US NAVAL BASE AT GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba: The end of Ramadanhas left authorities at the Guantanamo Bay military jail preparing foran uptick in unrest at the controversial prison, US officials say. Theannual fast is traditionally regarded as an unofficial truce atGuantanamo, where some inmates have been held for around adecade without trial.

However officials expect the end of Ramadan and the festival of EidAl-Fitr will be the cue for trouble at Guantanamo, which has witnessedan unprecedented six-month hunger strike this year. Some inmates atGuantanamo have taken advantage of a tailored menu to observe theEid holiday. This weekend inmates were offered halal chicken, halalbeef, lamb, dates, honey, says kitchen manager Sam Scott.

Continued on Page 13

JERUSALEM: Israel approved buildingnearly 1,200 more settlement homes yes-terday and prepared the release of morethan two dozen long-held Palestinianprisoners - highlighting an apparent set-tlements-for-prisoners trade-off that gotboth sides back to peace talks after afive-year freeze.

Yet concerns were mounting, espe-cially among Palestinians, that the priceis too steep. Yesterday’s announcementwas Israel’s third in a week on promotingJewish settlements on war-won lands thePalestinians want for a state. It fueledPalestinian fears of a new Israeli con-struction spurt under the cover of US-sponsored negotiations.

In Israel, the most vocal protests camefrom relatives of those killed in attackscarried out by Palestinians slated forrelease.

Bereaved relatives held up large pho-tos of their loved ones during a SupremeCourt hearing on an appeal against theupcoming release. “Why are we releasingbutchers now? What for?” asked GilaMolcho, whose brother, lawyer IanFeinberg, was stabbed to death byPalestinians who broke into a Europeanaid office in Gaza City in 1993.

Israelis and Palestinians are to launchtalks on Wednesday in Jerusalem, follow-ing a preparatory round two weeks agoin Washington. The US envisions anagreement within nine months on theterms of a Palestinian state alongsideIsrael, including drawing a border, agree-ing on security arrangements and decid-ing the fate of Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinians want a state toinclude the West Bank, Gaza and east

Continued on Page 13

SUBSCRIPTIO

N40

PA

GES

NO

: 158

9515

0 FI

LS

Max 45º

Min 28º

High Tide 02:53 & 14:59

Low Tide04:29 & 17:53

3Debate about e-cigarettesburns on 7

Malians pick president in crucial run-off 12

Typhoon blows closer to Philippines 20

Bolt regains world 100m title in style

Morsi loyalists gear for final showdown

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 SHAWWAL 5, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

CAIRO: Egyptian security forces will besiege two sit-insby supporters of the country’s ousted president within24 hours, police officials said yesterday, setting up apossible confrontation between the military-backedgovernment and the thousands gathered there.

One police official suggested action against the sit-inprotests by supporters of ousted President MohammedMorsi could begin as early as daybreak today. Officials,who spoke anonymously in line with regulations, saidthey are also preparing for possible clashes that mighterupt in reaction to the cordons they will set up barringanyone from entering.

Morsi’s supporters have said they will not leave thesit-ins until the president, ousted in a popularly sup-ported coup July 3, is reinstated. Efforts by the interna-tional community to end the standoff and find a peace-ful resolution to the crisis failed. Egypt’s prime ministerwarned just ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday that endedyesterday that the government’s decision to clear thesit-ins was “irreversible.”

Egypt’s new leadership says that the sit-ins andprotests have frightened residents of Cairo, sparkeddeadly violence and disrupted traffic in the capital.Leaders of the sit-in say their protests have been peace-ful and blame security forces and “thugs” for violence.

The Arab world’s most populous country is readyingitself for more potential bloodshed. Already more than250 people have killed in violence since Morsi’s ouster.

A last-ditch effort over the weekend by the religiousinstitution, Al-Azhar, also failed to push the two sidescloser to reconciliation. Mass rallies two weeks agocalled by military leader Gen Abdel-Fattah El-Sissishowed that a large segment of Egypt’s populationbacks action by the armed forces.

Continued on Page 13

Egyptian forces to besiege sit-ins today

CAIRO: Egyptian women from the Muslim Brotherhood hold portraits of ousted President Mohammed Morsi as they march in his support yesterday in Cairo. — AFP

Israel boosts settlements,fuelling Palestinian fears

Palestinian workers cross a section of a separation barrier between the Jewishsettlement of Modiin Elite and the west bank village of Harbeta to return homeafter the day’s work in Israel. — AP

DUBAI: A number of US diplomatic missions closedon August 4 over an Al-Qaeda security alertreopened yesterday, while others stayed shut for theMuslim holidays following the Ramadan holy month.

The embassy in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, andthe US consulate in Dubai reopened, as the holidaymarking the end of the fasting month came to aclose in the southern Gulf state.

The embassy in Libya also reopened yesterday. InSaudi Arabia, the Riyadh embassy and the consulatesin Jeddah and Dhahran remained closed, as did theUS embassy in neighboring Qatar. They are due toreopen on August 14, when the holidays end inthose two nations. In Bahrain and Kuwait, theAmerican embassies are due to reopen today.

Washington closed of its 19 missions in theMiddle East and Africa last week following a securityalert. Communications intercepts reportedly includ-ed an attack order from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri to Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula. The United States said on Friday that all ofthe embassies it shut would reopen this week,except the mission in Yemen. — AP

US reopensembassies

ABU DHABI: Bahrain has deported a US nursery school teacher it sayswrote articles on social media sites linked to radical groups and for vio-lating the terms of her work permit as the kingdom intensifies its crack-down on dissent.

The Ministry of State for Communications did not identify thewoman but said she wrote under a pen name and had broken the lawby working as an unaccredited journalist. The teacher wrote articles foronline publications including As-Safir newspaper, which is linked toLebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah, and the outlawedBahrain Center for Human Rights newsletter, the state news agency saidon Saturday. No one at the Bahrain Center for Human Rights was avail-able for comment. The ministry had received a complaint about thewoman who used Twitter and other social media to write articles“deemed to incite hatred against the government and members of theRoyal family, as well as spreading misinformation and encouraging divi-sions in Bahraini society based on religious sect”, it said. Bahrain hasbeen buffeted by unrest since the start of the Arab Spring uprisings in2011, with mostly Shiite Bahrainis agitating for democratic reforms andmore say in government.

The island, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet and sits between topoil exporter Saudi Arabia and Iran, has expelled several foreigners forinvolvement in documenting unrest. In February 2012, two Americanrights activists were deported for trying to report on events marking thefirst anniversary of demonstrations for democratic reforms. — Reuters

Bahrain deportsAmerican teacher

Gitmo braces for unrest

A US naval medic holds liquid food supplement force fed to hungerstrikers at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.— AFP

SANAA: Yemeni soldiers man a checkpoint on a street leading to the US andBritish embassies in Sanaa, Yemen. — AP

ADEN: Suspected Al-Qaeda militantskilled four Yemeni soldiers in their sleepearly yesterday in an attack on forcesguarding the country’s only liquefiednatural gas (LNG) export terminal, a localofficial said. The assault follows an esca-lating campaign of drone strikes by theUnited States over the past two weeksand warnings of militant attacks thatprompted Washington to closeembassies across the Middle East and

evacuate some staff from Yemen.The official said the gunmen infiltrat-

ed a checkpoint guarding the Balhaf LNGterminal in the southern Shabwaprovince, killed one soldier and thenentered a cargo container where fourmore troops were sleeping and shotthem dead. The attackers fled in a vehi-cle, he said. A Yemeni governmentspokesman said last week that the $4.5

Continued on Page 13

Al-Qaeda men kill 5 Yemeni troops guarding LNG plant

LO C A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Haris or concierge is not a very popu-lar concept in the West while it’s a must inKuwait in each residential building. Tenantshave different opinions about the haris of theirbuilding, and for some he represents a controlfreak or a dictator with enough power to con-trol their life.

‘Haris is the new landlord’ was the expres-sion of 43-year-old Fadi describing the situationof the haris of their building, who is an Arabnational. “Every month I have to pay him KD 10or KD 5 for cleaning the car and again KD 5 forpicking the garbage. If I refuse, I will get intotrouble. For instance, he deliberately damagedthe AC and then fixed it, but I can’t accuse himas I didn’t see him doing it. Even if I am on vaca-tion and won’t require his services, I still have topay KD 10 and if I don’t, he will create a prob-lem” said Fadi,a tenant living in Salmiya.

According to Fadi, if a flat is rented recently,the haris demands a commission between KD100 and 150. “When I rented a flat for my dad,the haris forced me to pay KD 100 to reservethe flat for me. The owner only collects the rentand doesn’t care what the haris does. The harisis exploiting us and becoming rich in the bar-gain. He gets KD 740 from the tenants everymonth, apart from his salary as there are 74flats in our building. He bought the baqala inour area and he even borrowed KD 5,000 fromour neighbor last year. When the old ownersold the building the new landlord fired thegreedy haris, he soon came back by using hisdirty tricks. Now he is renting two flats in thebuilding, one for his brother and for himself. Heis not doing the jobs himself as has insteademployed two Asians to clean the cars, build-ings and take out the garbage,” he added.

“There is only one solution to get rid of thisterror. All the tenants should get together andsign a petition that we don’t want this haris,

though I can’t guarantee all the tenants willsign. We suffer and the owners don’t even knowabout it,” concluded Fadi.

Another tenant in Salmiya said the haris isdemanding additional payment which is notmentioned in the contract. “We’re paying himKD 20 for washing three cars and throwing thegarbage. I can’t refuse his service otherwise Iwill get into trouble and may be forced to leavethe building. In fact this phenomenon startedin the middle of the 90s when I lived in the oldbuilding in Farwaniya and we had to throw thegarbage ourselves. When we moved to a newbuilding, this service was available for an addi-tional fee. Soon all the buildings started doingthis and the worst part is that not only is itmandatory but also even if someone doesn’thave a car, he still has to pay the KD 5.

The Asian haris is much better. “Our haris isIndian and I never faced problems with him. Hedoes the job of a plumber, electrician and haris,all at the same time. I only pay him KD 5 toclean my car and he collects my garbage forfree. We’ve never had any problems with himand I think I’m lucky,” said Osama, a 50-year-oldman in Hawally. Benjie, a 38-year-old tenant isnot complaining about his Arab haris - onlybecause he doesn’t want any problems. “I’msharing the apartment with two other room-mates and none of us have a car but still haveto pay KD 10, whereas in other buildings, theypay only KD 5. The owner pays for maintenanceexcept for the water heater which I had to buymyself,” he said.

Majdi living in Maidan Hawally complainedabout his greedy haris as well. “I have to pay foreverything! I pay him KD 10 to collect thegarbage and wash the car but he’s still unhappyand wants more. When I moved from a biggerapartment to a smaller one in the same build-ing, he demanded KD 100 as commission. Healso exploits the parking lot and rents it out totenants from the opposite building,” he com-

plained. 30-year-old Samar living with a room-mate in Salmiya is glad to have a new haris asthe old one was rude and inconsiderate. “Theprevious haris was rude especially because I’ma woman expat. I have been living there for sev-en years but when I first came, all the serviceswere free and even when the boiler waschanged three times, he asked money for itonly later. He also used to rent flats to singleguys which spoiled the reputation of the build-ing. Thank God the new haris is much better.The maintenance is free again, and even whenI’m late in paying the rent, he doesn’t threatenus that he’ll cut the electricity like the previousharis,” she stated.

Abdo from a real estate company that ismanaging some properties in Salwa area notedthat the haris is responsible for the condition ofthe building including guarding and cleaningthe building. “We are not responsible for whatthe haris demands if he is providing a servicefor this payment. So for instance, collecting andthrowing the garbage is not provided by us,and if the tenant demands this service he hasto pay for it, and the same thing applies forwashing the car. Regarding the maintenance,we maintain everything in the flat before rent-ing it, afterwards the tenant has to pay for anyextra maintenance except the AC, electricityand water,” he pointed out.

Some landlords are strict. “I didn’t receiveany complaint from the tenants about the haris,but if I did, I would immediately fire and deporthim. The haris used to collect the rent, butsome problems happened in payments so Iasked the tenants to transfer the rental onlinein the first week of the month. Then the harisdistributes the receipt on 6th or 7th . The hariscleans the car for money and removes thegarbage as well and if they want additionalservices, they should pay for it. I didn’t receiveany complaint from the tenants,” noted Salehwho owns 48 flats in Salmiya.

Majority of tenants nothappy with their harises

Harassed by the haris

KUWAIT: Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Kuwait Dr Abdul-Aziz Al-Fayez hosted an Eid Al-Fitr reception which was attended bydiplomats and other dignitaries. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Ambassador of Lebanon to Kuwait Dr Khedhr Halawi hosted a reception onthe occasion of Eid Al-Fitr that was attended by embassy staff, members of theLebanese community and other guests. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The Traffic General Departmentreached an agreement with traffic courtsaround Kuwait to put traffic offenders totrial with penalties set at one month in jailand deportation for expatriates, as well asone month in jail or attending compulsorydriving ‘rehabilitation’ classes. This was con-firmed by the Interior Ministry ’sUndersecretary Assistant for Traffic Affairs,Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali, who indicatedthat this condition applies on drivers whocommit ‘serious’ offenses such as jumpingthe red light, driving without a license or athigh speeds.

“You have been warned”, Maj Gen Al-Aliwarned drivers through a news report pub-lished by Al-Rai daily yesterday. “Whoeverrespects the law is respected, and whoeverbreaks the law will be prosecuted and pun-ished”.

Al-Ali also denied allegations that trafficcrackdowns have been suspended, or thatdeportation of expatriates over trafficoffenses have been put on hold. Instead, heannounced that ‘extensive campaigns’ are

planned for the period after the Eid Al-Fitrholidays which officially ended yesterday.

He indicated that that the campaignsare going to start focusing on vehicles driv-ing with expired registrations “which reachnearly 300,000 according to official figures”.

Maj Gen Al-Ali was also quoted by Al-Anba yesterday as he stated that 35,000drivers were arrested for driving without alicense while KD 30 million in fines werecollected since the beginning of trafficcampaigns a number of months ago.

He also noted that around 900 expatri-ates have voluntarily handed over licensesthey obtained illegally in order to avoidprosecution before a September 1 dead-line. “The Traffic General Department willstart after that date to summon peoplewho obtained licenses illegally after hav-ing their names blacklisted”, he added. Thesenior official also indicated that trafficaccidents during Ramadan have droppedby 60 percent compared to last year, andrevealed that “a comprehensive study toimpose stiffer penalties” is in the works.

Traffic offenders to be sent to court: Al-Ali

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: The Administrative Court is dueto discuss the first case in relation to the2013 parliamentary elections today inwhich lawyer Mohammed Menwer askedthe court to mandate the interior min-istry to declare the details of the recentelections instead of only declaring thefinal results given by the heads of variouspolling committees.

According to Menwer’s case, the reluc-tance of MOI to declare the detailedresults arouses some suspicions andopens for questioning the ministry’scredibility as well as enhances calls thatsome winning candidates had been dis-qualified.

Parents complaintAround 56 parents of female students

studying in Egypt filed a complaint to theparliamentary grievances and com-plaints committee and to His Highnessthe Prime Minister about the recentunexpected decision (number 72/2013)issued by the minister of education andhigher education concerning the cancel-lation of the female students’ hostel facil-ities.

The complaint described the decisionas ‘lacking fatherly spirit’ because itdeprived the 62 female students of carry-ing on with their studies. “The ministerknows for sure that we would not havesent our daughters to study in Egyptunless we knew they would stay in thehostel”, said the parents noting that thehostel was first opened in 1972 compris-ing of seven buildings that were gradual-ly reduced to one with the decrease innumber of students until the 1992 earth-quake when the students were moved tothe Safir Hotel in Zamalek. They added

that in 1995, a contract was made withthe New Marwa Hotel to host the stu-dents until another building was found.They added that they had been regularlypaying the annual KD 500 fee and urgedthe PM to solve the problem and helptheir daughters carry on with their stud-ies.

A good start Member of the parliamentary defense

and interior affairs committee, MPMohammed Al-Huwailah commendedthe first decisions made by the defenseminister, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah and hisresponse to ministry employeesdemands.

Al-Huwailah stressed on the minister’sdecision to allow retired GCC andbedoon military personnel rejoin theservice, which had been a parliamentarydemand.

Al-Duwaisan proposalMP, Faisal Al-Duwaisan announced his

intention to suggest a bill on preventingministers from appointing their relativesas advisors or in leading positions. “Iexpect the government to welcome thisproposal to support HH the PM’s plan tofight corruption”, he underlined.

Stolen valuables The Iraqi ministry of tourism and

archeology is due to hold a special cere-mony during which some valuables andbooks belonging to Kuwait would bereturned to Kuwait.

In this regard, the Iraqi minister oftourism and archeology, Lewa Sumaisamsaid that his ministry had recentlyreceived the items that include an origi-nal Picasso painting, artifacts and somebooks.

Court to discusselection-related cases

KUWAIT: Ministry of Electricity and Water offi-cials are set to meet with their Interior Ministrycounterparts in order to draw a road map totackle thefts targeting high voltage cables inmain power transformers around Kuwait; anissue that has been blamed for blackoutsrecorded over the past few weeks.

This was revealed by MEW UndersecretaryAhmad Al-Jassar who told Al-Rai that “50 theftcases have been recorded since the beginningof the year in addition to others that were notrecorded”. Al-Jassar further indicated that trans-formers are being targeted by “a vicious and

systematic attack that affected the quality ofthe electricity services”, adding that cable theftsare increasing annually.

The ministry faces a challenge every sum-mer to cope with the gradually increasingdemand on its services, and has so far beenable to cope by increasing electricity and waterproduction simultaneously. Ministry officialshave repeatedly reassured sufficient produc-tion rate to meet consumption this summer,blaming cable thefts as the only reason forblackouts reported so far.

Meanwhile, Al-Anba reported yesterday that

‘conflicts’ have emerged within the Cabinetregarding plans to privatize the electricity andwater generation sectors. Sources familiar withthe issue indicated that the problem wascaused when the Fatwa and LegislationDepar tment took a unilateral decision toamend the executive regulations for the privati-zation process which was forwarded by theSupreme Privatization Committee.

The Cabinet formed a committee headed byMinister of Planning and Development Dr RolaDashti to settle the dispute, said the sourceswho spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Joint efforts to tackle cable thefts

KUWAIT: The Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait, Abdul Kareem Sulaiman held a special reception on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. A number of peo-ple from different walks of life attended it. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

LO C A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

KUWAIT: The Cabinet is preparing to present alist to the parliament after the Eid holidays, con-taining 48 topics to be given top priority in earlydiscussions, a local daily reported yesterdayquoting sources. The list is set to focus on econ-omy, development and anti-corruption regula-tions and is not expected to be different thanpriorities announced by MPs, said the sourceswho spoke to Al-Rai on the condition ofanonymity.

Lawmakers and ministers are expected toagree on a list of topics to be given prioritywhen the parliament resumes sessions inOctober. Meanwhile, the sources revealed thatthe Cabinet’s list does not include the bedoons(stateless residents) issue as “efforts regardingthe issue are going on as planned”.

A report last Saturday suggested that parlia-mentary committees were assigned to prepare alist of at least six topics each to be discussed aspriorities. Al-Rai quoted head of the financialcommittee Faisal Al-Shaya yesterday who identi-fied the panel’s priorities as reconsidering theKuwait Airways privatization, the public tendersand buy-operate-transfer (BOT) regulations.

“KAC law will be given priority because it wasapproved but the procedures were never com-pleted due to the annulment of the parliament”,Al-Shaya explained.

Meanwhile, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani reiteratedthat the law needs to be readdressed “in order toguarantee employees’ rights”.

In other news, Minister of Social Affairs andLabor Thekra Al-Rashidi came under fire

Saturday after rumors spread that she hired herunqualified sister as a consultant with a KD 1,250overtime allowance.

“If the rumors were true, it would be a verydisappointing start [for the Cabinet] and anunacceptable step that draws suspicions offavoritism”, MP Al-Shaya said. Meanwhile, MPSaleh Ashour announced plans to presentinquiries regarding Al-Rashidi’s alleged hiring onnepotistic basis.

Al-Qabas also reported that Minister ofJustice, Minister Awqaf and Islamic AffairsSharida Al-Maosharji ordered that director of thePublic Authority for the Publication of the HolyQuran should be suspended for three months aspenalty for violations that were not disclosed inthe report.

Lawmakers, ministers to agree on list of prioritiesDisappointing start for Thekra

KUWAIT: The Jordanian Embassy in Kuwait hosted a reception on the occasion of EidAl-Fitr which was well-attended by embassy staff and other guests.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The electronic cigarette(aka e-cigarette) is seen as a curseand a blessing. On the one hand,it helps fight smoking and on theother, it has become hard to find -unless it is purchased by unau-thorized dealers online,Instagram or at various exhibi-tions.

They are also available inshops selling sheesha or tobacco.Today, e-cigarette users canchoose from a plethora offlavours in the market. In actuali-ty, e-cigarettes have become verypopular over the last few years.They help smokers quit smokingas it does less harm than real cig-arettes simply because they donot contain tar or carbon monox-ide even though they have asmall amount of nicotine.

Khalid, a salesman who alsosells electronic cigarettes as partof the goods sold in his booth atan exhibition held at theInternational Fair Ground saidthat the sale of electronic ciga-rettes is legal, otherwise theywould have been confiscated.“We are selling e-cigarettes inpublic places and we haven’tfaced any problems. As a matterof fact, we don’t even need anylicense or permission from theMinistry of Health. I can ensurethat our products are safe,” hesaid adding that he would neverpromote e-cigarettes to non-smokers because of their similari-ty to sheesha. “ They may getaddicted to it while the main pur-pose is to replace the real harmful

cigarette,” he told the KuwaitTimes.

According to him, the smokeproduced by the e-cigarette doesnot disturb or cause botherationto the ‘passive smokers’ surround-ing the user. “The user can smokethis e-cigarette in public places,even those marked as non-smok-

ing areas. There is no real fire orsmoke emanating from it and infact, the smoke produced is aro-matic with different flavors,” hesaid.

The price of a pack of e-ciga-rettes is KD 30 with one pack ofaroma. “This product can com-pensate cigarettes and sheeshaand is easy and safe to use. Alsothe filling aroma can be found inthe shops selling sheesha,” Khalidfurther elaborated.

Khalid’s story about the legali-

ty of e-cigarette business wascontradicted by the experience ofa Kuwaiti traveller who had 500e-cigarettes in his luggage confis-cated at the airport in Kuwait. He

claimed that the customs depart-ment who confiscated the e-ciga-rettes requested a special permis-sion slip from the Ministry ofHealth in order to bring it into thecountry.

Abu Ahmad, who works at thecustoms department at ShuwaikhPort stated that for a few pieces,which are for personal use, thesmoker won’t be asked to providea license. “If the quantity is above100 pieces, then it’s for commer-cial purpose and in this case, theuser should have permission fromthe Ministry of Health as it’s con-sumed by the human body andpermission also from the Ministryof Communication as the e-ciga-rette includes an electronic part,”he explained.

Dr Richard Shayegh, GeneralPractitioner at the InternationalClinic stressed that e-cigarettesare still less harmful than real cig-arettes although they containnicotine. “It contains nicotine andis used mainly to help peoplefight the habit of smoking. It alsodoes not contain other harmfulmaterials. It’s like the gum or thenicotine patches, to be used tillyou quit smoking. According toShayegh, there are cases ofrelapse and smokers go back totheir habit after using the e-ciga-rette in the same way as nicotinepatches or gums. “It’s more to dowith the psychological assuranceof holding a cigarette in hand. Ithink that it’s even more effectivethan the other methods althoughit contains a little more nicotine,”he said.

The debate aboute-cigs burns on

KUWAIT: A number of MPs have finalizedtheir consultation to propose severalpopular suggestions for the opening ses-sion. They are coordinating to make it apriority where committees finalize theirreports in order to be discussed in theparliament.

One of those suggestions is toincrease rent allowance to KD 250 and toallow the younger son to get housingapplication and to register the real estatein the name of the mother, instead of

renting it, since she is a citizen and hasrights.

This suggestion will be proposed byMP Ahmad Bin Mutai who has finalizedhis report in the council which wasannounced void. Sources said that a newproposal shall be unveiled later to dis-tribute agricultural land to citizens onthe borders in the north and southregions, emphasizing that there are anumber of MPs who approved this appli-cation wholeheartedly.

Proposal to increase rentallowance of citizens

Al-Kandari inspects airport terminalsKUWAIT: Minister of Communications Essa Al-Kandari onSaturday made an inspection tour of the facilities of the termi-nals of Kuwait International Airport.

The tour aimed to verify the smooth operation of the facili-ties and the timely services for passengers arriving in and leav-ing the country, according to a statement by the ministry.

Senior officials of the airport and the civil aviation direc-torate briefed the minister on the operation system of thedeparture lounges and arrival terminals as well as the transithalls and other facilities of the airport.

The minister asked the administration of the airport andthe Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to develop acomprehensive plan for further improving the services forpassengers and cutting the red tape.

He was briefed by DGCA Deputy Director General for air-port affairs Affairs Adel Al-Awadhi on the ongoing airportexpansion plan and other procedures for facilitating thearrivals and departures.

He also heard from some passengers who expressed theirviews on the services offered to them and the procedures atthe transport, customs and luggage departments, accordingto the statement.

This is the first inspection tour made by Minister Al-Kandarisince he assumed the post last week. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Eid Al-Fitr occasion is an opportunity for many people to visit the graves ofloved ones who departed our world. The pictures are taken from different cemeteriesaround Kuwait showing visitors praying for mercy for their beloved ones.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

there is smoke without fire, isn’t there?

L O C A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

If the current local, foreign and Arab mediation effortsfail to reach a compromise between the military-backed interim government in Egypt and the leaders

of the largely Muslim Brotherhood supporters whosesit-in in two major crossroads in Cairo is entering its sec-ond month, chances are that the powerful DefenseMinister and head of the armed forces Gen Abdel FattahEl-Sisi would give the order to forcibly break up thegatherings immediately after the Eid holidays. This

would be a grave strategic mistake that will result inmany civilian casualties and will undoubtedly compli-cate the current political standoff.

Since the military unseated Egypt’s first elected presi-dent on July 3, the country’s new leadership found itselffacing a major political question: How to end protestsand sit-ins staged by former President MuhammadMorsi’s supporters, mainly in Raba’a Al-Adiwiya andNahda squares in Cairo. At least two confrontationsbetween supporters and the military and police hadresulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, triggeringinternational outcries. For the military, ending suchprotests is an important milestone in its attempt toimplement a political roadmap that would end the tran-sition and produce democratically elected institutionsto run the country.

But the Muslim Brotherhood, whose top leaders sit inprison awaiting trials on charges of inciting violenceand murder, refuses to budge down. It has been able tomobilize tens of thousands of supporters who occupiedthese main squares demanding the reinstatement ofMorsi and the punishment of those involved in thecoup.

American and European pressure has forced the mili-tary to postpone a decision to break up the sit-ins. GenEl-Sisi believes he had received a mandate from thepublic on July 26 to end the state of lawlessness, chaosand terror that is gripping the country. But he reported-ly agreed to conditions presented by Salafi leaders earli-er in the week, including a promise not to evict protest-ers by force.

The challenge for mediators now is to convince theleadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, and their sup-porters, to give up on their demand of Morsi’s return topower and engage the new leadership in dialogue toseek an acceptable formula to end the current impasse.Previous statements by US Secretary of State John Kerryand European officials on the July 3 overthrow of Morsihave dampened Islamists hopes that international, par-ticularly US, pressure could turn things around in theirfavor.

Some leaders in the Muslim Brotherhood may haverealized this by now. But a leading figure in the move-ment, Khairat Al-Shatter, told US, European and Arabofficials who met him on Sunday in prison that Morsiremains the legitimate president of Egypt.

On the other hand, former Prime Minister HishamQandeel, who met EU’s Foreign Minister CatherineAshton last week, has proposed a six-point initiativethat does not mention Morsi’s return. The initiative isclose to that which the Salafi leader Mohamed Hassanpresented to Gen El-Sisi.

In addition to allowing the Islamists to maintain theirpeaceful sit-ins, it calls for an end to vehement mediacampaign waged mainly by privately owned satellitestations against the Muslim Brotherhood, the release ofkey Muslim Brotherhood leaders and creating the rightconditions for dialogue.

It is true that public opinion in Egypt continues tosupport the military coup and Gen El-Sisi. Despite dailyprotests by Morsi supporters in many cities and gover-norates, the majority of Egyptians are relieved that thecountry is slowly moving toward normalcy. But thiscould change dramatically if mediation efforts fail andblood is shed in the squares occupied by the Islamists.

As much as the Muslim Brotherhood needs to acceptthe political realities in Egypt today and engage in dia-logue, the military must honor its promise to stay awayfrom the political process and allow for the formulationof a genuine settlement. This requires liberal, leftist andcivil leaders to emerge from under the robes of the mili-tary to present their own vision for the future of Egyptthat would assure the Islamists that they remain a fun-damental component of Egyptian society and a recog-nized political force.

If the military continues to call the shots there is areal risk that the country will slip back to authoritarianrule, reversing the gains of the Jan 25 revolution.Absorbing the Islamists is an important step, but what iseven more important is for the army to step back andhand over responsibility of the country to politicalforces.

The struggle in Egypt now is not over democracy oreven legitimacy. It is between supporters of a religiousstate and advocates of a secular one and democracy isnot a necessary component of either of them. The politi-cal powers in Egypt must realize that their currentalliance with army could deliver the country to anauthoritarian rule managed by the very same militaryestablishment that has ruled Egypt for decades!

A challenge

for Egypt

mediators

In my view

By Osama Al-Sharif

People use the term ‘democracy’ in everyday con-versations in a way where it seems that they arenot fully aware of what it actually means - aside

from the general belief that it is a system that should inthe end serve people’s interests regardless of its shapeor form. There are several perceptions to democracydepending on ideologies, as the concept of democracydiffers between religious, secular, atheistic and otherbeliefs.

The disparity in concepts led and continues to leadto different practices in democracy, especially with the

presence of a wide gap between the religious and politi-cal perspectives to democracy. The difference betweenthe religious and secular thinking in the Arab World hasled to conflicts, revolutions and insurgencies, in additionto each party rejecting the other. For example, the secu-lar ideology rejects political religion out of the beliefthat the latter puts religious constants ahead of politicalinterests, and fails to guarantee equal rights to all socialcategories.

The Arab World is living through struggles today thatstem from contradiction in ideologies and based onsuperiority instead of a civil system that respects reli-gions, beliefs and political rights of all citizens.Unfortunately, the political scene reflects fanaticism andstrict adherence to individual efforts that only makematters worse. The persistence of struggles in theregion is seen as being a result of fanaticism based onmisunderstanding of the relationship between religionand democracy, and working through a ‘fanatic’ democ-racy that differs in concept tan the universal concept ofdemocracy.

The majority of the world’s population agree that theliberal democracy is the most effective when it comes tothe society’s progress as it acts based on respecting theconstitution, tolerance, the law and equality.Meanwhile, experience has proved that mixing betweenreligion and state creates obstacles in the way for thesociety’s progress, and could take the process severalsteps back, especially because the independence of reli-gion for reasons that contradict with religious teachingsthreatens religious grounds, in addition to having adestructive effect on the society as a whole. — Al-Rai

A ‘fanatic’

democracy

kuwait digest

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

This is a interesting article about water and healthwhich I read in the June issue of Harvard PublicHealth Journal and I wanted to share with you. It is a

Q and A by Professor JamesShine, who gives lectures inthe Chemistry and theEnvironment Department. Heexplains how water will be aglobal health problem as itcontrols our lives, health andillness on a large scale, whilefocusing on the role of cleanwater and the effect of pollu-tion on lakes and rivers.

Q: How much water doesan average American con-sume each day?

A: About 1,600 gallons.That figure surprises a lot ofpeople. Most of us thinkabout our direct-consump-tion use of water: How manytimes do I flush the toilet?How long is my shower? Andthose are obviously impor-tant for understanding howone person depletes localwater resources. But if youstart thinking larger, you’llsee that a drop of water thatfell on a wheat field this after-noon is going to be part ofmy sandwich bread fivemonths from now. If it ’s ameat sandwich, a lot morewater was used. It takes 52gallons of water to make oneglass of milk. It takes more than 600 gallons to make aquarter-pound hamburger. It takes 2,800 gallons to makea pair of jeans. Our daily lives carry a giant water footprint.

Q: Population and industrial production and per capitaconsumption keep going up. But the water supply is finite.Aren’t humans relying on basically the same amount ofwater that we were 10,000 years ago?

A: Yes-although, of course, it’s not the same water.About 97 percent of the water on our planet is in theoceans. Another 3 percent is in the polar ice caps. Wehumans use the very small fraction of fresh water that isaccessible groundwater and surface water, such as lakesand rivers-all told, about 0.1 to 0.2 percent of water onthe earth. That amount has been stable since the lastice age, and although water is constantly cycling in andout of the different pools, we are altering the quantity

and quality of available fresh water. Q: Will climatechange alter the water cycle and therefore the amountof water that we can draw on?

A: That’s the question.There could be more rainfall,more flooding, as well asmore drought, meaning therewill be winners and losers. Asice melt and river runoffincrease in the North Atlantic,that less dense fresh watermight ride on top of thewarmer Gulf Stream; the GulfStream, which crosses theAtlantic, would no longerbring heat to Europe. In thatscenario, Europe’s climatemight be more like northernCanada’s, which would be abig public health problem. Inother areas, changes in waterflow can have harmful effectson human health in manyways. Areas at higher lati-tudes that receive greateramounts of rain may havemore floods, creating stag-nant backwaters that makebetter habitats for the vectorsof malaria and schistosomia-sis and other waterborne dis-eases.

Q: How are we doing onthe 2015 MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs)that relate to water and sani-tation?

A: On a global basis, the world has already met the MDGfor safe water. China and India have made great strides inproviding safe drinking water through direct piping ofclean water or the use of deep wells; unfortunately, sub-Saharan Africa is not meeting its drinking water goal. As forsanitation, the problem is that, in the developing world,about 40 percent of people use open defecation or publiclatrines. In India, there are more cellphones than toilets.Worldwide, 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sani-tation and 1.8 million die annually because drinking waterbecomes contaminated. The sanitation goal clearly will notbe met by 2015. The point is that we need to think of safedrinking water and sanitation together-as one problem.They shouldn’t be separate MDGs. Comment: We mustthank Allah the Almighty for the clean water we enjoy, andmust protect it as much as we can. — Al-Qabas

The truth about water, health

kuwait digest

By Dr Salah Al-Ateeqi

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Police brutality

against Filipinos

Local Spotlight

First of all, this article wasn’t written to accuse thepolice but to address the growing complaintsagainst them by Filipinos who have been

harassed and abused.I think it is about time to open this closed file and

investigate the truth behind those who go to courtseeking justice after falling prey to police brutality.

I’m glad to say that with a new minister of interior, Ihave hopes that he will not overlook the claims ofpolice brutality as it not only affects our country’s rela-tions with other countries but also affects the reputa-tion of the other decent policemen.

There are around 180,000 Filipinos working inKuwait and over 80,000 of them are employed as housemaids. So, the number is not small and their calls forhelp should definitely not be ignored. Recently, twopolicemen were taken into custody for physicallyassaulting and sexually harassing a Filipina housemaidin Salwa. The charges were filed by the Philippineembassy lawyer against the two policemen.

The Philippine Embassy sent diplomatic notes to theKuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs that cited allegedpolice brutality committed against Filipino womenworkers and sought the host government’s assistancein the speedy resolution of cases involving men in uni-form.

The Filipino community in Kuwait has launched asignature campaign. They want the deployment ofhouse maids to be stopped temporarily unless appro-priate protection is accorded to them by thePhilippines and the Kuwaiti government. I think theyare right. When a government sees that the safety of itscitizens is compromised, they should take a strongstand and initiate dialogue with international channels.

Manpower recruitment agencies in Kuwait opposedthe call for moratorium. But, considering other solu-tions that stipulate the protection of the maids and risein salaries, I don’t see the connection between thesesolutions. Cases of police brutality are individual actsand not mass ones and have no connection with thenumber of Filipinos in Kuwait. The only way out is itseek legal recourse.

I think no one likes to use the term “police brutality”.It is an ugly and scary term because the police are sup-posed to save and protect people. A finger pointedagainst any policeman raises questions over his limitsand the power he holds. Allegations of corruptionamong the police is not acceptable anywhere in theworld. It becomes our mission to protect and save therest of the good policemen and defend human rightsin Kuwait, whether it’s for expats or otherwise.

There could be more rainfall,more flooding, as well as moredrought, meaning there will bewinners and losers. As ice meltand river runoff increase in theNorth Atlantic, that less densefresh water might ride on top

of the warmer Gulf Stream; theGulf Stream, which crosses theAtlantic, would no longer bring

heat to Europe. In that sce-nario, Europe’s climate might

be more like northernCanada’s, which would be a bigpublic health problem. In other

areas, changes in water flowcan have harmful effects on

human health in many ways.

Most of us have been preoccupied over the pastfew years by events in the political scene. Someof us were too preoccupied, and others just

became frustrated. Politics is a world dominated by ideo-logical and social trends that whether legitimate or not,remain a part of the political game whose strings are inthe hands of the executiveauthority.

As much as I am con-cerned from social disinte-grations, I am also concernedabout the future of Kuwait.My concern deepens more asthe gap between the opposi-tion and governmentwidens. In my opinion, thereare pressing circumstancesthat require paying attentionto a not-so-small part of thesociety in the form of opposi-tionists such as Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Musallam Al-Barrak. The opposition is avery important element inthe political stability process,and it is not of commoninterest to continue widening the gap by ignoring it. Inthe end, the opposition moves from ideological trendsand public reactions towards the events happening in thepolitical scene.

The oppositionists’ positions are not political or fabri-cated exaggerations, but are positions based on a politi-cal vision that needs to be respected and consideredregardless of whether we agree with it or not. There is asaying that goes ‘A political party grows by telling thetruth’. I say that Kuwait grows by announcing nationalaccord, which requires national dialogue in which all par-

ties, including the opposition, are allowed to explain theirpoint of view.

I do not see developments taking place while somecategories in the society are isolated or ignored. I am nottalking about the opposition alone, but also a main playerin the political field that needs to participate in the dia-

logues: the Al-Sabah rulingfamily. Achieving nationalreconciliation requires theirparticipation and to havetheir opinion heard becausethey are an integral part ofthe society in the end.

Kuwait has been sufferingfor years and most specifical-ly since the time of the for-mer prime minister, as aresult of political crises thatled to social divide. Theprocess to reinforce patriot-ism and the Kuwaiti identityrequires honest exchange ofopinions without eliminatingany party, and public partici-pation that expands outsidethe parliament’s building and

includes civil society institutions and intellectual leaders.Otherwise, we are going to fall into the trap of alienation,or being alienated in our own society.

As we find ourselves surrounded by an unstableregional atmosphere, national accord has become anecessity for Kuwait’s stability.

Therefore, let us join efforts to achieve comprehensivepolitical reform as explained by HH the Amir during theparliament’s inaugural session when he said that “reformis a national project with everyone sharing that responsi-bility”. — Al-Qabas

National accord is necessary

kuwait digest

By Khalid Al-Tarrah

The oppositionists’ positionsare not political or fabricatedexaggerations, but are posi-

tions based on a politicalvision that needs to be respect-

ed and considered regardlessof whether we agree with it or

not. There is a saying that goes‘A political party grows by

telling the truth’.

The Arab World is livingthrough struggles today that

stem from contradiction inideologies and based on

superiority instead of a civilsystem that respects reli-

gions, beliefs and politicalrights of all citizens.

The challenge for mediatorsnow is to convince the leader-

ship of the MuslimBrotherhood, and their sup-porters, to give up on their

demand of Morsi’s return topower and engage the new

leadership in dialogue to seekan acceptable formula to endthe current impasse. Previousstatements by US Secretary of

State John Kerry andEuropean officials on the July

3 overthrow of Morsi havedampened Islamists hopes

that international, particular-ly US, pressure could turn

things around in their favor.

L O C A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

KUWAIT: Preparations are ongoing for the25th annual Pearl Diving trip which is organ-ized by the Kuwait Sea Sports Club fromAugust 15-22 under the patronage of HHthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Head of the heritage committee in the

KSSC Ali Al-Qabandi announced that theofficial ‘Dasha’ ceremony which signals thebeginning of the pearl diving trip takesplace Thursday morning. The ceremony seesthe participating diving ships, which are gift-ed by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Sabah and HH the late Amir Sheikh JaberAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah, sail to Khairan wherediving for oyster takes place. The ‘Qufal’ clos-ing ceremony is set for Thursday, August 22in a public ceremony. Media outlets will alsoget the chance to cover diving activities dur-ing trips to the pearl diving spots on theAug 18 and 19.

Training courses for new divers startedbefore Ramadan and will continue startingfrom today before the scheduled start of thetrip. The traditional ‘Habab and Shona’ activi-ty in which divers clean and prepare shipsfor the sailing day takes place tomorrow atthe KSSC beach.

Preparations on for pearl diving trip

MUMBAI: Kuwait has warned that a disputeover a Rs 70-crore (KD 3.3 million) flat inMumbai could make it rethink bilateral ties. Atstake is trade worth nearly Rs 1,08,000 crore. Theroyal family of Kuwait, which owns the Al-Sabahcourt building in south Mumbai’s posh MarineDrive, has moved the Bombay High Courtthrough the building’s caretaker Faisal Essa,accusing a builder, Sanjay Punamiya of forgery,cheating, criminal trespass, theft and criminalintimidation.

Essa, a former diplomat, alleges thatPunamiya, a first-floor tenant in the build-ing, forged documents to show that he hadrented a 7,000 square-foot sea-facing flaton the fifth floor flat for just Rs 16,666 amonth and then stole exotic Arabian car-pets, expensive paintings, artifacts,antiques, jewelry and utensils made of goldand silver and wooden furniture worth Rs30 crore.

Essa, 83, says his complaint on the allegedfraud was closed by Mumbai cops. And instead,alleges the Kuwaiti petition, Essa, who hasdiplomatic immunity, was booked afterPunamiya complained that he had pointed agun at him and “threatened to kill him if he did-n’t vacate the premises”.

Sheikha Fadyah Saad Al-Sabah, a daughterof the late Amir of Kuwait, has written to theKuwaiti Ambassador in India Sami MohammadAl-Sulaiman, saying, “it is with deep anguish thatwe record our utmost discontent and displeas-ure over the situation that has been created dueto apparent malpractices and unchecked cor-rupt indulgence exhibited by the MumbaiPolice... We are indeed disturbed and amazed torecord the catastrophic manner in which thestate administration has handled the matter.”The letter, a copy of which has been sent toPrime Minister Manmohan Singh and seniorministers, warns of “the international ramifica-tions that such an act of an individual cheatmay have on the national interest of India.”

The Kuwaitis want a CBI probe and anexplanation “through diplomatic channels” andsay the “criminal situation” could have a directbearing on 20 bilateral agreements betweenIndia and Kuwait. Trade between the two coun-tries stood at Rs 1,05,000 crore in 2011-2012, ofwhich India’s crude oil exports from the Gulfcountry were pegged at Rs 94, 000 crore.

For the Kuwaiti royals Rs 100 crore is smallchange. “But this isn’t about the money,” a legalrepresentative of the family said. “This is aboutArabian pride and honour.” —NDTV.com

Dispute over Mumbai flatKuwait-India ties ‘at stake’

KUWAIT: Under the auspices of MOI’s assistant undersecretary for public security maj. general Mahmoud Al-Dousary and with participation of the Governorate security director maj. general Tareq Hamada aspecial sudden inspection campaign was launched in Failaka island during the Eid vacation. The campaign resulted in filing 15 reckless car and ATV driving citations and a number of illegal residents.

Ali Al-Qabandi

L O C A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

KUWAIT: Rumaithiya police arrest-ed a taxi driver with possession of alarge amount of drugs and wascharged with trafficking. The manwas forced to stop after he tried todrive away when he spotted police-men approaching his vehicle. Policefound nearly 5,000 pills inside thevehicle before sending the driver tothe Drug Control GeneralDepartment.

Detective nabbed A police detective was charged

with drug possession and traffick-ing following his arrest after anambush recently. Investigationswere underway after Jahra detec-tives received information that oneof their colleagues used his job tocover up for his drug traffickingactivity. A trap was set up toambush the suspect after Sulaibiyadetectives found evidence to con-

vict him. He was arrested success-fully with possession of shabu(meth) which he admitted to usingand trading with. The man wastransferred to the proper authori-ties to face charges.

Abandoned baby Investigations are ongoing to

identify the parents of a newbornwho was left in public unti l apasserby found her Saturday andcalled police. Paramedics andpolice officers arrived in Fintasafter a man found the babywrapped in a blanket and left neara garbage container. The baby wastaken to the Amiri Hospital whereher condition was described asstable. A case has been filed.

Fugitive in custodySulaibiya police arrested a fugi-

tive on Saturday following investi-

gations in seven mugging cases hecommitted after being sentencedin previous crimes. Investigationshad been ongoing since localpolice received different reportsfrom expatriates who gave identi-cal descriptions for a man theysaid had mugged them in thesame fashion. Detectives wereeventually able to identify thesuspect and arrest him during anambush. He was charged afterbeing identified by his victims ina police lineup. Police also dis-covered that the man wasrequired to serve five years in jailafter being sentenced over othercrimes earlier.

Suicide attemptA domestic worker was hospi-

talized following a suicide attemptaccording to preliminary investi-gations. Paramedics and police

arrived in Jabriya on Saturdayafter a family reported findingtheir house maid unconsciousinside the bathroom. The 26-year-old Asian woman was rushed tothe Mubarak Hospital where shewas diagnosed with complicationsafter consuming bleaches. Policeare waiting for her condition tostabilize to question her.

Actor falls off stageA veteran Kuwaiti actor suf-

fered a serious back injury afterslipping and falling on stage whileperforming at the Ice Skating RinkTheater on Saturday. Paramedicsand police arrived at the sceneshortly after an emergency callwas made when the 69-year-oldman reportedly lost balance andfell off the stage. He was rushed tothe Amiri Hospital where his con-dition stabilized later.

Taxi driver charged

with drug traffickingFugitive in Sulaibiya police custody

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Narcotics officials arrested threecitizens for possessing a quarter kilogramof mari juana, quar ter k i logram ofhashish, some cocaine, Ice and about5,000 pills of different drugs and 19 bot-tles of imported liquor, in addition tothree unlicensed guns and bullets. Theauthorit ies were t ipped off about aKuwaiti man dealing with drugs. He wasbeing closely watched until informationwas verified and was later arrested. Policefound hashish ready for sale apart from agun and bullets. One of his relatives waswith him and police confiscated 50 gramsof marijuana from him also. Upon interro-gation, they confessed that the drugswere for both trade and personal use, andlead the police to another citizen whowas their supplier. He was also arrested athome and police found the rest of the

stash with him. He confessed that theconfiscated material belonged to him. Thethree suspects and drugs were sent toconcerned authorities.

Drugs confiscatedHawally police arrested a person for

possessing 842 drug pills. The arrested per-son and drugs were sent to concernedauthorities. General Director of Policepatrol Brig Zuhair Al-Nasarallah hailed theeffort of Hawally police, who were success-ful in arresting one of the drug traders. Al-Nasrallah emphasized that security compa-nies will continue in all areas to stop out-laws and violators, pointing that there iscontinuous cooperation and coordinationwith security officials in this respect. Hecalled upon all citizens and expats to callthe emergency telephone number 112which receives reports round the clock andpasses it to the police.

KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary Ministry of Interior Lt Gen Anwar Al-Yaseen paid a visit to the border centers on the second day of Eid toAbdally, Salmi and Al-Nowaiseeb, accompanied by Lt Gen Mohammad Idrees, and his deputy Col Obaid Abu Slaib. Al-Yaseen conveyed Eidgreetings to those working on the borders and congratulations from the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and the Undersecretary Gen Ghazi Al-Omar. He expressed his happiness and appreciated the good work done by the bordercenter employees.

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK)family paid a visit to NBK Hospital atSabah Medical District to share Eid happymoments with children suffer-ing from permanent andincurable ailments.

NBK Public RelationsOfficer,Yaqoub Al-Baqer saidthat NBK staff have alwaysdevoted a considerable partof their time to comfort thechildren and present themwith felicitations and gifts aspart of NBK’s corporate socialresponsibility program.

“Sharing the happymoments of Eid Al-Fitr andother similar occasions withchildren is our pleasure. We are proud thatNBK devotes such attention to supportingKuwait society and providing compassion

and support for those in need, includingchildren. NBK’s commitment to shoulderits corporate social responsibility was the

basic motive that led NBK tobuild its children hospital atSabah Medical District manyyears ago,” Al-Baqer added.

The visit to the hospital wasemotional and overwhelmingfor both the children and NBKstaff.

NBK’s visits to hospitals andcare centers reflect the Bank’shigh sense of duty andresponsibil ity towards al lthose in need from differentsectors of society. It is a wellrooted tradition that has been

carried out by NBK each year in its effortsto continuously have an active role in theKuwait society.

KUWAIT: Sources at Ministry of Social Affairsand Labor said that the committee entrusted inlooking into the labors complaints in labors rela-tion administration received 1,078 labor com-plaints, out of which 240 complaints were solvedamicably, 237 cases were sent to court and 243

cases were still under study in the month ofJune.

Six cases were filed without legal ground andanother 122 cases were solved as complaintswere canceled and 230 cases were filed as appli-cants did not check back.

Sources said that the ministry is keen to lookinto each complaint without delay pointing thatemployers and employees are subject to law andeach one of them sets his right as per the law.The committee does not accept any complaintwithout the supporting documents.

KUWAIT: US-based Golar has signed a$213million deal with the Kuwait NationalPetroleum Company (KNPC) to providefloating storage and regasification (FSRU)services to support their LNG import opera-tions at Mina Al Ahmadi.

The five-year contract comprises the pro-vision of portside FSRU services for an antic-ipated nine months of the year togetherwith a three-month window where the ves-sel is free to pursue spot carrier and othershort term business opportunities.

Winter scheduling of the three monthstand-down period together withfavourable positioning mean that the com-pany is optimistic for the vessels tradingprospects.

The 170,000cbm new-build FSRU GolarIgloo will be delivered during the fourthquarter of 2013 and will service a contractset to start in March 2014.

Golar CEO, Doug Arnell said: “Kuwait is anestablished LNG importer and we look for-ward to working closely with our new cus-tomer. We are very pleased that an experi-enced LNG industry player such as KNPChas entrusted Golar with their FSRU serviceswhich demonstrates our established reputa-tion as a leading operator of floating mid-stream LNG assets.

“As this is a five-year charter, the vesselwill be offered to Golar LNG Partners L.P.(“Golar Partners”) to acquire providing foranother potential acquisition with a newand particularly strong counterparty.”

Trio busted with

drugs, illegal arms

NBK shares Eid happy moments

with children at hospital

Yaqoub Al-Baqer

Golar scores

$213m Kuwait deal

1,078 labor complaints received

KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority iscurrently studying a proposal to suspend thecamping season for one year in order to givethe local environment time to recover frompollution caused by campers every year.

This was revealed by Acting GeneralDirector for Technical and EnvironmentalMonitoring Mohammad Al-Enizy who indicat-ed that a decision to suspend the 2013-14camping season is pending a commitmentfrom the Kuwait Municipality to introducestiffer penalties against environmental viola-tions.

Hundreds of people set up camps in speci-fied locations in Kuwait’s desert betweenNovember and April, but relatively modestfines have been collected as a failed policy todeter campers from committing violationsthat include damaging the already rarelyplanted soil.

“ The EPA recently handed the KuwaitMunicipality a full report that shows the

destruction that the land environment suf-fered during the last camping season”, Al-Enizy told Al-Qabas.

In other news, Al-Qabas reported quotingsecurity sources that the CriminalInvestigations General Department in theInterior Ministry launched investigations toseize predators raised as pets by locals, basedon a letter from the Public Authority forAgricultural Affairs and Fish Resources whowarned about the rise of this phenomenon infarms and residential areas alike.

Investigations have so far revealed that alarge number of predators including lions,tigers, hyenas and wolves as well as reptilessuch as crocodiles and snakes are being spot-ted after being smuggled into the country.

The sources who spoke on the conditionof anonymity further indicated that cam-paigns are expected soon at where exoticanimals have been illegally brought into thecountry.

Plan to suspend camping

season for one year

KUWAIT: A sudden explosion in one of thepipes on Fahaheel Expressway yesterdaymorning caused the road to be partially closedfor two hours.

Emergency groups from MEW rushed to thesite and removed parts of the broken pipe andhelped resume traffic after large quantities ofwater leaked on to the street. Sources at MEW

said that they received several complaintsabout water leaking into the FahaheelExpressway opposite Al-Shaab residentialareas. Emergency teams were deployed andthey found that one of the pipes had explodedand water was gushing out of it. They closedtwo lanes of the street before replacing thepipe and containing the water flow.

Explosion in water pipe

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Gunmen shootLebanese mayor, killaides in Syria

Page 8

Girl found safe in Idaho; alleged abductor killedPage 10

ABIDJAN: A Malian citizen living in Ivory Coast looks for her name on an electoral list in an polling station of Koumassi, in Abidjan, yesterday. —AFP

Malians pick president in crucial run-offHopes of new dawn of peace and stability

BAMAKO: Malians voted yesterday in a presi-dential election run-off expected to usher in anew dawn of peace and stability in the con-flict-scarred nation.

An electorate of almost seven million wasurged to choose between former premierIbrahim Boubacar Keita and ex-finance minis-ter Soumaila Cisse to lead Mali’s recovery fol-lowing a military coup that ignited an Islamistinsurgency and a French-led military inter-vention. The election, the first since 2007, iscrucial for unlocking more than $4 billion inaid promised after international donors halt-ed contributions in the wake of last year’scoup.

Torrential rain hit early turnout, however,with many polling stations in the capitalBamako reporting smaller numbers than dur-ing the first round, when a turnout of nearly50 percent was seen as a key sign that theelectoral process would be viewed as credi-ble.

The rain had stopped by lunchtime andAFP reporters across the capital witnessed asteady stream of voters heading to pollingbooths. A network of some 2,000 independ-ent Malian observers issued a statement wel-coming the smooth running of the poll but itnoted that fewer voting booths were able toopen on time due to the rain in Bamako andthe southern towns of Koulikoro and Kayes.

“The rain is trying to ruin our day. I hope itstops, otherwise they will have to extend thevoting hours,” said Oumar Toure, one of thefew voters who had turned up at the openingof a polling station in a city centre school.

Both Keita and Cisse have declared them-selves confident of victory in the run-off,called after none of the 27 candidates in thefirst round achieved an outright majority.

The two men separately appealed for calmamong the population in Mali’s post-electionrecovery period after casting their ballots inBamako.

The rivals have faced off before, losing the2002 presidential election to AmadouToumani Toure, who was overthrown by amilitary junta in March last year as he waspreparing to end his final term in office. Thereturn to democratic rule will allow France towithdraw most of the 4,500 troops it sent toMali in January to oust Al Qaeda-linkedextremists who had occupied the north in thechaos that followed the coup, imposing abrutal regime of sharia law characterized byexecutions and amputations. Keita, 68, who isconsidered the favorite, was more than 20percentage points ahead ofhis rival in the first round.Cisse, 63, had complainedabout widespread fraud inthe first round while morethan 400,000 ballots from aturnout of around 3.5 millionwere declared spoiled.

Mali’s Constitutional Courtrejected the fraud allegations,however, confirming thatKeita had won 39.8 percent,while Cisse attracted a 19.7percent share.

Keita claims to have thesupport of most of the candi-dates eliminated in the firstround and is backed by Mali’sinfluential religious establish-ment, while Cisse has beenendorsed by Adema, Mali’slargest political party. “Myfirst priority would be the rec-onciliation of the country,”Keita said Friday. “After thetrauma that it has suffered, anew start is needed.”

A UN peacekeeping mis-sion integrating more than6,000 African soldiers ischarged with ensuring secu-rity on Sunday and in themonths after the election. Bythe end of the year it willhave grown to 11,200 troopsand 1,400 police.

The country of more than14 million remains the conti-nent’s third-largest gold pro-ducer, but its $10.6 billioneconomy contracted by 1.2percent last year, and wide-spread poverty has con-tributed to unrest in thenorth, with several armedgroups vying for control inthe vacuum left when theIslamists fled.

The region is home pre-dominantly to lighter-skinnedTuareg and Arab populationswho accuse the sub-Saharanethnic groups that live in themore populous and prosper-ous south of marginalizingthem. In the northern districtsof Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal,polling began in an atmos-phere of calm, with reports ofstrong voter turnout. —AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

BAGHDAD: Iraqis angrily blamed theauthorities yesterday for failing to preventattacks that killed 74 people as theymarked the Eid Al-Fitr holiday ending Iraq’sbloodiest Ramadan in years. The violence,which also wounded more than 320 peo-ple, was roundly condemned by the inter-national community.

It was the latest in months of blood-shed that have sparked worries of a revivalof the all-out sectarian war that peaked in2006 and 2007 and left tens of thousandsdead. The attacks came just weeks afterassaults on prisons near Baghdad, claimedby an Al-Qaeda front group, freed hun-dreds of prisoners, including leading mili-tants, prompting warnings of a surge inviolence.

Authorities, though, have highlightedmajor security operations which they sayhave led to the killing or capture of numer-ous militants. Iraqis voiced frustration withthe government and the security forces forfailing to prevent the 16 car bombings andother attacks which killed 74 people onSaturday, 47 of them in the capital. “Therewill not be any improvement in the Iraqisituation,” said a man who gave his nameas Abu Samer, near the site of a twin carbombing in Shaab, north Baghdad, whereeight people were killed. “I cannot trust

any politicians, because they make manypromises, and the result of their work iswhat happens in our country each day.”The 64-year-old retired agricultural engi-neer said he hoped to send his childrenoverseas, “far from what is happening inIraq and Baghdad.”

In east Baghdad, at the site of anothercar bombing, Ali Al-Shammari said Iraq’slong-running political deadlock was toblame. “The presence of one party andanother opposed to it is much better thandozens of political parties, even if they saywe are in a dictatorial regime, because it ismuch better than dozens of people beingkilled each day,” said Shammari, a 35-year-old cigarette seller.

“I will never vote for another personagain,” the father-of-three continued. “Howlong should we live in this situationbecause of politicians?”

Security forces tightened searches atcheckpoints in the capital, leading to longqueues of traffic, a blunt measure oftenemployed in the immediate aftermath ofdeadly attacks, albeit one that has largelyfailed to curb the violence.

New attacks yesterday killed six peoplenationwide, officials said. A roadside bombkilled three soldiers south of Baghdad,while gunmen shot dead two anti-Al-

Qaeda militiamen near Baquba, north ofthe capital, and police killed a man whodrove through a checkpoint quickly in thenorthern city of Mosul.

Overall, more than 800 people werekilled during the Muslim fasting month ofRamadan, which ended last week, with theviolence now at its deadliest since 2008,when Iraq was slowly emerging from bru-tal bloodletting. The US and UN con-demned the latest attacks, withWashington reiterating a $10 millionbounty for information leading to thekilling or capture of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,the head of the Islamic State of Iraq andthe Levant, an Al-Qaeda front group.

“This carnage reflects the inhumancharacter of its perpetrators,” said UNdeputy special envoy to Baghdad GyorgyBusztin. New York-based Human RightsWatch called on Iraqi authorities to “enddraconian responses” to attacks, includingtorture of suspects, coerced confessionsand convictions based on secret testimo-ny. Saturday’s violence came just weeksafter attacks on prisons near the capital inwhich hundreds of inmates were freed.Analysts, as well as global police organiza-tion Interpol, had warned that the jail-breaks could lead to a rise in attacks, asthe escapees were said to include senior

Al-Qaeda militants. The security forcesmeanwhile launched major operationsagainst the militants in multipleprovinces, including Baghdad, that areamong the biggest since the December2011 withdrawal of US forces. But the vio-

lence has increased markedly this year,with analysts saying the upsurge is theresult of anger among the Sunni Arabminority that the Shiite-led governmenthas failed to address despite months ofprotests. — AFP

Iraqis slam govt for not stopping Eid attacks

KARBALA: People inspect the aftermath of a car bomb attack in Karbala, 50miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad, yesterday. A wave of car bombings tar-geting those celebrating the end of Ramadan across Iraq killed scores of peopleSaturday, a bloody reminder of the inability of Iraqi authorities to stop violencethreatening to spiral out of control. —AP

BEIRUT: Gunmen shot the mayor of a town inLebanon and killed two of his companions onlyhours after he oversaw a hostage swap with arival clan in an area increasingly riven by sectari-an divisions, security sources said yesterday.

The attack near the border with Syria high-lights how the civil war there has worsenedenmity between Lebanese Shiite and SunniMuslim militias that support opposing sides ofthe two-year-old conflict. Mayor Ali Hujeiri, aSunni from the town of Arsal, was shot in themajority Shiite town of Labweh as he returnedfrom the hostage exchange with a rival Shiiteclan. He was transferred to hospital and doctorssaid his wounds were not life-threatening.

The sources said the attack was carried out byresidents of the area, but did not elaborate.

The Bekaa Valley region, where the attackhappened, is religiously mixed. Some areas arecontrolled by the Shiite militant Hezbollahgroup which is helping President Bashar al-Assad crush the revolt. Other parts, like Arsal, areSunni, and residents provide a safe haven formajority-Sunni Syrian rebels. The hostages werebeing held in relation to an incident in June inwhich four of Labweh’s residents were killed byrebel fighters, the sources said.

The recapture of the Syrian border town ofQusair in June by Assad’s forces, spearheaded byHezbollah guerrillas, led to an influx of Syrianrebel fighters and civilians into Lebanon andmore violence spilling over into the Bekaaregion.

Rockets fired from areas believed to be con-trolled by Syrian rebels have targeted the Shiitetown of Hermel, while Syrian helicopters havecrossed into Lebanon and fired at buildings inArsal. — Reuters

Gunmen shoot Lebanese

mayor, kill aides in Syria Sectarian war ignites local rivalries

RAQQA: A Syrian man mourns the deaths of six of his siblings who were killed in a bomb attackduring fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces in the northern city ofRaqqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands, on Saturday.—AFP

BAGHDAD: The United States has con-demned the latest bombings in Baghdadwhich killed dozens of people, sayingattackers who targeted civilians during cel-ebrations marking the end of Ramadanwere “enemies of Islam”.

Eighteen months since the last UStroops withdrew, Sunni Islamist militantshave been regaining momentum in theirinsurgency against Iraq’s Shiite-led govern-ment. The civil war in neighboring Syria hasaggravated sectarian tensions further andIraq’s Interior Ministry has said it is facingan “open war”.

“The United States condemns in thestrongest possible terms the cowardlyattacks today in Baghdad,” the StateDepartment said in a statement. “The ter-rorists who committed these acts are ene-mies of Islam and a shared enemy of theUnited States, Iraq, and the internationalcommunity,” it said.

It said the United States would workclosely with the Iraqi government to con-front al Qaeda and discuss this during a vis-it of Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari next

week to Washington. This has been one ofthe deadliest Ramadan months in years,with bomb attacks killing scores of people.The latest bombings were similar to attacksin Baghdad on Tuesday in which 50 died.

“This carnage reflects the inhumancharacter of its perpetrators,” UnitedNations envoy to Iraq Gyorgy Busztin saidin a statement. “All honest Iraqis shouldunite to put an end to this murderous vio-lence that aims to push the country intosectarian strife,” he said.

The State Department said Saturday’sattacks bore the signs of al Qaeda’s Iraqi(AQI) branch. It reiterated a $10 millionreward for information leading to thekilling or capture of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,the AQI leader. Last month al Qaedaclaimed responsibility for simultaneousraids on two Iraqi prisons and said morethan 500 inmates had escaped in the oper-ation, one of its most brazen in Iraq.

The reward for Baghdadi is second onlyto information leading to Ayman Al-Zawahri, the chief of al Qaeda’s network,the State Department said. — Reuters

KHARTOUM: Fighting between two Arabtribes has killed 100 people in Sudan’s Darfurregion, where hundreds had already died inworsening unrest this year, one of the com-batants said yesterday.

The battle between a group of Rezeigatand the rival Maaliya tribe happened nearAdila in East Darfur state on Saturday. “Weclashed with Maaliya... and we destroyed acompound of theirs and killed 70 of them,”said a Rezeigat source, who declined to benamed. “We lost 30 of our men. “There is stillhigh tension and men from both sides aregathered,” the

source said. Both tribes said the fightersused Land Cruiser vehicles, while the Maaliyaaccused their opponents of employing “heavyweapons”-a common allegation in Darfur’stribal fighting. A Maaliya source said theRezeigat “attacked” and burned villages buthe declined to say how many from his sidehad died. “We still expect more fightingtoday,” the source said, claiming that theMaaliya “killed 40” of their adversaries. Inter-tribal and inter-ethnic fighting has been themajor source of violence in Darfur this year,where an estimated 300,000 people were dis-placed in the first five months alone, theAfrican Union-UN peacekeeping mission inDarfur (UNAMID) says.

East Darfur had been relatively free fromthe tribal violence, much of which hasoccurred in Darfur’s north and west. Late lastmonth in North Darfur state, another branchof the Rezeigat inked a peace deal to end aseparate conflict with rival Arabs from theBeni Hussein group. A member of parliamentsaid their battles killed hundreds over severalweeks. In another conflict, the Misseriya andSalamat Arab tribes less than two weeks agoannounced that they had reached a tentativeceasefire after fighting which one of themsaid had killed more than 200 people. Thesebattles reflect the altered dynamics of adecade-old conflict in which, observers say,the government can no longer control its for-mer Arab tribal allies known as Janjaweed.

With the situation changing, the UnitedNations Security Council called last month fora review of the UNAMID peacekeeping mis-sion. Non-Arabs in Darfur began a rebellion10 years ago against what they saw as thedomination of Sudan’s power and wealth byArab elites.

In response, the government-backedJanjaweed militia shocked the world withatrocities against them.

Although the rebellion continues, analystshave warned since at least 2010 that relationswere souring between Khartoum and theArab tribes it armed to fight the insurgency.

Tribal disputes have been driven by con-flict over resources including land, water andmineral rights, observers say. A Rezeigatsource said the latest violence too is linked toa land dispute.

There had been tension between theRezeigat and Maaliya for days. Their tribalcouncils had appealed for peaceful resolutionof the land dispute, the Sudanese MediaCentre, which is close to the security appara-tus, reported last week. Prior to this year’ssurge of violence, there were already 1.4 mil-lion people in camps for those uprooted bythe conflict in Darfur. While the number ofdisplaced has risen, the United Nations saidlast Tuesday that it has had to reduce itshumanitarian assistance because permits forsome UN international staff in Darfur have notbeen renewed by the government.

Permits for 20 of the 37 Darfur-based inter-national staffers of the UN’s refugee agency(UNHCR), which provides emergency shelterand other aid, have not been extended, theUN said. France condemned the “unjustified”expulsion of the 20 from Darfur. SudanesePresident Omar al-Bashir is wanted by TheHague-based International Criminal Court forwar crimes, crimes against humanity andgenocide allegedly committed in Darfur.Defence Minister Abdelrahim MohammedHussein is also sought by the court, on 13counts of alleged war crimes and crimesagainst humanity in the region. — AFP

TUNIS: The head of Tunisia’s ruling Islamistparty Ennahda is to meet the powerfulUGTT trade union chief today on the crisissparked by the killing of an oppositionpolitician. The UGTT said that its head,Houcine Abassi, would meet Ennahdaleader Rached Ghannouchi and MustaphaBen Jaafar, speaker of the NationalConstituent Assembly. Nearly 500,000Tunisians are members of the UGTT, andthe union can paralyse the country withstrike action.

The planned meeting comes after BenJaafar announced the suspension of theassembly’s work drawing up a new consti-tution while the Islamist-led governmentand the opposition hold talks on endingthe political crisis. Ben Jaafar has proposedthe UGTT as mediator for the talks.

The union has called for the resignationof the Islamist-dominated cabinet and itsreplacement by a government of tech-nocrats. Ennahda has rejected the proposalso far. Ghannouchi said on Facebook onSaturday that he had met the head ofemployers’ organization Utica, WidedBouchamaoui. Utica too has called for theformation of a cabinet of technocrats.Meanwhile Tunisia’s Tamarod, a movementthat has modelled itself on the one in Egyptthat led to the army ousting the electedIslamist president, said five of its activistswere on hunger strike in front of the con-stituent assembly to demand its dissolutionand the resignation of the government.Tamarod Tunisia says on its Facebook pagethat it has collected 1.6 million signaturesin support of both measures. The figure,which has not been verified, would amountto some 15 percent of the country’s popu-lation. Tunisia’s opposition coalition, madeup of parties from across the political spec-trum, has refused to meet Ennahda until anew government is formed. Hundreds ofopposition supporters have kept up

RABAT: Delegations from various provinces of thenation have attended the allegiance ceremonymarking King Mohammed VI’s 14th anniversary ofthe Monarch coronation.

The King, dressed in traditional royal costumesand riding an ornamented horse, was given alle-giance by the nation notables, tribal leaders, offi-cials and leading figures at the ceremony, held onSaturday, at the Mechouar square of Rabat RoyalPalace. King Mohammed VI was accompanied byCrown Prince Moulay El Hassan and princes. Atthe beginning of this ceremony, Interior MinisterMohand Laenser, Governors of the kingdom’s pre-fectures and provinces swore allegiance to theMonarch. Afterwards, delegations representingdifferent regions, prefectures and provinces of theKingdom followed suit. The allegiance or “baiaa” isa centuries-old pact binding the Throne and thepeople. It is a mutual commitment whereby thepeople pledge loyalty to the King and theMonarch pledges to defend the independence,sovereignty and integrity of the country, to pre-serve the citizens’ rights and to see to the prosper-ity and progress of the nation, according to theofficial Moroccan news agency (MAP). —KUNA

GAZA: The son of 20-year-old Hussein Awadallah mourns the death of his father inthe Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip yesterday. Israeli troops shot aPalestinian dead on the border with Gaza on the night of August 10, the Gaza healthservice said.— AFP

US says Iraq attackers

are ‘enemies of Islam’

Tunisia Islamist leader to

meet union chief on crisis

Undated file photo of Murat Agca (left) and Murat Akpinar, two Turkish pilots kidnappedby armed assailants who intercepted a bus carrying Turkish Airlines personnel from thecityís airport to central Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday. A previously unknown groupclaimed responsibility for the kidnappings, issuing a statement suggesting the pilotswould be released in return for the freedom of nine Lebanese Shiites kidnapped by Syrianrebels last year near the Turkish border. —AP

protests every night in front of the assem-bly but on August 6, tens of thousands tookpart in demonstrations.

The opposition is hoping to raise thepressure on the government with a newdemonstration on August 13 to mark theanniversary of the promulgation of thePersonal Status Code in 1956 underTunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba.The code gave Tunisians unequalled rightsin the Arab world at the time, and thecountry’s ruling Islamists have regularlybeen accused of trying to roll them back.

Ennahda’s critics have blamed theIslamists for the rise of the ultra-conserva-tive Salafist movement in the country sinceJanuary 2011, whose violent actions are athreat to stability in the country. —AFP

Morocco witnesses

King’s coronation

anniversary

100 killed in new

Darfur fighting

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

ATHENS: Police blocks the access to the Amygdaleza detention camp out-side Athens, where some 1,200 mainly Asian migrants are kept under policeguard early yesterday. —AFP

In Jamaica, transgender teen murdered by mob

Beaten, stabbed, shot and run overMONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: DwayneJones was relentlessly teased inhigh school for being effeminateuntil he dropped out. His father notonly kicked him out of the house atthe age of 14 but also helped jeer-ing neighbors push the youngsterfrom the rough Jamaican slumwhere he grew up.

By age 16, the teenager wasdead - beaten, stabbed, shot andrun over by a car when he showedup at a street party dressed as awoman. His mistake: confiding to afriend that he was attending a“straight” party as a girl for the firsttime in his life. “When I sawDwayne’s body, I started shakingand crying,” said Khloe, one of threetransgendered friends who shared aderelict house with the teenager inthe hills above the north coast cityof Montego Bay. Like many trans-genders and gays in Jamaica, Khloewouldn’t give a full name out of fear.

“It was horrible. It was so, sopainful to see him like that.”International advocacy groupsoften portray this Caribbean islandas the most hostile country in theWestern Hemisphere for gays andtransgendered people. After twoprominent gay rights activists weremurdered, a researcher with theUS-based Human Rights Watch in2006 called the environment inJamaica for such groups “the worstany of us has ever seen.”

Local activists have since disput-ed that label, but still say homo-phobia is pervasive. Dwayne’s hor-rific July 22 murder has made head-lines in newspapers on the islandand stirred calls in some quartersfor doing more to protect Jamaica’sgay community, especially thosewho live on the streets and resortto sex work.

Advocates say much of thehomophobia is fueled by a nearly150-year-old anti-sodomy law thatbans anal sex as well as by dance-hall reggae performers who flauntanti-gay themes. The island’s maingay rights group estimated thattwo homosexual men were killedfor their sexual orientation last year,and 36 were the victims of mobviolence.

For years, Jamaica’s gay commu-nity has lived so far undergroundthat their parties and church servic-es were held in secret locations.Many gays have stuck to a “don’task, don’t tell” policy of keepingtheir sexual orientation hidden toavoid scrutiny or protect lovedones.

“Judging by comments made on

social media, most Jamaicans thinkDwayne Jones brought his deathon himself for wearing a dress anddancing in a society that has madeit abundantly clear that homosexu-als are neither to be seen norheard,” said Annie Paul, a bloggerand publications officer atJamaica’s campus of the Universityof the West Indies.

Some say the hostility partlystems from the legacy of slaverywhen black men were sometimessodomized as punishment orhumiliation. Some historiansbelieve that practice carried over

into a general dread of homosexu-ality.

But in recent years, emboldenedyoung people such as Dwaynehave helped bring the island’s gayand transgender community out ofthe shadows. A small group of gayrunaways now rowdily congregateson the streets of Kingston’s finan-cial district. Prime Minister Portia

Simpson Miller’s government hasalso vowed to put the anti-sodomylaw to a “conscience vote” inParliament, and she said during her2011 campaign that only meritwould decide who got a Cabinetposition in her government. Bycontrast, former Prime MinisterBruce Golding said in 2008 that hewould never allow homosexuals inhis Cabinet. Dane Lewis, executivedirector of the Jamaica Forum forLesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays, saidthere were increasing “pockets oftolerance” on the island.

“We can say that we are becom-

ing more tolerant. And thankfullythat ’s because of people likeDwayne who have helped push theenvelope,” said Lewis, one of thefew Jamaican gays who will pub-licly disclose his full name.

Yet rights groups still complainof the slow pace of the investiga-tion into Jones’ murder, despitethe justice minister calling for a

full probe.Police spokesman Steve Brown

said detectives working the caseare struggling to overcome achronic problem: a strong anti-informant culture that makes eye-witnesses to murders and othercrimes too afraid or simply unwill-ing to come forward.

Even though some 300 peoplewere at the dance party in the smallriverside community of Irwin,police have yet to make a singlearrest in Dwayne’s murder. Policesay witnesses have said they could-n’t see the attackers’ faces —AP

Dwayne Jones’ transgendered friend and roommate, Keke, poses for a photo in kitchen of thehome they shared on the northern outskirts of Montego Bay, Jamaica. —AP

ATHENS: Police in Athens were huntingalmost a dozen escaped migrants yesterdayafter a detention camp riot left 10 officersinjured, authorities said. The police said thateight Pakistanis and two Afghans were stillunaccounted for after the four-hour riot atAmygdaleza detention camp in the north-east of Athens.

Another 14 migrants from Pakistan,Afghanistan and Bangladesh were caughtoutside the blocks where they were beingheld, a police statement said. The riot brokeout late Saturday, with detainees setting fireto mattresses and throwing stones at theirguards. “Without provocation, police guardswere attacked with stones, water bottlesfilled with pebbles and other objects,” thestatement said.

“They also set fire to bags of garbage,mattresses and their living quarters,” itadded.

Doors and windows were smashed andeight of the detention blocks weredestroyed before riot police regained con-trol. According to the police, the unrestbegan when the detainees were told thattheir maximum stay in the camp would beextended to 18 months from a year.

Police said 41 migrants from Pakistan,Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Morocco wereconfirmed to have taken part in the riot andclaimed that none were hurt in the incident.They will be charged with attemptedescape, destruction of property and griev-ous bodily harm. Amygdaleza is one of sev-eral detention centres set up since last yearto assist in the repatriation of undocument-

ed migrants, with 1,600 currently heldthere, according to police.

Rights groups claim that migrants havebeen subjected to abuse by police in thecamps and are denied proper health care.Last week, leftist rights group KEERFA saidMuslim detainees had been beaten byguards during prayers.

In July, the same group reported thedeath of an Afghan detainee from a lunginfection that his guards had allegedlyignored for months. Greece is a primarypoint of entry into the European Union formigrants and refugees fleeing war-torn andimpoverished countries in Africa, theMiddle East and the Indian subcontinent.The influx has put additional strain on therecession-hit country’s health services andprison facilities, forcing Greece to turn tothe EU for help to patrol its frontiers.

Over the past year a nationwide opera-tion has removed undocumented migrantsfrom the streets, ironically codenamedXenios Zeus after the king of the ancientGreek gods in his role as a protector ofguests. According to the police, more than5,400 people had been arrested by the endof July “for unlawful residence and otherimmigration-related infractions”.

But rights groups such as Human RightsWatch say the operation seems designed toshow the conservative government’s effec-tiveness against illegal immigration.Currently, voters are increasingly drawn toGolden Dawn, a violently anti-migrant neo-Nazi party that has gained in popularityduring Greece’s recession. —AFP

Hunt in Athens after detention camp riot

JOHANNESBURG: Nelson Mandela is making “slow butsteady” progress back to health, although he remains criti-cally ill, the office of the South African president said yes-terday.

The 95-year-old former president and anti-apartheidicon has been in hospital for more than two months with arecurring lung infection. “Former President Nelson Mandelacontinues to receive treatment in hospital in Pretoria anddoctors have indicated to President Jacob Zuma that theformer president is making a slow but steady improve-ment,” a statement from the presidency said.

“The medical team also reiterated that although hishealth was improving steadily, Madiba still remained in acritical condition,” it added, referring to Mandela by his clan

name. Zuma asked South Africans to pray for Mandela’srecovery and good health, the statement said. The SouthAfrican president is technically the only person authorizedto give public updates about Mandela’s health, and hadnot issued a statement since July 31.

Mandela’s youngest daughter Zindzi Mandela saidFriday that the anti-apartheid hero was “not going any-where anytime soon” and was now able to sit up unaccom-panied. He was “more alert, more responsive,” she said. Andhis former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told Sky NewsThursday that he was “now breathing normally.” Doctorshad managed to contain his lung infection but kept “drain-ing fluid from the lungs,” she said. Both stressed that hewas not about to die. —AFP

Mandela making ‘slow but steady’ progress

MADRID: Spain may take its row withBritain over the disputed territory ofGibraltar to the United Nations, steppingup its actions in the conflict, El Pais news-paper reported yesterday, citing diplo-matic sources. Centuries of friction overGibraltar, a British overseas territory towhich Spain lays claim, flared up thismonth after Spain complained that anartificial reef being built by Gibraltarwould block its fishing vessels.

The sources did not specify whetherSpain would ask the United Nations toback a request for Britain to give up sov-ereignty or adhere to certain agree-ments, but taking the matter to interna-

tional courts would mark a change oftack and increase tensions. SpanishForeign Minister Jose Manual Garcia-Margallo will also take advantage of aSeptember trip to Argentina, which isserving a term on the UN SecurityCouncil, to seek its support againstBritain over Gibraltar, the sources told thenewspaper. Argentina is immersed in itsown dispute with Britain over the sover-eignty of the Falkland Islands. Aside fromthe Security Council, Spain could alsotake the matter to the UN GeneralAssembly or the International Court ofJustice, it said.

A Spanish foreign ministry official said

he could not immediately comment onSpain’s plans to seek UN involvement inGibraltar, which was also reported yester-day by right-leaning Spanish newspaperLa Razon. Spanish Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy threatened unilateralmeasures over the spat on Friday, whileBritish navy vessels were heading toGibraltar for what both Spain and Britainhave played down as a routine, sched-uled visit.

Rajoy and his British counterpartDavid Cameron had agreed to try andcalm tempers over the disputed territory,though both sides have been reluctantto back down on their positions.

Gibraltar, the tiny rocky promontorynear the southern tip of the IberianPeninsula, has been a source of on-offtensions since Spain ceded the territoryto Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht 300years ago. The latest dispute arose lastmonth when Gibraltar’s boats dumpedconcrete blocks into the sea to create areef for fish at the mouth of theMediterranean. Spain said the reef wouldrestrict its fishing boats and hit back withtougher border checks and threats of a50-euro fee for people crossing theGibraltar border. It is not clear whethersuch a fee would be legal under EU law.

In an interview on Spanish televisionon Saturday, Margallo said the entry feewould not be imposed on workers whofrequently cross the border for their jobsand pledged aid to the fishermen whoselivelihood is being hit by the reef.Travellers as well as residents of bothSpain and Gibraltar continued to endurelong queues at the border over the week-end due to Spanish authorities’ increasedchecks on vehicles entering and leavingthe territory. —Reuters

Spain may ask UN for support over Gibraltar

MILAN: Italy may get its own politi-cal dynasty out of the ashes of SilvioBerlusconi’s political career. Thenation has been buzzing with specu-lation that Marina Berlusconi willstep in as her father’s political heiressever since the supreme court lastweek confirmed the three-time for-mer premier’s tax fraud conviction,jail sentence and ban from politics.

Berlusconi’s eldest daughter is along-time executive at his Mediasetmedia empire and was among aclutch of close advisers by his side athis Rome residence when the courtruled on Aug 1. She has in the pastrepeatedly denied any intention toenter politics, but has remainedsilent during this new round of spec-ulation.

Political analysts say the prospect

of a Marina Berlusconi candidacy isrealistic. “I think it will be acceptedwithin the party, and even amongBerlusconi lovers, those hardcore 7million or 8 million voters,” saidRoberto D’Alimonte, a political sci-ence professor at Rome’s LUISSUniversity and analyst for il Sole 24Ore. “The thing I don’t know is if sheis ready for it. Because this is some-thing that will change her life, andnot necessarily for the better.”

Berlusconi loyalists have gone onthe record this week rooting forMarina, who turns 47 on Saturday.Berlusconi’s close friend, the formerRenault F1 manager Flavio Briatore,told the Milan daily Corriere dellaSera: “She is a very intelligentwoman, a Berlusconi - a name thatmillions of Italians adore.” —AP

Marina Berlusconi touted as father’s heir apparent

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obamasays he’s had mixed success in persuad-ing Russian President Vladimir Putin tothink “forward as opposed to backward”on a variety of issues and is reassessingthe US-Russia relationship.

While senior officials from the twocountries met at the State Department,Obama told reporters at a news confer-ence Friday that Putin’s return to theKremlin last year had brought about“more rhetoric on the Russian side thatwas anti-American, that played intosome of the old stereotypes about theCold War contest between the UnitedStates and Russia.”

“I’ve encouraged Mr Putin to thinkforward as opposed to backward onthose issues, with mixed success,” he said.Obama told reporters that he decidednot to attend a summit with Putinplanned next month for Moscowbecause “Russia has not moved” on arange of issues where the US would liketo see progress. He said his unhappinesswith Russia granting temporary asylumto National Security Agency leakerEdward Snowden was one reason, butnot the only one, for his decision.

“I think the latest episode is just onemore in a number of emerging differ-ences that we’ve seen over the last sever-al months around Syria, around humanrights issues where, you know, it is prob-ably appropriate for us to take a pause,reassess where it is that Russia’s going,what our core interests are, and calibratethe relationship so that we’re doing

things that are good for the UnitedStates and, hopefully, good for Russia,”Obama said.

Obama said that no one could hopefor 100 percent agreement and that dif-ferences could not be completely dis-guised. But he said US-Russian coopera-tion is important.

“We’re going to assess where the rela-tionship can advance US interests andincrease peace and stability and prosper-ity around the world,” Obama said.“Where it can, we’re going to keep onworking with them. Where we have dif-ferences, we’re going to say so clearly.”

Obama praised trade and arms con-trol successes that the US and Russiawere able to seal when he was dealingwith former Russian President DmitryMedvedev. Obama played down sugges-tions that he and Putin do not get along.“I don’t have a bad personal relationshipwith Putin,” he said. “When we have con-versations, they’re candid. They’re blunt.Oftentimes, they’re constructive.”

But he took a shot at the often dour-looking Russian leader for his demeanorin meetings and appearances beforereporters.

“He’s got that kind of slouch, lookinglike the bored kid in the back of the class-room,” Obama said. “But the truth is, isthat when we’re in conversations togeth-er, oftentimes it’s very productive.”

He urged Putin to think in broadterms and not view the United States asan enemy. “If issues are framed as if theUS is for it, then Russia should be against

it, or we’re going to be finding wayswhere we can poke each other at everyopportunity, then probably we don’t getas much stuff done,” Obama said.Obama’s comments came shortly afterSecretary of State John Kerry andDefense Secretary Chuck Hagel wrappedup talks with their Russian counterpartsthat were intended to try to repair someof the damage caused by the differencesover Syria, Russia’s domestic crackdownon civil rights and anti-gay legislation, aUS missile defense plan for Europe, trade,global security, human rights andAmerican adoptions of Russian children.Officials from both countries said afterthe talks that the atmosphere had beenpositive and productive and that theyhad agreed to renew efforts to bringabout a political resolution to the deteri-orating situation in Syria at an interna-tional conference. On the military side,the officials said Russia had invited theUS to observe a joint Russian-Belarussiantraining exercise next year involving13,000 troops as well as establish a videolink between the defense chiefs.

Kerry allowed that US-Russia ties hadbeen complicated by “colliding and con-flicting interests.” Russian ForeignMinister Sergey Lavrov also acknowl-edged the fractious state of the relation-ship but called on both sides to act like“grown-ups,” saying that’s how Moscowwants to handle the differences.

Noting that he and Lavrov are formerice hockey players, Kerry said that theyunderstood “that diplomacy, like hockey,

can sometimes result in the occasionalcollision, so we’re candid, very candid,about the areas in which we agree butalso the areas in which we disagree.”

He added: “It’s no secret that we haveexperienced some challenging momentsand obviously not just over the Snowdencase.”

Both men maintained that US-Russiancooperation on even limited areas ofshared concern is important. Russia hasminced no words in expressing its disap-pointment that Obama canceled the

summit, and Lavrov made it clear thatMoscow had been prepared to signagreements on trade and nuclearresearch and security had it gone ahead.

“At least we in Russia were preparedto table our proposals to the two presi-dents,” Lavrov said.

“Of course, we have disagreements.We’ll continue discussing matters onwhich we disagree calmly and candidly,”he said. “We need to work as grown-ups.And this is what we do. And we hopethat this will be reciprocal.” —AP

Obama cites ‘mixed success’ in dealing with Putin

CASCADE, Idaho: A harrowingweeklong search for a missingCalifornia teenager ended Saturdaywhen FBI agents rescued the girland shot and killed her apparentkidnapper at a campsite deep inthe Idaho wilderness. HannahAnderson, 16, appeared to be unin-jured and will be reunited soonwith her father at a hospital,authorities said. Her suspectedabductor, James Lee DiMaggio, 40,was killed after his campsite wasfound in Idaho’s rugged FrankChurch River of No ReturnWilderness, roughly 40 miles fromthe tiny town of Cascade.

Hannah was taken to a hospitalwhere crisis counselors and healthcare providers were assisting her.Her father was expected to arrive inIdaho yesterday to reunite with her.

“We will make sure she gets asmuch care as possible, physicallyand emotionally,” said AndreaDearden, a spokeswoman from theAda County Sheriff’s Departmentwho has been leading the commu-nication team for the interagencyeffort in Valley County.

The shooting came after officersparticipating in a massive manhuntfor the pair spotted the campsitefrom the air and an FBI hostagerecovery team trekked to the sitenear Morehead Lake.

“No one really knows where aninvestigation like this will lead,” saidMary Rook, special agent in chargeof the FBI’s Salt Lake City division.“In this case, our team faced a verychallenging situation.”

The FBI said it was sending ateam to investigate what unfoldedbefore, during and after the shoot-ing. Authorities offered few detailsSaturday night. The location wasn’tfar from what had been the lastknown sighting of the pair. A horse-back rider called authoritiesThursday night to report that onWednesday he had seen two peo-ple who resembled Anderson andDiMaggio with camping gear on atrail near the lake. The rider, whosename wasn’t released, didn’t realizethey were subjects of a massivesearch until he got home and sawnews reports.

The case began when the charred

bodies of Hannah Anderson’s moth-er, Christina Anderson, 44, and theteen’s 8-year-old brother, EthanAnderson, were found in DiMaggio’sburning house outside San Diego,near the Mexico border.

DiMaggio was close to the fami-ly. Christina Anderson’s husband,Brett Anderson, has described himas a best friend and said the chil-dren thought of him as an uncle.

Authorities have said DiMaggiohad an “unusual infatuation” withHannah, although the father saidhe never saw any strange behavior.An Amber Alert was issued, andtips led investigators to Oregonafter DiMaggio and the teen werereportedly spotted there.

But it wasn’t until the Idahohorseback rider called in his tip thatinvestigators found a major lead -DiMaggio’s car, hidden under brushat a trailhead on the border of theFrank Church River of No ReturnWilderness in central Idaho.

A contingent of about 270 law

enforcement officers from the FBI,the Valley and Ada County sheriffs’offices, Idaho State Police, the USMarshals Service, and the BorderPatrol, aided by experts from feder-al land management and wildlifeagencies, worked around the clockto figure out the best way to trackDiMaggio and the teen in the road-less area.

San Diego County SheriffWilliam D. Gore announcedHannah’s rescue and DiMaggio’sdeath from a news conference inCalifornia. He said members of hisoffice notified Hannah’s father, BrettAnderson, of her rescue. “He wasvery relieved and very excited andlooking forward to being reunitedwith his daughter,” Gore said.

The father described a range ofemotion in a text message to CNN.“I am nervous excited saddened 4my wife and son and worried whatmy daughter has been through,” hewrote to the network. “It ’s nowhealing time. Keep us in your

prayers.” At a separate news confer-ence in Idaho, Dearden said shedidn’t know if DiMaggio fired shotsat officers but there were noreports of any injuries to authoritiesinvolved in the encounter. Cascaderesidents gathered behindDearden, Rook and the other offi-cials gathered at the news confer-ence and cheered at the news ofHannah’s rescue.

Rook said FBI victim specialistswere working with Hannah and herfamily to get them the resourcesthey need. “As grateful as we arethat she was recovered safely, wealso remember the other victims inthis case who lost their lives,” Rooksaid.

FBI policy calls for an investiga-tion whenever an agent fires aweapon, Rook said. A team fromWashington, DC, was preparing toinvestigate the events at the camp-site, and until that investigation iscomplete, Rook said she couldn’tshare any other details. —AP

Girl found safe in Idaho; alleged abductor killedHarrowing weeklong search ends in death and rescue

Bo, the Obama family dog, is walked off of Air Force One in Cape Cod,Massachusetts, en route to Edgartown, Mass., where the Obama family is tobegin their vacation in Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday.—AP

CASCADE: ADA County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Andrea Dearden addresses themedia at the Cascade Fire Station in Cascade, Idaho, Saturday. The man suspected of kidnapping 16-year-old Hannah Anderson was shot dead in Idaho as the girl was rescued. —AP

CHICAGO: Priscilla Robinson and her father, Major Robinson, pose outsideGuggenheim Elementary School that she attended and where Major Robinsonworked security, in Chicago. In the year since Guggenheim School closed, van-dals have descended on the vacant building, stripping satellite classrooms oftheir air conditioning units and causing other damage. —AP

CHICAGO: To Carolyn Lang, West PullmanElementary is more than the school acrossthe street her children attended a quarter-century ago. It’s where she turned for helpwhen the lock on her front door froze andwhere school workers watch from their win-dows to make sure she doesn’t fall victim tocrime in an impoverished corner of the citywracked by violence, including two menfound shot to death in a car just days ago. Butno more. West Pullman is one of nearly 50Chicago schools the city closed last spring aspart of aggressive cost cutting that calls forthe single largest closing of schools in anyAmerican city in years.

Critics of the closures have protested thatchildren will be forced to cross gang bound-aries to get to new schools. Largely over-looked are the worries of thousands of peo-ple like Lang who have relied on the schoolsto help safeguard poor neighborhoods. Soon,many of those buildings will go as dark andquiet as the boarded-up houses that dot theirstruggling communities.

“I used to come home late from prayermeetings at my church, and just seeing thelight on and knowing the engineers and thejanitors were working, I felt safe because theywere there,” said Lang, 58. “Now it won’t be asafe haven anymore.”

What will happen to Pullman and otherschools is unclear. In recent years, most of therelatively few schools that have closed havereopened as charter, magnet, military, alter-native or other kinds of schools. Chicagoschools spokeswoman Becky Carroll said thedistrict is “serious about making sure thesebuildings have a useful purpose, whetherthey are sold to a private entity (or used as)some kind of community center.”

But the district has never had to find newuses for so many vacant schools at once.Carroll seemed to acknowledge the challengein an email, saying no one should expect thebuildings to be repurposed “in time for theschool year or over the next year.”

For Terry Donaldson, that means a year ortwo without the security of the West Pullmanschool. “I got to know the janitor over there,and he would be cutting the grass and we’dtalk, and then he’d watch my back and I’dwatch his back,” said Donaldson, 65. “Nobodybothered him or me because they know wewatched each other.”

Richard Ingram, who manages rentalproperties on the South Side, says some ten-ants call schools rather than police to reportcrimes to prevent criminals from discoveringwho they are.

“They’re afraid for their lives, but theyknow the schools can call and there won’t beany repercussions,” he said. Nobody is sayingthat the closed schools will cause the neigh-borhoods to decline. That has been happen-ing for years. But the concern is that the sightof shuttered schools will accelerate thatdecline.

“It is a signal that resources are leaving thecommunity,” said Deborah Moore, director ofneighborhood strategy at NeighborhoodHousing Services of Chicago, a not-for-profitorganization that helps people buy homesand keep them out of foreclosure. “There isno way I can market the community to youngfamilies. They aren’t going to move into acommunity with a closing school.”

That is bad news for neighborhoods suchas West Pullman, where census figures showthe population fell by about 7,000, or 19 per-cent, between 2000 and 2010. Nearly a quar-ter of all mortgaged properties fell into fore-closure between 2008 and 2012, according tothe Woodstock Institute, a housing policygroup in Chicago.

Moore expects the population to fall, asfamilies choose to live in neighborhoods thatstill have open public schools. And, she said,the number of foreclosures is sure to go upbecause school employees such as janitorsand lunchroom workers, many of whom livenearby, will be at risk when they no longerhave a paycheck. — AP

Chicago school closings worry poor neighborhoods

Snowden’s father gets visa to visit son in RussiaWASHINGTON: National Security Agency leakerEdward Snowden’s father has secured docu-ments to visit his son in Russia and plans to dis-cuss how he could fight espionage charges, LonSnowden and his attorney said yesterday.

Neither Lon Snowden nor his attorney BruceFein has spoken directly with the former NSAanalyst since he fled the United States andreceived asylum in Russia, they said. But thefather and lawyer also said they look forward tomeeting with Edward Snowden to consideroptions for the leaker to return to the UnitedStates at some point.

“As a father, I want my son to come home if Ibelieve that the justice system ... is going to beapplied correctly,” Lon Snowden said.

But the elder Snowden isn’t convinced hisson would get a fair hearing in court, given whathe called “absolutely irresponsible” descriptionsof his son’s actions from President BarackObama, his administration and top lawmakersfrom both parties. “They have poisoned the well,so to speak, in terms of a potential jury pool,”said Lon Snowden, of Allentown, Pa.

Edward Snowden roiled the United Statesintelligence agencies and upended US relationsaround the globe with his disclosures of highlyclassified programs that allow the United States

to collect millions of pieces of data, includingAmericans’ phone records. The government hascharged him with violations of the Espionage

Act in federal court in Alexandria, Va.Fein said the family is willing to discuss condi-

tions under which Edward Snowden mightreturn to the United States and perhaps facecriminal proceedings. Fein added that he plansto “suggest criminal defense attorneys who’ve

got experience with criminal Espionage Actprosecutions” when he meets with Snowden.

Edward Snowden’s whereabouts in Russiaremain unknown. The timing of the visit fromLon Snowden and Fein was uncertain; bothdeclined to elaborate.

Last week, Edward Snowden’s Russian lawyersaid he had sent Lon Snowden the required invi-tation to visit the country, a step toward secur-ing a travel visa. Anatoly Kucherena said hehoped a visit would happen in the coming days.

Fein says the trip would happen “very soon.”Russia’s decision to grant Edward Snowden tem-porary asylum angered the US government andscuttled Obama’s plans for a one-on-one meet-ing with Russian President Vladimir Putin in visitMoscow next month.

Lon Snowden said the political outrage inWashington would fade and added “theAmerican people are absolutely unhappy withwhat they’ve learned - and more is going to beforthcoming.”

“Where my son chooses to live the rest ofhis life is going to be his decision. But I wouldlike at some point in time for him to be ableto come back to the US,” Lon Snowden said.Lon Snowden and Fein spoke on ABC’s “ThisWeek.” —AP

Lon Snowden, the father of NationalSecurity Agency leaker EdwardSnowden.—AP

Progress in battling California wildfire

BANNING, California: Firefighters madesteady progress Saturday in battlingSouthern California’s latest destructivewildfire, which burned 26 homes andthreatened more than 500 others in theSan Jacinto Mountains. The so-called SilverFire, which charred 30 square miles in threedays, was 70 percent surrounded. The firestopped advancing Saturday as firefightersfocused on extinguishing hot spots. Fullcontainment was expected yesterdayevening. The blaze injured 10 firefightersand seriously burned a mountain bikerwho was overrun by the fast-movingflames when the fire erupted Wednesday.

At its peak, the fire forced the evacua-tion of 1,800 people, including 800

campers. Evacuation orders for severalcommunities remained in effect. Gov. JerryBrown declared an emergency for the areaFriday, freeing up additional funds andresources for the firefight and recovery.

Most of Southern California’s severewildfires are associated with Santa Anawinds, caused by high pressure over theWest that sends a clockwise flow of airrushing down into the region.

This week’s fire, however, was beingfanned by a counter-clockwise flow arounda low pressure area over northwestCalifornia. The National Weather Servicesaid conditions could change in the secondhalf of next week, with weaker winds in themountains and deserts.— AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

News

Three US soldiers killed in Afghanistan

KABUL: Three US soldiers were k il led inAfghanistan’s eastern borderlands yesterday, USand NATO officials said, the first NATO combatdeaths this month. The soldiers, from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),were killed by insurgents in Paktia province, a U.S.official told Reuters. The last NATO soldier to bekilled in action was late last month. Paktia is oneof several provinces that border Pakistan and haveendured some of the highest levels of fightingduring the US-led 12-year war in Afghanistan. USsoldiers based in Paktia are rarely involved in com-bat operations since handing over securityresponsibility to Afghan security forces earlier thisyear. They now primarily train their Afghan col-leagues.The NATO-led mission has about 100,000international troops in Afghanistan, of whichabout 68,000 are American. Those numbers areexpected to reduce sharply before the official endof the NATO-led combat mission - December 31,2014.

Storms kill 22 near Kabul

KABUL: An Afghan disaster management officialsays heavy rains and overnight hailstorms killed atleast 22 people near the capital. MohammadDaim Kakar, who is general director for disastermanagement in Kabul province, said on Sundaythat at least 20 people died in Chakardara districtjust north of the capital. He adds the victimsinclude seven children. Most of the victims werein cars when floods swept their vehicles away andsubmerged them, Kakar says. He says another twochildren died in a flood in the Paghman districtwest of the city. Heavy rains affected easternAfghanistan late Saturday and yesterday. Lastweek flash floods killed about 75 people in fiveeastern provinces.

14 people died in coal dump collapse in India

NEW DELHI: At least 14 people were killed andmany trapped following the collapse of a coaldump in India’s southern state of Odisha, govern-ment sources said. The incident which occurredon Saturday, when a coal dump collapsed atBasundhara-Garjanbahal mines in Sundargarharea of the state, sources said that some peoplewere collecting coal from the overburden dumpwhen a portion of it crashed resulting in casualtiesand injuries. Soon after the incident, the reliefagencies swung into action to rescue the trappedand transport the injured to the hospital. “So far14 bodies have been recovered. Nine of themwere recovered last night, four were found thismorning,” sources said, adding, “We fear morepeople are trapped under the giant coal rocks. Weare continuing with the search operation”. Fivepersons were rescued from the coal debris andhave been hospitalized. Chief minister of the stateNaveen Patnaik has ordered a probe to look intothe details of the incident.

in brief

JAMMU: India and Pakistan exchanged moregunfire across the disputed border in Kashmiryesterday, Indian border guards said, as a 10-year ceasefire frays over accusations of killingsof soldiers deployed on the frontline.

One Indian border guard was wounded afterPakistan Rangers opened fire on a post inKanachak, some 40 km (25 miles) southwest ofJammu, the winter capital of India’s Jammu andKashmir state, the Border Security Force said. “Itwas an unprovoked firing on an InternationalBorder post from the other side. However, weresponded with utmost restraint,” a spokesmanof the Border Security Force said.

There was no immediate comment fromIslamabad. Tensions along the 740-km Line ofControl that divides Kashmir rose on Tuesdaywhen an Indian army patrol was ambushed andfive soldiers killed in the Poonch region. NewDelhi blamed the attack on the Pakistan army.Islamabad denied involvement.

The two armies also exchanged heavy fireon Friday in the Poonch region, Indian authori-ties said, straining the ceasefire that has largelyheld on the border since November 2003. Indiahas linked the ceasefire violations to attemptsby Pakistan to push through militants into itsside of Kashmir to revive a decades-old revoltthere. Islamabad denies any help and insteadhas called for talks to resolve the disputesbetween the neighbors including the long-run-ning row over Kashmir.

Underscoring Indian worries over renewedunrest in Kashmir, clashes in the Jammu regionerupted after a large group of stone peltingprotesters unfurled a Pakistani flag, shoutingpro-Islam, pro-independence slogans after

offering Eid prayers. Three people were killed inthe violence on Friday and the situationremained tense with a curfew imposed in sixout of 10 districts of Jammu, state officials said.

India has deployed tens of thousands of sol-diers in Kashmir to put down an armed revoltthat began in 1989. In recent years militant vio-

lence has ebbed, but there has been littlemovement on a political settlement of the dis-pute.

On Sunday, army troops patrolled the streetsof the violence -hit districts and the localadministration blocked mobile data services tostop the spreading of rumors, it said. — Reuters

DHAKA: Authorities in Bangladesh havearrested a rights activist with ties to thecountry’s main opposition party, appar-ently over allegations the group he worksfor made against government forces aftera deadly crackdown on a protest in May.

Detectives picked up Adilur RahmanKhan from his residence in the capital lateSaturday, said Dhaka Metropolitan Policespokesman Masudur Rahman. Khan is sec-retary of the Dhaka-based rights groupOdhikar. Home Minister Mohiuddin KhanAlamgir said Sunday that Khan was arrest-ed on “specific charges,” but did not elabo-rate.

Odhikar’s director, A S M NasiruddinElan, said the group did not know whatthe charges were. He said Khan wasordered to be detained for five days whilehe’s interrogated. Elan said police wantedto question Khan for allegedly violatingthe country’s information technology actin connection with a crackdown on ahard-line Islamic group.

Khan’s arrest is apparently connected

to a May crackdown by security officialson a rally in Dhaka by the Islamic organi-zation Hefazat-e-Islam, which says it is anon-political group formed to fight thosewho want to undermine Islam in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Opposition parties said the govern-ment used excessive force and kil ledscores of people during the early morningaction.

Odhikar said 61 people died in thecrackdown. The government asked therights group to hand over its report aboutthe killings so it could investigate, butOdhikar refused, citing security concernsfor the victims’ families.

The government has said it found noevidence of mass killings during the crack-down. Khan is known to be close to themain opposition Bangladesh NationalistParty, headed by former Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia. He was appointed as a statelawyer with the Attorney General’s officeduring Zia’s last term as prime minister,which ran from 2001 to 2006. — AP

India, Pakistan exchange

gunfire across borderIndian guard wounded as ceasefire frays

JAMMU: Indian Border Security Force soldier Pawan Kumar lies in a hospital bed in theGovernment Medical College Hospital in Jammu yesterday after being injured in firing on theborder with Pakistan. — AFP

AGRA: Indian tourists cool off at the water fountains in front of the Taj Mahal monu-ment in Agra yesterday. The Taj witnessed heavy rush of Indian tourists yesterday fol-lowing Eid Holidays. — AP

Bangladesh authorities

arrest rights activist

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police clamped a fresh curfew on aColombo neighborhood yesterday, a day after a Buddhist-led mob vandalized a mosque in an incident that raisedreligious tensions and sparked US concern.

Police announced that a 13-hour curfew would be reim-posed, starting at 6:00 pm (12:30 GMT) across the residen-tial and commercial areas of Grandpass district, whichremained under tight security following Saturday’s attackthat left four people wounded. Witnesses reported scat-tered stone-throwing in the neighborhood yesterday asauthorities deployed more police and paramilitary com-mandos to keep the situation under control. Soldiersarmed with automatic rifles were deployed at key junc-tions in an upscale area of the capital as government lead-ers held talks with Muslim politicians on ways to ease ten-sions. Muslim ministers in the ruling coalition, includingJustice Minister Rauf Hakeem, said failure to take sternaction against those responsible for similar attacks in thepast had brought about a breakdown in law and order.“The notion that there are elements in our society who canact with impunity should be totally eradicated from thepublic perception that has now taken root in our society,”the ministers said in a joint statement.

President Mahinda Rajapakse’s coalition includes the SriLanka Muslim Congress, the country’s largest Muslim politi-cal party. The US embassy in Colombo expressed concernat the violence and urged authorities to prosecute thoseresponsible. “This incident is particularly troubling in lightof a number of recent attacks against the Muslim commu-nity in Sri Lanka,” the embassy said in a statement.“Targeting any place of worship should never be permittedand we urge calm from all sides.”

The US, which in March initiated a UN Human RightsCouncil resolution against Sri Lanka over alleged warcrimes against Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, also urgedColombo to ensure religious freedom. Local Islamic clericsexpressed concern in the wake of Saturday’s attack, whichfollowed Buddhist objections to the opening of the newmosque. “We were surprised because we thought thingswere settling down,” Fazin Farook, spokesman for the AllCeylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, Sri Lanka’s apex body of Islamicclerics, told AFP. “With this attack, we are worried again andwe see this (anti-Muslim) trend continuing. We condemnthis attack.” Farook noted that the latest violence came fivemonths after the torching of two Muslim-owned business-es just outside the capital.

Three Buddhist monks and 14 others who were arrestedin connection with the arson attacks in March were laterfreed when police and the victims did not press charges.

In another incident, radical Buddhists recently forcedIslamic clerics to withdraw halal certification from foodsold locally, claiming that it offended the majority non-Muslim population.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Council, an umbrella organizationof Muslim civil society groups, also expressed concern atSaturday’s attack. A security official told AFP Buddhists hadobjected to the new mosque, which was constructed toreplace an older place of worship earmarked for demoli-tion. “The Buddhist temple had objected to the relocationof the mosque and the troubles started during Saturdayevening prayers at the mosque,” the official said, asking notto be named. All four people injured in the attack, includ-ing two police constables guarding the mosque, remainedin hospital yesterday. Residents said temple bells sum-moned dozens of men who stormed the mosque and start-ed throwing stones and beating up worshippers. — AFP

Toxic liquor

kills 8 in PakistanKARACHI: Pakistani police say at least eight people in the port city ofKarachi have died after consuming homemade liquor. Police officerMohammad Sarwar said yesterday that 14 people from Christian-dominated slums in the city, Pakistan’s largest, were hospitalized afterdrinking toxic liquor late Saturday night. He said eight died and sixothers are being treated. Sarwar said police have arrested two peoplefor allegedly selling the toxic liquor and looking for those who dis-tilled it illegally. He said the two suspects and all the victims wereChristians.

Liquor poisoning is common in Pakistan, where the Muslim major-ity is forbidden to consume or sell alcohol. Non-Muslims can drinkbut many poor buy the cheapest homemade liquor, which is oftenadulterated. — AP

KARACHI: Pakistani women mourn the death of a relative who waskilled after drinking toxic liquor in Karachi yesterday. Eight peoplewere killed and four others were in critical condition as a result ofconsuming toxic liquor in Karachi, media reports said. — AFP

Curfew in Colombo

as tensions escalate

after mosque attack

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

SEATTLE, Washington: An AmericanChristian missionary imprisoned inNorth Korea is in deteriorating healthand has been moved from a prison workcamp to a hospital within the past twoweeks, his sister said at a vigil for herbrother on Saturday.

Kenneth Bae was sentenced in May to15 years of hard labor after North Korea’sSupreme Court convicted him of statesubversion. The court said Bae, 45, hadused his tourism business to formgroups to overthrow the government.Bae was detained in November as he leda tour group through the northernregion of the country. His sentencingcame amid acrimonious relationsbetween Pyongyang and Washington

over the reclusive state’s nuclear pro-gram.

Bae’s sister Terri Chung said that herbrother had until recently been held at aprison for foreigners and put to workplowing and planting fields. However, heis suffering from a range of health prob-lems including an enlarged heart andchronic diabetes as well as back and legpain, necessitating his transfer to a statehospital, she said.

Chung said she learned of her broth-er’s transfer from the Swedish ambassa-dor to North Korea, who visited Bae onFriday. The ambassador, who has metwith Bae a handful of times since hisdetention, has been his only foreign visi-tor, Chung said. Chung’s comments

came at a prayer vigil for Bae at a SeattleChurch on Saturday evening attendedby more than 100 friends, family andsupporters. Chung also read from a let-ter sent by Bae to his supporters writtenon June 13, in which he encouragedthem to push his case with Americanofficials.

“The only way I can be free to returnhome is by obtaining amnesty,” Baewrote. “In order for that to happen it willtake more active efforts from the USgovernment side.”

Two American journalists arrested in2009 by North Korea and held until for-mer President Bill Clinton traveled thereto negotiate their release were organiz-ing a satellite vigil in New York, one of

the journalists, Euna Lee said. North Korea has in the past used the

release of high-profile American prison-ers as a means of garnering a form ofprestige or acceptance by portraying vis-iting dignitaries as paying homage tothe country and its leader.

That pattern has complicated theresponse of US lawmakers and the StateDepartment, which has called for Bae’simmediate release on “humanitariangrounds,” but resisted sending high-pro-file envoys to negotiate, as it has done inthe past.

An Internet petition started by Bae’sson urging US President Barack Obamato secure a “Special Amnesty” for Bae hasgarnered nearly 8,000 signatures.

There have been other calls for hisrelease, such as a Twitter message fromformer basketball player DennisRodman, who visited North Korea inFebruary, but Chung said US officialshave assured her they are pursuing qui-eter clemency efforts. Reports lastmonth that former U.S. President JimmyCarter was set to visit North Korea tonegotiate for Bae were ultimately deniedas false.

Bae, a naturalized US citizen born inSouth Korea who moved to the UnitedStates with his family in 1985, has spentmuch of the last seven years in China,where he started a business leading tourgroups into the northern region of NorthKorea, Chung said. — Reuters

American jailed in N Korea hospitalized: Sister

MANILA: A powerful typhoon blew closer to the north-eastern Philippines yesterday, leaving at least 47 fishermenmissing and more than 7,500 passengers stranded in piersas authorities suspended inter-island ferry services andwarned people to brace for possible flash floods and land-slides.

Government forecasters said Typhoon Utor gatheredstrength over the Philippine Sea as it barreled closer tomountainous Aurora Province with sustained winds of 165kilometers (102 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 200 kph(124 mph). Utor, the strongest typhoon to threaten to hitthe country this year, was swirling about 190 kilometers(118 miles) southeast of Aurora’s Casiguran town and wasexpected to slam into shore early Monday, forecasterGlaiza Esculliar said.

At least 47 fishermen were reported missing by theirfamilies in four towns in Catanduanes province and author-ities were hoping they just took shelter in coves and near-by islands amid the stormy weather, said Office of CivilDefense regional director Bernardo Alejandro IV.

“I hope they’re just waiting for the typhoon to pass andwill show up as soon as the weather clears,” he said. Dozensof passenger and cargo ferries were not allowed to ventureout in increasingly choppy seas from northeasternprovinces, stranding more than 7,500 passengers.Authorities also stopped fishing boats from sailing andordered fishermen already at sea to return to shore,Alejandro IV said.

Officials suspended classes in grade and high schools inManila and outlying cities and towns, fearing flooding andheavy rain. At least five domestic flights were canceledamid the bad weather.

Utor is the 12th of about 20 storms and typhoonsexpected to lash the Philippines this year. — AP

Typhoon blows closer to Philippines, 47 missing

Over 75,000 ferry passengers stranded

MANILA: Two Filipino girls stay close to their mother to keep dry as they cross a roadduring rain in Manila, Philippines yesterday. More than 3,000 passengers werestranded on piers in the northeastern Philippines as Typhoon Utor approaches andprompted authorities to suspend ferry services and warn people to brace for possi-ble flash floods and landslides. —AP

TOKYO: People pack a mammoth pool at Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo, yes-terday. Heat wave continues across Japan as temperature sores up to 38 degreesCelsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in the metropolitan area in Tokyo while other partsof the country hit over 40 degrees Celsius, (104 degrees Fahrenheit), according toThe Meteorological Agency. —AP

MAUMERE, Indonesia: The six peopleswept up and killed by hot lava from anerupting volcano in eastern Indonesia hadrefused to leave the area for safer groundwhen the mountain began rumbling lastyear, an official said yesterday, one dayafter the eruption.

Officials continued searching yesterdayfor the bodies of two children buried by thehot lava as rumbling could still be heardfrom Mount Rokatenda on the small islandof Palue in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Nearly 3,000 people have been evacuat-ed from the area since the volcano eruptedearly Saturday morning, according to theNational Disaster Mitigation Agency. Thevolcano had been active since last October.Tini Thadeus, head of the local disasteragency, said the six victims, who died whilesleeping in a beachside village, wereamong those who had refused to leave lastyear when evacuations were carried out toestablish a safety zone around the volcano.

“On their belief, if all the old villagersabandoned the red (danger) zone, thenlava will destroy the residential area,”Thadeus said from Kupang, the provincialcapital. Among the dead was a 58-year-oldwoman, the grandmother of the two chil-dren who also died.

“But unfortunately, not like in the past,lava from Saturday’s eruption flowed north-

ward and hit them,” Thadeus said, addingthat during earlier eruptions since the1930s, volcanic material had always flowedsouthward.

On nearby Flores island, MutiaraMauboi, an official at the command posthelping evacuees, said 138 had arrivedSunday in the town of Maumere. Elevenpeople, including two pregnant womenand two disabled people, were taken to ahospital due to injuries sustained duringthe eruption.

The people who died included threeadults and the two children. The age of thesixth person is not clear. Thadeus said hewas not optimistic about recovering thechildren’s bodies since they were buriedunder hot volcanic material.

He said small explosions could still beheard coming from the peak, which wasstill spewing smoke up to 600 meters (656yards) into the sky.

“But all of the villagers have been evacu-ated out of the danger zone” near thecrater, he said. Mount Rokatenda is one of129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archi-pelago of more than 17,000 islands that’shome to 240 million people. The country isprone to earthquakes and volcanic activitybecause it sits along the Pacific “Ring ofFire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of faultlines. — AP

6 killed by Indonesia volcano had refused to leave area

MAUMERE, Indonesia: This photo taken with a camera phone shows evacuees fromPalue island arriving at the port of Maumere after being rescued from the disasterarea where Mount Rokatenda volcano is erupting. Indonesian rescuers battled yes-terday to evacuate thousands from Palue island where a volcanic eruption killed sixpeople the previous day, with the volcano still spewing out rocks and ash at “danger-ous levels”. — AFP

BEIJING: China has arrested an activist on a charge of subversion, hisbrother and a rights group said yesterday, the second such arrest in lessthan two months and the latest sign that the authorities are hardeningtheir stance toward dissent.

Yang Lin, 45, a critic of China’s one-party system who lives in thesouthern province of Guangdong, was arrested on a charge of “incitingsubversion of state power”, his brother, Yang Mingzhu, said by tele-phone. In China, an inciting subversion charge is commonly levelledagainst critics of one-party rule. It carries a maximum penalty of fiveyears in jail, though lengthier sentences have been handed down.

Yang Mingzhu said he had received a notice of his brother’s arrest,dated July 19, but it gave few details. The US-based group ChineseHuman Rights Defenders said Yang Lin, had spent a year in a laborcamp, and he was also a signatory of “Charter 08” - a manifesto organ-ized by jailed Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo - which calls forpolitical reform.

“He would not hesitate in throwing himself wholeheartedly in help-ing disadvantaged citizens fight for their rights and in activities promot-ing constitutional democracy,” the advocacy group said on its websiteyesterday.

Chinese liberals and intellectuals had hoped the new governmentthat took over this year, under President Xi Jinping, would be more tol-erant of calls for reform but authorities have seemed to indicate theywill not tolerate any challenge to their rule. In recent months, authori-ties have detained at least 16 anti-corruption activists involved indemonstrations calling for government officials to disclose their assets.

The Futian District Detention Centre, where the brother said Yang Linwas being held, declined to comment. A formal arrest usually leads to atrial. Activists who are detained are sometimes released before they areformally arrested.

In June, authorities formally arrested a man for inciting subversionafter he applied for permission to demonstrate on June 4, the 24thanniversary of the bloody crackdown on protesters in Beijing’sTiananmen Square. — Reuters

MANILA: Philippine police arrested sixpeople and seized about $46 million-worthof methamphetamine at a former US navalbase north of the capital Manila yesterday,a police spokesman said. The six werecaught while loading travel bags and boxesat the port of Subic containing about 200kilograms (440 lbs) of the stimulantmethamphetamine hydrochloride, saidChief Inspector Roque Merdegia.

Subic is a former US naval base that wasconverted into a freeport shortly after theAmericans pulled out in 1992. Merdegia

put the street value of the seized drugs attwo billion pesos (about $46 million). Theraid was the result of five months of under-cover operations, Merdegia said, althoughno other details were made available.Western governments have tagged thePhilippines a major transshipment point ofillegal drugs in the region.

The Philippine Drug EnforcementAgency (PDEA) has in the past acknowl-edged that drug lords have been known tofinance the election campaigns of local offi-cials in remote provinces. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian plantation man-ager held hostage by Philippine Muslim extrem-ists said he escaped before dawn under the cov-er of a tropical downpour after almost ninemonths in abysmal conditions, reports said yes-terday.

Tung Wei Jie, 26, who was seized in theMalaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island lastNovember together with his cousin, was foundin the southern Philippine island of Jolo earlythis week and returned to Malaysia on Saturday.

Tung told local media in his uncle’s home inPort Dickson on the Straits of Malacca that heescaped in heavy rain from a bamboo hut in thejungle when his abductors, about 20 gunmen,went for pre-dawn prayers.

He and his cousin, Wei Fei, 34, who sufferedfrom hypertension, had been taken away in Aprilwith the abductors, who demanded ransomfrom the family, claiming they would bring himto a hospital.

Tung said he did not know what happened tohis cousin. Philippine police said on Tuesday thathe died from illness. “The hut was in the middle

of nowhere. It was infested with mosquitoes. Weeach had one of our legs chained to the woodenpillars,” Tung was quoted by The Star as saying.

“After my cousin was taken away, I beganusing a fork to cut through a link in the ironchain. I succeeded after almost a month... I wait-ed another month. And then I got the chance toescape,” he said.

Tung said he prayed for rain to escape unno-ticed, adding he ran “through dense jungle forhours and hours” taking only short breaks untilreaching a village.

Exhausted and dehydrated, he collapsed untilthe next day when a villager alerted the police.

Tung said he, his cousin and two other work-ers were at their palm oil plantation in Sabah’sLahad Datu district in November when abouthalf a dozen men-some armed with machineguns-appeared and ordered them to walk to thebeach.

While the two workers were freed, thecousins were ordered aboard a speedboat. Theylater boarded another boat to a small island,where they stayed five days, before being taken

to Jolo, a known stronghold of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group. While in cap-tivity, they were only fed plain rice and somefried fish and not allowed to bathe for threemonths. There was no running water or electrici-ty, Tung added.

“They were planning to shoot us or justdump us at sea” after securing ransom, he said,adding they overheard their captors’ discussion.“It was very traumatising,” the New Straits Timesquoted him as saying. Tung’s uncle said he onlyspoke briefly to his son, Tung’s cousin, in Januaryand Tung on April 18.

AFP could not reach Tung or his family.Philippine police have blamed the kidnappingon the Abu Sayyaf group, responsible for multi-ple bombings and mass kidnappings of foreign-ers.

In 2000, the group seized 21 mostly westernholidaymakers from a resort at Sipadan in Sabahstate. The hostages were later freed. But AbuSayyaf are stil l believed to be holding anunknown number of foreign and local hostagesin the strife-torn southern Philippines. — AFP

Malaysian hostage recounts 9-month Philippine captivity

TOKYO: Philippine former sex slave Estelita Dy speaks during an eventwith her supporters in Tokyo yesterday. Dy, 83, and her supporters havegathered to renew their demands that Japan do more to bring justice tothe victims of the country’s wartime sex slavery. —AP

Philippine police arrest six in major drug haul

China arrests activist on subversion charge

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013N E W S

Continued from Page 1

The Interior Ministry had said earlier it would notclamp down on the protesters but will take gradualmeasures, which include the cordons. Other measuressuggested include the use of water cannons and teargas to minimize casualties. The protesters, expecting animminent security push to clear them out, have begunfortifying their positions.

At Egypt’s main protest camp in eastern Cairo, ven-dors say they have sold hundreds of gas masks, gogglesand gloves to protesters readying themselves for policetear gas. A few meters (yards) away from the vendors,three waist-high cement and wooden barriers havebeen constructed by protesters to keep armored vehi-cles from crushing the sit-in.

The protests include many women and children.Organizations like UNICEF have cautioned against what

they say is the deliberate use of children in Egypt whoare “put at risk as potential witnesses to or victims ofviolence.” Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group says it can-not control whether families choose to stay campedout.

Some of the Islamist group’s top leaders have usedthe sit-ins as a cover to avoid arrest. Others havealready been detained and face charges of inciting vio-lence. Morsi has been held at undisclosed locationssince his ouster and is facing a criminal investigation.

Tensions between Muslims and Christians south ofCairo have been especially high since the Islamist presi-dent’s ouster. Yesterday, 15 people were wounded whena Muslim woman tried to stop a Christian neighbor frombuilding a speed bump in front of her home. Officialssay both families started fighting and assailants tossedgasoline bombs into four Christian homes and a localchurch. — AP

Morsi loyalists gear for final showdown

Continued from Page 1

Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967Mideast war. However, they are willing to swap someWest Bank land for Israeli territory to allow Israel toannex some of the largest Jewish settlements. In all,Israel has built dozens of settlements since 1967 that arenow home to some 560,000 Israelis.

The diplomatic paralysis of the last five years waslargely due to disputes over the settlements, deemedillegal by most of the international community.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas long insisted hewill only resume talks if Israel freezes construction. IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a freeze.Abbas, under pressure from Kerry, eventually dropped itas a condition for talks.

In exchange, Kerry won Israeli agreement that it willrelease 104 Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences,many for involvement in killing Israelis. The prisoners areto be freed in four stages during the negotiations, withthe first group of 26 to be released tomorrow. Late yes-terday, a group of Cabinet ministers is scheduled toname prisoners in the first group.

Meanwhile, Israeli Housing Minister Uri Arielannounced yesterday that he has given final approvalfor the construction of 1,187 apartments in settlements.Nearly 800 are in east Jerusalem and the rest in the WestBank.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said theconstruction was approved in areas that Israel expects toretain in any future peace deal. “There is no way itchanges the final map of peace,” he said. “It changesnothing.”

The Palestinians responded angrily, but stoppedshort of walking away from the negotiations.

“It is clear that the Israeli government is deliberatelyattempting to sabotage US and international efforts toresume negotiations,” Palestinian negotiator

Mohammed Shtayyeh said. “Israel continues to usepeace negotiations as a smoke screen for more settle-ment construction.”

Shtayyeh said the Palestinians would complain to theUS and Europe. The main US mediator in the talks,Martin Indyk, met yesterday with Abbas at his com-pound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Yesterday’s announcement was Israel’s third in a weekon pushing settlement plans. A week ago, Israel addedmore settlements to its “national priority” list of severalhundred communities eligible for special governmentsubsidies, making them attractive to Israelis seekingcheaper housing. Several days later, the governmentadvanced plans for nearly 1,100 more settlement homes.

Some Palestinian commentators have criticizedAbbas for returning to negotiations without Israel eitheragreeing to a settlement freeze or recognizing the 1967frontier as a baseline for talks.

“The Palestinians need to quit the talks because allthey get is more building in the settlement buildings,”said Hani Habib, a Palestinian writer and commentator.He said Abbas shouldn’t have traded Palestinian nationalaspirations for a prisoner release, an emotional issue forboth sides.

Since 1967, tens of thousands of Palestinians havebeen arrested by Israel, from young stone throwers tothose who carried out deadly attacks. Prisoners are seenin their communities as heroes who made personal sac-rifices in the struggle for independence. Many Israelisview those involved in killings as cold-blooded terrorists.

On the Palestinian side, Abbas’ aides have said pri-vately that he was under intense US pressure to return tothe table. They said Abbas feared a drop in internationalaid and the possible collapse of his self-rule governmentin the West Bank if he defied Washington. However, chiefPalestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denied yesterday thatthe Palestinians had acquiesced to a prisoners-for-settle-ments trade-off, even implicitly. — AP

Israel boosts settlements, fuelling...

Continued from Page 1

Some 38 other hunger-striking inmates, however, willcontinue to be force-fed by tubes, a practice which hasbeen widely condemned by rights groups. The numberof prisoners on hunger-strike has fallen, possibly as aresult of Ramadan, when authorities traditionally offer towipe clean the slates of inmates facing disciplinary pro-ceedings.

Guantanamo public affairs chief Captain RobertDurand said it “remained to be seen” whether inmateswould resume their hunger-strike now that Ramadanwas over.

“We did begin Ramadan with what we call aRamadan pardon,” he explained. “Some welcomed thatopportunity; for some of them it was not a matter of twodays before they began insulting guards. “We’re notexpected to see a massive disturbance but we will seean uptick in misbehaviors as we come out of Ramadan,”he added.

“Misbehavior” can take different forms, from hurlingurine and faeces and spitting to punching.

“If there’s a window of opportunity for a detainee foracting out, many will take that opportunity,” saidDurand, who reported a calmer atmosphere in the campduring Ramadan. Guantanamo commander JohnBogdan said detainees were generally more compliantduring Ramadan. “The detainees tend to be a little morecooperative during the month,” Bogdan told AFP. “Itdoesn’t stop all their assaults but it reduces significantly.

“We’ve had several detainees over the last several few

months that have been very compliant following therules that we began to offer them-communal operationsagain, living together in groups instead of individualcells,” the camp commander added. The vast majority ofGuantanamo prisoners have been detained in individualcells since a major protest on April 13 which led to rub-ber bullets being fire after several surveillance cameraswere broken.

Zak, a cultural advisor employed by the Pentagon toserve as a link between the inmates and their jailers, saidthe spike in trouble earlier this year was normal giventhat camp authorities usually offered an amnesty forRamadan. “Before Ramadan they act out more becausethey know after Ramadan they’re going back to zero,” hesaid.

Joshua Holmes, a guard at Guantanamo’s Camp 5,said he had been spat at. “I’ve been spit in my face,” hesaid. “We’ve had a couple (of incidents), nothing verymajor, just like minor stuff.

“There’s been quite a few (urine) splash, assaults andstuff like this.” At least one nurse had been punchedwhile attempting to insert a feeding tube into a hunger-striker.

Prison guard James Boudreau meanwhile said staffremained unfazed by abusive prisoners. “If you getsplashed or somebody spits on you . . . you can’t just notdo your job anymore,” Boudreau said.

“It will affect you, but it’s the kind of training wereceived, you have to be vigilant, you can’t just blindlygo and open the detainee door, you know what couldhappen.” — AFP

Gitmo braces for unrest

Continued from Page 1

billion gas facility, jointly managed by Yemen LNGand France’s Total, was one of two energy targets thatsuspected al Qaeda militants had been plotting toattack. Washington stepped up drone strikes on sus-pected Al-Qaeda targets in Yemen which killed at least15 people in three days.

US ally Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, isthe base for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),one of the most active branches of the network found-ed by Osama bin Laden, and militants have launchedattacks from there against the West. The Balhaf facility,the largest industrial project ever undertaken in Yemen,opened in 2009. It is heavily guarded by Yemeni troops.

It supplies gas cooled to liquid for export by ship,under long-term contracts to GDF Suez, Total and KoreaGas Corp. A private security source working for oil andgas firms in Yemen said yesterday’s killing appeared tobe in retaliation for recent drone strikes that killedscores of Islamist insurgents in the south.

“The checkpoint they attacked is one of many lead-ing up to the gas facilities,” said the source, who spoke

on condition of anonymity. “The militants know that it’simpossible to penetrate all of the checkpoints and that’swhy they didn’t attempt to go further. They just wantedvengeance.”

He said there are usually up to 1,800 Yemeni soldiersguarding oil and gas facilities in Shabwa and the num-ber has been increased in recent weeks. The Yemenigovernment said last week that it had foiled a plot by alQaeda to seize the al-Dabbah oil export terminal inHadramout and the Balhaf gas export facility. Plans forsuch an attack will have raised alarm bells inWashington.

In January, Islamist gunmen attacked an Algerian gasplant, seizing hundreds of hostages before the armystormed it four days later. Dozens of foreign workerswere killed. The security source said tight securityarrangements are already in place in Yemen to protectoil and gas facilities and foreign experts working therefrom potential attacks by the Islamist militants.

Foreign workers rarely venture outside their heavily-fortified compounds and are usually flown out directlywithout having to drive through areas accessible byinsurgents. — Reuters

Al-Qaeda men kill 5 Yemeni troops guarding...

KABUL: The top US and coalition com-mander in Afghanistan stressed thatthe signing of a stalled bilateral securi-ty agreement between America andAfghanistan was needed to send aclear signal both to the Afghan peopleand the Taleban that the internationalcommunity remains committed to thecountry’s future stability even as for-eign forces withdraw.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, whocommands the US-led InternationalSecurity Assistance Force, told theAssociated Press it was important tosign the deal, which has been stalledsince June by President Hamid Karzai.He did not say if the deal was close tosigning, but there have been indica-tions recently that it is nearing that.

Last month US Gen MartinDempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefsof Staff, said he would like to see anagreement by October to give NATOenough time to prepare for a post-2014 military presence instead of atotal pullout.

“There is no doubt that the bilateralsecurity agreement is going to send aclear message first and foremost to theAfghan people and Afghan securityforces and enhance their confidenceto deal with the challenges that wewill have to deal with collectively inthe coming months,” Dunford said.

He added that “the BSA will alsosend a loud and clear signal to region-al actors and they will know also thatthe US and international community isgoing to remain committed to a sta-ble, peaceful and unified Afghanistan,and I also think the BSA will send amessage to the Taliban that they can’t

wait us out.”Afghanistan and the United States

have been negotiating the agreement,which would allow the presence of for-eign troops beyond the end of 2014.When signed, it would allow a smallforce of trainers and possibly countert-errorism troops to remain. Althoughno numbers have been announcedyet, it is believed they would be about9,000 from the US and 6,000 from itsallies.

There are currently about 100,000troops from 48 countries inAfghanistan, including 66,000Americans. By February, the Americanpresence will be reduced to 34,000and the NATO force will be halved.Dunford said withdrawal plans are ontrack.

If the US does not sign the securitydeal, it is unlikely that NATO or any ofits allies will keep troops inAfghanistan after 2014. Germany hasalready said that its offer to keep hun-dreds of trainers in Afghanistan wascontingent on American and other sol-diers being part of the training mis-sion. Talks on the deal were suspendedby Karzai in June over the opening of aTaliban office in the Gulf state of Qatar.

Those US-sponsored talksfoundered before they even beganwhen the Taleban marked the openingof its office with the flag, anthem andsymbols of the Islamic Emirate ofAfghanistan - the group’s name whenthey ruled the country. Karzai immedi-ately pulled the plug on talks sayingthe office had all the trappings of anembassy of a government in exile.

“Eventually I believe there has to be

a political solution to the conflict andit doesn’t surprise me that peace talkshave been difficult. We are trying toreconcile two groups that have beenat war now really for 10 years, and onegroup that oppressed the Afghan peo-ple for 10 years prior to that time. Sowe are dealing with 20 years of historyhere as we try to resolve or reconcilethe Taleban and the Afghan people,”Dunford said.

Dunford also said that the fledglingAfghan army and police forces, whichtook the lead for security around thecountry two months ago, will be ableto stand up against the insurgency asTaleban gear up for increased attacksfollowing the Muslim holy month ofRamadan. But, he added, the 352,000-strong force will still need training andmentoring after foreign combat troopsleave at the end of 2014.

“The fact is that on June 18 we didhand over full responsibility for securi-ty across the country to the Afghanforces. They have proven resilient. Weknow what the Taliban decided to dothis summer, trying to seize terrain,trying to conduct high profile attacks,trying to conduct insider attacks, butmostly to crush the spirit and will ofthe Afghan forces, and they certainlyhave not been able to that,” Dunfordsaid at his military headquarters indowntown Kabul. Dunford, who tookcommand of international forces inFebruary, added that Afghanistan willalso need help after 2014 to counterextremist threats similar to the onesthat led the US to invade Afghanistanto rout Al-Qaida following the Sept 11,2001 attacks on America. — AP

KABUL: A French soldier walks past flags at the ISAF headquartersin Kabul. Marine Gen Joseph Dunford (inset), who commands theUS-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said duringan interview that the signing of a bilateral security agreementbetween America and Afghanistan will send a clear signal both tothe Afghan people and the Taleban. — AP

US general saysAfghan deal vital

JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Just as they werepreparing to launch their rocket acrossthe border into Israel on Friday, fourIslamist guerrillas in Egypt were killedby a missile.

Al-Qaeda blamed Israel for theattack in the Egyptian Sinai near Gaza,where there has been a decade offighting between Palestinians andIsraelis. Israel dismissed reports of itsresponsibility and said it respectedEgypt’s sovereignty.

Egypt’s armed forces, struggling toimpose order after they toppledIslamist President Mohamed Morsi lastmonth but wary of upsetting Egyptiansby appearing to cooperate with Israel,said Israel was not involved. They saidthe Rafah strike came from an Egyptianhelicopter as part of efforts to crackdown on Al-Qaeda in Sinai, a lawlessdesert peninsula that is home to anincreasing number of militants who arealso a threat to stability in Egypt.

However, sources briefed on Israeli-Egyptian relations and military expertssaid there must have been cooperation.“Both Israel and Egypt were coordinat-ing closely on Rafah this time around. Ivery much doubt that anything wasdone outside the framework of thatcoordination,” one source who declinedto be identified by name or nationalitytold Reuters.

The source said that in the hoursleading up to the air strike, the securityservices of both countries had beenworking together to thwart a jihadithreat in the Rafah area.

The source would not elaborate onthe threat, but noted that, exactly ayear ago, Islamist gunmen killed 16Egyptian border policemen in the samearea, commandeered one of theirarmored cars and smashed through thenearby border with Israel. The episodeended when the Israeli air forcebombed the vehicle. Other sources saidIsrael had indeed carried out the strikewith Egypt’s consent or suggestedEgypt did the shooting, but with Israel’shelp. Playing down Israel’s role in themissile strike, the source noted that inrecent weeks Egypt has sent Apachehelicopter gunships on patrol overRafah. The choppers have strayed intoGazan airspace on occasion.

Yesterday, Egyptian military sources

said army helicopters killed 15 jihadis inovernight sorties elsewhere in Sinai,which has been kept largely demilita-rized since a 1979 peace deal.

Israel regularly flies its own Apaches,as well as other military aircraft, on itsown side of the border barely 7 km (4.5miles) from the site of Friday’s air strike.“My first thought when I heard about itwas that this probably came from a hel-icopter,” the source said. “It could havebeen an Egyptian helicopter, or maybean Israeli helicopter. Because of theproximity of the jurisdictions I reckon acasual viewer would have troubletelling them apart.”

Two Egyptian security sources saidthe strike was carried out by an Israelidrone, with the knowledge and coop-eration of the Egyptian authorities. Thejihadi group which lost four rocketcrewmen also said Israel used a droneagainst them.

Cairo has boosted cooperation withIsrael since Morsi’s July 3 ouster, askingits neighbor to ready drones near theborder in case the Egyptian army need-ed them to help fight militants in theSinai, one of the Egyptian securitysources said.

Part of Israel’s reticence over Friday’sincident could be due to the fact it hasnever confirmed having armed drones,

though it openly uses the pilotlessplanes for surveillance. RobertHewson, an IHS Jane’s airpower analyst,said Israel often deploys drones at highaltitudes where they are very difficult tosee unaided, and can use missiles thatproduce little smoke or sound beforeimpact.

“UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)are, by their very nature, stealthy. Fewpeople can honestly say that they haveknowingly witnessed a UAV attack,”Hewson said.

Hewson suggested that Israeli sur-veillance drones, with powerful cam-eras capable of peering into Egypt fromwithin Israel, may have contributed toFriday’s air strike by relaying the jihadis’coordinates to whoever fired the mis-sile at them. Giora Eiland, a formerIsraeli national security adviser andretired army general, was skeptical,however, about the possibility of anyreal-time tactical cooperation betweenthe Israeli and Egyptian militaries.

“There’s no operational coordinationin the sense of ‘either we’ll attack oryou’ll attack’, but there is intelligencecooperation (which) I reckon is now at ahigher level because of the greatertrust and common ground betweenthe sides,” Eiland told Israeli Army Radioin an interview. — Reuters

Sinai strike shows hair-trigger

Israel-Egypt ties

A picture taken yesterday shows a police station damaged by a missileattack in El-Arish in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. Analysts attribute the sharprise in Sinai violence to Islamist extremists seeking to take advantage ofthe political insecurity in Egypt following Morsi’s ouster. — AFP

Nigerian ironworker Ba Kaka initially felt sympathy forBoko Haram’s violent uprising against a state he andmany others saw as corrupt, un-Islamic and kowtow-

ing to Western ideology. But as deaths mounted in theIslamist sect’s bloody campaign against state institutions,security services, Christians and even school children innortheast Nigeria, he began to see them as a threat to hislife and livelihood.

“We thought they were doing God’s work at the begin-ning, but over time, we realized they were just a cult,” saidKaka, who was forced to close his shop in the northeast’smain city of Maiduguri after a spate of Boko Haram attacksin his area. Kaka is part of a popular backlash against theIslamists - a member of one of a number of government-approved vigilante groups that have become a weapon ina military offensive that has dismantled Boko Haram net-works and squeezed its fighters into a mountainous areaby the Cameroon border.

Though the sect remains the gravest threat to Africa’smost populous country and top oil producer, it is weakerthan it has been for years. Yet the decision to give thesegangs of largely unemployed youths the go ahead to huntdown militants risks dragging civilians further into thenorth’s conflict. Reprisals are already a problem, and securi-ty troubles could emerge further down the line, as has hap-pened in the past with youth gangs.

Though the state is not giving them guns, a few haveacquired them anyway. Kaka himself uses his iron-workingskills to fashion bladed weapons like machetes for the mili-tias. “With all the death around us, we have gone beyondbeing afraid of them,” he said, gesturing to a dusty street inhis area where a local politician was gunned down by themilitants.

Since an uprising by Boko Haram was put down by thesecurity forces in a 2009 offensive that killed 800 people,the group has enjoyed mixed support from a populationcaught between it and a military and police often accusedof using indiscriminate force. That support - or acquies-cence - appears to be waning.

“Unprecedented mass popular action against the groupis the most serious setback to its armed campaign againstthe Nigerian state ... since the military crackdown in July2009,” said Adam Higazi, an Oxford Analytica researchedbased in north Nigeria.

Boko Haram, who seek an Islamic state in religiously-mixed Nigeria and who rarely contact the media beyondInternet videos uploaded by leader Abubakar Shekau,could not be reached for comment.

In Maiduguri, a city of tall trees and mosques ringed bytin-roofed slums at the edge of a semi-desert, youthsarmed with sticks man checkpoints. One group examinescar boots and bags for bombs. The military has arrestedhundreds of Boko Haram suspects since PresidentGoodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in threestates in northeast Nigeria in May, and it has praised localvigilante groups for helping identify and denounce them.“If people had given us this type of cooperation earlier, wecould have done better in tackling the insurgency,” north-east military spokesman Lieutenent-Colonel Sagir Musasays. A number of vigilantes interviewed by Reuters saidthey were fed up with being caught between the twosides. “Unless something was done all of us would be killedsooner or later by either the Boko Haram or the securityoperatives who were suspicious of every youth,” said Ba-Lawan, 25, founder of a vigilante group in Maiduguri. “Itwas to save ourselves.”

Mohammed Kawa, 28, said he feared Boko Haramwould “turn all of us into their slaves” if nothing was doneto stop them. Before May, Boko Haram had seemed closeto setting up a de facto Islamic state in the lawless borderareas around Lake Chad, where Nigeria meets Chad,Cameroon and Niger. Local council officials had fled andpolice stations were empty, especially in Borno state, relicof an old Islamic caliphate.

The military crackdown has re-established sovereigntyover these areas. Military officials say senior Boko Haramcommanders have also been killed or arrested - thoughthey decline to name names - which could mean a seces-sion crisis if Shekau is caught. At a desk in the capital Abuja,surrounded by folders marked “confidential”, a top Nigeriansecurity official, who declined to be named, watchesrecently-seized Boko Haram recruitment videos and scanssatellite images of the Gwoza hills, next to Cameroon,where he says Shekau is suspected to be hiding.

Alongside videos of Boko Haram members demonstrat-ing how to stitch a suicide vest - “here’s one I made earlier,”says one in the northern Hausa language, as if baking acake for daytime TV - there is also one of “traitors” beingexecuted. — Reuters

Issues

Focus

Nigerian backlash

against Boko Haram

spurs vigilante war

By Tim Cocks and Lanre Ola

14A N A L Y S I SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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Brotherhood faces uphill battle in SyriaBy Zeina Karam

For Syria’s banned Muslim Brotherhood, the uprisingagainst President Bashar Assad that erupted amid ArabSpring revolts in 2011 provided a long-sought oppor-

tunity to stage a comeback after decades spent in exile.Thirty years earlier, the group’s own violent uprising

against Assad’s father, the late Hafez Assad, was brutallycrushed, culminating in an infamous massacre in the city ofHama that ended with the group’s leadership killed, impris-oned or exiled. Amid the chaos of the current revolt, thegroup quickly emerged as the best organized of Assad’spolitical opponents, and is playing an increasingly activerole on the ground by providing assistance to militarybrigades it supports.

It faces enormous challenges in the months ahead, how-ever. The downfall of the Brotherhood in Egypt has shakenits Syrian counterpart and deepened distrust of the secretivemovement by other Syrians who are suspicious of its reli-gious agenda.

Inside Syria, the group faces an uphill battle trying torebuild its base with the young revolutionaries of today,many of whom view its leadership as aging and out of touchafter years away from the country. Moreover, the self-described moderate Islamic group faces fierce competitionfrom better equipped hard-line Salafi fighters and Al-Qaedaextremists who have emerged as a major force among theranks of the rebels. “Despite its rich history of involvement inSyrian politics, for some, the Brotherhood continues to beviewed as a foreign entity merely representing a localbranch of the Egyptian movement,” said Raphael Lefevre, avisiting fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center andauthor of the book “Ashes of Hama: The MuslimBrotherhood in Syria.” “To win hearts and minds, the Syriangroup needs to move more decisively to define itself in thecontext of its own considerable history,” he said.

Leaders of the Syrian Brotherhood and activists inside

Syria say the group has been actively working in that direc-tion. In addition to its pivotal role in shaping and influencingthe opposition abroad, it has stepped up relief assistance torebel-held areas inside the country and its leaders havemade several trips to opposition areas in the north in anattempt to reconnect with residents in Idlib and Aleppoprovinces, once considered strongholds of the group.

In February, the group launched Al-Ahed, a newspaperwhich now distributes 10,000 copies bi-weekly in oppositionterritory. Sheik Hatem Al-Tabshi, head of the Brotherhood’sShura Council, preaches in the city of Maarat Al-Numan andis seen in videos holding meetings with fighters in the area.

Most significantly, an umbrella group of brigades knownas the “Shields of the Revolution” has emerged as a militaryforce closely affiliated with the group, althoughBrotherhood officials deny any formal ties. Activists, howev-er, say the group is preparing to formally launch its militarybranch in the country. “It is not easy to reconnect andrestore our presence after 30 years of absence,” acknowl-edged Omar Mushaweh, who heads the group’s media com-munications department. “It requires time, but we have astrong history in Syria and we will get there despite thesmear campaign against us,” he told The Associated Pressfrom his base in Turkey.

It is precisely this controversial and violent history, how-ever, which makes many Syrians wary of the group.Suspicions that the Brotherhood is ultimately looking tograb power in Syria were fueled by the rapid downfall of theBrotherhood in Egypt when that country’s military over-threw former President Mohammed Morsi.

While the Egyptian and Syrian groups share the samename and ideology, they have no organizational ties tospeak of. Although modeled after the EgyptianBrotherhood, the Syrian branch took its own path soon afterits founding by Mustafa Al-Sibai in 1942. Its Islamist ideologysoon clashed with the secular ideology of the ruling Baathparty, which outlawed the group in the early 1960s, putting

the two sides on a collision course.In 1982, following years of insurgency during which the

Brotherhood and its affiliates carried out bombings andassassinations of government officials, Syrian PresidentHafez Assad launched a withering assault on the rebelliouscity of Hama, stronghold of the Brotherhood at the time, lev-eling entire neighborhoods and killing thousands in one ofthe most notorious massacres in the modern Middle East.

Amnesty International has estimated that between10,000 and 25,000 people were killed in the massacre,though conflicting figures exist and the Syrian governmenthas never given an official tally.

The movement’s remaining leaders went undergroundwhile the rest were killed, imprisoned or exiled and their rel-atives chased down for years. In successive years, the word“Hama” and “Brotherhood” would be mentioned only inwhispers among Syrians. “There isn’t a citizen in Syria, youngor old, who doesn’t carry with him tragic memories from the‘80s which touched the lives of most Syrian families,” said AliSadr El-Din Bayanouni, a London-based senior member andformer leader of the group.

“The same police state that was in the 80s is still rulingSyria now and it is the same desire for change and revolu-tion that triggered the uprising this time around,” he said.

Today, the Hama massacre stands as a rallying cry bothfor those trying to topple the regime, and for Assad, whohas seized on the Brotherhood’s violent past to try and por-tray the current popular revolt as an extension of the gov-ernment’s longstanding fight against Islamists.

“We have been fighting the Muslim Brotherhood sincethe 1950s and we are still fighting them,” Assad said in aninterview in Oct. 2011. Last month, he praised the massiveprotests that toppled Morsi, calling his ouster the end of“political Islam.” For Assad’s opponents, memories of Hamaappeared to be a mobilizing factor early on in the uprising,though many now say they resent what they see as thegroup’s heavy use of money as a key lever of influence.— AP

Russia protest leader confronts Kremlin under shadowBy Anna Malpas

“Hi, my name is Alexei Navalny andI’m 37,” the charismatic anti-Kremlin leader said as he

bounded onto stage to campaign forMoscow mayor, a remarkable feat given hislooming prison camp term.

The Russian lawyer, protest leader andthorn in the side of President Vladimir Putinis campaigning for the September 8 polls,undeterred by the fact that he could besent back to prison for five years over anembezzlement conviction. When onepotential voter asked how he could standas mayor with a jail sentence looming, thedynamic father-of-two rolled up his sleevesand his eyes gleamed. “Do I look like a per-son who’s in jail?” he asked defiantly.

“No!” the crowd shouted back. Opinionpolls show Navalny struggling to break intodouble figures in his challenge to incum-bent mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a Putin loyal-ist who served as the Russian strongman’schief of staff.

Yet the candidacy of a man who isfiercely critical of Putin and able to rousecrowds with fiery rhetoric is a revolution inRussian politics which has become used totame elections.

The sheer fact that Navalny is able tocampaign is extraordinary-last month hewas convicted of embezzlement and sen-tenced to five years in a widely disputeddecision. Then a higher court freed himafter one night in prison in the northerncity of Kirov, citing his candidacy and pend-ing appeal, as protesters rallied outside theKremlin walls in Moscow.

Navalny returned to Moscow by train ahero, in a homecoming that some com-mentators likened to Vladimir Lenin’sreturn to Saint Petersburg by rail in 1917after years in exile. “They can’t put a personin jail who is supported by millions of peo-ple!” Navalny told his supporters at theelection meeting in Moscow. Yet theoreti-

cally, he will be sent back to prison if hisconviction, which he denounces as a politi-cal set-up, is confirmed on appeal.

Navalny, the first Russian politician tofully exploit the Internet and social net-works, rose to prominence with a blogexposing high-level corruption. When thefirst serious protests broke out againstPutin’s rule in the winter of 2011, Navalnyemerged as a natural leader and was ableto connect with Internet-savvy middle-class Russians. Shortly before his convic-tion, he bluntly stated his ambition tostand in 2018 presidential elections andeven vowed to have the current Russianelite jailed for corruption.

A poll by the independent LevadaCentre in July showed that Sobyanin wasstill on course for a landslide victory, withNavalny set to garner just eight percent.But Navalny and his campaign team are

working flat-out to change this. He has redballoons with his name printed on them, acentral campaign office with volunteerstapping on laptops and even a personalphotographer.

But what makes Navalny’s campaignreally stand out is his readiness to speak onthe streets, dealing with hecklers, drunksand toddlers popping his balloons mid-speech. In Russia it is almost unknown for apolitician to face the rough-and-tumble ofthe hustings. Navalny, however, holds fivemeetings in different parts of Moscow perday over weekends and three on weekdays,each lasting around 40 minutes. Tall withpiercing blue eyes, Navalny wears a uni-form of jeans and well-pressed shirts, com-bined with a white plastic “For Navalny”wristband.

He stresses he is “an ordinary Muscovite,just like you,” who worries about the 9,500

ruble ($290) monthly utility bill for hisapartment in a concrete prefab in the sub-urb of Maryino, shared with his wife Yuliaand their son and daughter, aged five and11.

As a mayoral candidate he has toneddown the rhetoric of the mass protest ral-lies-where he chanted “We are the authori-ties!”, “Putin is a thief!” and even once saidhis supporters could storm the Kremlin. Buthe has kept to the mantra that made himfamous-the fight against corruption. Hepromises to fire the “15 percent” of corruptofficials, hire Western consultants andspend Moscow’s massive budget of morethan $50 billion effectively.

“I see my path as mayor as simply set-ting the right rules for the game,” he said.Yet his rhetoric turns populist when hebrings up the problem of illegal immi-grants from ex-Soviet Central Asia, suggest-ing a visa regime to stop so many migrantscoming and transparent work contracts tomake the jobs attractive to locals.

Rather than publicizing Navalny’s speak-ing schedule online, his campaigners dis-tribute leaflets at the venues in what histeam says is a deliberate strategy to provehe has support among ordinary people,not just trendy Twitter users. He is a mag-netic speaker and his rallies often snagpassers-by who stop to listen. “All his sug-gestions are realistic and doable,” said onepensioner, Tatyana Isakova.

“I can see that this person doesn’t justspeak but acts too. Of course I supporthim,” said university lecturer AnnaMoiseyeva. But not everyone is won over.Engineering graduate student NikolaiBogachyov, 22, ripped Navalny’s campaignnewspaper into tiny pieces.

“He does not offer anything interestingas mayor,” he said, adding that he believedNavalny was “supported by foreign com-rades”. “Navalny does not offer any con-structive or positive ideas. His politics aredestructive,” he said.— AFP

MOSCOW: Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who is standing forMoscow mayor while facing prison for fraud delivers a speech during a cam-paign meeting in Moscow. — AFP

S P O RT SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

UTAH: Chris Horner won the fifth stage of the Tour of Utah on Saturday to take theoverall lead going into the final day of the event. The 42-year-old Horner, riding forRadioShack Leopard Trek, finished the 182-kilometer (113.7-mile) stage that ended atSnowbird Ski Resort in 4 hours 52 minutes, 45 seconds, passing fellow AmericanTommy Danielson in the final 200 meters. TommyDanielson, riding for Garmin-Sharp, was a bike-lengthbehind. Belgium’s Yannick Eijssen, riding for BMC rac-ing, was third - 31 seconds behind Horner. Eijssen ledfor much of the race until Horner and Danielsonovertook him on the climb to Snowbird.

Danielson seemed to be in good position to winafter taking the lead on the final climb up LittleCottonwood Canyon, but Horner stayed glued tohis rear wheel and waited until the end to pass.Horner and Danielson are tied in time in the overallstandings, but Horner is listed first because of hisstage victory.

American Lucas Euser remained third overall,33 seconds back. American Matthew Busche wasfourth, and New Zealand’s George Bennett fifth.The 125.8-kilometer (78.2-mile) final stage late yes-terday starts and ends in Park City.—AP

Horner wins Tour stageMILAN: Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti turned 40 on Saturday and said he was deter-mined to keep playing despite rupturing his Achilles tendon in April.

“I will continue to play and at the end of the season, I will weigh up my options forthe future,” Zanetti, who has made over 840 appearances for Inter and won a record 145

caps for Argentina, told Sky Sports Italia.“For my birthday present, I want Inter to be back

amongst the title challengers again,” he added after Interfinished a dismal ninth last season to miss out on

European football. “I’m fine, I’m getting better all thetime. Everything is going according to plan, next week I

will undergo some tests and, if everything goes well, Iwill start running again,” he added. “It’s premature tomake a prediction about my return.”

Despite his age and injury, which was expected tosidelines him for six months, Zanetti was given a one-year contract extension in June. Also on Saturday,

Inter announced they had signed Portugaldefender Rolando on loan from Porto. The27-year-old, who was born in Cape Verdeand is a naturalised Portuguese, has been atPorto for five years although he spent thelast six months on loan at Napoli.—Reuters

Inter captain turns 40SYDNEY: Manly Sea Eagles claimed their sixth straight victory with awin over the New Zealand Warriors yesterday as the Sydney Roosterswent into the outright lead in Australia’s National Rugby League. Manlydowned the Warriors 27-12 but their win was soured by a knee injuryfor Test forward Anthony Watmough that is likely to keep him out ofaction for a couple of weeks.

The loss denied the Warriors a chance to climb into the top eight andwas their second defeat in successive weeks.

The Roosters edged out Canberra 28-22 to become the sole compe-tition leaders for the first time since the Brad Fittler-led golden era ofalmost a decade ago.

With standoff James Maloney starring, the Roosters ran in five triesto four to close in on finishing the regular season on top of the table fol-lowing South Sydney’s slip up against Melbourne on Friday.

The Roosters haven’t won the minor premiership (top of the regularseason table) since 2004 in Fittler’s last season. Melbourne marked theirturf as defending champions by seeing off fellow competition heavy-weights South Sydney 26-8 in Melbourne.

A few minutes of Melbourne magic, which produced two tries earlyin the first half, set up the victory. South’s superstar and former Stormboy Greg Inglis didn’t play, still troubled by his knee injury, and theRabbitohs were also missing injured playmaker John Sutton.—AFP

American LeagueEastern DivisionW L PCT GB

Boston 71 48 .597 -Tampa Bay 66 49 .574 3Baltimore 64 52 .552 5.5NY Yankees 58 57 .504 11Toronto 54 62 .466 15.5

Central DivisionDetroit 69 46 .600 -Cleveland 62 55 .530 8Kansas City 60 54 .526 8.5Minnesota 51 63 .447 17.5Chicago W Sox 44 71 .383 25

Western DivisionTexas 67 50 .573 -Oakland 65 50 .565 1LA Angels 53 62 .461 13Seattle 53 63 .457 13.5Houston 37 78 .322 29

National LeagueEastern Division

Atlanta 71 46 .607 -Washington 56 60 .483 14.5NY Mets 53 61 .465 16.5Philadelphia 52 64 .448 18.5Miami 44 71 .383 26

Central DivisionPittsburgh 70 46 .603 -St. Louis 66 50 .569 4Cincinnati 64 52 .552 6Chicago Cubs 52 64 .448 18Milwaukee 51 66 .436 19.5

Western DivisionLA Dodgers 66 50 .569 -Arizona 59 56 .513 6.5Colorado 54 64 .458 13San Diego 53 63 .457 13San Francisco 52 64 .448 14

MLB results/standingsDetroit 9, NY Yankees 3; Toronto 5, Oakland 4; Chicago White Sox 5, Minnesota 4; LA Dodgers 5, TampaBay 0; San Francisco 3, Baltimore 2; LA Angels 7, Cleveland 2; Washington 8, Philadelphia 5; Boston 5,Kansas City 3; Miami 1, Atlanta 0; San Diego 3, Cincinnati 1; Texas 5, Houston 4; Chicago Cubs 6, St.Louis 5; Colorado 6, Pittsburgh 4; NY Mets 4, Arizona 1; Milwaukee 10, Seattle 0.

Braves winning streak ends

Eagles soar over Roosters

ATLANTA: The Atlanta Braves’ 14-winningstreak ended Saturday night with a 1-0 loss tothe last-place Miami Marlins, who scored thelone run on reliever Jordan Walden’s wildpitch in the ninth inning. Miami stopped itsown six-game losing streak.

The Braves fell one victory shy of tying the2000 team for the franchise’s longest winningstreak since the 1891 Boston Beaneaters won18 straight.

Adeiny Hechavarria led off the Miami ninthwith a triple and scored on the wild pitch byWalden (4-2). Marlins starter Nate Eovaldiallowed one hit in seven innings. Mike Dunn(3-3) got the win and Steve Cishek earned his24th save, striking out Paul Janish with a run-ner on first to end it.

NATIONALS 8, PHILLIES 5In Washington, Jayson Werth launched a

two-run homer in the seventh inning for his1,000th career hit, highlighting a five-run rallythat sent Washington over Philadelphia. Werthgot three hits, including an RBI single in thefourth and his two-out shot off reliever ZachMiner.

In his second MLB game, Tanner Roark (1-0)pitched two spotless innings. Tyler Clippard sur-rendered Domonic Brown’s 26th home run inthe eighth and Rafael Soriano pitched the ninthfor his 29th save.

Jake Diekman (0-3) took the loss. Darin Rufalso homered for the Phillies, who havedropped 10 straight road games.

PADRES 3, REDS 1In Cincinnati, Will Venable homered for the

second game in a row, and San Diego’s deplet-ed offense took advantage of Cincinnati’s sea-son-high four errors for the victory.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan had three ofthe errors - two on off-target throws to firstbase, another on a grounder that got throughhim. Venable hit his team-high 15th homer inthe eighth inning off reliever Manny Parra.

Tyson Ross (3-5) gave up Brandon Phillips’RBI single in the first, one of only four hits heallowed over seven innings. Huston Streetpitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 23chances. Three of Cincinnati’s errors camebehind Tony Cingrani (5-2).

CUBS 6, CARDINALS 5In St. Louis, pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro hit a

run-scoring double in the eighth inning to capa three-run rally that gave Chicago its first serieswin in St. Louis in nearly three years.

Matt Holliday homered for twice St. Louis,which lost its fourth in a row. Chicago won forthe third time in four games. The Cubs trailed 4-2 entering the eighth, but tied it 4-4 on DarwinBarney’s two-out, two-run double by off reliev-er Trevor Rosenthal (1-3). Navarro followed withhis fifth pinch-hit RBI of the season to giveChicago a 5-4 lead.

Blake Parker (1-1) picked up the victory forthe Cubs, who last won a series in St. Louis inSeptember 2010. Kevin Gregg picked up his25th save in 29 opportunities despite giving upHolliday’s 15th homer of the season, a solo shotwith one out in the ninth.

METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1In Phoenix, rookie Wilmer Flores drove in

three runs to extend his RBI streak to four

games and Zack Wheeler pitched effectivelyinto the seventh inning to lead New York pastArizona.

Flores had a run-scoring single off BrandonMcCarthy (2-6) in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the eighth, giving him eight RBIs inhis first five games in the majors.

Juan Lagares hit a solo homer and Wheeler(5-2) allowed a run over 6 1-3 innings to bounceback from a shaky outing in his previous start.

LaTroy Hawkins worked around a baserun-ner in the ninth for his third save in five chances.Aaron Hill homered for Arizona, which had itsthree-game winning broken.

ROCKIES 6, PIRATES 4In Denver, Dexter Fowler had two hits and

two RBIs and Colorado used a big sixth inningto beat Pittsburgh. The Pirates have lost two

straight after winning 14 of 19. Leadoff manStarling Marte left the game in the seventhinning with a left hand injury after being hit bya pitch.

The Rockies put together a two-out rally inthe sixth against A.J. Burnett. Nolan Arenadodoubled to score Michael Cuddyer, JonathanHerrera walked and pinch-hitter CharlieBlackmon doubled to tie the game 3-all. Fowlerlaced a two-run single to end Burnett’s night.

Burnett (5-8) allowed six runs - five earned -on eight hits while striking out eight in 5 2-3innings. Rex Brothers gave up a run in the topof the ninth before striking out AndrewMcCutchen and Alvarez to end the game for hisninth save.

INTERLEAGUEDODGERS 1, RAYS 0

In Los Angeles, Zack Greinke scattered six

hits through 6 1-3 innings and AdrianGonzalez homered as Los Angeles beat TampaBay despite Evan Longoria’s hidden ball trick.

Skip Schumaker added four hits for the NLWest division leaders. Tampa Bay lost itsfourth straight, matching their longest skidthis year.

Most everything went well for the Dodgers,except when Tampa Bay got tricky. Longoriatagged out an unsuspecting Juan Uribe whenhe lifted his foot off third base while chattingwith coach Tim Wallach in the fourth inning.

The rarely seen play occurred after A.J. Ellishit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, with all threerunners moving up. First baseman JamesLoney wound up with the ball behind themound. He flipped it to shortstop YunelEscobar, who then quickly tossed the ball toLongoria while no one seemed to be looking.

Longoria stood behind Uribe and waited totrap him. Greinke (10-3) struck out seven andwalked one. Roberto Hernandez (6-12) gaveup five runs and eight hits in four innings.

GIANTS 3, ORIOLES 2In San Francisco, Hunter Pence hit a go-

ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning asSan Francisco’s stagnant lineup finally got toBaltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen.

Chris Davis hit his majors-leading 42ndhome run for the Orioles leading off theeighth against Santiago Casilla, then ground-ed out against closer Sergio Romo to end itwith a runner on first. Nick Markakis addedthree hits, but Baltimore had its three-gamewinning streak. Guillermo Moscoso (1-0)pitched two scoreless innings and Romoearned his 27th save in 31 chances. Chen (6-5)took the loss.—AP

NEW YORK: Miguel Cabrera homered againstthe Yankees again and had three hits while play-ing on a bandaged leg and Torii Hunter connect-ed and drove in four runs Saturday, leading theDetroit Tigers over New York 9-3 in the AmericanLeague. Anibal Sanchez (10-7) tossed seven easyinnings against a Yankees lineup that was with-out Alex Rodriguez. Manager Joe Girardi said hewas giving the third baseman a day off after hestruck out three times in his season debut in theBronx. Austin Jackson followed a four-hit, three-double night Friday with a homer and tripleagainst the team that drafted him. Don Kelly hada two-run single off Phil Hughes (4-11) as the ALCentral division leaders won for the 17th time in21 games. Cabrera hit his 35th home run.

BLUE JAYS 5, ATHLETICS 4In Toronto, Josh Reddick hit two home runs, a

day after connecting three times for Oakland, butthe Toronto Blue Jays got shots from JoseBautista and Jose Reyes to beat the Athletics.

Reddick had homered only five times thisseason before launching a trio of long ballsFriday night in a 14-6 romp. He tied the MLBrecord for homers over two games.

Reddick hit a two-run drive off Mark Buehrle(8-7) in the second inning and a leadoff homerun in the ninth against Casey Janssen, who gothis 21st save. The A’s lost for the seventh time innine games. Buehrle (8-7) won his third straightdecision. He allowed three runs and seven hits in5 1-3 innings. Sonny Gray (0-1) went six innings inhis first MLB start.

WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 4In Chicago, Conor Gillaspie lined a go-ahead

single in the sixth inning as the Chicago WhiteSox rallied past Minnesota.

Jordan Danks homered and rookie AndreRienzo pitched 5 1-3 innings in his home debutas the White Sox ended a five-game losing streakagainst the Twins.

Justin Morneau and Oswaldo Arcia homeredfor the Twins. David Purcey (1-1) struck out two inan inning for the win. Addison Reed earned his28th save in 33 chances. Mike Pelfrey (4-10)allowed five runs in five-plus innings.

ANGELS 7, INDIANS 2In Cleveland, CJ Wilson won his fourth con-

secutive decision as Los Angeles sent Clevelandto its sixth straight loss. Wilson (12-6) allowed tworuns in 5 1-3 innings for his eighth win in his last11 decisions. The left-hander hasn’t lost since July5. Ubaldo Jimenez (8-7) allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings for the reeling Indians, who committed

a season-high four errors and trail Detroit byeight games in the AL Central division. Clevelandbegan its seven-game homestand three gamesout of first, but was swept in four games by theTigers and has dropped the first two to theAngels. Mike Trout reached base for a 40th con-secutive game.

RANGERS 5, ASTROS 4In Houston, Alex Rios starred in his Texas

debut, tying the game with an RBI triple in theeighth inning and scoring the go-ahead run in acomeback victory over Houston.

Elvis Andrus added a two-run homer as theRangers extended their winning streak to a sea-son-high six games. Rios, who was acquired fromthe Chicago White Sox on Friday, tripled offreliever Lucas Harrell (5-13) in the eighth inningto tie it after a double by A.J. Pierzynski. Rios thenslid feet first into home on a ball hit by MitchMoreland, scoring when catcher Jason Castrodropped the ball for an error to put Texas up 5-4.Jason Frasor (3-2) allowed one run in the seventhfor the win.

RED SOX 5, ROYALS 3In Kansas City, Jacoby Ellsbury matched a

career high with four hits and drove in a pair ofruns to lead Boston over Kansas City.

Ellsbury had RBI-doubles in the fourth andsixth innings and also stole his MLB-leading 42ndbase. Red Sox starter Felix Doubront gave upthree runs on six hits and four walks in four-plusinnings He was replaced by Brandon Workman(3-1), who picked up his second victory of theweek with 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Koji Ueharapitched a flawless ninth to collect his 12th save in15 chances.

Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (12-8),who had won his previous four starts, threw aseason-high 123 pitches in seven innings, allow-ing five runs on 10 hits and a walk.

INTERLEAGUEBREWERS 10, MARINERS 0

In Seattle, Scooter Gennett capped a six-runseventh inning with a three-run homer off theglove of right fielder Michael Morse to leadMilwaukee to victory. Milwaukee put its firstthree batters on base in the seventh beforeGennett hit his homer. The Brewers added fourmore in the ninth against Seattle’s bullpen. TomGorzelanny had his best performance of the sea-son for the Brewers, giving up just three hits inseven innings. Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma(10-6) matched Gorzelanny for the first sixinnings, but quickly fell apart in the seventh.—AP

Tigers thrash Yankees

WASHINGTON: Cliff Lee No. 33 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the fifth inningagainst the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. —AFP

TORONTO: Jose Bautista No. 19 of the Toronto Blue Jays is out at second base asJed Lowrie No. 8 of the Oakland Athletics reaches for the tag with Umpire MartyFoster looking on during the fifth inning.—AFP

PANAMA CITY: Anselmo Moreno scored aunanimous decision over William Urina onSaturday to defend his WBA bantamweighttitle for the 11th time. The three judgesscored the match 116-112, 118-110 and118-110 for the Panamanian fighter.

“This is the result of hard work in thegym and the hard work of my trainers,”Moreno said. “Ur ina is a heav y-hitt ingopponent, but tonight in the ring my physi-cal condition was better.”

Moreno received a cut on the r ightcheek that caused him to bleed after theseventh round, but the 28-year-old landedbetter shots and avoided most of Urina’spunches.

“It’s hard to fight Moreno, even more soat home,” Urina said. Moreno improved 34-2-1. Urina fell to 24-3. Urina launched oneof his few successful attacks in the ninthround, connecting with a left hook to theface, but the 27-year-old Colombian could-n’t follow up with significant additionalpunches.—AP

Moreno retains WBA belt

PANAMA CITY: Panama’s Anselmo Moreno (right) connects Colombia’s William Urina duringthe 5th round of the WBA bantamweight title (118 pounds) defense in Panama City. —AP

S P O RT SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

WATKINS: Brad Keselowski (22) leads Sam Hornish Jr. (12) during the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race. Keselowskiwon, with Hornish second.—AP

KNOXVILLE: Donny Schatz holds up the $150,000 checque as he celebrated after he wonthe A Main feature race at the Knoxville Nationals Championship Sprint Car Race. —AP

MANILA: Iran’s top player Hamed Hadadi bites his gold medal during medalceremony for the 27th FIBA Asia Basketball Championship at the Mall ofAsia Arena. Iran beat the Philippines 85-71. —AP

PITTSFORD: No chance you’ve heard thisone before: Two Swedish guys go off inthe next-to-last pairing in the final roundof the PGA Championship and ... One ofthem wins a major.

“ We’re definitely increasing thechances with having two guys up thererather than one,” Henrik Stenson said. “Or,”he added a moment later, “none.” Hard toargue with that.

Stenson and Jonas Blixt will try to dosomething late yesterday at Oak Hill thatnone of their countr ymen have everaccomplished, but countrywoman AnnikaSorenstam did 10 times. Stenson, whoshot 69 in the third round and was at 7under, wil l tee off two shots behindleader Jim Furyk. Blixt, who carded a 66and might have locked up the shot-of-the-tournament title with his approachinto No. 18, will start three behind.

Despite Saturday’s bogey-free result,Blixt knows one thing in his pre-roundroutine that’s definitely going to change.“I drank coffee in the morning and gotreally jacked up,” he recalled. “No coffeetomorrow.” You wouldn’t know it bywatching any Ingmar Bergman films, butsome Swedes are funny. Stenson, forinstance, famously stripped down tonothing but his skivvies and a golf glovein a tournament three years ago to play ashot from a water hazard. After the videowent viral, he was asked a day later whatthe reaction had been.

“A lady in the crowd said if that’s whatwatching golf is about, she’s going tostar t watching a lot more,” he dead-panned.

When the questioner persisted, insist-ing that someone must have expressedsome disapproval, Stenson pointed in the

direction of his wife, Emma, who hap-pened to be holding their 1-year-olddaughter at the time.

“We see him in his boxers all the time,”she said, just as nonplussed. Blixt’s excel-lent adventure at the 18th had its comicalelement as well. His tee shot veered wellleft of the fairway, bounced and foundthe back pocket of a spectator namedMuhammad Khokar. After Blixt arrived onthe scene to f ind a crowd gatheredaround Khokar and was told what hap-pened, his response - “Did it plug?” -cracked up the informal get-together.

“I never did anything like that,” Blixtexplained in the interview room after-ward. “A friend of my father hit someonein the ass one day. The first thing thatcame out of his mouth: ‘Did it plug?’ So it’skind of where I got the line from.

“It was very fortunate that he was

standing where he was so I didn’t have todeal with too many trees and stuff likethat. Hit a good 5-iron. ... Got a luckybounce up the hill and trickled to threefeet.

“And thank you,” Blixt added, “hat’s offto someone who did that to me.” Stensonhad plenty of fun in the interview room,too, teasing reporters who asked abouthis age (“I guess my looks are a bit deceiv-ing; I’m 37”) and added bulk (“Are yousaying I’m fat?”). He also recounted indetail how just two years ago, in the mid-dle of a career drought, he failed to quali-fy for the PGA and played in his club’stwo-man team championship back inSweden instead. “I was up in contentionthere, as well,” he said. “I didn’t win.” “Theother guys have got to be telling quite astory,” a reporter reminded him.

“Yeah,” Stenson said, “I saw it as a kind

gesture to give him a bit of confidence.”Yet both men did their best to tamp downspeculation about what it would meanback home to have either return homewith a major championship trophy.

“That would be huge. I mean, it ’s avery small country,” Blixt said. “You setyour goals high and that’s a very highgoal for both me and Henrik.”

Echoed Stenson, “It would be lovely,but we’re still a long ways away from that.There’s no point thinking about tomorrowand thinking ahead of things.” Yetreporters kept asking, one even trying anemotional appeal to Blixt.

“Did something go through your heartwhen you saw how excited Adam (Scott)was to become the first Aussie to win aMasters?” he asked. “Well,” Blixt repliedwith a hint of a smile, “Adam doesn’t reallydo it for me.”—AP

Two Swedes walk into a major championship

ROCHESTER: American Jim Furyk used a red-hotputter to leapfrog Jason Dufner for a one-shot leadafter Saturday’s penultimate round of the PGAChampionship, as Rory McIlroy battled his wayback into the tournament.

Furyk, who began the round two shots back ofDufner in a three-way tie for second, drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-four 17th en route to atwo-under-par 68 that put him at nine-under 201for the year’s final major. “Overall, I’m comfortablewith where I’m at,” Furyk, 43, told reporters.

“There’s a crowded leaderboard at the top andinstead of really viewing it as who is leading andwho is not, I’m really viewing it as I need to go outthere tomorrow and put together a good, solidround of golf, fire a good number and hope itstacks up well.”

Dufner (71) scrambled a par on the 18th aftersending his tee shot into the deep rough, but abrilliant approach to about 10 feet and a putt thatcurled around the right lip of the cup before drop-ping in left him alone in second.

Swede Henrik Stenson (69) was a further shotback while compatriot Jonas Blixt (66) moved intofourth. Masters champion Adam Scott began theday level with Furyk and Matt Kuchar (76) butslipped into a tie for fifth place with Steve Stricker(70) after a two-over 72 that included a double-bogey six at the 16th.

Furyk managed to deal with the swirling windsbest at Oak Hill as he offset two early bogeys with apair of birdies on the front nine and then grabbedthe lead with a birdie on the 10th.

He traded a birdie for a bogey over his next fiveholes before that long putt on 17 and a 15-foot parfrom the fringe on 18 that left him in prime posi-tion to claim his first PGA Tour win since 2010 andfirst major since the 2003 US Open.

“It was nice,” Furyk said of his putt at 18. “I don’tthink it would have ruined my day had it not gonein, but it was definitely the icing on the cake.”

Dufner was cruising along with a string of parsand enjoying a three-shot lead when his tee shot atthe par-four fifth went into a creek.

After sending his third shot right of the greenand chipping well past the hole, Dufner two-putted for a double-bogey six that cut his lead toone stroke.

The PGA Championship runner up in 2011,Dufner opened his back nine with a birdie beforemaking pars the rest of the way, most notably at 18when he looked headed for a sure bogey after anerrant tee shot.

“These golf courses put a lot of stress on yourgame. You have got to be really prepared andwhen doubt creeps in to kind of put that in anoth-er spot in your mind and be confident,” said Dufner.

“It’s kind of a tussle out there between yourselfand your mind. You’d like to get some birdies earlyso you can get a little but more comfortable.”

Only 11 of 75 players in action on Saturdaymanaged to break par as sunny skies and blusteryconditions combined to make Oak Hill’s greensquicker and low scoring at a premium.

Scott got off to a quick start by draining a 20-foot birdie putt at the first to move one back ofplaying partner Dufner but bogeyed the next twoholes to slip further behind.

The Australian then went on a string of 10 con-secutive pars before driving the 318-yard par-four14th for a birdie to move back into the mix but hishard work was undone on the 16th.

Kuchar also got to within one shot of Dufnerwith a birdie putt at the opening hole after hisapproach from 186 yards landed about three feetfrom the pin. But a double-bogey and three

bogeys over his next eight holes hurt his chances.The game’s two leading players, Tiger Woods

(73) and Phil Mickelson (78), both tumbled out ofcontention. Woods started the day 10 strokes offthe pace and finished 13 behind and tied for 46th.Mickelson, who won his fifth major title at lastmonth’s British Open, fared even worse, ending theday 19 shots off the pace, in second-last place ofthe 75 players who made the cut.

McIlroy, who was five over for the tournamentat one point on Friday and in danger of missingthe cut, roared back into contention with a three-under 67. The defending champion capped hisround in brilliant fashion, taming Oak Hill’s infa-mous tough closing stretch with birdies at 17 and18, including a chip-in from behind the green atthe last. “The way the conditions are with theswirling wind, it’s tricky out there,” said McIlroy,who was tied for seventh with Lee Westwood (68).

“I felt good enough about my game that Icould go out there and post a good one todayand at least give myself a chance going intotomorrow.”—Reuters

Furyk leads by one-shot

ROCHESTER: Jim Furyk of the United States celebrates after saving par on the 18thgreen to finish with a two-under par 68 during the third round of the 95th PGAChampionship. —AFP

MANILA: Iran routed the Philippines 85-71to bag gold at the 27th FIBA Asian men’sbasketball championship yesterday, pow-ered by NBA centre Hamed Haddadi.

The seven-foot two-inch Haddadi wassimply too much inside the paint for thePhilippine side, scoring 29 points to lead allplayers. Haddadi, the first Iran-born playerin the US National Basketball Association,also grabbed 16 rebounds as he toweredover his opponents. The speedy Filipinosmade a valiant effort, and were playingwithout injured centre Marcus Douthit.

It was Iran’s third gold at the Asianchampionship. The Philippines are five-times champions, though their last victory

came back in 1985. Iran, the Philippinesand third-placed South Korea, who lost tothe Philippines in the semis, will go to theFIBA world championships in Spain nextyear.

The Philippines trailed by as much asnine points before clawing back to 34-35 athalf time led by point guard Jayson William.

The home team played in front of acrowd of about 20,000, with PresidentBenigno Aquino and other top governmentofficials at courtside to cheer them on.

The raucous fans however were silencedas Haddadi repeatedly clobbered theminside the paint with his low post play andput backs.—AFP

Iran clinches FIBA gold

KNOXVILLE: Donny Schatz charged from the back ofthe field Saturday night to win the Knoxville Nationalssprint car race for the seventh time in eight years.

Schatz earned $150,000 for winning the world’spremier sprint car event. Schatz started 21st, the fur-thest back of any winner at the nationals. Brian Brownwas second, followed by Justin Henderson, PaulMcMahan and Chad Kemenah.

The race came less than a week after NASCAR starTony Stewart, Schatz’s team owner, broke his leg rac-ing sprint cars in nearby Oskaloosa. Fellow NASCARdriver Kyle Larson finished sixth.

Not only had Schatz won six of the last sevennationals, he was the runner-up in 2010. But Schatzhad a rough week - up until Saturday night.

Schatz came to Iowa as the hottest driver in theWorld of Outlaws sprint car series, leading with 13wins and five in July alone. But Schatz had so muchtrouble in the qualifying races leading up to Saturdaynight’s main feature that he was forced to qualify for itfrom the B-Main - and he got booed by the crowd dur-ing introductions for that race.

Schatz won the B and started the A-Main ahead of

just four cars. Schatz was up to sixth through 20 lapsand four cautions and moved to fourth after the com-petition caution halfway through the 50-lap event.Schatz methodically cut into Brown’s lead and passedhim with 10 laps left. He cruised from there to takehome perhaps the most impressive win of his storiedcareer. The nationals, an annual celebration of a sportthat enjoys a grass roots following across the country,started with a flourish. The 25-car field went four-wideas the smoke from the checkered flag fireworks stillhung in the air. It only took one turn for the race to bered-flagged.

Stevie Smith caught the fence and flipped upsidedown. He was fine though, and Brown took the leadfrom pole sitter Joey Saldana on the restart.

But there were three cautions in the first four lapsalone, including one for tire damage from World ofOutlaws points leader Daryn Pittman. That didn’t stopBrown from building a huge lead of as many as fourseconds on Saldana.

All those cautions allowed Schatz to edge closer tothe front, and the No. 15 car for Tony Stewart Racingcruised to the win by a comfortable four seconds.—AP

WATKINS GLEN: Brad Keselowski has alwayshad a fondness for Watkins Glen International,and that fondness just grew a bit more.

The reigning Sprint Cup champion, whohad finished second three times in the pasttwo years at The Glen, led 49 laps in theNationwide Zippo 200 and finally notched thatelusive first career road course victorySaturday. “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. Ican remember coming here with my dad (inthe 1990s), just always having a love affair withthis track,” said Keselowski, runner-up toMarcos Ambrose in the past two Cup races atthe track. “There’s something about this track. Ihave a very deep appreciation for it. It’s been agreat race track for me.”

Keselowski passed Joey Logano for the leadwith 16 laps to go, then held off Sam HornishJr. in a dominant performance for PenskeRacing.

Keselowski, who finished second to CarlEdwards despite leading more than half of thisrace a year ago, won for the fourth straighttime over five months in NASCAR’s second-tierseries. It was his 24th career Nationwide win,tying him with Tommy Houston for eighth

place on the career list. Brian Vickers was third,followed by Regan Smith and Elliott Sadler.Logano finished 21st after running out of gason the final lap, his team’s fuel strategy backfir-ing. Hornish won the pole and set sail withKeselowski at the outset after Kyle Buschcrashed on the first turn of the 82-lap race.

“Kyle getting torn up, it was pretty appar-ent that all three of our cars had a shot to winthe race if we just didn’t do something dumb,”Keselowski said. “So I tried to not do some-thing dumb the whole race.” Busch wasn’t sofortunate. He started second but lost control ofhis No. 54 Toyota, sliding sideways after appar-ently tapping the rear bumper of Hornish asthey drove through the first turn, a downhill90-degree right-hander. Busch’s spotter hadjust cleared him to make a move underHornish.

Busch briefly touched the Armco barrierthat lines the track and was OK, but MikeWallace, in midpack and unaware Busch wasthere, pulled right to make a pass andslammed the left front of Busch’s car.

“I’m sorry guys,” Busch said over his radio ashe drove to the garage for repairs. Busch, who

was seeking his ninth victory of the seasonand 60th in the series, finished five laps downin 24th. Wallace’s No. 01 Chevrolet wascrushed, too, as was his psyche.

“I went to the right, Wallace said. “Youwouldn’t expect him to be spun out that earlyin the race. We were just trying to get throughthe first lap. It’s disappointing.”

After that, it was a show between Hornishand Keselowski as the three Penske Fords com-bined to lead all but nine laps. Hornish man-aged to close on Keselowski’s back bumperwith six laps remaining, but that was as closeas he got. Keselowski pulled away over thefinal two laps and won by 1.4 seconds.

“I was focused on trying to pass the 22(Keselowski),” Hornish said. “I had driven forover 100 percent and I couldn’t even getbeside him. I could get up to his bumper. I justhad to settle down a bit. I needed to sit thereand ride.” Smart move. Hornish closed to with-in three points of the series lead behind AustinDillon, who struggled with a sputtering carand finished 11th. The solid day moved Penskewithin five points of Joe Gibbs Racing for theowners’ points lead.—AP

Donny Schatz winsKnoxville Nationals

Keselowski triumphs at Watkins Glen

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

GUANGZHOU: China’s Lin Dan poses with his winning trophy and medal forphotos on the podium after defeating Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in theirmen’s single final match at the 2013 BWF World Championships.—AP

TORONTO: Rogers Cup champion Serena Williams of the United States posesfor a photo with runner-up Sorana Cirstea of Romania following the RogersCup women’s final at Rexall Centre. —AFP

MONTREAL: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their semifinal match at the UniprixStadium during the ATP Rogers Cup. —AFP

MONTREAL: Spain’s Rafa Nadal handed NovakDjokovic another semi-final defeat when he beatthe world number one at the Rogers Cup onSaturday to set up a title decider against localfavorite Milos Raonic. Nadal held off a surgingDjokovic to win 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) in a pulsatingsemi-final that resembled a heavyweight boxingshowdown with the duo trading breathtakingwinners.

The victory was Nadal’s second successiveover Djokovic at this stage of a tournament fol-lowing his epic five-set triumph on clay at theFrench Open in June.

“To beat Novak on any surface is very impor-tant,” Nadal said in a courtside interview. “His lev-el is always high and you have to play well ...almost perfect to beat him.”

Nadal made a flying start in front of a capaci-ty crowd as Djokovic was unusually tentativeand struggled on serve.

But the lull did not last long as the Serbian,two time defending champion, stormed backinto the contest, unleashing some crunching

forehand winners as he drew level.With the audience roaring their approval at

every thrilling rally, Djokovic looked to have themomentum in the match as he continued to findsuccess in going for his shots, keeping his oppo-nent pinned on the baseline.

But all the while Nadal showed off somemagic of his own and it became clear that thishigh-quality encounter, the 36th between thepair, would need a tiebreak to settle the issue.

Nadal went up another gear in racing a 6-0lead in the breaker but even in defeat Djokovicwent down swinging. He saved two matchpoints with winners before a forehand driftedlong to hand the Spaniard a first hard court vic-tory over his rival since 2010.

“It was a very close match,” Djokovic toldreporters. “There were very few points thatdecided the winner. “I had my chances. He hadhis chances. At the end he played better.”

Raonic had earlier advanced to his firstMasters series final when he recovered from amid-match slump to win a third set tiebreak 6-4

1-6 7-6(4) against wildcard and compatriot VasekPospisil.

“Im very happy at this moment,” said theworld number 13 Raonic, who will move into theworld’s top 10 for the first time after reachingthe final. “It’s (top ten ranking) been a veryimportant thing for me, a big objective.”

Raonic needed all his superior experience towin through, as Pospisil, ranked 71st, foughtfrom a set down to nearly pull off an upset.

Raonic made the more assured start in frontof a large and vocal crowd, basking in the knowl-edge that a Canadian winner was assured.

A solitary break of serve was all that separat-ed the two in the opening set as Pospisil adopt-ed an aggressive approach that produced mixedresults. He capitalised on some sloppy play fromRaonic to win the second set and force a deciderthat went the distance.

Both players traded winners from all parts ofthe court before Raonic sealed victory as hebecame the first Canadian in more than 50 yearsto reach the final.—Reuters

Nadal sends Djokovic packing

CINCINNATI: Roger Federer and MariaSharapova face crucial tests of fitnessand form in Cincinnati this week withthe clock ticking down on their hopesof adding to their US Open triumphs.

Federer, who has just turned 32,comes to the tournament as defendingchampion but with his confidencedented by his shock second round exitat Wimbledon.

His world ranking is now at five, hislowest since 2003, and he is battling aback injury which refuses to ease andwhich caused him to withdraw fromthe Montreal Masters last week. In hisdesperation to remain a contender, theSwiss has even started using a biggerracquet, a move that has yet to con-vince his hero, Pete Sampras.

“Roger’s forehand is his bread andbutter and if he’s thinking twice aboutit, that’s not a good thing,” Samprastold US media.

But Federer needs something onwhich to focus to arrest his worryingslump. The 17-time Grand Slam titlewinner was beaten in the first round atGstaad last month by Germany’s DanielBrands, his third loss of the summeragainst an opponent ranked outsidethe top 50.

He was defeated at Wimbledon bySergiy Stakhovsky and then lost in theHamburg semi-finals to Argentine qual-ifier Federico Delbonis. His defeat toUk raine’s world number 116Stakhovsky brought to an end a run of36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances.

As a top-eight seed, five-time cham-pion Federer starts in Cincinnati with abye and will face the winner from two-time finalist Mardy Fish and GermanPhilipp Kohlschreiber.

“ I lost some t ime but I was ver ymotivated to put my Wimbledon lossbehind me. I didn’t really want to pullfrom Montreal but it gave me moretime to come here well-prepared,” saidFederer.

“Now I ’m f i t again mental ly andmotivated by this time of the year.”World number one Novak Djokovictakes the top seeding ahead ofWimbledon champion Andy Murray,who went out in the third round atMontreal, a victim of Latvian ErnestsGulbis.

Spain’s David Ferrer will aim for hisfirst summer hardcourt win after exit-

ing early in Canada as the third seedwhile R afael Nadal wi l l be seededfourth just in front of Federer.

With the US Open starting in twoweeks’ time, 2011 Cincinnati championSharapova is also battling a nagginginjury. In her case, it’s a hip problemsuffered in her second round loss atWimbledon to Portuguese qualifier,Michelle Larcher De Brito.

I t was an injur y which forcedSharapova, without a t i t le s inceStuttgart in April, to sit out the Torontotournament last week. Four-time GrandSlam champion Sharapova has hiredJimmy Connors as her coach onlyweeks af ter spl i tt ing with ThomasHogstedt and the pair have been train-ing for several days in Connors’ nativeMidwest. Sharapova will begin play inthe second round against e itherAmerican Sloane Stephens or a qualifi-er. “ I t feels great to be back inCincinnati ,” Sharapova posted onFacebook. “Getting a good hit in mug-gy conditions.” Double Australian Openchampion Victoria Azaranka has alsohad a rough ride since withdrawingbefore her Wimbledon second roundmatch due to an ankle injury sufferedin the first round.

The Belarusian, who now lives in thesame Californian beachside neighbour-hood as Sharapova, made a comebackin Carlsbad, where she was runner-upto Samantha Stosur and also accepteda wild card into Toronto.

But af ter losing that f inal inCalifornia she withdrew from Canada,complaining of a lower back injury.Azarenka and Sharapova take the sec-ond and third seedings behind worldnumber one Serena Williams. Poland’sAgnieskza Radwanska is seeded fourthahead of China’s Li Na, I tal ian SaraErrani , Petra Kvitova of the CzechRepublic and eight seeded Wimbledonwinner Marion Bartoli.

The Frenchwoman had to retire afterone set in the Toronto third round withan abdominal injur y coupled withexhaustion after suffering with a ham-string at Wimbledon and withdrawingfrom two summer hardcourt events inCalifornia last month.

“It’s normal, I’m human. At the endof the day I can’t be winning after win-ning after winning without feeling atsome point a kind of exhaustion,” saidBartoli.—AFP

Federer, Sharapova in

Cincinnati fitness race

TORONTO: World number one SerenaWilliams steamrolled Sorana Cirstea 6-2,6-0 yesterday to win the WTA title inToronto and signal her readiness for aUS Open title bid.

The 31-year-old American, stung by afour th-round Wimbledon exit aftergrabbing her 16th Grand Slam crown atRoland Garros, claimed a third Canadiantitle to go with those she won in 2001and 2011. Williams needed just 61 min-utes to notch her eighth triumph of2013 and the 54th of her career.

It was a perfect prep for her defenceof the US Open title, with Williams hop-ing she can put her Australian Open andWimbledon disappointments behindher when the last Grand Slam of theyear begins on August 26.

“I ’m disappointed I didn’t winWimbledon or Australia,” said Williams,who is slated for one more hardcourttuneup at Cincinnati next week. “I’malways insatiable.”

Cirstea, who had beaten three top-10players en route to the final in CarolineWozniacki, Petra Kvitova and Li Na aswell as former world number one JelenaJankovic, couldn’t pull off anotherupset, although Williams acknowledgedthe 23-year-old Romanian’s run hadcaught her attention.

“I know she’s so capable of winningbig matches,” Williams said. “And she’shad so many big upsets this week. I did-

n’t want to be another casualty.”In the end, however, it was never

close as Williams handed Cirstea a thirdstraight-sets defeat in as many meet-ings. Cirstea has never managed to takemore than two games off Williams in aset. Despite her growing confidence,Cirstea’s nerves betrayed her as sheopened the match with a double fault,and delivered another double to surren-der her serve in the first game.

On the verge of another break in thethird game, she produced her best rallyof the match to keep Williams at baybriefly, but the American gained thebreak on her third opportunity for a 3-0lead. Even so, Williams wasn’t at herbest, massaging a thigh and exhortingherself after wayward shots. “ I waseither t ired or I got a l itt le cramp,”Williams said. “I was like, ‘Come on,Serena, it’s only three games. Pull your-self together, sister.’”

An on-court discussion with coachDarren Cahill at the changeover ener-gized Cirstea. She broke Williams at loveand held to narrow the gap to 3-2, butthe magic didn’t last.

Williams won the last three games topocket the set in 37 minutes. Anotherpep-talk from Cahill at 3-0 in the secondset couldn’t help Cirstea, her only flashof resistance coming when she saved afirst match point, only to smack a fore-hand wide on the second.—AFP

Serena races to eighth

title of year in Toronto

GUANGZHOU: Chinese superstar Lin Dan took the bad-minton world title for a fifth time yesterday after hisarch rival Lee Chong Wei was stretchered off the courtin the third game.

The current world number one from Malaysiadropped to his haunches at 19-16 down and then triedto recover. But he had to retire from the match at 20-17— leaving Lin, who is world and Olympic champion, totake the title 16-21, 21-13, 20-17.

“It would appear that he suffered some cramps andhe has subsequently been taken to hospital,” said GayleAlleyne, communications manager for badminton’sworld body the BWF at a press conference after thematch.

Lee had been hoping to end a run of high-profiledefeats at the hands of Lin-widely regarded as thegame’s best-ever player-who beat him in the previousworld title men’s singles final and in the two lastOlympic finals.

Lin, 29, known as “Super Dan”, was making his come-back at the tournament with a controversial wildcardplace after a year on the sidelines to spend time with hisfamily.

The two badminton legends put on a brilliant displayin the first set in front of a packed Tianhe gymnasium inthe southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

“Both Chong Wei and I did a good job-it’s a pity hecould not last until the end,” Lin said after the match.“He got this cramp out there and it reminded me of mytraining-when you have that, you cannot move at all.From that moment we were not opponents any more. Ireally wanted to help and I went over to ask if he wasOK. He didn’t want to give up.”

Lin’s victory sealed a day in which China won onlytwo of a possible four medals after sweeping all thetitles at the last two world championships and at theLondon Olympics.

“If I had lost we would only have won one goldmedal and it would have been embarrassing,” said Lin.“The good thing is I’m not the head coach.”

Lin took an early lead against Lee, leaving the crowdgasping with an almost involuntary lightning reflexreturn at the net to go 5-3 up. The return was so quickthat he hardly seemed to know about it himself.

Lee got back on level terms but Lin got the better ofa titanic rally to go into the break leading 11-10. Thetwo stayed neck and neck, showing off their best bad-minton-a nimble Lee leaping around the court and Linmoving fluidly often at full stretch to reach theMalaysian’s well-placed shots.

Lee pulled ahead with Lin berating himself after put-ting a return long to go behind 14-18, and theMalaysian capitalised to take the first game.

Lin came out fighting in the second, romping to amerciless 11-1 lead with Lee leaving shots to go longthat dropped just in.

As the temperature soared in the stadium with theair conditioning seemingly off during the second game,the crowd fanned themselves furiously and Lee battledto catch up, but Lin took the second 21-13.

Lee came out fighting in the third game with thetemperature in the stadium still roasting hot. Lin wincedas he hit the net again to drop 4-8 behind.

But the defending champion battled back with preci-sion shots to the baseline, sailing past Lee to go into thebreak 11-10 up. Lin went 19-16 up in the third with asmash down the line and Lee crouched down on hishaunches.

Lee’s legs were sprayed by a doctor called onto thecourt, and he won the next point with lightning returnsbefore dropping to the floor again in the middle of thenext point. The crowd shouted his name in encourage-ment and Lin went over to his opponent’s side of thecourt to speak to him.

But the umpire announced the Malaysian was retir-ing injured at 20-17, leaving a shirtless Lin to celebratewhile Lee was stretchered off.—AFP

Lin takes world title

after Lee retires hurt

Luna Rossa sweeps ArtemisSAN FRANCISCO: Italy’s Luna Rossa sailedinto the final of the America’s Cup chal-lenger series on Saturday, completing a 4-0sweep over the grief-stricken Swedish syn-dicate Artemis.

Needing to win Saturday’s fourth race atSan Francisco Bay to keep the best-of-sev-en semi-final series going, Artemis made agreat start, taking the early lead with theirhigh-tech 72-foot catamaran.

But their joy was short-lived when theywere penalized for touching the Italianboat during the pre-start. The penalty led atelevision cameraman to call the Swedishteam, which lost its teammate during aMay training exercise, “jinxed.”

Artemis landed two more penalties forsailing out of bounds during the race,effectively ending their hopes of winningand allowing Luna Rossa to cruise to victo-ry by two minutes and 11 seconds.

With the win, Luna Rossa advanced tothe final of the Louis Vuitton Cup againstEmirates Team New Zealand. Their best-of-13 series, which will decide the challengerto compete against defending championOracle Team USA for the America’s Cup,starts August 17.

The Kiwis easily defeated Luna Rossa inthe round-robin preliminary series to gostraight through to the final, but Luna

Rossa helmsman Chris Draper said theItalians were performing better now.

“We’ve improved tons,” Draper said.“We’ve all seen that the Kiwis are very, verysolid. These boats are pretty humbling.Fingers crossed we can be as competitiveas possible.” Software billionaire LarryEllison’s Oracle team won the Cup in 2010and with it the right to set the rules andchoose the venue, the windy San FranciscoBay, for this year’s competition.

For Artemis, Saturday’s defeat markedthe end of a tragic campaign. BritishOlympic gold medalist Andrew “Bart”Simpson was killed in a training accidenton May 9.

The accident destroyed the Artemisboat and wing. The team had planned tosail a second catamaran but changes hadto be made to it, a new wing had to bebuilt, and the crew needed to feel safeagain. Consequently, the team skipped theround-robin stage and almost missed theentire event.

“It’s been a terrible period for the team,”Artemis skipper Iain Percy, Simpson’s team-mate and best friend, said. “We destroyedall our equipment. We had a huge amountof work to do. “I’m still in disbelief abouthow well our team has done. For us to beout there racing was our victory.”—Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Luna Rossa Challenge of Italy goes through the wind-ward marks during their America’s Cup challenger series semifinal sail-ing race against Artemis Racing of Sweden. —AP

S P O RT S

S P O RT SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Photo of the day

The Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Race in Colorado, USA. —www.redbull.com

England 1st Innings 238 (A Cook 51; N Lyon4-42)

Australia 1st Innings (overnight: 222-5)C. Rogers c Prior b Swann 110D. Warner b Broad 3U. Khawaja c Prior b Broad 0M. Clarke c Cook b Broad 6S. Smith c Prior b Bresnan 17S. Watson c Prior b Broad 68B. Haddin lbw b Swann 13P. Siddle c Cook b Anderson 5R. Harris lbw b Broad 28N. Lyon lbw b Anderson 4J. Bird not out 0Extras (b2, lb11, w1, nb2) 16Total (all out, 89.3 overs, 409 mins) 270Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Warner), 2-12 (Khawaja), 3-49(Clarke), 4-76 (Smith), 5-205 ( Watson), 6-224(Haddin), 7-233 (Rogers), 8-245 (Siddle), 9-258(Lyon), 10-270 (Harris)Bowling: Anderson 25-8-65-2; Broad 24.3-7-71-5

(2nb, 1w); Bresnan 19-3-63-1; Swann 18-5-48-2; Trott3-0-10-0.

England 2nd InningsA. Cook c Haddin b Harris 22J. Root b Harris 2J. Trott c Haddin b Harris 23K. Pietersen c Rogers b Lyon 44I. Bell not out 105J. Bairstow c Haddin b Lyon 28T. Bresnan not out 4Extras (b4, lb2) 6Total (5 wkts, 74 overs, 316 mins) 234Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Root), 2-42 (Cook), 3-49 (Trott),4-155 (Pietersen), 5-221 (Bairstow)To bat: M Prior, S Broad, G Swann, J AndersonBowling: Harris 20-1-74-3; Bird 17.3-5-45-0; Watson6.3-1-22-0; Siddle 12-3-40-0; Lyon 17-2-46-2; Smith1-0-1-0.Match position: England lead Australia by 202 runswith five second-innings wickets standing.

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test betweenEngland and Australia at Chester-le-Street yesterday:

SCOREBOARD

Brent Webb

GERMANY: Schalke’s Peruvian striker Jefferson Farfan and Hamburg’s Turkishmidfielder Tolgay Arslan (right) vie for the ball during the German First DivisionBundesliga football match.—AFP

EDINBURGH: Crisis club Hearts werehanded a massive boost as theysecured a vital 1-0 win over Edinburghrivals Hibernian in a fiercely contestedmatch at Tynecastle.

Calum Paterson grabbed the onlygoal of the match in the 71st minuteto hand the beleaguered Hearts fanssomething to cheer as their side startsto eat into the 15 points deductionthey began the season with as punish-ment for entering administration inthe summer.

Hibs had been expected to go intothe first derby of the season as over-whelming favourites but the EasterRoad club have had a terrible start tothe new campaign having lost allthree of their competitive matches,including a record 9-0 aggregate lossto Malmo in their Europa League qual-ifier. With both sides desperate toimpress, the match wasn’t short ofpassion and aggression, with fourplayers on each side booked, butopportunities were few and farbetween.

It took until the half hour markbefore a shot on target but thingsimproved in the second half with Hibsenjoying their best spell of the matchbefore Paterson leapt to bullet a head-er past Ben Williams. The goal sealedthe ‘Jambos’ their first derby win sinceMarch 2012 and heaps the pressure onunder-fire Hibs boss Pat Fenlon.

Hearts manager Gary Locke wasdelighted with his side’s work rate. “Ithought we worked hard last weekwithout having any real end product.Today we were a little bit better in thefinal third,” Locke said. “It was a greatcross from Dylan McGowan and agreat header from Calum and it was agoal worthy of winning any game.”

Hibs boss Fenlon thought his sidehad been unlucky to lose. “I thoughtwe were on top when they scored andI don’t think there was too muchbetween us in the game to be honest,”Fenlon said. “I think they had one

chance in the game and scored off it.The first goal is always very importantbut the disappointing thing is we werein the ascendancy at that point.”

At Tynecastle, Hearts manager GaryLocke made two changes from theside that lost to St Johnstone whileHibs handed Rowan Vine his leaguedebut for the club after he missed outthrough suspension last week.

The first real flashpoint of the derbyhappened in the 25th minute when askirmish broke out after Jamie Hamillclashed with Kevin Thomson withScott Robinson and Vine picking upyellow cards.

It took until the 32nd minute foreither side to get a shot on target butJamie MacDonald easily dealt withVine’s drilled shot from the edge of thebox.

That spurred Hearts into life andWilliams had to be at full stretch tostop a fiercely driven 20 yard free-kickfrom Hamill.

Hamill then exchanged a couple ofpasses with Jason Holt before tryinghis luck with a shot from 25 yards outbut Williams saved well.

Former Hearts player Fraser Mullenthen picked up a booking on his firstreturn to Tynecastle for a rash chal-lenge before Calum Paterson wasshown a yellow card for his part in amini-shoving match.

The second half started off in amore positive fashion with JamesCollins fizzing a shot on the turn justwide after out muscling the Heartsdefence. Williams then had to leap topluck a rasping strike from Hamill outof the air as it headed towards the topcorner.

The visitors were enjoying theirbest spell of the match when Patersonfired Hearts in front in the 71st minute.Dylan McGowan sent over a perfectcross from the right and Paterson roseabove the Hibs defence to powerheader past Williams and send thehome fans wild.—AFP

Hearts lifted by derby win over Hibs

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Ian Bell’s third hundred ofthis Ashes series rescued England from anothertop-order collapse and left them well-placed atstumps yesterday’s third day of the fourth Test atChester-le-Street. England were 234 for five in theirsecond innings, a lead of 202 runs, with Bell 105not out and nightwatchman Tim Bresnan unbeatenon four.

They’d been in dire straits at 49 for three whenBell, who earlier in his Test career was criticised fornot making runs when they were most needed,came to the crease following a treble strike by fastbowler Ryan Harris.

But a fourth-wicket partnership of 106 betweenBell and Kevin Pietersen (44) checked Australia’sadvance. Bell then added 66 with Jonny Bairstow(28) before the Yorkshireman was out shortlybefore stumps, caught behind off spinner NathanLyon.

Having twice made 109 in England’s victories atTrent Bridge and Lord’s that left them 2-0 up aheadof the drawn third Test at Old Trafford that sawthem retain the Ashes, Bell’s latest century gave thehosts hope of securing a win in this match thatwould see them take the five-match series out-right.

Harris took three England top-order wickets for18 runs in 24 balls. He first bowled Joe Root (two)with a superb seaming delivery that clipped thetop of off stump.

And, with conditions still overcast, he hadEngland captain Alastair Cook, on 22, nicking aloose drive to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. JonathanTrott then gloved Harris and was well caught downthe legside by a leaping Haddin for 23.

Bell though late cut Peter Siddle for four andplayed an even finer variant of the same shot, alsofor a boundary, against all-rounder Shane Watson.

Pietersen ended the second session by cuttingSiddle for four to leave England 123 for three at tea,with both their fourth-wicket batsmen 37 not out.

Bell then cover-drove Harris for four in textbookfashion and next ball another stylish boundary inthe same region saw the 31-year-old Warwickshireright-hander to fifty in exactly 100 balls with fivefours.

Australia found themselves a bowler downwhen Watson went off midway through his sev-enth over with a right hip/groin injury.

Lyon though had Pietersen caught off a leadingedge by Chris Rogers at short extra-cover. Englandwere now 155 for four-a lead of 123 runs-butBairstow kept Australia at bay for more than anhour.

After a brief interruption for bad light, Bell cov-er-drove Harris before the paceman, from aroundthe wicket, had him fending at a steeply risingbouncer.

An unruffled Bell, who was admirably straight indefence, went into the 90s by off-driving Lyondown the ground for four.

Then a late cut two off Tasmania quick JacksonBird just evaded Australia captain Michael Clarke ata wide slip before a single next ball saw Bell to his

Bell tolls for England

CHESTER-LE-STREET: England’s Ian Bell (right) plays a shot, watched by Australia’s BradHaddin during the third day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match.—AFP

BERLIN: Schalke 04 and Hamburg sharedthe points in a 3-3 thriller yesterday asnew-signings grabbed the limelight onthe opening weekend of the Bundesligaseason.

Both defending champions BayernMunich, who beat Moenchengladbach 3-1 on Friday, and Borussia Dortmund, whowon 4-0 at Augsburg on Saturday, pickedup wins on the opening weekend of thenew season. Schalke’s new-signingAdam Szalai scored the Royal Blues’ cru-cial third goal to share the points withHamburg while Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked hisDortmund debut with a hat-trick.

Mainz’s Shinji Okazaki of Japan andLeverkusen’s South Korea star SonHeung-Min both also scored on theirrespective debuts for their new clubs.

Schalke took the lead at home toHamburg when Holland striker Klaas-JanHuntelaar struck after just 84 secondsbefore compatriot Rafael van der Vaartnetted a 12th-minute penalty to level forthe guests.

Striker Maximilian Beister produced abullet header on 24 minutes to putHamburg in front before Huntelaar lev-elled right at the end of the first halfmaking it 2-2 at the break.

Ex-Dortmund defender LasseSobiech then headed the hosts aheadjust after half-time before Hungary’sSzalai, who joined Schalke from Mainz inthe summer, pounced on a mistake byHamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler on 72minutes to share the points.

Earlier, fellow new-boy Okazaki net-ted in Mainz 05’s 3-2 home win over hisex-club VfB Stuttgart-who he left lastmonth.

Mainz picked up three points whenGermany midfielder Nicolai Mueller net-ted goals either side of Okazaki’s 65th-minute strike.

Mueller scored his first after just 14minutes, but Bosnia striker Vedad

Ibisevic levelled just two minutes laterfor Stuttgart.

Okazaki, who joined Mainz on July 1in a three-year deal after two years atStuttgart, and slotted home his team’ssecond when he converted a cross fromCzech Republic defender ZdenekPospech before Meuller made it 3-1, 12minutes from time. Stuttgart’s MartinHarnik gave his side hope with eightminutes left to make it 3-2, but hostsMainz hung on.

On Saturday, Aubameyang, 24,showed why Dortmund paid FrenchLeague Cup winners St Etienne 13 mil-lion euros (US$17.3m) for him as hebecame the sixth player in Bundesligahistory to hit three goals on his debut inBorussia’s 4-0 win at Augsburg.

Poland striker Robert Lewandowskiconverted a penalty in the dying stagesto complete Augsburg’s misery.SouthKorea’s Son also netted on his first com-petitive appearance for ChampionsLeague hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen intheir 3-1 win at home to Freiburg.

Hertha Berlin marked their return tothe top-flight after a year’s absence witha stunning 6-1 rout of EintrachtFrankfurt.

Colombia striker Adrian Ramos andTunisia forward Sami Allagui each scoredtwice in the hammering at Berlin’sOlympic Stadium while a first-half penal-ty from Eintracht Frankfurt midfielderAlex Meier was all the guests couldmuster.

Hanover 96 enjoyed a 2-0 win overWolfsburg, who finished with nine menafter both midfielder Maximilian Arnoldand Swiss defender Timm Klose weresent off.

Hoffenheim were held to a 2-2 drawat home to Nuremberg while WerderBremen edged newly-promotedEintracht Braunschweig 1-0 with Austriamidfielder Zlatko Junuzovic hitting the82-minute winner. —AFP

Schalke held in six-goal thriller

MANCHESTER: Brent Webb grabbeda vital try on his return as CatalanDragons put a dent in Bradford Bulls’Super League play-off hopes, butThomas Bosc was the real late star atOdsal. Webb, who played for NewZealand Warriors in the NRL, toucheddown in the second half along withIan Henderson as Bosc’s 77th-minutedrop goal sealed a 23-22 win.

Full-back Webb was playing hisfirst match in five months followingback surgery and only his fourth forthe Dragons, whom he switched tofrom Leeds for the 2013 season.

Bosc also kicked three goals asKeith Lulia saw his two-try effortprove in vain as the Bulls were justedged out. While Catalan sit in sixthplace, Bradford are currently outsidethe top eight that advance to theplay-offs, four points shy of Hull KR,following their latest defeat.

The Bulls need to win their finalthree regular season games to standa chance of breaking into play-offswhile further down the table Widnesand Castleford played out a thriller.

The Vikings and Tigers racked up

80 points between them withCastleford coming out on top 42-38with Justin Carney at the double andKirk Dixon kicking five goals.

Gareth Hock was the pick of theplayers on show though with fourtries but that was on a losing causefor Widnes who also saw FrankWinterstein go over twice.

In the first game of Sunday after-noon Hull FC beat arch-rivals Hull KRfor the second time this season-Australian Jacob Miller touchingdown in the 38-20 victory.

Miller scored Hull FC’s first try ofthe match just before half-time toreduce Hull KR’s deficit to 8-6 afterLiam Salter’s earlier effort.

Hull FC were soon ahead after thebreak and a double from Joe Arundeland additional tries from Jamie Shaul,Richard Whiting and Tom Briscoe sawthem ease past their rivals.

Meanwhile Warrington Wolves arerefusing to let Huddersfield Giantsrunaway at the top of the SuperLeague table with a 26-14 victoryover Wakefield Trinity Wildcats onSaturday. The Australian partnership

Webb and Bosc dent Bulls play-off hopes

of Joel Monaghan, with two tries, andBrett Hodgson, with one, did thedamage with Micky Higham alsotouching down for the Wolves in thefirst half.

Chris Bridge and Chris Riley fol-lowed Monaghan’s lead in scoringafter the break with Warrington mov-ing up to second after Huddersfield’sdefeat of Wigan Warriors.

The Giants won that contest 30-12on Friday night with Aaron Murphyscoring in either half for a ninth win

in ten Super League games for in-form Huddersfield at the top of thetable. Elsewhere on Friday, St Helensutility back Jonny Lomax scored 14points as the Saints defeated base-ment boys London Broncos 38-10,Francis Meli also contributing a dou-ble. And Leeds Rhinos were even big-ger winners, defeating Salford CityReds 42-16 with Kallum Watkins atthe double and 2012 Golden Bootwinner Kevin Sinfield kicking sevengoals.—AFP

20th hundred in 92 Tests, having faced 184 ballswith 10 boundaries in just over four hours.

Earlier, England dismissed Australia for 270, thetourists held to a slender first innings lead of 32.Australia resumed Sunday on 222 for five, withRogers 101 not out following the 35-year-old left-handed opener ’s maiden Test hundred onSaturday, made in the face of excellent seam bowl-ing from Stuart Broad, who finished the innings

with five wickets for 71 runs.Rogers had added just nine when, pushing for-

ward defensively to off-spinner Graeme Swann, hewas brilliantly caught off glove and pad for 110 bywicketkeeper Matt Prior, diving in front of thestumps. Umpire Tony Hill originally ruled not outbut England overturned his decision on review andRogers, who batted for nearly six hours, was outhaving faced 225 balls with 14 fours.—AFP

S P O RT SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

FRANCE: Bordeaux’s French defend-er Marc Planus (right) vies withMonaco’s Colombian forwardRadamel Falcao during a FrenchLeague football match.—AFP

WASHINGTON: AS Roma’s forward Eric Lamela (top right) jumps for theheader against Chelsea FC players in second half action during a friendlymatch.—AFP

PORTUGAL: Porto’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Super Cup football match against VSC Guimaraes at Aveiro CityStadium. —AFP

BERLIN: A controversially disallowed goalin their opening Bundesliga match leftHoffenheim fuming on Saturday and trig-gered renewed calls for goal-line technol-ogy in Germany.

Hoffenheim, leading Nuremberg 1-0,looked to have scored a second on thestroke of halftime when Kevin Vollandskillfully chipped the ball over goalkeeperRaphael Schaefer and into the goal.

Replays showed that the ball landedwell behind the goal-line before bounc-ing back out and into play, Nurembergplayers turned away in disappointmentand Volland was on his way to celebratewhen referee Thorsten Kinhoefer wavedplay on.

“For the 2-0 (lead) that wasn’t, I cannotsay too much,” Hoffenheim coach MarkusGisdol told reporters. “The ball was in butI cannot change that decision, can I?

“If this comes (technology) then that

would help towards a fair game,” he said.Hoffenheim did score a second goal inthe second half but squandered their leadto draw 2-2. “Whenever people have todecide there can be mistakes,” Kinhoefertold reporters, admitting he took a wrongdecision.

“This was one such mistake. We refer-ees would welcome not having to dealwith this but that is not the case, so wehave to take the decision and today it waswrong.”

The disallowed goal also triggeredcalls from Nuremberg players to intro-duce the technology needed to avoidsuch mistakes.

“If there was technical help then thatwould be a help for the referees,” saidNuremberg keeper Schaefer. “This is notabout making them look bad. He took adecision to the best of his abilities.”

Germany has ruled out adopting any

goal-line technology until at least 2015despite being at the heart of major dis-puted goal incidents.

A disputed goal is part of English andGerman soccer folklore after Geoff Hurst’sshot crashed down from the underside ofthe bar and was ruled to have crossed theline before bouncing out duringEngland’s 4-2 World Cup final victory overWest Germany in 1966.

At the 2010 World Cup it was Englandwho saw a goal disallowed in their 4-1loss to Germany despite the ball crossingwell over the line.

World soccer’s ruling body FIFA, whichbowed to pressure and approved the useof goal-line technology last year, chose asystem produced by German-basedGoalControl for this year’s ConfederationsCup and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

England’s Premier League will becomethe first domestic competition to adopt

the camera-based technology when itkicks off on August 17.

Meanwhile, having successfully per-suaded FIFA to introduce goal-line tech-nology, the English Football Associationnow wants cameras to be allowed to set-tle other contentious situations in games.

New FA chairman Greg Dyke says it is a“no-brainer” that referees should be per-mitted to defer to video replays for penal-ty and offside decisions.

While England is just one of the 209FIFA members, its opinions on rule -changes carry more weight as a memberof the sport’s closed rule-making panel.

The International Football AssociationBoard only approved goal-line technolo-gy after FIFA President Sepp Blatterreversed his long-standing opposition toit following the 2010 World Cup.

Hawk-Eye’s camera-based systemmade its European debut yesterday at

Wembley Stadium for the CommunityShield between Premier League champi-on Manchester United and FA Cup winnerWigan. The system, which uses 14 cam-eras, sends a signal inside a second to thereferee’s watch and ear-piece indicatingthat the ball has crossed the line. “I thinkit’s inevitable there will be more use ofvideo technology to help referees.” Dykejust doesn’t want the flow of matchesaffected.

“You always have to weigh off - howmuch does it slow the game, how muchdoes it spoil the game and the rest of it?”Dyke said. “But over time, it’s bound tohappen. Refereeing is getting harder andharder... and anything that helps the ref-eree should be looked at.”

Particularly when it comes to awardingpenalties and spotting dives. “I think (for)penalty kicks is a no-brainer at somestage,” Dyke said.—AP

Hoffenheim’s disallowed goal raises technology issue

ST. LOUIS: After yet anotherimpressive display to finish its UStour, Real Madrid headed for theairport confident it’s ready for theseason. Another highlight goalfrom Cristiano Ronaldo led the wayin a dominant preseason finalewith a 3-0 victory over Inter Milanon Saturday.

“I’m very happy with this team,with these players,” new coachCarlo Ancelotti said. “They haveincredible ability, all the guys.”

Real Madrid visited three citiesfor the first time with previousstops in Miami and Phoenix. Theyescaped the finale injury-free, too.“Not only here, but in every stadi-um we found a very good atmos-phere and local support was fan-tastic,” Ancelotti said. “The soccer inAmerica is improving quickly.”

Kaka’s second-effort headerstarted the scoring in the 11thminute for Real Madrid, which was6-0-1 in the preseason and allowedone or fewer goals in all but one ofthem. Play was interrupted for sev-eral minutes in the second halfwhen several fans dashed onto thefield to shake hands with or evenhug Real Madrid players.

The delay came right after a cor-ner kick deflected into the net offdefender Ricardo Alvarez in the68th minute to make it 3-0.

The attendance of 54,184 wasthe largest ever for a soccer gamein St. Louis, though about 13,000shy of capacity at the EdwardJones Dome. It topped standing-room attendance of more than48,000 in May for Manchester City’s4-3 come-from-behind victory overChelsea at Busch Stadium.

Both organizers, the St. LouisCardinals and the St. LouisConvention & Visitors Commission,are hopeful the city will become aregular stop.

“I would assure you that St.

Louis is definitely on their radarscreen,” said Frank Viverito, presi-dent of the St. Louis SportsCommission.

More fans dashed onto the fieldafter the game ended, testing thedepth of security staffing, and per-haps their desire to see some ofthe game, too.

Neither team had issues withthe temporary grass surface. TheSt. Louis Rams’ artificial turf surface

was rolled up and removed earlierin the week and 400 truckloads ofsod from nearby Columbia, I ll. ,were installed. “It was not the bestbut I think we didn’t have a prob-lem to play,” Ancelotti said.

Inter Milan coach WalterMazzarri said Rodrigo Palaco strug-gled with footing at times butpointed out conditions were thesame for both clubs and didn’t“really want to use that as an

excuse.” Inter Milan tested RealMadrid backup goalie Diego Lopezseveral times in the second half,including two good chances fromAlvarez and one rifled over thecrossbar by Rodrigo Palacio, theteam’s leading scorer last season.Mazzarri judged it a worthy effortagainst Real Madrid, which alsochanged coaches in an effort tobreak Barcelona’s hold on theSpanish League. He thought InterMilan, which was 3-3-2 in the pre-season, could have made it a one-goal game.

“Real Madrid is definitely a greatteam,” Mazzarri said through aninterpreter. “They could be one ofthe first, second, or third teams inEurope or the world, and I’m happywith the result.

“I’m not happy with the result,but I’m happy with our team’s per-formance overall.” Inter Milan iscoming off an injury-plagued sea-son in which it failed to make theEuropean tournament for the firsttime in 15 years

“Obviously, we know they’re avery strong, competitive team,”Mazzarri said through a translator.“Yet, we had six or seven goal-scor-ing opportunities.”

Ronaldo played the first halfand made it 2-0 in the 38th minutewhen he took a pass fromCasemiro in the area in stride andripped a one-timer past divinggoalie Samir Handanovic. It was hissixth goal of the preseason.

“ That was a fantastic goal,”Ancelotti said. “It was not easy toshoot on one touch. And don’t for-get the pass, which was good.”

Three days earlier, Ronaldoscored twice in the title game vic-tory over Chelsea in the GuinnessInternational Championship Cup,including a free kick looped overdefenders that then curled justunder the crossbar.—AP

Real blank Inter 3-0

MIAMI: Cristiano Ronaldo No. 7 of Real Madrid drives to the goalin this file photo.—AFP

PORTUGAL: First half goals fromLica, Jackson Martinez and LuchoGonzalez handed champions Portoan easy 3-0 win over cup holdersVitoria de Guimaraes in Aveiro tolift the Portuguese Super Cup onSaturday. Porto seized their fifthconsecutive Super Cup and first tro-phy under new coach Paulo

Fonseca with a commanding per-formance.

They started all guns blazing,scoring with their first chancethrough forward Lica, a new sign-ing from Estoril, who smashed atap-in just five minutes into hisdebut.

The almost 30,000 fans at the

packed Aveiro stadium were treat-ed to a series of flowing attackingplays from Porto that also made themost of some lax defending.

Guimaraes, who had shockedBenfica with a 2-1 win in the Cupfinal in May, never looked like athreat and were punished with thesecond goal after 17 minutes when

Colombia striker Martinez fired in atextbook header.

Just before the halftime whistle,Argentine captain Gonzalez buriedthe third with a sweet first-time vol-ley to earn Porto an inspiring startto the season. The PortuguesePremier League kicks off next week-end.—Reuters

Porto claim Super Cup

WASHINGTON: Even with a recoveringFrank Lampard, Chelsea looks potentheading into the Engl ish PremierLeague season.

Lampard and Romelu Lukaku scoredin the second half to lead Chelsea to a2-1 vic tor y over Roma in the f inalfriendly of its pre-season Americantour before its Aug. 18 opener at HullCity.

Lampard, who has been recoveringfrom an Achilles injury this summer,scored on a 20-yard strike inside theleft post to level the score in the 61stminute after Eric Lamela’s opportunis-tic 21st minute goal put Roma ahead. “Ifind it hard to put a percentage on it,”Lampard, the club’s all-time leadingscorer, said of his fitness.

“ I feel good. We’ve had a good,strong preseason now, lots of games,lots of training. I think we’re ready.We’ll be ready next week.” The Blues

won all three of their friendlies againstI tal ian c lubs in the United States,defeating Inter Milan and AC Milan ear-lier this month before falling 3-1 toReal Madrid on Wednesday.

Lampard sat out the first two match-es before playing the first half againstReal Madrid. Chelsea created morechances throughout Saturday’s matchand was rewarded in the c losingmoments when Hazard rounded theRoma defense on the left s ide anddrove a shot into goalkeeper Morgande Sanctis’ body.

The rebound fell to Demba Ba, whofound Lukaku in front of the net for thegame-winner. Roma, playing its lastfr iendly of a three -match Nor thAmerican tour, had previously defeatedthe Major League Soccer All-Stars andthe MLS club Toronto FC. The clubopens its Serie A season at Livorno onAug. 25.—AP

PARIS: Radamel Falcao scored on his Ligue 1debut as Monaco celebrated their return tothe top flight with a 2-0 win at Girondins deBordeaux on Saturday.

Monaco splashed out over 150 millioneuros ($200.27 million)on transfers including64 million on Colombia striker Falcao, whocleverly poked the ball home five minutesafter Emmanuel Riviere had opened the scor-ing in the 82nd minute.

After talismanic striker Lisandro Lopez hadbid farewell to fans and team mates,Alexandre Lacazette netted a double to giveOlympique Lyonnais a 4-0 home win againstNice. Lisandro is joining Qatar club Al Gharafaafter four years at Lyon, but Lacazette showedhe was willing to make sure the Argentinewould be quickly forgotten by putting hisside on top of the standings with goals eitherside of the break.

After four years in Ligue 2, Nantes beatBastia 2-0 at home. Centre back Uros Spajic,who joined Toulouse from Red Star. Belgrade,experienced a Kafkaesque Ligue 1 debutwhen he was sent off for a foul in the box thatwas clearly committed by team mate SteeveYago in a 3-0 defeat at Valenciennes.

On Friday, champions Paris St Germainfailed to shine in a 1-1 draw at Montpellierwith Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani,who form one of the most formidable strikepairings in Europe, unable to find the back ofthe net.—Reuters

Lukaku’s helps Chelsea to 2-1 victory over Roma

Falcao on target for Monaco

17Serena races to eighth title of yearin Toronto

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 201318

Bell tolls for England

Hoffenheim’s disallowed goal raises technology issue Page 19

MOSCOW: (From right) Britain’s James Dasaolu, France’s Christope Lemaitre, Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade, USA’s Justin Gatlin, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s Kemar Bailey-Cole and Jamaica’s Nesta Carter start in the men’s 100-meterfinal at the World Athletics Championships. — AP

MOSCOW: Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt reclaimed his 100metres world title yesterday and moved one title closer toAmerican legend Carl Lewis’s record world championship haulof eight.

The 26-year-old 100m and 200m world record holder —who also has six Olympic titles — can equal that mark if heretains his 200m title and helps odds on favorites Jamaica winthe 4x100m relay next weekend.

Bolt’s presence helped boost the crowd in no uncertainterms after three successive sessions of low numbers and thehome crowd were also rewarded with the host nation’s firstgold in the shape of 20-year-old Aleksandr Ivanov. He strolledto victory in the 20km walk. While Bolt rolled on to six titles,two women celebrated their third world crown, AmericanBrittney Reese in the long jump and Ethiopian distance runnerTirunesh Dibaba in the 10,000 metres. America collected asecond gold in the decathlon as Ashton Eaton added theworld crown to his Olympic gold last year and made up for hissilver in these championships in 2011.

Bolt, though, was as usual the star turn and having hit his

stride passed 2005 world champion Justin Gatlin to win in9.77 seconds — another Jamaican Nesta Carter was third.

Bolt, ever the perfectionist, felt a little underwhelmed byhis performance despite it coming in pretty heavy rain withlightning bolts appropriately flashing around the stadium.

“I am happy but I wanted to do better,” said Bolt. “My legswere sore after the semi-finals, I don’t know why, but theworld record wasn’t on so I came out just to win.

“Back in Jamaica, they do not expect less than that fromme. They always expect me to dominate.” Gatlin, who gra-ciously went up and hugged Bolt and shook his hand after-wards, was left rueing his own poor run-in to the line.

“The last 30 metres I kind of got long in my legs, I didn’texecute well,” said Gatlin, who bounced back from a four-yeardoping ban to claim Olympic bronze in London last year.

“What I’ve been working on is to attack the track, I wentout there to compete in the last half of the race instead of run-ning a technical race and that’s why I got silver instead of thegold.

“I thought I had it for a second but then I saw these long

legs coming on my right side!” added Gatlin, whose relationswith Bolt have not been the warmest.

While more is expected of Bolt there is also more for thehome crowd to look forward to after their athletics pin-up girlYelena Isinbayeva qualified for the women’s pole vault final.

The cheers that greeted Ivanov will be nothing comparedto those that will ring out should the Russian athletics iconwin her third outdoor world title on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old two-time Olympic champion has suggest-ed she will retire after these championships on home turf andat a stadium where she won her first ever title of any worth.

However, the former gymnast once again cast doubt onthat. “I do not think about the end of my career as I’m aGemini, the most easily changing sign of the zodiac,” saidIsinbayeva.

Meanwhile, Ashton Eaton of the United States added theworld decathlon title to his Olympic crown in a dominant dis-play at the World Athletics Championships.

Eaton, who won silver in Daegu two years ago, finished thegruelling two-day 10-discipline event with 8,809 points.

Germany’s Michael Schrader took silver (8,670), with DamianWarner of Canada claiming bronze (8,512).

“I felt good today,” said Eaton, described by Jamaican sprintking Usain Bolt after his Olympic win in London last year asthe best athlete in the world. “I won the gold-the only medalin decathlon that I didn’t have (at the worlds). Now I haveeverything. It was my goal, what I was putting in all that train-ing for.” But there will be no quick exit back to the UnitedStates for Eaton, who recently got married to Canadian hep-tathlete Brianne Theisen.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be in the stands, watching my wife Briannecompete,” he said. Eaton produced a solid second day of per-formances, overcoming a fright as he heavily clipped his sec-ond hurdle in the opening 110m hurdles before recovering tofinish in a leading 13.72sec.

The American’s best of 45.00m in the discus saw him bankanother 767pts for 6,280, as Schrader moved into second.Eaton then cleared 5.20m in the pole vault and threw a best of64.83m in the javelin before clocking 4min 29.80sec in thefinal 1500m. — Agencies

Bolt dazzles in the rainJamaican superstar reclaims 100m crown, Russia wins first gold

LONDON: Manchester United’s players celebrate their win against Wigan Athletic at the end of their English FA Community Shield soccer match at Wembley Stadium. — AP

LONDON: New Manchester United manager DavidMoyes put a testing pre-season behind him as hisside beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the CommunityShield at a sun-soaked Wembley yesterday.

The successor to the legendary Alex Fergusonhad to endure transfer market frustration and specu-lation surrounding the future of Wayne Rooney dur-ing a disappointing run of two wins in seven friendlygames.

His luck changed in the traditional curtain-raiserto the English season, however, as Robin van Persiescored a goal in each half to give Moyes his firstpiece of silverware at the helm of the English giants.“I class that as another piece of silverware for Sir Alexreally. I was in charge today, but the ones going for-ward will be down to me,” Moyes said.

The 50-year-old Scot’s attention will now turn tonext Sunday’s Premier League opener at SwanseaCity, but the Rooney questions are unlikely to sub-side while the striker’s future remains unclear.

Moyes showed signs of annoyance in his post-match press conference, accusing journalists of writ-ing “untruths” about Rooney’s situation and repeat-ing his stance that the 27-year-old is “not for sale”.Michael Carrick, United’s man of the match, heraldedhis side’s improvement, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “Welooked a lot better today. We were in control of thegame, and we felt we could score.”

Three months on, meanwhile, from their shockwin over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Wiganshowed enough quality to suggest they are wellplaced to bounce back from relegation to the

Championship at the first attempt.“All in all, we’re disappointed to lose the game,

but in spells we showed we could play,” said Wiganmanager Owen Coyle. “We’ll take lessons fromtoday-there’s one or two things we can learn from-and move forward.” For his first official outing in theUnited dug-out, Moyes aligned his new charges in afluid 4-3-3 formation in which the peerless RyanGiggs, now a player-coach, was the most advancedcentral midfielder. Van Persie led the line, dovetailingwith Danny Welbeck, and it took the Dutchman,scorer of 30 goals last season, just six minutes toopen his account for 2013-14.

He sprayed a pass wide to Patrice Evra on the leftand with Giggs’ run distracting the Wigan defence,Van Persie had time and space to direct a firm head-

er into the bottom-left corner from the Frenchman’scross.

Leon Barnett had to be alert to prevent Welbeckfrom making it 2-0 from debutant Wilfried Zaha’s lowcentre, but United received a setback in the 16thminute when Rafael had to hobble off with an injury.Chris Smalling came on but almost made a disas-trous start when he let Stephen Crainey’s hopefulchipped pass bounce over him, which enabledWigan debutant James McClean to drill a crossacross the six-yard box.

Welbeck worked Wigan goalkeeper Scott Carsonafter a neat turn and shot, but Coyle’s side finishedthe half strongly, with Barnett unable to keep hisheader down after Emmerson Boyce turned BenWatson’s free-kick back across goal.

There was little spark to United’s play, but in the59th minute they took the game beyond Wigan witha second goal.

A patient move culminated in Welbeck slipping apass to Van Persie on the edge of the box, and theformer Arsenal man shifted the ball onto his left footbefore dispatching a shot that struck James Perch toleave Carson wrong-footed.

Zaha departed soon after, following an enterpris-ing if rough-edged display, while Giggs was granteda standing ovation, as well as a round of applausefrom Moyes, as he made way for Anderson.Belatedly, United turned on the style, Barnett slidingin to clear an Evra cross following a slick one-touchmove, and while there were no further goals, Moyeshad already passed his first test. — AFP

Man United clinch Community Shield

BusinessMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

US, EU car industries getting back on track

Page 25

Investors see riches in luxury US homes

Page 23Australian electionabout safeguardingthe economy

Page 25Some Egypt businesses thrive in crush of economic downturn

Page 22

Sterling, bonds to reconnect with UK data

WILMINGTON: In this July 25, 2013 photo, trucks move into the container terminal at the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, NC. The government reports how much wholesale businesses adjusted their stockpiles in June and howmuch they collected in sales on Friday. —AP

Economic numbers to hold sway over pound and giltsLONDON: Recent forecast-busting UK eco-nomic numbers have had a muted impacton the currency and bond markets, but thatis likely to change now the Bank of Englandhas tied its “forward guidance” on interestrates to unemployment.

After improving data such as July’s jumpin services sector activity and a steady risein house prices, further improvements,which many anticipate, could see sterlingrise and bonds fall, as markets price in ratehikes sooner than previously. That in turncould weigh on UK stocks, analysts say.

The major driver for much of this yearhas been expectations that the BoE undernew governor Mark Carney would issueunprecedented guidance that interest rateswould stay low. That goes a long way toexplaining why the pound is 4 percent low-er against the dollar at $1.5525 and down

5.6 percent against the euro. Low interestrates make a currency less attractive andkeep bond yields anchored.

On Wednesday, Carney said rates wouldstay at record low levels of 0.5 percent untilthe jobless rate fell to 7 percent from thecurrent 7.8 percent - a process he said couldtake three years.

“It was quite liberating that the subjectof forward guidance has now been dealtwith,” said Lutz Karpowitz, currency strate-gist at Commerzbank. “Sterling is now likelyto benefit from positive macro data in thefuture.”

Much to the disappointment of many inthe bond market and those positioned for aweaker pound, Carney did not pledge tokeep rates low for a specific period. Insteadhe surprised markets by introducing whatanalysts called “knockout clauses”.

He said the BoE would consider raisingrates if its forecasts showed inflation at 2.5percent or more in 18-24 months, if lowrates threatened financial stability, or ifmedium-term inflation expectations rosesignificantly. This will put the focus squarelyon economic data. A raft of UK indicators,from consumer prices and retail sales forJuly to the monthly jobs report, will test thistheory in the coming week.

UK unemployment for June is forecast toremain steady at 7.8 percent. But with theeconomy recovering, some say the joblessrate could drop to 7 percent sooner thanCarney suggested.

“Unemployment may be well clear of thecurrent threshold, but as it gets closer tothat level, the risk of higher rates at somepoint will increase,” said Adam Cole, head ofcurrency strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

“We expect a partial re-coupling to drivesterling higher against the euro in theremainder of 2013.”

That re-coupling with data will hold truefor bonds too. “The bond market is back tothe fundamental game of data watching,something that has been sorely lackingthroughout this extended period of quanti-tative easing, central bank watching andeuro crisis,” Standard Life said in a note. Ratemarkets are pricing in the probability of thefirst 25 basis-point increase in Bank rate inlate 2015, a year before the late-2016 datesuggested by Carney’s guidance. They arealso pricing in approximately 75 bps and 50bps of hikes in 2016 and 2017, respectively,according to BNP Paribas strategist ShahidLadha.

Bond investors will be concerned aboutinflation, given it is already running above

target, at 2.9 percent, and unlikely to fallsharply if the economy picks up further.That would give Carney little option but totighten policy.

“Given the broad-based momentum inthe economy, the next move in UK policyseems at least as likely to be a tighteningthan a loosening, even if it does not takeplace for some time,” Ladha added.

The renewed focus on data will also seevolatility rise in the British pound, withsteady demand for short-dated options thatallow investors to hedge against sharpswings around important economic indica-tors, as happens with the U.S. monthly pay-rolls reports. “Volatility over that specificevent, the jobless rate, will be higher,” saidSaeed Amen, currency strategist at Nomura.“So you are likely to see options moreexpensive.” — Reuters

NEW YORK: In this April 9, 2013, file photo, Customers shop at a JC Penney store, in New York. Activist investor BillAckman said Friday, he has lost confidence in JC Penney’s board and its chairman should be replaced. PenneyChairman Thomas Engibous fired back and called Ackman’s comments inaccurate. — AP

FRANKFURT: Telephone companyDeutsche Telekom AG said net profitincreased 10 percent in the secondquarter to 530 million euros ($704 mil-lion) and said its US business wasadding “droves” of new customers as itsoperations there rebounded.

The company cut its profit target forthe year due to the extra spending onmarketing and other expenses tied withthe increase in business in the US, butadded it was willing to pay those coststo broaden its business there.

It said 2013 earnings excluding

financial items such as interest, taxesand depreciation would now come in at17.5 billion euros, down from the earlierestimate of 18.4 billion for the full-year.The figure includes mobile providerMetroPCS, which merged withTelekom’s US business in May to form T-Mobile US, Inc, based in Bellevue,Washington. The company said it had“convincingly reversed the trend” in newUS business by adding 688,000 cus-tomers under branded contract plans,the most lucrative kind for phone com-panies, in the April-June quarter com-

pared with a loss of 557,000 in the year-ago quarter. The company, headquar-tered in Bonn, Germany, also grew itscustomer numbers in its home base.

“We are winning droves of customerson both sides of the Atlantic,” CEO ReneObermann said in a statement. “Ourstrategy is bearing fruit: We are in themiddle of a massive turnaround in theUnited States and we want to carry onalong this successful course. We are pre-pared to spend more on high-valuegrowth this year than previouslyplanned.” —AP

Deutsche Telekom profit up

BERLIN: German opposition par-ties accused Chancellor AngelaMerkel yesterday of lying beforeelections next month about therisks of a new bailout for Greece,after a magazine reported theBundesbank expects it will needmore European aid in early 2014.

Der Spiegel quoted an internaldocument prepared by theGerman central bank as sayingthat Europe “will certainly agree anew aid programme for Greece”by early next year at the latest.

The Bundesbank, whichdeclined comment, alsodescribed the risks associatedwith the existing aid package forGreece as “extremely high”,according to the report, and saidthe approval last month of a 5.8bill ion euro ($7.7 bil l ion) aidinstallment to Athens had been“politically motivated”.

The report could not come at aworse time for Merkel, who isfavoured to win a third term inthe parliamentary election butcould fall short of the votes sheneeds to retain power with herpreferred partner, the business-friendly Free Democrats.

Aware that German voters aresceptical about more bailouts, shehas repeatedly played down sug-gestions Greece may require extra

aid, or debt relief, despite conflict-ing views from experts, includingat the International MonetaryFund (IMF).

Opposition politicians seizedon the report, with SocialDemocrat budget expert CarstenSchneider accusing Merkel oflying to ordinary Germans due tofears of an election backlash.

“There will be a rude awaken-ing after the election,” Schneidersaid in a statement. “By disputingthe need for additional aid forGreece, the Chancellor is lying topeople before the election.”

The finance ministry declinedcomment on the report. AsEurope’s largest economy, Germanyhas the largest exposure to Greece,which has received two EuropeanUnion/IMF bailouts totalling 240billion euros ($320 billion).

The loan package is due toexpire at the end of 2014, mean-ing Greece must be able to funditself on the capital markets bythen to avoid the need for addi-tional aid.

Bernd Lucke, the head of a newanti-euro party called the“Alternative for Germany ”,accused Merkel’s centre-rightgovernment of “throwing sand inthe eyes” of voters by refusing toadmit the truth about Greece

before the Sept. 22 election.In early June the IMF admitted

that mistakes had been made inthe first Greek bailout, sealed inMay 2010, drawing a rebuke fromthe European Commission.

In particular, the IMF said inter-national lenders should have con-sidered restructuring Greece’s pri-vately-held debt in 2010. Instead,they waited two years to do so, adelay which allowed privateinvestors to sell their Greek bondsand shift the burden to euro zonegovernments and their taxpayers.

A paper published by thePeterson Institute forInternational Economics earlierthis month is also critical, describ-ing European taxpayers as “themain holder of Greek sovereignrisk”.

“There is no private ‘buffer’ leftat this point that could protectthe European taxpayer from theconsequences of a deteriorationof the crisis,” the paper says.

In recent months Europeanleaders, including Merkel, havepraised the work of the Greekgovernment in delivering on thereforms that are a condition of itsbailout. But the Bundesbank,according to Der Spiegel,described Athens’ performance as“hardly satisfactory”. —Reuters

Bundesbank report on Greece raises pressure on Merkel

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. LtdAl Mulla Exchange

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.901Indian Rupees 4.639Pakistani Rupees 2.790Srilankan Rupees 2.164Nepali Rupees 2.934Singapore Dollar 225.580Hongkong Dollar 36.777Bangladesh Taka 3.657Philippine Peso 6.553Thai Baht 9.098Irani Riyal 0.271Irani Riyal 0.273

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 76.097Qatari Riyal 78.408Omani Riyal 741.200Bahraini Dinar 757.940UAE Dirham 77.714

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 42.700Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.395Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.331Tunisian Dinar 172.980Jordanian Dinar 402.980Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.914Syrian Lier 3.0100Morocco Dirham 34.367

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 285.250Euro 379.670Sterling Pound 439.000Canadian dollar 276.410Turkish lira 147.760Swiss Franc 308.550Australian Dollar 257.300US Dollar Buying 284.050

GOLD20 Gram 246.00010 Gram 125.0005 Gram 65.000

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 284.600Euro 381.200Pound Sterling 437.750Canadian Dollar 275.850Indian Rupee 4.680Egyptian Pound 40.375Sri Lankan Rupee 2.161Bangladesh Taka 3.655Philippines Peso 6.530Pakistan Rupee 2.790Bahraini Dinar 757.750UAE Dirham 77.500Saudi Riyal 76.000*Rates are subject to change

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.4279241 0.4369241Czech Korune 0.0065872 0.0185872Danish Krone 0.0467041 0.0517041Euro 0.3733185 0.3808185Norwegian Krone 0.0439680 0.0491680Scottish Pound 0.4230973 0.4305973Swedish Krona 0.0390333 0.0440333Swiss Franc 0.3016846 0.30866846

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.2428761 0.2548761New Zealand Dollar 0.2133021 0.2233021Uganda Shilling 0.0001127 0.0001127

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.2670366 0.2760366Colombian Peso 0.0001450 0.0001630US Dollars 0.2828000 0.2849500

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.0036138 0.0036688Cape Vrde Escudo 0.0031610 0.0033910Chinese Yuan 0.0454029 0.0504029Eritrea-Nakfa 0.0164633 0.0195633Guinea Franc 0.0000442 0.0000502Hg Kong Dollar 0.0341796 0.0372796Indian Rupee 0.0046177 0.0046827Indonesian Rupiah 0.0000228 0.0000280Jamaican Dollars 0.0028465 0.0038465Japanese Yen 0.0028034 0.0029834Kenyan Shilling 0.0031961 0.0034261Malaysian Ringgit 0.0830650 0.0900950Nepalese Rupee 0.0027770 0.0029770Pakistan Rupee 0.0027615 0.0028015

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 259.81 263.000Canadian Dollar 278.87 282.000Swiss Franc 312.21 311.000Euro 382.06 384.000US Dollar 284.65 287.400Sterling Pound 441.29 443.000Japanese Yen 2.96 3.000Bangladesh Taka 3.676 3.800Indian Rupee 4.627 5.150Sri Lankan Rupee 2.163 2.700Nepali Rupee 2.913 3.600Pakistani Rupee 2.790 2.920UAE Dirhams 77.57 78.000Bahraini Dinar 757.62 759.500Egyptian Pound 40.40 41.100Jordanian Dinar 405.12 416.200Omani Riyal 740.27 746.400Qatari Riyal 78.60 79.000Saudi Riyal 76.04 76.300

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 287.400Canadian Dollar 274.760Sterling Pound 428.985Euro 370.385Swiss Frank 298.000Bahrain Dinar 760.910UAE Dirhams 78.225Qatari Riyals 78.890Saudi Riyals 77.505Jordanian Dinar 405.140Egyptian Pound 40.249Sri Lankan Rupees 2.198Indian Rupees 4.713Pakistani Rupees 2.870Bangladesh Taka 3.690Philippines Pesso 6.562

Philippine Peso 0.0060966 0.0065666Sierra Leone 0.0000728 0.0000758Singapore Dollar 0.2203297 0.2263297Sri Lankan Rupee 0.0021225 0.0021645Thai Baht 0.0087170 0.0093170

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.7494092 0.7579092Egyptian Pound 0.0383905 0.0404055Ethiopeanbirr 0.0127029 0.0192029Ghanaian Cedi 0.1448818 0.1466718Iranian Riyal 0.0000793 0.0000798Iraqi Dinar 0.0001841 0.0002441Jordanian Dinar 0.3963338 0.4038338Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000Lebanese Pound 0.0001748 0.0001948Moroccan Dirhams 0.0223705 0.0463705Nigerian Naira 0.0012108 0.0018458Omani Riyal 0.7291191 0.7401191Qatar Riyal 0.0776134 0.0783964Saudi Riyal 0.0754533 0.0760993Sudanese Pounds 0.0463312 0.0468812Syrian Pound 0.0019418 0.0021618Tunisian Dinar 0.1709755 0.1769755UAE Dirhams 0.0761541 0.0776041Yemeni Riyal 0.0012855 0.0013855

Cyprus pound 705.016Japanese Yen 3.836Thai Bhat 9.270Syrian Pound 4.105Nepalese Rupees 3.040Malaysian Ringgit 89.395

CAIRO: Egypt’s smaller companies have strug-gled since the uprising that pushed aside HosniMubarak in 2011. But in a few corners of theeconomy, businesses are doing just fine.

Against a background of unrest, access tocredit and foreign currency has dried up.Government officials have stopped taking deci-sions and security has all but disappeared fromthe streets.

Factories and workshops have been hit byinterruptions in subsidised diesel and gasolineand by regular power outages as the govern-ment runs low on the dollars it needs to importpetroleum products from abroad.

Angry workers routinely shut down plantsand block ports. Gross domestic product grewat an annualised rate of just 2.3 percent in thenine months to end-March, well below the 6 per-cent a year thought necessary to absorb newentrants to the labour force.

But for many in the food production, buildingsupply and other businesses, even though theeconomy may have slowed, people keepdemanding services. “Last year we had in salesvolume terms and in value terms our best-everyear in the Egyptian market, and this year will beeven better,” said Taher Gargour, managingdirector of sanitary ware and tile-maker LecicoEgypt.

“We’re selling more at higher prices thanwe’ve done in any year, even the best years ofthe Mubarak economy when overall GDP growthwas at its peak.”

At a time when mainstream contractors weresuffering for lack of business, Lecico has beensupplying toilets and tiles to small and individ-ual builders who were taking advantage of abreakdown in government zoning rules.

Across the country, skylines have turnedbrick-red as people add illegal floors and buildconcrete and fired-brick buildings on agricultur-al and other restricted land. The building boomhas also been driven by Egypt’s bulge of youngadults at marriage age seeking a place to live.

“The other story is that given uncertaintiesabout the economy and the strength of theEgyptian pound, people are moving to realestate as a sort of safe haven investment,”Gargour said. Lecico’s net profit jumped 28 per-cent year-on-year to 16.3 million Egyptianpounds in the first quarter of 2013, while rev-enue climbed 15 percent to 331.9 millionpounds. Hussien Mansour, chief executive ofAller Aqua Egypt, a maker of extruded feed pel-lets for fish farms, says the business environmenthas become insufferable.

“Egypt’s currency problem makes it harder toimport,” Mansour said. “The diesel shortage ishurting production. Wages are rising and securi-ty on roads has become a problem.”

As the government borrows to finance asteadily growing budget deficit, private borrow-ers are being crowded out. Banks are givingfewer loans, demanding more rigorous guaran-tees and setting more conditions. They now typi-cally charge 18 percent interest on loans, plusadministrative costs and fees, Mansour said.

The lack of access to credit means businesseshave to prepay with cash, which ties up capitaland is painful for companies whose productshave an expiry date.

“The collection time that used to take a weekcan now take two months. This is affecting verybig companies as well as small companies,” hesaid. Yet this hasn’t stopped Aller Aqua, anEgyptian-Danish partnership, from takingadvantage of the economic downturn to build anew factory in Sixth of October City west ofCairo. “Lots of contractors are suffering becausethe market is bad. Many have suspended opera-tions,” Mansour said. Egypt is a world leader intilapia farming, mostly on the Nile Delta, wherefish are typically reared in flooded rice fields.Aller Aqua’s 40 permanent staff and 40 tempo-rary workers use imported soy, corn, fish mealand other raw materials to produce 20 percentof the country’s extruded fish feed.

The factory will triple the company’s capacity,

making it the biggest extruded feed maker inEgypt’s rapidly growing market, Mansour said.

Hammam Elabd, chief executive of WesternMechatronics, a maker of industrial scales, con-veyor belts and other factory products, also sayscredit has been a concern.

Before the 2011 uprising, smaller companieswere rarely asked to provide letters of guaranteewhen buying goods on instalment, but now it isstandard. And before, the bank would typicallydemand a down payment of 30 to 40 percent.Now they are asking for 100 percent, Elabd said.

“The impact has been tremendous. Saleshave gone down, expenses have gone up, andfinancing of the basic things that you buy andsell has been a problem,” he said. This has cutinto Elabd’s sales, but he has found an alterna-tive to the home market.

“If not for our contracts outside Egypt itwould have been worse,” said Elabd, who said hehad turned in particular to the market in Libya.The foreign sales have helped Elabd skirt theproblem of foreign currency for imports that hashurt many other companies.

The government tightened access to foreigncurrency after a run on the pound in December,with priority given to importers of commoditiesdefined as essential, such as basic foods.

But even importers of these commoditieswho were eligible for currency at the official ratehave had to buy some of their currency on theblack market, said Mansour of Aqua Aller.

Even then banks keep demanding new docu-ments. “Companies must provide customs docu-ments to banks. Companies are allowed to with-draw a maximum $30,000 a day, so it can taketwo weeks or more to complete a sizeableimport purchase,” Mansour said.

“We have problems convincing foreigninvestors to work with us or to finance what weimport from them or to allow us to pay later ininstalments - they all demand up-front pay-ments for anything they would export here,”Elabd said. — Reuters

Some Egypt businesses thrive incrush of economic downturn

Access to credit and foreign currency dries up

NEW YORK: Friday was the ho-hum cap-stone to a ho-hum week in the stock mar-ket as unimpressive earnings kept investorsfeeling wary and news about the US econo-my left them uninspired.

All three major indexes ended lower,and almost everything about the dayscreamed summer. Trading was light andearnings season was nearly over. The onlymajor economic news the governmentreleased was wholesale inventories, andthat’s hardly a closely watched indicator.Those still at work remarked on the differ-ence that just a week made - the S&P 500and the Dow Jones industrial average bothhit their highest closing levels exactly oneweek before - and joked that all their col-leagues had already taken off for theHamptons, a group of tony beach townseast of Manhattan.

“Practically the whole financial world isthere today,” said Jeff Sica, president andchief investment officer of Sica WealthManagement, from his office inMorristown, N.J.

Friday marked not just a losing day butalso a losing week for the Dow, the S&P 500and the Nasdaq composite. For the Dow, itwas its first weekly loss since June. The Dowclosed down 72.81 points, or 0.5 percent, to15,425.51. The S&P 500 index lost 6.06points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,691.42. TheNasdaq composite was down 9.02 points,or 0.3 percent, to 3,660.11.

Investors couldn’t pinpoint a specificreason for Friday’s decline, but said theentire week - one when the Dow and S&P500 rose on only one day - has beenweighed down by uninspired earningsreports. Earnings are up, but by less thananalysts had forecast at the beginning ofthe year, and revenue is falling. There arealso worries that the market has already

reached its highs for the year. The S&P 500is up 19 percent for the year.

“There’s no specific culprit here, but themarket seems to be tired,” said Robbert VanBatenburg, director of market strategy atNewedge in New York.

Comments this week from FederalReserve officials also make it seem likelythat the Fed will soon rein in its stimulusmeasures, which are meant to prop up theeconomy and stock market. Some investorsworry that yanking off the Fed Band-Aidwill reveal an economy that can’t stand onits own.

J.C. Penney was one of the few compa-nies making news. Shares fell 6 percent asthe company’s board bickered with itslargest shareholder, hedge fund managerBill Ackman, over how quickly the companyshould replace its interim CEO. The stocklost 79 cents to $12.87.

The government reported that sales forUS wholesalers increased - but wholesalersalso cut their stockpiles for a third straightmonth, an indication that they’re uncertainabout future demand.

Among stocks making big moves:BlackBerry jumped after Reuters reportedthat the company may be growing moreamenable to going private. The stock rose53 cents, or 6 percent, to $9.76.

Priceline.com was up and came close tobeing the first S&P 500 company to cross$1,000. Shares of the travel website rose$36.14, or 4 percent, to $969.89, a day afterthe company announced earnings thatwere better than Wall Street analystsexpected.

Noodles & Co. plummeted after therestaurant chain predicted that salesgrowth at established restaurants will slowdown. The stock lost fell $4.96, or 11 per-cent, to $42.31. — AP

NEW YORK: In this Friday, June 29, 2012 file photo, specialists Frank Masello, left, andJohn T. O’Hara work on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New Yorkshortly before the closing bell. Global stock markets were choppy Friday after Chinareported improved but still tepid economic data. — AP

BRASÔLIA: An auction to privatize air-ports in Rio and Belo Horizonte, twohost cities for the 2014 World Cup, willbe held on October 31, Brazilian author-ities said. Presidential chief of staffGleisi Hoffmann announced the datefor the auction to sell concessions torun Rio’s Galeao airpor t and BeloHorizonte’s Confins at a Brasilia pressconference.

Officials said bidders will have tomake a minimum offer of $2.1 billion forthe Galeao concession and $450 million

for Confins, In February 2012, 20-yearconcessions were granted to managethree airports: two in Sao Paulo and onein Brasilia, breaking the monopoly ofInfraero, the federal agency that runsmore than 70 airports.

Brazil, a continent-sized country of194 million, has moved to modernize itsaging and congested airports in prepa-ration for handling tens of thousands oftourists expected for next year’s WorldCup and the 2016 Rio summerOlympics. — AFP

US stocks slide, end down for the week

Brazil to privatize two airports in late October

RIGA: Soon-to-be eurozone memberLatvia saw its growth slow in the sec-ond quarter of the year but remainedamong the EU’s top per formingeconomies, official data showed.

Gross domestic product (GDP) roseby a seasonally-adjusted 0.5 percent inthe second quarter, down from the 1.4percent rate in the previous three-month period, Statistics Latvia said.

“This shows that economic growthhas started losing its steam gradually,most likely owing to weak investmentsand slower export growth,” Swedbankeconomist Lija Strasuna said in a state-ment.

The largest gains were seen in theservice and construction sectors, thestatistics office said.

On an annual comparison, the econ-omy grew by a seasonally-unadjusted3.8 percent in the second quarter com-pared to the same period last year, upfrom 3.6 percent in the first quarter of2013.

Latvia was the EU’s fastest-growingeconomy in both 2011 and last year,posting GDP growth of more than fivepercent each year.

The finance ministry predicts 4.2percent growth in 2013. The nation oftwo million people will begin using theeuro as its currency on January 1, 2014after the EU gave it final approval inJuly. It will be the 18th member of theeurozone and its second ex-Sovietstate, after Baltic neighbour Estoniajoined in 2011. — AFP

Quarterly growth slows in Latvia

NEW YORK: Applicants reach for registration forms to attend a combined Metropolitan TransportationAuthority (MTA) and Harlem Week job and career fair , at Columbia University in New York. The LaborDepartment says Americans who applied for unemployment benefits over the past month has fallento its lowest level in almost six years, dropped 6,250 to 335,500. — AP

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

By Ole HansenHead of CommodityStrategy, Saxo Bank

China’s commodity imports recov-ered strongly in July with strongincreases seen in energy and met-

als. Whether this is a sign of a pickup inactivity or just a buildup in stocksremains to be seen. Industrial metalsnevertheless received a boost with cop-per seeing a significant amount of short-covering which also positively impactedsilver and to a lesser extent, gold. Oilmarkets, however, went the other wayled by gasoline after weekly inventorydata raised doubts about whetherdemand for gasoline from US motoristwould be strong enough to absorb theincreased production seen during July.

Overall, both of the major commodityindices still recorded losses with the sell-off in energy and grains more than off-setting gains in the other sectors, espe-cially industrial metals and softs. The dol-lar was weaker against all of its majorcounterparts, especially the JPY and AUD,but this failed to have any major positiveimpact on commodities, perhaps apartfrom gold which managed to recoverfrom another bout of selling.

Crude oil lower butsupport not far away

The main driver behind the rally inWTI crude oil during July was the unex-pected large increase in demand fromrefineries which were gearing up aftermaintenance in order to satisfy motorists’demand for gasoline during the summerdriving season. As a result, we sawnational levels of crude inventories dropsharply during July, not least at Cushing,the delivery hub for WTI crude oil tradingin New York.

The latest weekly inventory data fromthe US, however, surprised the market inthe sense that national motor gasolineinventories rose instead of dropping asexpected. In fact, the increase of 135,000barrels to 223.6 million resulted in thehighest level of inventory for this time ofyear since at least 1990. In other words, itlooks as if demand is failing to keep upwith supply just as we approach the finalweeks of the US driving season whichnormally ends around Labour day in ear-ly September. As a result, the price ofRBOB gasoline traded in New York hasseen a sharp retracement from its Julypeak and ended up being one of theworst performing commodities this weekat one stage loosing more than six per-cent.

OPEC production slowingWTI crude dropped to its lowest level

in a month before better-than-expectedChinese industrial production numbertogether with continued focus on supplydisruptions in Libya helped stabiliseprices. Worsening labour disputes inLibya combined with faltering supplyfrom Iraq resulted in OPEC output drop-ping to its lowest level in six month dur-ing July, according to the InternationalEnergy Agency. Saudi Arabia producedthe most in a year in order to meet a sea-sonal increase in domestic demand withcrude oil being used by power genera-tors during the peak season for electricitydemand.

With growth expectations rising or atleast showing a stable outlook in China,the USA and Europe, slowing supply fromOPEC, especially from countries likeLibya, Nigeria and Iraq will continue tokeep oil prices supported intoSeptember. After this, seasonal demandfrom refineries across the northern hemi-sphere should drop and leave the pricemore exposed to the downside.According to OPEC data, the productionlevel from Libya, Nigeria and Iraq aredown by almost 900,000 barrels com-pared with a year ago. Most of the lossesstem from the situation in Libya wherestrikes and social unrest have triggered asharp reduction over the past fewmonths. Although the Libyan reductionhas been the largest, a return to normali-ty is expected, but the production slow-down in Iraq is more of a concern in themedium term as no quick fix exists tomend sectarian violence and poor infra-structure.

Brent crude oil has since April beenstuck in a rising channel currentlybetween 110.50 and 102 dollar per barrelwith the upper half of this range seeingmost of the action since July. This tradingpattern with the added support/risk ofadditional supply disruptions is expectedto continue for at least another monthuntil the expected seasonal slowdown indemand begins.

Industrial metals takes the lead The price developments of key metals

such as copper and iron ore used in steelproduction are still much dependent ofthe level of demand coming from China,the world’s biggest consumer. This wasclearly seen this week when July datashowed that iron ore imports rose to anew record while copper importsincreased by 12 percent compared with ayear ago. Copper rallied strongly as aresult and in the process broke out of itsrecent range. Speculative traders such ashedge funds have maintained a net-shortposition in High Grade Copper sinceFebruary and some short covering wouldhave been seen during this week. Usingcopper as way of obtaining finance con-

tinues to be popular in China and untilwe see fresh signs of copper actuallybeing consumed and not just put awayfor financing purposes, further upsidepotentials beyond 340 cents per poundon High Grade Copper seem limited.

Silver supported bythe rally in industrial metals

The rally seen across industrial metalsalso lent some support to silver given itsindustrial credentials. As a result, it man-aged to outperform gold with the priceof one ounce of gold falling from a three-year peak at 67 silver ounces to 64.6.Gold, which earlier had run into renewedselling below 1,300 dollars per ounce,found support towards 1,264 before aweaker dollar and stronger silver sawbuyers return taking it back to relativesafety above the mentioned 1,300 level.

Precious metals are still focusing onraised growth expectations, low inflationand early tapering of US quantitative eas-ing and this will continue to dampen anyrecovery hopes. Gold needs to make adecisive break back above 1,350 beforeadditional buying can be seen and untilthen the most likely outcome is contin-ued range bound trading between 1,245and 1,350.

Government interventionsupporting Arabica coffee

High quality Arabica coffee, whichrecently dropped to the lowest level infour years, has since managed to recoverand it is currently one of the top per-forming commodities. Whether this is acase of “low prices cure low prices”remains to be seen but news from Brazilthat roasters are beginning to increase.

Brazil is the world’s largest producer ofthe quality beans and has been losingout to the cheaper and lower qualityRobusta bean in recent years. But thedrop in the spread between the twobeans from 190 cents in 2011 to 31 centslast week may provide the incentive toincrease the portion of Arabica in blendsthereby assisting demand.

Most important, however, is the long-awaited initiative by the Brazilian govern-ment to support prices. In an effort toprop up prices it announced an intentionto buy as many as three million 60 kilo-gram bags at USD 149, well above thecurrent market price of around 123 dol-lars. The move has been in response tocalls from farmers who are currently sell-ing their crops below cost. Although thisintervention will remove bags from themarket, the outlook which pointstowards a record crop both in 2013 and2014 will if anything probably only helpto stabilise prices not trigger a change indirection.

Key crops stuck in negative momen-tum with bumper crop lurking

The summer across the northernhemisphere has so far, in contrast to theprevious two years, been providing nearperfect growing conditions for key cropssuch as corn, wheat and soybeans. Thishas resulted in negative price momen-tum building over the past few months,much in contrast to the dramaticdrought last summer especially in the USbut also around the Black Sea regionwhich resulted in record high prices andlow inventories.

As a result of this continued weaknessin agriculture prices we have seenincreased selling pressure by hedgefunds and recent data shows they arenow their most gloomy ever on the agri-culture price prospects. As of TuesdayJuly 30, they held a combined net-shortposition of 88,397 contracts of futuresand options exposure, a dramatic changefrom plus 211,000 contracts a month ear-lier.

The crop that has seen its priceprospects deteriorate the most has beencorn, resulting in hedge funds now hold-ing a record short position of 108,089contracts while soybeans still attracts anet-long position of 75,490 contracts.Taking a closer look at corn we see thatthe current price of this year’s new crop istrading well below what we have seenfor the same time in the previous twoyears. The December future has reached460 cents per bushel which correspondswith the lowest new crop price sinceSeptember 2010.

As long as we continue to see excel-lent prospects for this year’s crop, pro-ducer and speculative selling will contin-ue to keep prices under pressure.However one of the potential dangerswhich could lend some support, espe-cially to corn, later on, could be the risk ofearly frost. The planting this spring wasdelayed in the US due to very wet weath-er conditions and this should also lead toa later harvest than usual which carriesthe outside risk of some frost damage.

China data lifts industrial metals

WEEKLY COMMODITY UPDATEMADERUELO: A queue of pensioners waits toboard a brown and green bus in the medievalvillage of Maderuelo on Spain’s arid centralplains. It only comes once a month and won’ttake them anywhere, but they’re mostly happywith the service.

The bus, parked up alongside a van sellingfrozen fish, is a mobile bank run by bailed-outSpanish lender Bankia to serve remote areaswith no branches. Inside it looks much like anyother small branch, but for the elastic bands thatkeep the furniture in place when it’s on themove.

Martin, a 71-year-old villager, would prefermore frequent visits, like the weekly service thatused to be provided by the local bank thatmerged into Bankia. “It’s not normal to have totake cash out for the whole month. What if itgets stolen?” he said.

This is the front-line reality of banking cutsacross Europe, where lenders from Italy toFrance to Bulgaria, brought low by economicturmoil, are slashing costs and services.

Banks have shut about 20,000 branchesacross Europe in the last four years, including5,500 last year and 7,200 in 2011, according to aReuters analysis of European Central Bank data.

That represents the closure of about 8 per-cent of Europe’s branches since the financial cri-sis, and the cull is expected to continue for manyyears.

Banks are shrinking bloated domestic net-works to improve efficiency and cutting over-seas branches even more sharply, and a mobilephone and internet banking boom is accelerat-ing the shift away from a traditional bankingmodel, even if it risks leaving some customersadrift.

The cuts have been most severe in Spain,unravelling years of expansion by regional sav-ings banks, which had landed it with the biggestnetwork in Europe.

Its branch numbers were down 17 percent bythe end of 2012 from four years earlier. But atjust over 38,200 branches, Spain still had morebranches per head than any country in Europe -one for every 1,210 people. A European bailoutof weak lenders last year, including Bankia, was

conditional on them shrinking further.In remote areas such as Maderuelo, 150 kilo-

metres (95 miles) from Madrid, many are gratefulthey have the bus. Elsewhere, newcomers to theservice might not count themselves so lucky; inthe eastern region of Valencia, the bank is rollingout the bus service for the first time as it cutsover 1,000 sites across the country.

Other countries such as France are also ripefor cuts. France had the most branches in Europeby the end of last year, with nearly 38,450, or onefor every 1,709 people, behind only Spain andCyprus per person.

Cyprus had one branch per 1,265 people, andits banks, rocked by links to the tumbling Greekeconomy, also have to shrink after an EU bailout.

Many banks admit they are not cuttingbranches as quickly as they should, wary of put-ting off clients just as bank earnings are recover-ing, and fearful of a public or political backlashin countries like Britain, where some of thebiggest lenders were rescued by the taxpayer.

“When you close a branch, you run the dan-ger of losing at least a few clients,” said Paris-based Fabrice Asvazadourian, global co-head offinancial services at consultant Roland Berger.“It’s the moment that gives people an excuse toconsider switching banks.”

French banks are cutting branches at a slowerpace than Spanish peers, trimming only 79 in2012, according to ECB data.

It had shed less than 3 percent of its networkin the four years to the end of 2012, while 5 per-cent of UK branches and more than 8 percent ofGerman ones pulled down the shutters for thelast time. The number of branches plummetedby a third in Denmark and by a quarter in theNetherlands.

A flurry of Spanish bank mergers in the pastthree years in part explains the deep cuts. A2008 property crash that gutted banks’ earningsand led to a European rescue added urgency tothe cull as the economy fell into recession for thebest part of the last five years.

The country shed nearly 700 more branchesin the first three months of 2013, data from theBank of Spain showed. “In Spain, the economicproblems have been a catalyst. Perhaps without

that things could have carried on the way theywere for a little longer,” said a Madrid-basedbanker from Barclays.

Subsidising unprofitable branches is a luxuryfew can now afford. Branches account foraround 60 percent of retail banking costs,including property and refurbishment spendingas well as staff pay, Deutsche Bank researchersestimated.

Formats such as internet banking are addingto the incentive to shut outlets. These couldyield 15 billion to 20 billion euros in extra earn-ings by 2021 for European banks, according toconsultants McKinsey and industry body theEuropean Financial Management and MarketingAssociation.

In France, major banks such as BNP Paribas,Societe Generale and Credit Agricole have madeclear their intention to cut costs as retail rev-enues are squeezed by belt-tightening con-sumers.

In Britain, with a branch network one-third ofFrance’s or Spain’s, banks have almost halvedbranch numbers since 1990. Senior bankers pri-vately say a network of 700-800 outlets wouldbe an optimal size for a bank covering all ofBritain. None of the big five have so few. Lloydshas three times that (2,260), and Royal Bank ofScotland more than twice (1,750), excludingalmost 1,000 branches they are already sellingbetween them.

Cuts across Europe should allow banks toimprove the branches that remain, and many aretargeting a “look and feel” akin to the stores ofconsumer electronics powerhouse Apple , com-bining tellers and technology.

But it’s a transition that risks leaving millionsof clients behind, unless banks keep up minimalphysical services. In Corral de Ayllon, a Spanishvillage of 60-odd inhabitants near Maderuelo,where most people are farmers or pensioners,changing habits will be hard.

Like many in the village, retired local farmerTomas Aribas withdraws cash using accountbooklets and fears that in future the bankingservice might be inaccessible to him and hisneighbours. “We’d have to learn about theInternet to be able to use it,” he said.—Reuters

All aboard for Europe’s shrinking bank network

Banks shut 20,000 branches across Europe

LOS ANGELES: Jan Brzeski stands in a sun-filled, beautifully refurbished living room highin the Hollywood Hills, looking out at a swim-ming pool and, miles (km) below, stunningviews of Los Angeles.

Brzeski is a private money lender runningan investment firm in Los Angeles that pro-vides loans to house flippers, investors whobuy a home, refurbish it, and sell it on at aprofit. Many flippers go to money lendersbecause they can’t get banks to provide suchshort-term, quick financing.

Standing with Brzeski is Scott Ryan, therealtor who bought this four-bedroom, five-bathroom house in December 2012 for $1.5million - with money lent by Brzeski - and hastransformed it with another $600,000. Thisweek the property will go on the market at$3.295 million.

“People will come in here and fall in love,”Ryan said, with a house flipper’s standardissue optimism. “This is an emotional sale. If ittakes a week to sell, I will be surprised. Thereare a lot of young, wealthy people here, and alot of money out there.”

Eighteen months ago Brzeski and his firm,Arixa Capital Advisors, were lending investormoney to flippers on very different proper-ties: $250,000 single family homes in south-ern California’s up-and-coming low to middleclass blue-collar neighborhoods. Most of thedeals involved foreclosed homes that weretotally refurbished, and then sold quickly.

No more. Brzeski now focuses on develop-ers working on high-end flips of mansionsand townhouses in exclusive neighborhoods,such as the Hollywood Hills and Bel Air.

And he is not alone. There has been asurge in high-end and luxury flipping nation-wide. Between 2011 and today, flips of homesvalued at $1 million or more have risenalmost 40 percent across the United States,according to RealtyTrac, the housing datacompany.

Between 2011 and 2012, high-end flippingrose 456% in Phoenix (150 properties from27); 867% in Orlando (29 homes from 3); andto 73 properties from 10 in Las Vegas, accord-ing to RealtyTrac. To qualify as a flip for thefigures, a home has to be bought and soldwithin six months.

Brzeski says two main factors combined tosend him upmarket in the projects he lendson. Newly flush Wall Street investors moved

into the mid-market with so much moneythat they bought nearly every foreclosure insight, mostly to rent. The Blackstone Group,for example, spent $5.5 billion on 32,000homes across America, according to the firm.American Homes 4 Rent, the California-basedreal estate investment trust founded by self-storage billionaire Wayne Hughes, spent $3.3billion, on over 19,000 houses.

“These Wall Street guys employed hugedollars,” Brzeski said. “These firms came to thecourthouse steps and bought everything insight. So the low to mid-market dried up.”

Brzeski said he had originally been wary ofthe high-end market, because of the muchbigger sums involved and thus greater risk.But then in 2011 he financed the purchase ofa house in West Hollywood for $1.425 million.Another $1.175 million was spent on a totalrefurbishment.

“When the developer put it on the market,they had multiple, all-cash offers,” he said.“There was a line out the door to buy it. Itsold for $3.5 million. This was an incrediblyprofitable project. This really opened myeyes.” The house was bought by actress SarahGilbert, who became famous on the sitcom“Roseanne.”

Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac’s vice-presi-dent, said: “Flippers are getting more confi-dent that the market is really recovering, andtherefore are more willing to go high-end,even though it’s more risky.”

Blomquist said with the stock marketdoing so well, there is a lot of investor cashout there, and a huge amount of wealth andpent-up demand at the high-end of the mar-ket. When a beautifully refurbished mansionhits the market, they are snapped up, oftenwith all-cash offers, he said.

Foreign investors are also spending bil-lions on the US property market. Last year,Chinese investors spent $12 billion on U.S.real estate, making the country the secondbiggest foreign investor, just behind Canada,according to the National Association ofRealtors.

Blomquist also sounded a warning for any-one who thinks flipping is easy. Many who try,make catastrophic losses. “It’s 10 times asrisky doing high-end flips. Unfortunatelywhat happens a lot of times, flippers have aproperty, then they can’t find a buyer to pur-chase it.” —Reuters

GILBERT: In this Tuesday, July 30, 2013, file photo, a realty sign hangs in front of ahome for sale in Gilbert, Ariz. Freddie Mac reports on mortgage rates for the pastweek on Aug. 8, 2013. — AP

Investors see riches in luxury US homes

MOSCOW: A Russian budget airline? The thought may fillsome travellers with dread but Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot isnow taking serious steps to launch the country’s first sustain-able low-cost airline.

Aeroflot has made huge strides in recent years to lay to restits image as a disaster-plagued Soviet carrier, becoming amember of the Sky Team alliance and winning internationalawards for its service.

And now it wants to take another step by creating aRussian equivalent to EasyJet or Ryanair, whose success trans-formed travelling habits and the aviation industry in Europe.

Aeroflot announced the plan for a budget subsidiary aftera board meeting in late July. But crucially, setting up thebudget airline is still dependent on changes to Russia’s avia-tion regulations which are stricter than in Europe.

The airline, which still controls 40 percent of the Russianaviation market, is hoping from 2014 to launch its first budgetroutes from Moscow to Saint Petersburg and to cities in thesouth of Russia.

According to the daily newspaper Vedomosti, the newAeroflot subsidiary, whose name has yet to be unveiled, plansto eventually serve international destinations including Kiev,Yerevan, Istanbul and Barcelona with a fleet that will comprise40 planes starting with Boeing 737s.

Analysts point to the fact that many Russians are still mak-ing long journeys across the vast country by train-often last-ing several days-and may be easily tempted to fly if the pricesare lower. The budget Aeroflot would likely be based atDomodedovo in the south of Moscow as opposed the airline’smain hub at Sheremetyevo airport.

Russia’s third biggest airline UTair is also planning to set upits own low cost carrier, pointing to a clear market demand.

“People consider more and more that their time is preciousand they are going to want less and less to spend two or threedays to get anywhere,” its chief executive Andrei Martirossovtold Vedomosti.

Russian companies are also keenly aware that low-costEuropean airlines are already establishing themselves on theRussian aviation market which is enjoying annual growth ratesof 20 percent.

EasyJet in March launched its first flights between Moscowand London while Hungary-based Wizz Air will follow inSeptember with flights between Budapest and Moscow.

“Aeroflot’s move, in our view, is strategically sound givenstrong demand for cheap domestic flights, including frompassengers who currently travel by train,” SberbankInvestment Research said in a note to clients.

“It is better to jumpstart the process rather than wait forcompetitors to lead the way in this promising market seg-ment,” it added, warning however of the “high risks forAeroflot”. Aeroflot is seeking to count on a tried-and-trustedmethod to set up its budget airline-reduce costs to a mini-mum, sell non-refundable tickets and only through theInternet, as well as charging for checked-in baggage and food.

The problem is that currently Russia’s stringent aviationregulations outlaw many such aggressive cost-saving prac-tices. Russian law also forbids the hiring of foreign pilots, amajor problem in a country whose aviation boom had led to apilot shortage and consequent high salaries.

“As long as the law does not change, absolutely nothing isgoing to fly. We are not going to take the risk,” Aeroflot’s chiefexecutive Vitaly Saveliev told state television.

“Aeroflot is not going to invest 100 million dollars in a proj-ect which is not going to make us money.”

He called it a “paradox” that Russian authorities haveallowed Wizz Air and EasyJet to fly into the country but hasn’tlevelled the regulatory playing field so Russian companies canuse the same business model.

The Russian authorities appear however to have under-stood the necessity of acting after President Vladimir Putingave his agreement in principle to the creation of a low costairline last October. But changes have been slow to come.

According to consultancy Bain & Company all attempts tocreate a low-cost airline in Russia have failed until now andthe price of tickets is three to five times more than thoseoffered by European budget airlines.

One tentative attempt to create a budget airline, SkyExpress, lost its license in 2011 due to financial difficulties. Itwas absorbed by another operator, Kuban, which itself wentbankrupt at the end of 2012.—AFP

Aeroflot plans budgetairline revolution

in Russian skies

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

KUWAIT: Last week, the President of theChicago Federal Reserve Bank Evans, saidthe “US Federal Reserve Bank is quite like-ly to begin to slow down the pace of its85 billion US dollar monthly asset pur-chase program starting later this year”.Sighting that the Fed will need strongerevidence of accelerating growth with a lit-tle more momentum, he also said that theFed could unwind the asset purchases in a“couple or few” stages and stop once theunemployment levels reach 7%.

The US dollar continued its downwardtrend reaching a seven-week low againstthe majors after the Federal Reserve’sdovish remarks on the health of the USeconomy. The Dollar Index started theweek 81.94 only to find resistance at82.08, the dollar index reached a sevenweek low of 80.868 before recoveringslightly and closing at 81.126. The Bank ofEngland announced for the first time ithas tied a rise in interest rates to a drop inthe unemployment rate to 7%. Theannouncement means the economy willneed to generate around another 750,000jobs before BOE starts raising its ratesfrom their current all-time low of 0.5%.

The UK Jobless rate is currently at 7.8%and the Bank of England sees it stayingabove the 7% at least until the third quar-ter of 2016. The BOE Governor Carney saidthat low-level interest rates combinedwith rising wages would represent “realimprovements in the lives of peopleacross the nation”, he also unveiled a newstrategy of forward guidance, saying thata further boost to quantitative easing wasalso possible while unemploymentremained above the 7% threshold.

The sterling pound shot up from itsweek’s low of 1.5205 reaching a high of1.5573 after the Bank of England raised itsgrowth forecasts, predicting economicgrowth would reach and annual rate of2% by the end of 2013, one year soonerthan previously predicted .

The USD/JPY reached a low of 95.80before recovering and closing for theweek at 96.20, over the past three monthsthe USD/JPY has traded between 93.80

and 101.50 as mixed US data have swunginvestors’ views on whether the Fed willstart its tapering proses in September orlater.Early last week the Reserve Bank ofAustralia Governor Stevens, announcedthe lowering of the cash rate by 25 basispoints to reach an all-time low of2.5%.Stevens attributed the rate cut toslower global growth combined with low-er commodity prices, the AUD/ USDreached a three year low of 0.8846.However, corrective pressures aided bybetter economic data from China andsome short covering pushed theAUD/USD higher to reach a high of0.9204.

ISM Non-Manufacturing PMIThe Institute for Supply Management’s

non-manufacturing index improved to 56July from 52.2 the prior month. The ISMdata easily topped economists’ expecta-tions of a 53 point rise .The report sup-ported the views that the US economicgrowth will improve in the second half of2013 with the service sector figures out-performing even the highest end of econ-omist forecasts and the forward lookingnew orders component hitting it highestlevel since the beginning of the year .

Trade BalanceThe US trade deficit narrowed more

than forecast in June, to its lowest levelsince 2010, as exports reached a record

high while crude oil imports decline. TheCommerce Department said, that thetrade gap contracted 22.4% to 34.2 billionUS dollar from a revised 44.1 billion USdollar in May, and when adjusting thetrade deficit to inflation, the trade gapcontracted 17% to 43.2 Billion US dollars.

Unemployment ClaimsThe number of Americans filing for

unemployment benefits improved slight-ly last week but was still near its lowestlevel since before the 2009 recession. TheJobless claims rose by 5,000 last week to333,000, the four -week jobless claimsaverage, which often gives a clearer viewon the health of the labor market, fell toits lowest level since 2007. The labor mar-ket is being closely followed by the FED,which is expected to start tapering itsmonthly 85 billion US dollars soon.

EuropeGerman Factory Orders m/m

German factory orders surged 3.8 %on the month in June in their biggest risesince October, beating analyst forecast ofa 1.1 % rise. The improvement was led byincreased demand for goods from itsEuropean partners, adding evidence thatEurope’s biggest economy is benefitingfrom a promising euro- area recovery.

German Industrial Production m/mGerman industrial production

improved in June, adding to signs thatgrowth in Germanys economy accelerat-ed in the second quarter. The GermanEconomy Ministry showed last week thatthe output production rose 2.4% on themonth ,well above analyst expectation ofa 0.3% rise , a spokesman for the ministrysaid that the “Overall manufacturing sec-tor appears to have overcome its weakphase. Current sentiment indicators sug-gest a continuation of the positive devel-opment in production.”

German Trade BalanceGerman exports rose by 0.6 % in June,

Indicating that Europe’s largest economyis slowly recovering after recent weak-ness, but imports fell by 0.8% , raisingdoubts about the strength of domesticdemand on which the German govern-ment is relying to boost its growth. Thetrade surplus widened to 15.7 BillionEuros from an upwardly revised 14.6Billion in May. The market consensusforecast was for it to widen to 14.9 BillionEuros.

United Kingdom Services PMI

The United Kingdom services sectorgrew at its fastest pace in more than sixand a half years last month, as new busi-ness continued to rise strongly amid evi-dence of an improvement in market con-ditions .The UK’s purchasing managers

index jumped to 60.2 in July from 56.9in June, well above market expectationof a 54.6 rise. Some analysts have attrib-uted the rise in the PMI was due tounusually warm weather , overall the fig-ures points to a very fast turnaround forthe UK’s economy, which just a fewmonths ago looked on the brinks of fac-ing its third recession in five years.

Manufacturing Production m/mThe United Kingdom manufacturing

grew much more strongly than expectedin June, the Industrial output increased1.1% from May after stagnating for thepast three months .The data came wellabove market expectation of a 0.7% rise.The better than expected manufacturingdata indicates t that the country’s recov-ery is expanding just as the Bank ofEngland prepares to set out its latestplan for steering the economy back tohealth.

AsiaBank of Japans

Monetary Policy Statement Last week the Bank of Japan refrained

from adding to its unprecedented mone-tary stimulus program after the Japaneseeconomy showed signs of improvement,the Consumer Prices Index rose in Juneindicating that the world’s third largesteconomy is on track to reach a 2% infla-tion target. BOJ Governor stuck with anApril pledge to expand the monetarybase by 60 trillion yen to 70 trillion yen.

Chinas Trade Balance China’s year on year exports rose 5.1

% in July, while imports advanced 10.9%, resulting in a 17.8 billion US dollartrade surplus. The data indicates that theworld’s second largest economy mightstart to stabilize after more than twoyears of slow growth. Imports of rawmaterials such as crude oil and ironreached a record high as more materialswere shipped into rebuilding depletedstocks

BoE ties interest rates to unemployment target

HELSINKI: After decades of pursuing trade withwestern Europe, Finland is becoming dependenton Russia again as that country’s burgeoningmiddle class and wealthy investors provideopportunities for growth lacking in recession-hitEurope.

While some Finns still view their easternneighbour and former ruler with suspicion,expectations of only a slow European recoverymean more businesses are likely to embracecloser ties with Russia, signalling a readjustmentafter two decades of close commercial relationswith Europe.

Recent trade data show a shift has alreadybegun. Finnish exports to the rest of theEuropean Union fell 4 percent year-on-year inthe first five months of 2013, while those toRussia rose 4 percent.

Judging from second-quarter corporateresults, which showed a wide range of compa-nies hit by uncertainty in Europe, Finland maybecome even more dependent on Russia. Topcompanies such as retailer Kesko and depart-ment store chain Stockmann have cited Russiaas their strongest card.

Kesko, which controls about 35 percent ofFinland’s grocery and hardware trade, opened itssecond Russian food store in May and planseight more in the next three years.

The expansion, which capitalises on strongconsumer trends as well as Finland’s high repu-tation for food safety and product quality, comesas Kesko has cut hundreds of jobs in Finland andlowered its profit forecasts.

“The growth potential that the Russian mar-kets offer to Finland is truly remarkable in thelonger term,” chief financial officer Jukka Erlundtold Reuters.

Stockmann on Friday reported a surprise risein quarterly operating profit, saying strong earn-ings in Russia, particularly at its departmentstore in St. Petersburg, offset weak spending in

Finland. Tyre maker Nokian Renkaat started pro-duction in Russia in 2005, and has since beenboosting capacity at its Vsevolozhsk factory nearSt Petersburg, enough to make it Russia’s marketleader in passenger vehicle tyres.

“Finland and Finnish products have an excel-lent reputation in the country. Culturally, we areconsidered honest, almost naive,” the tyre mak-er’s chief executive Kim Gran said. “Finland’ssmall businesses should make a stronger effortto establish operation in Russia.”

Exports to Russia have almost tripled since2000, led by growing demand for a range ofgoods including mining machinery, wood prod-ucts and chemicals in addition to gadgets suchas Nokia’s mobile phones.

While Russia’s growth has recently shownsigns of slowing down amid falling oil and gasprices, economists say it still provides much-needed support for the small Finnish economythat is running a current account deficit and isexpected to contract in 2013 for the second yearin a row.

Historically, Finland’s dependence on its pow-er ful neighbour, which was also its rulerthrough the 19th century, - is not particularlynew. Postwar Finland relied heavily on tradewith the Soviet Union.

But the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 trig-gered a deep recession in Finland, prompting itsleaders to turn westward and seek greater inte-gration with Europe by joining the EU and theeuro in a switch that economists say helpedFinland become one of the world’s richesteconomies per capita.

While official relations with Russia are nowmostly cordial, there is still a feeling of mistrust,particularly among older generations who expe-rienced the 1939-1940 Winter War and subse-quent Continuation War against the SovietUnion.

Finnish men still spend up to a year in com-

pulsory military service, training to defend their1,340-km (840 miles) border to the east.

Businesses, however, are putting aside suchhistoric grudges as roubles make up for a lack ofdomestic and European funds.

For example, Russia’s Rosatom recentlyemerged as the primary candidate to supply areactor for Finland’s nuclear consortiumFennovoima. Rosatom has said it may invest inthe project, estimated to cost around 4 to 6 bil-lion euros, which would put to rest funding con-cerns after German utility E.ON announced itsexit from the consortium.

In another high-profile deal, Russian-Finnishbillionaire Gennady Timchenko and other associ-ates of President Vladimir Putin agreed in Juneto buy Finland’s biggest ice hockey and concertvenue in Helsinki, and the local Jokerit team isexpected to join Russia’s KHL hockey league.

Russian wealth is also becoming more visibleat street level.

The number of Russian visitors rose 10 per-cent last year to 3.6 million, accounting for near-ly half of all foreign visitors.

To accommodate such customers, many ontax-free shopping expeditions, Stockmann’s flag-ship store in downtown Helsinki recently startedaccepting roubles.

An increasing number of Russians are alsoinvesting in Finnish property, drawn by thecountry’s safety and abundance of lakeside cot-tages. A recent government study showedRussian consumers could spend 2.4 billion euroson Finnish real estate through 2030.

The same report, however, also showed overhalf of those Finnish lawmakers who were sur-veyed support restrictions on Russian propertyownership.

“They have to be carefully evaluated, nearmil itar y sites,” one anonymous polit icianwrote. “Overall, security has to be taken intoaccount.” — Reuters

PARIS: French banks are back in the goodgraces of investors after turning in surpris-ingly strong quarterly results that appear toshow they have put the worst of the euro-zone crisis behind them.

Top French bank BNP Paribas turned in a4.7 percent drop in earnings to 1.76 billioneuros for the April to June period, a muchsmaller fall than had been expected by themarket.

Meanwhile Credit Agricole reported thatits second-quarter profits soared 60 per-cent to 1.39 billion euros and SocieteGenerale also largely beat expectations at955 million euros.

“They are good results in general for thethree banks” even if the asset sales andwrite downs they undertook last year toreact to the eurozone crisis made for diffi-cult comparisons, said Gabriella Serres, ananalyst at Aurel BGC brokerage.

The price of shares in BNP Paribas hasrisen by 3.4 percent since the reportingseason began two weeks ago, while CreditAgricole’s shares rose by 12.4 percent, andSociete Generale’s shot up by 17.4 per-cent.

Meanwhile the overall CAC 40 index hasrisen by 2.7 percent. “Whether you look atthe direction of the results or capital base,the results held up pretty well, especially incomparison with the rest of Europe,” saidCyril Meilland, a bank analyst at KeplerCheuvreux brokerage.

Between maintaining new capital ade-quacy requirements, markets roiled by theeurozone crisis and economic slowdown,French banks have been under pressure totrim their sails.

In 2012 Credit Agricole sold at a loss itsGreek unit Emporiki and parted with itsbrokerage Cheuvreux. Societe Generalealso offloaded its Greek unit, Geniki, andsold its stake in US asset manager TCW.

The three banks also scaled back theircorporate and investment bank operations,

and reduced their holdings of risky stocksand bonds. At the same time they launchedcost-cutting programmes: 900 millioneuros over three years at Societe Generale,650 million euros over three years at CreditAgricole and BNP is aiming for 2.0 billioneuros over four years.

The results for the first half of this yearthus looked favourable compared with out-comes for the same period last year, whenthe banks were forced to book exceptionalcharges.

But with business activity by thesebanks holding steady, or even growing,despite the recession in France, investorswere pleased.

The banks also managed to keep undercontrol their provisions for loans that risknot being be repaid, another closelywatched figure by investors in tough eco-nomic times.

“The good news of the quarter is thelevel of provisions, because instead of whatone could expected with the economydoing a bit worse, we have seen quite a fewunits post provisions lower than in the firstquarter, which is very reassuring” saidMeilland.

He said the improvement was in partdue an improvement in the economic out-look, but also to the way banks had man-aged their balance sheets and loan portfo-lios since the crisis began. But Serres saidthat although the banks had madeprogress on reducing costs, they still havesome way to go with reducing risky loansand improving revenues.

And the IMF in its latest report onFrance, released this past week, warnedthat “low bank profitability remains a riskfactor” to the country’s economy. It addedthat “the French financial system wouldneed to adapt further to prudentialrequirements, notably in regard to bankfunding structures, which continue to relyheavily on wholesale funding.” — AFP

French banks turn corner

after turbulent year

BEIJING: A vegetable vendor smiles to his customers at a food market in Beijing,China, Friday. China’s consumer inflation held steady in July and a fall in producerprices decelerated in a new sign a slump in the world’s second-largest economymight be stabilizing. — AP

Europe’s slowdown forces

Finland to turn to Russia Russia emerges strong for Finnish businesses

MORRISVILLE: Just down from the Targetand Gander Mountain big-box stores andbetween a nail salon and dental office,North Carolina’s largest health insureropened its first retail store.

It has some exercise offerings - step aero-bics classes and stationary bike workouts -but for now, its main product is providing in-person information about changes comingin October with the health insurance over-haul law.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NorthCarolina is opening half a dozen of theseoffices in strip malls statewide to first edu-cate and then, starting in October, enrollconsumers shopping for coverage becauseof the federal Affordable Care Act, alsoknown as “Obamacare.” Blue Cross affiliatesin Florida and Pennsylvania have had similarstores open for years.

The North Carolina company also haulsan air-conditioned showroom trailer to fairsand farmers markets to reach out to the esti-mated 600,000 people who will be newlyshopping for individual policies - some ofthem subsidized by the government for

consumers who might have trouble afford-ing a policy. Many of the individual policieswill be sold on a statewide Internet market-place designed to make buying coveragecomparable to finding a hotel room orrental car. As people who have been unin-sured or had their coverage provided byemployers start shopping around, BCBSNCis reaching out like never before to expandon its 375,000 insurance policies for individ-uals, marketing director Bruce Allen said.The goal is explaining the federal law, whichrequires everyone to have coverage or pay afine and subsidizes many middle-class con-sumers who might otherwise not be able toafford policies on their own. The law alsoprohibits insurers from rejecting customerswho have pre-existing health conditions.“There’s a big segment of the populationthat really wants to talk to someone face toface about it,” Allen said. “It’s a new marketthat’s entering that doesn’t have healthinsurance, never had it, and really needskind of that step-by-step walk-through tounderstand a really critical decision for themto make.” —AP

Blue Cross reaches out

over insurance law changes

AUSTIN: This undated photo provided, by RhythmSuperfoods, shows co-founders Robby Larkin, left, andScott Jensen, right, making Kale chips shortly after thecompany name change from Daily Juice to RhythmSuperfoods in Austin, Texas. Despite taking ninemonths and costing about $40,000, Jensen believedthe name change was the right move. — AP

NBK’S WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

DUBAI: Siemens will supply the key com-ponents for a major combined-cycle powerplant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thepower station is designed to deliver elec-tricity to the Jazan Industrial city area in thesouthwest of the country and to the refin-ery of Jazan, which will additionally be sup-plied with process steam. The plant will befueled with gasified refinery residues,which contributes greatly to the preserva-tion of the country’s energy resources. Withan installed capacity of 4,000 megawatts,Jazan will be the largest gasification-basedpower plant site in the world.

The contract is worth USD966.8 million.

“This is not only the largest order to datefor Siemens from Saudi Aramco, but also asignificant milestone in our successfulcooperation with the biggest oil companyin the world, and is proof of the success ofour regionalization strategy”, declared

Michael Suess, member of the manag-ing board of Siemens AG and CEO of theEnergy Sector.

Siemens’ scope of supply includes 10gas turbines - specially designed for syn-thesis gas (syngas) and diesel fuel, of whichsix will be manufactured in the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia, five steam turbines, 15 gener-ators and 10 heat recovery steam genera-

tors. The gas turbine model (SGT6-5000F)to be used in Jazan is optimally suited foroperation with syngas from gasificationplants and has a successful track record ofmore than nine million operating hours.

“This new, highly efficient combinedcycle power plant is an important part ofour major project in the new economiczone in Jazan, and for this we must haveefficient and reliable technology. We arelooking forward to working with Siemenson this strategic project,” said AramcoOverseas Company Managing Director,Nabil Aldabal.

“Our flexible, efficient and proven tech-

nology will further contribute to supportSaudi Arabia with its ambitious industrial-ization and economic development plans,”underlined Suess. The Kingdom of SaudiArabia, with its large oil and natural gasreserves, is the largest economy in the Gulfregion and a significant growth market forefficient fossil power generation. In thisdecade it is anticipated that Saudi Arabia’spopulation will increase from now about28 to 34 million in 2020. To meet the pre-dicted annual rise in power demand ofabout six percent per year, the installedpower generation capacity will have to atleast double within 10 years from 67

gigawatts in 2012 to an estimated 140gigawatts in 2020. Siemens Saudi Arabia isinvesting in this growth market by con-structing a facility in Dammam for the man-ufacturing of gas turbines and relatedequipment and for the servicing of thisequipment in the country. Six of theordered Combustion Gas Turbines will bemanufactured at this new facility.

The Jazan power plant comprises of fiveunits. Commissioning of the first two blocksis scheduled for spring of 2016. The nextblock will follow in spring 2017. The otherunits will go online successively after this atintervals of a few months each.

Siemens receives major order for power plant from Aramco

US, EU car industries getting back on track

Slowing sales, big prospects in RussiaPARIS: Car industries in the United States andEurope are showing clear signs of getting back ontrack after severe setbacks in the financial anddebt crises.

The US auto market returned to pre-crisis lev-els in July and the slump in European salesseemed to ease.

US car sales reached the best levels for sevenyears as American consumers are being encour-aged by low interest rates and a boom in theshale oil and gas industry.

A closely watched indicator, the sales adjustedannualised rate (SAAR), gave a reading of 15.67million units, allowing the sector to return to thevolumes it knew before the 2007 global financialcrisis that crippled the sector.

It’s a stunning recovery from a deep andpainful downturn which pushed General Motorsand Chrysler into bankruptcy in the wake of the2008 financial crisis and which forced theAmerican auto industry to undergo massiverestructuring.

Both GM and Ford last month reported better-

than-expected results for the quarter whileChrysler inflated the earnings of its parent com-pany Fiat.

The Japanese-key players on the US car mar-ket-are also faring well. Boosted by a fall of theyen, the leading world automaker Toyota raisedits annual forecast despite a fall in global sales.Nissan, on the other hand, confirmed its targetseven though its number of registrations fell.

Europe has also experienced a sunnier spell,even though the debt-burdened continent has

been much slower to restructure its auto sector asgovernments pull the breaks in fear of higherunemployment if plants are shut down.

Earlier this month, BMW said weak Europeanmarkets and higher competition would continueto provide challenges in the second half of theyear. In July, registrations in Germany rose by 2.1percent, while Spain experienced a 14.8 percentrise, although this was with the help of govern-ment subsidies for the replacement of an old carwith a new one.

Such temporary schemes in other European

countries to support the auto industry after thefinancial crisis were followed by a slump in sales.

But overall, the latest numbers may mean thatthe drop in EU registrations is slowing down. Inthe first quarter the figure fell by 6.6 percent com-pared with a year earlier-but numbers to confirma trend will not be available until September.

An up-tick would do wonders for car makerssuch as France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen, which isstill highly dependent on Europe and which hasmanaged to cut its quarterly debt in almost half.

The group, which has in effect been rescuedvia government help for its credit arm, said it waspulling out of the worst part of its crisis and hadno plans now to raise new capital.

But other European players which focusedmore on the international market are still doingbetter, such as French firm Renault and in particu-lar German auto manufacturers like Daimler, BMWand Volkswagen-all reporting solid second-quar-ter results. Still, analysts and car makers alike arepreparing for a near 5.0-percent drop on theEuropean market this year from the alreadydepressed level last year.

Industry forecaster IHS Automotive said it doesnot expect the French market to return to pre-cri-sis levels until 2017, and forecasts sales in Spainand Italy to remain at very low levels.

Aside from the US market, hope is mainlypinned on emerging markets and in particularChina-the world’s biggest auto market now domi-nated by American, German and Japanese carmakers.

In the first half of the year, sales there surgedby 12.3 percent to 10.78 million.

Russia, which in a few years could overtakeGermany to become Europe’s biggest market andlast year accounted for a record 2.93 million carsales, has experienced a drop in sales for severalmonths as economic growth in the country slows.

On Thursday, the Association of EuropeanBusinesses (AEB) said Russian car sales plunged8.0 percent in July compared with a year earlier,but said it expected the market to “stabilise” in thecoming months.

Nissan is one of the players that have expand-ed considerably in Russia and the group’s chiefexecutive Carlos Ghosn recently said he was cer-tain the Russian auto market would take off in thelong term.

India has similarly experienced both highs andlows. At the end of June it had experienced eightmonths of declining registrations.

Business advisory firm AlixPartners forecaststhat 2.6 million cars will be sold in India in 2018,compared with 1.9 million in the 2012-2013 fiscalyear which finished at the end of March. —AFP

TOKYO: In this file photo, a visitor looks at a Lexus IS300h displayed at Toyota MotorCorp.’s showroom Toyota Mega Web in Tokyo. US and Japanese officials wrapped up around of talks aimed at reducing trade barriers on Aug 9, but differences remainedover autos, insurance and other industries. Non-tariff barriers for US autos in Japanare another problem. Japanese cars are popular in the US, but American car sales arenegligible in Japan. —AP

CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and conservative opposi-tion leader Tony Abbott meet at the National Press Club in Canberra before adebate yesterday. Rudd was expected to focus on the economy in the much-anticipated first debate of Australia’s election campaign, as another pollbrought bad news for his government. —AFP

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister KevinRudd and conservative rival Tony Abbottwent head-to-head yesterday in the firstdebate of the election campaign, anencounter which focused on the econo-my and divided viewers.

Rudd, whom some commentators saidlooked nervous initially and appeared tocheck his notes, called for a “new way ofpolitics” and promised to introduce a billto legalise same sex marriage within 100days of re-election.

“A new way of politics which puts tobed wall-to-wall negativity and puts tobed the polit ics of division and getsindustry and unions and governmentaround one table focusing on our coun-try’s future,” Rudd said. Abbott, a veteranpolitician who served as a minister inJohn Howard’s government, counteredthat a new way of government wouldrequire an end to Labor ’s six years inpower and a change of leadership.

Rudd kicked off the the hour-long tel-evised debate in the national capitalCanberra stressing his centre-left Laborgovernment’s credentials in keeping theeconomy out of recession during theglobal financial crisis.

“This economy is strong. This electionis about the future strength of our econo-my and how best to secure it,” he said.

“The election is about a clear choiceon the economy, on jobs, on how we sup-port families under (cost of living) pres-sure, and how we support education andhealth.”

The election comes as the decade-long resources boom is beginning tounwind, with the central bank this weekscaling back its near-term forecasts foreconomic growth.

Abbott , who leads a conser vativeLiberal/National coalition which is nar-rowly ahead in opinion polls, said a gov-ernment he led would strengthen theeconomy, as he committed himself toabandoning Labor’s industry tax on car-bon pollution.

“We can’t afford another three years

like the last six,” Abbott said. He alsovowed that his government would stopasylum-seeker boats embarking on thedangerous journey to Australia.

“Mr Rudd talks about a new way, well,i f you want a new way you’ve got tochoose a new government.”

Abbott also rejected Rudd’s attackthat, if elected, the conservatives wouldembark on billions of dollars of spendingcuts, including in government services.

“This idea that the coalition is readywith a great big scalpel to slash health, toslash education, to slash jobs is simplywrong,” he said. Sky News’ David Speers,who moderated the debate, said hebelieved Abbott had narrowly won theencounter in which the leaders tookquestions from journalists.

But audience responses to televisionstations differed, with those tracked byChannels 9 and 10 giving victory to Ruddwhile Seven Network’s online poll gavevictory to Abbott.

Rudd, who retook the Labor Par tyleadership in late June, has repeatedlymaintained he is the underdog in theSeptember 7 nat ional pol l againstAbbott.

The latest Galaxy poll, published inThe Sunday Telegraph, showed that whileit remained a tight race, Labor’s primaryvote fell from 40 to 38 percent whileAbbott’s Liberal/National coalition rosefrom 44 to 45 percent. In a two-party racebetween Labor and the conser vativecoalition, the government was trailing 49percent to 51 percent, according to thepoll of 1,002 voters taken at the end oflast week.

Rudd led Labor to a 2007 election vic-tory which ended more than a decade ofconservative rule. But he was ousted byhis Labor colleagues within his first termand replaced by Julia Gillard, the nation’sfirst female leader. The popular formerdiplomat was reinstalled in June after dis-mal polling indicated Labor would bewiped out in this year’s election if Gillardremained as leader. —AFP

Australian election about safeguarding the economy

NEW YORK: The iPhone and new pric-ing plans helped T-Mobile gain cus-tomers under contract plans for the firsttime in at least two and a half years, amajor boost for a wireless carrier oftendismissed as an afterthought in a marketdominated by AT&T and Verizon.

Contract customers are the mostlucrative for wireless carriers. T-MobileUS Inc. added a net 688,000 contractcustomers in the April-June quarter,compared with a loss of 557,000 in thesame period a year ago. In fact, it was thefirst gain since the fourth quarter of2010, when T-Mobile started reportingcomparable figures. Part of the boostcame because the carrier began sellingApple’s iPhone for the first time in April.

Although T-Mobile’s gains through theiPhone might suggest a one-time occur-rence rather than a sustainable come-back, T-Mobile said the iPhone account-ed for only 26 percent of smartphonesales in the quarter, excluding salesthrough MetroPCS, which merged withT-Mobile on April 30. Other phones didwell, including Samsung’s Galaxy S4. TheS4, which came out during the quarter,accounted for 18 percent of smartphonesales.

T-Mobile credited new pricing plans,known as Simple Choice, with attractingnew customers. In March, T-Mobiledropped its conventional two-year serv-ice contracts in favor of selling phoneswith installment plans. The price for

voice, text and data services fell to reflectthe new installment charge for a phone.But once customers pay off the phoneafter two years, or for customers whoalready have phones, their monthly billgoes down. “We are clearly hitting a cordwith customers,” T-Mobile CEO JohnLegere said Thursday. In afternoon trad-ing, T-Mobile’s stock gained 71 cents, or3 percent, to $24.72. Craig Moffett, ananalyst at Moffett Research, said T-Mobile’s gains in contract customerswere five times analysts’ expectations of140,000. “We are witnessing what hap-pens when the first credible price cutterarrives in an overpriced and saturatedmarket,” he said. “Be afraid. Be veryafraid.” T-Mobile has also introduced new

plans for more frequent phoneupgrades, but that didn’t start until July,after the second quarter ended.

Besides seeing a gain in contractplans, T-Mobile said the attrition rate, orchurn, for such plans was just 1.6 per-cent, the lowest ever. A year ago, churnfor contract plans was 2.1 percent.

T-Mobile US Inc. is still the No. 4 U.S.carrier, even with the gain of 8.9 millioncustomers through its April 30 mergerwith MetroPCS. The combined companyhad 44 million customers at the end ofthe second quarter. The T-Mobile side ofthe company gained 1.1 million cus-tomers, including the 688,000 contractcustomers. The remaining gains werewholesale customers, such as alarm sys-tems and cellular services under third-party brands. Excluding MetroPCS, T-Mobile did lose a net 10,000 contract-free, prepaid customers, but the compa-ny attributed that to customers switch-ing to the more lucrative contract plans.

T-Mobile gained 678,000 contractand prepaid customers combined, thestrongest in four years.

The 688,000 net increase in contractcustomers included 3,000, or less than0.5 percent, for non-phone service suchas tablets. By contrast, more than 70 per-cent of the 551,000 new contract-plandevices at AT&T Inc. were for tablets,which carry lower monthly fees thanphones. During a conference call withanalysts, Legere suggested that the lowpercentage for tablets at T-Mobile meantthere was room for further growth. Hesaid much of the gains at other carrierswere from businesses “that we have yetto attack.” T-Mobile, which has its head-quarters in Bellevue, Wash., and is underthe control of Germany’s DeutscheTelekom AG, said it expects to gain511,000 to 711,000 additional contractcustomers by the end of the year. —AP

T-Mobile gains customersfor first time in two years

BALI: An aircraft prepares to land at the International Ngurah Rai Airport on Indonesia’s populartourist island of Bali yesterday. Indonesian growth slipped below six percent last quarter asexports and investment fell in Southeast Asia’s top economy due to global weakness. —AFP

NEW DELHI: The United States statedthat India is its 13th largest trade partner,local media reported yesterday.

Reports quoted American ambassa-dor to India, Nancy J Powel, in the south-ern state of Pondicherry as saying thatIndia rose from 25th position to 13th inthe list of US trade partners in a decade.

The US ambassador said that she ishopeful that bilateral trade between thetwo countries will soon cross USD 100billion.

“The value of US goods exports toIndia hovered just above USD 3 billion in1995. Over the past year, the US exportsto India increased by about USD 1 billionto over USD 22 billion dollars whileIndia’s exports to our country grew by

about USD 4 billion to over USD 41 bil-lion. Our total trade relationship is soonexpected to top USD 100 billion. In justover a decade, India has leaped frombeing our 25th largest trading partner to13th largest trading partner. We’ve comea long way since my last assignment inIndia,” she was quoted as saying duringan address to the members of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce inPuducherry by Times of India newspaper.

The US ambassador said that therewas scope for increasing mutual tradeand investment opportunities betweenthe both countries. “We look forward tocontinuing this dialogue during PrimeMinister Singh’s visit to Washington thisfall,” she said. —KUNA

India, 13th largest trade partner of America

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

ABU DHABI: Etihad Airport Services - Cargo (EAS-Cargo), a subsidiary of Etihad Airways, is workingwith the Singapore-based Cargo CommunityNetwork (CCN) to rollout a new information technol-ogy platform for the Abu Dhabi cargo communitycalled Cargo Community Service (CCS).

The innovative one-stop service is designed tofacilitate the air cargo booking and shipmentprocesses for Abu Dhabi-basedfreight forwardersand clearing agents, by linking themdirectly with aircargo carriers, ground handlers and third parties.

Furthermore, under CCS, a number of compre-hensive electronic cargo services for the Abu Dhabiair cargo community will be introducedutilising asecure online portal called CCNhub.

This includes Electronic Customs Manifest andElectronic Delivery Orders (eDO) functions, whichoffer freight forwarders a timely and cost-effectiveway of submitting customs data electronically forcargo clearance,in addition to obtaining pricinginformation for printing delivery orders.

EAS-Cargo and CCN expect the new information

technology platformservices to go liveinQ4 2013.Teow Boon Ling, Chief Executive Officer of CCN,

said: “We are delighted to collaborate with EAS-Cargo as it sets about building an air cargo e-com-merce environment and hub in Abu Dhabi.

“Having been in this region for the past few years,we have a good understanding of the local marketrequirements and practices, and with this excitingpartnershipwe envisage the customised e-serviceswe deliver to the Abu Dhabi cargo community willelevate the standard of air cargo services to the next

level.” Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategyand Planning Officer, said: “In line with EtihadAirways’ vision to promote Abu Dhabi as an interna-tional gateway, e-commerce has always been at theforefront of how we do business. Partnering withCCN to create a cargo technology platform will sim-plify business engagement for the entire Abu Dhabicargo community by enabling all stakeholdersincluding, freight forwarders, clearing agents, theterminal operator and the regulatory authorities tocommunicate on a single platform.”

Etihad airport services to develop Abu Dhabi cargo community portal

DUBAI: The Hyundai Veloster has claimed thenumber one spot in Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com‘10 coolest cars under $18,000’. The Korean com-pany’s innovative hatchback received the awardfor its unique exterior design, stylish interior andwealth of modern technology, all of which havebeen key to its increasing popularity in theMiddle East.

Two criteria - being fun-to-drive and fun-to-own - are critical among the deciding factors forKelley Blue Book (kbb.com), which is a trustednew and used car information resource in theUS. Having been named one of the ‘10 coolestcars under $18,000’ in 2012, the Veloster hasgone a step further this year to claim the overalltitle. This latest honour comes after the modelwas named Best Hatchback at the 2012 MiddleEast Motor Awards (MEMA), one of the mostprestigious automotive award ceremonies in theregion.

Launched globally in August 2011, theVeloster has enjoyed sales growth of 54 per centin the Middle East in the first half of 2013 in com-parison to the same period last year. The biggestmarket for the stylish hatchback is Saudi Arabia,while increased sales were also recorded inBahrain, Lebanon, Oman, and Syria. In the UAEyear-on-year sales were up by a massive 353 percent. Hyundai’s Vice President and Head ofMiddle East Regional Headquarters, Tom Leecommented: “With the Veloster we aimed to cre-ate a car that stands out from the crowd, allow-ing owners to express their individuality on theroads. Winning the Kelley Blue Book awardproves we have been successful, and this has

been reinforced by the fantastic first half salesfigures recorded in the Middle East.”

The 2+1 door hatchback continues Hyundai’s‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design ethos, its flowing linescombining to create a distinctive form withstrong proportions and an immediate sense ofmovement and balance. The Veloster boasts atruly unique feature, with one door on the driv-er’s side, and two on the passenger’s side. Thishelps aerodynamics and safety, ensuring themodel stands apart from any other car on themarket.

Making it ideal for cool urban living , theVeloster features a wealth of standard kit that

includes an engine stop/start button, cruise con-trol, fully automatic air conditioning and anadvanced multimedia system with a seven inchcolour touch-screen display and MP3 compati-bility/iPod connectivity.

In the Middle East the Veloster is available ina variety of fun and vibrant colours and is pow-ered by a 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine, delivering130 PS @ 6300rpm and torque of 157 Nm (116lb.ft) @ 4850rpm, powering it to a top speed of200kph. To maximize fuel economy, reduceemissions and enhance refinement, everyVeloster is fitted with a six-speed automatictransmission.

Hyundai Veloster - officially the coolest car around

Hyundai’s uniquely designed vehicle proving popular

DUBAI: Nissan Middle East is offering up-and-coming young artists the opportuni-ty to showcase their talent at the launchof its next new car.

Those with the flair, creativity andexpertise to be selected will have aunique chance to kick-start their careersby creating original artwork ‘live’ in frontof hundreds of spectators in Septemberthis year, offering the possibility of beingdiscovered by the region’s artistic com-munity. These masterpieces will then bedisplayed at subsequent exhibitions towhich thousands more visitors areexpected to attend.

Syed Ahmed, Director, Marketing,Nissan Middle East said: “At Nissan, westrive to offer excitement in everythingwe do - not just in our innovative prod-uct range, but in all our activities. Theopportunity we are offering talentedMiddle Eastern artists today exemplifiesthis philosophy and complements ourNissan models. I extend my best wishesto all participants, and we look forwardto this exciting competition.

“We expect this initiative will

exchange and develop artistic ideas andexperiences across the region. It is a com-petition that will bring to light as yetundiscovered talent in the Middle East,and will encourage and expand theunderstanding of art by everyone. It willalso give young artists a chance to shineand become known for their skills,” Syedconcluded.

Five inspirational artists will be chosenfrom UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan,and Lebanon with events taking placesimultaneously across the Middle East.Eligible to entrants who are amateur oraspiring (not professional) artists agedbetween eighteen and twenty-four, par-ticipants will be chosen after the artworkis evaluated and short-listed. The compe-tition is open to all artists of variousstyles.

The competition is now open andinterested participants are requested toproduce their submissions on A3 paperand delivered to Nissan Middle East on61111, Dubai, United Arabic Emirates.Deadline to submit proposal is 5thSeptember.

Nissan offers talented young artists

unique opportunity

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s leading corporate lawfirm represented local as well as interna-tional financial institutions to secure a five-year syndicated loan to be used forKUFPEC’s general corporate purposes andto finance its international expansion plans

Kuwait - 11th August, 2013: ASAR - AlRuwayeh & Partners (ASAR), Kuwait’s lead-ing and most prominent corporate lawfirm, and one of the region’s top tier firmsannounced today that it has acted asKuwait law counsel to the lead arrangersand agents in relation to a $750 millionsyndicated loan facility to Kuwait ForeignExploration Company’s (KUFPEC). The five-year syndicated loan will be used forKUFPEC’s general corporate purposes andto finance its international expansion plans.The company is active in exploration,development and production of crude oiland natural gas in Africa, Middle East, Asiaand Australia.

ASAR provided legal counsel to anextensive range of leading local as well asinternational financial institutions thatincluded Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers,NBK, J.P. Morgan, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, HSBC and The Royal Bank ofScotland; the Mandated Lead Arrangers,Europe Arab Bank plc, Arab BankingCorporation, Arab Petroleum InvestmentsCorporation (APICORP), Burgan Bank,Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Gulf Bank,National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Natixis, QatarNational Bank, Union National Bank; andthe Arrangers, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Bankof Bahrain and Kuwait and ScotiabankEurope plc, amongst others.

Rob Little, partner at ASAR, said: “We are

proud to have participated in one ofKuwait’s landmark financing deals. This is asignificant transaction on a number of lev-els, as, amongst others, it represents a newstep towards further developing the coun-try’s petroleum sector, while also demon-strating the enhanced appetite by com-mercial banks to finance the growth plansof companies which have solid fundamen-tals.”

“For ASAR, it is a further great exampleof our expertise in advising major interna-tional as well as local financial institutionson complex deals, and our ability to pro-vide robust legal advice for our wide rangeof clients,” added John Cunha, also a part-ner at ASAR.

ASAR’s team included Rob Little, andJohn Cunha.

With dedicated offices in Kuwait andBahrain, coupled with its associated officesand relationships, ASAR provides clientsacross an extensive range of industry sec-tors with comprehensive legal advice andsupport for their business activities inKuwait, across the GCC, and beyond.

ASAR has been consistently rated as theleading corporate and commercial law firmin Kuwait by many of the world’s leadingand reputable legal guides such as theChambers Global Guide, InternationalFinancial Law Review, and the Legal 500. In2012, ASAR was named as the “Best LawFirm in Kuwait 2012” by the InternationalFinancial Law Review (IFLR), the market-leading guide for financial law firms world-wide. The firm also won the “Best EquityDeal in the Middle East” award by IFLR dur-ing the same year.

Rob Little & John Cunha

ASAR-Al Ruwayeh & Partners acts as Kuwait law counsel

KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., aglobal leader in digital media and digitalconvergence technologies, yesterdayannounced its partnership expansion withOSN, to offer Samsung SMART TV customersin the Gulf a host of unrivalled on-demandentertainment options.

The agreement is set to maximize the TVviewing experience for Samsung’s SMART TVconsumers in the region through an OSNPlay application that can be downloadedfrom the Samsung apps store. OSN Play pro-vides access to the latest TV shows andmovies for up to fourteen days after theyhave aired.

“We are very pleased to announce thisexpansion in partnership with OSN, whichwill offer our SMART TV users an enhancedinteractive home entertainment experience.We have noticed that our consumers wantmore on-demand content from their SMARTTVs, OSN Play adds to the growing amountof high quality content that we have madeavailable for consumers at the click of a but-ton. By offering OSN Play on our SMART TVswe are bringing the latest movies and TVshows to our consumers, giving them morechoice, flexibility and enhancing their view-

ing experience,”said Mr. Vinod Nair, GeneralManager - TV Business at Samsung GulfElectronics.

David Hanson, OSN’s Director of Digital,“Our continuing partnership with Samsungnow allows OSN subscribers with Samsung’s2013 SMART TVsto access a wide array oftheir favorite content On Demand. The OSNPlay platform includes content from TVchannels such as; OSN Movies, OSN First,OSN Sports 1 & 2, Disney, NationalGeographic and Food Network. We’re veryexcited to add yet another touch point forOSN Play to join Samsung tablets, smart-phones and laptops.”

“This partnership with OSN is part of awider commitment to deliver more integrat-ed experiences for our consumers, making iteasier for them to watch their favorite TVshows and movies whenever they want,”added Vinod.

OSN Play provides subscribers the oppor-tunity to enjoy watching programs anytime,anywhere. Users can stream, and playbackTV content whenever they like. Samsungidentified a recent increase in popularity foron-demand applications on their SMARTTVs, recent research from Samsung indicat-

edthat 88 percent of consumers’ time isbeing dedicated to video streamingonSamsung’s Smart TVs. Content accessibili-ty and the continuous development of theregion’s internet band-width offering havehelped to create a rise in demand for VoD.As a result, Samsung has been committed toextending its video content and developingVoD applications for its SMART TV con-sumers.

Samsung’s 2013 SMART TV range offers ahost of new innovative features, such as itsadvanced Smart Interaction that allows con-sumers to use everyday language and casu-al gestures to control the TV.

The motion recognition has beenenhanced significantly, allowing users tozoom in and out using two hands, flipthrough Smart Hub using a wave gestureand add content to favorites with a sim-plethumbs-up gesture. The new rangeincludes a redesigned Smart Hub that offersfive dynamic menu panels to help con-sumers manage and navigate differenttypes of content. Using the Smart Hub inter-face users can easily search for movies,shows and videos via online services andacross connected devices.

Samsung and OSN expand partnership to bring on-demand entertainment

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FRANKFURT: Germany’s Commerzbank sawits second-quarter profit slide as it continuedto take losses on bad real estate and shippingloans - but the company’s shares jumpedafter it said was making progress with itsstrategy of getting rid of costly non-coreassets. It said Thursday that it made a netprofit of 43 million euros ($57 million) duringthe quarter, down 84 percent on the 270 mil-lion euros it made in the same period a yearearlier.

The quarterly profit performance fell shortof the consensus of analysts’ expectations of48 million euros as compiled by financialinformation provider FactSet. The bank,Germany’s No. 2 lender after Deutsche Bank,took losses of 537 million euros for loans thatwon’t be fully repaid in the second quarter, upfrom 404 million euros in the year-ago quar-

ter. Earnings were also squeezed by extreme-ly low current interest rates. Net interestincome fell to 1.63 billion from 1.78 billion ayear ago. The company said the figuresincluded losses on its commercial real estateloan portfolio in Britain and 110 million eurosin bad loans to build ships. The bank is exitingits commercial real estate and ship businessesand is winding them down in a non-coreasset division. It also cited “single cases” ofbad loans from its bank serving small andmedium sized businesses in Germany.

Chief financial officer Stephan Engels toldanalysts in a conference that the bank had “anexposure” to the bankruptcy of the US city ofDetroit, which is in court protection fromcreditors after saying it cannot pay all itsdebts including the municipal bonds sold toinvestors. —AP

Commerzbank profits sag on loan losses

t e c h n o l o g yMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

NEW YORK: In this file photo, David Karp, Founder and CEO of Tumblr, reactsbefore the opening bell at Nasdaq. —AP

German companies set to encrypt emails

Initiative to make emails more ‘secure’BERLIN: Two of Germany’s biggest Internet serv-ice providers said Friday they will start encrypt-ing customers’ emails by default in response touser concerns about online snooping afterreports that the US National Security Agencymonitors international electronic communica-tions.

The plan by Deutsche Telekom AG and UnitedInternet AG is the digital equivalent of puttingan envelope around a postcard. Currently mostemails are sent across the web in plain view ofanyone standing between the sender and therecipient. Initially the encryption will only besecure between customers of DeutscheTelekom’s T-Online service and United Internet’sGMX and WEB.DE services - which togetheraccount for two-thirds of primary email address-es in Germany - the companies said.

“Germans are deeply unsettled by the latestreports on the potential interception of commu-nication data,” Deutsche Telekom CEO ReneObermann said in a statement. “Our initiative isdesigned to counteract this concern and makeemail communication throughout Germanymore secure in general.”

But computer security specialists said theplan appeared to be little more than a publicitystunt, because the technology being used toencrypt the emails while in transit was outdatedand didn’t guarantee they were safe from pryingeyes while on the companies’ servers.

“The technology employed doesn’t prevent‘listening posts’ from being established on thesystem,” said Germany’s Chaos Computer Club,which bills itself as Europe’s largest association ofhackers. NSA leaker Edward Snowden hasalleged that the US intelligence agency and

some of its foreign partners routinely sift throughonline traffic as part of an effort to prevent terror-ism.

A spokesman for Deutsche Telekom, PhilippBlank, told The Associated Press that the compa-ny doesn’t grant foreign intelligence agenciesaccess to its traffic in Germany. But he added that“of course we are bound by German law.” Germanlaw grants domestic security services broad pow-

ers to intercept communications and demandaccess to emails and phone data stored by com-mercial providers. It also allows them to passinformation on to foreign intelligence agenciesunder certain circumstances. In one indicationthat German security services won’t find theirwork hindered, the country’s interior ministerissued a statement welcoming the encryptionmove. —AP

BERLIN: CEO of Deutsche Telekom Rene Obermann holds a press conference to discussthe topic of secure e-mailing. —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo’s recently complet-ed acquisition of Internet blogging serviceTumblr includes an $81 million payment toTumblr founder David Karp as long as heremains on the job for the next four years.The retention payment disclosed in a regula-tory filing Thursday is part of the windfallthat Karp and Tumblr investors realized byagreeing to sell the service for $1.1 billion inMay.

Karp turned 27 last month. He startedTumblr in 2007, a few years after he droppedout of high school in New York to concen-trate on computer programming. Yahoo Inc.CEO Marissa Mayer has pledged not to makeany dramatic changes at Tumblr in hopesthat the acquisition won’t alienate the blog-ging service’s existing users, which includes asubstantial number of teenagers and youngadults.

As part of her promise “to not screw it up,”Mayer is allowing Karp to run Tumblr inde-pendently in New York. Yahoo is based in

Sunnyvale, Calif. Karp is believed to own a 20to 25 percent stake in Tumblr, which meanshe probably has already received a windfall,which hasn’t been disclosed, from the sale toYahoo. But he must stay at Tumblr until June2017 under the provision disclosed Thursdayto get the $81 million retention payment.

The payment will consist of $41 million instock and $40 million in cash, according toYahoo’s filing. Another $29 million in stockoptions and restricted stock is being doledout to other unnamed Tumblr employeesover four years. The documents also dis-closed that Yahoo paid a total of $44 millionto buy six other companies during the threemonths ending in June. All told, Yahoo paidabout $1.15 billion to buy 10 companies,including Tumblr, during the first half of theyear. Yahoo has bought several other start-ups since the end of June. The prices forthose deals are likely to be disclosed inanother regulatory filing in October andNovember. —AP

Tumblr founder to get $81M to remain at Yahoo

BEIJING: American prosecutors sayPangang Group aimed high. The Chinesestate-owned company wanted a betterprocess to make titanium dioxide, a whitepigment used in paint, toothpaste andOreo cookie filling. So it paid spies to steal itfrom industry giant DuPont. Pangang wasindicted last year on US charges of industri-al spying and a retired DuPont scientistpleaded guilty to selling secrets.Prosecutors say another defendant wasencouraged by a Chinese leader to “makecontributions” to the country - rare evi-dence of high-level official involvement.Then the case stalled while prosecutorstried to force Pangang to answer thecharges in a US court.

DuPont says it has asked Chineseauthorities to block use of its stolen secrets.There is no indication they have acted. TheAmerican chemical producer is far fromalone. China’s reputation as a global centerfor industrial spying is well established butexperts say the scale is growing as Beijingtries to create its own competitors in fieldsfrom robotics to energy to pharmaceuticals.

While more victims take action abroad,DuPont’s experience illustrates the legaldead-ends and official inaction in Chinathat stymie even the biggest global compa-nies and foreign prosecutors. Chinese com-panies accused of using stolen secrets facefew consequences. That is no accident,intelligence experts say. They say Beijinghas carried on a quiet but relentless cam-paign since the 1970s to acquire technolo-gy through its spy agencies and Chinesecompanies, scientists and students abroad.

Possible losses due to intellectual prop-erty theft traced to China have multipliedsince the ‘90s. Then, companies complainedabout copying of movies, software anddesigner clothes. Today, thieves target tech-nologies that form the heart of multibillion-dollar industries. In the case of titaniumdioxide, the global market is worth $17 bil-lion a year.

A report in May by a panel that includeda former US director of national intelligence,Dennis Blair, said China accounts for 50 to80 percent of theft of American intellectualproperty. Companies surveyed by the USInternational Trade Commission estimatedthey lost $48.2 billion in 2009 in potentialsales and license payments to Chineseinfringement. “There is no question that thePRC government encourages these extrale-gal transfers,” said William C Hannas, JamesMulvenon and Anna B Puglisi, authors of anew book, “Chinese Industrial Espionage:Technology Acquisition and MilitaryModernization,” in an email.

Companies are becoming more vulnera-ble as they expand production and researchin China to get closer to its market or inresponse to taxes and other policies thatprod them to shift operations to this coun-try. Companies are “increasingly worriedabout trade secrets and technology beingcompromised in China,” said TadashiKageyama, head of security firm KrollAdvisory Services for Asia.

Victims often are reluctant to talk aboutlosses. But the DuPont case gives an unusu-ally detailed look into how US prosecutorsallege one Chinese state company stoletechnology and might be using it withimpunity.

Pangang, three subsidiaries and one ofits employees were charged in February2012 in federal court in San Francisco withconspiracy to commit economic espionage

and attempted economic espionage.Pangang, in Sichuan province in China’ssouthwest, is controlled by the Cabinet’sState-owned Assets Supervision andAdministration Commission. Other defen-dants include a Malaysian-born Americanof Chinese ancestry, who is alleged to haveobtained details of DuPont manufacturingprocesses from former employees, and tworetired DuPont scientists.

Titanium dioxide, also known as TiO2,was one of a series of technologies Beijingtried to obtain to supply its boomingindustries in plastics and other goods thatrequire the pigment. Other companies alsomake TiO2 but DuPont’s process is regard-ed as more efficient and profitable.American prosecutors said Chinese leadersdeemed it an “economic priority” butDuPont declined to sell or license it toChinese companies.

The case offers rare evidence of possibleinvolvement by a Chinese leader in encour-aging technology theft. Prosecutors cite aletter written by one defendant, Malaysian-born Walter Liew, about meeting at a 1991banquet with Luo Gan, then a secretary-general of China’s Cabinet. Luo would laterserve in the inner circle of Chinese power,the ruling Communist Party’s nine-mem-ber Standing Committee, until his retire-ment in 2012.

Liew wrote that Luo “gave directives sothat I would better understand China andcontinue to make contributions to her.” Twodays later, the letter said, he received a listof high-priority tasks and titanium dioxidewas “one of the more important projects.”Liew later denied he met Luo and otherofficials at that time, according to courtdocuments. But prosecutors argued hewould have told the truth in his letterbecause it was written to Chinese execu-tives who could verify its accuracy.

Luo did not respond to a letter sent tohim through the Chinese Cabinet’s pressoffice. More evidence of a possible govern-ment role emerged with the May arrest ofthree New York University researchers. Theywere charged with giving results from aU.S. government-funded study of magneticresonance imaging to a Chinese stateresearch center, the Shenzhen Institute ofAdvanced Technology.

The institute is part of a web of state-run entities that encourage collection offoreign technology, according to Hannas,Mulvenon and Puglisi. Mulvenon is a spe-cialist on China’s military and a vice presi-dent of Defense Group Inc., a governmentintelligence contractor. Hannas is a US gov-ernment official and Puglisi is a govern-ment analyst.

Companies or scientists who bringhome technology are rewarded with cash,tax breaks, research grants or universitytenure, they say. Other lawyers and securityconsultants interviewed for this article saidthey see no sign of a government role inmost thefts of business secrets traced toChina.

Hannas, Mulvenon and Puglisi argue,however, that such a distinction cannot bedrawn because Beijing encourages compa-nies to pursue foreign technology. Theirbook cites evidence including Chinese gov-ernment documents they say show officialinvolvement at the highest levels.“Everyone knows what is expected,” theywrote in their email. “Local units and com-panies trip over each other to access for-eign sources of technology.” —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Google believes ithas the perfect accessory for the nextphase of technology, the mind-bog-gling and appearance-shifting cate-gory already being described as“wearable computing.” The widelyanticipated evolution hatched GoogleGlass, a spectacle-like device that con-tains a hidden computer, a thumb-nail-size transparent display screenabove the right eye and other digitalwizardry. This Internet-connectedheadgear is set up to let users receivesearch results, read email, scan mapsfor directions and engage in videochats without reaching for a smart-phone. Google Glass’ grasp of voicecommands even makes it possible toshoot hands-free photos and videos.

I got a glimpse of what it’s like towear Glass recently and saw justenough to conclude that it couldfashionable, especially as societyworks out the rules of etiquette forusing the device. Although I doubtthe device will become as common-place as the smartphone, I don’t thinkGlass is destined to be rememberedas a geeky curiosity that never livedup to its hype.

Google Inc is touting Glass as a lib-erating breakthrough that will maketechnology more convenient and lessobnoxious in social situations thanchecking a smartphone to see what’shappening in your digital realm.Critics deride Glass as another dis-turbing example of a how enslavedpeople are to their devices and a signthat technology is obliterating per-sonal privacy.

Only about 10,000 people in theUS have been given the chance to pay$1,500 to own a test version of Glassas part of Google’s “Explorer” pro-gram. So I’ve been eager to get a first-hand look at what all the fuss is about.I finally got a chance last week, whenGoogle invited a few technologyreporters and bloggers to test Glassunder the company’s supervision at aspecially equipped San Franciscooffice that Google calls a “base camp.”

Only eight applications from TheNew York Times, Facebook, Twitter,Path, Evernote, CNN, Tumblr and Ellemagazine have been approved foruse on the Explorer edition.Unfortunately, none of the Glassmodels we were allowed to samplewere fully loaded with all the applica-tions, or “Glassware,” that have beendesigned for the device. It would havebeen nice to check them all out.Instead, CNN was the only app avail-able for this test. I also couldn’t loginto my Gmail to see what that’s likeon Glass.

Other major limitations were timeand physical constraints. I only got tospend about an hour wearing Glassand was confined to using it withinGoogle’s base camp and an adjoiningpatio overlooking the San FranciscoBay. Glass has potential to be muchmore than a novelty, especially ifGoogle lowers the price below $500by the time the company begins sell-ing the device to the general publicnext year. (The exact date has yet tobe determined.)

I also quickly realized that a lot ofpeople will be turned off by Glass, iffor no other reason than how theymake a person look. Google hasstrived to imbue Glass with a sense of

style by decorating the titaniumframes in five different colors: char-coal, tangerine, shale, cotton and skyblue. Glass also weighs about thesame as a pair of regular sunglasses, avast improvement over Google’s earlyprototype of the device, which con-sisted of a phone attached to a scubamask. Glass doesn’t actually have anyspectacles in the frame, thoughGoogle eventually hopes to offer thatoption for those who wear prescrip-tion lenses.

Still, when you first put on Glassand look in the mirror, you probablyaren’t going to channel your innerFernando Lamas (or Billy Crystal, for

that matter) and say, “You look mar-velous.” I didn’t walk around withGlass on the street, but from what I’veheard from people in the Explorerprogram, they are often greeted withquizzical looks from bystanders whosee the tiny display screen above theright eye and figure the device is anoptical aid or part of a Cyborg cos-tume. I thought Glass looked bestwith a sunglass clip-on designed forwearing the device outdoors.

Turning on Glass is done by tap-ping a finger on the right side of theframe. The device can also be activat-ed by tilting your head upward. Glassusers have to turn on the device fre-quently because it automaticallyturned off every 30 seconds or sowhen I wasn’t using it. This is meant tosave the limited battery life (it onlylasts about 90 minutes if you’rerecording a lot of video, but Googlesays the battery should be adequatefor a full day’s use for most people).

Navigating the Glass softwarerequires swiping a finger in a forwardor backward direction or an upwardor downward direction on the rightside of the frame. Remembering thecorrect direction to swipe to get to acertain set of controls or informationwas confusing at first, but it didn’ttake long to get the hang of it.

Glass can connect to the Internetthrough a Wi-Fi network or by pairingwith your smartphone through aBluetooth connection. Once online,it’s easy to ask Google’s search enginefor a piece of information. I wonderedhow the Oakland A’s fared in a gameearlier that day and Glass promptlydelivered the score on a card dis-played on the display screen while Icarried on a conversation. An auto-mated voice also announced theanswer through a bone conductionspeaker near my right ear. When Iasked Glass for directions to anotherlocation in San Francisco, it pulled upa map on the display screen and

adjusted my course as I walked in dif-ferent directions in the room.

The map was quite immersivebecause even though the Glassscreen is small, the display is in high-definition and gives the illusion thatyou are seeing the image on some-thing much larger. Google likens it towatching a high-definition TV with a25-inch screen from eight feet away. Ididn’t have enough time with thedevice to test that comparison, butthere’s no doubt the picture on Glassdisplay is crisp. People who areseverely near-sighted probably won’tbe able to see what’s on the screenany more clearly than everything elsein front of them.

The screen is deliberately alignedslightly above the right eye so itwon’t prevent users from maintainingeye contact during face-to-face con-versations. That means you need toglance upward when you want tolook at something on the screen.Glass’ coolest feature is its ability toalmost instantly take photos with thedevice’s 5-megapixel camera orrecord high-definition (720p) videosthat provide a startling perspectiveon how your own eyes see things.This is done simply by saying “OKGlass, take a picture” or “OK Glass,record a video” and the device does

it. The images can then be seen onthe display screen and, then, with theright app, shared on Twitter orFacebook and stored on your GooglePlus profile.

I found myself wishing Glass hadbeen around when my now 18-year-old daughter was a little girl so Icould have had pictures and video ofso many precious moments thatremain in my mind’s eye. Many ofthose moments aren’t around in pho-tographic form because they weretoo fleeting to capture on a handheldcamera or camcorder.

It’s easy to see why the built-incamera on Glass is raising privacy

concerns -even though smartphonesalready make it easy for people totake a photo or record video at almostany time in just about any situation.Google says Glass isn’t that much dif-ferent. The company has tried to mini-mize the chances of surreptitiousphotos or video being taken by ensur-ing a red light is visible whenever animage is being recorded.

Nevertheless, Glass has alreadybeen banned from gambling casinos,movie theaters and some bars to pro-tect against cheating, copyrightinfringement and privacy intrusions. Ican see how a lot of people aren’tgoing to notice when they’re on Glass’candid camera. For instance, I record-ed a video of a Google representativediscussing the privacy worries aboutGlass without him noticing. I did it byacting like I was adjusting Glass on myhead, allowing me to press on a smallbutton located on the top of Glass’right frame (this technique is an alter-native to using the spoken word tocommand the device). All in all, Glasslooks like it’s going to emerge asdevice that advances technology inways bound to excite gadget loversand information junkies while annoy-ing plenty of others who may wishthere was an app to transport them toa simpler time. —AP

Could Google Glass be a peek at tech future?Chinese inaction gives

tech thieves a shield

SAN FRANCISCO: In this photo, Associated Press reporter Michael Liedtke models Google glass ata Google base camp in San Francisco, next to Google employee, Marina Kruzel. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

BOSTON: The electronic cigarette consists of a battery on the bottom and abottom-coiled tank on top. Electronic cigarettes are growing in popularity,but concern still lingers nationwide about their safety. e-Cig cultureincludes “vaping” meet-ups and an array of build-your-own products.

Rice plants seed of hope on Sudan’s damaged farms

Better yields, bigger incomesGEZIRA, Sudan: Newly planted riceshoots poking out of the Sudanesesoil are as tiny as blades of grass, butthey symbolise a big dream to turnaround one of the world’s largestirrigated farming schemes. BakriElamin Awad Al-Karim farms a smallplot in the vast Gezira regionbetween the Blue and White Nilessouth of Khartoum. Japanese aidhas helped turn it into a showcasefor a crop supporters say offersfarmers better yields and biggerincomes in what is still an over-whelmingly agricultural economy.

In its 1920s heyday, when Sudanwas under British and Egyptian colo-nial rule, the Gezira Scheme wastouted as model for African devel-opment, with sheer gravity beingused to tap water from the Blue Nileto irrigate hundreds of thousands ofacres (hectares) of cotton.

But years of underinvestmentand piecemeal privatisation haveled to decay of the infrastructure,canals and dykes on which theregion’s farms depend, bringing thecountry’s economy down with it,analysts say.

Unlike in other parts of Africa or

in Asia, rice is still an uncommoncrop in Sudan, where sorghum is thestaple cereal, along with groundnut,millet and wheat. Cotton is also stillgrown. “More farmers need to growrice because it gives them a goodyield,” Karim says through a transla-tor.

His fields are among several“demonstration farms” for rice,which Gezira state’s agriculture min-ister, Abdullah Mohammed Osman,describes as a potential wonder-crop.

“The traditional cropping system

in these big irrigation schemes is noteconomically feasible,” says the min-ister, who himself studied fruit pro-duction in Egypt.

“The productivity is not so high,”and neither are farm incomes, hesays at his office in the state capitalof Wad Medani. Rice would boostcrop yields and the earnings offarmers while providing Sudan asource of foreign currency and con-tributing to “national food security”,he says. Sudan cannot feed all of itsroughly 31 million people, morethan 12 percent of whom wereexpected to need food aid this year,

according to the United Nations.Osman says the yield from rice,

an average of about 1.3 tonnes peracre (0.4 hectares), is about doublethat of wheat. It is also roughly 50percent more than that of sorghum.

Net revenue to each rice farmerreached about 3,600 Sudanesepounds ($817) per acre last year,against 1,400 pounds for othercrops, the minister said.

Having a sustainable supply ofseed, herbicides, and the technolo-gy to de-husk, clean and packagethe grain are keys to expanding pro-

duction, Osman said. “Now we canproduce rice. No problem. “Toprocess this to meet the internation-al market requirements is a chal-lenge ahead for us.”

Even being able to replace the50,000 tonnes of rice Sudan importsannually at a cost of $15 millionwould be a good start, Osmanadded. But if rice is the crop of thefuture, and a source of potentialexport earnings, the future stillseems far off.

The Japanese-backed Gezira riceprogramme began in 2010 andexpanded to almost 480 feddans

(about 500 acres, 190 hectares) lastyear. Compared with the GeziraScheme’s total size of about two mil-lion feddans, that is like a singlegrain of rice in a large field.

“Of course, we cannot at onetime tackle everything,” says OsamuNakagaki, chief adviser from theJapan International CooperationAgency.

JICA has provided seeds, plantingand milling equipment, and givenoverseas training to more than 70Sudanese agricultural engineers.

The engineers have passed ontheir knowledge to more than 200farmers-out of around 116,000 whoOsman said are working in theGezira Scheme and a nearby smallerirrigation area.

By the time it nears Karim’s farmthe main Gezira canal has alreadyflowed for 99 km. It resembles anunusually straight river, with bushygreen banks broken intermittentlyby small dams.

A secondary canal drainsthrough a pipe under an unpavedroad and into a dirt trough of glis-tening brown water which irrigatesthe young rice in Karim’s fields.

Not all of the Gezira Scheme isworking so well, experts say.

“It’s in total disrepair,” one agricul-tural expert told AFP, asking not tobe identified. “You see channelsfilled in, banks are all eroded.”

Much of the scheme’s land is notproducing, he said.

“Cotton, wheat and sorghumproduction dropped to very low lev-els, and many farmers migratedfrom Gezira to seek better workopportunities elsewhere,” a reportissued last year by the UN Children’sFund said, noting a lack of canalmaintenance.Veteran journalistMahjoub Mohamed Salih wrote in aJune column that privatisation ledto “the complete collapse” of thescheme’s other infrastructure.

Assets from the project’s formerrailway, its cotton mills and otherproperty have been “squandered”,he wrote.

Osman said the government wasmoving away from a “paternalapproach”, in favour of privatisationand leaving the farmers free tochoose what crops they wish togrow.

“The farmer should depend onhimself,” he said, adding that ricegives them a new option. “It is a verypromising crop.” —AFP

KHARTOUM: A Sudani works in a rice field that is cultivated as part of the Japanese-backedGezira rice programme yesterday. Newly planted rice shoots poking out of the Sudanese soilare as tiny as blades of grass, but they symbolise a big dream to turn around one of the world’slargest irrigated farming schemes. —AFP

BEIJING: A Chinese poultry worker wasconfirmed as having contracted the deadlyH7N9 bird flu virus, health officials said, thefirst case in the southern Guangdongprovince.

The 51-year-old woman is in a criticalcondition after she was admitted to hospi-tal on August 3 following signs of a fever,the Guangdong Provincial HealthDepartment said on Saturday.

“She was a poultry slaughtering workerat a local marketplace,” the local healthbureau said in a statement on its website.

A total of 134 cases have now beenreported on the Chinese mainland, includ-ing the Guangdong case.

State news agency Xinhua said Saturdaythat 44 people had died of the disease-which includes a recent fatality followingthe release of the latest official figures amonth ago.

The virus was first reported in lateMarch, with most cases confined to easternChina, and only one reported outside themainland, in Taiwan.

Scientists reported last week the firstlikely case of direct person-to-person trans-mission of the H7N9.

However, they told people to “not panic”as the virus’s transmissibility remained “lim-ited and non-sustainable”.

Local health authorities Saturday liftedmedical observations on 54 of 96 peoplewho were placed under monitoring afterthey had close contact with theGuangdong patient, Xinhua said.

The patient had worked in markets inBoluo, which is about 129 km east of theprovincial capital Guangzhou.

Many of those infected with the virushad direct contact with birds, commonly atpoultry markets, which have been closedby officials across China to halt the spreadof the disease. Cases of H7N9 havedropped significantly in recent weeks.

In the southern Chinese city of HongKong, which borders Guangdong province,a government spokesman Sunday said theterritory is closely monitoring the virus forany developments. —AFP

New case of H7N9 birdflu confirmed in China

MINNESOTA: Elias Konstantopoulos getsspotty glimpses of the world each day forabout four hours, or for however long he turnson his Argus II retina prosthesis. The 74-year-old man lost his sight from a progressive reti-nal disease over 30 years ago, but he is able toperceive some things with the bionic visionsystem.

“I can see if you are in front of me, and ifyou try to go away,” he says. “Or if I look at a bigtree with the system on I can maybe see somedarkness. And if it’s bright outside and I movemy head to the left or right I can see differentshadows that tell me there is something there.There’s no way to tell what it is.”

A camera mounted on a pair of spectaclescaptures image data for Konstantopoulos; thatdata is then processed by a mini-computercarried on a strap and sent to an array of 60neuron-stimulating electrodes that wasimplanted on one of his retinas in 2009.

Nearly 70 people around the world haveundergone the three-hour surgery for the reti-nal implant, which was developed byCalifornia’s Second Sight and approved for usein Europe in 2011 and in the US this year. It isthe first vision-restoring implant sold topatients. Currently, the system (which costs73,000 euros in Europe; the US price is not dis-closed) is approved only for patients with retini-tis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye conditionthat strikes around one in 5,000 people world-wide. But it’s possible the Argus II and otherartificial retinas in development could work forpeople with age-related macular degeneration,which affects one in 2,000 people in developedcountries. In that condition, the photoreceptorcells of the eye (commonly called rods andcones) are lost, but the rest of the neuronalpathway that communicates visual informationto the brain is often still viable. Artificial retinasdepend on this remaining circuitry, so theycannot work for all forms of blindness.

Many groups are working on ways toreplace lost photoreceptors. Most use a cam-era that communicates to an implanted chip,but these systems vary in the number of elec-trodes in the chip and how deep the chip isplaced inside the retina. Others eschew thecamera for light-sensitive diodes in the chip. AGerman company called Retina Implant, forexample, recently completed human tests ofan implant that does not depend on a camerabut instead directly harvests light and trans-mits that data to remaining neurons. A arrayof 1,500 photodiodes replaces the eye’s pho-toreceptors.

At their best, today’s artificial retinas pro-duce only sketchy images. Patients see bursts

of light called phosphenes and “not truly nat-uralist vision,” says Raymond Iezzi, a clinician-scientist who performs retinal surgeries atMayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Some people with artificial retinas canread large letters, see slow-moving cars, oridentify tableware. Tim Reddish, 55, who losthis vision to retinitis pigmentosa and got aRetina Implant device in November, says hecan read a high-contrast clock indoors.Outside, he says, he can detect the lines ofbuildings with glass doors and the headlightsof slow-moving cars at night.

But other patients experience no benefit.The variation can be ascribed in some cases tothe exact placement of the neuron-stimulat-ing array in the tissue-paper-thin retina as wellas the state of the remaining neurons andpathways in each individual’s eye. How wellpeople can retrain their brain to use thedevice is also important. “Patients will scantheir environment and use their memory toreconstruct what they are seeing,” Iezzi says.

Second Sight says its Argus II provides20/1,260 vision (which indicates that a personcan see an object from 20 feet away that anormal-sighted person can see from 1,260feet away). Retina Implant says the best visualacuity gained with its device is 20/1,000. Forcomparison, normal vision is 20/20 and thethreshold of legal blindness in the US is20/200. “Retina prostheses are at the stagecochlear implants were 30 years ago,” saysAnthony Burkitt, director of Bionic VisionAustralia, a consortium of retinal-implantresearchers. “That technology went frombeing an aid for lip reading to the point nowwhere children with a cochlear implant cango through normal school and even usemobile phones.”

One way to improve artificial retinas is toadd more of the electrodes that create thepixels in the eye. Second Sight, for example, isplanning on moving from 60 to 240 elec-trodes in a future model. But thousands ofpixels will probably be required for facialrecognition and other detailed visual tasks,and many artificial-retina technologies willhave trouble achieving that because theyhave to be powered through surgicallyimplanted wires, says Daniel Palanker, a bio-physicist at Stanford. To avoid this limitation,Palanker and colleagues are developing awireless system in which a photovoltaic chipwith flexible arrays of small pixels is implant-ed in the eye and receives image data cap-tured by a video camera. The team has testedthe system in blind rats and is working with acompany to test it in patients. —MCT

Artificial retinas are coming into viewMORRISVILLE: Just down from the

Target and Gander Mountain big-boxstores and between a nail salon anddental office, North Carolina’s largesthealth insurer opened its first retailstore. It has some exercise offerings -step aerobics classes and stationarybike workouts - but for now, its mainproduct is providing in-person infor-mation about changes coming inOctober with the health insuranceoverhaul law.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NorthCarolina is opening half a dozen ofthese offices in strip malls statewide tofirst educate and then, starting inOctober, enroll consumers shoppingfor coverage because of the federalAffordable Care Act, also known as“Obamacare.” Blue Cross affiliates inFlorida and Pennsylvania have had sim-ilar stores open for years.

The North Carolina company alsohauls an air-conditioned showroomtrailer to fairs and farmers markets toreach out to the estimated 600,000people who will be newly shopping forindividual policies - some of them sub-sidized by the government for con-sumers who might have trouble afford-

ing a policy. Many of the individualpolicies will be sold on a statewideInternet marketplace designed tomake buying coverage comparable tofinding a hotel room or rental car.

North Carolina’s Republican GeneralAssembly and governor oppose thelaw and so the federal government isrunning the state marketplace whereinsurers will sell policies.

As people who have been unin-sured or had their coverage providedby employers start shopping around,BCBSNC is reaching out like neverbefore to expand on its 375,000 insur-ance policies for individuals, marketingdirector Bruce Allen said. The goal isexplaining the federal law, whichrequires everyone to have coverage orpay a fine and subsidizes many middle-class consumers who might otherwisenot be able to afford policies on theirown. The law also prohibits insurersfrom rejecting customers who havepre-existing health conditions.

“There’s a big segment of the popu-lation that really wants to talk to some-one face to face about it,” Allen said. “It’sa new market that’s entering that does-n’t have health insurance, never had it,

and really needs kind of that step-by-step walk-through to understand areally critical decision for them tomake.”

Across the country, Blue Crosscompanies are among the healthinsurers most aggressive in reachingout to build consumer trust and cap-ture their spending on policies. Spotsfor a broad new print, television andonline advertising campaign are mul-tiplying. Meetings with civic organiza-tions community groups, and reli-gious institutions are taking placefrom Vermont to Texas. The NorthCarolina company has rented movietheaters and invited guests to watchfirst-run films, with the addition of a15-minute ad explaining theAffordable Care Act and laptop-readystaffers in the lobby offering individ-ual guidance on the law.

The Blue Cross and Blue ShieldAssociation, the umbrella organiza-tion for the country’s 38 Blue Crosscompanies, launched a campaign lastmonth with the Walgreen Co. drug-store chain, with signs and brochuresin about 8,000 stores.

WellPoint, the largest operator of

Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans, isteaming up with Spanish-language TVand radio network Univision inCalifornia, New York, Colorado andGeorgia for meetings, broadcastadvertisements, and newscast seg-ments describing what coveragemeans and how to buy insurance onan online exchange. Blue Cross BlueShield companies already are some ofthe country’s biggest sellers of healthinsurance policies for individuals.Seven Blue Cross companies, includ-ing North Carolina’s, were among thetop 10 at the end of 2011, accordingto Atlantic Information Services Inc.,which specializes in health industrydata and news.

“For other insurers, the majority oftheir experience is in the employer-provided market, so they don’t knowthe individual market as well and areunsure whether this will be profitable,so they’re moving very carefully,” saidDavid Ridley, director of the healthsector management program at DukeUniversity’s Fuqua business school. “Incontrast, Blue Cross Blue Shield - withtheir experience in the individual mar-ket, its experience interacting withgovernment as the insurer of lastresort - is moving much more aggres-sively and creatively.”

Outside the Blue Cross Blue Shieldworld, Humana Inc. has signaled plansto station representatives in grocerystores and pharmacies in the 14 stateswhere its policies will be sold on onlineinsurance marketplaces. Pittsburgh-based UPMC Health Plan has set upkiosks in six western Pennsylvaniamalls to reach insurance consumerswith questions, and it launched a com-puter application in an effort to offer afun way to understand the details ofthe law and its polices. Spokesmen forAssurant Health and Aetna describedno novel marketing twists tied to theupcoming changes.

Government, too, is ramping upefforts to reach the working poor,young people and others with nohealth coverage. President BarackObama’s administration and manystates are launching campaigns thissummer to get the word out. Grassrootsorganizers are recruiting pastors, bar-bers and mothers to convey the mes-sage. In some neighborhoods, volun-teers organized by a coalition of healthcompanies and advocates hand outbrochures. —AP

Blue Cross reaches out over insurance law changes

TOKYO: People enjoy water bathing in Kofu, Yamanashi prefecture yesterday. A heatwave sti-fled Japan as the temperature topped 40 degrees Celsius in two cities, leaving at least four peo-ple dead over the weekend, officials and reports said. —AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

HARVARD: Two new studies fromHarvard examine the possible asso-ciations between migraineheadaches and other conditions.One study offers encouraging news:the headaches will not hurt think-ing skills. Another study suggests awarning: the headaches, whenaccompanied by aura, may signalan increased risk of heart attacksand stroke. “After high blood pres-sure, migraine with aura was thesecond strongest single contributorto the risk of heart attacks andstrokes,” says study author Dr. TobiasKurth, adjunct associate professor ofepidemiology at the Harvard Schoolof Public Health. “It was followed bydiabetes, family history, smoking,and obesity.”

A migraine is a throbbingheadache that begins mainly onone side of the head, often accom-panied by nausea. It can last fromfour to 72 hours, and it can be madeworse by loud noise and brightlight. Sometimes people who getmigraines see pulsating lights orblack spots or have blurry, distortedvision shortly before the headachekicks in. That’s called migraine withaura. While we don’t completelyunderstand what causes migraines,we do know that they are associat-ed with an increase in tiny or “silent”brain lesions, which can be a riskfactor for dementia and cognitivedecline. “This led us to question if

migraine headache is a progressivebrain disease,” says Dr. Pamela Rist,lead author of one study and aresearch fellow at the HarvardSchool of Public Health. But afteranalyzing data on more than 6,300

women, Dr. Rist and her team deter-mined that migraines, with or with-out aura, do not appear to lead tocognitive decline. They publishedtheir research recently in BMJ. “It isreassuring news for people with

migraines,” says Dr. Rist. The otherHarvard study, presented at theAmerican Academy of Neurologymeeting in March, focused on morethan 27,000 women, of whom 1,400had migraine with aura (MA).

Researchers found that MA was astrong contributor to the risk ofdeveloping major cardiovascularevents such as heart attack or stroke.

While the study does not provethat MA is causing vascular events,Dr. Kurth says MA is a warning sign.“It should be considered a factorthat could indicate increased risk ofcardiovascular disease.” There is cur-rently no evidence that treating orpreventing migraine reduces futurerisks of heart attack and stroke.

Just because you have MA, itdoesn’t mean you’ll have a heartattack or stroke. If you’re concernedabout your risk, you can reduce itthe same way everyone can: by con-trolling blood pressure, quittingsmoking, exercising, and maintain-ing a healthy weight.

If you do have migraines and car-diovascular disease, be sure to talkto your doctor about which drugsyou can use to stop migraineattacks. Dr Kurth says some drugsused to treat migraine can causeblood vessels to contract, whichmay restrict blood flow and causecomplications for people with exist-ing heart disease or a high risk ofstroke. The drugs include triptans,such as sumatriptan (Imitrex),almotriptan (Axert), and frovatriptan(Frova), as well as ergotamines, suchas dihydroergotamine (DHE-45) andergotamine tartrate plus caffeine(Cafergot).

Specks in your visioncan signal serious

eye conditionsWASHINGTON: These “floaters” are not just bothersome.They can be signs of potential retinal disease. Floaters,those tiny specks that drift across your field of vision, areusually harmless and often disappear or become lessnoticeable on their own. But sometimes they indicate acondition that can lead to vision loss. “A new onset offloaters may herald retinal disease,” says Dr. Jeffrey Heier,director of the retina service at Ophthalmic Consultants ofBoston and clinical instructor in ophthalmology at HarvardMedical School.

Floaters are pieces of debris that block the light shininginto the retina-the part of your eye that captures light andsends it to the brain via the optic nerve. The debris is usual-ly made of pieces of the vitreous-a thick, jelly-like sub-stance that fills the center of your eye and attaches to theretina. Aging causes the vitreous to liquefy and break apart;parts of the vitreous that don’t liquefy can be perceived asspots or lines in the eye. “A lot of people complain thatfloaters affect their vision and disrupt their ability to read,”says Dr. Heier. But he says floaters often settle over timeand become less noticeable.

Sometimes the vitreous detaches from the retina. Whilenoticeable as a large floater, it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t requiretreatment, and often becomes less bothersome in weeks ormonths. But the tugging of the vitreous on the retina cancause traction on blood vessels, leading to bleeding, whichappears as many floaters, and it can also cause tears in theretina, sending many small spots across the field of vision.

A retinal tear isn’t painful, but it does have symptoms:the sudden onset of brief, flashing lights or a shower offloaters. Untreated, retinal tears can lead to a vision-threat-ening retinal detachment. If the vitreous detaches, it maypull on the retina and cause a tear. This may cause blood toooze into the vitreous gel, and a person will see black spotsor floaters. Without treatment, progression from a tear to aretinal detachment could cause permanent vision loss.

Diagnosis and treatmentIf you’ve lived with an abundance of floaters for a long

time, there’s little you can do. Dr. Heier warns against treat-ments that promise to use lasers to dissolve floaters: “Somepeople say it’s safe, but the reality is we’ve never studied itin an appropriate clinical trial.” Surgery to remove thefloaters is possible, but only rarely offered, and only insevere, disabling cases.

If you notice a sudden increase in floaters, you mayhave a retinal tear and should be examined urgently, notesDr. Heier. Without treatment, progression from a tear to aretinal detachment could cause permanent vision loss.

There’s no way to prevent floaters, and no nutritioncomponent or supplement regimen that will stop the vitre-ous from shedding debris as you age. The secret to copingwith floaters is patience.

But the good news is that you can help prevent retinaldetachment by being proactive if you experience a suddenincrease in floaters. And the sooner you get to your oph-thalmologist, the better. —MCT

Migraines: Can dementia be next?Harvard Health Letter

HARVARD: Why it’s vital to know the causes and symptomsof urinary tract infections and how to treat and preventthem.

Unrecognized and untreated urinary tract infections(UTIs) can quickly turn into more serious conditions. Amongyoung and middle-aged adults, UTIs are more likely to strikewomen than men. But UTIs also occur often in older men. Inboth older men and women, the symptoms of a UTI may notbe so obvious as they are in young women.

UTIs commonly occur when bacteria from the rectum(such as Escherichia coli) infect the skin around the openingof the urethra (the tube leading to the bladder) and thenascend to the bladder. Because a woman’s urethra is muchshorter than a man’s, it is easier for bacteria to get up intothe bladder and cause a UTI.

UTIs may also occur when urine flow is blocked and theurine pools in the bladder, creating an ideal setting for thegrowth of bacteria. In older men, enlarged prostate glandsoften partially block the outflow of urine. In older women,bladders that have descended (prolapsed) can cause incom-

plete emptying of the bladder. Also, a lack of estrogen inolder women encourages the growth of bacteria near theurethra. Finally, kidney stones can lead to UTIs in both menand women.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria travelup a woman’s urethra and into the bladder, ureters, and/or kid-neys. Most UTIs are caused by bowel bacteria, such as E. coli.

Symptoms and risksThe most common UTI symptoms include burning with

urination, frequent urination, a sense of urgency to urinate,and pain in the area of the bladder. But symptoms don’talways appear in older adults. “It’s not unusual to see apatient in her upper 70s or older who gets infections with-out symptoms,” says Dr. George Flesh, director of urogyne-cology and pelvic reconstructive surgery for HarvardVanguard Medical Associates. Some experts think that isbecause the symptoms of a UTI are actually caused by theimmune system’s fight against the infection, and theimmune systems of older people may not fight as fiercely.

Dr. Suzanne Salamon, a geriatrician and instructor atHarvard Medical School, says the lack of symptoms in menand women also can be related to conditions such as stroke,Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. “Anything that affects thebrain may affect the ability to feel, localize, or describe pain,”she explains.

A lack of symptoms may result in a UTI going untreatedand then spreading to the kidneys, and then the blood-stream-a potentially fatal condition.

But UTIs produce more subtle signs even when commonsymptoms don’t emerge. “In older adults, there may be asudden change in mental status or behavior, such as confu-sion or agitation, fatigue, and loss of appetite,” says Dr.Salamon. But she cautions against assuming there’s a UTIjust because someone becomes agitated, saying thatapproach can lead to unnecessary treatment with antibi-otics. It’s better, she says, to consider additional signs such ascloudy and foul-smelling urine, abnormal urine color, bloodin the urine, and back pain-a sign the infection has spread tothe kidneys.

Silent urinary infections, serious consequences

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W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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able, and from an extraordinary produc-tion process. Cafe Vergnano is the first tointroduce an innovation that brings all thepassion and pleasure of the perfect

espresso to everyday life at home.Espresso is now available in Kuwait,through Al-Sanabel Al-Thahabiya Est. Tel:22413795/98. Espresso Vergnano can beordered through www.taw9eel.comEspresso Vergnano capsules are compati-ble with other espresso machines.

Enjoy the taste of true Espresso at Vergnano Cafe at Olympia Complex

Announcements

Indian Embassy sets up helpline

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has set uphelpline in order to assist Indian expatri-ates in registering any complaint regard-

ing the government’s ongoing campaign tostamp out illegal residents from the country.The embassy said in press release yesterdaythat it amended its previous statement andstated if there is any complaint, the same couldbe conveyed at the following (as amended):Operations Department, Ministry of Interior,Kuwait. Fax: 22435580, Tel:24768146/25200334. It said the embassy hasbeen in regular contact with local authoritiesregarding the ongoing checking of expatriates.The embassy has also conveyed to them theconcerns, fears and apprehensions of the com-munity in this regard. The authorities in Kuwaithave conveyed that strict instructions havebeen issued to ensure that there is no harass-ment or improper treatment of expatriates bythose undertaking checking. “The embassywould like to request Indian expatriates toensure that they abide by all local laws, rulesand regulations regarding residency, traffic andother matters,” the release read. It would beprudent to always carry the Civil ID and otherrelevant documents such as driving license, etc.In case an Indian expatriate encounters anyimproper treatment during checking, it may beconveyed immediately with full details and con-tact particulars to the embassy at the followingphone number 67623639. These contact detailsare exclusively for the above-mentioned pur-pose only.

Issue of online visa by Indian embassy

Foreigners requiring visas for India need toapply it online from 16th June 2013.Applicants may log on to the Public por-

tal at ww.indianvisaonline.gov.in. After suc-cessful online submission, the hard copy, sogenerated, has to be signed by the applicantand submitted with supporting documents inaccordance with the type of visa along with theapplicable fee in cash at any of the two out-source centres at Sharq or Fahaheel. It is essen-tial that applicants fill in their personal detailsas exactly available in their passports. Mismatchof any of the personal details would lead tonon-acceptance of the application. Fees oncepaid are non-refundable. All children wouldhave to obtain separate visa on their respectivepassports.

8th Expo Pakistanto commence in September

The 8th Expo Pakistan will be held fromSeptember 26 to 29 in Karachi. Heldannually, Expo Pakistan is the biggest

trade fair in the country showcasing the largestcollection of Pakistan’s export merchandise andservices. Foreign Exhibitors also use the eventto launch their products. Expo Pakistan 2012was visited by delegates from 52 countries andgenerated a business of over $ 518 million. A 16member delegation from Kuwait including rep-utable companies like Al-Yasra Foods also tookpart in the last exhibition.

Expo Pakistan 2013 is being held under theauspices of the Trade Development AuthorityPakistan. Details about the event can be viewedwww.expopakisan.gov.pk. Further informationand details of sponsorship can be obtainedfrom the office of Commercial Secretary,Pakistan Embassy, Jabriya (25356594) duringoffice hours.

KERA badminton

Prominent badminton association IBACK isorganizing a badminton tournament to beheld on 24th and 31st August 2013. Total

prize money is 475KD & last entry registration is15th august 2013. Interested to participate in thesame as Team KERA shall be entertained, Pleasecontact 97156575.

The German Shepherd Groupreleased a statement criticizingactions of hunters who according

to recent reports launched campaigns tokill stray dogs using their licensed rifles.The groups proposed several solutions to

address the spread of stray animals inpublic, including establishing shelters forstray dogs supervised by the KuwaitMunicipality, castration, as well as find-ing suitable adopters.

German Shepherd Groupcondemns stray dog hunters

The Heritage Revival Society held a reception on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr in its premises. It was attended by a large number of people. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Heritage Revival Society hosts Eid reception

A group photo showing visitors of the Berjes Al-Berjes diwaniya at the annualgathering in which they sit and discuss several topics ranging between politics,social issues and other subjects.

Information

Embassy

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIAThe Embassy of Australia hasannounced that Kuwait citizens canapply for and receive visit visas in 10working days through www.immi.gov.au. Allother processing of visas and Immigrationmatters are handled by the Australian VisaApplication Centre located in Al BanwanBuilding, 4B, 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area, Ali AlSalem Street, Kuwait City. Visit. www.vfs-au-gcc.com for more info. The Embassy ofAustralia does not have a visa or immigrationdepartment. All processing of visas andimmigration matters is conducted by theAustralian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email:Info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VIS), immigra-tion.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office), Tel:+971 4 205 5900 (VFS), Fax: + 971 4 355 0708(Visa Office). Notary and passport services areavailable by appointment. Appointments canbe made by calling the Embassy on22322422.

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EMBASSY OF CANADAThe Embassy of Canada in Kuwait doesnot have a visa or immigration depart-ment. All processing of visa and immi-gration matters including enquiries isconducted by the Canadian Embassy in AbuDhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested inworking, studying, visiting or immigrating toCanada should contact the Canadian Embassyin Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca orwww.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy ofCanada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St,Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website atwww.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada isopen from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday throughThursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizensare provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sundaythrough Wednesday.

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EMBASSY OF US Parents of Kuwaiti citizen children maydrop off their sons’ and daughters’ visaapplications - completely free of an inter-view or a trip inside the Embassy. Thechildren must be under 14 years of age, andadditional requirements do apply, but the serv-ice means parents will no longer have to sched-ule individual appointments for their children,nor come inside the Embassy (unless they areapplying for themselves). The service is onlyavailable for children holding Kuwaiti pass-ports. To take advantage, parents must drop offthe following documents: Child Visa Drop-offcover sheet, available on the Embassy website(http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.htm)- Child’s passport; The Child’s previous pass-port, if it contains a valid US visa; 5x5cm photoof child with eyes open (if uploaded into DS-160, photos must be a .jpg between 600x600and 1200x1200 pixels, less than 240kb, andcannot be digitally altered); A completed DS-160 form; Visa Fee Receipt from Burgan Bank; Acopy of the valid visa of at least one parent. Ifone parent will not travel, provide a visa copyfor the traveling parent, and a passport copyfrom the non-traveling parent with a letter stat-ing no objection to the child’s travel. - For chil-dren of students (F2): a copy of the child’s I-20.

Children born in the US (with very fewexceptions) are US citizens and would not beeligible for a visa. Parents may drop off theapplication packet at Window 2 at the Embassyfrom 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Monday to Wednesday,excluding holidays. More information is avail-able on the U.S. Embassy website:kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.html

EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has thepleasure to announce that visa applica-tions must be submitted to SchengenVisa Application Centre (VFS office) locat-ed at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-SalemStreet, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking atSouk Watia). For information please call22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday toThursday). Working hours: Submission from08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to17:00. For visa applications please visit the fol-lowing website www.mfa.gr/kuwait.

W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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EMBASSY OF INDIAOn the occasion of the Independence Dayof India, a flag hoisting ceremony will beheld at the Indian Embassy premises at 7am on Thursday, August 15, 2013. This willbe followed by the reading of the message ofHon’ble President of India by the ambassador andsinging of patriotic songs. We expect a lot ofIndian nationals to participate in the function.

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EMBASSY OF VATICANThe Apostolic Nunciature Embassy ofthe Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait hasmoved to a new location in Kuwait City.Please find below the new address: Yarmouk,Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724,Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax:965 25342066. Email:nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com

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EMBASSY OF UK As of July 22, the British Embassy’s VisaApplication Center (VAC) will be extend-ing opening hours to be from 08:00 to15:00 (previously from 09:30 to 14:30). This willgenerate more appointments in addition tothe ones created from the Iftar opening timefrom 20:00 - 22:00. This step comes in responseto the increasing number of applicants duringsummer.

The Social Reform Society held a reception on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr in its premises and was attended by a large number of people.—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Social Reform Society hosts Eid reception

T V PR O G R A M SMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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0:25 Mummy Autopsy1:20 True Stories2:10 True Stories3:05 True Stories4:00 Animal Armageddon4:50 One Of A Kind5:00 One Of A Kind5:15 A Racing Car Is Born5:45 Joanna Lumley’s Nile6:35 The Aviators

03:15 Bargain Hunt04:00 New Scandinavian Cooking04:25 New Scandinavian Cooking04:55 Delicious Iceland05:25 Antiques Roadshow06:15 Cash In The Attic07:00 Cash In The Attic07:45 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent08:35 Bargain Hunt09:20 Antiques Roadshow10:10 The Hairy Bikers Come Home11:00 Masterchef: The Professionals12:00 DIY SOS12:25 Come Dine With Me13:15 Bargain Hunt14:00 Cash In The Attic14:45 Antiques Roadshow15:40 Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition17:00 Homes Under The Hammer17:55 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery18:20 Planet Cake18:50 Rick Stein’s Spain

3:00 Covert One: The Hades Factor6:00 The Presence8:00 Brake10:00 Paycheck12:00 Courageous14:15 Brake16:00 Austin Powers InGoldmember17:45 Courageous20:00 Imago Mortis22:00 Prowl0:00 Seventh Moon2:00 Imago Mortis

3:15 Saving Rhino Phila4:05 Predator’s Playground4:55 Animal Cops Houston5:45 Wild France6:35 Wildlife SOS7:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild7:25 My Cat From Hell8:15 The Most Extreme9:10 My Cat From Hell10:05 Big Five Challenge11:00 Animal Cops Philadelphia11:55 The Snake Buster12:20 Call Of The Wildman12:50 Call Of The Wildman13:15 Call Of The Wildman13:45 Animal ER14:40 Big Five Challenge15:30 Shamwari: A Wild Life16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild16:30 The Most Extreme17:25 Project Puppy17:50 Project Puppy18:20 Must Love Cats19:15 Going Ape19:40 Call Of The Wildman20:10 The Snake Buster20:35 Shamwari: A Wild Life21:05 Big Five Challenge22:00 Too Cute!22:55 My Cat From Hell23:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia0:45 Beast Lands1:35 Untamed & Uncut2:25 Big Five Challenge

3:25 Alone In The Wild4:15 The Weakest Link5:00 Buzz & Tell5:05 Bobinogs5:15 3rd & Bird5:25 Me Too!5:45 Garth And Bev5:55 Tweenies6:15 Buzz & Tell6:20 Bobinogs6:30 3rd & Bird6:40 Me Too!7:00 Garth And Bev7:10 Tweenies7:30 2 Point 4 Children8:00 ‘allo ‘allo!8:30 The Weakest Link9:15 Orang-Utan Diary9:45 Doctors10:15 Casualty11:05 Ray Mears’ Wild Foods11:55 2 Point 4 Children12:25 The Weakest Link13:10 ‘allo ‘allo!13:40 Orang-Utan Diary14:10 Doctors14:40 Casualty15:30 Alone In The Wild16:25 The Weakest Link17:10 Eastenders17:40 Doctors18:10 Lark Rise To Candleford19:00 My Family19:30 The Cafe20:00 Silent Witness21:40 Twenty Twelve22:10 Conviction23:00 My Hero23:30 My Family0:00 Lark Rise To Candleford0:50 The Cafe1:15 Eastenders1:45 Doctors2:15 My Hero2:45 Twenty Twelve

7:00 The Aviators7:30 Weaponology8:20 I Shouldn’t Be Alive9:10 World’s ToughestExpeditions With...10:05 True Stories10:55 Mummy Autopsy11:50 Hell On High Water12:45 Animal Armageddon13:40 Weaponology14:35 Into The Unknown WithJosh Bernstein15:25 I Shouldn’t Be Alive16:20 Danger Hunters17:10 Ultimate Cars17:35 A Racing Car Is Born18:05 Trashopolis19:00 Danger Hunters19:55 Final 2420:50 I Escaped Death21:45 Ultimate Cars22:10 A Racing Car Is Born22:35 Danger Hunters23:30 Final 24

3:00 A Kind Of Magic3:20 A Kind Of Magic3:45 Emperor’s New School4:05 Emperor’s New School4:30 Replacements4:50 Replacements5:15 A Kind Of Magic5:35 A Kind Of Magic6:00 Austin And Ally6:25 Suite Life On Deck6:45 Shake It Up7:10 A.N.T. Farm7:35 Jessie7:55 Good Luck Charlie8:20 Good Luck Charlie8:45 Doc McStuffins9:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse9:30 A.N.T. Farm9:55 A.N.T. Farm10:15 Jessie10:40 Jessie11:05 Good Luck Charlie11:25 Good Luck Charlie11:50 Good Luck Charlie12:15 Shake It Up12:35 Shake It Up13:00 Austin And Ally13:25 Austin And Ally13:45 A.N.T. Farm14:10 Pixel Perfect15:30 Good Luck Charlie15:50 Jessie16:10 Shake It Up16:35 A.N.T. Farm17:00 A.N.T. Farm17:20 Austin And Ally17:45 Good Luck Charlie18:10 Shake It Up18:30 Austin And Ally18:55 Austin And Ally19:20 Austin And Ally19:40 Austin And Ally20:05 A.N.T Farm20:30 Shake It Up20:50 Suite Life On Deck21:15 Austin And Ally21:40 That’s So Raven22:00 Jessie22:25 A.N.T Farm22:50 Good Luck Charlie23:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place0:00 Hannah Montana0:20 Hannah Montana0:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers1:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers1:30 Emperor’s New School1:50 Emperor’s New School2:15 Replacements2:35 Replacements

3:25 Unique Eats3:50 Food Crafters4:15 United Tastes Of America4:40 Chopped5:30 Iron Chef America6:10 Unwrapped6:35 Unwrapped7:00 Unwrapped7:25 Unwrapped

7:50 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts8:15 Unique Sweets8:40 Reza’s African Kitchen9:05 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook9:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes10:20 Extra Virgin10:40 Unique Sweets11:10 Unwrapped11:35 “Red, Hot And Yummy”12:00 The Next Food Network Star12:50 Reza’s African Kitchen13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics14:05 Tyler’s Ultimate14:30 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”14:55 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”15:20 Guy’s Big Bite15:45 Chopped16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics17:25 Tyler’s Ultimate17:50 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”18:15 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”18:40 Guy’s Big Bite19:05 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook19:30 Rachael vs. Guy: CelebrityCook Off20:20 Chopped21:10 Chopped22:00 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook22:25 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook22:50 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts23:15 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts23:40 Food Wars0:05 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”0:30 “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”0:55 United Tastes Of America1:20 United Tastes Of America1:45 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook2:10 Jonathan Phang’s CaribbeanCookbook2:35 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts

3:30 Banged Up Abroad4:25 Don’t Tell My Mother5:20 Banged Up Abroad6:15 Street Food Around TheWorld6:40 Eat Street7:10 Kimchi Chronicles7:35 Eat Street8:05 Scam City9:00 Earth Tripping9:25 Earth Tripping9:55 Ultimate Traveller10:50 Banged Up Abroad11:45 Don’t Tell My Mother12:40 Somewhere In China13:35 Market Values14:00 Eat Street14:30 Kimchi Chronicles14:55 Eat Street15:25 The Witch Doctor Will SeeYou Now16:20 Earth Tripping16:45 Earth Tripping17:15 Ultimate Traveller18:10 Banged Up Abroad19:05 Banged Up Abroad20:00 Kimchi Chronicles20:30 Eat Street21:00 Market Values21:30 Eat Street22:00 Banged Up Abroad22:55 Street Food Around TheWorld23:20 Kimchi Chronicles23:50 Exploring The Vine0:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita0:45 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita1:10 My Sri Lanka With PeterKuruvita1:40 Bondi Rescue2:05 Bondi Rescue2:35 Bondi Rescue

3:00 NBC Sunday Today Show4:00 MSNBC The Ed Show5:00 NBC Meet The Press6:00 ABC World News Now WithDavid Muir6:30 NBC Nightly News (Sat-Sun)7:00 ABC World News Now WithDavid Muir7:30 NBC Nightly News (Sat-Sun)8:00 ABC This Week With GStephanopoulos9:00 ABC World News Now WithDavid Muir9:30 NBC Nightly News (Sat-Sun)10:00 Live ABC World News Now10:30 Live ABC World News Now11:00 Live NBC Early Today11:30 Live ABC America ThisMorning12:00 Live ABC America ThisMorning12:30 Live ABC America ThisMorning13:00 Live ABC America ThisMorning13:30 MSNBC First Look14:00 Live NBC Today Show18:00 Live MSNBC News19:00 Live MSNBC Now With AlexWagner20:00 Live MSNBC Andrea MitchellReports21:00 Live MSNBC Newsnation22:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle23:00 Live MSNBC Martin Bashir0:00 Live MSNBC Hardball WithChris Matthews1:00 Live MSNBC Politicsnation2:00 Live NBC Nightly News2:30 ABC World News With DianeSawyer

3:00 Guys With Kids3:30 The Mindy Project4:00 Hope & Faith4:30 The Tonight Show With JayLeno5:30 Hope & Faith6:00 The War At Home6:30 Arrested Development7:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon8:00 Hope & Faith8:30 Hope & Faith9:00 Guys With Kids9:30 The Mindy Project10:00 Happy Endings10:30 Arrested Development11:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno12:00 The War At Home12:30 Hope & Faith13:00 Hope & Faith13:30 Arrested Development14:00 The Mindy Project14:30 The Mindy Project15:00 Happy Endings15:30 The Daily Show16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 The War At Home17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon18:00 Breaking In18:30 Friends19:00 Two And A Half Men19:30 1600 Penn20:00 Don’t Trust The B**** InApartment 2320:30 Wilfred21:00 The Daily Show GlobalEdition21:30 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition22:00 Family Guy22:30 Cougar Town23:00 Cougar Town23:30 Don’t Trust The B**** InApartment 230:00 Wilfred0:30 The Daily Show GlobalEdition1:00 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition1:30 Family Guy2:00 Cougar Town2:30 Cougar Town

1:00 AFL Premiership3:30 Futbol Mundial0:00 The PGA Championship9:30 ICC Cricket 36010:00 Live Cricket Test Match18:00 Trans World Sport19:00 Futbol Mundial19:30 Sailing Louis Vuitton CupHighlights20:00 Live Sailing Louis Vuitton Cup21:30 Cricket Test Match

Eydie Gorme, a popular nightclub and televisionsinger as a solo act and as a team with her husband,Steve Lawrence, has died. She was 84. Gorme, who

also had a huge solo hit in 1963 with “Blame it on theBossa Nova,” died Saturday at Sunrise Hospital in LasVegas following a brief, undisclosed illness, said her publi-cist, Howard Bragman. Gorme was a successful bandsinger and nightclub entertainer when she was invited tojoin the cast of Steve Allen’s local New York televisionshow in 1953.

She sang solos and also did duets and comedy skitswith Lawrence, a rising young singer who had joined theshow a year earlier. When the program became NBC’s“Tonight Show” in 1954, the young couple went with it.They married in Las Vegas in 1957 and later performed foraudiences there. Lawrence, the couple’s son David andother loved ones were by her side when she died,Bragman said. “Eydie has been my partner on stage andin life for more than 55 years,” Lawrence said in a state-ment. “I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and

even more the first time I heard her sing. While my per-sonal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of thegreatest pop vocalists of all time.”

Although usually recognized for her musical partner-ship with Lawrence, Gorme broke through on her ownwith the Grammy-nominated “Blame it on the BossaNova.” The bouncy tune about a dance craze of the timewas written by the Tin Pan Alley songwriting team ofBarry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Her husband had had anequally huge solo hit in 1962 with “Go Away Little Girl,”written by the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin andCarole King. Gorme would score another solo hit in 1964,but this time for a Spanish-language recording. Gorme,who was born in New York City to Sephardic Jewish par-ents, grew up speaking both English and Spanish. Whenshe and her husband were at the height of their career asa team in 1964, Columbia Records President GoddardLieberson suggested she put that Spanish to use in therecording studio. The result was “Amor,” recorded with theMexican combo Trio Los Panchos. The song became a hitthroughout Latin America, which resulted in more record-ings for the Latino market, and Lawrence and Gorme per-formed as a duo throughout Latin America.

“Our Spanish stuff outsells our English recordings,”Lawrence said in 2004. “She’s like a diva to the Spanishworld.” Gorme and Lawrence, meanwhile, had an impres-sive, long-lasting career in English-language music aswell, encompassing recordings and appearances on TV, innightclubs and in concert halls. Throughout it, they stuckfor the most part with the music of classic composers likeBerlin, Kern, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers andHammerstein, and other giants of Broadway andHollywood musicals. They eschewed rock ‘n’ roll andmade no apologies for it. “People come with a generalidea of what they’re going to get,” Lawrence said of theirshow in a 1989 interview. “They buy a certain cereal, andthey know what to expect from that package.”

Soon after their marriage, the pair had landed theirown TV program, “The Steve Lawrence and Eydie GormeShow,” which was a summer replacement for Allen. Notlong after that, however, Lawrence entered the Army, andGorme went on the nightclub circuit as a soloist until hisreturn to civilian life two years later. After his discharge,Lawrence and Gorme quickly reteamed, and their careerstook off. They appeared at leading nightclubs in LosAngeles, Chicago, New York and Las Vegas, combiningmusic with the comedy bits they had learned during theirapprenticeship on Allen’s show. With nightclubs dwin-dling in popularity in the 1980s, they moved their act tolarge theaters and auditoriums, drawing not only olderaudiences but also the Baby Boomers who had grown upon rock ‘n’ roll. Gorme, who was born Aug 16, 1928, beganto seriously consider a music career while still a student atWilliam Taft High School in New York City’s borough ofthe Bronx, where she had been voted the “Prettiest,Peppiest Cheerleader.” After graduation, she worked as aSpanish interpreter for a time but also sang on weekendswith the band of Ken Greenglass, who encouraged herand eventually became her manager. Her first big breakcame when she landed a tour with the Tommy Tuckerband, and she followed that up with gigs with TexBeneke, Ray Eberle and on radio and television. Amongher radio appearances was one on a Spanish languageshow, “Cita Con Eydie (“A Date with Eydie”), which wasbeamed to Latin America by Voice of America. — AP

Popular singer Eydie Gorme dies at 84

This 1956 file photo shows Eydie Gorme.

This photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureaushows Steve Lawrence, left, Edyie Gorme, center, andJerry Lewis during the MDA Telethon at the SaharaHotel, Sept 6, 1993. — AP photos

This Dec 29, 1957 file photo, shows Eydie Gorme andSteve Lawrence, both 22, on their wedding day in LasVegas.

ClassifiedsMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM LAST DAY OF RAMADAN TO WEDNESDAY (14/08/2013)

Fajr: 03:49Shorook 05:145Duhr: 11:53Asr: 15:28Maghrib: 18:31Isha: 19:54

Prayer timings

No: 15895

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Monday 12/8/2013Airlines Flt Route Time QTR 148 DOHA 0:05THY 5464 SABIHA 0:10RJA 644 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 0:30JZR 267 BEIRUT 0:20JZR 539 CAIRO 0:40THY 764 SABIHA 1:40ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA 1:45GFA 211 BAHRAIN 1:55AFG 416 JEDDAH 2:15UAE 853 DUBAI 2:25ETD 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 2:30THY 768 ISTANBUL 2:50RJA 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 3:10FDB 67 DUBAI 3:10RBG 555 ALEXANDRIA 3:15MSR 612 CAIRO 3:15QTR 138 DOHA 3:30THY 770 ISTANBUL 4:35DHX 170 BAHRAIN 5:10FDB 69 DUBAI 5:50QTR 6130 DOHA 6:05BAW 157 LONDON 6:30UAE 3857 DUBAI 3:45KAC 412 MANILA 6:15JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA 6:20JZR 529 ASYUT 6:40JZR 1541 CAIRO 6:25FDB 53 DUBAI 7:45UAE 855 DUBAI 8:25ABY 125 SHARJAH 8:50QTR 132 DOHA 9:00FDB 55 DUBAI 9:15ETD 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 9:30IRA 3407 MASHAD 10:35GFA 213 BAHRAIN 10:40IRC 6521 LAMERD 10:50MEA 404 BEIRUT 10:55MSC 403 ASYUT 11:35UAE 871 DUBAI 12:45MSR 610 CAIRO 13:00KAC 302 MUMBAI 7:50KAC 284 DHAKA 8:15KAC 352 COCHIN 9:55KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 7:25KAC 344 CHENNAI 9:35JZR 165 DUBAI 11:35JZR 503 LUXOR 7:40JZR 561 SOHAG 12:00JZR 241 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 12:35JZR 329 NAJAF 12:30KAC 742 DAMMAM 19:30THY 766 ISTANBUL 13:10KNE 480 TAIF 13:20FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50MPH 93 AMSTERDAM 13:55SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30KNE 472 JEDDAH 14:35OMA 645 MUSCAT 14:40

QTR 140 DOHA 14:55RJA 640 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 15:55QTR 134 DOHA 16:15ETD 303 ABU DHABI-INTL 16:35UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:10UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 17:15SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:20NIA 251 ALEXANDRIA 18:00FDB 63 DUBAI 18:55GFA 219 BAHRAIN 19:05MSC 405 SOHAG 19:15QTR 144 DOHA 19:25JAI 572 MUMBAI 19:35OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:00FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00ABY 129 SHARJAH 20:05MEA 402 BEIRUT 20:15MSR 618 ALEXANDRIA 20:30AXB 489 COCHIN 20:35MSC 401 ALEXANDRIA 21:00ALK 229 COLOMBO 21:10UAE 859 DUBAI 21:15ETD 307 ABU DHABI-INTL 21:30QTR 136 DOHA 21:35GFA 217 BAHRAIN 21:45QTR 146 DOHA 22:00JAI 576 COCHIN 22:05FDB 8057 DUBAI 15:35KAC 104 LONDON 18:45KAC 542 CAIRO 18:15KAC 118 NEW YORK 16:00KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 14:15KAC 786 JEDDAH 18:30KAC 672 DUBAI 13:40KAC 804 CAIRO 16:40KAC 788 JEDDAH 15:00KAC 774 RIYADH 19:25KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25KAC 562 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 20:45KAC 618 DOHA 19:10JZR 257 BEIRUT 14:30JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:50JZR 177 DUBAI 17:30JZR 189 DUBAI 20:10JZR 535 CAIRO 16:10FDB 59 DUBAI 22:20AIC 975 CHENNAI 22:25UAL 981 BAHRAIN 22:40TAR 327 TUNIS 22:55DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:10PIA 205 LAHORE 23:15JAI 574 MUMBAI 23:20MSR 614 CAIRO 23:30KLM 411 AMSTERDAM 23:40THY 772 ISTANBUL 23:45JZR 239 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 22:30JZR 135 BAHRAIN 23:00JZR 185 DUBAI 22:40

Departure Flights on Monday 12/8/2013Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 AHMEDABAD 0:05DHX 873 BAHRAIN 0:15JAI 573 MUMBAI 0:20UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:25DLH 637 FRANKFURT 0:30MSR 615 CAIRO 0:30FDB 8054 DUBAI 0:50PIA 206 PESHAWAR 0:55THY 5465 ISTANBUL 1:10RJA 645 AMMAN 1:30JZR 502 LUXOR 1:30THY 773 ISTANBUL 2:20THY 765 ISTANBUL 2:40ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45AFG 416 KABUL 3:15THY 769 ISTANBUL 3:40UAE 854 DUBAI 3:45FDB 68 DUBAI 3:50RBG 556 ALEXANDRIA 3:55MSR 613 CAIRO 4:15ETD 306 ABU DHABI 4:20QTR 139 DOHA 4:25UAE 3858 DUBAI 5:10QTR 149 DOHA 5:15JZR 560 SOHAG 5:35FDB 70 DUBAI 6:30RJA 643 AMMAN 6:35GFA 212 BAHRAIN 7:00THY 771 ISTANBUL 7:10JZR 240 AMMAN 7:10KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 7:20JZR 164 DUBAI 7:25QTR 6131 DOHA 7:35BAW 156 LONDON 8:25FDB 54 DUBAI 8:25JZR 256 BEIRUT 8:50JZR 534 CAIRO 9:10JZR 328 AL NAJAF 9:15KAC 671 DUBAI 9:25ABY 126 SHARJAH 9:30KAC 787 JEDDAH 9:35UAE 856 DUBAI 9:50FDB 56 DUBAI 9:55QTR 133 DOHA 10:00KAC 803 CAIRO 10:05ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:15GFA 214 BAHRAIN 11:25KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30IRA 3406 MASHHAD 11:35KAC 165 ROME 11:45IRC 6522 LAMERD 11:50MEA 405 BEIRUT 11:55JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:25KAC 103 LONDON 12:30MSC 406 SOHAG 12:35KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:00JZR 176 DUBAI 13:20MSR 611 CAIRO 14:00

THY 767 ISTANBUL 14:10KNE 481 TAIF 14:10UAE 872 DUBAI 14:15FDB 58 DUBAI 14:30KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05MPH 93 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL 15:25KNE 473 JEDDAH 15:30KAC 561 AMMAN 15:30OMA 646 MUSCAT 15:40SVA 501 JEDDAH 15:45KAC 617 DOHA 15:45KAC 773 RIYADH 16:00JZR 188 DUBAI 16:00QTR 141 DOHA 16:15FDB 8058 DUBAI 16:20KAC 741 DAMMAM 16:30RJA 641 AMMAN 16:55JZR 238 AMMAN 17:05QTR 135 DOHA 17:20ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:20JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40ABY 128 SHARJAH 17:50UAE 858 DUBAI 18:15GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:20SVA 511 RIYADH 18:20UAL 982 BAHRAIN 18:30JZR 184 DUBAI 18:30JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:40NIA 252 ALEXANDRIA 19:00FDB 64 DUBAI 19:35GFA 220 BAHRAIN 19:50JZR 134 BAHRAIN 20:05KAC 283 DHAKA 20:15MSC 404 ASYUT 20:15JAI 571 MUMBAI 20:35FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40ABY 120 SHARJAH 20:45QTR 145 DOHA 20:45KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM 20:50OMA 648 MUSCAT 20:55KAC 351 KOCHI 21:05MEA 403 BEIRUT 21:15MSR 619 ALEXANDRIA 21:30DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:50MSC 402 ALEXANDRIA 22:00ETD 308 ABU DHABI 22:15ALK 230 COLOMBO 22:20UAE 860 DUBAI 22:25QTR 137 DOHA 22:35KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:40GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:45FDB 60 DUBAI 23:00KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00QTR 147 DOHA 23:05JAI 575 ABU DHABI 23:05JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 23:20JZR 1540 CAIRO 23:25KAC 411 BANGKOK 23:40TAR 328 DUBAI 23:45

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CHANGE OF NAME

FOR SALE

I , Kapil Mohan holder ofIndian Passport no: K3655272 hereby wish tochange my name to KapilMohan George

7-8-2013

I, Hasanali AsgeraliBadnawarwala, holder ofIndian Passport No:J3503961 hereby changemy name to HASANALIASGERALI KALIMI. (C 4476)

5-8-2013

I, Sahana, holder ofPassport No: F 1472571,hereby change my name toSHAIKH SAHANA. (C 4457)

4-8-2013

Toyota Fortuner SUV,white, December 2006, no

SITUATION VACANT

LOST

For a family of two adults, alive in house boy and homecare. Good English andArabic is preferred, transfer-able visa. Contact: 99060969.

11-8-2013SHARQIA-1THE SMURFS 2 (DIG) 11:45 AMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 2:00 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 4:15 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 6:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 8:30 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 11:00 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-2DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 12:15 PMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG-3D) 2:30 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 4:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 6:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 8:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 10:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3PACIFIC RIM (DIG) 11:30 AMRED 2 (DIG) 2:15 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 5:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 7:30 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 10:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1STREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 12:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 3:30 PMTUE+WEDDigital (2D)CHENNAI EXPRESS (DIG) (HINDI) 3:00 PMNO FRIATTARINTIKI DAREDI (DIG)(TELUGU) 3:00 PMFRISTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 6:00 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 8:30 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 10:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:45 AMNO TUE+WED

MUHALAB-2RED 2 (DIG) 11:15 AMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG) 1:45 PMRED 2 (DIG) 4:15 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 6:30 PMRED 2 (DIG) 9:30 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:05 AMNO TUE+WED

MUHALAB-3DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 11:45 AMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 2:00 PMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG-3D) 4:00 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 6:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 8:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 10:15 PMRED 2 (DIG) 12:15 AM

FANAR-1DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 11:00 AMRED 2 (DIG) 1:30 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 3:45 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 5:45 PMRED 2 (DIG) 8:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 10:15 PM

RED 2 (DIG) 12:45 AMNO TUE+WEDFANAR-2STREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 11:15 AMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 1:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 4:00 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 6:15 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 8:15 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 10:30 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:30 AMNO TUE+WED

FANAR-3THE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:00 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 3:00 PMCHENNAI EXPRESS (DIG) (HINDI) 6:00 PMCHENNAI EXPRESS (DIG) (HINDI) 9:00 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-1THE LONE RANGER (DIG) 11:15 AMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 2:15 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 4:15 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 7:00 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 9:00 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-2EL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 12:00 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 2:00 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 4:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 6:30 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 8:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 10:45 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 12:45 AM

MARINA-3THE SMURFS 2 (DIG-3D) 11:00 AMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 1:30 PMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG-3D) 3:30 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 6:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 8:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 10:15 PMRED 2 (DIG) 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1STREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 11:30 AMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 1:45 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 4:00 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 6:15 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 8:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 10:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 1:00 AMNO TUE+WED

AVENUES-2PACIFIC RIM (DIG) 1:30 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 4:15 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 7:00 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 9:45 PMPACIFIC RIM (DIG) 12:30 AMNO TUE+WED

AVENUES-3HAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 3:00 PM

HAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 5:15 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 7:30 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 9:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:05 AMNO TUE+WED

360º- 1RED 2 (DIG) 11:30 AMRED 2 (DIG) 2:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 4:30 PMRED 2 (DIG) 7:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 9:30 PMRED 2 (DIG) 12:05 AM

360º- 2THE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:15 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 3:15 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 6:15 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 9:15 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:15 AM

360º- 3DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 11:15 AMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 1:30 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 3:45 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 6:00 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 8:15 PMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG) 10:30 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 11:45 AMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 1:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 3:45 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 6:00 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 8:00 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 10:00 PMTHE LONE RANGER (DIG) 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.2THE SMURFS 2 (DIG) 12:15 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 2:30 PMTHE SMURFS 2 (DIG) 4:30 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG) 6:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 8:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 10:45 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3RED 2 (DIG) 12:30 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 3:00 PMRED 2 (DIG) 5:15 PMSTREET DANCE ALL STARS (DIG) 7:30 PMRED 2 (DIG) 9:45 PMNO TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-1DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 11:15 AMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 1:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 3:15 PMDESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) 5:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 7:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 9:15 PMEL7ARAMY & EL3ABIET (DIG) 11:15 PMHAMMER OF G’S (DIG) 1:15 AMNO TUE+WED

Lost Civil ID No:264060101777 by the nameMohammed Shish AbdulKarim Dalal. Finder pleasecontact 99517914.

5-8-2013

accident, 2700cc, alterna-tive 4-wheel driving,115,000 km, Al Sayer main-tenance, 4 new tires, cov-ered cabin, KD 3700. Tel:99766343. (C 4477)

5-8-2013

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Some volunteer work may keep you busy most of this day. This could be inhelping friends, contributing your expertise in a community project or a little time spent in areligious project. You like to care for others and this can be quite a fulfilling day if you do notoverdo or push on into the time you need for yourself. There is a giving-up of much superficiali-ty in favor of in-depth learning and self-discipline—separating the wheat from the chaff inyour personality. A bout of philosophy or even a little religion could have an enormous effecton the way you look at your career during this time. Lasting values, whatever you find to betrue and enduring, can guide you now—opening up avenues that have previously beenblocked.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Emotional security, a sense of belonging and nurturing are felt instinctively.You want roots and you may crave a sense of intimate, lasting connection, a castle against theuncertainty of the world. It is time to talk about ways in which one can place money aside forrainy days or travel dreams. Your close friends may have ideas in which you could save or invest.Find ways in which your money will work for you, yet will be difficult to cash in quickly. Ofcourse, the business world of money transactions is not open today but planning can be bene-ficial. This will help you to reach your goals of travel, redecorating, large purchases, education,etc., faster and with less frustration. Your love relationship is improving and family matters havelevity.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

There is a drive to probe and penetrate today and this may find you examin-ing and working through some strong internal changes. Push too hard and you

could be too dominating, even oppressive to yourself and others. Being more involved withneighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need and finds you involved in sharing storiesor experiences that can bring about much laughter. Later today you may feel that emotionalsecurity, a sense of belonging and nurturing are most important. These issues are felt instinc-tively now. Your health report is good, but you must pay more attention to diet and nutrition.An exercise class that is competitive becomes an activity in which you enjoy becominginvolved. You make great progress!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A strong devotional nature becomes apparent to anyone who takes time to knowthe real you. You love attention and somehow you can manage to gravitate to the

center of almost any group or happening this afternoon. You enjoy expressing yourself and could findyourself entertaining others. Your living area reflects your personality and there may be some funtimes spent in redecorating or shuffling things around to look different. Let yourself dream today.These days do not come too often—do not ignore the opportunity to let your imagination loose.Perhaps a good book or movie will take on that more-than-real dimension. Going with the flow of theday seems right. Romance is possible. Consider the placement of the stars and planets this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

This is a great time to be with others and to play or work together.Part of this day is filled with opportunities to be with your loved ones in someextremely inspiring surroundings. This could mean a trip to a planetarium, a specialplay, a musical, an art show, etc. Short travel expeditions could be in order and asense of belonging and nurturing are the issues that are felt instinctively now. Youlove your roots, whether home and family, ancestors or history in general. You areprobably a collector and very discriminating in this area. You appreciate emotionsand like to get a sense or feel for whatever is happening. This is a wonderful time tobuild on relationships.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

You have a searing vision that cuts through what passes for conventionalreligion. This is a vision of the endless process of life ever being born all new. There is greatacceptance and faith in the natural process and the next generation. You may enjoy some timeon a nearby lake with a friend or loved one—perhaps a picnic. This afternoon you find yourselfentertaining children. You love children and animals and may find that they are just naturallyattracted to you. Before the day is over, these children end up entertaining you. A quick huddleto put ideas together and by the evening all of you could put on a talent show to the parents.Perhaps you enjoy entertaining others—you instill that fun into these kids. Laughter and joy isa contagious thing.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

There is a yearning to broaden horizons and widen your experiencesin this life—a kind of spiritual wanderlust takes center stage in your life now. You couldfind yourself visiting a different religious group with a friend today. You may becomeinvolved in conversations surrounding religious matters with a variety of your friends.There is no debate, just review of different religious classes. All life seems linked togetherand connected. You may have an interesting view of the world, the universe and your-self. There is spiritual growth and imagination. There are many ways of seeing throughthe separateness in the world—to the unity behind it. You may spend much of the after-noon in relaxation.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

This is a good time to organize your affairs or rearrange your livingarea—perhaps a summer cleaning. Your home environment, friends and sur-

roundings in general get attention. There are good conversations with young people andperhaps some insight into their thinking. This time is known for being quite lucky and full offortunate circumstances that create fortunate changes—new people and objects of beauty.Your intensity and passionate approach to life are obvious to all who meet you. Life wouldbe boring if we were all the same. If you are willing to relax this afternoon—just letting lifeflow to you—you could be in for wonderful surprises. You could be heading for a delightful-ly romantic evening with someone special.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Marriage, children, animals or gardening can be enjoyed this morning. Asthe day progresses, you may find the occult, psychology, initiation and mysti-

cism of great interest and may even find yourself at some sort of a psychic fair. You are con-stantly involved in personal change as a lifelong habit. Sometimes you even feel a new personemerging as you learn new insights on human behaviors that help you grow and share a newyou with others. You could write, create and investigate a number of scientific phenomena andenjoy every moment. Check out the latest scientific research . . . You could join the team—theresearch can be thrilling. Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant this after-noon, particularly with groups of people.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

CAPRICORNEmotional considerations may block the way you want to move today.

Someone may get pushy or obscure the real choices and the right path. Youhave no trouble putting your feelings into words. In fact, you may have to exercise some con-trol over your tongue—for you are quick to say things. Everything you communicate packs awallop. Getting away to think by yourself can bring you the answers you need. Emotional secu-rity, a sense of belonging and nurturing are the things that are felt instinctively now. You wantroots and you crave a sense of intimate connection that will last—a castle against the vicissi-tudes of the world, so to speak. Let a love relationship blossom—do not push issues or feelings

too much today. This is a day for joy.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Everyone’s communication skills are at a high just now. Interactions withfriends and family can be fun. Others will find you most natural and full of energy to do mostanything today. Ideas, mental things, information exchange and the interrelating of all theseare central to your day. You could bring imagination and religious understanding to physicaland scientific studies. There is the possibility of new visions or sudden insights into your self-image or into your ideals and dreams. You may do some thinking on reshaping and renewingyour philosophy or religion—your imagination is at full tilt. There are breakthroughs in compas-sion and communion. The mind simply cannot focus on misery when it is flooded with thedesire to heal and be happy.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Everything points to your taking the initiative today in the family or a lovepartner’s activities. You are the inspiration and driving force in the lives of others. A born coachor teacher, you are at home in the physical areas of life. You are quite able to manage a veryactive and strong emotional life. Strong spirit, attractive, direct, perhaps loud—you are drivento excel in any form of physical and creative expression—sports, theatrics, arts and crafts, what-ever. This urge to express yourself, to speak out and be heard, propels you into many an inter-esting situation. Communicating and getting your message across to others is at a high justnow. Your timing should be perfect and those around you should find you most spontaneousand alive.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 277

ACROSS1. Tear down so as to make f lat with theground.5. Distinctive and stylish elegance.12. A rapid bustling commotion.15. Slightly open.16. The ball-shaped capsule containing the ver-tebrate eye.17. A boy or man.18. Relating to or characteristic of Jainism.19. American dwarf fan palms.20. Either of two large African antelopes of thegenus Taurotragus having short spirally twistedhorns in both sexes.22. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified per-son (especially yourself ).23. (informal) Uncomplimentary terms for apoliceman.24. (Greek mythology) Immortal winged horsethat sprang from the blood of the slainMedusa.26. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.28. Scandinavian liquor usually flavored withcaraway seeds.34. (Greek mythology) The Muse of history.36. A British peer ranking below a Marquessand above a Viscount.37. Highly concentrated or intense.39. A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalentand univalent) metallic element.40. The compass point that is one point northof due east.41. A small island.43. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythol-ogy.44. Someone who works (or provides workers)during a strike.46. A church associated with a monastery orconvent.49. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa.50. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which thepilot is talked down by ground control usingprecision approach radar.51. A compartment in front of a motor vehiclewhere driver sits.53. (in golf ) The standard number of strokes setfor each hole on a golf course, or for the entirecourse.54. The compass point midway between eastand southeast.56. Indian nun and missionary (born in Albania)dedicated to helping the poor in India (1910-1997).60. The United Nations agency concerned withatomic energy.63. Transportation of people or goods by air(especially when other means of access areblocked).68. The willful and unlawful crippling or mutila-tion of another person.71. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.72. A fabric woven with lisle thread.75. Plot of land belonging to an English parishchurch or an ecclesiastical office.76. A Russian river.77. A shed containing a number of beehives.79. An Arabic speaking person who lives inArabia or North Africa.80. An opening that permits escape or release.81. A member of a Caddo people formerly liv-ing in north central Texas.82. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN1. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.2. A genus of Platalea.3. A person who has died and has been

declared a saint by canonization.4. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a shortwedge-shaped white tail.5. The basic unit of money in Uruguay.6. Low spreading tropical American shrub withlong slender leaves used to make a mildly stim-ulating drink resembling tea.7. A long projecting or anterior elongation ofan animal's head.8. A loose sleeveless outer garment made fromaba cloth.9. A high-crowned black cap (usually made offelt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey andIran and the Caucasus.10. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to100 liters.11. Resembling or characteristic of or appropri-ate to an elegy.12. By bad luck.13. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.14. The probability of a specified outcome.21. Situated at or extending to the side.25. (Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology.27. Naked freshwater or marine or parasiticprotozoa that form temporary pseudopods forfeeding and locomotion.29. An island republic in the west central Pacificjust south of the equator.30. A ballroom dance in triple time with astrong accent on the first beat.31. A social unit living together.32. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay.33. The Mon-Khmer language spoken inCambodia.35. United States screenwriter and filmmaker(born in 1944).38. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.42. A school for students intermediate betweenelementary school and college.45. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar tobut heavier than beer.47. Date used in reckoning dates before thesupposed year Christ was born.48. The compass point that is one point east ofdue south.52. The biblical name for ancient Syria.55. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in theDali region of Yunnan.57. (Jewish cookery) A loaf of white bread con-taining eggs and leavened with yeast.58. United States space station.59. The sound of sheep or goats (or any soundresembling this) v 1.61. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on askewer usually with vegetables.62. Naked freshwater or marine or parasiticprotozoa that form temporary pseudopods forfeeding and locomotion.64. A large genus of dicotyledonous trees andshrubs of the family Aquifoliaceae that havesmall flowers and berries (including hollies).65. (the feminine of raja) A Hindu princess orthe wife of a raja.66. A slick spokesperson who can turn any criti-cism to the advantage of their employer.67. A native American tent.69. A soft white precious univalent metallic ele-ment having the highest electrical and thermalconductivity of any metal.70. Queen of the Olympian gods in ancientGreek mythology.73. Intentionally so written (used after a print-ed word or phrase).74. A period marked by distinctive character orreckoned from a fixed point or event.78. A Loloish language.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Word Search

34s ta r s

Daily SuDoku

inf or m at ionMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

Al-Madeena 22418714

Al-Shuhada 22545171

Al-Shuwaikh 24810598

Al-Nuzha 22545171

Sabhan 24742838

Al-Helaly 22434853

Al-Faiha 22545051

Al-Farwaniya 24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983

Al-Fahaheel 23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983

Ahmadi 23980088

Al-Mangaf 23711183

Al-Shuaiba 23262845

Al-Jahra 25610011

Al-Salmiya 25616368

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada) 25655535

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

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 0062

Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677

INTERNATIONALCALLS

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

l if e s t y l eG O S S I P

Grammy-winner Chris Brown has suffered a seizurebrought on by intense fatigue and extreme emo-tional stress, his publicist said Saturday. The “Look At

Me Now” singer suffered a non-epileptic seizure earlyFriday morning while he was working in a Los Angeles stu-dio, Nicole Perna said via email. Perna said Brown’s doctorattributes the episode to “intense fatigue and extremeemotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught ofunfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity.” Thedoctor examined the 24-year-old but he wasn’t hospital-ized. The singer has been on felony probation since the2009 beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown has been inand out of court since the Rihanna assault, making reportson fulfilling the requirements of his five-year supervisedprobation term. A judge revoked his probation last monthand ordered a hearing in a May 12 hit-and-run case, in

which he is suspected of rear-ending a car stopped at a redlight in the San Fernando Valley. Brown allegedly refused togive the other driver his license or insurance information.The driver of the other car said Brown was polite at first, buta confrontation arose after she kept demanding identifica-tion. The woman said she took a picture of Brown and apassenger, “and then they went ballistic,” shouting exple-tives and grabbing at her camera before speeding off. Thewoman said she didn’t know who Brown was until a friendcalled and told her about an online report of the incident.In February, the Sheriff’s Department investigated a fightbetween Brown and singer Frank Ocean at a recording stu-dio, but Ocean declined to pursue a battery case againstBrown. The same month, Brown crashed his Porsche whilebeing chased by paparazzi. Brown won a Grammy in 2011for Best R&B Album with “F.A.M.E.”

Chris Brown suffers seizure because of stress

Price in hospital rush to save baby

Katie Price feared for her unborn babyafter she was reportedly rushed to aEuropean hospital last night. The former

glamour model and husband Kieran Haylersaw their holiday turn into a “horror film” asthey were driven to a public hospital after thestar’s amniotic sac - a bag of fluid in the womb- had torn and risked becoming infected. Aninsider told The Sun on Sunday newspaper:“When they got there it was like somethingfrom a horror film. All Katie could see were bigwide, white corridors and harsh strip lighting.“It looked deserted. Eventually, some medics ingreen gowns and masks appeared. “Katie wasdistressed and bleary eyed and shouting any-thing to communicate with them.” The babywas not thought to be due for another 10weeks, but she was told it could be born “with-in a week” - and doctors are doing all they canto “prevent infection” and protect the baby.The source said: “Katie is now hooked up todrips and heart monitors in a country whereshe doesn’t speak the language and doesn’tknow anyone. “She was told she had no choicebut to stay, or risk the child’s life. Of course shestayed. The doctors are doing everything theycan and the baby should be OK providing theycan keep Katie stable, prevent infection anddelay the labor. “They have also told her shewill give birth within a week. But of course sheis worried - everyone is.”

Lovatowon’t go clubbing

Demi Lovato doesn’t trust herself to go clubbing. ‘TheX Factor’ USA judge - who spent time in rehab for sub-stance abuse, eating disorders and self harm in 2010 -

won’t allow herself to enter a nightclub in case it makes herfall back into her old ways. Speaking to OK! magazine, shesaid: “You have to be in a good mind space. I don’t go out toclubs or anything like that because for me it’s a trigger. I’mconstantly doing things to better myself. “It’s hard to do onmy own. I sometimes rely on my team around me; my friendsand my family and my management. It’s too much to handlealready, and when you’re in the public eye, it makes it twice ashard. That’s why, fortunately, I’ve surrounded myself with peo-

ple I can trust to help me get through it. I feel like I can over-come anything.” Demi recently set up the Lovato TreatmentScholarship in memory of her father, Patrick Lovato, whopassed away earlier this year. She explained: “When my fatherpassed away, it was something that was really, really difficultfor me to get through. “He suffered from mental illness and italienated him from the outside world - even family membersincluding myself. “I’m partnering with CAST Recovery [asocial-services agency] to provide treatment for people withaddictions or mood disorders. I wish there was something Icould have done when my dad was alive but unfortunately Icouldn’t so I’m doing everything now.”

Miley Cyrus wants her father toattend therapy with her. The20-year-old singer was left

distraught after Billy Ray Cyrus splitwith her mother, Tish, and althoughthe pair have now reconciled, Mileywants to seek professional assistanceto help work through her issues withher dad. A source told Star magazine:“Just because her mom has taken himback doesn’t mean that all is cool withMiley. It was her idea to enter counsel-ing and Billy agreed. “Miley has alwaysbeen Daddy’s little girl and she wantsto be able to love him like that again.”The ‘We Can’t Stop’ hitmaker recentlyhit out at Billy via Twitter, demandingthat he “tell the truth” before she does,when she hadn’t been able to contacthim via phone. She tweeted: “@bil-lyraycyrus since you won’t reply to mytexts I’m giving you an hour to tell thetruth or ill tell it for you (sic).” Mileyalso attached an image of herself withan unknown woman with the tweet,but she deleted the post just minuteslater. Four minutes after the explosivetweet had been erased, Miley wrote:“My twitter was just actin all types ofcray! (sic)”

Cyrus wants dad to attend therapy

Kanye West has invested over £1 million on anti-kidnap cars to protect his family, according toreports. The ‘Clique’ hitmaker will spare no

expense in ensuring the safety of his partner KimKardashian and their two-month-old daughter North,and he has ordered matching bullet and bomb-proofvehicles to travel around Los Angeles. The rapper hascommissioned a £250,000 Chevrolet Kodiak - based

on Barack Obama’sLimo One - while Kimwill be given an£800,000 armoredSUV called thePrombron IronDiamond. An insidertold the Daily StarSunday newspaper:“Kanye is fully awarethat his new family isso high-profile theyattract the attentionof weirdos and psy-chopaths. “He aimsto leave nothing to

chance. His priority is to get delivery of the vehicles,especially Kim’s, before he begins his US tour inOctober.” Besides the armored cars - which werebought on the advice of Jay Z - Kanye is also insistingboth he and the ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’star always have at least two bodyguards. The sourceadded: “If there have been any kidnapping threatsagainst their daughter, he isn’t saying. But that fear isclearly in his mind. “Kanye is also acutely aware thatKim has enemies who are resentful for her reality TV

success and the thought of anything happening toher or Nori, their nickname for North, is his

worst nightmare.”

West buying £1 million

anti-kidnap cars

Cowell using J-Lo as messanger to lover

Simon Cowell has reportedly been using JenniferLopez to pass messages to his pregnant lover. Themedia mogul is lying low in the midst of his lovechild

drama and the singer is helping him stay in contact withsocialite Lauren Silverman during her on-going divorcefrom her husband Andrew. An insider told the SundayExpress newspaper: “She and Lauren have met at leasttwice. There have been quite a few phone calls between thetwo. “Lauren has come to regard Jen as her only lifeline toSimon. The arrangement has taken a lot of stress out of hersituation. Jen has assured her Simon would never, everleave her and their unborn child out to hang. “While Jenisn’t altogether comfortable playing sob sister, she’s cometo understand how worried Lauren is and let her know shewill continue to be there for her.” Meanwhile the ‘X Factor’boss has reportedly held a secret meeting with Andrew inNew York as the former friends attempt to clear the air.Speaking to The Sun on Sunday newspaper, a sourcerevealed: “Simon must have gone to great lengths to makesure this meeting was kept private because he didn’t eventell his close friends. “No doubt it was difficult for both ofthem but they must have felt it needed to happen. “SimonAlways believes seeing someone in person to talk about

Halle Berry was told tobe “sexier” when shewas a Bond girl. The

46-year-old actress - who waspictured emerging from thewater in an orange bikini forin a classic scene in 2002’ s‘Die Another Day’ - was urgedto up her sex appeal for theshots, and she joked if shetried any harder to pose shewould displace the alignmentof her hip joint. She told TotalFilm magazine: “The sea wasfreezing! I had to do it quite afew times too. I went in thewater and I went out thewater. Then I had to walk upthe beach in a ‘certain way’.“They kept saying, ‘Can yoube sexier?’, and I was likeshouting back at them, ‘this isall the sexy I got! I’m gonnaget hip dysplasia if I try andmake it any sexier!’ “ Althoughthe brunette beauty hintedPierce Brosnan is herfavourite James Bond, sheapplauded Daniel Craig forhis sex appeal. Halle added: “Ithought that [Daniel’s emerg-ing from the sea shot] waspretty sexy. I was like, goodfor him! I worked with Pierce,so I’ll always have myfavourite...” Although she wasbanned from watching thespy films when she was grow-ing up her appreciation forthe action flick grew withtime. Quizzed on whether shethought she would be a Bondgirl when she was younger,she explained: “My motherthought the Bond films weretoo adult for me to watchwhen I was growing up, so Inever really had a chance tothink about it. “It was only as Igot older I became aware ofBond.”

Berry had to be ‘sexier’ as a Bond girl

Kelly Osbournethought cancer would kill mumKelly Osbourne thought her mother

Sharon was going to die from cancer.The 28-year-old star admits she

feared for ‘The X Factor’ judge’s life after shewas struck down with colon cancer in 2002,but the devastating news made her realisethe importance of life and forced her toappreciate her mum more. Speaking to theUK edition of Cosmopolitan magazine, shesaid: “I became my mum’s nurse 24/7. I gaveher injections and medicines when she hadseizures. I even had a parking space at thehospital with my name on it. I thought I wasgoing to lose her - it was awful. “I used towake up every morning and go, ‘My mum isso stupid, she doesn’t know anything’. Now Iwake up and I go, ‘Mum is so smart. Whydidn’t I listen to her when I was younger?She’s the best mother - and friend - in theworld and it makes me want to cry sayingthat. “Just a year later in 2003, the ‘FashionPolice’ star was hit with another heart break-ing revelation that her father, OzzyOsbourne, had been involved in a quad-bike crash - which caused him to fractureeight ribs and a vertebra in his neck - so shenursed him back to health. She explained:“He couldn’t move from the neck down andwas basically a paraplegic, so I slept on thefloor by the side of his bed for four months.I brushed his teeth and washed his clothes,and every day we’d put on our swimsuitsand I’d shower him. “Not many people cansay they’ve wiped their mother and father’sarses more than they’ve wiped their own.”

37L I F E S T Y L EMONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

G O S S I P

Kate Moss’earnings

tripled in 2012

The supermodel made a whopping£11.7 million from October 2011 toOctober 2012, ranking in almost

three times the amount she earned theprevious year. The Telegraph newspaperreports that figures filed at CompaniesHouse show her business Tilly Churchposted profits of almost £8 million,while her second company, Skate LLP,brought in £3.8 million. The 39-year-oldveteran model also has a number oflucrative deals, having been the face ofRimmel cosmetics for the past ten years.2012 saw Kate create her own lipstickline for Rimmel and appear in theOlympics Closing Ceremony, as well asshooting high profile ad campaigns forMango, Rag & Bone and Dior Addict.Her earnings this year are expected tofar exceed that, notably thanks to hernew accessories range for CarphoneWarehouse and new campaigns for thelikes of Versace, Givenchy, Matchlessand St Tropez. Mum-of-one Kate is oneof the rare models to have worked con-tinuously throughout her career and isexpected to continue into her 40sthanks to the strong brand she hasbuild. She first shot to fame with a top-less Calvin Klein jeans advert when shewas just 16 and is coming full circle inJanuary by appearing topless on thecover of Playboy magazine’s 60thanniversary edition.

The ‘How We Do’ singer never leaves the house without slickingon her signature bright red lipstick and says the bold make-uplook is an instant confidence boost. She told US Glamour mag-

azine: “Wearing red lipstick, in my opinion, is the simplest way tomake an impact. As soon as I slick it on, I feel instantly pulled togeth-er, more powerful, more womanly. I wear it all, almost every day.” The22-year-old star started experimenting with red lips in a bid to giveher daring style more edge as a teenager. Rita said: “My taste forstanding out started when I worked at a sneaker store in highschool. People would constantly compliment me on my bright train-

ers, and I found myself loving the unexpected attention. “It got tothe point where I actually started feeling disappointed when no onesaid, ‘Oh, I like that!’ I soon added the red lipstick for extra punch,and it’s been a staple ever since.” The blonde also admits she feels aconnection to the strong and inspirational women in her familywhenever she wears the beauty product. Rita added: “Gwen Stefaniand Marilyn Monroe are my inspirations. But the deep connection Ihave with red lipstick stems from women in my family. “My mumand auntie and gran were these strong women who wore it andlooked incredibly glam. They truly knew how to embrace make-up.

Summers, Yellen both ‘highly qualified’ for Fed

Chrissy Teigen is upset about losing herwedding vows. The Sports Illustratedmodel revealed she lost the touching

promises she penned to make to her fianceJohn Legend at their upcoming nuptials aftershe accidentally deleted them from her com-puter’s hard drive. The brunette beauty, whorecently revealed she never wears underwear,shared her misery on Twitter on Saturday,shortly before flying to Tokyo, Japan, writing:“completely lost everything on my hard drivewith no chance of recovery. now I have towrite my vows all over again.” The 27-year-oldmodel is set to tie the knot with the ‘OrdinaryPeople’, 34, hitmaker in early September near

Lake Como in Italy. A source previouslyrevealed that they chose the scenic locationbecause “that’s where they fell in love.” Theinsider said that the couple’s guests would bestaying in a hotel in the region for about fouror five days for the celebration. Chrissy, whogot engaged to John in 2011 after four yearsof dating, is letting her wedding planner havecomplete control of her big day. She recentlysaid: “I’m excited. I can’t wait for the ceremo-ny. [John] and I have been working and trav-elling so much that we just let our weddingplanner do everything. We’re not neuroticabout it. I just want to finally see all of myfriends in one area.”

Teigen deletes wedding vows

Spears’ ex-husbandto marry

long-term girlfriendBritney Spears’ ex-hus-

band is set to marry hislong-term girlfriend this

weekend. The ‘Till The WorldEnds’ hitmaker’s former spouseKevin Federline, with whomshe has two sons, SeanPreston, seven, and JaydenJames, six, obtained his mar-riage licence with VictoriaPrince in Las Vegas on Fridaynight shortly after a surpriseproposal. A source toldUsMagazine.com: “Kevin toldher he was going to Vegas for ajob, but he surprised her byproposing and [then plans on]marrying her while they arethere. “Victoria really wantedthis for a long time so she’sgotta be blown away. She’s proven herself with him from day one. Victoriais an awesome girl.” A source also told People.com that the couple, whosedaughter, Jordan Kay, is set to turn two next week, was granted a mar-riage licence at 8.42pm on Friday night. Kevin, 35, began dating Britney,31, in mid 2004 shortly after his split from long-term girlfriend SharJackson, while she was pregnant with their second child, after meetingthe ‘Toxic’ hitmaker on her world tour, for which he was a backup dancer.The former couple wed in a low-key ceremony in September 2004 andreached a divorce settlement in March 2007 but are still on good terms.Kevin started dating Victoria, 30, in 2008 and previously hinted he want-ed to marry her. During an interview with Ryan Seacrest in 2010, he said:“Would I get married again? Definitely.” But he later insisted he was in norush to tie the knot again, saying: “I just want to be happy. Right now, Ireally am happy. Victoria’s a great person. She’s an incredible person.”Britney, who was also previously married to her childhood friend, JasonAlexander, for 55 hours after they exchanged vows in Las Vegas inJanuary 2004, ended her engagement with fiance Jason Trawick inJanuary 2013 and is currently dating Dave Lucado.

Jennifer Aniston’s hairdresser has arrived at her home amid rumors shewill marry Justin Theroux. The ‘We’re the Millers’ actress and her fiance havealso secured parking restrictions around the perimeters of their Bel Air

mansion in Los Angeles between 4 pm and 11:30 pm, despite claims she ismerely hosting a small celebration for Justin’s 42nd birthday. The actor’s repre-sentative told E! News: “It’s a birthday. Not a wedding. Today is Justin’s birth-day.” Jennifer’s long-time hair stylist and close friend Chris McMillian was spot-ted arriving at her home shortly after noon. The couple - who met on the set of2011 movie ‘Wanderlust’ - are reportedly planning to tie the knot in a low-keyceremony and will then celebrate their marriage with a bigger party later inthe year. A source previously said: “August 10th is Justin’s birthday, and theirnearest and dearest have been invited to a huge ‘birthday party’. But everyoneis convinced they’re planning to exchange vows within the grounds of theirnew home and for it to be a huge surprise on the day. “They have gone toextreme lengths to keep it quiet - openly lying to their friends to keep up theruse. Apparently it’s going to be a very low-key affair with the possibility of abigger celebration later on in the year.” It is believed the 44-year-old actress -who was previously married to Brad Pitt - and Justin told their mothers Nancyand Phyllis, about their plans over a family dinner in New York two weeks ago,and both women will be at the wedding, despite Jennifer’s strained relation-ship with her mum.

Is Aniston tying the knot?

Glanville’s sons won’t appear on reality TV

Brandi Glanville’ssons won’t appear onher ex-husband’s new

reality TV show. The ‘RealHousewives of Beverly Hills’star, 40, insisted her boys,Mason, nine, and Jake, six,will not feature on EddieCibrian’s new series withhis wife LeAnn Rimes,which will air on VHI laterthis year or in early 2014.The couple, who firstrevealed in May that theywere developing their ownT V series, will star in sixhalf-hour episodes, as they

want to take control of the way the public sees them. Theywere previously said to have decided not to feature Eddie’ssons on the show but a press release this week confirmed itwould focus on LeAnn’s role as a stepmother, “learninghow to navigate the co-parenting of Eddie’s two sons.” ButBrandi clarified on Twitter on Friday morning that theirsons will not be on the show. She wrote: “GM (GoodMorning) my fancy kids don’t want 2 wake up but they Rbeing picked up by dad 2 go 2 Aspen! Fancy! PS. no theywon’t be on eddies show #safetravels (Sic) Eddie, 39, andLeAnn, 30, posted a picture of them hiking with the boys inAspen, Colorado, on Friday and also revealed they wentwhite water rafting there on Saturday morning (10.08.13).The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, are hoping theirnew reality show will help people to realize they are just anormal couple, after they sparked controversy when theymet on the set of TV movie ‘Northern Lights’ and embarkedon an affair while they were both married to other people.In a joint statement this week, they said: “We are reallyexcited to be working together on a unique show that willgive you a glimpse into who we really are or better yet,who we’re really not.”

Bruce Jenner needs his own space

Bruce Jenner rents a house in Malibu because heneeds his own space. While his wife Kris Jenner

resides at the family compound in Calabasas,California, Bruce has been spending an increasingamount of time at his new rented beach homebecause he needs time away from his spouse, butfriends insist their marriage is still strong. A source toldOK! magazine: “Kris and Bruce still love each other verymuch but sometimes Kris can just get a little too muchto handle so Bruce distances himself. He is a relativelylow-drama guy. Bruce just wants a place for somepeace and quiet, it’s all he really has ever wanted andhasn’t had much of for the last few years.” The couple -who have two daughters, Kendall, 17, and Kylie, 15,together - try to spend some quality time together atleast once a week in a bid to keep their marriagehealthy. The source explained: “She and Bruce seeeach other at least once a week, on the weekend. “Krishas been really sweet lately. She bought him thou-sands of dollars worth of gadgets and toys, set up withher assistants all the necessities for the house, bakes sothat he has brownies, lemon bars and all sorts ofthings at the house.”

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

l if e s t y l eF A S H I O N

The T-shirt is one of fashion’s mostbasic items, but even with today’spopular slim cuts, there’s wiggle

room to change up the style. That canbe pretty important to the kids andteenagers who practically live in thembut like to feel that they have some-thing new when they go back to school.This year’s news comes in next-genera-tion graphics, old-school characters,and witty or powerful phrases.

“ The best and most memorablegraphic Ts throughout the years are theones that capture the pulse of thattime,” says Tana Ward, senior vice presi-dent and chief merchandising officer forAmerican Eagle. Because of the price -and frequency of wear - T-shirt trendsalso can move quickly because theyaren’t intended as long-term invest-ment pieces.

“ This is an affordable fashionchange,” says Seventeen fashion direc-tor Gina Kelly. “Graphics are really, reallybig in the teenage market, and so isnostalgia,” Kelly says. “At 16, a girl under-stands irony, and that makes it cool todo some things. You also have T-shirtcompanies borrowing from the runwayslike Givenchy, and that’s where you’llsee space prints, high-fashion prints -and photo-realism prints are definitely

big, too.” It’s all about image and mes-saging, which this generation is verycomfortable with, she says. “It’s aboutaffirmation on your chest. You are mak-ing your statement, whether you aremaking fun of designers with a ‘Celineas Celfie’ shirt or saying you loved HelloKitty when you were in kindergarten. ...It’s the antithesis of a few years agowhen all she wanted was the perfectAlex Wang plain-gray, perfect-weight T.”

The heavily logoed look also is passe,says AE’s Ward. “Today, our customer isfocused on projecting a personal identi-ty. ... Our girl is also muchmore aware of the artisticside of graphic design andhow it adds texture andinterest to her outfit.”

All she needs is a circlemini sk ir t and a pair ofprinted jeans (two otherpopular back-to-schoolitems this year), and she isgood to go, says Kelly. T-shirts also can be a canvasfor other trends. In theAeropostale fall lineup,there are cartoon cam-eras, faded flags and col-legiate stripes on theshirts. Emilia Fabricant,

executive vice president ofAeropostale, says k ids andteenagers like to wear a “uniform,”they just need enough variety so itdoesn’t look the same every day.

For younger kids, there are col-orblocked sleeves, retro ringernecklines and new printing tech-niques. In J Crew’s Crewcuts collec-tion there are glow-in-the-darkgraphics for boys and sparkle forgirls. “We use our own children aslaboratories. And definitely accessour inner children,” says head of

design Jenny Cooper.Statement T-shirts, with words,

embellishment or images, are expres-sive but are not fashion risks, says BetsyZanjani, senior vice president of designproducts for Forever 21. “To say ‘graphicT’ as a trend is a broad, brush-strokecharacterization, but what the T-shirt ishas become very specific, with multiplethings driving it.”

Zanjani ticks off the comics craze -taking note of the pop culturephenomenon that Comic-Con hasbecome - as one of the strongestinfluences. Forever 21 has openedin-store Marvel Comics shops asthe retailer noted “an almost cultfollowing of old-school comic

strips and vintage action figures,” shesays. “Things that are vintage and retroare really strong in both our male andfemale businesses.”

The surprise might be the strongsales of “Boom! Pow! Bam!” with youngwomen, but Susan Fields, vice presidentof product merchandising for MarvelEntertainment, says a good charactertranscends gender. Still, there has to bethe right fit and fabric, and that’s whyMarvel partnered with Forever 21. “Weneeded to walk away from the boys’boxy T-shirt.” — AP

New Ts are heart of school nonuniform ‘Uniforms’

This product imagereleased byAÈropostale, Incshows a T-shirtwith a sunglassesdesign. — AP

“Good hair” and “bad hair”are phrases that fordecades have been used

in the black community to describe aperson’s preference in texture andstyle, but stylists with focuses on eth-nic hair care agree there is no suchthing as good hair and bad hair, onlyyour hair and the way you take care ofit. The black hair industry like the per-sonal-care business in general hasevolved over decades, and morewomen are looking to embrace theirhair whether relaxed, natural, braidedor in any other style and wear it thehealthiest way possible.

Today, there are products, tech-niques and treatments that were notavailable only a few decades ago. Butthe experience of navigating them canbe, um, hair-raising. Lexington, Ky, styl-ists Melanie Day of You’ve Got Curls,Odilia Chindo of Smart Braids inLexington and Anetra Polk of Stylin’ onRegency weighed in on caring for black hair and how to get it looking andfeeling its best for summer.

Natural hairMore and more black women are going back to their roots, literally, and

have chosen to cut off their processed, straightened hair and grow it in itsnatural state, curls and all. Day, 28, a licensed cosmetologist, specializes inall ethnicities of hair and hair care. At Twisted Salon on Malabu Drive, Dayfounded the You’ve Got Curls & Hair Loss Center and started the HairMatters: Live Curly workshop dedicated to helping women learn abouttheir hair and love their curls. “I am here as a guide to assist clients withtheir hair concerns because hair is a journey,” she said.

More women are choosing to wear their hair in its natural state andsteer clear of the chemicals used to relax hair, or as Day called it, “the jour-ney back to me.”One part of that process is learning how to style naturalhair after wearing it straightened for so long. Day said a good style starts inthe shower. “Shampooing and conditioning hair is the foundation of thestyle,” she said. She suggested organic and low-sulfate products to cleanhair and keep it moisturized.Day added that using essential oils like teatree oil and peppermint is a way to cleanse the scalp naturally. She sees alot of women this summer wearing their hair in what are called “protective”styles like braids or weaves. Protective styles are those that require littlemanipulation of the hair, giving tresses a break from daily styling andencouraging hair growth.

Braids and twists are popular looks among women for defining the curlpattern, or the way curls grow on a spectrum from wavy to coily. When itcomes to nights out, the bouffant and Mohawk are styles of choice forwomen with longer hair. But for women who recently did the big chop, Daysaid, she has noticed that they are making use of scarves and other acces-sories to highlight their natural curls. “There are endless possibilities for nat-ural hair. It all depends on your mood that day,” she said. Day lived most ofher life with natural hair except for one time during her cosmetology train-ing when she was required to relax her hair to pass the course. “In beautyschool, it wasn’t really conducive to learn about textured hair,” Day said. Day,then 17, grew out her hair with weaves and braids, and at 28 is still wearingit natural. Growing her natural hair was a journey, she said, urging thosegrowing their hair to “stay strong, and stay focused. Some days you won’twant to look in a mirror, but know it pays off.”

BraidsBraids have become an increasingly popular protective style among

women in Kentucky, said Chindo, 37, a professional stylist at Smart Braidswho has practiced the craft for years. Braiding is a part of the culture fromher upbringing in Douala, Cameroon. “Black hair art is the way we blackpeople manage our hair,” she said. Hair and fashion trend-setters includingSolange Knowles have inspired women to reclaim the braided look once

left in the ‘90s (think: Janet Jackson in the movie “Poetic Justice” and R&Bsinger Brandi).

There are several variations of braids and a sea of style possibilities withor without using extension hair. Styles called box braids, tree braids,

Havana twists and Senegalese twists are amongthe most popular looks with extension hair thissummer, Chindo said. Women are taking them togreat lengths, wearing their braids or twistsdown their backs or longer. However, Chindonoted, long hair is not the most ideal in the sum-mer heat. Bouffants, oversize buns and a numberof creative up-dos that get the hair off the neckcan be worn to keep women cooler yet stylish.Chindo said the creativity in hairdos is becausethere is no formula for making a good style withbraids. “You just need to play with your braids tobring a style from it,” she said. As for mainte-nance, she suggested women wash their braidsevery week or two to ensure the scalp is cleanand the hair is moisturized. She recommendedSulfur 8 brand products to keep hair healthy andprotected underneath braids, and oil sheen tomaintain luster.

Relaxed hairDespite the rise of the natural hair care move-

ment, women continue to relax, or chemicallystraighten, their hair. Polk, 27, is a licensed cosmetologist at Stylin’ OnRegency salon and has been practicing since 2007. Relaxed hair dries outeasily and sheds more than any other hair because of the porosity of blackhair and the strength of chemical relaxers, she said. The tendency forrelaxed hair to dry and break doubles in the summer because of exposureto sun, saltwater and chemicals in pool water, Polk said. That threat cancause women with relaxed hair to steer clear of the swimming pool, butthat’s not necessary, she said. “Before you go into the water, spray your hairwith a leave-in conditioner” to avoid breakage and drying, Polk said. Theconditioner can be a simple mix of water and a favorite conditioner.

“What the leave-in does is it actually seals the cuticle down,” Polk said.Sealing the cuticle, or the outermost part of the hair shaft, prevents splitends and protects hair from breaking at the shaft. After swimming, shesaid, women should wash their hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid ofsalt and chemicals. To add moisture back to the hair, “co-wash,” or use aconditioner as a cleansing agent.

Polk suggested alternating between washing and co-washing to keephair clean and moisturized.

About curl typesKnowing the curl pattern or type of your hair will help determine what

products are best, what maintenance is necessary and even how muchheat to apply, stylists say. According to the most widely used system, hairranges from Type 1 (straight) to Type 4 (very curly). Black women’s naturalhair is most often Type 3 or 4. “One way is to feel the hair for tightness andtexture,” Melanie Day of You’ve Got Curls said of determining your curl pat-tern. “Type 4 hair may feel more like wool, while Type 3 may feel more likecotton or silk.” Type 3 curls make an S or Z pattern and also frizzes morewith humidity, according to the website for the 3 Sisters of Nature line ofhair products. Type 4 curls are coily or kinky, and the hair strands are fragileand dry and need to be moisturized and hydrated to prevent breakage. Alltypes have subcategories A, B and C that further specify curl patterns.

Day said the best time to see your curl pattern is after hair has beenwashed and dried without any product in it. There are online resourcesincluding YouTube videos and bloggers to help women with similar curlpatterns figure out their hair types, but Day said the best way to determineit is to consult a professional stylist.

About weavesWeaves have become an increasingly popular way to protect hair dur-

ing the summer. To create a weave, hair is braided into corn-rows, andtracks of hair are sewn into the braids, hence the nickname “sew-in.”“Mostcelebrities on the red carpet are wearing weaves or extensions,” AnetraPolk of Stylin on Regency said. Polk advises weave wearers to use asqueeze bottle with a long spout, like the ones stylists use to apply hair col-or, to cleanse their hair underneath. Polk says the trend she notices inweaves is that people are choosing lengths of 20 to 30 inches of hair. “Findhair that blends, first and foremost,” Polk says, adding that working within abudget and doing research also are key.

Polk suggests purchasing a sample if available to test how the hairblends with your own hair. To ensure hair extensions are blendable, look atluster and texture. To keep hair under the sew in healthy condition in andout of the water, Polk suggests that, before swimming, the wearer use aleave-in conditioner, which could be a simple mix of a favorite conditionerand water. Afterward, wash with a clarifying shampoo and conditioner.“Dilute the conditioner with water and spray it down into the braids,” Polksays about applying leave-in conditioner. “As long as you keep the mois-ture in the hair, that is what’s going to keep the hair fresh.” Polk says a cleanscalp and clean weave can help hair growth and make your summer sew-in a lot less hassle. — MCT

Healthy hair, any way

you want towear it

Anyssa Roberts wears her hair natural. Curly, kinky and coilynatural hair is on trend, but the journey from relaxed tounprocessed can be long and frustrating. — MCT photos

Surya Sanduskywears her hairrelaxed. Chemicallystraightened, orrelaxed, hair is ver-satile but can shedand break easily.

Morgan Jones wears her hairin braids. Many women arechoosing braids, using theirnaturally long hair or exten-sions, as a protective style forsummertime.

‘Retail JewellerIndia Awards 2013’

ceremony

Miss Universe Canada 2012 Sahar Biniaz pos-es as she attends the ëRetail Jeweller IndiaAwards 2013í ceremony in Mumbai. — AFPphotos

Femina Miss India International 2012Rochelle Maria Rao.

BollywoodactressUshaJadhav.

Indian Bollywood actress Yami Gautam.

Bollywoodactress

NehaDhupia.

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

Keep mosquitoes out of standing pools of waterRainy weather in many parts of the country has

invited unwanted guests mosquitoes. Before youcan swat them, they drink like miniature vam-

pires, leaving swollen bites that itch like the dickens.There are more than 3,000 different species of mosqui-toes worldwide, with 176 types thriving in the UnitedStates, according to the American Mosquito ControlAssociation - www.mosquito.org. A mosquito’s mainfood is nectar or a similar sugar source, so they can beclassified as pollinators just not the good kind for peo-ple because they leave bites that swell, redden and itchlike the dickens. Mosquito control experts say the bestway to keep mosquito populations down is to restricttheir breeding sites, which are pools of standing water.

“In warm weather, mosquitoes can develop fromeggs to adults in a little more than a week in just a fewounces of standing water,” said mosquito controlexpert Jonathan Cohen with Summit Industries. Thecompany makes Mosquito Dunks which contain B.t.i.(Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), a bacterium thatnaturally kills mosquito larvae but is harmless to otherliving things. “It’s important to empty out birdbaths,pot saucers, kids’ swimming pools and unclog rain gut-ters to reduce the areas where mosquitoes can layeggs.”

To reduce mosquito populations, experts recom-mend:

• Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters,buckets, pool covers, coolers, flower pots or any othercontainers where water has collected.

• Remove and discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans,pots and pans, broken appliances and other items leftoutdoors that can collect water.

• Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls atleast once or twice a week.

• Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarpsthat won’t hold water not even spoonfuls.

• Maintain swimming pools in good condition withappropriate chlorination. Empty the water from chil-dren’s swimming pools when not in use.

For added control, including ponds, bird baths,fountains, drain lines and ditches, treat water withMosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits that contain Bti.The dunks will not harm wildlife, including songbirds,as well as pets and fish, according to SummitIndustries.One dunk treats up to 100 square feet of sur-face water for up to 30 days. You’ll find the dunks atgarden centers, hardware stores and home centersnationwide.

Also, don’t forget that clothing is an excellent barri-er between you and a mosquito, says Cohen. Wearclothing that will protect more of your body, such aslong-sleeved shirts and long pants, especially duringthe evening hours.

Mosquito trivia• Mosquitoes find hosts by sight they observe

movement by detecting infra-red radiation emitted bywarm bodies; and by chemical signals (mosquitoes areattracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, among oth-er chemicals) at distances of 25-35 meters.

• Dark clothing can attract some species of mosqui-toes more than lighter-colored clothing.

• Salt marsh mosquitoes will fly up to 40 miles for ameal. — MCT

Mosquito Dunks are nontoxic controls for mos-quito larvae, and are sold at home and gardenstores. — MCT photos

Joe Hahn of the alt rock band Linkin Park has put his home in Los Angeles, California’s Brentwood neighborhood up for sale at $4.6 million. — MCT photos

Although talk-show host and footballanalyst Michael Strahan was initially areluctant seller, a $3-million gain in less

than a year helped him overcome his hesitan-cy. Strahan and his fiancee, television person-

ality Nicole Murphy, have sold their Bel-Airhome for $11 million in an all-cash deal. Thecouple had planned to build their dreamhouse on the 1-acre site, which they boughtlast year for $7.8 million.

They had torn down most of the existing1926 Mediterranean home. But offers startedcoming in on the property and the right dollarfigure finally changed their minds. Strahan, 41,is the co-host of “Live! With Kelly and Michael.”The defensive end played for the New YorkGiants his entire NFL career, setting a recordfor sacks in a single season and retiring in 2008after winning Super Bowl XLII. He starred inthe 2009 TV series “Brothers.”

Cher flexes home-buying musclesCher is back in the real estate news, or at

least her trust is, this time buying a home inthe Beverly Crest area for $2,145,355. The two-story country English house, built in 1957, wasonce owned by another celebrity actor EdO’Neill and his wife, Catherine Rusoff. Theysold the home in 2007.

The gated home features wood-plank

floors, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and3,089 square feet of living space. The mastersuite, which has canyon views, includes twofireplaces. Cher, 67, gained fame as part of the1960s duo Sonny and Cher. She won an Oscarfor her role in “Moonstruck” (1987). The prop-erty previously sold three years ago for $1.515million.

Alt rocker lists brentwood digsJoe Hahn of the alt-rock band Linkin Park

has put his home in Brentwood up for sale at$4.6 million. Set on more than half an acre in agated community, the contemporary housefeatures panoramic city and ocean views,floor-to-ceiling windows, solar power, an ele-vator, five bedrooms, six bathrooms and 6,458square feet of living space. There is a three-cargarage.

Hahn, 36, is the DJ and programmer for the

band, which has sold more than 50 millionalbums worldwide and has a Facebook follow-ing of 55 million-plus fans. The group is ontour in Asia. Public records show Hahn boughtthe property in 2006 for $3.975 million.

Late actress’ home sells in EncinoThe longtime home of the late actress

Bonnie Franklin has sold in Encino for $2.1 mil-lion. The one-story traditional, priced at $1.945million, went into escrow 10 days after comingon the market and closed in a little more thana month. Features include a family room, aden / office with a fireplace, three more fire-places, three en suite bedrooms, an additionalbathroom and 3,771 square feet of livingspace.

The lot of more than three quarters of anacre includes a swimming pool with a bricksurround. Franklin, who died in March at 69,starred on the late-’70s and early-’80s sitcom“One Day at a Time.” She had a recurring char-acter last year on “The Young and the Restless.”

‘Million Dollar Listing’ spoilerWhether you caught or missed the recent

season opener of Bravo’s “Million Dollar ListingLos Angeles,” you are way behind the real-lifestory. The plot line from the news release: “AsJosh Flagg finds a new enthusiasm for work,the pressures in his personal life begin tomount. Although Josh loves his bachelor padin their LA high-rise, his partner Colton wantsto start fresh and move into the comforts of ahumble abode, leaving Josh at a crossroads.”

The spoiler: Flagg, who has been on theseries since it started in 2006, just bought aSpanish-style home in Hollywood Hills West,paying $1.6 million. The redone 1935 bunga-low features an open kitchen / family room,two bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,687square feet of living space. The gated propertyincludes a covered spa, fire pit and a changingroom with bathroom. — MCT

Hot Property:

Strahan and Murphy sell Bel-Air home

36Chris Brown suffers seizurebecause of stress

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Iraqis enjoy the Eid Al-Fitr holiday in a park in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday. The three-day Muslim Eid Al-Fitr holiday marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. — AP

The life and times of Apple co-founder SteveJobs will be immortalized on the big screennext week as the first of two planned

biopics about the visionary computer guru landsin theaters. Almost two years after Jobs lost hislong battle with cancer, “Jobs,” starring AshtonKutcher as the iconic computer industry titan, isto be released Friday. The independent film opensahead of a bigger-budget project on Jobsplanned by Sony that is being put together withthe support of Apple’s other co-founder SteveWozniak.

“Jobs” was screened at the prestigiousSundance International Film Festival earlier thisyear where it received a lukewarm reception fromcritics. The film charts Jobs’ early life, including hisfamous launch of Apple in a garage in 1976through to his triumphant return to the companyin 1996 after earlier being ousted from the com-pany in a boardroom coup. Directed by JoshuaMichael Stern from a script by Matt Whiteley,“Jobs” paints a broadly favorable portrait of theman who gave the world such groundbreakinggadgets such as the iPod and iPad.

But it also touches on the more controversialchapters of his life, including his abrupt break up

with his pregnant girlfriend and his later refusal toacknowledge paternity of the couple’s daughter.During the annual MacWorld/iWorld conferencein San Francisco in January, Kutcher acknowl-edged being intimidated by the task of playingJobs. “Playing a guy which everyone will havejudgment of or criticism about was really, reallyscary,” the 35-year-old said.

Kutcher, an avowed geek who has also invest-ed in a slew of technology start-ups, spent hoursporing over old videos of Jobs in an effort to repli-cate the Apple chieftain’s mannerisms and voice.He also got into character by adopting Jobs’ strictdiet of eating and drinking only fruit and carrotjuice-a regimen that led to excruciating pain anda trip to hospital two days before filming was setto start. Kutcher’s film has, however, been greetedcoolly by Apple co-founder Wozniak, who has tak-en exception to certain scenes in the movie,including one scene in particular where Jobs out-lines his grand vision for computers.

“Steve is lecturing me about where computerscould go, when it was the other way around,”Wozniak told the Los Angeles Times. “Steve nevercreated a great computer. In that period, he hadfailure after failure after failure. He had an incredi-

ble vision, but he didn’t have the ability to exe-cute on it,” he said. “I would be surprised if themovie portrays the truth.” Kutcher, meanwhile,defended “Jobs” from Wozniak’s criticisms in aninterview with The Hollywood Reporter. “A couplethings you have to understand. One, SteveWozniak is being paid by another movie studio tohelp support their Steve Jobs film, so he’s gonnahave an opinion that is connected to that, some-what,” Kutcher said.

“Two, the biggest criticism that I’ve ultimatelyheard is that he wanted it to be represented-hiscontribution to Apple-fairly. And, in all fairness,the movie’s called ‘Jobs.’ And it’s about Steve Jobsand the legacy of Steve Jobs, and so I think itfocuses more ... on what his contribution to Applewas.” Sony and Wozniak’s movie is to be based onthe Apple co-founder’s official biography pennedby Walter Isaacson. Heavyweight Hollywoodscreenwriter Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”)has been entrusted with the adaptation. Sorkinhas already indicated that he plans to tell the sto-ry of Jobs in three phases tied to three of theinventor’s best known products. The director andthe actor who will play Jobs have yet to bepicked. — AFP

Legend of Apple co-founder Jobs heads to big screen

Angelina Jolie cast a spell on the crowd atthe D23 Expo. The star of the upcomingfilm “Maleficent” appeared on stage at the

Disney extravaganza for a Saturday presentationpromoting the company’s upcoming assortmentof live-action films. “Since I was a little girl,Maleficent was always my favorite,” Jolie told thecrowd of 4,000 fans about her role as a real-liferendition of the “Sleeping Beauty” villainess. “Iwas terrified of her, but I was so drawn to her. Iwanted to know more about her.” Jolie said herdaughter, Vivienne, who turned 5 years old lastmonth, was cast in the film as a young version ofPrincess Aurora, mostly because she was the onlychild who wasn’t afraid of Jolie in her hornedattire on the set.

“One little kid even said, ‘Mommy, please tellthe mean witch to stop talking to me,’” said Jolie.Other stars that appeared at California’s Anaheim

Convention Center included a few allies of“Marvel’s The Avengers.” Tom Hiddleston, NataliePortman and Anthony Hopkins from “Thor: TheDark World” and Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan andAnthony Mackie from “Captain America: TheWinter Soldier” were on hand to tout theirupcoming sequels. Hiddleston apologized for notwearing his Loki costume, which he donned earli-

er this summer at Comic-Con International in SanDiego.

“I’m not gonna get this crowd to kneel,” hesaid. “We’re at Disneyland.” Later, when the“Captain America” crew came on stage, Evanscomically invited the audience to join him at thetheme park across the street. “Anyone wanna go?”the “Captain America” star joked. “Let’s go!” MarvelStudios president Kevin Feige screened footagefrom both sequels, including two never-before-seen clips, and teasers for both “The Avengers:Age of Ultron” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

The clip for “ The Dark World” showedPortman’s human character Jane being examinedon Thor’s home realm of Asgard, while the rough“Winter Soldier” footage showcased a stealthassault on a naval ship by Cap with plenty ofboomeranging shield action. Other films pre-viewed Saturday included the globe-trotting

Muppets sequel “Muppets Most Wanted,” fairytalemusical “Into the Woods,” live-action retelling of“Cinderella” and the mysterious “Tomorrowland,”which stars George Clooney and is inspired bycontents from a box found in the Disney archives.

“Tomorrowland” filmmakers Brad Bird andDamon Lindelof showed off some items from thebox on stage. “They want us to pull Clooney outof the box,” said Lindelof. “It’s not gonna happen,guys.” The items included a blueprint of the “It’s aSmall World” ride, a doctored photo of WaltDisney with Amelia Earhart and a large silver discthat the pair said contained the remnants of ananimated film. “In 20 short years, we will sharethis extraordinary place with the entire world, sowould you like to see it?” a booming narrator saidat the end of the clip, which began with an ani-mation of cave paintings and ended with a futur-istic cityscape.

Despite the plethora of stars and footage, theForce was notably absent from the D23 Expo,despite the Walt Disney Co. acquiring GeorgeLucas’ Lucasfilm empire last year. Disney didn’ttease anything new about its plans for “Star Wars”films at D23. The studio previously said it plans tounleash a new “Star Wars” trilogy and two spin-offfilms beginning in 2015 with “Star Wars: EpisodeVII.” “I really wish I could tell you more, but thereare dark forces and they are watching,” saidDisney Studios chairman Alan Horn.

Saturday’s presentation concluded with sever-al clips from “Saving Mr Banks,” which tells thestory of Walt Disney’s collaboration with “MaryPoppins” author P. L. Travers, and a performanceof “Go Fly a Kite” from B.J. Novak and JasonSchwartzman, who portray “Mary Poppins” song-writers Richard and Robert Sherman in the film.The pair were joined on stage by the real-lifeRichard Sherman.

Patterned after San Diego’s wildly popularComic-Con, the biannual D23 Expo, which Disneylaunched in 2009, isn’t just about movies. On theshow floor this weekend, the 45,000 expectedattendees are snapping up exclusive merchan-dise, trading collectible pins and meeting starsfrom Disney Channel shows. — AP

Jolie, Marvel superheroes bewitch Disney expo

Tom Hanks, left, as Walt Disney showing Disneyland to Emma Thompson as ‘Mary Poppins’author P.L. Travers, in Disney’s ‘Saving Mr Banks,’ releasing in US theaters limited onDecember 13, 2013 and wide on December 20, 2013.

Photo released by Disney, Mickey Mouse stands in front of the Anaheim ConventionCenter in preparation for the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif.

This undated publicity photo released byDisney shows Ricky Gervais, left, asDominic and Kermit the Frog right, fromDisney’s ‘Muppets Most Wanted.’

Photo released courtesy of Disney showsthe Darth Vader exhibit at D23 EXPO.