.

Gasquet, a former world junior championwho has fallen short of the heights expectedof him, served for the match at 5-3 in the fifthset but fourth seed Wawrinka broke back,gesturing with a finger pointed to his headthat he had the mental edge. But Gasquet,whose trademark single-hander, likeWawrinka’s near identical backhand stroke,has the purists purring, showed remarkableresolve to withstand a barrage. WithWawrinka a proven warrior and a bona fidemember of the elite after winning the 2014Australian Open and succeeding Rafa Nadalas French Open champion, you feared theworst for Gasquet.

As the backhands fizzed diagonally acrossthe net with ever-increasing intensity the

21st seed kept his nose in front. Five timesWawrinka held serve to stay alive. At the sixthtime of asking, however, Gasquet forged 0-40ahead and, although two match points wentbegging, Wawrinka fired a backhand long toend the duel. “It was very difficult for me tolose that serve at 5-3,” Gasquet, whodestroyed Andy Roddick at the same stage in2007 only to lose to Federer in the semi-final,told reporters. “I kept fighting. That made thedifference.”

Mental fortitudeWhile Gasquet in full flow has always

been a joy to behold, his mental fortitude hasbeen questioned. He lost to Australian NickKyrgios here last year despite having ninematch points and two years ago at RolandGarros he went down 8-6 in a fifth set toWawrinka. “It’s a revenge for me a little bit,”he said. “It’s great to win. After 2007, it’s beena long time.” “I’m proud because there arebig players in the semis. I’m the worst whenyou see Federer, Djokovic and Murray.”

Gasquet will have to scale the sameheights, and some, to have any hope ofreaching his first grand slam showpiece atthe 43rd attempt as Djokovic awaits in thesemi-final. A few weeks ago on Paris clay hemanaged only six games against the worldnumber one Serb who clinically took USOpen champion Marin Cilic apart 6-4 6-4 6-4on Wednesday. After Djokovic’s scare against

Kevin Anderson in the previous round, whenhe extricated himself from a deep hole,Djokovic cruised into his 27th grand slamsemi-final after extending his domination ofCroatian Cilic to 13-0. “I’m hoping I have thatextra gear. I’m hoping it can come out now inthe semi-finals,” the 28-year-old said.

Rain delaysFederer was more inconvenienced by a

couple or irritating rain delays as he sweptpast Gilles Simon in the day’s first Switzerlandv France contest on Court One, winning 6-37-5 6-2. The only blot was finally dropping aservice game after 116 successive holdsstretching back to last month’s Halle Open.Third seed Murray, playing in the quarter-finals for the eighth year in a row, was kepton his toes by the only non-European in thelast eight, Canada’s unseeded Vasek Pospisil,but with a royal audience in the shape ofPrince William and his wife the Duchess ofCambridge he delivered a 6-4 7-5 6-4 win. Hehas faced nobody ranked higher than 23 sofar but things are about to get considerablytrickier with second seed Federer loomingtoday. The last of the Swiss maestro’s 17grand slam titles reduced Murray to tears onfinals day in 2012, though a few months afterthat Murray beat the Swiss on Centre Courtto win Olympic gold. “It will bring back thosememories of a great summer for both of us,”Federer told reporters.—Reuters

Federer, Murrayovershadow Djokovic

in Wimbledon duel

CARSON: Costa Rica’s Giancarlo Gonzalez (left) andJamaica’s Joel McAnuff vie for the ball during the first halfof CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match on Wednesday, July8, 2015, in Carson, Calif. —AP

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