ISTANBUL: Pope Francis yesterdaystood alongside a top Islamic cleric in amoment of highly-symbolic contempla-tion at an Ottoman mosque, as he visit-ed Istanbul on his first trip to the formercapital of the Christian Byzantine world.On the second day of his visit to over-whelmingly Muslim but officially secularTurkey, Francis toured key religious andhistorical sites in the city once known asConstantinople that was conquered bythe Ottoman army in 1453. The visit ofthe pope is seen as a crucial test ofFrancis’s ability to build bridges betweenfaiths amid the rampage by Islamic State(IS) jihadists in Iraq and Syria and con-cerns over the persecution of Christianminorities in the Middle East.

The centrepiece of his morning tourwas a closely scrutinised visit to thegreat Sultan Ahmet mosque - knownabroad as the Blue Mosque and one ofthe great masterpieces of Ottomanarchitecture. The pope paused for twominutes and clasped his hands in reflec-tion, a gesture remarkably similar tothat of his predecessor Benedict XVIwho visited the mosque on the lastpapal visit to Turkey in 2006. The popeclosed his eyes, clasped his hands infront of his chest beneath the cross hewears around his neck and bowed hishead, as he stood next to Istanbul MuftiRahmi Yaran who performed an Islamicprayer.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014 SAFAR 8, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

MP raises possibility of Indian manpower cut

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Awadhi outraged over maid guaranteeBy B Izzak

KUWAIT: A senior lawmaker yesterday asked the foreignminister about the possibility of reducing the number ofIndian workers in Kuwait in protest against the impositionof a $2,500 (KD 730) bank guarantee for the employmentof Indian domestic helpers. “Is it possible to adopt a policyto reduce Indian manpower that has reached 720,000 invarious sectors in response to the decision of the (Indian)embassy?” MP Kamel Al-Awadhi asked in a question to theforeign minister over the issue, which he strongly criti-cized.

Awadhi, the former director of the immigration depart-ment, said in the question that he had learned of a state-ment by the Indian embassy in Kuwait about the imposi-tion of the bank guarantee to secure the rights of Indianmaids. He said the decision is illegal and contradictsKuwaiti laws and international norms. The lawmaker saidthe Kuwaiti law already imposes a KD 20,000 deposit fromdomestic worker recruitment offices in order to guaranteethe rights of workers.

In addition, Kuwait has presented a tripartite contractfor maids to a Geneva conference that was welcomed byall countries and adopted by the Gulf states. Awadhi saidthat the Foreign Ministry should have probed the newIndian decision and asked for a clarification because thedecision presumes that the Kuwaiti employers are alwaysat fault. The decision should have been instead imposedon recruitment agencies dealing with the Indian govern-ment and Indian embassy in Kuwait, he said. The Indianembassy has said that the bank guarantee decision appliesto 17 countries including all the six-member GulfCooperation Council (GCC) states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, he said.

Continued on Page 13

CAIRO: An Egyptian court dismissed yesterday a mur-der charge against ousted president Hosni Mubarakover the deaths of protesters during a 2011 uprising,sparking celebrations among supporters but fury fromopponents of the former strongman. Mubarak, whoruled Egypt for three decades until he was toppled in apopular revolt, was also acquitted of a corruptioncharge but will remain in detention because he is serv-ing a three-year sentence in a separate graft case.

Seven of his security commanders, including thefeared former interior minister Habib Al-Adly, wereacquitted in connection with the deaths of some of theroughly 800 people killed during the revolt. Cheersbroke out in the courtroom and Mubarak’s two sonskissed his forehead when the judge read out the verdictin the retrial as the ex-president, 86, lay in an uprightstretcher inside the caged dock. But relatives of thosekilled expressed dismay. Dozens of protesters latergathered at an entrance to Cairo’s Tahrir Square the hubof the anti-Mubarak revolt - chanting: “The peopledemand the toppling of the regime.”

Earlier in court, the usually stone-faced Mubarak,wearing his trademark shades, allowed himself a faintsmile after the verdict was read. Corruption chargesagainst his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were also dropped. Anappeals court had overturned an initial life sentence forMubarak in 2012 on a technicality. Saturday’s verdictmay also be appealed. Mubarak was later transportedback to a Cairo military hospital where he is serving hissentence, appearing in a wheelchair from a balcony

Continued on Page 13

Egypt drops murder charge against Mubarak

CAIRO: Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 86, greets medics, army personnel and his supporters as heleaves a helicopter ambulance after it landed at Maadi Military Hospital following his verdict yesterday. — AP

Pope reflects in Istanbul mosque

ISTANBUL: Pope Francis (left) joins Grand Mufti of Istanbul Rahmi Yaran to prayin the Sultan Ahmet mosque yesterday. — AP

KANO: Residents look at burnt motorcycles outside the central mosque in north-ern Nigeria’s largest city yesterday, a day after twin suicide blasts hit themosque during weekly Friday prayers. — AFP (See Page 8)

KANO, Nigeria: Nigerian PresidentGoodluck Jonathan vowed yesterday tohunt down those behind “heinous”attacks that killed at least 120 at themosque of an Islamic leader who issueda call to arms against Boko Haram. Atleast 270 others were also woundedwhen two suicide bombers blew them-selves up and gunmen opened fire dur-ing weekly prayers on Friday at theGrand Mosque in Kano, the biggest cityin the mainly Muslim north of the coun-try, according to a toll given to AFP lateFriday by a senior rescue official.

Jonathan “directed the security agen-cies to launch a full-scale investigationand to leave no stone unturned until allagents of terror... are tracked down andbrought to justice,” said a statement fromhis office yesterday. The mosque isattached to the palace of Kano’s emir,Muhammad Sanusi II, Nigeria’s secondmost senior Muslim cleric, who last weekmade a call at the same mosque urgingcivilians to take up arms against Islamistextremists Boko Haram.

Sanusi yesterday returned fromabroad to inspect the mosque. “From allindications, they (the attackers) have

been planning this for at least twomonths,” Sanusi told reporters at the air-port without elaborating. “I have directedthat the mosque be washed and cleanedand prayers should continue here,” theemir said. “We will never be intimidatedinto abandoning our religion, which isthe intention of the attackers.”

The attack, though, was widely seeninside Nigeria as revenge for the emir’scall against Boko Haram. “It was deathand blood all over. People lay dead andothers shrieked in horror and pain,” onesurvivor, Muhammad Inuwa Balarabe,told AFP from his hospital bed yesterday.“I was inside the premises of the mosque.As soon as the prayer started, a bombwent off. They just started shooting peo-ple,” said the 32-year-old tailor, whoreceived serious burns to his thighs.

Jonathan urged Nigerians “not todespair in this moment of great trial inour nation’s history but to remain unitedto confront the common enemy”. “Onewonders what kind of religion these peo-ple practise,” said survivor Maikudi Musa,who lost a sibling in the blast and sawanother badly hurt.

Continued on Page 13

Nigerian president vows to hunt mosque attackers

Kano emir visits blast scene

KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair yesterdayurged non-OPEC crude producers to cooperate tohelp stabilize the oil market and prevent sharp fluc-tuations in prices, official KUNA news agency said.The minister called on producers from outsideOPEC to “cooperate with the Organisation ofPetroleum Exporting Countries to guarantee stabili-ty of the market and prevent major swings in oilprices.”

He was speaking from Vienna, where onThursday the 12-member OPEC cartel decided tokeep its production ceiling unchanged sending oilprices crashing. Omair insisted the OPEC decisionwas “right” and the “best solution at the presenttime,” adding it was based on market information.He said OPEC members agreed to hold their nextmeeting in June and decided against convening anemergency session unless necessary.

Global oil prices plunged Friday to new multi-year lows after the OPEC the decision despite anoversupplied market. US benchmark West TexasIntermediate for delivery in January closed at$66.15 a barrel on the New York MercantileExchange, down $7.54 from the closing priceWednesday. It was the lowest WTI close since Sept2009. Brent oil for January delivery sank below $70for the first time in four and a half years, to $69.78 abarrel. Brent settled at $70.15 a barrel, down $2.43from Thursday’s close. — AFP

Kuwait urges cooperation to prop oil

NEW DELHI: Leading gold buyer India hasannounced it has eased controls on imports ofthe yellow metal after its current accountdeficit narrowed sharply. India, the world’s sec-ond-biggest gold buyer after China, imposedthe import restrictions last year to avert a tradedeficit crisis that pushed the rupee to recordlows. “Restrictions placed on import of gold...stand withdrawn with immediate effect,” India’scentral bank said in a statement on its websiteyesterday.

The so-called 80:20 import rule meant 20percent of all imported gold had to be export-ed before any new shipments could bebrought in. Jewellers use the gold and make itinto jewellery for export. “The falls in gold andmore significantly oil prices over the past fewmonths have substantially reduced India’simpor t bil l ,” said research house CapitalEconomics analyst Shilan Shah. “Even if India’sgold imports now pick up, the threat of the cur-

rent account deficit ballooning to previous lev-els is slim,” Shah said.

But import duty on gold imposed by thegovernment remains at a record 10 percent.India imports around 90 percent of its goldneeds and its 1.2-billion population is believedto have one of the world’s biggest private goldhoards of up to 20,000 metric tons. In the thirdquarter, Indian jewellery demand rose almost60 percent to 182.9 tonnes in the months toSeptember, the World Gold Council, an industryorganisation, reported. That was the second-highest total on record, the council said.

The sharp fall in the price of gold has sentIndians f locking to buy the metal. Golddemand traditionally peaks during the August-to-November wedding season and the Hindufestival of Dhanteras, as the country’s morethan 800 million Hindus consider the festivalseason an auspicious time to buy or give goldas a gift. — AFP

KOLKATA: An Indian jewellery shopowner shows a piece of gold jewelleryto a customer in this file photo. — AFP

India scraps gold curbs

L O C A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

KUWAIT: Ambassador of the Czech Republic Martin Vitek, Head of the Mission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Helmi Akil, and Ambassador of Greece Theodoros Theodorou visited Kuwait Times recently, anddiscussed matters of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers met yesterdayto agree a draft resolution setting a deadlinefor the creation of a Palestinian state and toagree on a date to present it to the UnitedNations Security Council for a vote.

In October, the Palestinians informallyshared a draft resolution with Arab states andsome council members, calling for an end toIsraeli occupation by November 2016. Thetext was not formally circulated to the full 15-nation Security Council, a move that can onlybe done by a council member. It was unclearat the time if it would be put to a vote. Arabstates have already given their blessings tothe idea of presenting a resolution to theSecurity Council but had yet to agree a final-ized draft and set a date to present it.

Speaking at the opening of an Arab Leaguesession in Cairo, Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas said the resolution wouldbe discussed “in order to deliver it to theSecurity Council.” Arab League chief Nabil Al-Araby appeared to suggest that the final draftwould be endorsed and sent to a vote. “It isnatural that Palestine is heading to the UNSecurity Council to issue a resolution setting adeadline for ending the occupation,” he said.

Palestinians seek statehood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and blockaded Gaza Stripwith East Jerusalem as their capital - landscaptured by Israel in a 1967 war. Israel acceptsthe idea of a “two-state solution” of an inde-pendent and democratic Palestinian state liv-

ing alongside Israel, but has not accepted the1967 borders as the basis for final negotia-tions, citing security and other concerns.

The latest round of efforts to forge a two-state solution collapsed in April and relationsbetween the two sides have worsened since a50-day war between Israel and Hamas mili-tants in the Gaza Strip this summer.Palestinians have since said they see little

choice but to push unilaterally for statehood.Diplomats have said that France, Britain

and Germany are preparing a separate text toend the conflict, which could be accelerated ifthe Palestinian draft is put forward. France

warned on Friday it would recognize aPalestinian state if a final international effortto overcome the impasse between Israelis andPalestinians failed. French parliamentarianswill hold a symbolic vote on December 2 onwhether the French government should rec-ognize Palestine as a state, after similar movesin Sweden, Britain, Ireland and Spain.

Peace initiativeThe Arab Peace Initiative Committee (APIC)

convened yesterday at the headquarters ofthe Arab League in Cairo, under chairmanshipof Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. “The committee’s meetingwill discuss the developments of thePalestinian issue and ongoing Israeli malprac-tices and violations in the occupiedPalestinian city of Jerusalem,” Arab LeagueDeputy Secretary General Ahmed bin Hellitold reporters before the meeting.

The committee, he added, will also tacklethe European stance toward recognizing aPalestinian state and Arab steps should betaken to help Palestine get a Security Councilresolution regarding setting a time to endIsraeli occupation and implement the aims ofthe Arab peace initiative. The committeechaired by Kuwait includes Palestine, Jordan,Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq,Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, UAEand Oman. —Agencies

Arabs set to call for UN SecurityCouncil vote on Palestinian state

CAIRO: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled duringyesterday’s meeting. —KUNA

The participants, including Zain officials, in a group photo with Minister of Education Bader Al-Essa.

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunica-tions company in Kuwait, announces that ZainGroup Chairman Assad Ahmad Al-Banwan,has made the keynote address at the NationalUnion of Kuwaiti Students in the United States(NUKS-USA) 31st annual conference, held inSan Francisco in the presence of Zain Kuwait’sChief Executive Officer, Omar Saud Al-Omarand other distinguished identities.

Zain is the Platinum sponsor of the confer-ence, which is held under the patronage ofHis Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait,Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. The com-pany’s sponsorship is in line with its interest insupporting young national role models, withthis conference bringing together distin-guished national figures from Kuwait’s politi-cal, social, and economic circles.

During his keynote address, Banwan said,“Hope is a wonderful feeling, which stirs confi-dence, potential, and achievement within us.A bright future is always waiting for thosewho believe in dreams, and have the confi-dence to achieve their hopes.”

Banwan continued, “I’m sharing such wordswith you today to honor this year’s slogan,“The Kuwait of hope... flourishes with us”.These words carry an important meaning;that nations will only flourish and progresswith the hopes and dreams of their youth,and life will stay wonderful as long as we stillsee the light of hope within our hearts. I take

this valuable opportunity to express howproud and delighted I am of our dear stu-

dents, who were all trusted to be Kuwait’sambassadors and emissaries abroad, and whohave the potential and determination to takeresponsibility and make decisions to maketheir home country proud.”

The Chairman explained how Zain journeys

to the United States every year to invest andrenew its long-lasting support of Kuwaiti stu-dents studying abroad, as the companybelieves it is its national duty as a leadingorganization in Kuwait to play its role in uplift-ing the future leaders of the country.

Zain considers itself a core partner to allstudent activities and initiatives, as it seeks toremain youth-oriented, and interested in thedevelopment and well-being of youngKuwaitis who will develop to become con-tributing members of their societies. Zainbelieves in the pivotal role private sectororganizations can play in the progress ofnations, and continuously strives to solidify itsrole in this regard.

Banwan concluded his address by saying,“We support a large number of initiatives andprojects that serve the most important socialcauses and most of our efforts are aimed atyouth. We are proud of our track record, andevents such as this one in San Franciscoremind us of what has been accomplished aswell as the work that still lies ahead.”

The active presence and participation ofZain’s senior management at the NUKS USAconference affirms the company’s enthusiasmto interact with future generations of Kuwaitinationals, especially those who pursue theireducation abroad. The NUKS USA conferenceis one of the largest gatherings of Kuwaitinationals outside of the country.

Zain chairman makes addressat NUKS-USA conference

Emphasizing education’s central role in development

Assad Al-Banwan speaking at the conference.

(From left) Ibrahim Khairallah, Salman Al-Nejadi and Moayed Alnefaie

KUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait ProjectsCompany - sponsored a standup comedyshow held as part of the 31st NationalUnion of Kuwaiti Students - USA Branch(NUKS-USA) Conference. Over 3,000Kuwaiti students participating in theannual conference attended the popularlive show. The standup comedians,Ibrahim Khairallah and Moayad Alnefaieof Saudi Arabia, gave an outstandingtwo-hour performance that entertainedthe audience. The MC for the evening

was Salman Al-Nejadi of Marina FM, amember of the KIPCO Group.

KIPCO is the Platinum Sponsor of theNUKS-USA Conference for the fourthconsecutive year. The company’s partici-pation is part of its responsibility as aKuwaiti company that helps providecareer development opportunities acrossdifferent fields, and continuous supporttowards education based initiatives toencourage youth to succeed and realizetheir ambitions.

KIPCO sponsors standupcomedy show at NUKS-USA

VIENNA: Kuwait called on the interna-tional community to assume its legal,humanitarian and moral responsibility toprotect the Palestinian people.

This came during a speech deliveredby Ambassador Abdallah Al-Obaidi, FirstSecretary at the Embassy of Kuwait inVienna, on the occasion of marking theInternational Day of Solidarity with thePalestinian People yesterday.

The United Nations General Assemblycalled in 1977 to celebrate on the 29th ofNovember of each year the InternationalDay of Solidarity with the PalestinianPeople, the day in 1947 saw resolution181 calling for the partition of Palestine.

“The latest Israeli aggression on thewar-ravaged Gaza Strip which killed andinjured more than 11,000, a third ofwhom were children, and displacedmore than 300,000 people, occurredunder the nose of the international com-munity including numerous of its institu-tions,” Obaidi said.

Kuwait called on the internationalcommunity to press Israel to halt its ille-gal practices, including building settle-ments, confiscation of Palestinian territo-ries, construction of a separation walland Judaization of Jerusalem.

Obaidi noted that such practices didnot only pose a challenge to the interna-tional community but also led to the fail-ure of the two-state solution and insta-bility in the Middle East region. He saidthat a comprehensive and fair peace willonly be achieved through respecting andimplementing the resolutions of theinternational legitimacy and recognizinga Palestinian state with East Jerusalem asits capital. Kuwait appealed again to the

international community to provideguarantees to resume peace negotia-tions between Palestine and Israel inimplementation of Security Council reso-lutions and the aims of the Arab PeaceInitiative. From this point, Kuwait under-lines its full support of the Palestinianpeople in their long struggle to restoretheir legal rights and establish their inde-pendent state with the borders of June 4,1967.

The State of Kuwait also appealed toall countries keen on the UN Charter toback the Palestinian people in setting uptheir independent state. Obaidi pointedout that Palestine has the right to ask theUN to get complete membership, stress-ing Kuwait’s support of the Palestinianpeople in this demand. In this regard,Kuwait welcomed Sweden’s historicaldecision that recognized a Palestinianstate, calling on all countries to take asimilar decision.— KUNA

Kuwait urges int’lpressure on Israel

Ambassador Abdallah Al-Obaidi

Speaker concludesRome visit

ROME: National Assembly Speaker MarzouqAl-Ghanem ended Friday evening a state visitto Italy, which he paid at the invitation ofspeakers of the Senate and House ofRepresentatives.

During his four-day visit, Ghanem heldtalks with Senate speaker Pietro Grasso andspeaker of the lower house of parliamentLaura Boldrini, as well as Chairman of theForeign Affairs Committee of the ItalianSenate Pier Ferdinando Casini.

Ghanem also held talks with Italian PrimeMinister Matteo Renzi and Pope Francis. TheKuwaiti parliament speaker is accompaniedby an official delegation.

Ghanem made two separate visits beforeleaving to Tor Vergata Hospital University,

where several Kuwaitis are being treated, andthe Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque ofItaly. Shortly after performing Friday prayers,he was taken on a tour of the cultural centrebuilt in 1995, which he was told is the largestin Europe. Afterwards, he praised the centre’srole in encouraging moderation of thought,acceptance and peace, which he said Islam ischaracterized by, and in the education of theMuslim community in Italy. A later visit to thehospital, he said was meant to assess theneeds of Kuwaiti nationals receiving treat-ment at the facility, was described as a“national duty.” He said, “we listened closely totheir problems, and we are trying to find solu-tions. We will also aim to deliver their opin-ions to officials in Kuwait.”—KUNA

LO C A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: “Organ donation is a gift of life and as ahuman being it is the personal responsibility ofevery individual to donate organs after death,”said Fr Davis Chiramel, Chairman of KidneyFederation of India. Chiramel arrived in Kuwait atthe invitation of the Kuwait Transplant Society(KTS) to spearhead an awareness campaign andenlist people to pledge their organs for donation.

Speaking at a function organized by the SBCollege Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter

(AASBCO) at Carmel School in Khaitan, FrChiramel said: “It is a simple donation but a nobleand great gift. Today, a lot of people die due toorgan failures be it kidney, liver, heart or pan-creas. There are medical solutions, but we needorgans.” In India, more than 20 people die everyday due to kidney failure, he said.

Popularly known as the ‘Kidney Priest’, FatherChiramel has been singularly responsible for halfa million people in India pledging their kidneysfor donation post-mortem. He walked the talk bysetting an example for universal brotherhoodand compassion by donating one of his kidneys.

Global exchange“My vision is to build a global exchange of

organs. My concept is to share organs betweenpeople of different nationalities and religionsacross the globe. This harmony of organs can cre-ate a miracle,” he said. Speaking about thehuman dimension of organ donation, he remind-ed the audience about the obligation a person

has towards society as a human being. “Don’tlove the body, because it is mortal and will per-ish. Love the person,” he said.

According to Chiramel, millions of people inIndia are blind. “If people are willing to donatetheir eyes, these people can see this wonderfulworld. It will be a gift of life,” he said. “Kuwait isthe only country in the world that gives KD 3,000to the families of persons who donate theirorgans. It is a wonderful humanitarian gesture,”he said.

During his stay in Kuwait, Fr Chiramel is

expected to meet ministers and top governmentofficials. He will visit hospitals and interact withdoctors, nurses and hospital staff. “Nurses andhospital staff must be aware of the importance oforgan donation, because brain deaths mostlyhappen in hospitals. It will be a hard task on thepart of the staff to console the bereaved familymembers and alleviate their pain and at thesame time convince them about the nobility oforgan donation,” he said.

“We hope to reach maximum number of peo-ple within a span of one or two years. We will alsoapproach associations, colleges, schools andcompanies and generate awareness about thesignificance of organ donation,” he said. “Mydream is to make Kuwait the first country in theworld to attain total organ donation literacy,”Chiramel added.

Lack of donors“In Kuwait, we have certain limitations in

doing organ transplant surgeries because of the

lack of donors. The more donors we have, themore lives can be saved, said Dr MohammadJamal of the Kuwait Transplant Society. Speakingas the guest of honor at the event, he said thefield of organ transplantation has made hugeadvances over the last few years. The first kidneytransplant was done in the 1950s and the livertransplant in late 1960s, while, lung, heart andpancreas transplants were done in 1970s and80s. “In Kuwait, the first kidney transplant wasdone in 1978. Today, we perform kidney andpancreas transplantations in Kuwait,” said DrJamal, who is also the Assistant Professor ofSurgery at Kuwait University. “As a surgeon Iknow that transplantation is a costly and painfulprocedure, because there is a lot of sorrow asso-ciated with death. But organ donation makes ahuge difference to a lot of patients,” he pointedout.

Jamal sought to dispel a few misconceptionsthat are associated with organ donations. “Whenthe body is burnt, it turns to ashes; if it is not cre-mated, then it is eaten by armies of worms,”Jamal said quoting the famous Indian poetKabir. “Truly speaking, we own nothing in thislife except our body. That’s why organ donationis so noble because you are donating the onlything you truly own,” he said. “We have a total of8,000 donor cards until yesterday. Today youhave increased the number by 1,000,” Dr Jamalsaid.

Under the initiative of Fr Chiramel, 1,000members of the Indian community yesterdaysigned organ donor cards at a function in JleebAl-Shuyoukh. More than 60 members of AASBCOalso signed organ donor cards which were hand-ed over to Dr Jamal by chapter president KurienVarghese at the function.

Dr Jamal said that signing the donor carddoes not guarantee that the person will donatehis or her organs when he or she dies. “There aretwo conditions. First, there must be brain deathin which your heart will stil l be working.Secondly, your family must be willing to donatethe organs,” Dr Jamal explained. “Everybody inKuwait is entitled to get an organ transplant nomatter if he is a Kuwaiti or a foreigner. We don’tdifferentiate between Kuwaitis or expatriates.Transplants are done here for everyone,” he said.

He informed that the payment for the trans-fer of the body of the organ donor and the burialexpenses in addition to a payment of KD 3,000by the Kuwaiti government to the relatives isnothing but a gesture of appreciation.

Organ donation a gift of life: Fr Chiramel

Kuwait Transplant Society launches awareness campaign

Fr Davis Chiramel, Chairman of Kidney Federation of India

Dr Mohammad Jamal, Kuwait Transplant Society

The scene inside the Jleeb apartment after the fire was extinguished.

Fireman injuredin Jleeb blaze

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Farwaniya, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukhand technical rescue fire centers rescued 60persons who were trapped by a fire on theseventh floor of a Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh build-ing. Fire Sergeant Abdelaziz Dashti wasinjured in the back when he carried awoman from the 9th floor to the groundand was taken to hospital.

Basement on fireFire broke out in the basement of a

Jabriya building where perfumes (highlycombustible material) were stored. Firementook three hours to fight the blaze due tothe difficulty reaching the heart of the firebecause of thick smoke and the narrowarea. The fire was finally put out and noinjuries were reported.

Smoke coming out of the basement ofthe Jabriya building

Labor union embodies 50-yearkeenness on collective work

KUWAIT: The labor movement in Kuwait hasplayed a significant role at level of national actionsince 50 years ago when the first workers unionwas established, thus materializing Kuwait’skeenness on collective work.

Since 1964, only three years after Kuwaitgained independence, the national labor move-ment had developed, with establishment ofunions for workers serving in the municipal,medical and fire-fighting sectors.

Following proclamation of five labor unions inthe public sector in 1964, these federationsformed a broad union that eventually developedinto the National Union for Kuwait Workers andEmployees, in April 1965.

Founders had embarked on drafting by-lawsand preparing for holding the first generalassembly, during which the first executive board

was elected and declared on 4/4/1965. It waschaired by Hussein Al-Sager. Within a short ofperiod of time, up to nine unions of variousdepartments became under its umbrella.

In an exclusive interview with KUNA, Sagersaid “the labor movement in the beginning wasactually a national, rather than purely labor,movement, echoing demands of the Kuwaitipeople for democracy, freedom of expressionand equality.”

He criticized current unions, charging thatthey are being slack and complacent, urging thefederations to play a more active and greater roleat the local, Arab and international levels.

Fayez Ali Al-Mutairi, Chairman of Kuwait TradeUnion Federation (KTUF), echoed views of thevanguard of the national labor movement, Al-Sager, that it had played a major national role,

being an ardent defender of Kuwaiti causes dur-ing hard times. The Kuwaiti labor movement,since its launch 50 years ago, has maintained its“full independence,” unbiased stance, whileadvocating, primarily, rights and interests of theworking class. Youth are forecast to play a majorrole under umbrella of the labor movement, intandem with social, economic and technologicaldevelopment, he added, saluting veteran laboractivists and leaders who had exerted strenuousefforts to develop it.

Meanwhile, Adel Al-Hejeb, Chairman of theKuwait Oil Workers Union, lauded the nationalmovement, noting its role, over the past 10 years,with respect of adopting women causes.

The KTUF has played an effective and fruitfulrole in attaining workers’ rights, concerning, inpart, work hours and staff training. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A Grievances committee is to bere-established to handle complaints byemployees at the Ministry of Information,head of the committee announced yester-day.

This move will be taken upon instruc-tions of the Minister of Information andMinister of State for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Sabah Salem Al-Homoud Al-Sabahwho strives to provide a just treatment forall his ministry’s staff.

Director of coordination and follow-upat the administrative and financial depart-ment at the Ministry Dr Yaseen Al-Farisi toldKUNA that the committee consists of legalspecialists who are well capable of han-dling the employees’ complaints.

Dr Farisi said that the committee willstart holding extensive meetings nextweek to lay down the guidelines of its func-tion. He added that the committee will wel-come everyone who has any criticism orcomplaints, noting that everything will bedealt with transparently. — KUNA

Grievances committeeat Info Ministry

Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: Faisal Al-Mousawi conqueredthe waters of Similan Islands, located inthe Andaman Sea just off the coast ofsouthern Thailand, becoming the firstKuwaiti disabled diver to achieve such afeat.

Mousawi, also a member of theScience Club’s Diving team, said in astatement late Friday that he was glad ofhis achievement in which he believesthat it would a clear message that indi-viduals with disability could accomplishanything if they had a strong will.

From November 15 to 22, Mousawicarried out 14 dives during his recentexpedition. He gained several internally-approved diving licenses. He also wenton several diving missions across Asiaand the Middle East, and is consideredone of the most accredited divers inKuwait.

Among his other dives are SipadanIsland, in the Celebes Sea off the eastcoast of Malays ia , and the I ndianOcean just of f the coast of theMaldives. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Faisal Al-Mousawi pictured after arriving at Kuwait InternationalAirport. —KUNA

Disabled diver conquersSimilan Islands waters

KUWAIT: B MP SalehAshour asked concernedauthorities at theInterior Ministry to findsolutions for the Syrianexpats who are facingfinancial penaltiesbecause their passportsare not renewed, andpointed to the possibili-ty of referring the viola-tors to court. “ TheDirector General ofPassports and ResidencyAffairs has the right tosend every expat in vio-lation, be it a Syrian or otherwise, to court to rule overhis violation, adding that the court usually reduces thefines in consideration of the circumstances,” Ashoursaid. He added that the Syrian expats’ situation is excep-tional and ‘a humanitarian issue’ at the same time due tothe destruction their country is going through. “Thisrequires us to support and help them through simplify-ing the procedures until their crisis is over,” he said.

GCC SummitInformed sources said the Gulf Summit next month

in Qatar will be dominated by security aspects morethan any other. They said that the summit will imple-ment Kuwait’s summit resolutions and approve the pro-cedures of creating a unified Gulf army. They said thesummit will discuss the support GCC countries will giveto Egypt to help it security wise, as well as financial sup-port before an economic support summit based on theinitiative of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosquesafter declaring Abdulfattah Al-Sisi winner of theEgyptian presidential elections. The source indicatedthe summit will discuss the stand towards Iran and willhold it responsible for the tragic situation in Syria, andwill ask it not to interfere in Bahrain’s and Yemen’s inter-nal affairs.

MP: Court couldreduce Syrian

violators’ fines

MP Saleh AshourKUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) participated as a silver sponsor in the 9thprojects exhibition that was organized recently in Kuwait by MEED. Tan Tat Thong,General Manager, Strategy and Planning Department, spoke during a seminar held at theevent, and discussed CBK’s contributions in support of Kuwait’s development plan.

University of Dammam holdsfunction for Hope journey crew

RIYADH: The Saudi University of Dammamheld a function to welcome the Journey ofHope team and highlight the noble mes-sage they conveyed to the world.

In statements to KUNA following thefunction, Head of Kuwaiti Cultural Bureau inthe Saudi capital Riyadh Mesfer Al-Mesferunderscored the importance of the around-the-world marine excursion Journey ofHope in showing the world Kuwait’s experi-ment in caring for the mentally disabledpeople. He pointed out that the sailing trip,which is sponsored by His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, reflects Kuwaiti interest in support-ing all activities aiming to improve the skillsand integrate this important segment intothe whole society. Mesfer said that the func-

tion comes within the framework of cooper-ation among Arab Gulf countries in differentdomains.

For his part, the University PresidentAbdullah Al-Rabesh welcomed the Kuwaitiguest. He expressed admiration of theJourney of Hope initiative to shed lights onthe needs and abilities of the mentally dis-abled people and help integrate them in thesociety.

The Journey of Hope sailed from Kuwaitin early May, passing through over 20 coun-tries and 39 ports. Over 22 celebratoryevents were held at intervals in all ports enroute with a view to unifying people of allcultures and religions towards a collectiveeffort to care for and benefit those withintellectual disability everywhere. — KUNA

L O C A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: A delegation from Indonesiavisited Kuwait for a two-day ‘JakartaRoad Show 2014’ on Thursday andFriday. The delegation first met withlocal media during a press conferenceat the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which was

followed by the road show for localtravel agents to meet 17 sellers fromIndonesia. The delegation also held anentertaining activity for the public onFriday at The Avenues mall, where theygave away many gifts and prizes.

The event was held by theIndonesian Tourism Society (ITS) in

cooperation with the IndonesianEmbassy in Kuwait and the Jakarta CityGovernment Tourism and CultureOffice (JCGTCO). A group of Indonesianwomen presented a traditional danceperformance ‘Tari Rengo Maris’ duringthe conference on Thursday.

Hari Wibowo, Head of the Overseas

Promotion Sector of the JCGTCO, gavea presentation on Jakarta’s touristicpotentials. “Jakarta is the capital ofIndonesia with a population of over 12million people. It’s the world’s largestisland nation and the 4th largest inpopulation. Over 2.3 million tourist vis-ited Jakarta this year,” he said during

the press conference.Indonesia has various options and

attractions to offer tourists. “The cityabounds with 2,018 restaurants offer-ing various cuisines including Arabicfood. There are 173 shopping centersin Jakarta, 38 international spas and108 islands. Furthermore, about 47international music festivals are heldthere every year. So tourists will alwaysfind interesting places to visit duringtheir stay in Jakarta,” added Wibowo.

Herna Pruistina Danuningrat,Chairwoman of ITS, noted that it’s easyto reach Jakarta from Kuwait. “Thereare three direct flights every week fromKuwait to Indonesia, and tens of flightsby various airlines. Out of the morethan 2 million tourists visiting Jakartaannually, 125,000 are from the MiddleEast, and about 2,000 to 3,000 are fromKuwait,” she noted.

According to her, Kuwaiti citizenscan get a visa on arrival, but if they pre-fer to avoid queues at the airport, theycan also get a visa from the Indonesianembassy here in Kuwait, which can beissued on the same day. “We alwaysremind the tourists to have their pass-port valid for at least 6 months,” sheadded. “Many festivals are held inJakarta throughout the year, includinga shopping festival in June and Julyevery year. A big event coming soon isthe Jakarta Night Festival that will beheld on New Year’s Eve. So we invitetourists to come and enjoy,” concludedDanuningrat.

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait held a dia-betes awareness day for its employeeslast week at its headquarters in KuwaitCity. The awareness day’s programwas in cooperation with DasmanDiabetes Institute, Diet Centre, andOutdoor Boot Camp. The 4-hour pro-gram included a variety of activitiesfor all employees.

This initiative comes as a reflectionof the management’s deep-rooted

belief that caring for employees willreap positive consequences. It alsocomes as part of the company’sefforts to engage with its employees,especially with regards to encourag-ing employees to adopt a healthierlifestyle. The program was also a breakfrom the office routine for all employ-ees.

Dasman Diabetes Institute present-ed a brief lecture about diabetes, fol-

lowed by medical consultations. DietCentre provided free nutritional con-sultations and discounted subscrip-tions to its meal plans that are tailoredfor individuals with diabetes. OutdoorBoot Camp held short workout ses-sions for the employees in the build-ing’s front patio. Donations were alsoraised for Dasman Diabetes Instituteto help provide children with insulinpumps.

Ooredoo organized diabetesawareness day for employees

Delegation in Kuwait to promote ‘Jakarta Road Show’KUWAIT: Hari Wibowo (left) and Herna Danuningrat (center) at the press conference. An Indonesian folklore performance. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

A traditional musical display at the event

Al-J

arid

a

I srael’s Interior Minister Gilad Erdan this weekrevoked the permanent resident status ofMahmoud Nadi, a Palestinian who drove a sui-

cide bomber to the 2001 terrorist attack at theDolphinarium nightclub in Tel Aviv. The attack left21 teenagers dead and more than 130 wounded.Nadi, who dropped the suicide bomber off at amosque across the street from the nightclub,served ten years in jail.

Erdan’s decision means Nadi is no longer eligi-ble to receive any rights or services from the stateof Israel, including health care and social securitypayments. In his decision, Erdan, who took on theposition of Interior Minister after his predecessorGideon Saar resigned, addressed the convictedman directly, noting that, “Under these circum-stances and in view of the severity of youractions, [assisting in the attack] is a blatantbreach of trust as a resident of the State ofIsrael...I decided to use my authority and cancelyour permanent residence permits in Israel,”Erdan wrote.

The move could be the precedent for a broaderattempt to punish Palestinian terrorists and theirfamilies, setting a standard of revoking their resi-dency. Israeli officials have recently revived thepolicy of demolishing the homes of terrorists, apolicy some deride as the illegal administrationof collective punishment.

The moves come after the attack on a syna-gogue in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalemearlier this month that left five Israelis dead, andmany feeling shaken at the brutality of the attack— in which the killers used a pistol and longknives and cleavers —carried out in a house ofworship. The idea is that if family members

believe they will suffer some kind of punishment,they will do more to stop the terrorist attacks.

Losing sympathyBut some in Israel say that these types of meas-

ures could backfire. “This is totally non-effective,”David Newman, the dean of the Faculty ofHumanities and Social Sciences at Ben GurionUniversity said. “It plays into the hands of theenemy which accuses us of ethnic cleansing.Policies like revoking residency and destroyinghomes means Israel will lose any sympathy itmight have gained from the terrorist attack.”

Palestinians say the move to revoke the resi-dency of Palestinians living in Jerusalem is part ofan Israeli plan to weaken their connection to eastJerusalem, which Israel unilaterally annexed in1967, and Palestinians insist must be the futurecapital of a Palestinian state.

There are about 300,000 Palestinians living ineast Jerusalem who are permanent residents ofthe city, albeit not as Israeli citizens. Yet, they canvote in municipal elections (although mostchoose not to), have access to Israeli health care,

and receive social security payments. They alsopay Israeli income tax and Jerusalem propertytax.

Hamoked, Center for the Defense of theIndividual, says that more than 14,300Palestinians have lost their residency status inJerusalem since 1967 due to a law that says any-one who lives outside of Jerusalem for sevenyears could have his or her residency revoked.

Problematic lawIsraeli human rights activists say that the law

to remove the citizenship of family members ofterrorists is problematic.

“The criminal justice system is based on the factthat family members of someone who commits acrime are not liable for any punishment,” said RonitSela, the head of the East Jerusalem Project at theAssociation for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). “Peoplewho break the law and are a danger to societyshould be placed behind bars, but not their families.”

She cites the example of Yigal Amir, the extrem-ist Jew who was convicted of killing Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin in 1994. He was sentenced to lifeimprisonment, and his brother Hagai was convictedof conspiracy to murder. Hagai was released in2012, but the rest of Amir’s family was not seen asbeing responsible for his deed and were not pun-ished.

Sela said she did not believe that the new lawwould be a deterrent, either. At one point theIsraeli government apparently agreed as well. Ithalted demolitions of the homes of Palestinianattackers’ families for nine years after conclud-ing that the measure did not serve as a deter-rent. —The Media Line

‘Revoke Palestinian attackers’ residency’in my view

By Linda Gradstein

Problematic lawIsraeli human rights

activists say that the law toremove the citizenship of

family members of terroristsis problematic.

‘To be or not to be, that is the question’.This line is one of the most famous solilo-quies used in international literature. It

was written by the famous British poet and writerWilliam Shakespeare over 400 hundred years agoand was said by one of the most fascinating char-acters he has ever written - Hamlet, the Prince ofDenmark, in a play bearing his name. This phrasehas been used by thousands of people who mightnot know and will probably never know its origins.It was said by Hamlet while contemplatingwhether to live antagonized by his commitment toavenge the murder of his father by his uncle andstepfather Claudius or commit suicide to end hismisery.

Luckily for literature and literature lovers,Hamlet did not make up his mind and make a deci-sion. The play went on for two more acts after thisdilemmatic situation. Though Hamlet’s characterwas wise and brilliant, Shakespeare portrayed himto be very hesitant and unable to make decisivedecisions. He was as if combining two opposites inone character. Hamlet saw advantages and disad-vantages in both options, and yet was unable tomake a decision and opt one of them!

One way or another, I believe many of us havetheir own ‘Hamlets’ deep within, and before youjump to conclusions, let me explain that I do notmean that many of us wish to take revenge orcommit suicide. What I mean is that each of usmight have been repeatedly and daily facing situa-

tions that require making decisive decisions andthat many do manage to see the wisdom, pros andcons in all possible options. However, we mightremain hesitantly unable to choose and make adecision!

The funny thing that not many of us realize isthat inability to make a decision could be a deci-sion in itself. Yes, those who do not make decisionshave in fact decided not to. Without knowing orrealizing it, they may decide to let things go as

they are destined and according to various sur-rounding elements affecting them.

Some of us might misinterpret the saying of‘Good lies in all Allah’s choices’ (maybe it is a bless-ing in disguise) and think that letting things gowithout interference mean leaving them in thehands of Allah and that Almighty Allah will choose

the best for them, which is a funny interpretation.In fact, it represents twisting many beliefs. Yes,indeed Almighty Allah does choose all the best forbelievers and there is good in everything that hap-pens to them even if it is unclear or not immediate.However, this good will eventually call for makingdecisions and acting upon them to bear responsi-bility for the possible consequences.

As Caliph Omar said: ‘The sky does not raingold’. So, good things are not just found - one willhave to make the right decision to confront our lifeexperiences. One should not leave things unat-tended to or unsolved forever. No matter what it isand even if that decision proves to be wrong in theend, each decision a man makes is eventually farmuch better than not making any decisions at all.A mistake can be fixed and its consequences canbe handled in most cases even if the cost is toohigh, whereas not making any decision can befatal!

I strongly believe that making decisions, bethem small or big, revolves around the questionof ‘to be or not to be...’ - should I be the master ofmy=decisions and choices or not, and thusbecome like a feather blown around by others’windy decisions as they wish? It has been saidthat those who make no decisions nor plan havealready decided and planned to be included inothers’ decisions and plans. Yes, ladies and gen-tlemen - ‘To be or not to be.....that IS the ques-tion’! —Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Jarida

To be or not to bekuwait digest

By Dr Sajed Al Abdali

As Caliph Omar said:‘The sky does not rain

gold’. So, good things arenot just found - one willhave to make the right

decision to confront ourlife experiences.

L O C A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

MANSOORI

The late American writer Elbert Hubbard said:“Every man is a damn fool for at least fiveminutes every day; wisdom consists in not

exceeding the limit”. By the way, casting a vote in a ballot process

takes no more than five minutes and it seems thatsome voters get exposed to Hubbard’s five-minutecurse while doing so, which makes the outcome ofthe democratic process subject to sectarianism,tribalism and categorization. I mean that theresponsibility of selecting members of the legisla-tive power mainly depends on voters and no mat-ter how long we talk about interference of influen-tial people, economic powers and sheikhs in theelection process, voters, and nobody else, areactually the key factors in it.

Interferences may have a 2-4 percent impact,however, but the final decisive decision is in thehands of voters and the government has nothingto do with it. Moreover, ‘political funds’ have noth-ing to do with it, even it poured like waterfalls ineach electoral constituency. The main responsibili-ty lies on voters themselves. So, if a voter elects hiscousin for the sake of blood kinship and refrainsfrom electing a PhD holder for the same reason,what does the government have to do with that?Similarly, what do influential people have to dowith it? The real problem lies in the base of thepyramid, not the top!

Kuwaiti voters do not yet possess enough polit-ical awareness that would help them make inde-pendent decisions regardless of tribal, sectarian,racial or regional affiliations. The real disaster isthat these people include highly educated people,media members and specialized academics!

Therefore, the problem lies in voters’ mentality,who are the very same people tweeting posts criti-cizing the current parliament that they had elect-ed using very contradicting double standardsbecause they had elected their own cousins or fel-low tribesmen, and once the parliament was inoffice, they started whipping it. I am not talkingthe current parliament alone. The same hadapplied for all previous ones. If the parliament is asbad as they claim, who elected its members in thefirst place?!

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Anbaa

Five minutes to vote

kuwait digest

By Thaar Al-Rasheedi

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Deeper traffic lawchanges needed

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister SheikhMohammad Al-Khaled issued a ministerial decision fornew amendments to certain provisions of the traffic regu-

lation for non-Kuwaitis who wish to obtain a driving license. Thenew law links the license to the validity of residence in the coun-try and the required salary should be not less than KD 600 insteadof the KD 400 as it used to be. Of course, other conditions such aspassing fitness and driving tests are also required. Cancellation ofthe driving license is linked with the cancellation or change of res-idence and profession. The new law has exceptions for some peo-ple such as college students.

This law aims to reduce the number of holders of drivinglicenses and control traffic jams and overcrowding on the roads. Ihave not seen major changes that will ease the traffic problem inKuwait. I don’t think this law will change a thing on the roads orthe number of accidents. Some people will be affected by thislaw because their salaries may not reach KD 600, and yet they stillneed a car to get a job and move around town, such as salespeo-ple.

The problem that will occur due to this law is that it will givemore power to corrupt business owners to make their workersagree on paper that they receive KD 600 or more just to enablethem to get a driving license. Thus the problem will not be solvedand the worker will struggle more because he/she can’t reveallying on official documents. This could lead them to trouble withthe police and the sponsor too.

One of the problems of driving licenses in Kuwait is those whoobtained it without legal justification and wasta. If the MoI knowswho these drivers are, then why don’t they just take their licensesand send them for investigation to find out who gave them thelicense.

Traffic is a worldwide problem and the real end to this andhigh rates of death and accidents every day are easy, but needsserious decision. First, developing public transportation is essen-tial with more than two bus companies. The pathetic bus stopsare not suitable for human use. They lack the minimum emer-gency needs such as hotlines and a shade from rain, sun and cold.I wonder why none of the Islamic charity associations that collectmoney for unknown overseas organizations do not do anythingfor the real poor people who use these kinds of means to movearound.

Second, why everyone goes to work at the same time?Schools can start by 9 am and employees can start by 7 am. Iknow some would say because parents are taking their kids toschool. School buses can help with this and parents can go towork on time. These are different solutions to the alleged traffic.

Finally, awareness and respect of human life is essential. Manypeople use mobiles while driving and run the red light. Theyknow that they should not do this, but they keep doing itbecause they don’t respect others and they don’t care about theirown life. For example, have you seen how many parents keeptheir little babies on their laps while driving, or texting and driv-ing? They know that this is wrong and dangerous, but they don’tcare about themselves or others. This carelessness is everywherehere and that is why we will keep struggling even with a hundredtraffic laws.

Local spotlight

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

China-friendly govt suffers rout in Taiwan polls

Page 12

Indian minister accuses Pakistan of ‘destabilizing’ Page 11

Sarkozy in new charge for French presidencyEx-leader slams ‘mediocrity’ of unpopular Socialist govt

PARIS: France’s former president NicolasSarkozy was yesterday tipped to win the lead-ership of his right-wing UMP in party elec-tions, a position seen as a potential spring-board back into high office. The 59-year-oldbroke the worst-kept secret in French politicswhen he announced his political comeback inSeptember, presenting himself as the saviorof his bitterly divided conservative oppositionparty. There are no doubts about his aim, ifyet unstated: to win back the keys to theElysee palace which he lost in a humiliatingpoll defeat to Francois Hollande in 2012.

“Staying in the background when every-thing is going so badly would be cowardice, theopposite of my idea of political commitment,”Sarkozy told a political meeting on the eve ofthe vote. The energetic former leader has criss-crossed the country to drum up support for hiscandidacy at the head of the party all the whileslamming the “mediocrity” of Hollande’s deeplyunpopular Socialist government.

Pollsters expect Sarkozy to sail throughthe election despite his much-heraldedreturn to politics largely seen as having fallenflat, with his tangle of legal woes continuingto dog him. UMP members began voting byinternet on Friday night, and polls closes at8:00pm (1900 GMT) yesterday. Results areexpected shortly after. The vote pits Sarkozyagainst main rival Bruno Le Maire-a formerminister and senior party figure-and lawmak-er Herve Mariton. However a victory still doesnot guarantee him a shot at topplingHollande in presidential elections in 2017.

Sarkozy has as many devotees as rivals inthe deeply split party, which is currently runby a trio of former prime ministers appointedafter former leader Jean-Francois Cope wasforced to resign in May over a campaignfunding scandal linked to Sarkozy’s last elec-tion bid. This means the real battle comeswhen Sarkozy will have to fight off partyheavyweights at UMP primaries due in 2016.

Chief among these is his former colleagueturned arch-foe Alain Juppe, a popular politi-cian and one-time prime minister who servedas defence and then foreign minister underSarkozy.

‘An act of revenge’ Deeply unpopular at the time of his 2012

election defeat and known as the “bling-bling” president for his flashy style, Sarkozy ishoping to capitalise on the fact that his “MrNormal” successor Hollande is now evenmore disliked by French voters than he was.“There are still a lot of people out there whocannot stomach the man, which is partly why(President Francois) Hollande was elected,”said Andrew Knapp, an expert in French poli-tics at Britain’s University of Reading.

“But Sarkozy I think has grasped this brutallogic that getting hold of a party may notguarantee you the presidency, but not get-ting hold of the party almost rules you out.”Knapp said Sarkozy’s bid for the presidency is“partly an act of revenge for a defeat whichhe has never fully accepted”. With Hollande’sunpopular Socialist government taking awhipping in opinion polls, experts say the2017 election is seen as likely to be a racebetween the UMP candidate and far-rightNational Front leader Marine Le Pen.

For Le Pen, the messy state of mainstreamparties is the gift that keeps on giving: arecent poll showed she would win the firstround of voting in 2017 with 30 percent. “Weshould not lose sight of the fact that at themoment the leading candidate is Marine LePen,” said Knapp. For Sarkozy, the presidencyalso offers immunity from prosecution for atangle of legal woes in which he has alwaysdenied wrongdoing. “That raises other ques-tions. Can Sarkozy really run a presidentialcampaign over the next two-and a-half yearswhile periodically receiving summonses?”asked Knapp. — AFP

PARIS: Former French president and candidate for the presidency of French right-wing main opposition party UMP Nicolas Sarkozy casts hiselectronic vote as part of the first round of the election yesterday. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

ANKARA: Christians, whose fate will bebroached by Pope Francis on his visit toTurkey, have been rooted in the widerMiddle East since their faith was born inancient Palestine two millennia ago. Aminority in all the countries they inhabit inthe troubled region, they have beenhounded, even killed, by Islamists in recentyears. Hundreds of thousands have beendisplaced at home or fled into exile, eitherto neighboring countries, or further afield.Here is a breakdown of the situation facedby Christians, who practice widely varyingrites, in key parts of the region:

IraqA community under threat, hundreds

of thousands of Iraq’s Christians have fledthe country over the past decade. Beforethe US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq was hometo more than a million Christians, withmore than 600,000 in Baghdad. After theinvasion, the country became a battle-ground between insurgents and foreigntroops before plunging into sectarian war.The Christian community, identified withWestern Crusaders from the early MiddleAges, came under attack by radicalMuslims on numerous occasions. In July,thousands of Christians fled second cityMosul, seized by gunmen from the IslamicState group, after an ultimatum to convertto Islam, pay jizya (protection money) orleave on pain of death. Iraq’s biggestChristian city, Qaraqosh, and dozens of vil-

lages were later emptied of their Christianinhabitants.

SyriaIn Syria, which has been devastated by

nearly four years of civil war, Christiansrepresent between five and nine percentof the population of more than 22 millioninhabitants. The conflict, which has killedmore than 195,000 since March 2011,started as a popular revolt against rulerBashar al-Assad. It gained in complexitywith the arrival of jihadists, who seizedswathes of the country, later entering intobloody confrontation with former rebelallies. Syria’s Christians have, for the mostpart, sought neutrality throughout theconflict, and viewed the rise of jihadistswith concern. As a result, many have takenAssad’s side. Churches have been dam-aged or destroyed in the conflict and sev-eral Christians, including senior clergy,abducted and even murdered.

EgyptCoptic Orthodox are the largest

Christian group in the Middle East and rep-resent an estimated 10 percent of the 85million population. They have long beenthe target of discrimination and evendeadly violence, which took on seriousdimensions in 2013. Dozens of churchesand church properties belonging to vari-ous denominations were attacked, andsome people killed, in response to per-

ceived Coptic support for the ouster ofIslamist president Mohamed Morsi.

LebanonChristians constitute a large minority in

tiny Lebanon, which has a Christian presi-dent under a power-sharing arrangementwith other faiths. Christians were once thedominant political force in the country, buttheir power has eroded over the years withthe growth in the number of Muslims. TheVatican-affiliated Maronites, from whomthe president is chosen and who areindigenous to Syria and Lebanon, are thelargest denomination. They are followedby the Greek Orthodox.

Israel and Palestinian Territories: Thereare around 160,000 Israeli Christians, thevast majority of them Arabs, representingabout two percent of the population. Inthe occupied West Bank and Jerusalem,there are nearly 50,000 Christians, heirs tothe first Christians, mainly based inBethlehem and Ramallah. However, thereare only 8,000 Christians in Jerusalem,compared with 30,000 before the creationof the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. In theGaza Strip the number of Christians, most-ly Greek Orthodox, is a tiny 1,500 out of apopulation of 1.8 million.

IranThe Iranian constitution recognizes the

rights of some religious minorities, includ-ing Christians, but apostasy is punishable

by the death penalty under Islamic law.

Saudi ArabiaThe kingdom, which applies Wahabism,

a strict Sunni version of Islam, does notpermit the building of churches or thepractice of the Christian faith, despite the

presence of several million Christian work-ers, mostly Asian.

TurkeyThe 99 percent Muslim state, led by

conservative Islamists, is home to only80,000 Christians.— AFP

Middle East Christians threatened by radicalism

KANO: Blood stains the floor of the accident and emergency ward of the Nassarawa Specialist Hospital as victims of twin suicide blasts at Kanocentral mosque in northern Nigeria’s largest city of Kano are treated. — AFP

Boko Haram: Spreading fear, blood in Nigeria and beyond

Yemen Shiites, Sunnis try to de-escalate crisis

SANAA: Rival Shiite and Sunni groupshave met for the first time for talks aimedde-escalating the crisis in Yemen since theformer seized the capital Sanaa inSeptember, they said yesterday. Themeeting between Ansarul lah chiefAbdelmalek al-Huthi and Al-Islah partydelegates took place late Thursday inHuthi’s northern stronghold of Saada, theShiite militants said on the Internet. Therivalry has intensified since Ansarullahmoved beyond Sanaa and also seized ter-ritory in central and western Yemen. TheShiite advance has slowed in the face of acounter-offensive by Sunni tribes close toAl-Islah and Al-Qaeda, plunging the coun-try into an unprecedented political crisis.

Al-Islah issued a statement saying thetwo sides “expressed willingness to coop-erate and coexist in accordance with theprecepts of Islam advocating brother-hood, love and peace”. The statement saidthat because of “the dangers threateningYemen, it was agreed to continue con-tacts to end the tension and contain theimpact of recent events”. An Al-Islah offi-cial told AFP the two sides were “negotiat-ing a draft agreement” that, according toa source close to the talks, was meant to“defuse the risk of sectarian conflict” inYemen. Support for Al-Islah, previously amain polit ical force with its tr ibalalliances, has wavered since president AliAbdullah Saleh quit in early 2012 after ayear of bloody protests.

Attack on US embassy Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda has claimed it

detonated two bombs outside the USembassy in Sanaa, killing several guards, aUS-based monitoring group said yester-day. In a message on Twitter, Al-Qaeda’smedia branch said its fighters set off theexplosive devices at an entrance to theembassy on Thursday night, according toSITE Intelligence Group. There has beenno announcement by US authorities ofany attack, and American officials couldnot immediately be reached for commenton the claim. The announcement comesthree weeks after Al-Qaeda said it hadtried to assassinate US AmbassadorMatthew Tueller with two bombs thatwere discovered minutes before theywere to explode.

The devices had been planted outsidethe house of Yemeni President AbdrabuhMansur Hadi and had been intended toexplode when Tueller left after a visitthere on September 8, Al-Qaeda said.Yemen is a key US a l ly in the f ightagainst Al-Qaeda, allowing Washingtonto conduct a longstanding drone waragainst the group on its territory. TheUnited States considers Al-Qaeda in theArabian Peninsula to be the most dan-gerous arm of the jihadist organization.AQAP was born out of a 2009 merger ofi ts f ranchises in Al - Qaeda founderOsama bin Laden’s native Saudi Arabiaand his ancestral homeland in Yemen.The group has exploited instability inimpoverished Yemen since a 2011 upris-ing forced president Ali Abdullah Salehto step down.—Agencies At least 120 dead in mosque suicide attack

ISTANBUL: Pope Francis arrives at Istanbul’s Holy Spirit Cathedral yesterday inIstanbul. The pope held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inAnkara, calling for dialog between faiths to end the Islamist extremism plagu-ing the Middle East. —AFP

LAGOS: A suicide and gun attack that killed atleast 120 at one of Nigeria’s most well-knownmosques was extreme in its brutality but part ofan increasingly familiar pattern that has spreadfear even beyond Nigeria’s borders.Unsuspecting worshippers were blown up asthey gathered for Friday prayers at the GrandMosque in the northern city of Kano; those whosurvived were cut down by gunfire as they fled.The attack was widely seen as revenge for theMuslim Emir of Kano’s call at the same mosquelast week for civilians to arm and protect them-selves against Boko Haram. “Boko Haram hasrepeatedly threatened religious and traditionalleaders in northern Nigeria, who are seen by thegroup as allies and instruments of the state,” saidAndrew Noakes, of the Nigeria Security Networkof analysts.

But it was also in keeping with the Islamistgroup’s brutal violence over a greater geographi-cal area in the last few weeks-and a likely widerstrategy to further undermine national andregional security. “Boko Haram are trying to cre-ate the perception that they are anywhere andeverywhere,” said Ryan Cummings, chief Africaanalyst at the Red24 security consultants in CapeTown. “It almost seems that the trend in theinsurgency is reverting to that witnessed in 2012when it seemed that Boko Haram was expand-ing rapidly westwards and southwards,” he saidP.

Shifting tacticsJust hours before the Kano massacre, a sus-

pected remote-controlled roadside bomb,

buried in the dirt near another mosque nearly600 kilometers away in Maiduguri, was defused.Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded in2002, was already tense after two women blewthemselves up within minutes of each other at acrowded market on Tuesday, killing more than45 shoppers and traders. The previous day, up to50 people were killed in Damasak, 180 kilome-ters north of the city near the border with Niger,when Boko Haram fighters overran the town andambushed those trying to escape. Four days ear-lier, the militants slit the throats of and drownedat least 48 fish vendors in another town nearLake Chad.

Mass casualties from Boko Haram attacks arenot a new phenomenon in the extremists’ five-year insurgency. More than 13,000 people arethought to have died in total since 2009. But theregularity of attacks and the widening range oftactics-from hit-and-run strikes to suicide bomb-ings, holding territory and even, it seems, thenew attempt to use Al-Qaeda-style roadsidebombs-marks a shift. Violence had been concen-trated for the last 18 months in the three farnortheastern states of Borno, Yobe andAdamawa. But there have been a string of sui-cide strikes since June across the wider north.

Neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad arealso voicing fears about possible attacks there,particularly as the dry season approaches, whichmakes natural defenses such as rivers easier tobreach. One humanitarian source in Nigerdescribed a “psychosis of fear” about attacks inborder areas, which this week forced the closure

of schools and pharmacies. Boko Haram isopposed to secular, “Western” style educationand has regularly attacked schools, teachersand students. Earlier this month, 58 schoolboyswere killed in Potiskum, northeastern Nigeria,when a suicide bomber blew himself up beforemorning assembly. Boko Haram is still holding219 schoolgirls that it kidnapped in mid-April.

Regional fearsIn Cameroon’s far north, one military com-

mander said they were “convinced” that BokoHaram’s aim to declare a hardline Islamic state“is aimed not only at Nigeria but also atCameroon”. The group has taken over more thantwo dozen towns in northeast Nigeria in recentmonths and declared some part of its caliphate,mirroring a similar declaration by militants inIraq and Syria. The Kano bombing and attackselsewhere could be designed to make anyrenewed counter-insurgency efforts more diffi-cult, analysts say. Cameroon, Chad, Niger andNigeria were supposed to have had a 2,800troops in place along their borders byNovember 1, to assist the Nigerian army, whichhas struggled to put down the rebellion. But asthe year-end approaches, no deployment hasbeen announced. The Kano attack and othersoutside its traditional heartland leave Nigeria’sauthorities with a dilemma. “It basically stymiesthe reallocation of resources from such regionsto counter-terrorism operations being conduct-ed” in the three worst-affected northeast states,said Cummings.— AFP

BEIRUT: The Islamic State group is employingmultiple tactics to subdue the Sunni Muslimtribes in Syria and Iraq under its rule, wooingsome with gifts - everything from cars to feedfor their animals - while brutally suppressingthose that resist with mass killings. The result isthat the extremists face little immediate threatof an uprising by the tribes, which are tradi-tionally the most powerful social institution inthe large areas of eastern Syria and northernand western Iraq controlled by the group.

Any US drive to try to turn tribesmenagainst the militants, as the Americans didwith Sunnis during the Iraq war, faces anuphill battle. Some tribes in Syria and Iraqalready oppose the Islamic State group. Forexample, the Shammar tribe, which spans thecountries’ border, has fought alongsideKurdish forces against the extremists in Iraq.The US and Iraqi governments have proposedcreating a national guard program that wouldarm and pay tribesmen to fight, though theeffort has yet to get off the ground. But inSyria in particular, tribes have no outsidepatron to bankroll or arm them to take on IS,leaving them with few options other than tobend to Islamic State domination or flee.“There are people who want to go back andfight them,” said Hassan Hassan, an analystwith the Delma Institute in Abu Dhabi. “But

the circumstances now mean that you can’tprovoke ISIS because the strategy they’ve fol-lowed and tactics are to prevent any revoltfrom inside.” The rulers of the self-styledcaliphate have mastered techniques of divideand rule.

Tribes are powerful institutions that com-mand the loyalty of their members across thelargely desert regions of Syria and Iraq. Butthey are also far from cohesive. Large tribesare divided up into smaller sub-tribes andclans that can be pitted against each other.Such divisions also emerge on their own,often in connection to control over localresources like oil wells or land. Also, theIslamic State group itself has roots in thetribes. Though hundreds of foreign fightershave flocked to join the group, most of itsleaders and foot soldiers are Iraqis and Syrians- and often belong to tribes.

Offering sweetenersIn eastern Syria’s Deir el-Zour province, for

example, the Ogeidat is one of the largesttribes. One of its major clans, the Bu Jamel,has been a staunch opponent of the extrem-ists. Another, the Bakir, long ago allied itself tothe group. IS operatives use threats or offersof money or fuel to win public pledges of loy-alty from senior tribal sheikhs.—AP

With incentives, brute force; Islamic State subdues tribes

RAQA: A Syrian man reacts following reported airstrikes by government forces in theSyrian city of Raqa, a stronghold of the Islamic State. —AFP

Fallen Egypt leader fights back in courtCAIRO: Hosni Mubarak, who yesterday escapedmurder charges, ruled Egypt with an iron grip forthree decades until he was forced from power bythe 2011 democratic uprisings that swept theregion. The 86-year-old’s spectacular fall fromgrace sent shock waves across the Middle Eastand beyond when he announced his resignationon February 11, 2011 after an 18-day popularrevolt. Just months later, in April, he was arrestedand subsequently charged with various crimes,including corruption and inciting the killing ofhundreds of people during the uprising.

In 2012, he was convicted and sentenced tolife in prison. He appealed, and a retrial wasordered. A court yesterday acquitted him of bothsets of charges. Mubarak, who will remain impris-oned for three years in a separate corruption case,broke into a smile after the verdict was issued.Applause erupted and his sons and co-defen-dants stooped down to kiss his forehead as he layon a stretcher inside their caged dock. The deci-

sion came after an appeals court overturned aninitial life sentence for Mubarak in 2012 on a tech-nicality.

His lawyer said yesterday’s verdict was “a goodruling that proved the integrity of Mubarak’s era”.Until protests erupted on January 25, 2011,Mubarak had seemed untouchable as presidentof the Arab world’s most populous nation, backedby the United States and the military, from whoseranks he had emerged. He had survived 10attempts on his life, most of them by Islamists,but in the end, it was a popular uprising thatbrought him down. It was a blow he found hardto accept.

Unexpected rise to power After his overthrow, Mubarak said he and his

family were the victims of “false claims that seekto ruin my reputation and challenge my integrity”.And following his life sentence, his health deterio-rated and he spent much of his time in a military-

run hospital. He recovered but was reportedlydeeply depressed by the election of MohamedMorsi, the candidate of his long-time foe theMuslim Brotherhood, as president later the samemonth. Morsi has been held in detention sincethe army deposed him in July 2013.

Mubarak rose to power unexpectedly, whenpresident Anwar Sadat, who made history bysigning a peace deal with Israel, was gunneddown by an Islamist officer at a military parade onOctober 6, 1981. He took office a week later andruled without interruption until his overthrow.Islamist militants were responsible for most of theattempts to kill Mubarak, including a failed bid tofire rockets at his plush Cairo residence. In 1995,militants opened fire on his motorcade in AddisAbaba. With his jet black hair, which he has main-tained even in jail, Mubarak had a reputation forvigor and was once known to play squash almostdaily. But that image suffered in 2003 when hefainted while addressing parliament.—AFP

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I N T E R N AT ION A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

FERGUSON: Disrupting commerce, transit andtraffic became focal points for demonstratorsacross the country days after the announcementthat a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri declinedto indict the police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown. As Small Business yes-terday approached, numerous storefronts in theFerguson area had their windows covered withplywood with messages painted across many ofthem letting neighbors know that the shops arestill open.

Demonstrators temporarily shut down threelarge malls in suburban St Louis on Black Friday,one of the busiest shopping days of the year,and then marched in front of the Fergusonpolice department to protest the grand jury’sdecision. Several stores lowered their securitydoors or locked entrances as at least 200 protest-ers sprawled onto the floor while chanting, “Stopshopping and join the movement,” at theGalleria mall in Richmond Heights a few milessouth of Ferguson, Missouri, where OfficerDarren Wilson fatally shot Brown, who wasunarmed, in August.

The action prompted authorities to close themall for about an hour Friday afternoon, while asimilar protest of about 50 people had the sameeffect at West County Mall in nearby Des Peres.And several dozen demonstrators led to a tem-porary closure of the Chesterfield Mall. LaterFriday night, a group of about 100 protestersmarched down West Florissant AvenueFlorissant in front of the city’s police and firedepartments chanting, blocking traffic and stop-ping in front of some businesses. “I served mycountry. I spent four years in the Army, and I feellike that’s not what I served my country for,” saidEbonie Tyse, 26, of St Louis as National Guardtrucks and police cruisers roamed the street infront of her. “I served my country for justice foreveryone.

Not because of what color, what age, whatgender or anything,” she said. Fifteen peoplewere arrested, according to MissouriDepartment of Public Safety spokesman MikeO’Connell. He said charges would include peacedisturbance and impeding the flow of traffic,and two people would be charged with resistingarrest and one with assault. Monday night’sannouncement that Wilson, who is white,wouldn’t be indicted for fatally shooting Brown,who was black, prompted violent protests thatresulted in about a dozen buildings and somecars being burned. Dozens of people werearrested.

The rallies have been ongoing but havegrown more peaceful this week, as protesters

turn their attention to disrupting commerce.Elsewhere on Friday, protests in Chicago, NewYork, Seattle and northern California - whereprotesters chained themselves to trains - wereamong the largest in the country on BlackFriday. In Oakland, more than a dozen peoplewere arrested after about 125 protesters wear-ing T-shirts that read “Black Lives Matter” inter-rupted train service from Oakland to SanFrancisco, with some chaining themselves totrains.

Later in San Francisco, a march by hundredsturned ugly as protesters smashed windows andhurled bottles and other objects at police, leav-ing two officers injured. Police respond by mak-ing arrests but have not said how many. Dozensof people in Seattle blocked streets, and policesaid some protesters also apparently chaineddoors shut at the nearby Pacific Place shoppingcenter. In Chicago, about 200 people gatherednear the city’s popular Magnificent Mile shop-ping district, where Kristiana Colon, 28, calledFriday “a day of awareness and engagement.”

She’s a member of the Let Us Breathe Collective,which has been taking supplies such as gasmasks to protesters in Ferguson. “We want themto think twice before spending that dollar today,”she said of shoppers. “As long as black lives areput second to materialism, there will be nopeace.”

Malcolm London, a leader in the Black YouthProject 100, which has been organizing Chicagoprotests, said the group was also trying to rallysupport for other issues, such as more trans-parency from Chicago police. “We are not indict-ing a man. We are indicting a system,” Londontold the crowd. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon onFriday announced that he will call a special ses-sion of the General Assembly to provide fundingfor public safety efforts related to protests. Anews release from his office said that due to theincreased presence of the State Highway Patroland the Missouri National Guard in the region,the state’s financial obligations for emergencyduties are on track to exceed what had beenappropriated. — AP

New protests erupt in Ferguson; 15 arrested

Demonstrators shut down three large malls

SEATTLE: Protesters gather inside of the Westlake Center in Seattle to protest a grand jury’sdecision not to indict a police officer in the shooting of Michael Brown. — AP

WASHINGTON: A US man who was shotdead early Friday after he opened fire at sev-eral buildings in the Texas state capital mayhave had anti-government and anti-immi-gration motives, officials said. Police in thecity of Austin identified the shooter-whofired more than 100 rounds including atpolice headquarters and the Mexican con-sulate-as 49-year-old Larry McQuilliams. Citypolice chief Art Acevedo said the suspect,who is white and had a criminal record, mayhave had a political agenda.

“If you look at a person shooting up theMexican consulate and then the federalbuilding-this is all speculation-but when youlook at the national debate right now aboutimmigration, that certainly comes to mind,”Acevedo told reporters. McQuilliams alsotried to set the Mexican consulate on fire,and police said they found portable propanecylinders at the scene. “A fire was in fact ignit-

ed, believed to be started by this suspect,but fortunately it was put out prior to theconsulate receiving any type of extensive firedamage.”

It was not clear whether McQuilliams waskilled by police or whether he shot himself,but Acevedo said an officer may have drawnhis gun and opened fire with one hand whileholding the reins of two horses with the oth-er hand. “For a guy to keep his composure,holding the two horses with one hand andtaking a one-handed shot with the otherhand, just says a lot about the training andprofessionalism of our police department,”Acevedo said. Jesse Van Wallene, 29, toldlocal media he stopped at a red light andfound himself just a few feet from the shoot-er. “We saw this guy in full riot gear,” VanWallene told NBC News. “He looked like apolice officer because he had the equip-ment. He had a large gun in his hand.” —AFP

Texas shooter may have been politically motivated

I N T E R N AT I O N A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

PARIS: Bruised by a humiliating elec-tion loss and ensnared in a tangle oflegal woes, when Nicolas Sarkoz yvowed he was moving on from politics,French voters thought they had seenthe last of him. But two and a half yearslater, his parting shot that “you won’thear about me anymore” is a distantmemory as Sarkozy, back with avengeance, vies to win back control ofhis opposition UMP party. The partyleadership election is the first obstaclein Sarkozy’s race back to the Elysee toreclaim the keys from President FrancoisHollande in 2017. With much fanfare,the man with the ex-supermodel wifeand the “bling-bling” nickname-refer-ring to his flashy style-swept back ontothe political stage in September, prom-ising to “save” France from political andeconomic crisis.

Undeterred by a morass of legal diffi-culties, the energetic 59-year-old put anend to the worst-kept secret in Frenchpolitics by announcing on his Facebookpage that he was a candidate to lead hisconservative UMP party. Loathed andloved in equal measure, his return hasshaken up French politics and polarizedmembers of a party already in disarraybut his comeback is largely seen as hav-ing fallen flat. Pollsters Odoxa said thatwhile in October 73 percent of UMPsupporters backed his claim for partychief, this had fallen to 63 percent bylast week. “Sarkozy, although he is avery divisive politician, is clearly verymuch liked,” said Andrew Knapp, anexpert in French politics at Britain’sUniversity of Reading.

But before Sarkozy can even think oftaking on Hollande-the only president

in history more unpopular than he was-he must first stave off UMP rivals in2016 primaries. Chief amongst themare his own former foreign ministerAlain Juppe, who welcomed Sarkozy’sreturn with the words: “The match hasbegun.” Perhaps a more dauntingobstacle is the snarl of legal woes overthe financing of his 2007 and 2012campaigns which could come back tobite him. “The party faithful seem tohave decided that no matter whatjudges throw at him, Sarkozy is theirdarling. I don’t think that is true of thewider electorate,” said Knapp.

‘Bling-bling’ presidentSarkozy has always been something

of an outsider in the staid world ofFrench politics. The son of a Hungarianaristocrat who arrived penniless in

France, Nicolas Sarkozy de Nagy-Boscaburst on to the political scene as a townmayor at 28, an MP at 34 and ministerat 38. He won the presidency at only 52and was initially seen as a much-need-ed breath of dynamism, making asplash on the international scene andwooing the corporate world.

Breaking a longstanding taboo,Sarkozy also put his private life on dis-play, divorcing his second wife while inoffice and publicly wooing Carla Bruni,a former model and now successfulsinger. He married her in 2008 and thetwo had a daughter, Giulia, a fewmonths before the 2012 election. But asFrance’s economy floundered amid thewider euro-zone economic crisis,Sarkozy’s public image took a beating.His so-called “bling-bling” style-theseeds of which were laid with a cham-

pagne-soaked election night party at aglitzy Champs-Elysees restaurant-pro-voked outrage as job losses mounted.

Hollande, a mild-mannered Socialistparty apparatchik, seemed the perfectantidote two years ago but has sincerun into his own problems-especially infailing to turn around the French econ-omy. And, if Hollande’s estranged for-mer partner Valerie Trierweiler is to bebelieved, the man who set himself upas the “normal” president secretlydespises the poor, calling them “tooth-less”. With Hollande so unpopular, theelection is there for the taking, butsome doubt whether Sarkozy is theman to do it. Either way, both men haveto contend with the soaring popularityof far-right leader Marine Le Pen whoseNational Front is the current favorite inpolls.—AFP

Sarkozy: ‘Bling-bling’ comeback king

MUKONDO: Maria Muzinga, a Pygmy who said she doesn’t know her age and claimed that three of her children were dead after they werethrown in a hut set on fire, cooks in the village of Mukondo, in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. — AFP

MUKONDO: It all began with a love affair a yearago between a Bantu and his Pygmy mistress, atryst that so unnerved the enemy peoples ofCongo’s troubled Katanga province that warbroke out. Fighting between the Bantu land-owners and the hunter-gatherers of the TwaPygmy groups-pitting bows-and-arrows againstmachete blades-has since caused some 80,000people to flee their homes in the mineral-richprovince in southeast Democratic Republic ofCongo.

But in this village of Mukondo, home to some1,300 refugees from both sides, the traditionallywarring Bantus and Pygmies are learning to livetogether at last. “When the two communitiesfought, those who were opposed to war fled, andthis is how I came to host ‘moderate’ Bantus andPygmies here,” said Daniel Mwandja, the Bantuvillage chief. Since colonial times, cohabitationhas never been easy between the two, with theBantus accused of exploiting the Pygmies, pay-ing them meagre wages, or in alcohol and ciga-rettes, and generally treating them as inferiorbeings.

The Pygmies’ nomadic lifestyle is increasinglyunder threat from deforestation, mining andextensive farming by the Bantus. In March 2009,according to an African NGO, black magic beliefsled to three Pygmies, two of them children, beingraped by soldiers who were seeking to achieve

“invulnerability.” Pygmies, said Rogatien Kitengewho works with the community, were very frus-trated about the way they were treated, “like vas-sals of the Bantus who don’t have the samerights.” Kitenge said it was regretful that neitherthe army nor the UN force could deploy moretroops in Katanga province.

‘In flagrante delicto’The latest trouble erupted in a village that is

some 200 kilometers away by foot, in theprovince’s northern Tanganyika district. “A Bantuwas surprised in flagrante delicto of adulterywith a Pygmy woman. After that the situationdeteriorated,” Mwandja said. But in Mukondo,which was home to some 1,100 people until thewave of mostly-Pygmy refugees doubled its pop-ulation, the two communities are living in har-mony.

“When I welcomed these displaced peoplehere, specially the Pygmies, I treated them likepeople in distress, not like cheap labor,” saidMwandja. That is not the case elsewhere. In thecamp of Kamala, close to where the conflict start-ed, “Pygmies and Bantus are kept apart,” saidAlimata Ouattara of the UN High Commissionerfor Refugees, which oversees Mukondo. “I’veasked why several times... I’ve never received aconvincing reply.”

Bantu refugee Kungwa Kaumba said she was

originally fearful of living alongside Pygmy peo-ple but had now changed her mind. Elsewhere,“when they thought they were being badly paidthey’d quarrel, but in Mukondo, things are better.”In the fields, Bantu and Pygmy women work sideby side, even sharing food or loaning pans andutensils to newcomers who left home in a panic.The women also meet each week to talk and tokeep the peace. “I tell them this conflict ... erupt-ed because of adultery and that we should avoidnew problems,” said Anna Muganza, 35, a Banturefugee leader. “I also insist they mustn’t stealcassava from the fields.”

Conditions are far from easy in the camp,which has no drinking water or school and wherethe nearest health centre is 22 kilometers away.Because of the lack of medical care, nine womendied in childbirth and at least 19 children died ofillness in the last few months alone. But manyPygmies say life there is not so bad after all. “TheBantus who live here are better than the others!We were welcomed and given food to eat,” saidtheir chief Sango Shabani Esau. “The quantity ofcassava we get paid here is better than at homeand sometimes they even give us an extra two!And when a Twa woman has no wrap, a Bantuwoman will give her one.” He admits his peoplemiss hunting, however, after Mukondo chiefMwandja banned the Pygmies from making newarrows in the interest of peace.— AFP

Pygmies and Bantus flee a war caused by a trystTraditionally warring factions learning to live together

PARIS: Five presidential staff are beingtransferred after photos appeared ofFrench President Francois Hollande withactress Julie Gayet inside the Elysee Palace,officials confirmed yesterday. Hollande’saffair with the actress made headlinesworldwide in January, but photos of thepair on a private terrace of the palacewhich appeared last week were even moreworrying for the embattled leader becausethey appeared to have been taken fromwithin the Elysee itself. The celebrity maga-zine Voici said the three pictures it pub-lished of Hollande, 60, and Gayet, 42, sit-ting together were taken secretly inOctober. Voici described the photos as a“tender moment... behind the walls of theElysee,” where Gayet spends “several nightsa week”.

An investigation into the security breachhas failed to identify the culprit, accordingto the Liberation daily. But police are con-vinced they were taken by a member of thepresident’s personal staff on a mobilephone from within his private apartments.The paper said that four of the five staff hadbeen given their jobs in the palace byHollande’s predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy,adding to suspicions that a mole was feed-ing embarrassing leaks to Sarkozy, who iswidely presumed to be aiming for an elec-toral comeback. “Five staff members

assigned to the president’s private serviceare being reassigned,” a source in the presi-dent’s office said, partially confirming thepaper’s claims.

Paparazzi photos in January of Hollandein a scooter helmet visiting the actress in aParis apartment set off a media firestormfrom which Hollande has never recovered.His partner at the time, journalist ValerieTrierweiler, published a bestselling tell-allmemoir of their subsequent break-up, por-traying the president as a cold-heartedegotist and champagne socialist, who wascontemptuous of the “toothless” poor. The49-year-old Trierweiler also claimedHollande was ashamed of her modest ori-gins.

“Thank You For This Moment” has nowbeen translated into 12 languages and waspublished in English last week amid hugehype. The book is top of the French best-seller charts. A poll published shortly afterthe book came out in France found onlyone percent of French people said they had“total confidence” in Hollande “to resolvethe problems France is currently facing”and his popularity remains stuck at recordlows. In further fallout from the affair, aFrench court ordered Closer to pay Gayet15,000 euros ($18,700) in damages forbreach of privacy, when the original claimsemerged. — AFP

Snaps of Hollande and actress prompt palace job transfers

PARIS: Katanga is a mineral-richprovince about the size of Spain in thesoutheast Democratic Republic ofCongo, which played a pivotal role inthe country’s history, and remains thescene of a separatist uprising that hasdisplaced hundreds of thousands.

HistorySeparatists in Katanga headed by

Moise Tshombe broke from the vast cen-tral African nation rapidly after its inde-pendence from Belgium in 1960 - withsupport from former colonists keen tokeep a hand in the flourishing localeconomy. When Katanga seceded, withSouth Kasai, civil war broke out.Successive conflicts claimed tens ofthousands of lives. The Congo’s firstpresident, Patrice Lumumba, was assas-sinated in 1961 after turning for helpagainst the uprising to the Soviet Union,while UN Secretary-General DagHammarskjold died in a plane crash thesame year while on a peace mission.

Up against UN troops, the separatistssurrendered in 1962 and Katanga wasreintegrated into the Congo. But rebel-lions broke out to the north in chronical-ly unstable North and South Kivuprovinces. The unrest indirectly helped aformer army chief of staff to Lumumba,Joseph-Desire Mobutu, to stage a blood-less coup in November 1965. MobutuSese Seko, as he called himself, renamedthe country Zaire and ruled as a dictatoruntil unrest compelled him to sharepower with the opposition in 1991. Hisregime became a byword for endemiccorruption and put the term “kleptocra-cy” on Africa’s map, while the DRC’sinfrastructure and administration fell toruins.

A longtime rebel from Katanga,Laurent-Desire Kabila, toppled Mobutuwith support from neighboring Rwandaand Uganda in the First Congo War(1996-97). When Kabila was murderedby a bodyguard in January 2001, his sol-dier son Joseph was rushed into officeby Kinshasa politicians during theSecond Congo War (1997-2003). Today

he is the elected president. The warsbrought in the armies of at least sixAfrican nations, leaving at least threemillion dead, according to revised esti-mates, and deep instability in the east.

Rebel forcesBoth Kivu provinces, to the north of

Katanga, are bases for Rwandan Huturebels implicated in the 1994 genocideand for Ugandan foes of PresidentYoweri Museveni. The Hutus have beenpitted against successive Tutsi armedgroups, notably army defectors in M23,which was wiped out late last year bygovernment and UN forces.

Mai-Mai ForcesParts of Katanga, as in the Kivus, are

overrun by dozens of armed militiasknown as Mai-Mai, who often wearcharms and daub themselves for attacks.Financed in part by illegal mining, thewarriors kill, rape, loot and burn duringraids on villages. The most prominentMai-Mai force, the Bakata Katanga,emerged in 2011 and has displacedsome 600,000 people according to theUN. It is most active in the north andcentre of the province. The BakataKatanga-”Separate Katanga” in Swahili-wants both independence and a fairersplit of mineral wealth between theprovince’s north and south. It feeds offpopular anger at Katanga’s chronicunderdevelopment, and broken promis-es including by the Katanga-bornKabilas to transfer powers away fromKinshasa. Experts and the CatholicChurch also believe the Bakata Katangato be regularly used to serve politicalinterests.

Bantus and pygmiesFighting has erupted between ethnic

Bantu people and Pygmies in Katanga’sTanganyika district. The nomadicPygmies feel threatened by miningactivities and the growth of land farmedby Bantus, but the latest unrest was trig-gered by an illicit affair between a Bantuman and Pygmy woman.—AFP

Minerals and militias: DR Congo Katanga province

KIPETO: Children play close to destroyed homes in Kakolona in the southeast ofthe Democratic Republic of Congo. The homes were destroyed in 2012 byBakata Katanga militias. —AFP

COPENHAGEN: Greenland’s rulingSiumut Party narrowly won a snapelection, results showed yesterday,but its new leader Kim Kielsen willneed to build a coalition to form agovernment to deal with a shrink-ing economy and reassure foreigninvestors. The fall of Premier AleqaHammond last month in anexpenses scandal has muted anationalist rhetoric that promisedindependence from Denmarkbased on wealth from some of thelargest mineral deposits on earth.

With nascent mining projectslanguishing due to persistently lowcommodity prices and regulatoryuncertainty, analysts expected anyvictor in the polls to focus on reviv-ing a subsidized economy headingfor its third year of recession.Siumut, which has formed everysingle government in Greenlandbut one since 1979, won 34.3 per-cent of the vote. Opposition partyInuit Ataqatigiit, led by Sara Olsvig,won 33.2 percent, Greenland’s offi-cial election website showed.Although both parties won thesame amount of seats in parliament- 11 each out of a total of 31 -

Kielsen is expected to lead coalitionnegotiations as his party receivedmore votes.

Greenland, whose capital Nuukis closer to New York thanCopenhagen, became a Danishcolony in the early 19th century buthas been gaining its own powerssince World War Two, introducing aparliament in 1979 and self-gover-nance in 2009. Just 56,000 peoplelive dotted around the coast of thelargest non-continental island onearth. A Siumut-led governmentmay comfort the few foreigninvestors who have ventured intoGreenland to develop mining. Agovernment led by the party lifteda ban on uranium mining last year,opening the door to rare earthprojects which often generate ura-nium as a byproduct. So far compa-nies from Australia and Canadahave entered Greenland to mine avariety of minerals, some withChinese contractors.

Inuit Ataqatigiit had vehementlyopposed the lifting of the ban andhad promised to reinstate it,although the party was keen toemphasize it was not against min-

ing per se. “Overall, the outcome ofthis election is very good news forinvestors, especially in the miningand infrastructure sectors,” saidMikaa Mered, analyst and manag-ing partner at consultancy Polarisk.“With Siumut remaining in power ...we expect Greenland to stabilize

itself - both from a political risk anda regulatory risk standpoint - whilstkeeping the country ’s marchtowards independence.” There areabout 40,000 eligible voters inGreenland, 29,500 of whom voted -marking a turnout of above 70 per-cent. — Reuters

Greenland ruling party to seek coalition after narrow victory

NUUK: Photo shows Aggaluag B Egede (left) and Sara Olsvig ofGreenland’s leftist Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party at an election meetingin Nuuk in Greenland. — AFP

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I N T E R N AT I O N A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

KASHMIR: An injured Kashmiri father (left) holds the hand of his injured child as they receive medical treatment on their arrival at the city’smain hospital following a grenade attack in Srinagar yesterday. At least seven persons were injured in a grenade explosion triggered by sus-pected militants at the busy Lal Chowk in the heart of the city. — AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s home affairs minister yester-day accused Pakistani “state actors” of attempt-ing to destabilize India, reiterating an accusationcommonly leveled by the South Asian giant atits northern Muslim neighbor. Home AffairsMinister Rajnath Singh told a security confer-ence in India’s northeast that Pakistan was stillsupporting militants fighting New Delhi’s rule inMuslim-majority Kashmir. Singh pointed to aguerrilla attack earlier this week on an armypatrol in Indian-administered Kashmir in whichat least 10 people were killed. “It is unfortunatePakistan does not mend its ways,” Singh said, sin-gling out Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence asone of the “state actors” seeking to roil India’ssecurity.

“I do not hesitate in saying Pakistani stateactors have a role in destabilizing India,” Singhsaid, repeating a longstanding Indian demandthat Pakistan rein in Islamic militants. Singh’sremarks come on the heels of the South Asian

Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)summit held earlier this week in Nepal that wasovershadowed by India and Pakistan’s rivalryand ended with little progress towards regionalintegration. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been aflashpoint in relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors, which have fought two oftheir three wars since independence from Britainover the picturesque region.

The divided Kashmir region is held in part byPakistan and India, but claimed in full by both.Since 1989 about a dozen rebel groups, seekingindependence or a merger of the territory withPakistan, have been fighting Indian forces-a bat-tle that has left tens of thousands of peopledead, most of them civilians. Indian politicianshave called the recent militant attack in Kashmir,which came as the state is engaged in elections,a deliberate attempt to upset relations betweenIndia and Pakistan. Singh also voiced concernabout Indian young people joining the Islamic

State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as Indian investiga-tors interrogated a 23-year-old Mumbai-areaman who returned home Friday from the MiddleEast.

The man is believed to have spent nearly sixmonths fighting for the Islamic State, accordingto Indian police. “Even though ISIS was born inIraq and Syria, the Indian subcontinent cannotstay untouched by it-we need to be aware ofthat reality,” Singh said. Muslims make up some14.4 percent of majority Hindu India’s popula-tion, accounting for about 176 million people,according to a report by the Pew ResearchCenter, a US think-tank. More radical forms ofIslam have not gained much of a foothold inIndia, despite the Muslim minority laggingbehind the Hindu population economically. “Afew Indian youth are getting swayed towards it(ISIS), which is a matter of concern,” the homeminister said. India was ready to deal with suchsecurity challenges, he added.— AFP

Pakistan agencies ‘still

backing terror groups’Indian minister accuses Pakistan of ‘destabilizing’ India

KABUL: Taleban suicide bombers and gunmenattacked a foreign guesthouse near parliamentin the Afghan capital yesterday, the latestassault targeting foreigners as NATO troopswithdraw from the country, witnesses andpolice said. It wasn’t immediately clear if therewere casualties. Police and intelligence officersquickly surrounded the scene of the attack, aguesthouse home to Europeans working for theAfghan government, witness Samir Noorzaisaid. “There were suicide bombers entering theguesthouse,” said Noorzai, who works near theguesthouse. “There was some gunfire, grenadesand explosions.”

Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai con-

firmed the ongoing attack on the guesthouse,but declined to comment further. The Talebansaid in a statement that it had launched the sui-cide attack on “a secret missionary center” in thecity’s west. The militants have waged a series oflarge-scale attacks on Kabul in recent days,including an assault in the upscale Wazir AkbarKhan district home to embassies and interna-tional agencies and the suicide bombing of aBritish embassy vehicle. There have been abouta dozen attacks in the past two weeks alone.

Violence rages on outside of Kabul as well asUS and NATO troops are set to officially con-clude their combat role in the country at theend of the year. Yesterday, Taleban attacks killed

at least 11 Afghan soldiers in southern Helmandprovince, including one on a base once held byNATO forces, said Omar Zwak, spokesman forthe provincial governor. The Taleban has beenlaunching assaults since Thursday on the base,once known as Camp Bastion until the Britishhanded it over last month. Camp Bastion alsoonce held Camp Leatherneck, a US Marine basein the volatile southern province. Zwak said theBastion attack killed at least six Afghan soldiersand 20 Taleban fighters and wounded 10Afghan soldiers. The other attack, a suicidebombing targeting a military base in theprovince’s Sangin district, killed five soldiers andwounded seven, he said.—AP

Taleban raids foreign guesthouse in Kabul

ISLAMABAD: A prominent SunniMuslim leader from a religiouspolitical party was shot dead in apre-dawn attack in southernPakistan yesterday, police said.Doctor Khalid Mehmood Soomro, aleader from the pro-Taleban JamiatUlema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) party insouthern Sindh province was offer-ing his morning prayers whenunidentified gunmen entered themosque and shot him dead. “Twoarmed men entered in the mosqueand fired 11 shots, four bullets hitKhalid Soomro and he died onspot,” Tanveer Hussain, a seniorpolice officer said.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a partyspokesman confirmed the killingwhich took place in Sukkur town,some 500 k i lometers nor th ofKarachi, the provincial capital andthe country ’s commercial hub.The killing prompted shops andbusinesses to close in parts ofsouthern Sindh and small groupsof par ty members took to thestreets across the countr y inprotest . The JUI-F par tyspokesman said Soomro -whoserved as a member of Pakistan’ssenate (upper house) from 2006to 2012 - had received deaththreats and had been attackedseveral times in the past.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head ofthe JUI-F called for a countrywideprotest today and asked his partysupporters to “take to the streetsand hold protest rallies,” but remain

peaceful. No group has claimedresponsibility for the attack but JUI-F has previously been targeted bythe Pakistani Taleban, even thoughthe party leaders have for severaltimes acted as negotiators betweenthe militants and Pakistan govern-ment. Rehman, the head of the JUI-F survived a suicide attack inOctober after addressing a rally in

Quetta, capital of restive Baluchistanprovince. That attack killed at least11 people and wounded 30 others.

A bombing at a JUI-F election ral-ly in May 2013 killed more than 20people, while Rehman was targetedtwice in as many days by bombingsin 2011. Pakistan has been battlingIslamist groups in the northwest andits semi-autonomous tribal belt

since 2004 after its army entered thetribal region to search for Al-Qaedafighters who had fled across the bor-der following the US-led invasion ofAfghanistan. In June the armybegan a major offensive against mil-itant hideouts in the NorthWaziristan tribal agency, a strong-hold for the Tehreek-e-TalebanPakistan.—AFP

Gunmen slay prominent

Sunni leader in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters gesture from vehicles while arriving at zero point asthey gather to join a sit-in protest against the government near Parliament in Islamabad yesterday.Opposition leader Imran Khan has announced a fresh protest rally against the ruling government inIslamabad today. —AFP

DHAKA: British journalist David Bergman poses at his home in Dhaka. A Bangladeshcourt is expected to rule tomorrow on whether an award-winning British journalist isguilty of contempt after he questioned the assertion that three million people diedin the 1971 independence war. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Several members of theCongressional Black Caucus are urging theObama administration to withhold federalrecognition of a Virginia Indian tribebecause of its history of banning intermar-riage with blacks. In January, the InteriorDepartment proposed recognizing thePamunkey tribe in southeast Virginia,which would make members eligible forspecial benefits in education, housing andmedical care - and allow the tribe to pursuea casino. A decision on recognition, whichwould be the first for a Virginia tribe, is dueby March 30.

The Congressional Black Caucus mem-bers urged Interior Secretary Sally Jewelland Attorney General Eric Holder to holdoff until the Justice Department investi-gates any discriminatory practices by thetribe. Neither department has respondedto the request, made in a Sept 23 letter,according to a spokeswoman forMississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson,who signed the letter. The letter cited areport by the Interior Department’s Bureauof Indian Affairs that quoted tribal law: “Nomember of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe shallintermarry with anny (sic) Nation exceptWhite or Indian under penalty of forfeitingtheir rights in Town.”

The bureau said it had no indication thetribe had changed its ban, but PamunkeyChief Kevin Brown responded in a letter tothe CBC that the ban has been repealed. Hesaid in an interview that the change wasmade in 2012. The Bureau of Indian Affairssaid that the significant number ofPamunkey-Pamunkey marriages andefforts to encourage them helped satisfy acriterion for federal recognition: that a pre-dominant portion of the group comprises adistinct community and has existed as onefrom historical times to the present.

The black lawmakers called the govern-ment findings disturbing. “The BIA seemsto justify the discrimination and surprising-ly cites this as a reason” to recognize thetribe, their letter said. In addition toThompson, the letter was signed by 10 oth-er Democrats. Interior Department spokes-woman Nedra Darling said the agency hadreceived the letter and was developing aresponse. The Justice Department didn’trespond to requests for comment. Browntold the CBC that the intermarriage ban

was rooted in Virginia’s culture of racism.“Racial intermixture was raised repeatedlyas a rationale to divest us of our reservationand our Indian status,” he said.

Brown cited Dr. Walter Plecker, registrarof the Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics inthe first half of the 20th century, whoordered that Indians be classified as “col-ored” on birth and marriage certificates.“His rationale was, of course, racial inter-mixture among the Indians,” Brown wrote,adding that the “antiquated and nowrepealed” tribal law was an attempt to pro-tect Indian identity. “It was never an attackon, or reflective of, ill will toward African-Americans.” Asked if Brown’s letter changedanything, Thompson’s spokeswoman,LeMia Jenkins, responded in an email: “Weare looking forward to a response to theconcerns raised in the letter to DOI andDOJ. The issues have not been satisfactorilyaddressed by BIA and require attention.”

The tribal intermarriage law wasrepealed two years after the tribe had sub-mitted materials to the InteriorDepartment for its bid for recognition. “Wehave members on our rolls who are mar-ried to African-Americans,” Brown said.Earlier this year, MGM National Harbor andStand Up for California also raised concernsabout the tribe’s intermarriage ban andchallenged the Interior Department’s find-ings that the tribe deserved recognition.MGM Resorts is building a casino atNational Harbor in Maryland’s PrinceGeorge’s County, near Washington andabout 120 miles north of the Pamunkeyreservation. Stand Up for California is anonprofit group that’s pushed for limits ongambling in that state.

“MGM doesn’t want any competition onthe East Coast, and we would becomegaming-eligible,” Brown said, adding thatthe tribe has no plans to open a casino butwill take a look at it. Gordon Absher, aspokesman for MGM Resorts International,said that the company isn’t opposed toIndian gambling. “Given the increasinglycompetitive environment for both tribaland commercial casino gaming, theseadvantages should not be indiscriminatelybestowed upon entities that cannotdemonstrate, through long-establishedprocedures, that they meet the basic criteriafor tribal acknowledgment,” he said.— AP

Effort to recognize the

Virginia tribe draws ire

UK reporter awaits verdict

over Bangladesh’s war tollDHAKA: A Bangladesh court is expected torule tomorrow on whether an award-win-ning British journalist is guilty of contemptafter he questioned the assertion that threemillion people died in the 1971 independ-ence war. In a case seen as a test of thecountry’s commitment to free speech,judges will decide if David Bergman actedunlawfully by doubting the official versionof one of the most contentious issues inBangladesh’s short history.

Bergman is the author of a popular blogabout Bangladesh’s International CrimesTribunal, a domestic court which has foundseveral opposition supporters guilty of massmurder over their role in the 1971 conflict.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose latefather was Bangladesh’s independence icon,has justified the war crimes trials on thegrounds that the scale of the bloodsheddemands that perpetrators be brought tojustice.

Although most of the deaths have beenblamed on troops loyal to the regime inIslamabad, Hasina’s government saysBangladeshi militias manned by Islamistswere behind some of the most brutalkillings, including the massacre of intellectu-als. Critics however say her government hasdeliberately exaggerated the number ofpeople killed as a way of intimidating heropponents and of countering unease fromabroad about a process which lacks anyinternational oversight. If the government’sofficial toll is taken as fact, it means that anaverage 11,000 people died every day in thenine-month conflict which saw the formerterritory of east Pakistan secede from theregime in Islamabad.

In a post in November 2011, Bergmanquestioned whether there was evidencethat supported the official figure andreferred to other studies suggesting the realfigure may be much lower. Most independ-ent estimates say the actual toll would behundreds of thousands. Two years laterlawyer Abul Kalam Azad filed a petition, say-ing Bergman’s piece on the war toll and two

other articles were in contempt of court. Thecourt accepted the plea and initiated thecase against him in April after rejecting hisassertion the articles were “accurate”. “Thethree million death toll in the war is a settledissue. For 43 years there was no issue aboutthese figure. Yet David has tried to unsettle itby raising questions,” Azad told AFP aheadof Monday’s hearing.

Different narratives While the 49-year-old Bergman declined

to comment for fear of prejudicing his case,analysts said the case seriously underminesreporters’ bid to highlight independent nar-ratives of the war. “This case is very impor-tant for the country’s freedom of speech,”said Tibra Ali, the Canada-based editor ofthe popular Bengali blogsite Alal O Dulal.“Our historical narratives have become verypoliticized. This case is very important fordepoliticisation of these narratives. We wantan atmosphere in which anyone can probeor research our history without any fear.”Critics said Bergman, who also writes forBritain’s Daily Telegraph, is being prosecutedfor highlighting alleged shortcomings of thetribunal which has so far sentenced seventop opposition figures to death. “Clearlysome people don’t like Bergman’s work. Butthey tend to forget that he had done a greatservice to Bangladesh by working on a doc-umentary film on war crimes,” said Ali.

Ali was referring to Bergman’s ground-breaking work exposing alleged war crimi-nals who took refuge in the UnitedKingdom. The film won a British televisionaward in 1995. Bergman’s lawyers haveargued that the articles at the centre of thecase were “accurate, fair, and logical” and hiscomments about the court “fell well withinthe permitted limits of fair criticism”. Theysaid the case “was not maintainable and anabuse of process”. Bergman who is an editorof local English-language daily New Age, hasbeen living in Bangladesh for more than adecade. He is married to a top human rightslawyer. —AFP

I N T E R N AT ION A LSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

MANILA: A Maserati-driving business-man accused of mauling a traffic officerin the Philippine capital went on nation-al television Friday to defend himselfafter he was transformed into an inter-net villain. The businessman, JosephRussel Ingco, told national eveningnewscasts on Friday that he felt forcedto explain his side of the incident out ofsafety fears. Ingco was caught on videoholding a traffic officer by his shirt anddragging him along the road out of thewindow of his blue Maserati Ghibli. Theaide had flagged him down for a viola-

tion. The video, shot by a fellow trafficofficer, went viral, drawing the ire of thecountry’s vocal Facebook and Twittermobs, and prompting city authorities toput up a 100,000-peso ($2,000) rewardfor information on the businessman’swhereabouts.

Social media users vilified Ingco, call-ing him a “road bully”, “liar” and “mauler”.“This shows that social media can be atool for justice,” Francis Tolentino, headof a government body that managestraffic in Manila, told AFP yesterday. “Iam afraid for my safety. I am willing to

face the consequences,” Ingco told GMAtelevision, stuttering at some points dur-ing the interview. Ingco admitted topunching the traffic aide, but said it wasonly to loosen the officer’s grip on hisshirt collar. He claimed the aide punchedhim too, though he had no visible bruis-es on his face.

Ingco’s victim, Jorbe Adriatico, willundergo surgery on Saturday to repairhis broken nose. “I still couldn’t sleep.The incident keeps playing in my head,”Adriatico, with a bandaged nose, toldABS-CBN television of his Thursday

morning run-in with Ingco. Police filedan assault complaint against Ingcobefore city prosecutors, who will decideif he is to stand trial. No arrest warranthas been issued. Tolentino vouched forthe traffic aide’s credibility, saying hehad so far served an exemplary six yearswith the traffic bureau and was cited bypolice for helping arrest street criminals.

“I think he’s telling the truth. He’s acredible guy and we stand by him,” hesaid. Tolentino said video of the incident“affirms the truthfulness” of the trafficaide’s statement. Luxury sport scars such

as Maseratis are rare sights in Manila,where narrow, ill-maintained roadsbreed monstrous gridlock that some-times spark incidents of road rage. In2002, a cigarette company executivewas pilloried on Twitter and Facebookafter he slapped a traffic enforcer. Hewas suspended from work and chargedin court with direct assault. Tolentinosaid he would help Adriatico pursuecharges against Ingco and wouldoppose possible attempts at a settle-ment. “Let’s move towards justice,” hesaid.—AFP

Maserati-driving ‘road bully’ defends himself on national TV

TAIPEI: Supporters cheer on Taipei’s new mayor-elect Ko Wen-je at his campaign headquarters in Taipei yesterday.— AP

HONG KONG: Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly rulingparty looked set for humiliation in the island’sbiggest ever local polls yesterday, a key testahead of the 2016 presidential race. The heavylosses came as the KMT struggles with growingfears over Chinese influence, a slowing economyand a string of food scandals. The Kuomintang(KMT) lost its key stronghold of Taipei to inde-pendent candidate Ko Wen-je, with his rival SeanLien declaring defeat.

The incumbent KMT mayor in the party’s oth-er key stronghold of Taichung, Jason Hu, alsoconceded a loss to Democratic Progressive Partycandidate (DPP) Lin Chia-lung. In the southernmunicipality of Tainan the DPP retained its seat.Television counts showed the DPP ahead in twoof the remaining three municipalities, with theKMT only retaining a slender lead in New Taipei.The local vote is seen as a barometer for leader-ship elections due in early 2016, with China poli-cy a key issue. Embattled President Ma Ying-jeou-who came to power in 2008 on a Beijing-friendly platform-must step down at the end ofhis second four-year term.

Voters lined up at polling stations from earlymorning and roads, train and bus stations werejammed as people returned to their local neigh-borhoods to cast their ballots. A record 11,130seats at every level of local government are upfor grabs, with 18 million people eligible to vote.“Many young people are concerned about jobprospects and high housing prices so I hope tosee change and new thinking in the governmentto make things better for us,” graduate studentMark Hsu told AFP outside a polling station inthe capital. Counting is still under way with fullofficial results expected around 11:00 pm.Turnout was expected to be between 65 and 70percent.

‘Too close to China’ Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a

civil war, but Beijing still claims the island as partof its territory awaiting reunification, by force ifnecessary. Ma has overseen a marked improve-ment in previously frosty ties between Taipeiand Beijing since he ended the DemocraticProgressive Party’s (DPP’s) eight-year rule in2008 on a platform of boosting the economyand trade with China. However, the public has

grown increasingly anxious over China’s influ-ence on the island. A proposed trade pact withthe mainland sparked mass student-led protestsand a three-week occupation of Taiwan’s parlia-ment earlier this year.

“I support the DPP because I think the Magovernment is leaning too close to China andopening up trade too much... many factorieshave moved to China and many Taiwaneseyoung people can’t find jobs,” a retired business-man surnamed Hsiao told AFP at a polling sta-tion in Taipei. The DPP has traditionally beenskeptical over closer ties with Beijing and hascriticized the KMT for lack of transparency overtrade deals with China. But KMT supporters fearrocking the boat with Beijing. “I think stability isthe most important thing because if the DPPwere to regain power, ties with China wouldbecome tense again and that would be bad for

the economy,” said office worker Chin Hui-wen inTaipei. Before the vote, the KMT dominated 15 ofTaiwan’s 22 cities and counties, while the DPPheld seven.

Of the six larger municipalities-the most hotlycontested seats-the KMT controlled three in thenorth and one in the centre, against the DPP’stwo in the south. President Ma smiled andwaved at reporters as he voted in Taipei earlierSaturday, but made no comment. DPP chair-woman Tsai Ing-wen said she was “confident”about the election, speaking outside a pollingstation in central Taiwan. Around 60,000 police-men were mobilized across the island, authori-ties said, with barbed-wire barricades outsidethe presidential office. Taiwan has experiencedsporadic election violence, with two high-profileshootings at election-eve campaign events inrecent years.— AFP

China-friendly government suffers rout in Taiwan polls

KMT losses its key stronghold of Taipei

TAIPEI: Newly-elected independent Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (right) and Hen Pei-chi gestureafter winning the Taipei mayoral elections in Taipei yesterday. Taiwan’s premier resigned afterhis Beijing-friendly ruling party suffered a landslide defeat at the island’s biggest ever localelections. — AFP

Air Force offers details of bomber training zone

BILLINGS: Any given location across asprawling area of the Northern Plains couldsee up to nine low-altitude overflights bymilitary aircraft annually under a proposedexpansion of an Air Force bomber trainingarea detailed Friday. Supersonic flights inthe area would be limited to 10 days a yearduring large-scale exercises involvingroughly 20 aircraft. Civilian flights wouldface sharp restrictions during those times.Details of the Air Force plan emerged withthe release of a long-awaited, 502-pageenvironmental study of a proposal in theworks since 2006.

The Powder River training area nowspans about 8,300 square miles and canaccommodate only one or two bombers ata time. A much larger area that could beoccupied by 20 bombers, fighters andtankers at once would create a more realis-tic environment where crews “would morereadily train as they will fight,” the Air Forcestudy concluded. The Air Force wants totriple the size of its Powder River TrainingComplex to roughly 28,000 square miles.That’s a larger area than West Virginia andwould include airspace over Montana,Wyoming and the Dakotas.

I t would be used by B-1 and B-52bombers and could save the military $23million a year by reducing the number ofsorties now being sent to Utah and Nevadafor exercises, officials said. Friday’s studyrelease kicked off a 30-day waiting perioduntil a final decision is made by the AirForce. Federal Aviation Administrationapproval also is needed. Elected officialsfrom South Dakota have been supportiveof the proposal. Republican US Sen JohnThune has described the expansion as vitalto keeping open Ellsworth Air Force Basenear Rapid City.

It has faced strong resistance fromMontana elected leaders and state aviationofficials. They say more bombers - conduct-ing maneuvers and dropping flares andchaff as they roar overhead

would disrupt rural communities andscare livestock. They also argued that itcould interfere with civil air traffic and hurtbusinesses in the area of the expansion.The release of the study leaves the AirForce poised to push ahead despite suchlingering objections. Montana AeronauticsDivision Administrator Debbie Alke said heroffice was reviewing the document. NorthDakota officials also have raised concernsabout potential impacts on civilian flights.

As many as 78 civilian flights a day couldbe impacted when the large-scale exercisesare conducted, shutting down the entireairspace, the Air Force said. The Air Force onFriday also listed steps taken to addresspublic concerns since a draft of the envi-ronmental study came out in 2010. Thoseinclude adjustments to the training area’sboundaries and avoiding low-altitudeflights over some Indian reservations. TheAir Force acknowledged that the low-alti-tude flights and loud sonic booms have thepotential to startle ranchers, recreationistsand American Indians living on four reser-vations in the region.

It said those disruptions largely wouldbe sporadic and temporary. Alee Lockman,a spokeswoman for US Rep Steve Daines, aMontana Republican and US senator-elect,said there still was time for the plan to bealtered. “This is one of the last stops in theprocess. It’s a significant step,” Lockmansaid. “We will continue putting pressure onthe Air Force to make changes before anyexpansion actually moves forward.” US SenHeidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, said in astatement that the expansion will helpincrease training and readiness for the AirForce. She said it needs to strike a balancebetween national security and economicand safety concerns. A B-1B from EllsworthAir Force Base crashed in August of 2013 insoutheastern Montana near Broadus - with-in the existing bounds of the training area.Four crew members ejected from the high-speed aircraft and survived.— AP

BEIJING: Fifteen people have been killed and 14others wounded in a “terrorist attack” in China’smostly Muslim Xinjiang region, the officialChinese news agency said yesterday. A group of“terrorists” launched an attack on civilians Fridayin Shache county, leaving four people dead and14 wounded. Eleven “terrorists” were also shotdead during the violence, according to CCTV,China’s state broadcaster. Chinese state newsagency Xinhua confirmed the death toll, citing astatement from local authorities.

At around 1.30pm (0530 GMT) on Friday menarmed with knives threw explosive devices andattacked crowds on commercial street, Xinhuareported. Eleven of the attackers were killed bypolice who were patrolling in the area.Explosives, knives and axes were seized at thescene. The wounded were evacuated and takento hospital, the news agency said. Situated 200kilometers from the regional capital of Kashgar,the district of Shache-or Yarkand in the Uighur

language-was the scene of violent clashes inJuly, shortly before the end of the Islamic holymonth of Ramadan.

Police officers then killed dozens of attackers“who were attacking civilians and vehicles”,according to state media. The fresh unrestunderscores the deterioration of the situation inXinjiang, where Beijing has launched a severecrackdown in recent months with dozens of exe-cutions officially announced and hundreds ofarrests, followed by speedy mass trials and thepublic exhibition of so-called “terrorists”. Friday’sattack comes five days after students of theimprisoned Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti werebrought before a Chinese court in a secret trial,accused-like their professor-of “separatism”.

A Chinese judge Friday rejected Tohti ’sappeal against the life sentence imposed inSeptember. Tohti, a respected economist, is con-sidered a moderate voice who had longdenounced the repression of Uighurs in

Xinjiang, without demanding complete inde-pendence for the region. Experts say that theextremely severe verdict suggests that it isunlikely that tensions will ease in Xinjiang, avast region where violence and repression bysecurity forces have left hundreds dead sincelast summer.

Xinjiang is frequently hit by unrest sparkedby fierce tensions between China’s ethnic Hanmajority and the Turkic-speaking MuslimUighurs, with authorities regularly blamingUighur militants for the violence. Some Uighursin the north west Chinese region are hostile toBeijing’s leadership. They say they are victims ofdiscrimination and left out of the benefits ofdevelopment in Xinjiang, which has seen aninflux of Han Chinese moving in from elsewherein the country. Experts and human rightsactivists say that repressive policies regardingreligion and culture adopted by Beijing havefuelled conflict in the region.—AFP

‘Terror attack’ leaves 15 dead in China’s Xinjiang

HONG KONG: A disabled man (center) plays an ‘Erhu’ as he begs for money whilepedestrians walk past him on a footbridge in Hong Kong.— AFP

Inequality fuelling protests, Hong Kong’s leader admits

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leader admit-ted yesterday that the frustration amongyoung people over a lack of “upward mobil-ity” was fuelling mass protests calling forfree elections in the city. Chief executiveLeung Chun-ying was speaking at a gov-ernment committee meeting on poverty,weeks after he shocked ordinary HongKongers by saying open elections were notfeasible because they would result in thepoor dominating politics. Friday markedexactly two months of mass pro-democra-cy rallies in Hong Kong by protesters call-ing for free leadership elections in 2017.

The Chinese government says the candi-dates must be vetted by a loyalist commit-tee, which demonstrators say will result inthe election of a pro-Beijing stooge. But pro-testers have also expressed anger over thegovernment’s perceived cosy relationshipwith the Hong Kong’s powerful tycoons. Thecity’s leader is currently selected by a 1,200strong pro-Beijing committee stacked withelites from different business sectors.

“One of the reasons behind discontentamongst the new generation in HongKong that has led to the Occupy move-ment... is a lack of upward mobility, and asa responsible government, we do not wantto leave any stone unturned,” Leung said.He added that the government’s povertycommission would look into how it couldhelp young people in order to “alleviategrievances” and thereby “relieve a portionof the demands of youths on the streets”.

Sky-high property prices But critics said Leung was missing the

main point of the protests and dodging the

real reason why people are taking to thestreets. “All these problems about mobilitystem from the very twisted and very unfairpolitical system we’ve got in Hong Kong,”pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said.“He’s missed the point. What Hong Kongpeople are fighting for is not just constitu-tional voting rights. We’re fighting for griev-ances stemming from the lack of suchrights,” Mo, a member of pro-democracythe Civic Party said.

Many young people in Hong Kong, evenif they are educated and employed, cannotafford to buy or rent a home in the cityknown for its sky-high property prices.Leung was presenting a new report by thepoverty commission which said that thenumber of people living in poverty in 2013had dropped to 970,000 - 14.5 percent ofthe seven-million population-the lowest infive years. The report attributed thedecrease to a favorable economic climateand cash benefits for vulnerable groups. Italso said poverty rates for single-parentand new immigrant households remainhigh, with the rates for both of the groupsabove 35 percent.

In September last year the semi-autonomous territory found almost 20 per-cent of its residents lived in poverty aftersetting its first official benchmark to meas-ure the problem. Despite boasting a sub-stantial wealthy elite, many Hong Kongerslive in cramped conditions scraping by oncomparatively small incomes. Tens of thou-sands of low-income families and immi-grants are forced to live in tiny subdividedunits, unable to afford the high rentsdemanded for a full apartment.— AFP

N E W SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Continued from Page 1

door to wave at several dozen cheering supporters. “Idid nothing wrong at all,” he told an Egyptian privatebroadcaster over the phone from his hospital.

He praised his own 30-year rule, which was marred bypolice abuses and corruption, especially the decadebefore his overthrow. Apparently referring to economicgrowth, he said: “The last 10 years showed more resultsthan the 20 years before... and then they turned againstus.” His lawyer Farid Al-Deeb told AFP that the verdict was“a good ruling that proved the integrity of Mubarak’s era”.Many Egyptians increasingly look to the former autocrat’sstable era with nostalgia in light of the turmoil that fol-lowed. His Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi was top-pled by the army himself in 2013 following massiveprotests.

Mubarak’s supporters leapt out of their benches in cel-ebration when the judge pronounced the verdict, chanti-ng: “Say the truth, don’t be scared - Mubarak is innocent.”In a summary of its reasoning, the court cited witnesses -all former security commanders - saying the police didnot use live ammunition against protesters during thedeadliest day of the 2011 revolt.

Outside the court venue, a sprawling police academyon Cairo’s outskirts, relatives of those killed in the revoltwere appalled at the verdict. “It’s an oppressive ruling. Theblood of my son has been wasted,” said Mostafa Morsi,whose son was killed outside a police station during the

uprising. In the streets of Cairo, opinion was divided onthe outcome. “Justice for the martyrs has been lost,” saidone woman in her 50s. Others disagreed. “There is no evi-dence against Mubarak. He was an honest president,” saidMostafa Saed, a retired government worker.

Protesters at the time of the revolt vented years ofpent-up fury over police abuses and corruption by attack-ing and torching stations across the country, leaving theinterior ministry on the brink of collapse. Chief judgeMahmud Kamel Al-Rashidi, 63, suggested his ruling wasmade with a clear conscience. “God will ask me what didyou do in this world, and specifically what did you do as ajudge,” he told the court before pronouncing his verdict.He said he dropped the murder charge against Mubarakbecause the prosecution should not have added him tothe case initially made against his security chiefs.

During the uprising, hundreds of thousands of protest-ers rallied daily demanding Mubarak step down. Butonce-banished Mubarak-era officials have since made acomeback, using a backlash against former oppositionfigures blamed for the subsequent tumult. Prime MinisterIbrahim Mahlab was a senior official in Mubarak’s now-dissolved party. Mubarak’s former military intelligencechief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is now president, having won anelection after deposing Morsi last year. Police are waginga deadly crackdown on pro-Morsi Islamist protesters andmilitants, while Morsi is standing trial in several casesincluding taking part in jailbreaks and violence during theanti-Mubarak revolt. — AFP

Egypt drops murder charge against...

Continued from Page 1

During a conference last week in Kuwait, the head ofthe Kuwaiti Public Manpower Authority Jamal Al-Dossarisaid the GCC states categorically rejected the Indianbank guarantee demand. Awadhi said the Indian deci-sion constitutes an offence against the sovereignty ofKuwait and could encourage other manpower-sendingnations to follow suit. The lawmaker asked the foreignminister about the position of the ministry towards theIndian decision, especially since it contradicts with theKuwaiti law and constitution.

He asked if the decision constitutes an aggression onthe authority of the Kuwaiti judiciary and interference in

its work, particularly as it is the side responsible for set-tling disputes. Awadhi inquired that in case of a disputebetween Kuwaiti families and domestic helpers, will theKuwaiti courts or the Indian embassy be responsible forsettling the disputes. “Is it allowed for the Indianembassy to act as a judge and an opponent at the sametime?” he asked.

The lawmaker also asked who will guarantee therights of Kuwaiti citizens in refunding the bank guaran-tee in case the domestic worker was found to be at fault.Awadhi asked if the GCC states are coordinating towardsthe issue in order to take joint action against the deci-sion. He inquired if the foreign ministry coordinated withthe Indian embassy prior to the issue of the decision.

MP raises possibility of Indian manpower...

Continued from Page 1

Like Francis, Benedict had turned towards Makkahin what many saw as a stunning gesture of reconcilia-tion between Islam and Christianity. A Vatican officialdescribed Francis’ gesture as a “silent adoration”, usinga term for religious reverence, making clear he did notperform a prayer. “It was a beautiful moment of inter-religious dialogue. The same thing happened eightyears ago with Benedict,” added Vatican spokesmanFederico Lombardi.

After talks with Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan in Ankara on Friday, the pope had called fordialogue between faiths to end the Islamist extremismplaguing the Middle East. Francis also toured theHagia Sophia, the great Byzantine church that wasturned into a mosque after the conquest ofConstantinople but then became a secular museumfor all in modern day Turkey. The leader of the world’sRoman Catholics then celebrated holy mass at thebaroque mid-nineteenth century Catholic Cathedral ofthe Holy Spirit in Istanbul.

Amid heavy security, the close contact with crowdsthat have been such a feature of past trips by thecharismatic Francis appeared to be absent from theprogram here. Amid the usual hordes of media, just alight sprinkling of believers and well-wishers waved atthe pope from behind police barriers as his motorcadedrove through the historic centre of Istanbul. “I am notChristian but I came here out of curiosity and respect.

At a time of so many conflicts around us we all needmessages of peace and tolerance,” said Selime, 70, aMuslim Turk.

Three police snipers stood on each of the two frontminarets of the Hagia Sophia for the pope’s tour. Trueto his pledges to be a pope who eschews extrava-gance, the pope was driven in a small car, a RenaultSymbol, rather than the bulletproof vehicle offered bythe presidential palace. The pope will in the eveninghold an ecumenical prayer in the Orthodox Church ofSt George and a private meeting with PatriarchBartholomew I, the “first among equals” of the world’sestimated 300 million Orthodox believers.

Francis and Bartholomew - who enjoy warm rela-tions - will seek to narrow the differences between thetwo Churches that date back to the great schism of1054. “I believe the pope came here to bridge thedivide between Catholics and Orthodox,” said MariaKil icl ioglu, a member of Turkey ’s tiny BulgarianOrthodox minority. “We need him among us.” Turkey’sown Christian community is tiny - just 80,000 in acountr y of some 75 mil l ion Muslims - but alsoextremely mixed, consisting of Armenians, Orthodox,Franco-Levantines, Syriac Orthodox and Chaldeans. Ofthese only the small Franco-Levantine and Chaldeancommunities regard the pope as the head of theirchurches. Papal visits to Turkey are still a rarity - Francisis the just the fourth pope to visit the country afterBenedict in 2006, John Paul II in 1979 and Paul VI in1967. — AFP

Pope reflects in Istanbul mosque Continued from Page 1

“You can’t justify attacking and killing defencelesspeople at will in the name of religion.”

Just hours before the Kano massacre, a suspectedremote-controlled roadside bomb near anothermosque nearly 600 km away in Maiduguri, was defused.Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002,was already tense after two female suicide bomberswreaked havoc at a crowded market on Tuesday, killingmore than 45 shoppers and traders. More than 13,000people are thought to have died in total since the insur-gency broke out in 2009.

After the latest attacks, the special representative ofthe UN Secretary-General for west Africa, Mohamed IbnChambas, called on Nigerian authorities “to increasetheir response against terrorist threats in northeastern

Nigeria”, and for additional measures to protect civilians.UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the bloodshed atthe mosque, saying in a statement that “there can be nojustification for attacks on civilians”. The French foreignministry decried the “barbaric” attack, while the USState Department called it “horrendous” and said theUnited States “stands with the Nigerian people in theirstruggle against violent extremism”.

A Nigerian security expert, Ona Ekhomu, told a TVdebate that the latest attacks showed that “we are atwar in Nigeria”. In the same program, national policespokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said: “We try to preventcrimes from happening... but criminals sometimes beatthe security.” With northern Nigeria gripped by fear,neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad are also con-cerned that the violence could spread across their bor-ders. — AFP

Nigerian president vows to hunt mosque...

A surfer rides a big wave during a tow-in surfing session at the Praia do Norte or North beach in Nazare, Portugal yesterday. The beach has become a famous spot for big wave surfers around theworld after Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara set a world record for the largest wave surfed in 2011. — AP

By Emma Thomasson and James Davey

Subdued food price inflation in Europe is unlikely to pick up anytime soon, adding to the pressure on mainstream grocers asthey struggle with changing shopping habits and competition

from discounters. Prices paid in Europe for fast-moving consumergoods rose at their slowest pace since 2010 in the third quarter, andfell in Spain, France and Italy, according to consumer data firmNielsen, weighing on retailers’ revenues and share prices.

The cost of fresh fruit and vegetables in particular has tumbleddue to bumper harvests, a surplus caused by Russia’s ban on foodimports from the West, currency effects and fierce competitionamong grocers, stoked by the advance of discounters. Falling infla-tion has laid bare problems supermarkets were already facing asshopping habits shift. After decades investing in large out-of-townsites, grocers are struggling to adapt to more fickle consumers, wholike to hunt for a bargain while also demanding more conveniencestores and online shopping. “For a few years, those underlying chal-lenges ... were partially masked by inflation which meant (grocers)still had absolute top line growth,” said Will Hayllar of OC&C StrategyConsultants. “As that inflation has stabilized, the true picture ofwhat’s going on beneath has become more apparent.”

There is little sign of imminent relief, especially as oil prices - a

key input cost for farmers - have dropped by a third since June,although potentially easier monetary policies and a weaker euroand sterling could help rekindle inflation. “Harvests this year havebeen pretty good. So you would expect that deflationary environ-ment to exist for at least the next 12, probably 18 months,” MikeCoupe, boss of UK grocer Sainsbury’s, said in a recent results pres-entation. Low food inflation is toughest for mid-market playerssuch as France’s Carrefour and Britain’s Tesco as it makes it harderfor them to pass on rising wage and rental costs to shoppers,squeezing their profit margins.

Low Inflation Helps Low-Wage Players“Discounters have less wage impact, that is why it is a competi-

tive weapon,” said Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne, a formersenior Tesco supply chain executive. “Low food inflation is good forthe low-labour guys,” he said, referring to the fact discountersemploy fewer workers. The rise of discounters such as Germany’sAldi and Lidl and shoppers’ heightened price sensitivity since thefinancial crisis has meant supermarket groups are struggling tokeep any benefits from lower commodity costs for themselves.

“If you looked at 2008, you’ll have seen an impact of someretailers taking advantage of price inflation through commodityprice falls ... that’s not a game we’re going to play,” said Andy

Clarke of Asda, the British arm of Wal-Mart. Asda, which has lowerwage costs than its main rivals, was the first of Britain’s leadinggrocers to cut prices, helping it stem the flow of shoppers to dis-counters. Carrefour, Europe’s biggest retailer, said cheaper fruitand vegetables - which make up 6 percent of sales in hypermar-kets and 8 percent in supermarkets - dragged down quarterlysales.

Ahold, meanwhile, said the Russian import ban contributed toDutch fruit and vegetable prices falling by 6-7 percent in the thirdquarter, although it sees that effect abating and has been helpedby its exposure to the inflationary US market. Executives expectthe world’s growing population to eventually prompt a recovery inglobal food prices, even if European price wars could still intensify.Lower prices are already helping sales volumes grow at theirfastest pace since 2011, according to Nielsen, which expects vol-umes to rise further in the first quarter of 2015.

A return of food inflation could drive a recovery in the sector,now the cheapest it has been relative to the broader market in 10years, trading on 12-13 times forward earnings. “The last few timesinflation was at these levels, the sector re-rated over the subse-quent 12-18 months relative to market,” said Citi analyst PradeepPratti. “We are getting closer to the point where a sector re-ratingis increasingly looking likely.” —Reuters

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

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Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

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

A N A L Y S I SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Low inflation tightens squeeze on grocers

Dental hygienist Jennifer Reynolds was alwaysself-conscious about her looks, never took self-ies and felt uncomfortable being tagged in

photographs posted on social media. The 34-year-oldfrom Costa Rica who lives in New York opted for plasticsurgery on her nose and now feels ready for prime timeon social media. “I definitely feel more comfortable rightnow with my looks,” Reynolds explained. “If I need totake a selfie, without a doubt, I would have no problem.”

Reynolds is one of a growing number of people whohave turned to plastic surgeons to enhance their image.Others are hiring specialized make-up artists in whatmay be an emerging selfie economy. Selfies, or self por-traits, rose in popularity along with smartphones andsocial media sites such as Facebook, MySpace andInstagram as a mostly young adult crowd postedimages of themselves. Now everyone from Hollywoodstars to prime ministers takes selfies.

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres posted a selfie withHollywood A-listers at the Academy Awards onTwitter that became the most retweeted of all time.When Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s snapped a selfie with President BarackObama and British Prime Minister David Cameron atNelson Mandela’s memorial service it caused a mediasensation.

For mere mortals, going under the scalpel to create abetter selfie may not seem so extreme. Plastic surgeonsin United States have seen a surge in demand for proce-dures ranging from eye-lid lifts to rhinoplasty, popularlyknown as a nose job, from patients seeking to improvetheir image in selfies and on social media. A poll by theAmerican Academy of Facial Plastic and ReconstructiveSurgery (AAFPRS) of 2,700 of its members showed thatone in three had seen an increase in requests for proce-dures due to patients being more aware of their imagein social media. They noted a 10 percent rise in rhino-plasty in 2013 over 2012, a 7 percent jump in hair trans-plants and 6 percent increase in eyelid surgery.

“There has been a 25 percent increase over the pastyear and a half to two years. That is very significant,” DrSam Rizk, a plastic surgeon, said about his Manhattanpractice. “They come in with their iPhones and show mepictures,” Rizk, 47, added. “Selfies are just getting to beso crazy.

Booming Business in Selfie EconomyRizk, who specializes in rhinoplasty, said not every-

one who requests surgery needs it because a selfie pro-duces a distorted image that does not represent how aperson really looks. “We all will have something wrongwith us on a selfie image,” he explained. “I refuse a signif-icant proportion of patients with selfies because Ibelieve it is not a real image of what they actually looklike in person.”

Some patients get upset when Rizk tells them sur-gery is not necessary, and he knows they will simply goto another surgeon. “Too many selfies indicate a selfobsession and a certain level of insecurity that mostteenagers have. It just makes it worse,” he said. “Nowthey can see themselves in 100 images a day onFacebook and Instagram.”

New York make-up artist Ramy Gafni, who hasworked with clients on selfies and online dating profilephotos, suggests using clean makeup, well-definedeyebrows and a bit color on the lips to produce the bestselfies. “You want to enhance your features, perfect yourfeatures but not necessarily change your features intosomething they are not,” he said.

Dan Ackerman, senior editor with CNET which testsand reviews products, said the Internet is full of tips andadvice on selfies. “There are apps that apply filters toyour face that smooth out wrinkles ... or put artificialmakeup.... There is a sub economy of tools and advicethat have built up around this,” he added. —Reuters

By Patricia Reaney

Issues

Plastic surgery demand rises in selfie era

By Gene Johnson and Eric Tucker

The grand jury that declined to indictFerguson police officer Darren Wilsonwas focused on whether he might

have acted in self-defense when he shot andkilled unarmed, 18-year-old Michael Brown.But the case raises another question: CouldWilson have avoided getting into a spotwhere he had to make that split-second, life-or-death decision? Departments around thecountry have in recent years stepped uptheir training in “de-escalation” - the art ofdefusing a tense situation with a word or agesture instead of being confrontational orreaching for a weapon.

Proponents, including the JusticeDepartment, say the approach can improvetrust and understanding between policeand residents, curtail the unnecessary useof force and improve the safety of officersand civilians alike. “We haven’t taught offi-cers to just walk away,” said Cambridge,Massachusetts, Police CommissionerRobert Haas. “But if the only reason a per-son is acting up is because you’re standingthere ... isn’t that a viable approach?”

Haas and other law enforcement offi-cials said they didn’t want to second-guessWilson’s actions because they weren’t in hisshoes at the time of the Aug 9 shooting.But, many said, the case should accelerate anational discussion about police cultureand the potential for broader training inde-escalation, which is considered espe-cially important in dealing with people inmental health or drug-related crises.

In Missouri this month, a federal lawenforcement team held training with StLouis-area police, including top command-ers from Ferguson, on how unintentionalbias affects police work. That approachgoes hand-in-hand with de-escalation. “Inevery police encounter, the officer and thecivilian bring with them and see the worldthrough their experiences. The more theseviews diverge, the more they immediatelysee the other as a threat,” said JennyDurkan, the former US attorney in Seattlewho led the effort to curb excessive uses offorce by city police.

According to Wilson’s grand jury testi-mony, Brown and a friend were walkingdown the middle of the street when hedrove up and asked them to use the side-walk. When they declined, he suggested itagain. Brown responded by cursing at him,Wilson said. He backed up his vehicle toconfront Brown, who was carrying stolencigars. Brown shoved the vehicle’s doorshut as Wilson tried to open it, and thenattacked the officer through the door’sopen window, Wilson said. The officer

began shooting, then got out of the car,chased Brown, and fired some more whenBrown turned around. “My job isn’t to justsit and wait,” Wilson told ABC News.

Poor TacticsIn its investigations of police agencies,

the Justice Department has singled outpoor de-escalation tactics. In a July reporton the Newark, New Jersey, department,the DOJ faulted a “pattern and practice oftaking immediate offensive action” ratherthan acting within the bounds of theConstitution and displaying the “thickskin and patience” needed for the job. InSeattle and in Albuquerque, New Mexico,the DOJ blasted police for too quicklyusing flashlights, batons or stun guns asweapons when force could have beenavoided.

In Seattle in 2010, an officer killed aNative American woodcarver who hadcrossed the street while holding a smallknife and a block of wood. The officer gotout of his car, and when the carver - whoturned out to be hard of hearing - didn’timmediately drop the tool as ordered, he

was shot. Like Wilson, the officer wasn’tcharged criminally because of the highbar for such prosecutions against police,but the case helped spur the federal civilrights investigation of the department. Aconsent decree overhauled the depart-ment’s training, putting a premium on de-escalation and bias-free policing. The DOJhas already launched a similar investiga-tion in Ferguson.

In practice, de-escalation can takemany forms, said Seattle policespokesman Sean Whitcomb. Sometimes itmeans that multiple officers respondrather than one, because the larger pres-ence can make excitable subjects realizethey’re outnumbered. But for an officer, itcan also mean calmly introducing yourself,listening to what someone is saying andsimply relating to the person. The use ofbody-worn cameras can also help, expertssay, because both officers and civilianstend to behave better when they knowthey’re being recorded. “If we can use lan-guage and presence to get people to com-ply with lawful orders, we can considerthat a win,” Whitcomb said.

Still, reducing tension can be easiersaid than done. A 2012 report from thePolice Executive Research Forum describeschallenges in utilizing de-escalation tech-niques, saying a younger generation ofofficers accustomed to communicatingthrough text messaging and social mediamay be less adept in the personal commu-nication skills needed. And some officersworry about giving away the upper hand.A group of Seattle police officers suedover the department’s new use-of-forcepolicy. They said while they too want toprevent excessive uses of force, the policyis overly complicated and could endangerofficers by requiring them to hesitatebefore using force. A federal judge dis-missed the lawsuit, but the officers haveappealed.

“Traditional police training reinforcesthat you must always display a ver ystrong, assertive presence,” said Sue Rahr,executive director of Washington state’spolice academy. “But if the officer reacts toa challenge as most human beings would- by challenging back - the situation isgoing to devolve.” —AP

Police can better calm situations

A protester is taken into custody Friday in Ferguson. —AP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

LONDON: Arsenal, gaining welcome relief amid their worst start to a seasonfor 32 years, were left toasting Danny Welbeck yesterday after the Englandstiker’s goal earned them a 1-0 Premier League victory at West BrowmwichAlbion. On the back of two consecutive league defeats, it had looked for anhour as if Arsenal might succumb to an all too familiar lack of reward for theirdomination until a brilliant run and cross from Santi Cazorla allowed Welbeckto head home. It was the former Manchester United forward’s third PremierLeague goal-and sixth goal in all-for the Gunners since his move from Old

Trafford.The goal was just reward for Arsenal’s superiority but they

had to endure nervous moments, particularly when SaidoBerahino, selected by West Brom despite revelations sur-rounding his arrest for alleged drink-driving, headed againstthe bar with 10 minutes remaining.

Following Arsenal’s victory over Borussia Dortmundwhich secured their place in the Champions League knock-

out stages, the upturn in for tunes l i f ted theLondoners, playing in the day’s early fixture, move,

temporarily at least, back into the top four on 20points. That left them still 12 points adrift ofleaders Chelsea, who play at Sunderland in theday’s late fixture. — Reuters

SAO PAULO: Brazilian soccer legend Pele’s health con-tinued to improve oyesterday although he remained inan intensive care unit to allow doctors to monitor a uri-nary tract infection, his hospital said. The three-timesWorld Cup champion is receiving renal support treat-ment, which helps kidneys to filter waste products fromthe blood. He underwent surgery to remove kidneystones earlier this month. According to a statementreleased by S„o Paulo-based Hospital Israelita AlbertEinstein, Pele - often called the greatest soccer player inhistory - is “lucid, talking and his respiratory and bloodreadings are stable.” A treatment with antibioticsremained unaltered, the statement said.

Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes doNascimento, has struggled with a long list of healthproblems over the past decade. He has had emergencyeye surgery for a detached retina and a hip replace-ment. Known as the “King of soccer” in Brazil, he playedin four World Cups and scored over 1,000 goals duringhis career. — Reuters

Pele’s health improvingBARCELONA: Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has shaken off a calf strain and isavailable for Sunday’s La Liga clash at Valencia but the club will be careful not to rushhim back, coach Luis Enrique said yesterday. Iniesta, who has been out of action sincesustaining the injury in the La Liga ‘Clasico’ at Real Madrid at the end of October, was “ingood shape”, Luis Enrique told a news conference. However, he cautioned that it wasimportant to be “careful” with the Spain playmaker, suggesting Iniesta is unlikely to beincluded in the starting lineup at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium. “He has clearly improvedand he has been back in training with his team mates the past few days,” Luis Enriquesaid. “I always miss a player who is injured and if it is Iniesta much more so,” added theformer Barca and Spain midfielder.

With 12 matches played, second-placed Barca are two points behindleaders Real, who will set a club record of 16 consecutive victories in allcompetitions if they win at Malaga late yesterday. Champions AtleticoMadrid, two points behind Barca in third and two ahead of fourth-placed Valencia, host Deportivo La Coruna today. Luis Enrique said thedecision to operate on centre back Thomas Vermaelen to correct a lin-gering thigh injury was unlikely to prompt the club to buy a replace-ment for the Belgium international in the January transfer win-dow. Vermaelen, who sustained the injury playing against Russiaat the World Cup in June, has yet to make his competitive debutafter joining from Arsenal and his signing has become somethingof an embarrassment for the Barca board. —Reuters

Welcome relief for Arsenal Iniesta available for Barca

BANGKOK: India’s Anirban Lahiri retainedhis lead on day two of Thailand’s King’s Cupwith a five-under-par 67 as compatriot SSPChowrasia, who had been joint leader,slipped down the table.

Five-time Asia Tour winner Lahiri couldn’tquite match his previous days’ form when hestormed off the starting blocks with animpressive seven-under-par 65.

But it was enough to keep him two shotsahead of Australia’s Andrew Dolt andThailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn in the$500,000 event with a 12-under-par 132 atthe Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club.

Chowrasia posted 71 to slip to tied-fifthwith Australia’s Adam Groom on 136 whilelocal hero Thaworn Wiratchant, a compara-tive veteran at 47-years-old, took fourth

place on 135.Thaworn, who holds an unprecedented

17 titles on the Asian Tour, laughed off anysuggestion age might hold him back fromnotching up a few more victories.

“Who says I’m old? Still young boy,” hesaid, according to a statement put out byorganisers. “I’m still enjoying my game everyday and that’s important. I love my golf andthat’s what keeps me going which includestrying to get another win again this week.”

Lahiri said he felt comfortable at the topbut admitted he couldn’t rest easy over thecoming days. “I’m happy with the way I’mplaying. It wasn’t quite as good as it was yes-terday but I’m still feeling comfortable onthe golf course and the position I’m in,” hesaid. —AFP

India’s Lahiri retains lead at King’s Cup

SYDNEY: World number one Rory McIlroyimploded at the Australian Open yesterdayand lies six shots off leaders Jordan Spieth,Brett Rumford and Greg Chalmers going intothe final round.

US Masters runner-up Spieth (67-72-69)joined Rumford (70-69-69) and overnightleader Chalmers (71-66-71) in front at five-under par as The Australian course bared itsteeth in windy conditions.

Only eight players were under par after 54holes in the tournament on a challenging dayaround the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout.World number three Adam Scott was wellplaced to go after his second national opentitle, lurking one shot behind the leaders withRod Pampling after a two-under 69 to be onfour-under for the championship.

But McIlroy dropped six shots off the paceafter a horror round of five-over 76 and has itall to do to defend his Australian Open crownin today’s final round.

“The course is on a razor’s edge as they aretrying to create a golf course that ’s asunplayable as they can get it without it beingso and it’s right on that point,” Rumford said.

“It’s tough, I’m certainly not saying it’s easy,you seem as though you are pedalling a mil-lion miles an hour going nowhere.”McIlroy’sround faltered with a triple-bogey seven at theninth after finding the rough off the tee.

The Northern Irishman inexplicably chosenot to take a drop, only to further plug the ballinto the heavy undergrowth before opting fora penalty out of the tall grass.

He finally got on the green in five butmissed a putt to slump to a triple-bogey andtumble down the leaderboard to one-under.McIlroy lost more ground with a double-bogey six at the 10th to drop five shots in twoholes and slump to one-over for the tourna-ment. He had further bogeys at the 13th and16th holes only to finish with a birdie at thelast to end his demoralising day. In 54 holes,McIlroy has had 13 birdies, 11 bogeys, onedouble bogey and one triple bogey. Scottwrestled with his putter throughout the thirdround, unable to capitalise on his steady ironplay with several makeable putts going astraybut unlike McIlroy he stayed in the fight forthe lead. “It was a tough day out there but Ithink I struck the ball very well, solid, it just feltlike it was slow going,” Scott said.

“In these conditions, it’s going to take anincredible round just to make sure you’re inwith a chance the last few holes.” Spieth drewlevel with Rumford and Chalmers with a birdieat the final hole.

“The wind was flipping, it was tough to getthe right yardage let alone the accuracy,”Spieth said. “It was a struggle, I felt like I reallyhung in there nicely. It was very difficult, tograb five birdies on a day like today, if I can dothat tomorrow I think I will be in good shape.”

Pampling played the shot of the day, aneagle at the 10th hole when his iron approachtrickled into the pin from 120 metres out onthe fairway. That took him to five-under and ashare of the lead but he dropped back with abogey at the 17th. — AFP

McIlroy implodes as trio lead Australian Open

AUSTRALIA: RoryMcIlroy of Northern Ireland hits a shot out of a bunker during the thirdround of the Australian Open at the Australian Golf Club. — AFP

PHILADELPHIA: Martin St. Louis reached 1,000career NHL points with a goal and an assist, CamTalbot made 26 saves and the New York Rangersbeat the slumping Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 Friday.

Rick Nash and Dan Boyle also scored for theRangers (10-8-4), who shut out the Flyers for thesecond time in nine days. Philadelphia (8-11-3)dropped to 1-6-1 in its last eight games whilegetting blanked for the third time in its last six.Boos rained down on the Flyers during the thirdperiod.

The Flyers held a players’ only meeting afterWednesday’s 5-2 loss at Detroit but respondedwith a similar result. The Rangers had skated to a2-0 win over the Flyers on Nov. 19. The teams willplay in New York on Saturday.

RED WINGS 5, DEVILS 4Gustav Nyquist scored the only goal in the

shootout, and Detroit rall ied to beat NewJersey. The Red Wings had trailed 4-1 beforesurging to victor y. R i ley Sheahan, XavierOuellet, Justin Abdelkader and Drew Millerscored for the Red Wings in regulation. Backupgoalie Petr Mrazek, in his second start of theseason, made 21 saves for Detroit throughovertime.

Mike Cammalleri scored two power-playgoals for New Jersey. Jaromir Jagr got his 709thgoal, moving into sole possession of sixth placeon the NHL career list - one ahead of MikeGartner. Peter Harrold also scored for the Devils.

Nyquist beat Cory Schneider in the third

Rangers beat slumping Flyersround of the shootout, and Mrazek sealed thewin with a pad stop on Michael Ryder.

BLACKHAWKS 4, DUCKS 1Patrick Kane scored two goals, and Andrew

Shaw and Brad Richards each had a goal and anassist, leading Chicago over Anaheim.

Corey Crawford made 23 saves, helping theBlackhawks win for the fifth time in six games.Defenseman Hampus Lindholm scored for thetwo-time defending Pacific Division champions,and Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots in hisfirst career appearance against Chicago.

Crawford making his 13th consecutive start,didn’t have to face a shot during the first 7 1-2minutes. Chicago was 0 for 5 on the power play,ending its streak of six straight games with apower-play goal. The Ducks have yielded fivegoals in 47 short-handed situations over theirlast 15 games.

CAPITALS 5, ISLANDERS 2Aex Ovechkin scored the go-ahead goal, Matt

Niskanen had three assists and Washingtonslowed down the streaking New York Islanders.

Ovechkin gave Washington a 3-2 lead mid-way through the second period. He has fourgoals in four games, Marcus Johansson andEvgeny Kuznetsov each had a goal and an assist,and Andre Burakovsky and Joel Ward also scoredfor the Capitals. Braden Holtby stopped 26 shots.He has a 1.86 goals-against average over his lastseven games. After a 3-2 overtime loss on LongIsland on Wednesday night, the Capitals earneda split of the home-and-home set. John Tavaresand Anders Lee scored for New York, and ChadJohnson made 22 saves. The Islanders had wonfive straight and 10 of 11.

HURRICANES 4, PENGUINS 2Nathan Gerbe’s power-play goal broke a third

period tie, and Carolina earned a rare road winby beating Pittsburgh. Gerbe scored his thirdgoal of the season at 3:10, and Jiri Tlusty pushedthe lead to two in the closing seconds with apower-play tally into an empty net for his 10thgoal. Tlusty also scored in the first period andadded an assist on Patrick Dwyer’s second of theseason in the second for a three-point game forthe Hurricanes, who had lost six of seven. TheHurricanes, who own the NHL’s worst road record(3-9-2), finished their five-game trip with theirsecond win of it. They had lost five of previoussix and eight of the 10 against Pittsburgh.

Cam Ward, making his fifth straight start,made 20 saves for the win. Patric Hornqvistscored his 11th, and Kris Letang had his fourthfor the Penguins, who fell short of tying a teamrecord for wins in November. Pittsburgh captainSidney Crosby had two assists.

BRUINS 2, JETS 1Dougie Hamilton scored 3:39 into overtime,

and Boston rallied to beat Winnipeg. CarlSoderberg assisted on both goals for Boston,which held off the Jets during a four-minutepower play late in the third period and early inovertime. Loui Eriksson also earned an assist onthe game-winner. Boston’s Milan Lucic scoredthe tying goal early in the third period, andTuukka Rask made 35 saves. He didn’t allow any-thing to get past him after Dustin Byfuglien’sgoal gave the Jets a 1-0 lead with 3:36 left in thefirst period. Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinsonstopped 36 shots.

SABRES 2, CANADIENS 1Matt Moulson’s tiebreaking power-play goal

with 1:18 left lifted Buffalo over Montreal. TylerEnnis added a highlight-reel goal, and JhonasEnroth made 30 saves as Buffalo reboundedfrom a home loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday.

PA Parenteau’s third-period, power-play goalended Montreal’s scoring slump at 132 minutes,36 seconds, but it wasn’t enough for theCanadiens to avoid their second-straight loss.Sabres right wing Drew Stafford was injured inthe first period and didn’t return.

CANUCKS 5, BLUE JACKETS 0Ryan Miller made 31 saves for his second con-

secutive shutout, his third of the season and32nd of his career, and streaking Vancouvertopped struggling Columbus.

Miller, tied for the NHL lead with 15 wins,extended his scoreless run to 152 minutes, 5 sec-onds for the Canucks, who are tied for first in theWestern Conference. They are 6-1-1 in their pasteight games. Chris Higgins and Brad Richardsonboth had a goal and an assist for Vancouver,which played the first game of a season-high,seven-game, 12-day road trip. Henrik Sedin,Shawn Matthias and Alexandre Burrows alsoscored, and Nick Bonino added three assists.

Columbus has lost five in a row and hasdropped to the bottom of the NHL standingswith a 2-12-2 slide. Sergei Bobrovsky allowedfour goals on 29 shots.

PANTHERS 3, SENATORS 2Jimmy Hayes scored the winning goal to lift

Florida over Ottawa. Sean Bergenheim andDylan Olsen also scored for the Panthers, andVincent Trocheck had two assists. Al Montoyamade 22 saves in his fourth start of the season.No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo missed the gamebecause of a lower-body injury sustainedWednesday against Carolina.

Cody Ceci scored a goal, and Chris Neil had agoal and an assist for Ottawa. Craig Andersonstopped 43 shots. The Panthers had a season-high 46 shots and won its second in a row at

home. After struggling to get anything pastAnderson for most of the game, the Panthersscored two goals in the third to take a 3-2 lead.Anderson, 11-3-1 against the Panthers, wasespecially sharp in the second period when heturned away 16 shots.

BLUES 4, OILERS 3Vladimir Tarasenko scored at 4:20 of overtime

to carry St. Louis past Edmonton. The Blues, whorebounded from a shootout loss to Ottawa athome on Tuesday, have won four straight againstthe Oilers and nine of 10. The Oilers, beaten 1-0in overtime in Nashville on Thursday, havedropped nine straight games, including three inovertime. They have also lost 13 of 15.Tarasenko’s goal was his team-high 13th of theseason. T.J. Oshie had a goal and two assists forhis first multipoint game of the season. JakeAllen made 13 saves. Edmonton’s Ben Scrivensstopped 37 shots in the loss.

WILD 5, STARS 4Marco Scandella scored the winning goal 2:04

into overtime, after Thomas Vanek pulledMinnesota even late in regulation, and the Wildbeat Dallas after blowing a three-goal lead.Scandella poked a loose puck past Kari Lehtonenfrom close range to hand the Stars their eighthstraight overtime loss at home.

Minnesota improved to 6-0 against CentralDivision teams, and Dallas remained winless at 0-6-2 in the division. Vanek’s tying goal came with1:52 left in regulation from the right circle onassists from Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, his sec-ond assist of the game. Alex Goligoski put Dallasahead 4-3 by beating Darcy Kuemper over thetop of his glove off a pass from Tyler Seguin with6:31 remaining.

The Stars scored three goals in the last 4 min-utes of the second period to wipe out a 3-0deficit. Ales Hemsky started it with his first goalin his 22nd game in Dallas. Nino Niederreiter gothis seventh goal in eight games and team-lead-ing 11th of the season to start the scoring forMinnesota.— AP

Western ConferencePacific DivisionW L OTL GF GA PTS

Vancouver 16 6 1 72 61 33 Anaheim 14 5 5 64 60 33 Calgary 14 8 2 75 64 30 Los Angeles 12 6 5 64 53 29 San Jose 10 10 4 62 66 24 Arizona 9 11 3 57 71 21 Edmonton 6 14 4 54 82 16

Central DivisionNashville 15 5 2 62 45 32 St. Louis 15 6 2 63 49 32 Chicago 14 8 1 70 47 29 Winnipeg 12 9 4 52 56 28 Minnesota 13 9 0 63 52 26 Dallas 9 9 5 68 79 23 Colorado 8 10 5 59 73 21

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

Montreal 16 7 1 62 59 33 Tampa Bay 15 6 2 81 63 32 Detroit 13 5 5 69 58 31 Boston 14 9 1 61 58 29 Toronto 11 8 3 70 67 25 Florida 9 6 6 45 53 24 Ottawa 10 8 4 60 59 24 Buffalo 7 14 2 39 73 16

Metropolitan DivisionPittsburgh 15 5 2 78 53 32 NY Islanders 16 7 0 74 64 32 Washington 10 8 4 63 59 24 NY Rangers 10 8 4 63 62 24 New Jersey 9 10 4 57 68 22 Philadelphia 8 11 3 59 69 19 Carolina 7 12 3 52 65 17 Columbus 6 14 2 51 81 14 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth onepoint in the standings and are not includedin the loss column (L).

NHL results/standings

NY Rangers 3, Philadelphia 0; Chicago 4, Anaheim 1; Washington 5, NY Islanders 2; Boston 2,Winnipeg 1 (OT); Buffalo 2, Montreal 1; Detroit 5, New Jersey 4 (SO); Carolina 4, Pittsburgh 2;Vancouver 5, Columbus 0; Florida 3, Ottawa 2; St. Louis 4, Edmonton 3 (OT); Minnesota 5,Dallas 4 (OT).

TAMPA: Martin St. Louis No. 26 of the New York Rangers is squeezed between two players in this file photo. — AFP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

SYDNEY: The first Test match between Australiaand India was postponed yesterday following thedeath of batsman Phillip Hughes, with a shatteredskipper Michael Clarke admitting the team were in“deep pain”. Hughes, 25, died on Thursday frommassive bleeding on the brain, two days after beingknocked unconscious by a bouncer while batting ata domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

His death has thrown the cricketing world intomourning with the first Test against India, due tostart on Thursday in Brisbane, postponed to allowthe players time to grieve, Cricket Australia said.

“These are extraordinary circumstances and wesimply couldn’t or wouldn’t expect our players to beemotionally ready to start a Test match the day afterfarewelling one of their teammates,” CA chief execu-tive James Sutherland said.

“Their welfare is our absolute priority. They aregrieving and to expect that they could play a high-pressured, five-day Test match the following day isout of the question.” Sutherland said CA appreciat-ed the “incredible understanding and support” ofthe Board of Control for Cricket in India which hadbeen “nothing short of outstanding during thesedifficult times”.

It is not yet known when the match will berescheduled for, but Sutherland said it would bedone in full consultation with the players, the IndianBoard, the International Cricket Council and broad-casters. Earlier on Saturday a distraught Clarke hadpaid an emotional tribute to Hughes on behalf ofthe Australian cricket team and support staff.

Clarke spoke of Hughes’ parents and family andsaid: “We share in the deep pain that you’re feeling.“Our dressing room will never be the same. Weloved him and always will.”

Hughes’ death has reverberated around thecountry in which cricket is considered the nationalgame, with flags flown at half mast and cricket batsleft outside front doors as a mark of respect, includ-ing at the Sydney residence of Prime Minister TonyAbbott. “Words cannot express the loss we all feel as

a team right now,” Clarke told a brief press confer-ence in Sydney, in which he took no questions andbattled to keep his composure.

“Apart from when he was home on the farm withhis beloved cattle, Hughesy was at his happiestplaying cricket for his country with his mates,”

Clarke said. “Things were always put into perspec-tive when Hughesy said: ‘Where else would yourather be boys than playing cricket for your coun-try?’” Clarke said Hughes, who had played 26 Testssince his 2009 debut and who had appeared readyfor his next call up, had epitomised what the baggygreen cap that Australian Test cricketers wear wasall about. He said he had asked Cricket Australia toretire Hughes’ one-day international number of 64,which they have agreed to do.

“The world lost one of its great blokes this weekand we are all poorer for it. Our promise toHughesy’s family is that we will do everything wecan to honour his memory,” Clarke said.

“His legacy of trying to improve each and everyday will drive us for the rest of our lives.” Ahead ofthe postponement of the game, former captainRicky Ponting had said playing the Test matchwould not have been right.

“It’s been such a tragic week for the Hughes fam-ily and the cricket community, I can’t imagine howanybody can be expected to play Test cricket onThursday,” Ponting wrote in The Australian newspa-per. Test players David Warner, Shane Watson, BradHaddin and Nathan Lyon were at the SCG when thepopular Hughes suffered the fatal injury during aSheffield Shield match. Many players visited thestricken player in hospital to pay their respects.

The tragic accident has deeply shaken the worldcricket community and Clarke thanked fans for theirtouching tributes. “We’re going to miss that cheekygrin and that twinkle in his eye,” Clarke said. InHughes’ home town of Macksville on the New SouthWales north coast, where his funeral will be held onWednesday, residents held a sombre ceremony afterdark, in which a lone piper played. — AFP

India Test postponed as Australia reels from Hughes death

LONDON: A giant screen shows an image of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes before the start ofthe Autumn International rugby union Test match between England and Australia at TwickenhamStadium. — AFP

SHARJAH: New Zealand batsman Tim Southee (second right) plays a shot during the third day of the third and final Test match between New Zealand and Pakistan at theSharjah cricket stadium. — AFP

COLOMBO: Hosts Sri Lanka outplayed woeful England byeight wickets in the second one-day international inColombo yesterday to take a 2-0 lead in the seven-matchseries. Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis grabbedthree for 33 as England were skittled for 185 in 43 oversafter electing to bat in a match reduced to 45-overs-a-side because of bad weather.

The veteran duo of Kumar Sangakkara (67 not out)and Mahela Jayawardene (77 not out) then put on 149 forthe unbroken third wicket as Sri Lanka romped homewith 10.4 overs to spare at the Premadasa stadium.

Sri Lanka had won the first game by 25 runs at thesame venue on Wednesday. The third match will beplayed in Hambantota on December 3.Both teams woreblack arm-bands and observed a minute’s silence beforethe start to mourn Australian batsman Phil Hughes, whodied in Sydney on Thursday of head injuries sustained bya rising ball. Bats and caps were displayed outside thedressing rooms as a mark of respect and flags flew at half-mast over the stadium. Ravi Bopara top-scored with 51and Joe Root made 42, but just eight boundaries were hitin the entire England innings as none of the other bats-men settled in.

MENDIS LEADS THE WAY Mendis led the way as the slow bowlers shared six

wickets and the seamers chipped in with four wickets.England lost half their side by the 28th over with just 117runs on the board.

Opener Moeen Ali, who hit a century in the previousmatch, made only two when he attempted a wild heaveoff Tillakaratne Dilshan and was bowled in the secondover. Ian Bell, playing his 150th one-day international,was dismissed by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for 11and Dilshan also removed skipper Alastair Cook for 22.

Mathews was delighted with the emphatic win. “Itfeels great,” he said. “The bowlers did the job and thenMahela (Jayawardene) and Sanga (Sangakkara) showedhow to bat on this wicket.” Mathews said he handed thenew ball to off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan to take advan-tage of the slow pitch. The move worked as Dilshan easilyremoved his strong opponent Ali. “Our fielding has pickedup a little bit but we can still improve,” he said.

Sri Lanka lost both openers, Dilshan and Kusal Perera,by the eighth over with the total at 37 before Sangakkaraand Jayawardene steadied the innings for the hosts.

Left-handed Sangakkara smashed eight boundaries,including the winning hit off Harry Gurney over thebowler’s head. Jayawardene hit eight fours and a six. Adisappointed Cook admitted his side were outplayed inthe match, but vowed to bounce back in the series. “Wethought it was a good toss to win but I’m not sure it (deci-sion to bat) was the right choice,” he said. “Sri Lanka total-ly outplayed us in all departments today. —AFP

Kiwis lead run-feast

SHARJAH: Brendon McCullum smashed a double-hundredbut Kane Williamson missed his by eight runs as New Zealandposted their highest total against Pakistan in the third Test inSharjah yesterday. McCullum hit 188-ball 202 while Williamsonmade 192 as New Zealand closed the third day at 637-8 with aworld record of 19 sixes to pulverise hapless Pakistan.

That gave New Zealand a mammoth lead of 286 runs overPakistan’s first innings total of 351, setting them up stronglyfor a series-levelling win.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning thefirst Test in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs and drawing the second inDubai. New Zealand surpassed Australia’s record of 17 sixes ina Test innings against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003. This alsobecomes the highest total by New Zealand against Pakistan,beating the 563 they made at Hobart in 2003.

Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson and Tim Southee all made 50each to enjoy a dominating day for their team. In the morningMcCullum became one of only four batsmen to score threedouble-hundreds in a year. The New Zealand skipper also cre-ated a new second-wicket record for New Zealand in all Testcricket of 297 with Williamson.

OVER THE ROOF McCullum jumped out of his crease to hit Shah over the

stadium roof at long-on for his 11th six to complete his dou-ble-hundred off just 186 deliveries.

This is his third double-hundred this year, following his twoagainst India at home in February, making him the fourthbatsmen to score three or more double-hundreds in a year.

Michael Clarke (four scores of over 200 in 2012) RickyPonting (three in 2003) and Don Bradman (three in 1930) —all from Australia-are the only other players to have achievedthe feat.

It was an innings of full control which battered thePakistani bowlers into submission, studded with 21 fours and11 sixes-one short of the record of most sixes in an inningsheld by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, against Zimbabwe in 1996.

McCullum was finally bowled by Shah, much to the relief ofthe Pakistan bowlers who were looking for wickets after NewZealand resumed the day on a strong 249-1.

The McCullum-Williamson stand bettered New Zealand’sall-time previous second-wicket stand of 241 held by AndrewJones and John Wright against England at Wellington in 1992.

Willimson reached his hundred with a sweetly-timed on-drive to the boundary off paceman Mohammad Talha, com-pleting his three-figures off 124 balls with 13 fours and a six.

Williamson hit 23 fours and a six off 243 deliveries andadded another 116 for the third wicket with Taylor.Williamson’s previous best of 161 not out was against the WestIndies at Barbados in June this year. He was finally caught inthe slips off Rahat from the first ball after tea.

Rahat Ali took 4-89 while leg-spinner Shah finished with 3-169. Both teams had to abandon the second day’s play onThursday to mourn the tragic death of Australian batsmanPhillip Hughes, who died after being hit by a bouncer during amatch in Sydney. The Test has been extended until tomorrow.An emotional McCullum said his thoughts were with Hughesduring the knock. “On behalf of the Blackcaps I want to makethe following statement. Our focus at the moment is not onour performances, it is all about Phil,” said McCullum.

“We are heartbroken for Phil’s family, Greg, Virginia, Meganand Jason. No one should go through what you guys aregoing through right now.” Pakistan coach Waqar Younisbelieved his team can save the Test.”Look the pitch is still goodfor batting,” said Waqar. “We will be under pressure but wewould be in the defensive mode and we have the batting tosave this match.” —AFP

SHARJAH: Scoreboard at close on the third day of thethird and final Test between Pakistan and New Zealand atSharjah stadium yesterday:

Pakistan 1st innings 351 (Mohammad Hafeez 197; M.Craig 7-94)

New Zealand 1st innings (overnight 249-1)T. Latham c Ahmed b Rahat 13B. McCullum b Shah 202K. Williamson c Younis b Rahat 192R. Taylor c Younis b Shah 50C. Anderson c Shah b Rahat 50D. Vettori lbw b Rahat 15BJ Watling lbw b Hafeez 8M. Craig not out 34T. Southee c Talha b Shah 50Extras: (b2, lb7, nb6, w8) 23Total: (for eight wkts; 130 overs) 637Fall of wicket: 1-51 (Latham), 2-348 (McCullum), 3-464( Taylor), 4-488 ( Williamson), 5-528 ( Vettori), 6-537(Anderson), 7-546 (Watling), 8-637 (Southee)Bowling: Talha 22-2-136-0 (6nb, 1w), Rahat 25-0-89-4 (2w),Babar 23-1-135-0, Shah 38-4-169-3, Hafeez 20-2-91-1 (5w),Ali 2-0-8-0.

SCOREBOARD

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka crush EnglandCOLOMBO: Full scoreboard of the second one-day interna-tional between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo yesterday:England: A. Cook c K. Perera b Dilshan 22M. Ali b Dilshan 2 I. Bell c T. Perera b Herath 11J. Root lbw b Mathews 42E. Morgan c Thirimanne b T. Perera 17R. Bopara c Mathews b A. Mendis 51J. Buttler b Prasad 7C. Woakes st Sangakkara b A. Mendis 15J. Tredwell not out 9S. Finn b A. Mendis 0H. Gurney b Prasad 1 Extras: (lb3, w3, nb2) 8 Total (all out, 43 overs) 185Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Ali), 2-36 (Bell), 3-37 (Cook), 4-75 (Morgan),

5-117 (Root), 6-132 (Buttler), 7-173 (Woakes), 8-180 (Bopara), 9-180 (Finn), 10-185 (Gurney). Bowling: Mathews 6-0-23-1 (w2),Dilshan 9-0-32-2, Herath 9-0-40-1, A. Mendis 7-1-33-3 (w1), T.Perera 3-0-16-1, J. Mendis 5-0-22-0 (nb1), Prasad 4-0-16-2 (nb1).Sri Lanka:T. Dilshan c Woakes b Ali 26K. Perera c Bopara b Finn 9K. Sangakkara not out 67M. Jayawardene not out 77Extras: (lb3, w4) 7 Total (for two wickets, 34.2 overs) 186Fall of wickets: 1-27 (K. Perera), 2-37 (Dilshan).Bowling: Finn 6-1-35-1 (w1), Woakes 5-0-23-0, Ali 7-0-38-1 (w2), Gurney 5.2-0-32-0 (w1), Tredwell 9-0-47-0, Bopara2-0-8-0Sri Lanka won by eight wickets; lead 2-0 in seven-matchseries.

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara (right) is watched by England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (left)as he plays a shot during the second One Day International (ODI) match. —AFP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

SAN ANTONIO: Tony Parker had 27 points andthe San Antonio Spurs held on to beat theSacramento Kings 112-104 on Friday night -theirsecond straight victory without Gregg Popovich.

Popovich missed his second straight gamefollowing a recent undisclosed minor medicalprocedure. The veteran coach’s status isunknown for the team’s upcoming four-gameroad trip, which begins Sunday in Boston, but hedid visit with the team Friday morning.

Assistant coach Ettore Messina led SanAntonio to its sixth straight victory. Messina saideverything he is doing has Popovich’s seal ofapproval. Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points, TimDuncan had 18 and Danny Green 11 for SanAntonio (11-4). Darren Collison and Ryan Hollinshad 15 points each for Sacramento (9-6) and BenMcLemore had 14 points.

HAWKS 100, PELICANS 91Jeff Teague scored 26 points, DeMarre Carroll

added 19 and Atlanta held off New Orleans.Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday each had 20points for New Orleans. The Pelicans couldn’trecover after being held to a season-low 28 first-half points.

Tyreke Evans had 18 points for New Orleans.Anthony Davis had 14 points and 11 rebounds.The Pelicans cut Atlanta’s lead to seven pointsthree times in the fourth period, the last at 94-87. Teague answered with a basket that barelybeat the shot clock with 39 seconds remaining.Paul Millsap had 13 points and nine reboundsand Al Horford had 10 points and 10 reboundsfor Atlanta.

THUNDER 105, KNICKS 78Russell Westbrook scored 32 points in his first

game back from a broken right hand, andOklahoma rolled past New York. Westbrook wasinjured in the second game of the season andhadn’t played since. He returned in grand fash-ion, making 12 of 17 shots, including 3 of 4 3-pointers, and adding eight assists and sevenrebounds in just 23 minutes before checking outlate in the third quarter because the Thunderwere in control.

Amare Stoudemire had 20 points and ninerebounds for the Knicks, who shot 39 percentand scored a season-low point total in their thirdstraight loss. Carmelo Anthony, a Top 10 scorerin the league, missed his second straight gamewith back spasms. He said before the game hewas unsure when he would return.

CLIPPERS 102, ROCKETS 85Blake Griffin had 30 points and 10 rebounds

and Jamal Crawford added 21 points to help LosAngeles coast to a win over injury-depletedHouston. The Rockets were playing their fifthstraight game without Dwight Howard (kneestrain) and were also missing two other starters.

The Clippers took the lead at the end of thefirst quarter and didn’t trail again. Houston gotwithin 10 points early in the third, but a run byLos Angeles pushed the lead to 18.

An alley-oop dunk by DeAndre Jordan madeit 94-73 with about six minutes remaining andthe starters went to the bench soon after that.James Harden had 16 points to lead Houston.

PACERS 98, MAGIC 83Rodney Stuckey scored a season-high 24

points and David West had 18 points in his firstgame of the season to lead Indiana to a win overOrlando. Solomon Hill scored 11 points andLavoy Allen had 10 points and 14 rebounds asthe Pacers (7-9) handed the Magic (6-12) theirfourth straight loss.

West wasted little time in re-establishinghimself. The Pacers’ power forward had missedthe first 15 games of the season with an ankleinjury, but he scored Indiana’s first four pointsbefore two quick fouls sent him to the bench.

Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 16 points.Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo each scored 14and Ben Gordon had 12 points for the Magic.

BUCKS 104, PISTONS 88Ersan Ilyasova scored 22 points and Jared

Dudley added 16 points as Milwaukee beatslumping Detroit. Milwaukee didn’t have a singlestarter score in double figures, but got 69 pointsoff the bench to hand Detroit its seventhstraight loss. The teams were playing for thethird time this month and the second time infour days. The Pistons posted one of just threewins this season on Nov. 7, but Milwaukeeanswered with a 98-86 victory on Tuesday.Former Piston Khris Middleton added 12 pointsfor Milwaukee, which got four reserves into dou-ble figures. Andre Drummond led Detroit with26 points and 20 rebounds, but Greg Monroeonly had five points on three shots.

WARRIORS 106, HORNETS 101Marreese Speights scored 16 of his 27 points

in the fourth quarter, and Golden State Warriorsbeat Charlotte for their eighth straight win.

Stephen Curry finished with 26 points despitea poor shooting night from 3-point range, andKlay Thompson added 17 points for the Warriors(13-2). Brian Roberts scored 20 points and AlJefferson had 18 points for the strugglingHornets, who have lost eight straight games and10 of their last 11. Cody Zeller had 15 points and14 rebounds and Kemba Walker had 13 pointsand 13 rebounds for Charlotte (4-13).

Curry, making his return to Charlotte wherehe played high school basketball and starred atnearby Davidson College, was just 1 of 10 from3-point range. But he finished 9 of 20 from thefield and made all seven free throw attempts.The Warriors out-rebounded the Hornets 16-8on the offensive glass.

NUGGETS 122, SUNS 97Arron Afflalo led seven Nuggets in double fig-

ures with 22 points, and Denver won its fourthstraight at home by beating Phoenix. TimofeyMozgov added 13 points as the Nuggetssnapped a five-game losing streak to the Suns,who took the first of their home-and-homeseries on Wednesday after sweeping four meet-ings between the teams last season.

Eric Bledsoe had 16 points to lead Phoenix,which had an off night shooting, connecting on38.8 percent of its shots from the field. GeraldGreen added 12 points. Helped by their deeprotation and dominance on the boards (Denveroutrebounded Phoenix 58-34), the Nuggetsopened a 66-47 halftime lead, piling up the mostpoints in a half by a Suns’ opponent this season.

GRIZZLIES 112, TRAIL BLAZERS 99Marc Gasol had 26 points and nine assists as

Memphis held off Portland to snap a nine-gamePortland winning streak. Mike Conley added 21points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, whohave lost just two of 16 games this season forthe NBA’s best record. Memphis is undefeatedagainst conference foes this season. WesleyMatthews scored 26 or the Blazers, who lost justtheir second game at home. LaMarcus Aldridgeadded 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 15 points. ButMatthews nailed a 3-pointer to narrow it beforeChris Kaman’s layup cut the Grizzlies’ lead to 89-85 with 7:26 to go. Tony Allen’s layup putMemphis up 94-85. He added a 3-pointer thatextended the lead to 108-93 with 1:37 left to sealit. Zach Randolph had 14 points and 13rebounds for Memphis, which has won eight ofits last nine games. Conley had nine assists tojust miss out on a triple double.

MAVERICKS 106, RAPTORS 102Monta Ellis scored 15 of his 30 points in the

fourth quarter, Tyson Chandler had 11 pointsand 10 rebounds and Dallas won for the eighthtime in 10 games, beating Toronto.

Chandler Parsons scored 16 points, DirkNowitzki had 15 Al-Farouq Aminu 14 as theMavericks snapped Toronto’s winning streak at

six games. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle won his300th game with Dallas. He’s the third coach inteam history to reach the mark, joining DonNelson (339) and Dick Motta (329).

Kyle Lowry scored 25 points, Amir Johnsonhad 20 and Lou Williams 16 for the Raptors, whosaw All-Star DeMar DeRozan leave in the thirdwith a strained left groin.

BULLS 102, CELTICS 102Jimmy Butler hit four free throws late in the

game and finished with 22 points, Derrick Rosescored 21 points and Chicago pulled out a winover Boston Celtics. Pau Gasol had 15 points and15 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 15 pointswith 14 boards for the Bulls, who had lost four oftheir previous six games. Boston has lost six ofseven. Jared Sullinger led Boston with 23 pointsand 10 rebounds. Avery Bradley had 18 pointsand Brandon Bass 16 with nine boards. RajonRondo had eight points, seven rebounds andnine assists for the Celtics. Butler’s two freethrows tied it with 80 seconds to play. Rondomissed two free throws and Sullinger front-rimmed an attempted 3 before Butler’s two freethrows put the Bulls ahead for good, 104-102,with 51 seconds left. Noah nailed a short jumperon Chicago’s next possession.

TIMBERWOLVES 120, LAKERS 119Rookie guard Zach LaVine scored 18 of his

team high 28 points off the bench in the secondquarter, and Mo Williams had 25 points and 11assists to lead Minnesota over Los AngelesLakers. Kobe Bryant missed a 3-pointer as timeexpired that helped seal the win for Minnesota.

LaVine, the 13th overall pick in the draft outof UCLA, played 25 minutes in his Staples Centerdebut and made 11 of 14 shots. He was the fifthand last player off the Timberwolves bench asthey snapped a three-game losing streak.

Bryant finished with 26 points on 10 for 18shooting and Nick Young scored 13 of his 16points in the fourth quarter. Wesley Johnson had19 points against his former club and Jeremy Linhad 18 points and 11 assists in the Lakers’ fourthstraight loss. Seven of their 13 defeats this sea-son have been by seven or fewer points. — AP

Spurs pound Kings

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GBToronto 13 3 .813 - Brooklyn 6 8 .429 6 Boston 4 9 .308 7.5NY Knicks 4 13 .235 9.5Philadelphia 0 15 0 12.5

Central DivisionChicago 10 6 .625 - Milwaukee 10 7 .588 0.5Cleveland 7 7 .500 2 Indiana 7 9 .438 3 Detroit 3 13 .188 7

Southeast DivisionWashington 9 5 .643 - Atlanta 8 6 .571 1 Miami 8 7 .533 1.5Orlando 6 12 .333 5 Charlotte 4 13 .235 6.5

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Portland 12 4 .750 - Denver 8 8 .500 4 Utah 5 11 .313 7 Oklahoma City 5 12 .294 7.5Minnesota 4 10 .286 7

Pacific DivisionGolden State 13 2 .867 - LA Clippers 10 5 .667 3 Phoenix 10 7 .588 4 Sacramento 9 7 .563 4.5LA Lakers 3 13 .188 10.5

Southwest DivisionMemphis 14 2 .875 - Houston 12 4 .750 2 San Antonio 11 4 .733 2.5Dallas 12 5 .706 2.5New Orleans 7 7 .500 6

NBA results/standings

Chicago 109, Boston 102; Golden State 106, Charlotte 101; Atlanta 100, New Orleans 91;Milwaukee 104, Detroit 88; Dallas 106, Toronto 102; LA Clippers 102, Houston 85; Oklahoma City105, NY Knicks 78; Indiana 98, Orlando 83; San Antonio 112, Sacramento 104; Denver 122,Phoenix 97; Memphis 112, Portland 99; Minnesota 120, LA Lakers 119.

ALICANTE: The Volvo Ocean Race fleet sur-vived a mid-Indian Ocean rendezvous with atropical cyclone to continue their progresstowards their Leg 2 destination of Abu Dhabiyesterday.

Several international weather forecastershad warned race organisers that a cyclone washeading towards the seven boats of the globalocean race near Mauritius and RÈunion Island.

However, by the time the fleet met theweather system in the early hours of Saturday

morning, it had lost much of its power andbeen downgraded from cyclone to tropicaldepression.

Gusts of up to 35 knots were still experi-enced but it was not the boat-breaking stormthe crews had feared. Leaders MAPFRE (Spain)were able to use the power of the gusts tosurge 14 nautical miles (nm) clear of the rest ofthe fleet before the chasing pack also enjoyedthe wind boost to sail at an average of 25knots. The Spanish have a point to prove in this

stage after finishing last in Leg 1 from Alicante,Spain to Cape Town behind winners, AbuDhabi Ocean Racing.

The fleet is midway through a 5,200nmstage from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi on thesecond of nine legs in the nine-monthmarathon offshore race. They are expected toarrive in the Emirates around Dec. 13. In all,they will cover 38,739nm and visit 11 portsbefore the race finishes in Gothenburg,Sweden on June 27 next year. —Reuters

LONDON: Ben Morgan scored two tries asEngland beat Australia 26-17 atTwickenham yesterday less than a year outfrom the teams’ World Cup pool clash at theLondon ground.

England’s scrum dominance-exempli-fied by No 8 Morgan’s two tries-and finework at the breakdown led by home skip-per Chris Robshaw, were the cornerstonesof this success.

Victory was just England’s third win in14 Tests against the southern hemispherebig three of South Africa, New Zealand andAustralia under coach Stuart Lancaster.

It also meant they ended the Novemberprogramme with a 50 percent success rateafter defeats by both world championsNew Zealand (24-21) and South Africa (31-28) were followed by last week’s 28-9 winover Samoa. But for Australia, adjusting tolife under new coach Michael Cheika fol-lowing the shock resignation of EwenMcKenzie in the fall-out from the KurtleyBeale text pic scandal, the result meantthey had endured their worst Europeantour since 2005 when they also lost threeout of four Tests. This trip saw the Wallabiesbeat Wales but Saturday saw them lose forthe third successive time after narrowdefeats by both France (29-26) and Ireland(26-23).

The particular concern for Australia fromthis match was that they had yet againbeen dominated by England at the scrum.

KEY FACTOR “Across the board we knew it was going

to be a battle,” Morgan told Sky Sports. “Wesaid all week we had to stick to our game-plan,” the Gloucester back-row added. “Wehad to trust it, and we knew we’d comegood in the end.”

In addition to Morgan’s scores, the restof England’s points came from the boot offly-half George Ford, given another chanceto impress after starring against Samoa.

“We’re not just a set-piece side, becausewe’re bound to run up against scrumsthat ’ll match us,” said coach StuartLancaster.

“But against New Zealand and SouthAfrica, our game management let us down.Overall, today our game management wasmuch better.” Australia captain MichaelHooper admitted England’s scrum hadbeen a key factor. “Their scrum was reallygood tonight-we couldn’t get any ascen-dancy there. It’s a shame we couldn’t finisha few tries. “I think we were actually really

close-it was just finishing those passes,” theflanker added. After an early exchange ofpenalties between Australia fly-halfBernard Foley and Ford, it was Ford whokicked England into a 6-3 lead after full-back Mike Brown was tackled late byWallaby No 8 Ben McCalman. Australia’simpressive backs almost found a waythrough and it needed a good tackle oncentre Adam Ashley-Cooper by Englandlock Courtney Lawes to snuff out a try.

Hooper twice refused to go for the postswith penalties, opting for close-range line-outs instead. But excellent ruck defence,led by Hooper’s rival openside flankerRobshaw, kept Australia at bay.

And it was England who scored the onlytry of the first half when superb play byFord, who gathered a stray pass and thengot away a low kick which led to a knock-on by Australia full-back Israel Folau, set upa scrum near the Wallaby line.

England drove hard at the set piecebefore the ball came out to Brad Barritt.Scrum-half Ben Youngs and flanker TomWood then combined to send Morgan infrom 10 metres. Ford converted andEngland were 13-3 ahead.

Either side of half-time, the fly-halfmissed long-range penalties. Australia, whomight have had a mountain to climb, hitback with a try. Foley fed Rob Horne andthen took a return inside pass for a 45th-minute try under the posts which he con-verted.

But, curiously, Foley was then immedi-ately replaced by Quade Cooper. England,though, responded in the 57th-minutethrough Morgan’s second try.

Brown’s clever grubber-kick led toCooper being tackled into touch behind hisown line. From the resulting five-metrescrum, England drove Australia backwardsand Morgan went over for a converted tryto make it 20-10.

But Australia narrowed the gap on thehour when replacement forward WillSkelton, who had only been on the fieldtwo minutes, powered his way over for atry after good work by the impressiveAshley-Cooper.

Quade Cooper converted and England’slead had been cut to 20-17. However, Ford’s64th-minute penalty edged England into a23-17 lead. Australia kept pressing but sawa potential try go begging with Folau’spoor pass to Horne. Ford’s 77th-minutepenalty put England two scores in frontand sealed victory. —AFP

Global racers surge on after cyclone warning

SAN ANTONIO: Spurs guard Tony Parker (left) of France, passes the ball around SacramentoKings guard Ben McLemore during the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

LONDON: Australia’s Will Skelton, falls under the tackles of England’s Chris Robshaw(on ground) during the international rugby union match. — AP

Morgan at the double as England defeat Australia

PARIS: Reigning French and Europeanchampions Toulon crushed arch-rivalsClermont 27-19 to move top of the FrenchTop 14 yesterday. Clermont had held athree-point advantage over Toulon goinginto the top-of-the-table clash at theAllianz Riviera in Nice.

But in a high-level and intense game,Toulon prevailed largely thanks to threetries-from New Zealand winger DavidSmith (14, 73) and Maxime Mermoz (37) —with the France centre also instrumental intwo decisive passes. The clash lived up toexpectations as the champions had troublepulling ahead of a tenacious Clermont,who scored two tries from Fritz Lee (31)and Aurelien Rougerie (60), and only cavedin following the second late Smith try.

With just one point separating the rivalsat 20-19, a Steffon Armitage break, wellrelayed by Smith, led to the the NewZealand winger’s second try, assisted onthe inside by Mermoz.

In a brisk clash, Toulon took the leadafter less than a quarter-of-an-hour with aspectacular 40-metre sprint from Mermoz,

serving wing Smith two metres from theline and he crossed despite pressure fromClermont’s Jean-Marcellin Buttin.

Clermont got their hand on the ball withLee scoring a try on the half-hour mark fol-lowing an action initiated by Australiancentre Benson Stanley to make it 10-8.

In response, Mermoz built on good workby the forwards and a long pass fromscrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde asToulon lead 17-8 at half-time.

Toulon seemed to lose their way justafter the break, allowing Clermont backwith Stanley breaking through andRougerie crossing for a try.

But a Nicolas Sanchez penalty andSmith’s 73rd minute try closed down the tieas Clermont were hit by the late sin-bin-ning of Julien Bonnaire for a dangeroustackle two minutes later.

Toulon will spend the next two weeks,devoted to European Cup action, leadingthe Top 14. It gives the champions a boostahead of their European clash at Leicester,as Clermont look to bounce back againstIrish side Munster. — AFP

Toulon go top in France

FRANCE: Clermontís number 8 Fritz Lee (second left) runs to score a try despiteRC Toulon’s winger Drew Mitchell (center) during the French Top 14 rugby unionmatch. — AFP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

GERMANY: Bayern’s Franck Ribery from France (right) and Berlin’s Per Ciljan Skjelbred from Norway (left) challenge for the ball during theGerman Bundesliga soccer match. — AP

BERLIN: Bayern Munich opened a 10-point lead inthe Bundesliga yesterday with a 1-0 win at HerthaBerlin to recover from their midweek defeat atManchester City.

With their nearest rivals Wolfsburg facingBorussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday, ArjenRobben’s first-half goal in Germany’s capital wasenough to give Bayern their 10th league win of theseason in 13 games. After suffering their first defeatof the season at Manchester in the ChampionsLeague on Tuesday, their first loss in 23 games, thiswas a no-frills performance from the defendingchampions to preserve their unbeaten Bundesligarecord.

“Perhaps the players were tired after playing 70minutes with ten men in Manchester,” said Bayerncoach Pep Guardiola in Berlin, referring to MehdiBenatia’s first-half dismissal in City.

“I was happy with the first half performance, butwe can improve on the second.” Bayern went aheadat Berlin’s chilly Olympic Stadium when MarioGoetze played Thomas Mueller into the area beforeRobben hit the top left-hand corner from 17metres out with 27 minutes gone.

“A 1-0 win can happen and we can’t always playwell,” said Robben. “The second-half wasn’t good,but at least we took three points.” With six monthsleft of the season, Bayern’s march to their thirdstraight Bundesliga title looks virtually unstop-pable once again.

At the other end, Borussia Dortmund, who areat Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, dropped back tothe bottom of the table after both Werder Bremenand Stuttgart picked up wins.

Werder Bremen’s 4-0 hammering of Paderbornand VfB Stuttgart’s 4-1 win at Freiburg on Fridaysaw them both leap-frog Dortmund.

Bremen moved up to 14th as caretaker coachViktor Skripnik picked up his fourth win in fivegames since taking over from the fired Robin Duttas Zlatko Junuzovic, Davie Selke, Fin Bartels andLevent Aycicek scored.

Both Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen roared backfrom midweek Champions League defeats byclaiming heavy wins to go sixth and third respec-tively. Schalke responded to their 5-0 ChampionsLeague thrashing by Chelsea with a 4-1 hammer-ing of Mainz at home with Dutch striker Klaas-Jan

Huntelaar claiming a hat-trick.Netherlands international Huntelaar fired

Schalke into a 2-0 lead after just 25 minutes withtwo superb goals before Japan striker ShinjiOkazaki pulled one back for the visitors.

But the Royal Blues made sure of the threepoints when Huntelaar’s final pass was curledhome by Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta on 54minutes. The Dutchman completed his hat-trickwhen he slammed home Eric-Choupo Moting’sfinal pass on 61 minutes. Bayer Leverkusen puttheir Champions League defeat at home toMonaco behind

them with a 5-1 comeback win at the BayArenaagainst Cologne in the Rhine derby as both JosipDrmic and Karim Bellarabi scored twice.

Hakan Calhanoglu added his team’s other goal.Bellarabi, Huntelaar and Okazaki, along withEintracht Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier and BayernMunich’s Mario Goetze, have all claimed sevengoals this season with all five as the league’s jointtop-scorers. Late yesterday, Hanover 96 have thechance to break into the top four when they faceHoffenheim away. — AFP

Bayern edge Hertha

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain kept the pressure onMarseille at the top of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 winagainst Nice at the Parc des Princes yesterdaythanks to an early Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty.

The Swede’s second goal in as many gamesand sixth in Ligue 1 this season may have beenthe only goal of the match, but the defendingchampions could, and should, have won by agreater margin against limited mid-table oppo-nents. Nevertheless, Laurent Blanc’s side remainunbeaten this season and have now recordednine consecutive victories in all competitions,with this latest triumph allowing them to closethe gap on Marseille back to one point followingOM’s 2-0 defeat of Nanteas on Friday night.

PSG welcomed back captain Thiago Silva andThiago Motta after both had missed the mid-week Champions League game against Ajax,and while Nice might have opened the scoringinside seven minutes when Alassane Plea testedSalvatore Sirigu with a low shot, the home sidecame flying out of the blocks.

Edinson Cavani, who had scored seven goalsin his last seven club appearances, sent a dip-ping volley from outside the area narrowly widebefore Ibrahimovic showed sublime skill to takedown a long Javer Pastore ball, turn and lash ashot against the post.

The breakthrough duly arrived on the quar-ter-hour when a penalty was awarded afterLucas was cleaned out in the box by two Nicedefenders, Jordan Amavi and Romain Genevois.

And Ibrahimovic, who scored a hat-trick inthis fixture last season, stepped up to score fromthe spot despite goalkeeper Mouez Hassen div-ing the right way.

Cavani then forced a good save out of Hassenafter exchanging passes with Ibrahimovic but,perhaps with one eye on next Wednesday’s tripto Lille, Paris were unable to keep up their excel-lent start to the game. Indeed, Nice maintainedhope of snatching something from theencounter and Plea should have done betterwith a header from Amavi’s cross before the lat-

ter himself glanced a header wide from a free-kick 12 minutes from time.

However, PSG held out and have now beenbeaten just once in their last 38 home leaguegames, while Nice made it five games without awin since a freak 7-2 victory away to Guingamplast month.

Marseille continue to set the pace afterFlorian Thauvin scored one goal and set upanother on Friday to end Nantes’ sequence ofnine matches without defeat that had seen theresurgent Canaries climb into the top four.

Thauvin deftly converted a Dimitri Payet crossand then saw his free-kick headed in by RodFanni before half-time for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Later yesterday, Monaco, following theirimpressive Champions League win at BayerLeverkusen, are in action at in-form Rennes,while the game of the weekend is on Sunday,when third-placed Lyon make the short jour-ney to face derby rivals Saint-Etienne, who aresixth. — AFP

Zlatan penalty enough for PSGFRANCE: Paris Saint Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) vies for the ball with Nice’s Llyod Palun during their League One soccer match, at Parcdes Princes stadium. — AP

LONDON: Southampton’s nascentquest for Champions League qualifi-cation faces an acid test over thenext 10 days, beginning with today’svisit of Premier League championsManchester City. The south-coastclub have belied pre-season fears ofa relegation battle fol lowing thesales of several key players by mak-ing their best star t to a PremierLeague season and soaring to secondplace in the table.

Ronald Koeman’s side have woneight of their last 10 matches, onlydropping points in a 1-0 defeat atTottenham Hotspur and last Monday’s1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Boasting a defence that has con-ceded just six goals in 12 games-fivefewer than any other team-they haveemerged as the closest rivals to lead-ers Chelsea, who have a six-pointadvantage over Koeman’s men.

But City are only two points back inthird place and with Southamptonscheduled to visit Arsenal onWednesday before hostingManchester United on December 8,their top-four credentials face a thor-ough examination. “Today we are play-ing against one of the teams that canwin the title and we know that wehave to play better than we did lastMonday against Aston Villa,” Koemantold his pre-match press conference.“But Southampton is not an easy teamto play against and we will show thatagain. If we want to do somethingspecial this season, we need to winthese kind of games.”

The former Netherlands interna-tional added: “We have played 12games in the Premier League so far. “Ihave not seen a better team than us inthese 12 games and we have playedLiverpool and Tottenham. Maybe onSunday, but we will see.”

City’s form dived in late-October, asthey won only once in six matches inall competitions. But having come

from behind to beat Swansea City 2-1last weekend, they produced a stun-ning display to sink Bayern Munich 3-2in mid-week and keep their hopes of aplace in the Champions League last 16alive. Sergio Aguero was City’s saviouragainst Bayern, claiming a hat-trick totake his tally for the season to 17goals, and manager Manuel Pellegrinibelieves the Argentine still has roomfor improvement. “I think that no-onecan replace (Lionel) Messi atBarcelona, (Cristiano) Ronaldo at RealMadrid or Sergio here, or a lot of veryimportant players,” said the Chilean.

“It is not the same, playing withoutAguero as with Aguero. He has manyyears more to play here. I am alwaysasking and demanding that he tries tobe the best player, because he has allthe conditions to do that.” Aguero is inline to make his 100th league appear-ance for City this weekend, havingscored 64 times in 99 games to date.Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (68) andSouthampton old boy Alan Shearer(79) were more prolific in their first 100matches.

Aguero opened the scoring on hislast visit to St Mary’s in a 1-1 draw ayear ago. City prevailed 4-1 when thesides last met in April, but they havenot won away to Southampton sinceNovember 2003.

With Edin Dzeko still sidelined by acalf problem, Pellegrini may elect torestore Stevan Jovetic to his starting XIafter the Montenegrin striker startedthe Bayern game on the bench.Playmaker David Silva (knee) and left-back Aleksandar Kolarov (calf ) remainunavailable, but midfielders Yaya Toureand Fernandinho are in line to returnafter being suspended against Bayern.Northern Irish midfielder Steven Davisis a doubt for Southampton with ahamstring complaint, while JamesWard-Prowse (foot), Sam Gallagher(knee) and long-term injury victim JayRodriguez (knee) are all out. — AFP

Southamptonface uphill task

English Premier League

Southampton v Man City 16:30 beIN SPORTS 1 HDTottenham v Everton 19:00beIN SPORTS 1 HD

Spanish LeagueCelta de Vigo v Eibar 0:00 beIN SPORTS 6 HDAtletico v Deportivo 14:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HDSevilla v Granada 19:00beIN SPORTS 2 HDCordoba v Villarreal 21:00beIN SPORTS 6 HDValencia v Barcelona 23:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD

Italian CalcioAC Cesena v Genoa 17:00beIN SPORTS 2 HDCagliari v Fiorentina 17:00beIN SPORTS 2 HD FR

beIN SPORTS 2 FRAC Milan v Udinese 17:00beIN SPORTS 6 HDJuventus v Torino 20:00beIN SPORTS 7 HDbeIN SPORTS 2 HDAS Roma v Inter 22:45 beIN SPORTS 3 HDbeIN SPORTS 2 HD

German BundesligaWolfsburg v Monchengladbach 17:30 beIN SPORTS 4 HDEintracht v Dortmund 19:30 beIN SPORTS 4 HD

French LeagueBordeaux v Lille 16:00beIN SPORTS 5 HDGaillard v Guingamp 19:00 beIN SPORTS 5 HDSaint Etienne v Lyonnais 23:00 beIN SPORTS 5 HD

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

GLASGOW: Celtic striker Leigh Griffithshas warned his team-mates to be readyfor a battle when they take on Hearts atTynecastle in the Scottish Cup fourthround today.

The Scotland forward is acutely awareof the intense atmosphere awaiting theHoops in Edinburgh, having turned outfor fierce rivals Hibernian for two sea-sons. The Hoops have already knockedthe Jambos out of the League Cup thisseason with a 3-0 victory at Celtic Parkback in September.

However, Robbie Neilson’s side areunbeaten since then and have estab-lished a nine-point lead over Rangers atthe top of the Championship table.

And Griffiths knows Celtic, who topthe Premiership, will face a tough task ifthey are to progress and book their placein the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

“Tynecastle is an intimidating groundand the place will be rocking,” said theEdinburgh-born striker. “Hearts will makeit very difficult for us and they’ve donethe exact same when they played atCeltic Park and brought a strong crowdthrough. “But we’ll be going through onSunday to book our place in the nextround of the cup.

“Hearts have opened up a big lead inthe league over Rangers. I watched theirgame last Saturday afternoon and theybossed the game, and they’ll be lookingto do that to us.

“It’s the kind of game you want to playin - a full stadium, lots of noise, lots oftackles flying in, lots of passion but we’llbe looking to get to the next round ofthe cup after the game.”

While Hearts are now operating in the

second tier, a repeat of the 7-0 win forCeltic when the sides met at Tynecastleat the same stage last season seemshighly unlikely.

“It has been decent of late for usagainst Hearts. When I first went there Ilost my first two games, so that wasn’tgood, but I’ve scored on my last twoappearances there and hopefully I cando it again,” Griffiths added.

Old Firm rivals Rangers are also inaction on Sunday as they take onKilmarnock at Ibrox. The fallen Glasgowgiants, currently second in Scottish foot-ball’s second tier, have defeated twoPremiership sides on their journey to theLeague Cup semi-finals this season andwinger Fraser Aird is keen to make itthree when Killie, who are seventh in thetop flight, come calling.

“Obviously we are still in contentionfor four trophies this year and at Rangersit’s always been about winning trophies,so hopefully we can go on another goodCup run,” the Canadian said.

“We’re looking forward to the gametoday and all the boys are too, so hope-fully we can go and put on a good per-formance. “There’s always pressure on usto play. There’s always pressure on us togo out there and win games. It’s anotherPremiership club for us to face at theweekend. We’ve played two of themalready this season and beat them sohopefully we can go out and make itthree.” The remaining 10 Premiershipsides all face each other on Saturday,with holders St Johnstone at home toRoss County and last season’s beatenfinalists Dundee United away atMotherwell. —AFP

Preview

Celtic in for tough test at Tynecastle

LIVERPOOL: Glen Johnson gave strugglingLiverpool a much-needed lift as the defender’sdramatic late goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 winover Stoke at Anfield yesterday.

Johnson’s stooping header five minutes fromtime earned Liverpool’s first win of November inall competitions and ended a run of three con-secutive Premier League defeats to ease thepressure on manager Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers had responded to Liverpool’s recentpoor form with a surprise team selection as hedropped Steven Gerrard from his starting line-up. The Liverpool skipper, who made his debutfor the Reds exactly 16 years ago to the dayagainst Blackburn, relinquished the armband tofellow midfielder Jordan Henderson.

Rodgers said before kick-off he wanted “tofreshen up team” and admitted Gerrard, who isout of contract at Anfield in June next year, “can’t

play every game at this stage of his career”.With Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen shielding

Liverpool’s back four the hosts looked to havemore defensive solidity than in recent weeks.

However, they also lacked a cutting edge inattack and the result was the first 45 minutesfailed to yield a single shot on target by eitherside. Stoke were dealt a blow in the 22nd minutewhen midfielder Steve Sidwell injured his kneeafter a collision with Reds striker Rickie Lambertand was replaced by Glenn Whelan.

Liverpool were presented with a free-kickwithin shooting range shortly after, but Lambertfired his effort high into the crowd.

Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool’s most impres-sive performer in a subdued first half, injected abit of life on the stroke of half-time with a jinkingrun toward goal only to be dispossessed at thekey moment.

HIGHER TEMPO The home side started the second half with a

higher tempo, and Henderson went close with aleft-foot shot from the edge of area which wentjust past a post.

With Liverpool more expansive, Stoke alsoshowed greater ambition and Reds goalkeeperSimon Mignolet saved well at his near post fromMame Biram Diouf’s low effort.

Stoke, who had not scored in their previouseight league matches at Anfield, then struck apost on the hour when Bojan Krkic burst clearinto the penalty area.

That seemed to shake Liverpool into life andthey created a succession of chances from whichthey really should have scored.

A neat passing move saw Lucas bring a point-blank save out of Asmir Begovic and the Stokegoalkeeper then dived to gather Lambert’s skid-ding effort. Raheem Sterling’s influence on thegame grew and he teed up Allen inside the six-yard box, but with the goal at his mercy theLiverpool midfielder fired over the crossbar.

Gerrard replaced Lucas with 16 minutesremaining, although it was Stoke that initiallythreatened following his arrival as Diouf’s shoton the turn was cleared off the line by Sterling.

However, Liverpool’s overall pressure finallytold when right-back Johnson put them aheadin the 85th minute. Henderson’s high cross wasmet by Lambert and his header bounced downoff the bar towards Johnson, who stooped tohead the ball over the line from close range.Stoke threw everything at Liverpool in theremaining minutes but the home side hung tosecure a vital three points which took some ofthe heat off Rodgers, while also raising ques-tions about Gerrard’s future. — AFP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

ANFIELD: Stoke City’s Marc Wilson (right) and Liverpool’s Rickie Lambert battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match atAnfield, Liverpool. — AP

Johnson lifts Liverpool gloomLiverpool 1

Stoke 0

LONDON: Charlie Austin headed a dramaticwinner to lift Queens Park Rangers off the bot-tom of the English Premier League table yester-day as they beat Leicester City in a 3-2 thriller. Itwas only QPR’s second win since August, thehosts having taken just six points from theirprevious nine matches in their battle for top-flight survival.

Visitors Leicester took the lead in the fourthminute at Loftus Road through EstebanCambiasso before Rangers equalised thanks to aWes Morgan own goal in the 37th.

Leroy Fer put QPR ahead on the stroke ofhalf-time before Jeff Schlupp levelled for theFoxes in the 67th minute. And as the matchturned into a roller-coaster with both sides seek-ing the winner, Austin headed in the winner in agoalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute to sendRangers fans delirious.

The win in front of an 18,054-strong crowdlifted QPR to 18th place in the table, one pointahead of Leicester who were left rock bottom.Cambiasso’s goal was well taken, the former RealMadrid man sending a right-foot shot into the farcorner beyond the dive of Rangers goalkeeperRob Green. It was the second goal Argentinadefensive midfielder Cambiasso has scored for

the Foxes since the 34-year-old signed for freefrom Inter Milan in August.

QPR gave away petty fouls as they tried toget back into the game but Leicester were hav-ing the better of the half and their pressurecaused Rangers to lose the ball in the final thirdof the pitch. Leicester’s Jamie Vardy was provinga menace in attack and the visitors’ play wasdirected at getting the ball to the target man.

But QPR eventually got a lucky break thanksto good work down the left wing by defenderSteven Caulker. He crossed the ball and Morganslid in to clear it. The ball missed the Leicestercaptain’s right foot and caught the Jamaicadefender’s trailing boot and went in the net. AndRangers were soon in the lead thanks to Fer’scool finish just before the interval. Mauricio Islacrossed from the right for QPR’s top scorerAustin, who powered a header straight at KasperSchmeichel. The Leicester goalkeeper could onlyparry the effort and Netherlands midfielder Ferwas on hand to hammer the ball in from eightyards out.

Leicester came out determined to seek anequaliser and got it with a tremendous goalfrom Schlupp. After a Vardy shot was blocked,the Ghana winger fired in a sweet left-foot strikefrom 25 yards out to bring the Foxes level in the67th minute.

QPR rallied though and forced a tremen-dous save out of Schmeichel when Fur headeda corner goalwards. But shortly afterwards,with the ball pinging around in a goalmouthscramble, Schmeichel conceded as Austinreacted quickly to head the ball in for a 3-2lead. Leicester went all-out again for anotherequaliser but the west Londoners clung for avital three points. — AFP

Austin powers QPRoff the bottom

QPR 3

Leicester 2

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers’ Joey Barton ( left) tries to stop Leicester’s Jeffrey Schluppduring an English Premier League soccer match at the Loftus Road ground. — AP

SWANSEA: Australia captain Mile Jedinak paidan emotional tribute to Phillip Hughes andthen scored the goal that gave Crystal Palace a1-1 draw at Swansea yesterday.

Palace midfielder Jedinak laid a bat on thefield before kick-off at the Liberty Stadium inhonour of the 25-year-old Australia cricketer,whose death on Thursday after being hit by aball while batting earlier in the week hasshocked the world of sport.

Jedinak followed his mark of respect toHughes by delivering a dynamic displaycapped by the first half equaliser that cancelledout Wilfried Bony’s opener for the hosts.

The point kept Palace away from the relega-tion zone and built on the momentum fromtheir shock 3-1 win over Liverpool last week-end. Eagles manager Neil Warnock said before

the game that Garry Monk had taken Swanseato a new level and that compliment seemedjustified as Palace were overrun in the opening20 minutes. Jefferson Montero caused mayhemdown Palace’s right flank and Bony twice wentclose and Gylfi Sigurdsson sent over an angledfree-kick before Swansea took a deserved 15thminute lead.

Sigurdsson, so often the provider forSwansea this season, found Bony on the edgeof the penalty area and his smart turn and shotgave Julian Speroni no chance in the Palacegoal. It was the Ivorian’s 18th Premier Leaguegoal of the calendar year - the best in the divi-sion. I t seemed a matter of time beforeSwansea would build on their lead, but thegame turned in the 25th minute when JonjoShelvey got on the wrong side of MarouaneChamakh in a congested penalty area and thePalace forward fell to the floor.

Jedinak stepped up to hammer the result-ing penalty past Lukasz Fabianski for his fifthgoal in eight games. Suddenly Palace were adifferent proposition.

Chamakh had a clear opportunity to putPalace ahead when Ashley Williams miscuedMartin Kelly’s cross, but Fabianski was off hisline smartly to smother the shot. —AFP

Palace hold SwanseaSwansea 1

Crystal Palace 1

LONDON: Aaron Cresswell’s first goal for West Hamwas enough to bring Newcastle’s six-match winningrun in all competitions to an end with a 1-0 win atUpton Park yesterday.

Cresswell collected Cheikhou Kouyate’s pass in thearea on 55 minutes and fired the ball low into the bot-tom right hand corner with visiting goalkeeper RobElliott beaten.

Newcastle, with a patched-up defence and a stringof injuries to key players, almost hit back immediatelywhen Perez’s shot from the right side of the box wassaved in the bottom left corner.

Despite having the greater share of possession,Newcastle’s cause was dealt a killer blow when in-formMoussa Sissoko was sent off a quarter-of-an-hourfrom the end for a second booking inside 40 seconds.The second was for a bad foul on former Magpiesstriker Andy Carroll after he had kicked the ball awayin disgust for his first yellow card.

Even then, Stewart Downing and Carroll hadchances to put it beyond Newcastle’s reach at thedeath, but both hit their shots wide.

The winning streak had taken Alan Pardew’s menfrom 18th into the top six, but the Hammers madesure there was no happy return to east London for themanager who took them to within seconds of FA Cupfinal glory against Liverpool at Wembley in 2006.

There was revenge in the air, though, for Allardyce,who was dismissed by Newcastle six years ago after apoor run of results and fan protests at the style of foot-ball his team were playing.

West Ham, whose home form had already seenthem beat Liverpool and champions Manchester Cityat the Boleyn Ground, are now fifth, but Newcastleslipped back to eighth.

A cagey opening had brought an early booking forNewcastle’s Michael Williamson on 18 minutes for abad foul on Matthew Jarvis on the left wing, but saw aflurry of chances towards the end of the half.

Newcastle’s Ayoze Perez was first to go close on 37minutes when his shot from an awkward angle fromSammy Ameobi’s cross was wide of the mark. —AFP

BURNLEY: A late Danny Ings penalty snatched a 1-1home draw for Burnley as Aston Villa’s winless runextended to nine games yesterday.

Joe Cole had scored on his first Premier Leaguestart for Villa when he picked up a cross to fire the visi-tors ahead after 38 minutes. But Burnley were award-ed a penalty three minutes from time when Villa

defender Jores Okore brought down Lukas Jutkiewicz.Ings stepped up and fired into the roof of the net

for his fourth goal in the last five games to extendBurnley’s unbeaten run to three. It added to the pres-sure on Villa boss Paul Lambert following the resigna-tion of his assistant Roy Keane earlier in the week.

Former England midfielder Cole came in forCharles N’Zogbia in Villa’s only change from the teamthat drew against Southampton on Monday. Burnleymade one change as they sought a third straight vic-tory, with Michael Keane making his first PremierLeague start in place of the injured Michael Duff.

Cole made his presence felt early as he was instru-mental in two crosses to Gabriel Agbonlahor and TomCleverley in the first 20 minutes, which were bothblocked by Thomas Heaton in the Burnley goal.

But 33-year-old midfielder Cole broke the dead-lock seven minutes before the break off an Andreas

Weimann cross. After the interval Villa missed threechances to pull further ahead through Weimann andCleverley. Burnley’s chances came through GeorgeBoyd and Ings before a late flurry of substitutions sawCole replaced by Jack Grealish.

After securing the penalty, Burnley poured forwardin search of the winner with Ings’ bid for a double hit-ting the right post, as a Lukas Jutkiewicz header alsomissed the mark.

A Grealish shot at goal was kept out by Heaton inthe last action of the evening, to leave Villa winless intheir last nine matches, following up six defeats in arow with successive draws. Victories over Hull andStoke had taken Burnley’s points tally into double fig-ures and lifted them off the bottom of the table. Theyare now second from bottom one point ahead oftailenders Leicester, with Lambert’s side only twopoints above the Clarets. — AFP

Ings snatches Burnley drawBurnley 1

Aston Villa 1

West Ham 1

Newcastle 0

Hammers ends Newcastle run

LONDON: West Ham United’s Andy Carroll (right) tussles with Newcastle United’s Jack Colbackduring the English Premier League soccer match at Upton Park. — AP

Playing today:Southampton v Manchester City; Tottenham v Everton.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goalsfor, goals against, points):

EPL results/standings

Burnley 1 (Ings 87-pen) Aston Villa 1 (Cole 38); Liverpool 1 (Johnson 85) Stoke 0;Manchester United 3 (Smalling 16, Rooney 42, Van Persie 66) Hull 0; QPR 3 (Morgan 37-og, Fer 45, Austin 73) Leicester 2 (Cambiasso 4, Schlupp 67); Sunderland 0 Chelsea 0;Swansea 1 (Bony 15) Crystal Palace 1 (Jedinak 25-pen); West Bromwich 0 Arsenal 1(Welbeck 60); West Ham 1 (Cresswell 56) Newcastle 0.

Chelsea 13 10 3 0 30 11 33Southampton 12 8 2 2 24 6 26Man City 12 7 3 2 24 13 24Man Utd 13 6 4 3 22 15 22West Ham 13 6 3 4 21 16 21Arsenal 13 5 5 3 21 15 20Swansea 13 5 4 4 17 14 19Newcastle 13 5 4 4 14 16 19Everton 12 4 5 3 22 19 17Tottenham 12 5 2 5 16 17 17

Liverpool 13 5 2 6 16 18 17Stoke 13 4 3 6 13 16 15Sunderland 13 2 8 3 12 19 14Crystal Palace 13 3 4 6 18 22 13West Brom 13 3 4 6 13 18 13Aston Villa 13 3 4 6 7 18 13Hull 13 2 5 6 14 20 11QPR 13 3 2 8 14 25 11Burnley 13 2 5 6 9 21 11Leicester 13 2 4 7 13 21 10

17Spurs poundKings

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 201419

Johnson liftsLiverpool gloom

India Test postponed as Australia reels from Hughes death Page 16

LONDON: Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole (left) vies for the ball with Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas (right) during their English Premier League soccer match at the Stadium of Light. — AP

LONDON: English Premier League leadersChelsea had to be content with a point yes-terday as they were held to a 0-0 draw at bat-tling Sunderland.

Jose Mourinho’s side increased theiradvantage at the top of the table to sevenpoints thanks to a 13th league game withoutdefeat, stretching their unbeaten start to theseason to 20 games in the process.

But they left the Stadium of Light frustrat-ed at being unable to press home their terri-

torial advantage against the hardworkinghosts, who drew for the eighth time thiscampaign.

Gus Poyet’s side remain the last team tobeat Chelsea in the Premier League, a 2-1 vic-tory at Stamford Bridge more than sevenmonths ago.

It proved an eventful evening for DiegoCosta, the Blues’ star striker, who was luckynot to be sent off as the Spaniard earned asecond-half caution after being fortunate toescape a yellow card at the end of the first-half.

Mourinho wisely substituted his 12-goaltop scorer, who will be suspended forWednesday’s Premier League visit byTottenham after his fifth booking of the cam-paign.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of theball for the entire contest, the unchangedvisitors were made to work hard by Poyet’s

side, who hit the bar just before the break asSantiago Vergini latched onto LeeCattermole’s pass to send a first-time effortagainst the woodwork from close range.

That came after the frame of the goal hadalso denied Chelsea, as Willian broke throughto see his low skidding effort hit the foot ofthe post from 20 yards.

Willian was at the heart of most of hisside’s good work, and it was his ball that putin Branislav Ivanovic from a narrow angleearly on.

The fast-raiding full-back’s low shot wasdestined for the bottom corner of the goaluntil Sunderland keeper Costel Pantilimonstuck out a leg to divert the ball wide.

An at-times tetchy contest all got toomuch for Mauricio Taricco and as half-timeapproached, the Sunderland coach was ban-ished from the dugout to the stands by refer-ee Kevin Friend for his overly-robust sideline

protests as the Black Cats were denied threefree-kicks in quick succession.

Despite chasing shadows for much of thefirst-half, Sunderland stuck to their task.Strikers Steven Fletcher and ConnorWickham both went close with half-chances,before recalled midfielder Jack Rodwell,Sunderland’s only change, tried his luck fromdistance. Thibaut Courtois, the Chelsea goal-keeper, was easily up to the task.

As half-time approached, Costa inexplica-bly escaped censure, when the striker kickedout at John O’Shea after going to ground in atussle with the Sunderland skipper, theSpaniard grateful for Friend’s leniency afteran ugly studs-up lunge at the Irishman.

The interval failed to halt Chelsea’smomentum, and Gary Cahill should have putthem ahead straight after the restart, but theEngland defender headed Willian’s pinpointcorner straight at Pantilimon from six yards

under pressure from O’Shea and Wes Brown.Willian was then inches away from grab-

bing a spectacular opener when the Brazilianjinked his way past Anthony Reveillere to firejust wide from 20 yards with Pantilimonbeaten.

Costa finally made his way into Friend’sbook, when his trailing arm accidentallycaught Brown in the face to earn a fifth cau-tion of the season, his last notable contribu-tion before being withdrawn. Pantilimonheld a Nemanja Matic long-range effort atthe second attempt in a scare forSunderland. However, the hosts remained athreat on the counter-attack, and Courtoishad to be alert to hold onto a snap-shot fromWickham as the forward tried his luck formthe edge of the area. Substitute Jozy Altidoreand Adam Johnson, twice, both wasted latehalf-chances for the hosts, who finished thestronger. — AFP

Sunderland 0

Chelsea 0

Chelsea kept in check by gritty Sunderland

WEST BROMWICH: Danny Welbeck’sheader eased the pressure on ArseneWenger as Arsenal made it two victoriesin a week with a 1-0 success at WestBromwich Albion yesterday.

England striker Welbeck struck on thehour mark at the Hawthorns to boost theGunners’ top-four aspirations followingsuccessive defeats in their last twoPremier League matches.

That had left Wenger’s position underscrutiny, yet the picture now looks morepositive for the Arsenal manager and histeam following this win and a midweeksuccess over Borussia Dortmund whichsecured their place in the last 16 of theChampions League.

Arsenal had to dig deep against aBaggies side set up to frustrate and hitthem on the counter-attack, yet thehome side’s resistance was eventuallybroken by Welbeck’s first club goal inseven outings. Wenger was able to start

with Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and the fit-again Olivier Giroud for the first time,however it was Santi Cazorla who starredfor his team with an assist from theSpaniard capping an excellent display.

While Wenger began the day as themanager under the spotlight, it was hisopposite number Alan Irvine who endedthe day feeling some pressure after sup-porters reacted with frustration to histactics and substitutions.

England manager Roy Hodgson, inattendance at his former club, saw two ofhis players go head-to-head early on asAaron Ramsey slid Welbeck in, only forEngland international Ben Foster to dartfrom his line and save smartly.

The West Brom goalkeeper had a for-tunate escape in the 28th minute, how-ever, when outside of his area close tothe left corner flag, he gifted possessionto Giroud, yet the angle proved too acutefor the France international.

As half-time approached, it was thevisitors who were very much in theascendancy and, once again, the Baggiescould count themselves lucky to avoidconceding following an individual error.

Youssouf Mulumbu gifted possessioncheaply on the edge of the home side’sarea to Cazorla, who fed the advancingRamsey only for the Welshman to shootnarrowly beyond the post. — AFP

Welbeck sinks AlbionWest Brom 0

Arsenal 1

MANCHESTER: Robin van Persie gotback on the scoresheet after a disap-pointing run as Manchester Unitedstrolled to a 3-0 victory over Hull at OldTrafford yesterday.

Louis van Gaal’s side retained theirplace in the Premier League’s top fourthanks to a third successive winsecured by Chris Smalling’s opener, aWayne Rooney strike and Dutch for-ward van Persie’s first goal in his lastfour club matches.

And with one defeat in eightgames, plus upcoming fixtures againstStoke and Southampton in the nextnine days, there is a growing belief atOld Trafford that United can secure aplace in next season’s ChampionsLeague.

The hosts had the contest com-pletely under control by the intervalagainst a Hull side who have won justonce in the league since the openingday of the season and are plummeting

down the table at an alarming rate.After 15 minutes, Rooney’s corner

was headed back across goal by twodefenders, forcing goalkeeper AllanMcGregor into an unconvincingattempt to clear the ball which servedonly to push it out to Smalling.

The defender’s shot was struck wellenough and although it appeared thatMcGregor might have kept it out,rather than help if over the line, refereeAnthony Taylor used goalline technol-ogy to confirm the goal. The secondgoal followed a half of completeUnited domination, coming four min-utes before the interval as captainCurtis Davis blundered in failing toclear Ander Herrera’s header, tappingthe ball directly to van Persie.

The Dutchman laid the ball back toRooney and he produced a superbly-placed finish from just outside thearea, his eighth goal in his last ninegames for club and country.

Herrera was on the pitch as a 14thminute sub after a worrying earlyinjury to Angel di Maria who limpedoff the field clutching his hamstring, ablow to United given his strong startto the game and the recent injury listthat has plagued their season.

But that was just about the onlyconcern for United as they dominat-ed opponents managed by their for-

mer favourite Steve Bruce, who hasyet to beat his old club in 21 tries asmanager.

Herrera might have scored after 24minutes but Davies charged his shotdown and into the side netting and afree-flowing move ended with Herreraslipping the ball through for van Persiewho was put off slightly by JamesChester and could only shoot straightat McGregor.

Hull improved marginally after theinterval, and David de Gea was actuallyrequired to make his first meaningfulsave of the match, after 53 minutes,when he comfortably gathered a shotfrom left-back Andrew Robertson.

There was also a towering set-pieceheader from Nikica Jelavic whichcleared de Gea’s crossbar by somemargin, but they barely registered asconcerns for the home side.

Van Persie, scorer of just three goalsthis season for United, was clearlyintent on improving that tally and asuperb header, from a long MichaelCarrick pass, came close after 57 min-utes only for the Dutchman to be ruledoffside in any case. He did not havelong to wait, however, and after 66minutes, van Persie added a third forUnited after more poor defensive playby Hull and a wayward pass intercept-ed by Herrera. — AFP

OLD TRAFFORD: Hull’s Mohamed Diame (centre) keeps the ballfrom Manchester United’s Michael Carrick during the EnglishPremier League soccer match. — AP

United breeze past Hull

Man United 3

Hull 0

BusinessSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Egypt’s economic

activity picking up

Page 22

KSE indices mixed

amid selling pressure

Page 24Top knowledge

experts to drive

vibrant discussions Page 26

Oil market reveals its wild side againPage 25

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETSDUBAI: Middle East stock markets mostly lost groundyesterday, while shares of Oman-based telecommuni-cations companies tumbled after an advisory body toits government proposed taxing them at a higher rate.Oman’s index fell 1.2 percent as Ooredoo Oman andOman Telecommunications (Omantel) lost 4.8 and 4.0percent respectively.

Among measures aimed at reducing the 2015budget deficit , the Shura Council has proposedincreasing the royalty rate for telecoms to 12 percentfrom 7 percent and said the hike should not be passedon to subscribers. “Should the changes come intoeffect, our fair value for Omantel could decline by 7percent to 1.42 rials per share from the current 1.53rials,” EFG Hermes said in a note. Omantel closed at1.665 rials yesterday. Elsewhere, Qatar’s bourse fell 0.5percent as shares in Qatar National Bank slid 1.5 per-cent while Dubai stocks inched down 0.1 percent andAbu Dhabi was nearly flat.

“ There is a k ind of apathy in the market,” said

Sebastien Henin, head of asset management at TheNational Investor in Abu Dhabi. “People are waiting fornews from Vienna.”

Brent crude oil was stable at around $80 a barrel asworld powers held a final day of talks on Iran’s nuclearprogramme and before OPEC members meet to discussproduction.

Saudi, Egypt

Saudi Arabia’s main index fell 1.2 percent in a broadpull-back. Petrochemicals were down 0.8 percent andbanks lost 1.1 percent as National Commercial Bank ,the kingdom’s biggest lender, slid 1.2 percent. Egypt’sbourse lost 1.3 percent with most stocks in the red.Developers Talaat Mostafa Group and SODIC dropped3.7 and 5.4 percent respectively. South Valley Cement,up 0.9 percent, was one of the few stocks that postedgains after its board last week approved a capitalincrease and a deal to borrow 1.3 billion pounds ($182million) to finance expansion.— Reuters

Markets slip, Omani telecoms edge lower

BROOMFIELD: Shoppers look for Black Friday deals at Dick’s sporting Goods, inside the Flatirons Crossing Mall, in Broomfield, Colorado on Friday. — AP

NEW YORK: In taking no action on production Thursday,OPEC did the opposite of what it usually does. It effectivelyrubber-stamped a supply glut that already has sent pricesplunging. But to many analysts, the cartel’s seeming enthusi-asm for lower crude oil prices was not really all that surpris-ing. Rather, the tactic made sense in light of an Americanshale boom that has put OPEC on the defensive.

“OPEC is all in and will continue to flood the globe with oilin an effort to bury the US shale oil producer,” said Phil Flynn,senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group. “It is an all-out production war and it is game on, all the barrels are onthe table and for OPEC it is life or death.”

US oil prices tumbled more than $7 Friday, sinking to$66.15 a barrel, the lowest level since September 2009, fol-lowing an OPEC meeting that one research firm called a“watershed” moment.

Equity investors also pummeled the sector, hitting giantslike ExxonMobil (-4.5 percent) and Chevron (-5.5 percent).Also falling were oil services companies like Halliburton (-10.9percent) and Nabors Industries (-12.9 percent), as well asshale producers Continental Resources (-19.9 percent) andEOG Resources (-7.8 percent).

Despite the carnage, US oil industry officials brushed offsuggestions the American shale boom will die.

“It’s certainly a test, but it’s certainly not an exit,” said FredLawrence, a vice president at the Independent PetroleumAssociation of America. “US oil producers can handle morepain than OPEC imagines.”

A new paradigm?The OPEC move comes amid a multi-year US energy

boom that has transformed America’s energy picture and theglobal petroleum market as a whole. The United States haslifted daily oil production by more than 40 percent since2006, igniting a debate about allowing US oil exports andrendering the US a worthy competitor to petroleum kingpinsSaudi Arabia and Russia as the world’s biggest petroleumproducer.

In the oil market, the increased supplies from the US hasoffset the effects of political strife in leading oil-producingcountries and pressured prices at a time when global eco-nomic growth is slowing. Faced with a roughly 35 percent

drop in oil prices since June, the Organization of thePetroleum Exporting Countries Thursday could have cut its30 million barrels per day production ceiling or at least prom-ised to stop overproducing.

Instead, the cartel effectively stood pat as powerful mem-bers like Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi talked of how heexpected the oil market to “stabilize itself eventually.”

The manuever appeared to be another example of a pro-ducer orchestrating “good sweating,” a tactic employed sincethe days of Rockefeller in the late 19th century to flood themarket to pressure less-efficient competitors.

Thursday’s OPEC decision was “a watershed for the oilmarket,” Barclays analysts said in a research note that predict-ed oil inventories would continue to swell through the fourthquarter and into 2015, owing to a 1.49 million barrels per dayincrease in non-OPEC supply next year.

“OPEC is clearly signaling that it will no longer bear theburden of market adjustment alone and this decision putsthe onus on other producers, especially US tight oil to adjustas well.”

Barclays headlined the note, “Over to you, America.” A notefrom Morgan Stanley similarly warned the oil market couldbe entering a “new paradigm” and predicted the move wouldimmediately curtail US and global energy investment.Lawrence of IPAA agreed that US producers would cut backin light of the changed outlook. He predicted the US rigcount for oil projects could fall about 200-300 from 1,572 inthe coming weeks.

“A lot of companies are going to be adjusting their capex(capital expenditures) programs over the next two weeks,” hesaid. Lawrence said some higher-cost drilling will likely becurtailed in key shale regions like the Bakken in North Dakotaand the Tuscaloosa Trend in Louisiana. But in other cases,such as the Permian Basin, many leading independents havestronger finances than is widely thought. Also, many US com-panies rely on revenues from production of natural gas,whose prices are not directly influenced by OPEC’s action.And companies are bringing down production costs withimproved technology, Lawrence said. Lawrence said OPEC’smove would affect less-efficient US companies, but wouldnot derail the industry as a whole. “It’ll be a challenge that’llmake our producers stronger,” he said. — AFP

OPEC move puts US shale in tight spot‘It’s an all-out production war and it is game on’

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.467Indian Rupees 4.713Pakistani Rupees 2.864Srilankan Rupees 2.217Nepali Rupees 2.945Singapore Dollar 225.370Hongkong Dollar 37.643Bangladesh Taka 3.751Philippine Peso 6.507Thai Baht 8.907Irani Riyal transfer 59.000Irani Riyal cash 116.000

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 77.858Qatari Riyal 80.212Omani Riyal 758.640Bahraini Dinar 775.470UAE Dirham 79.512

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 40.733Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.441Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.363Tunisian Dinar 159.480Jordanian Dinar 412.040Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.959Syrian Lira 2.081Morocco Dirham 33.546

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 291.850Euro 365.100Sterling Pound 458.790Canadian dollar 258.270Turkish lira 131.730Swiss Franc 304.010Australian Dollar 249.820US Dollar Buying 290.650

GOLD20 gram 226.00010 gram 116.0005 gram 59.000

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFTEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007599 0.008599British Pound 0.450814 0.459814Czech Korune 0.005170 0.017170Danish Krone 0.044879 0.049879Euro 0.358646 0.366646Norwegian Krone 0.038077 0.043277Romanian Leu 0.083712 0.083712Slovakia 0.008517 0.018517Swedish Krona 0.035332 0.040332Swiss Franc 0.296180 0.306380Turkish Lira 0.130142 0.137142

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.240205 0.251705New Zealand Dollar 0.222898 0.232489AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.250619 0.259119US Dollars 0.287750 0.292450US Dollars Mint 0.288250 0.292450AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003401 0.004001Chinese Yuan 0.046112 0.049612Hong Kong Dollar 0.035544 0.038294Indian Rupee 0.004460 0.004861Indonesian Rupiah 0.000020 0.000026Japanese Yen 0.002394 0.002574Kenyan Shilling 0.003307 0.003307Korean Won 0.000253 0.000268Malaysian Ringgit 0.083432 0.089432Nepalese Rupee 0.002983 0.003153Pakistan Rupee 0.002711 0.002991Philippine Peso 0.006380 0.006660

Sierra Leone 0.000065 0.000071Singapore Dollar 0.221376 0.227376South African Rand 0.020538 0.029038Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001916 0.002496Taiwan 0.009331 0.009511Thai Baht 0.008560 0.009110

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.767679 0.775679Egyptian Pound 0.037974 0.041074Iranian Riyal 0.000081 0.000082Iraqi Dinar 0.000195 0.000255Jordanian Dinar 0.407560 0.415060Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000144 0.000244Moroccan Dirhams 0.023856 0.047856Nigerian Naira 0.001182 0.001817Omani Riyal 0.752029 0.757709Qatar Riyal 0.079453 0.080666Saudi Riyal 0.077190 0.077890Syrian Pound 0.001730 0.001950Tunisian Dinar 0.154973 0.162973Turkish Lira 0.130142 0.137142UAE Dirhams 0.078478 0.079627Yemeni Riyal 0.001317 0.001397

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 232.54 229.54Canadian Dollar 263.01 264.01Swiss Franc 307.26 305.26Euro 367.09 368.09US Dollar 292.15 295.15Sterling Pound 460.97 463.97Japanese Yen 2.52 2.54Bangladesh Taka 3.756 4.026Indian Rupee 4.725 5.025Sri Lankan Rupee 2.223 2.658Nepali Rupee 2.945 3.480Pakistani Rupee 2.866 2.790UAE Dirhams 79.39 79.85Bahraini Dinar 775.38 777.45Egyptian Pound 40.73 41.33Jordanian Dinar 415.11 420.76Omani Riyal 757.63 764.93Qatari Riyal 80.45 81.00Saudi Riyal 77.82 78.22

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

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

Al Mulla Exchange

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 291.350Euro 365.600Pound Sterlng 460.000Canadian Dollar 260.500Indian Rupee 4.714Egyptian Pound 40.730Sri Lankan Rupee 2.215Bangladesh Taka 3.725Philippines Peso 6.485Pakistan Rupee 2.865Bahraini Dinar 775.850UAE Dirham 79.350Saudi Riyal 77.850*Rates are subject to change

B U S I N E S S

It is never too late to start again, providing you planahead and follow a few basic rules. Here are sometips to ease you through your mid-career transition

provided by the career experts at Bayt.com, the MiddleEast’s leading job site:

Identify what you’ve always wanted to do. Forsome, the decision to switch careers is based on somelifelong desire to do a particular job, say jewelry designor fabric painting. For others, old jobs have becometedious and unfulfilling but the future course isunclear. According to the Bayt.com ‘Career Reinventionand the MENA Workplace’ poll, 82.4 percent of profes-sionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)region desire a career change. Before you decide tocarry on this new career project, identify what it is thatyou truly want to do.

Take the time to examine your priorities. Askhow important the financial element is versus the geo-graphic or creative or intellectual or interpersonal ele-ment. If you don’t know what you want to do next,narrowing down your parameters of interest helps youfocus. Consider setting up a small business of yourown if you don’t want to be employed again. 73 per-cent of MENA professionals would prefer to have theirown business, as per the Bayt.com ‘Millennials in theMENA’ survey, January 2014. You will be surprised athow many interesting opportunities are out there justwaiting to be explored!

Utilize and package old skills. Take your CV andstart dissecting your skills and past experience to findall those elements that would apply to your new role.You will be surprised at how many skills are inter-changeable and constant across careers and disci-plines. Highlight those common skills and attributes.These typically include general computer skills, lan-guages, leadership skills, quantitative, qualitative andproblem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills. Alsohighlight your general ‘aptitude’ for learning. Indicatehow you learnt certain aspects of your past job in theminimal amount of time, got promoted early orreceived praise for accomplishments. There are boundto be many skills and attributes from your past job thatwill translate very well in your new role. Your task is tofind them and highlight them.

Retrain. This may be the time to go back to collegeor vocational school to get that degree you’ve alwayswanted. Take this opportunity to study whatever it isthat you’ve always been interested in. That new degreewill make all the difference when it comes to compet-ing with people already in the job market.

Network. Talk to everyone you know about thejobs they do as you look for a suitable direction totake. Ask about pros, cons, pay, hours, and career satis-faction. Get as much advice as you can from peoplealready doing the work. Your connections will come invery useful in helping you draft the perfect CV orsecure the job of your dreams.

Perfect your marketing kit. Your CV and cover let-ter should be geared to your new role. Emphasize pastexperience and skills that are adaptable to yourdesired position and future career. Elaborate on the rel-evant items and focus less on technical jargon andskills that are completely irrelevant in your new role.Run the CV and cover letter by friends in the new fieldto make sure they are in the best possible shape.

How to prepare yourself for a

mid-career transition

Bayt.com weekly report

KUWAIT: Egypt’s economy is showingevery sign that its fragile recovery remainson track, as it accelerates above averagegrowth of around 2 percent for the firsttime since 2010. A more stable politicalenvironment, solid financial support fromGCC allies and improving business confi-dence underpins the recovery. The econo-my is also benefiting from a number ofgovernment-led capital spending initia-tives. Various recent data support therecovery story, including real growth,Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI),and private credit growth.

The private sector has been a key driverof growth in recent months, with manufac-turing particularly strong. In the monthsahead, tourism, which remains weak, islikely to provide an additional boost as thesector bounces back from the low levels ofthe prior year. Meanwhile, the country’sexternal position has stabilized thanks tosupport from Egypt’s GCC allies and theimproving outlook.

Egypt continues to face substantial riskswhich could threaten the recovery. Chiefamong them is the large fiscal deficit whichhas only improved in FY13/14 thanks tolarge donations from key GCC allies. Theauthorities now have ample time toaddress this risk and the government ofPrime Minister Mahlab has shown it isindeed inclined to do so.

Recovery picking up paceEconomic growth improved further in

recent months. Real GDP growth accelerat-ed to 6.8 percent year-on-year (y/y) in3Q14, with growth for the 12 months end-ing in September 2014 rising to 3.6 per-cent. Other data revealed a similar pick-upin activity including the Ministry ofPlanning’s production index throughSeptember and the PMI; the latter stood at51 in October, reflecting a cautious expan-sion is underway.

The economic recovery should seeEgypt’s growth register its most rapid pacein four years, with real GDP growth expect-ed to pick up to 4.0 percent in FY14/15. InFY15/16, the pace of growth should accel-erate further to 4.5 percent as the recoverytakes hold, but remains below growth ratesseen before 2011.

Private sector key driver The private sector has generally been

growing more rapidly than the public sec-tor during the last two quarters. Real pri-vate GDP growth accelerated to 5.9 percenty/y in 2Q14 compared to a mere 0.2 per-cent y/y for the public sector. The privatesector’s lead in the recovery is a positivesign, but could also point to possible prob-lems, particularly if public sector growthremains weak. While the private sector suf-fered more significantly under the politicaluncertainty that followed 2011, the publicsector is likely to be under more pressuretoday with moves to rationalize and cutcost. The private sector’s share of GDPdeclined from 63 percent in 2010 to 60 per-cent in 2013 before rising again.

Investment Another sign of the cautious recovery is

that aggregate investment is growingagain following a sustained decline since2011. Investment in 2010 stood at 20 per-cent of GDP and by 2013 the level had fall-en to 13 percent of GDP. Public sectorinvestment took the lead in 2013 but isnow being overtaken by the private sector.Total investment in the 12 months through2Q14 grew by 9.7 percent y/y; privateinvestment growth alone topped 13 per-cent y/y.

Manufacturing has been the mainengine of growth over the last year. Thesector, which accounts for around 19 per-cent of GDP and includes oil refining, sawgrowth accelerate to 22 percent in 2Q14.Other growing sectors include real estateservices, construction, domestic trade, andcommunication.

Tourism remains the main source ofweakness in the economy. The decline inactivity was significant during the last year,as the sector was plagued by security con-cerns and weak demand from Europe. As aresult, tourist numbers were down by 35percent y/y during FY13/14; the number oftourist nights spent was 49 percent y/ylower. This has principally been felt in therestaurant and hotel sector which shrankby 18 percent y/y in real terms in 2Q14.The numbers have recovered recentlythough from a very low base.

The oil and gas sector has also been adrag on overall growth, contracting by 9percent y/y in 2Q14. Most of the declinecame from natural gas output; the sectorshrank by 16 percent y/y in 2Q14. Thedecrease in gas output is due to hin-drances that have discouraged investmentin the sector including delays in paymentof dues to oil and gas companies by thegovernment. Oil output too has beenshrinking, registering a 2 percent y/ydecline in 2Q14.

Employment levels have also beenimproving, albeit slowly. By the end of2Q14, the unemployment rate declined forthe first time in over two years to 13.3 per-cent. The number of jobs added duringFY13/14 reached 328,000, more than 3.5times the figure for all of FY12/13. Still,there is a long way to go before unemploy-ment returns to the 8.9 percent level seenbefore 2011. With the current labor force,this would require around 1.3 million newjobs to be created, nearly four times whatwas created the 12 months ending in June2014.

Credit growth bounces backCredit growth has also reflected the

improved levels of economic activity. Totalclaims on the private sector grew by 10.3percent y/y in September, up from 5.5 per-cent growth earlier this year. Still, therecovery in corporate activity remains cau-tious as revealed by the fact that much ofthe strength in credit growth has comefrom household borrowing. Corporatecredit growth was somewhat more moder-ate at 6.8 percent y/y.

Though the budget deficit has nar-rowed slightly over the 12 months endingAugust 2014, it remains high and a key riskto the outlook. Egypt’s 12-month trailingdeficit stood at 12.6 percent of GDP at theend of August 2014, down from a peak of13.6 percent at the end of FY12/13.However, the improvement has beenlargely due to GCC grants which amountedto $10.6 billion during FY13/14.

Nonetheless, the current government iscommitted to fiscal reforms, as revealed bythe summer’s fuel price hikes. While fur-ther measures are required to ease thedrain on valuable government resources,the impact of the hikes is already beingfelt. The subsidies bill fell to 6.2 percent ofGDP, from a peak of 8.9 percent in January.The government also plans to take somesteps to boost revenues with measuressuch as a value-added-tax (VAT) expectedin 1Q15.

Foreign currency As a reflection of retreating country risk,

Egypt has seen a sustained decline in itssovereign yields. Yields on USD denomi-nated sovereign debt due in 2020 and2040 have fallen to their lowest levels since2010, reaching 4.3 percent and 6.8 percent,respectively. The country’s credit defaultswap (CDS) has also been falling to its low-est level in three years, reaching 266 basispoints in November.

Domestic rates have been more stable,declining only slightly since the CentralBank of Egypt (CBE) lifted policy rates inJuly in an effort to rein in inflation. Yieldson government bills retreated to around11.6 percent in November, down from 11.9percent in July, but remain above their lev-el earlier in the year.

Inflation up Inflation has accelerated since the gov-

ernment raised fuel prices in an effort tocut government subsidies. The fuel pricehikes have been filtering through to gener-al prices, with y/y inflation rising to 11.8percent in October. We expect inflation toremain elevated in the coming monthsand to peak at 13-14 percent in mid-2015before easing thereafter. We also cannotrule out additional increases in regulatedprices in the coming months.

Egypt’s current account deficit contin-ued to narrow over the 12 months endingin June 2014. Indeed, the deficit was thesmallest since 2008. The 12-month trailingdeficit fell to 0.8 percent of GDP from a 4percent peak in 4Q12. GCC support ofaround $12 billion masked deterioration inother parts of the current account. Withoutofficial transfers, the current accountdeficit would have been 5 percent of GDP.

Tourism and exports have been the keysources hurting the current account.Egypt’s tourism revenues declined by $4.7billion during FY13/14 or 48 percent y/y.Meanwhile, exports were down by 3.2 per-cent in FY13/14 mostly on a decline in oilexports.

A resumption of import growth was

also a source of current account deteriora-tion as imports rose by 3.7 percent y/y.Import growth had slowed considerably in2013 but has picked up and is likely to con-tinue to do so as the economy recovers.Growth in oil imports was particularlystrong at 9.3 percent y/y. The recent retreatin oil prices should help keep a lid ongrowth in oil imports in the coming periodand is positive for the country’s currentaccount.

Egypt’s net private transfers, that con-sist primarily of worker remittances andusually help buoy the current account,were mostly flat during FY13/14. Still, at 6.5percent of GDP in FY13/14, such transfersremain substantial and are up compared topre-2011 levels.

Egypt has not yet seen foreign invest-ment return to levels seen before 2011,though the country’s capital and financialaccount has improved notably. Foreigndirect investment (FDI) was stable at 1.4percent of GDP during the 12 months end-ing in June 2014 while net portfolio inflowswere weaker at 0.4 percent of GDP.Expectations are that foreign investmentwill gradually return as the economyreturns to health and exchange restrictionsare removed.

Official reserves Official reserves held by the CBE have

been very stable over the last year or so.They stood at $16.9 billion in October, or 3.5months of imports. Official support, capitalcontrols, and a decline in the value of thepound have helped reduce pressure onreserves. The government is expected torepay around $2.5 billion in Qatari depositsmade during the previous administration,though this is not likely to pressure reservesas other GCC allies have already pledged toprovide additional funds.

The Egyptian pound (EGP) has appreciat-ed in recent months thanks to a stronger USdollar. While the currency has beenunchanged against the $at 7.15 since May, ithas gained against other currencies. This hasled to an appreciation in the weighted valueof the Egyptian pound as measured by anEGP index published by JP Morgan. While astronger pound should help keep inflation atbay, it can hurt exports and tourism.Meanwhile, the value of the pound in theblack market has been quite stable, with buy-ers paying a premium of around 4.8 percent.

Stock market bullishEgypt’s stock market index has more

than doubled from its bottom in June 2013and has recorded a 40 percent gain in 2014year-to-date (ytd) through October 2014.For dollar investors, the gain in equity priceswas also quite strong at 36 percent ytd. Theperformance of the Egyptian bourse hasbeen among the best in the region, boostedby optimism that the political situation hasstabilized and the economy is recovering.The market experienced a 12 percent cor-rection in October followed by a strongbounce back, alongside regional and worldequities.

NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

Egypt’s economic activity picking up Real growth expected to reach 4.0% in FY14/15

KUWAIT: Generation of profits, shifting investment funds from one portfolioto another and hefty speculations played major role in pushing the KuwaitStock Exchange (KSE) indexes down in the past week sessions. Al-Oula bro-kerage company said in a report publicized on Friday the benchmarkdropped below the psychological barrier, 7,000 points, however, stocksunder the Kuwait-15 index remained largely unaffected, though it fell, in theweek’s third session, by 107 points-the deepest decline in this year’s record.

The market closed trading on Thursday with fall of the three main indices.The price index shed 39.9 points dropping to level of 6,986, while the weight-ed index lost 2.29 points. Likewise, the Kuwait-15, 9.49 points. Kuwait’sbourse opened the past week trading, with bullish indices, maintaining this

performance in the week’ second session, however, in the third session, theybegan to turn bearish, where the weighted index lost four points.

Hefty stock sell-offs, witnessed in Tuesday’s session, led to fall of a largenumber of blue-chips, namely Gulf Bank and Zain-the lowest since peak ofthe global financial crisis (2007-2008). Simultaneously, the market turnedinto a scene of random selling, while funds’ shifting that targeted theNational Bank stocks and other blue-chips resulted in hiking turnout value.

Despite increase of the Kuwait-15 index in Wednesday’s session, 10points, likewise, the weighted, two points, the benchmark closed bearishly,amid stability of leading stocks and portfolios’ trades in a large number ofheavyweights, such as stocks of banks and services companies. Al-Oula

report noted absence of positive incentives, where the blue-chips’ bearishtrend reflected lackluster sentiments as to expanding investments, while thesmall chips became targets of speculations.

Traders’ jitters were deepened due to several factors, such as liquidityshortage and prevalent speculations as well as losses reported in the Saudistock market. Now, the investors are pinning high hopes on some technicalfactors that may result in ending the lackluster status, such as positive resultsfrom the oil market.

Liquidity in Sunday’s session posted record decline too, unprecedentedsince July, where turnover value reached KD 9.3 million, 60 percent of whichwere directed toward the Kuwait-15 index shares. —KUNA

KSE stocks edge lower on profit-taking, speculations

B U S I N E S SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week withmixed performance. The Price Index closed at 6,986.68 points, upby 0.01 percent from the week before closing, the Weighted Indexdecreased by 0.61 percent after closing at 463.48 points, whereasthe KSX-15 Index closed at 1,122.03 points, down by 0.51 percent.Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 5.28percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 15.90 mil-lion, whereas trading volume average was 139.98 million shares,recording a decrease of 4.07 percent.

The stock market indicators closed mixed by the end of theweek, as the Weighted and KSX-15 indices declined due to theincreased selling operations witnessed by the market during theweek’s sessions, and were concentrated on the large-cap and blue-chip stocks, which caused it to drop to its lowest levels since lastMarch. However, the Price Index witnessed sort of stability in itsperformance, as it ended the last week’s trading activity at almostthe same level of its previous week’s closing, however with onepoint down.

The market initiated the first week’s sessions with an increase toits three indices, among a purchasing activity included many large-cap and small-cap stocks, especially of previous price declines andattractive for purchasing, in light of a noticeable drop in the liquidi-ty level, whereas it broke the KD10 million level down, to reach itslowest levels since the beginning of last July. Also, the stock mar-ket continued to realize gains on the next session, with a groupedincrease to its three indices, especially the Price Index that was ableto return to the 7,000 point psychological level once again, after itlost it in the preceding week. This performance came in light of thecontinued purchasing activity for the second consecutive session,which concentrated this time on the small-cap stocks, among anincreased trading activity, on both levels, the value and the vol-ume.

Moreover, the stock market could not continue its positive per-formance that it witnessed on the Sunday and Monday sessions, torecord a grouped decline to its three indices on Tuesday’s session,due to a strong pressure from the strong selling operations thatwere concentrated on the large-cap and blue-chip stocks, especial-ly in the Banks sector, which caused the liquidity levels to increaserapidly, and grow by 144.6 percent compared to the previous ses-sion. In addition, on the Wednesday session, the stock market wit-nessed a mixed performance, as the Price Index continued indeclining affected by the effect of the continued decline in prices

of some small-cap stocks, while the Weighted and KSX-15 indiceswere able to reverse its direction to the upward, influenced by thepurchasing powers that were present during the session, and con-centrated on some large-cap stocks. Furthermore, the stock mar-ket recorded a grouped decline by the end of the week’s session,affected by the continued selling operations executed on most ofthe traded stocks, which caused the Price Index to drop below the7,000 point level once again.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last weekrecording 7.46 percent annual loss compared to its closing in 2013,while the weighted index increased by 2.35 percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 5.02 percent growth.

Sectors’ IndicesSeven of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while

the others declined. Last week’s highest gainer was the Insurancesector, achieving 1.02 percent growth rate as its index closed at1,182.77 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Real Estate sec-tor’s index closed at 1,170.99 points recording 0.78 percentincrease. The Oil & Gas sector came in third as its index achieved0.67 percent growth, ending the week at 1,114.19 points.

On the other hand, the Consumer Services sector headed thelosers list as its index declined by 3.36 percent to end the week’sactivity at 1,133.42 points. The Consumer Goods sector was secondon the losers’ list, which index declined by 3.11 percent, closing at1,219.47 points, followed by the Telecommunications sector, as itsindex closed at 637.30 points with a loss of 1.22 percent.

Sectors’ ActivityThe Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume

during last week with 299.51 million shares changing hands, repre-senting 42.79 percent of the total market trading volume. The RealEstate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’straded shares were 23.09 percent of last week’s total trading vol-ume, with a total of 161.58 million shares.

On the other hand, the Banks sector’s stocks were the highesttraded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 36.70 million or46.17 percent of last week’s total market trading value. TheFinancial Services sector took the second place as the sector’s lastweek turnover was KD 18.26 million represented 22.97 percent ofthe total market trading value. — Prepared by the Studies &Research Department

KSE indices mixed amid selling pressure

US STOCK MARKET ROUNDUPNEW YORK: Shale stocks have been hard-hitas investors see margins all but evaporatingfollowing the slide in crude oil prices, but theUS shale energy boom is not over. An indexof oil and gas exploration and productiontumbled 8.15 percent on Friday as US crudefell almost 10 percent to around $66.36 perbarrel to hit its lowest in 4-1/2 years. The slidecame the day after oil cartel OPEC decidednot to cut output in a meeting in Vienna. Priorto the decision, Saudi officials were reportedas saying the kingdom, with its large currencyreserves, was prepared to withstand oil pricesas low as $70-$80 per barrel for up to a year.

But the weaker shale players may nothave that long. “We do not know if OPEC hasulterior motives to let oil prices drift lowerand pinch the global (exploration and pro-duction) sector, or if reaching a consensus oncuts was just too challenging,” wrote WellsFargo Securities in a Friday client note. “Whatis clear is that lower cash flows are highly like-ly to translate into lower E&P spending.”

US crude prices were catching up toThursday’s action in Brent as markets acrossthe United States were closed for the

Thanksgiving holiday. Friday’s was a half-daysession. “We’ll wait to see the trend next weekwhen there’s full market volume, however it’sclear that as oil prices come down there willbe pressure for the weaker of the companiesin the sector, particularly exploration and theones that are highly indebted,” said QuincyKrosby, market strategist at PrudentialFinancial in Newark, New Jersey.

The overall energy sector of the S&P 500fell 6.3 percent on Friday, adding to its year-to-date losses, now at 10.3 percent. Fourteenof the sector’s more than 40 stocks are within2 percent of a 52-week low and the sector’sweighting on the S&P 500 has dropped tosingle digits, closing below 8 percent afterFriday’s shellacking, according to Reutersdata.

Nearly 90 percent of the sector’s sharesare trading below their 100-day moving aver-age.However, the sharp declines also createan opportunity. “We recently moved from anunderweight to a neutral weight rating inenergy, so directionally we agree with theidea that this weakness is a buying opportu-nity, but it is very hard to tell where the bot-

tom is,” said Tony Roth, chief investment offi-cer at Wilmington Trust in Wilmington,Delaware.

“Crude seems to have no floor right now,and we could easily see the price drop intothe low $60s.” With the big stock price drops,others see a run to consolidation. The sectorsubindex is down 12 percent in 2014, withyear-to-date losses of more than 20 percentin seven companies.

“I think we’ll see some healthy consolida-tion take place,” said Brian Jacobsen, chiefportfolio strategist at Wells Fargo FundsManagement in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

“Some may wither on the vine, but tech-nology has improved to make it profitable toextract at a lower price point than last year. Asa result, we’ll probably see some opportunis-tic buying.”

Jacobsen and Krosby said the slide in oilprices and the sector’s shares does not meanthe boom in the energy sector in the UnitedStates is ending, but will likely enter a newstage of development.

“The renaissance isn’t over,” said Jacobsen.“It’s just maturing.” — Reuters

Opportunity lurks asenergy shares plunge NEW YORK: A free fall in petroleum stocks was

the most striking element of an otherwise lack-luster week on Wall Street. All three indices fin-ished higher for the holiday-shortened week,although the gains in both the Dow and S&P500 were modest. Markets were closedThursday for the Thanksgiving Day holiday andclosed three hours early Friday.

The Dow tacked on 18.18 points (0.10 per-cent) at 17,828.24, while the S&P 500 rose 4.06(0.20 percent) to 2,067.56. The tech-rich NasdaqComposite Index jumped 78.66 (1.67 percent) to4,791.63.

For November as a whole, the Dow rose 2.52percent, the S&P 500 2.45 percent and theNasdaq 3.47 percent. Petroleum stocks were onthe defensive most of the week as investors war-ily awaited the Organization of the PetroleumExporting Countries meeting Thursday inVienna. OPEC had not been expected torespond aggressively to a roughly 35 percentdrop in oil prices since June. But the cartel dideven less than many experts predicted, optingnot even to promise to stop pumping above itscurrent 30 million barrels per day productionceiling. “OPEC is clearly signaling that it will nolonger bear the burden of market adjustmentalone and this decision puts the onus on otherproducers, especially US tight oil to adjust aswell,” said Barclays.

On Friday, Dow members ExxonMobil andChevron fell by 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent,respectively. Also falling were oil services com-panies like Halliburton (-10.9 percent) andNabors Industries (-12.9 percent), as well asshale producers Continental Resources (-19.9percent) and EOG Resources (-7.8 percent). Butthe oil price drop had an upside, as airline stocksgained on expectations of lower fuel costs andretailers were lifted as the kickoff of the annualholiday shopping season coincided with anOPEC decision that many analysts see as a boostto consumers’ disposable income.

“Lower gasoline prices are assisting in mak-ing holiday spending and confidence rather ele-vated. Even though consumer spending ongasoline is slightly less than three percent of dis-posable income, it plays a more significant roleon consumer mood,” said Chris Christopher, IHSGlobal Insight.

The National Retail Federation has predictedholiday sales this year will rise to $616.9 billion,a 4.1 percent increase from last year’s level.Holiday sales accounted for about one-fifth ofthe retail industry’s annual sales in 2013.

Key factors behind the better outlookinclude a lengthier holiday shopping seasoncompared with last year, when Thanksgivingfell late in the calendar, and better overall eco-nomic data. — AFP

US stocks gain despiteoil stocks’ free fall

B U S I N E S SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama: The Ebolascare has subsided in the United States,at least temporarily, but an Alabamamanufacturer is still trying to catch upwith a glut of orders for gear to protectagainst the disease. Located in northAlabama, the family-owned Kappler Inctypically gets only a few orders annual-ly for the type of suit needed by healthworkers who are in contact with Ebolapatients.

That changed once the diseaseshowed up in Texas, Kappler vice presi-

dent of marketing Dennis Sanders said.Quickly, orders were flooding in forthousands of the company’s Provent10,000 coverall.

“It happened, literally, overnight,” hesaid. “We took orders in a couple ofdays that exceeded the orders we’vehad on that particular product in twoor three years.”

While the company has about75,000 of the suits on back order,Sanders said, it has yet to need to addto its workforce of 150 employees or

extend working hours.“ We’ll probably be fi l l ing orders

through April 2015,” he said. Other USmanufacturers also have reported see-ing spikes in orders for protective gear,including surgical face mask manufac-turer Kimberly-Clark. In China, WeifangLakeland Safety Products has said it isdoubling capacity to meet the demandfor coveralls.

Kappler is the only company makingprotective suit entirely in the UnitedStates, Sanders said. Its product works

because of a special method for sealingseams and APTRA, a plastic film thatprotects against blood and body fluidsthat could carry the Ebola virus, hesaid.

Kappler sells its suits to distributorsthat, in turn, sel l to hospitals andhealth agencies. The Provent 10,000suit costs about $25 retail. While thecompany is now working through oldorders, Sanders said he expects anoth-er round of new orders if Ebola againbecomes a lead topic for news in the

United States.“Anytime there is an event in the

world we get the inquiries about thingslike, ‘How long would it take for a 1 mil-lion orders?” he said. “This time thosecalls turned in to orders.”

The World Health Organization saysmore than 5,400 people have died inthe current outbreak, mostly in Guinea,Liberia and Sierra Leone in westernAfrica. Ten people have been treatedfor Ebola in the United States, and onehas died. — AP

Ebola scare boosts business for US company

An oil well is drilled near Williston, ND. A decision by OPEC not to cut oil production is hammering major energy companies in the US andabroad. Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil are down more than 4 percent. — AP

LONDON: Following OPEC’s decision onThursday to leave production unchanged, Brentcrude futures experienced the first three-stan-dard deviation down-move since the flash crashof May 2011 and before that the depths of therecession in March 2009. With US markets andfinancial institutions closed for the Thanksgivingholiday, limited liquidity probably exaggeratedthe scale of the move.

It was nonetheless indicative of the tremen-dous uncertainty around the market about howOPEC’s members would handle a lose-lose situa-tion: Cut production and risk losing more marketshare to shale, or leave output unchanged andface a further decline in prices.

In the event, the organization opted todefend market share, causing prices to fallabruptly as traders absorbed the strategy’simplications. It is important not to read toomuch into a single day’s move. The sharp dropon Thursday could signal a one-off adjustmentto a reduced price level, with volatility thenreturning to a low level. Or it could signal thestart of a prolonged period of greater uncertain-ty and volatility. Instead, the distribution is lep-tokurtic: there are more days with either verysmall movements or very large price movementsthan would be predicted by the normal distribu-tion, and fewer days with medium-sized ones.Moreover, the level of volatility in oil prices isitself volatile. Periods of low volatility alternatewith periods of high volatility, with abrupt shiftsbetween the two states.

Financial markets shift between “mild” and“wild” states, as the French mathematicianBenoit Mandelbrot demonstrated, originally

with an analysis of cotton prices.Thursday’s price move signals a shift to a

wilder market state after a long period in whichvolatility has been extraordinarily subdued.

VOLATILITY AHEAD?There is no way to know how long the wilder

state might persist. But there are good reasonsto think oil prices could be more volatile in themonths ahead than they have been over the lastthree years. First, there is a much greater disper-sion of views about the trajectory of prices overthe next two years than at any point since 2010.

The common assumption is that oil pricesmust fall far enough and remain low longenough to curb the rise in shale output, post-pone high-cost oil projects and stimulate fastergrowth in oil demand.

But there is enormous uncertainty about howlow and how long prices might have to fall toshut in excess shale production. The reactionfunction of US shale producers is untested andwill only be known after the event. Second,OPEC’s own response remains unclear in themedium term.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United ArabEmirates, the only members able to make signifi-cant production cuts, have revealed that theyprefer instead to play a long game, relying onlow prices to recapture market share from high-er-cost shale rivals.

The core Gulf producers have the financialresources to withstand a prolonged period oflower prices by drawing down reserves. But eventheir resources are not unlimited. And pricescould stay lower for longer than most producers

now expect if shale output is more resilient thanOPEC forecasts.

Since the start of the shale boom, OPEC andSaudi Arabia have consistently underestimatedits disruptive impact on supply and price. It ispossible they are now over-estimating howquickly shale output could stop growing.

Third, Iran’s oil exports seem set to rise as thestranglehold of sanctions weakens, even with-out a nuclear deal with the United States,though the pace at which sanctions becomemore leaky is hard to predict. Additional Iranianexports will weaken the market further. Fourth,the global economy is slowing, and on this occa-sion the slowdown is affecting China and theother Asian countries that were the only sourceof demand growth for oil exporters in the lastfive years, adding an extra element of uncertain-ty. Fifth, there may have been some structuralloss of liquidity in the market as banks andhedge funds scale back in the face of stricterregulations and the lack of profitability in recentyears.

Liquidity provision is itself cyclical. After aperiod of high liquidity, when the oil sector wascrowded by lots of banks and hedge funds seek-ing to speculate or make markets and compet-ing away the profit margin, the market is now ina period of much lower liquidity, and the adjust-ment may not be over yet.

The upshot is that after three years in whichvolatility has been abnormally low by historicalstandards, there are plenty of reasons to thinkprices might start jumping around more thanbefore as the market struggles to find a newtemporary equilibrium. — Reuters

Oil market reveals its wild side again

Cartel faces a lose-lose situation

Euro-zone-bound Lithuania builds ‘world’s largest’ coin pyramid

VILNIUS: The Baltic nation of Lithuania yesterdayunveiled what it billed as the world’s largest-ever coinpyramid ahead of its switch from the litas currency tothe euro on January 1.

Volunteers spent nearly three weeks arranging onemillion coins, worth 10,000 litas (2,900 euros), into apyramid over one metre (yard) tall. “We have certainlybeaten the world record. Previously, the biggest pyra-mid of this kind was made up of 600,000 coins”, said 26-year-old volunteer Domas Jokubauskis. All the coins willeventually be donated to a children’s charity.

The Baltic nation of three million, which joined theEU in 2004, will become the 19th member of the euro-zone on January 1, 2015. Its neighbors Estonia andLatvia joined the European single currency in 2011 and2014 respectively, eyeing improved investor confidence.

Lithuanians are divided over the currency switch,with 47 percent supporting it and 49 percent against it,mainly due to fears of price hikes, according to aEurobarometer survey in September.

The litas helped to consolidate Lithuania’s statehoodon the two occasions it restored independence fromMoscow, in 1918 and 1990. The new euro coins will stillfeature the national coat of arms-featuring a knight onhorseback with a sword and shield-which has identifiedthe country’s currency since the 14th century.—AFP

VILNIUS: People stand around a pyramid made of 1,000,935 Lithuanian cents yester-day in Vilnius, Lithuania. The litas became currency of Lithuania in 1993, but thecountry plans to adopt the euro as its currency on January 1, 2015. —AFP

Indian growth slows less than feared, easing pressure on rate

NEW DELHI: A slowdown in India’s econo-my in the last quarter will increase calls forPrime Minister Narendra Modi to step upreforms but was less severe than feared,giving the central bank ammunition toresist government pressure to cut interestrates.

Gross domestic product expanded 5.3percent in the July-September quarter froma year earlier, as a manufacturing slumptook the bounce out of Asia’s third-largesteconomy. Growth in the previous quarterwas at a 2-1/2 year high of 5.7 percent.Thanks to growth in services and stronger-than-expected farming after a bad mon-soon, the reading was higher than predict-ed by economists polled by Reuters, whoon average forecast growth of 5.1 percent.

“Now the onus is on the government toboost growth by reviving the investmentclimate and get reforms moving,” saidShivom Chakrabarti, Senior Economist withHDFC bank. “That will have a more pro-nounced impact on growth in the next fis-cal year.”

Worried by the growth performance,and encouraged by low oil prices andfalling inflation, Finance Minister ArunJaitley will reiterate his request thatReserve Bank of India Governor RaghuramRajan cut interest rates when the centralbank holds it policy review on Dec. 2, min-istry officials have told Reuters. Rajan canbe expected to argue that with the slow-down not as severe as some forecast, infla-tion concerns carry more weight.

“If it was a very, very low number, therewould have been pressure on the governorto act immediately. The better than expect-ed overall GDP growth gives him that cush-ion” to wait, said Upasna Bhardwaj,Economist at ING Vysya Bank.

Economists polled by Reuters said a cutwas unlikely, although markets have pricedin a 25 basis point cut in the repo rate to7.75 percent.

CONSOLIDATED POWERElected in May with the first single party

majority since the early 1980s, Modi wasexpected to live up to his market-friendlyreputation by aggressively pursuing areform agenda to remove obstacles to

India’s industrialisation. Instead, his govern-ment has consolidated power by winningprovincial elections to gain control of keystates while offering little in the way of sub-stantial new legislation.

The measures Modi has taken so far,including allowing more foreign invest-ment in defence and construction, slashingred tape for businesses and ending majorfuel subsidies, have yet to change themood on the ground. Poor corporate earn-ings in the September quarter highlightedweak consumer demand, and firms remainwary of investing in new capacity.

The global outlook has not helped, withIndia’s exports slowing in the second quar-ter after orders from Europe dropped.Trends suggest overall growth will likely beat the lower end of the government’s 5.4-5.9 percent target for the fiscal year.

That would be an improvement on theprevious two years of sub-five percentgrowth, the weakest phase since the 1980s,but still far too slow to generate the jobsneeded for India’s rapidly expanding work-force. Reflecting the goodwill and hopeplaced in Modi, the Indian share market isthe best performer in Asia so far this year.

The nationalist premier has the backingof big business, but industrialists are stillwaiting for signs to convince them to boostspending on plant and machinery. Saddledwith spare capacity, there is little pressingneed for them to invest.

Data on Friday showed that sevenmonths into the financial year the fiscaldeficit is at 90 percent of its full year targetas tax income fell short. Jaitley may choosespending cuts to meet his deficit goal, atthe cost of further pressure on demand.

The government is hopeful of pushingseveral more reforms in the next fewweeks, including looser foreign investmentrestrictions on insurance, overhauling landlaws and new tax measures, but must over-come opposition in parliament.

This week parliament approved changesto labour laws to loosen regulation onsmall businesses. In the new year, all eyeswill be on Jaitley’s February budget. Someanalysts say markets could turn on the gov-ernment if it fails to prove its commitmentto structural reform. — Reuters

Lego builds success brick by brick in digital age

LONDON: Generations of children worldwidehave grown up loving Lego and the populari-ty of tablets and video games will not changethat, the company’s chief executive said in aninterview. Joergen Vig Knudstorp said hebelieved that the plastic, multi-colored bricks-whose name is an abbreviation of the Danishwords “leg godt”, meaning “play well”-wouldbe around for “centuries”.

The company hit trouble a decade ago butis now the world’s biggest maker of toys bysales, more than quadrupling its revenues in10 years. Far from threatening Lego’s popular-ity, Knudstorp said the digital era offeredgreat opportunities for the company to buildits customer base even further.

“We are one of the most popular videogames, we also have reached more and morecustomers on social media-Lego fans aregathering like never before,” he said.

“In the past, children watched TV and thenplayed with Lego. Now they play on tabletsand play with Lego. “The reason why they doit is that many children, and adults as well,want a real, physical experience. Even thoughwe like to watch football or play it on aPlayStation, it’s still not the same as runningon the field kicking the ball.” He was speakingas Lego, whose headquarters are in Billund,Denmark, opened a fifth “main office” inLondon on Friday as the company seeks glob-al growth. One key target is Asia. As well asoffices in Shanghai and Singapore, the com-pany started building a new factory in China’sJianxing, south of Shanghai, earlier this yearto build Lego products for sale in Asia.

‘Please don’t die’ Such an international presence is a far cry

from the company’s origins. The companywas founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen,the grandfather of the current owner, in asmall workshop in Billund, and took the nameLego two years later. It started out makingproducts like wooden ducks, while the iconicplastic brick in its present form dates back to1958. Lego became a major internationalbrand from the 1960s and Legoland inBillund, now one of Denmark’s biggest touristattractions, was opened in 1968.

But the group hit trouble in 2004,announcing major losses. Knudstrop wasappointed that year and recalls receiving “let-ters from customers saying ‘please don’t die’”.He said that, at that stage, the company had“spread ourselves over too many areas” andwas poorly run. To turn the business around,he focused on cutting manufacturing costs,releasing the right products in tighter time-frames and “reigniting the product innova-tion, really working with children to makeproducts they find more appealing”.

Now the focus is on international expan-sion, hence the opening of the London office.The opening coincides with the Brick 2014fan event being held at London’s giant ExCeLexhibition centre from Thursday to Sunday,featuring Lego sets, characters and construc-tion zones. For Knudstrop, despite thechanges which he has brought and those inthe digital world, the Lego brick is at the cen-tre of what the company is about-and willremain so for years to come.

“I think the brick will stay with us for cen-turies because it is fundamental like footballor reading a great book, telling stories,” hesaid. “It’s something that will be around for-ever.” —AFP

LONDON: Chief Executive Officer of Lego, Joergen Vig Knudstorp, poses for a portraitin central London on Friday. Generations of children worldwide have grown up lov-ing Lego and the popularity of tablets and video games will not change that, thecompany’s chief executive said.—AFP

B U S I N E S SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

KUWAIT: Red Tag opened a new branch at Hawazen Complex, Khaitan. Photographs show officials touring the outlet after the inauguration. — Joseph Shagra

Roberto Coin Boutique

opens at Thuraya Mall

DUBAI: Prominent knowledge influ-encers and experts from around theworld are set to address some of themost critical issues related to knowl-edge transfer and localization duringthe first Knowledge Conference, whichwill be held from December 7 to 9,2014, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel inDubai.

Organized by Mohammed binRashid Al-Maktoum Foundation(MBRF) on the theme ‘EmpoweringFuture Generations’, the conference,which is the first event of its kind in theregion, will be held under the patron-age of Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidAl-Maktoum, UAE Vice President andPrime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, andunder the direction of Sheikh Ahmedbin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Chairman of MBRF.

“The first Knowledge Conferenceoffers a unique opportunity for partici-pants to listen to some of the mostwell-known personalities in the field ofknowledge dissemination. Duringthree days of thought-provoking dis-cussions, these top knowledge influ-encers and experts will share theirinsights and first-hand experienceswhich will contribute to the advance-ment of knowledge in the Arab world,”said Jamal Bin Huwaireb, ManagingDirector of MBRF.

Among the notable speakers on theopening day of the conference, Tim

Berners-Lee, inventor of the WorldWide Web, and Jimmy Wales, co-founder and promoter of the onlinenon-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia, willaddress a session on the creation ofknowledge through innovation andintegration. The session will also beaddressed by Prof Chizo Nakajima,Professor of Corporate Law andGovernance and Director of theInternational Centre for Integrity andGovernance at the London GuildhallFaculty of Business and Law.

At the opening session, Khalid Al-Wazani, Chief Economist, Strategist &Founding Partner of IssnaadConsulting, Jordan, and Prof PeterStokes, Deputy Dean of the Universityof Chester Business School, UK, willanalyze the transition from a knowl-edge society to a knowledge economyin the context of the Arab region.

Hussein Lootah, director general ofDubai Municipality, will be among theprominent speakers in the third sessionthat will explore how local knowledgepool can be created in the Arab region.The session will also look at the UAE asa success story in the area of producingand localizing knowledge.

Dr. Hassan Hussein El-Bilawi, profes-sor of Sociology of Education atHelwan University, Cairo; Moudi Al-Homoud, former minister and promi-nent figure in the field of educationand research in Kuwait; Ziad Al-Drees,

Saudi ambassador to UNESCO; andYousry ElGamal, former Minister ofEducation in Egypt, will speak duringon the second day of the conferenceon integration of Arab youth in theprocess of knowledge transfer andlocalization.

On the concluding day of the con-ference, Dr Lana Mamcg, Jordan’sMinister of Culture, will be among thetop luminaries who will evaluate themost important features of the ArabKnowledge Index, which will belaunched during the conference as anannual indicator of the status of knowl-edge in the Arab world.

The final session will witness theparticipation of Riz Khan, prominentmedia personality, Lt. General Dhahi

Khalfan, Deputy Chairman of Policeand General Security in Dubai, HamdiKandeel, reputed Egyptian journalist,Essam Sharaf, academic and formerPrime Minister of Egypt, Prof PeterGiblin, Board Member of AmericanUniversity of Cairo and managementexpert who works with senior leveldecision makers. During the session,these high profile figures will examinehow the recent events in the Arabworld have affected the values of thesociety. Registrations for participationin the conference are open for individ-uals, government and private sectorrepresentatives as well as local, region-al and international stakeholders in dis-semination, transfer and localization ofknowledge.

Jamal Bin Huwaireb, ManagingDirector of MBRF.

Tim Berners-LeeJimmy WalesMansour Al-Awar

Top knowledge experts to

drive vibrant discussions

First Knowledge Conference

NEW DELHI: Abdul Mehsen Midaj Al-Midaj, Deputy Prime Minister & Commerce Minister of Kuwait, Taufiq Al-Rabia, Saudi Commerce Minister, Jyotna Suri, President of FICCI, Dr Hamdi Tabba, President, Arabic Business Forum, AnilnWadhwa, Secretary Middle East and Yusuff Ali M A during the 4th Indo-Arab Partnership Summit being held at FICCI House in New Delhi.

KUWAIT: Designer Roberto Coin gracedThuraya Mall in Salmiya for the opening ofthe Roberto Coin jewelry boutique. Coinwas specially invited to the event by Al-Ostoura International, who have broughtthe luxurious Italian label to Kuwait.

The private and exclusive opening wasattended by VIP customers. Coin wasintroduced to the attendees by RamiTabiaat, President of Al-Ostoura. Theambiance was intimate and guests were

serenaded by the festive atmosphere,which included live Italian music. Apartfrom the brand’s signature collections, thestore also displayed dazzling pieces fromthe Elephant collection, the Snake UniquePieces collection, the Pearl Dragon collec-tion, Pois Moi, and the Lion collection.

Roberto CoinThe Roberto Coin story first took root in

1977 in the Italian city of Vicenza, also

known as the ‘city of gold’. After producinghigh quality jewels for leading brands,Rober to Coin founded his namesakebrand in 1996. The brand met with instantsuccess and fame, and was even ranked asthe top Italian jewelry brand in the world.

Designer Roberto Coin believes thatstyle is not about showing off, but show-ing in style. When it comes to the brand,design innovation and quality go hand inhand with style and service. The brand hasan exclusive signature, which conceals adazzling ruby on the internal side of eachpiece. The ruby is a stone revered by leg-end, and it is believed that having a rubyin direct contact with skin grants longevi-ty, health, and happiness to the wearer.Every jewel is a splendid combination ofprecious gemstones and metals in anarray of colors and intricate finishes.Roberto Coin also holds the distinction ofbeing one of the founders of theKimberley Process, which follows the UNresolution of sourcing diamonds only fromnon-conflict areas.

Al-Ostoura was established in 1985 byNajla Maatouk, who had long been fasci-nated with fashion and elegance. Today,with over 10,000 square meters of retailspace, Al-Ostoura has stores in some ofthe most prestigious malls in Kuwaitunder the brand names of Al-Ostoura andLimelight or using the brand names of itsfamous designers. The company hasexpanded its retail activities to include anenormous selection of famous top-of-the-line brands in clothing, shoes, fashionaccessories and most recently, furnitureand jewelry.

Its performance has been noted withinthe fashion industr y, resulting in Al-Ostoura being recognized as a leader inKuwait, as well as its recognition as abenchmark for the Middle East. Its reputa-tion for service and customer care hasbrought it much admiration from luxurybrand CEOs and managers around theworld.

LONDON: British consumer morale heldsteady in November in the face of slippingconfidence about the economy’s prospectsover the next 12 months, a survey bypolling company GfK showed.

The headline consumer confidenceindex hovered at -2 for a second month ina row, a shade weaker than the forecast of -1 in a Reuters poll. Despite sluggishnessseen in recent months after a sharp riseearlier in the year, it was still close to thenine-year high of +1 touched in Augustand June and households showed a strongappetite to make major purchases.

Nick Moon, GfK’s managing director forsocial research, said flat consumer moralecould continue until May’s national elec-tion. “The government will be hoping to gointo the general election on a rising tide ...but unless the public gets another burst ofgood economic news it’s hard to see thishappening anytime soon,” Moon said.Official data on Wednesday showed thatoverall economic growth remained robustin the third quarter of 2014, driven mainlyby consumer spending which rose 0.8 per-

cent, its fastest quarterly rate in more thanfour years.

But the figures also increased concernsabout the resilience of the economicrecovery after an unexpected fall in Britishbusiness investment. GfK’s study showedthat consumers’ worries sharpened slightlywith regard to both their personal financesand the general economic situation overthe year to come.

But the number of people who thoughtnow was the right time for major purchas-es, such as furniture or electronic goods,bounced back to September’s seven-yearhigh. A separate survey by market researchcompany YouGov and the Centre forEconomics and Business Research, a fore-casting firm, showed consumers’ expecta-tions about their financial situation rose toits highest since February 2009, whenBritain was in the depths of recession.

YouGov and CEBR linked the finding tosigns of a pickup in earnings in officialdata. The GfK survey was conductedbetween Nov 1 and Nov 19 on behalf ofthe European Commission. — Reuters

UK consumer morale

steady in November

T E C H NOLO G YSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO: Cyber-security researchers saythey’ve identified a highly sophisticated computerhacking program that appears to have been usedby an as-yet unidentified government to spy onbanks, telecommunications companies, officialagencies and other organizations around theworld.

The malicious software known as “Regin” isdesigned to collect data from its targets for periodsof months or years, penetrating deep into comput-er networks while covering its tracks to avoiddetection, according to analysts at Symantec, theSilicon Valley security firm that disclosed the pro-gram’s existence in a report this week.

Citing factors including its complexity and thelikelihood it took years to develop, Symantec secu-rity manager Vikram Thakur said Monday, “we thinkit could not have come from anybody except anextremely well-funded, organized nation state.”

Unlike malware that’s been used to hack intoretailers’ payment-processing systems, the Regin

program isn’t focused on collecting large volumesof credit card numbers or other financial accountinformation, he added. Instead, it’s more preciselytargeted and can be used to collect screenshots,copy deleted files, steal passwords and monitor dig-ital communications - including mobile phone calls.

Evidence from contaminated computers showsthe malware has been used since at least 2008,with half the known cases discovered in Russia andSaudi Arabia, Symantec said. Based on its designand behavior, experts at Symantec and other firmssaid they don’t believe it was developed in Russiaor China, two countries that are often blamed forcyberattacks around the world.

Reports on two online news sites, Wired.comand The Intercept, cited circumstantial links to sug-gest the program was used in European cyberat-tacks that the former National Security Agencycontractor Edward Snowden has blamed on US andBritish intelligence agencies. Without drawing thatconclusion, researchers at Symantec Corp. and oth-

er firms said Regin’s design was reminiscent of asophisticated program known as Stuxnet, whichThe New York Times and The Washington Post havereported was developed by US and Israeli agencies.

When asked about the reports, a spokeswomanfor the NSA told The Associated Press, “We are notgoing to comment on speculation.”

Other experts cautioned that it’s difficult totrace the source of malware. “It isn’t hard to make apiece of malware look like it came from anywherein the world,” said Adam Kujawa of the security firmMalwarebytes Labs. Regardless of the source,Symantec researchers called the design of theRegin program “groundbreaking and almost peer-less.” Thakur said the company has been studyingthe malware since last year.

TrackingAnother security firm, Kaspersky Labs, reported

Monday that it began tracking the program in2012. In its own report, Kaspersky said the program

showed “mind-blowing” sophistication by penetrat-ing several different computer networks in anunnamed Middle Eastern country. Rather thancommunicate with each target, the malware wasable to avoid detection by using one network torelay commands to another. Kaspersky said itfound evidence of Regin contamination in 14 dif-ferent countries, including the Pacific islandnations of Fiji and Kiribati.

An early version of the software was used toinfect computers between 2008 and 2011, but itwas then shut down and much of the code wasremoved remotely - apparently by its operators,Thakur said.

A second version began appearing last year.Kaspersky researchers said they believe the pro-gram is still in active use. Analysts say it’s unclearhow the program entered the targeted computers,although Symantec said it found one examplewhere it was introduced through a message senton Yahoo’s Instant Messenger service. — AP

Unidentified country likely behind spying software

NEW YORK: Want to save some cash while holi-day shopping? The best tool can be a smart-phone packed with the right apps.

Some apps give you coupons you can hand tothe cashier to scan, while others let you flipthrough advertising deals and promotions.Others let you scan barcodes at the store andcheck if there are cheaper options online.

I found four apps to recommend after testingmore than a dozen over the past month. All fourare easy to use and nicely designed.

Before you hit the mall, though, you mightwant to turn off notifications for these apps.Some of them will send you an alert every time adeal pops up, which can get annoying.

Retale (available for Appleand Android devices)

Promotional circulars found in newspaperscan now be delivered to your phone or tablet.Open the Retale app to get fliers for stores nearyou. I found circulars for Macy’s, Target, Toys R Us,Best Buy and other national retailers.

If a circular has coupons, Retale slaps a smallgreen icon with scissors on it. This way, you don’thave to sift through each page to find them.When you open a circular with coupons, you sim-ply tap it once to “clip” all the coupons. Thatplaces them into a separate folder to use whenyou get to the store. At Macy’s, I used a 20 per-cent discount coupon that was scanned from theapp at the register. You can also print outcoupons if you prefer. I tried four different appsthat digitize circulars, but Retale was the easiestto use and had the best design.

RetailMeNot (available for Appleand Android devices)

I tested several coupon apps, but I end upcoming back to RetailMeNot. It’s easy to use, andits map function can find deals at stores near you.Tap the heart icon to select your favorite shops.You’ll be able to see deals at those stores quicklywhen you open the app. I used a 20 percent offcoupon at Best Buy, saving me about $10 off a$50 Magic Bullet blender set.

You get both in-store coupons and codes forstores’ websites. While I was at Gap and SteveMadden, for instance, there wasn’t a couponavailable for in-store use. But I saw a 30 percentcoupon for Gap.com and a 20 percent coupon forSteveMadden.com, so I left and bought the itemsonline.

Amazon and RedLaser (available for Apple,Android and Windows devices)

Price matching is spreading to more stores,and you’ll need these two apps to do it. Wal-MartStores Inc. is the latest company to promise tomatch cheaper prices you find online. Otherretailers, including Best Buy Co. Inc., Target Inc.and Toys R Us Inc., have been price matching fora few years. Use the Amazon App to scan bar-codes of items in the retail store and see howmuch the online retailer charges. If you find a

better price, show the app to a cashier. To findprices elsewhere, use RedLaser. The app, which isowned by eBay Inc., shows prices for other onlinestores when you scan a barcode.

Policies vary, and retailers typically acceptmatches only from specific rivals. For example, allof them exclude third-party merchants that useAmazon. The item shown on the Amazon Appmust be sold and shipped by Amazon.com Inc. Iwas rejected at Best Buy for one item sold by athird party. With RedLaser, the store will honoronly some prices found. Target, for instance,accepts online matches from its own website,Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Toys R Us. So ifyou find a lower price at Sears or Kmart, you stillhave to pay the regular price.

Even with those restrictions, I have still gottencashiers at Best Buy and Target to knock as muchas $15 off an item. — AP

4 shopping apps that will save you money

NEW YORK: This June 18, 2014, file photo shows the app that links to shopping onAmazon.com on the new Amazon Fire Phone, in Seattle. — AP

RENO: Uber Technologies’ legal battle withNevada’s highly regulated taxi industryover Internet ride-sharing may be headedback to the political arena now that a judgehas at least temporarily banned Uber’s unli-censed operations statewide.

Whether his restraining order put thebrakes on an unregulated transportationservice, or pulled the plug on emergingtechnology, is one of the questions law-makers may be left to decide if Uber can’tpersuade state regulators to find a way tomarry its virtual world with the real one onthe Las Vegas Strip and the streets of Reno.Uber says it’s the victim of overzealousenforcement of antiquated laws that neverenvisioned smartphones that could “e-hail”transportation on demand. It’s unclearwhether any bills that would change theregulations are in the works. None of thebrief summaries of the hundreds of billslawmakers and state agencies haverequested so far mention ride-sharing.

The company said late Wednesday thatit temporarily stopped offering rides inNevada as a result of the ruling. “It’s unfor-tunate that Nevada is the first state in thenation to temporarily suspend Uber,” com-pany spokeswoman Eva Behrend said in anemailed statement.

Nevada’s attorney general says themultibillion-dollar company finds itself inpark because it thumbed its nose at regula-tors and deliberately broke the law to maxi-mize profits as long as it could. Uberrefused to seek the licenses because itmaintains it’s a technology company, not amotor carrier. Chief Deputy AttorneyGeneral Gina Session suggested the com-pany may have been picking a fight incourt “to get attention before the legisla-tive session and get some momentum.”

“Uber’s approach is to start operationsin open violation of the law in hope a

groundswell of public opinion will overridethe regulatory concerns,” she told WashoeDistrict Court Judge Scott Freeman. Shesaid the company acquiesced before inagreeing to regulation elsewhere, includ-ing Nebraska, South Carolina andMaryland.”When it wants to, it can workwith regulatory oversight,” she said. “Whynot in Nevada? Are we the Wild, WildWest?”

Freeman said he thinks he knows why.“They can save a lot of money if I let themoperate without regulation because I findthey are not a common carrier,” the judgesaid during a nearly seven-hour hearinglate Tuesday. At one point, he directlyquestioned Uber officials on the witnessstand as to why they suddenly abandoneddiscussions with the state and launched inNevada Oct. 24 without any regulatoryauthority.

“Discussions were underway,” he said.“Two days later, all heck breaks loose.” “Orheaven,” Uber lobbyist John Griffin coun-tered, “depending on your perspective.”From the consumers’ perspective, Uber saysits Internet application matching riderswith drivers using personal cars is cheaper,more efficient and more accessible, espe-cially in underserved neighborhoods.

Uber argues its service is not publicbecause it’s available only to “members ofthe online community - in sharp contrast toa taxi driver who just happens to be pick-ing up literally anybody on the street,” Uberlawyer Donald Campbell said.

The state disagrees. “Just because youdon’t wait on the curb doesn’t mean you’renot available to the public,” Session said.Even before the ruling, Campbell suggest-ed Uber may take a different approachgoing forward, whether it’s in the court-house or the statehouse. “We get the mes-sage,” he told the judge. — AP

Lawmakers may decide Uber’s placein Nevada market

LONDON: Hot on the heels of showcasingits Google Glass prototype flight finder appat World Travel Market in London, globaltravel technology company Sabre hasannounced the next step in developingtravel services that work across a number ofwearable devices including smartwatchesand Google Glass. The move reflects thecompany’s view that wearables will have adramatic impact on the way consumersshop for and experience travel.

Launched this week, TripCase, Sabre’sleading travel itinerary management app, isthe first travel app of its kind to integratewith the highly-anticipated Samsung Gear Ssmartwatch. The integration allows the trav-eler to click the notification on the watch toopen the TripCase app to the relevant placeon the mobile device, and will include aclick-to-call feature next month. In addition,consumers using Android Wear devices andthe Pebble and Pebble Steel watches canreceive TripCase travel notifications directlyto their wearable devices.

TripCase users wearing these smartdevices will receive real-time flight alerts,gate changes and other travel informationconveniently on their wrists at a time whenminute counts. This initial integration laysthe ground work for more advancedTripCase services to be accessible on wear-able technology in the future. TripCase is onpace to manage more than 25 million tripsin 2014. “As the adoption of wearable tech-

nology grows, we want to ensure that thetravel industry is ready to leverage this tech-nology and serve travelers on the devicethey prefer,” said John Samuel, senior vicepresident of Sabre Traveler Solutions.“Wearable technology is fast becoming aprominent means of customer notificationand communication. We’re looking to take iteven further - from a one-way means ofcommunication to an interactive, on-the-goservice experience,” said Samuel.

Researchers expect a large proportion ofthe population to embrace wearable com-puting in the near future as evidenced bythe adoption trajectory of other technologyadvances like the smart phone and tablets.Juniper Research forecasts that worldwidespending on wearable technology will hit£870 million this year and will reach £12 bil-lion by 2018. Further, wearable computingis already expanding beyond the earlyadopters and quickly becoming more main-stream, according to International DataCorporation (IDC). The research firm esti-mates that more than 19 million wearablecomputing devices will be sold in 2014, andforecasts the global market to reach 111.9million units in 2018.

Sabre’s Google Glass prototype flightfinder app was the company’s first forayinto testing wearable devices and operatesby finding flights based on a user’s simplevoice command,: “Ok Glass, Find a Flightfrom London Heathrow to Miami in June.”

Sabre developing travelservices for emergingwearable technology

AMSTERDAM: Dutch researchers are seeking toadd a new, largely untapped renewable energysource to the world’s energy mix with the open-ing of a “Blue Energy” test facility on Wednesday.

Blue energy takes advantage of the differ-ence in salt concentration between sea waterand fresh water to produce electricity. RikSiebers of REDstack BV, the company overseeingthe project, said the goal is to improve the tech-nology to the point where it will be profitable tobuild blue energy plants commercially in the2020s. Siebers said blue energy will one dayhave its own niche. “For wind turbines you need

wind, and solar panels work in the day, but wateris always flowing,” he said in a telephone inter-view Wednesday. The Dutch plant has a theoreti-cal maximum capacity of 50 megawatts, aboutenough to power 100 Dutch homes. A more lim-ited trial of similar technology began in Norwayin 2009.

The technique uses two specialized filterswith salt and fresh water on each side. One filterlets positively charged sodium ions seepthrough, while the other admits negativelycharged chlorine ions, creating a natural battery.

Each square meter of the filter panel can gen-

erate roughly one watt, and the filters are thenarranged in stacks of hundreds to multiply theeffect. It’s no coincidence the technique is beingpioneered in the Netherlands, which has awealth of river-coast interchanges including theRhine and Meuse river deltas.

The test plant is strategically located on theAfsluitdijk, the long dike built off the Dutchcoast in the 1930s that turned part of the NorthSea into an enormous freshwater lake. The proj-ect is being funded by a mix of government andprivate sponsors, with participation by theUniversity of Twente. — AP

Dutch seek to harnessenergy from salt water mix

This undated photo from the California Institute of Technology shows Marvin L. Goldberger. Goldberger, a former president of Caltech and anoted physicist, died Wednesday. He was 92. Caltech said Goldberger died of cancer in the La Jolla area of San Diego. Goldberger was Caltech’spresident from 1978 to 1987. During that time, Goldberger helped develop the first 10-meter telescope at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. It isone of the largest optical telescopes in the world. — AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ESUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

MACENTA: Health workers from Guinea’s Red cross wearing Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) prepare to burybodies of victims of the Ebola virus in Macenta, in Guinea. — AFP

CONAKRY: The health workers rode oncanoes and rickety boats to delivercholera vaccines to remote islands inGuinea. Months later, the country hasrecorded only one confirmed choleracase this year, down from thousands.The rare success, overshadowed by theEbola outbreak that has ravagedGuinea and two other West Africancountries, is being cautiously attributedto the vaccinations and to hand-wash-ing in the campaign against Ebola.

Helen Matzger of the Bill & MelindaGates Foundation said Guinea’s experi-ence is encouraging other countries toaccept the cholera vaccine and has ledthe GAVI Alliance - which works todeliver vaccines to the world’s poor - toinvest in a global stockpile and the UNWorld Health Organization to increasethat stockpile to about 2 million doses.Matzger, the foundation’s senior pro-gram officer for vaccine delivery, saidshe was amazed at the ease and effi-ciency with which the vaccine wasdelivered to very remote islands.

She said she was on a wobbly boatthat made the first delivery, along withDr Sakoba Keita, a Cuban-trainedGuinean physician who was responsi-ble for Guinea’s epidemics surveillancebefore being appointed the WestAfrican nation’s Ebola czar. “In manyinstances in global health, you see onebrave individual who is willing to do

something that’s different because theythink it will have an impact, and Dr.Sakoba was that person,” Matzger saidin a telephone interview from herSeattle office.

In March, the World HealthOrganization, with support fromUNICEF and Doctors Without Borders,vaccinated some 200,000 fishermen onislands north of Conakry, the capital,where they gather from Guinea andneighboring Sierra Leone and Liberiaduring the fishing season, said JulienLabas, in charge of UNICEF’s campaignfor clean water, sanitation and hygiene.The area had been identified as a majortransmission source for cholera sincethe fishermen set up temporary shel-ters and have no toilets or clean water.

In 2012, amid a cholera outbreakthat sickened 7,350 people and killed133 of them in Guinea, the WorldHealth Organization carried out astudy using the Indian-made vaccineShanchol on 40 patients. The vaccine isdelivered by drops into the mouth andrequires two doses two weeks apart.One dose costs $1.85, according toMatzger. A report published in TheNew England Journal of Medicine earli-er this year said that study found thevaccination provided “significant pro-tection against cholera.” Matzger saidsome studies show that if vaccinationis provided for 70 percent of a target

population, that effectively protectsabout 98 percent of the people. Thevaccine is effective for about threeyears. Advocates say the vaccineshould be used in tandem with cam-paigns for clean water and sanitation.

In Guinea, UNICEF works with alocal organization to produce chlorine,has a project to manually drill bore-holes at half or a third the cost of com-mercial drilling, and has developed asmartphone app to map the state of allwater points. WHO estimates there are3 million to 5 million cholera cases ayear worldwide, and 100,000 to120,000 deaths. Experts in Guinea arecautious in explaining why Guinea hashad only one confirmed case. “It couldbe related to the vaccination cam-paign, and I also think the Ebola out-break might have an indirect impact,”Labas said. He also noted that choleraepidemics come and go.

Guineans have taken to stringentlywashing their hands in chlorinatedwater to help halt the transmission ofEbola, which has killed more than1,100 people in the country where thelatest outbreak started nearly a yearago. Ebola is contracted by direct con-tact with an infected person’s bodilyfluids. Hotels, shops and restaurantsoblige patrons to wash their hands inchlorinated water before they canenter. Idris Sakalo, vice president of the

Ebola-hit Guinea reportsonly one cholera case

fishermen’s association, said that bothin Conakry and further north atForecariah, “For years we were talkingabout cholera problems, but today, wedon’t speak about it anymore.” Heattributed the transformation toawareness of hygiene and suggestedthat “through Ebola, we could defeat

other diseases.”UNICEF says 40 percent of disease

transmission could be halted by rigor-ous hand-washing. Matzger said noone expects any country to start massvaccinations for cholera. After the usein Guinea, the idea is to have a stock-pile available to respond to an out-

break but also to strike pre-emptivelyat high risk populations. The vaccinewas administered this year to somerefugees in camps in South Sudan. Thevaccine also was used in 2012 in Haitito help fight an ongoing epidemic thatbroke out after the Caribbean country’scatastrophic earthquake. — AP

SAO PAULO: A woman stands next to a boat in the bank of Jacarei river dam, in Piracaia as drought hits Sao Paulo state, Brazil. — AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: Sao Paulo, Brazil’s drought-hitmegacity of 20 million, has about two months ofguaranteed water supply remaining as it taps intothe second of three emergency reserves, officialssay. The city began using its second so-called“technical reserve” 10 days ago to prevent a watercrisis after reservoirs reached critically low levelslast month. This is the first time the state hasresorted to using the reserves, experts say. “If wetake into account the same pattern of waterextraction and rainfall that we’ve seen so far thismonth - and it’s been raining less than half of theaverage - we can say the (reserve) will last up to 60days,” said Marussia Whately, a water resourcesspecialist at environmental NGO InstitutoSocioambiental.

But an expected increase in water usage dur-ing the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holi-days could easily reduce the time the reserve willlast, she added. After that period, there is no cer-tainty over the water supply available to Brazil’swealthiest city and financial center, Whately said. Ifrain doesn’t replenish the Cantareira system - themain group of reservoirs that supply S„o Paulo -the city could run dry, she said.

Final reserveA third and final technical reserve might be

used, but it is difficult to access and mixed with siltthat could make pumping it to users difficult,according to Vicente Andreu, the president of thewater regulatory agency ANA. “I believe that, tech-nically, it would be unviable. But if it doesn’t rain,we won’t have an alternative but to get waterfrom the mud,” Andreu said at a hearing about thewater crisis in Brasilia’s Lower House of Congresson Nov 13. Brazil’s southeast region is suffering itsworst drought in at least 80 years after an unusual-ly dry year left rivers and reservoirs at critically lowlevels. Antonio Nobre, a leading climate scientistat INPE, Brazil’s National Space Research Institute,has linked Brazil’s worsening drought to globalwarming and deforestation in the Amazon. Bothare drastically reducing the release of billions ofliters of water by rainforest trees, which reducesrainfall further south, he said.

Planning and political failuresPoor planning and a lack of investment to

boost reservoir capacity also have left S„o Paulo

teetering on the brink of disaster, experts say. Apresidential election in October, which pitted thegoverning Workers Party (PT) against the opposi-tion Social Democracy Party (PSDB), led S„o PauloGovernor Geraldo Alckmin of the PSDB to delaytaking action on the water shortage - such asordering mandatory rationing - for fear of losingvotes during his reelection campaign, experts say.Now some fear changes are coming too late forSao Paulo. Alckmin has pledged to invest 3.5 bil-lion reais ($1.4 billion) to build new reservoirs andimprove distribution - but most of the work won’tbe completed for at least a year. Brazil’s govern-ment has treated the crisis as a temporary prob-lem that would likely go away with the first heavyrains of the summer, rather than a sign of poten-tially longer-term problems with water security,Andreu said.

Looking to 2015He has criticized the government’s response to

the crisis and its inaction when scientists last yearstarted to warn about a potentially devastatingdrought in 2014. Now politicians admit there is acrisis, and they are finally taking action. The statesof S„o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais,where more than half of Brazil’s GDP is produced,on Nov 27 agreed on works to divert water fromthe main river that supplies Rio de Janeiro toreservoirs in S„o Paulo. Civil society organizations

are pressing the government to take more radicalaction, such as mandatory rationing.

The Alliance for Water, a growing group ofNGOs that includes Greenpeace, The NatureConservancy and WWF, is demanding a plan toprepare for next year’s dry season, which starts inApril. “We are starting 2015 with a serious deficitthat won’t be resolved this summer, so we muststart thinking about what to do in April, when thedry season begins and we won’t have any moretechnical reserves to use,” said Whately, who iscoordinating the Alliance for Water. Sabesp, thewater utility that serves S„o Paulo, accessed a firstemergency water reserve in May totaling 480 bil-lion liters. That reserve started to run out in thesecond half of October, and reservoirs reached just3 percent of their capacity on Oct 21.

State-owned Sabesp was then allowed to tap asecond emergency reserve, of 106 billion liters, lift-ing reservoir capacity above 10 percent. But now,just weeks after this second emergency supplystarted to be used, water levels at the Cantareirareservoirs are once again below 10 percent,according to the company. The third reserve, with200 billion liters of water, is the deepest, and islocated in smaller reservoirs and in passagewaysthat connect reservoirs, which are harder to tap.Unlike the water in the reservoirs, which are drawnby gravity, the reserves water must be pumpedout, according to ANA’s Andreu. — Reuters

Drought-hit Sao Paulo may ‘get water from the mud’

Brazilian city battles to prevent water crisis

SAO PAULO: A barrel is seen on the bed of Jacarei river dam, in Piracaia as drought hits SaoPaulo state, Brazil. — AFP

CANBERRA: Australian Prime MinisterTony Abbott, who rose to power in largepart by opposing a tax on greenhousegas emissions, is finding his country iso-lated like never before on climatechange as the US, China and othernations signal new momentum foraction. Abbott tried and failed to keepthe issue off the agenda of the annualG-20 summit of wealthy and emergingcountries that was hosted by theAustralian city of Brisbane in mid-November. An agreement betweenWashington and Beijing to curb emis-sions, announced days before the sum-mit, suggests he had misjudged theinternational mood on the issue.

Next week, attention turns to thenext round of international climatechange negotiations in Lima, Peru. For anation of just 23 million, Australia hasplayed a significant role in past talks, butthis time it’s unclear what kind of role itsdelegation, led by Foreign Minister JulieBishop, will play. Abbott’s conservativecoalition won a landslide election victo-ry last year over the Labor Party, whichhad grown unpopular in part because ithad approved one of the world’s highesttaxes on major carbon gas polluters.Abbott not only ended that tax butyears earlier helped scuttle an effort byhis own Liberal Party to reach a biparti-san deal on a carbon-trading scheme,intended to encourage industries toproduce less emissions.

G-20 heavyweights including theUnited States and Europe steamrolledAustralia’s efforts as summit host tokeep climate change off the agenda inBrisbane. In the end, the G-20 agreed towork together toward a global agree-ment on reducing carbon gas emissionsat a major UN climate change confer-ence in Paris in September 2015. TheLima meeting is the final high-level min-isterial summit in which countries willaim to work toward a draft agreementto be presented in Paris. A EuropeanUnion official described gettingAustralia to agree to the wording of aparagraph on climate change in the G-20 summit communique as slow-mov-ing “trench warfare.” In arguing for keep-ing climate change off the G-20 agenda,Australia said it was not strictly an eco-nomic issue and would distract fromgoals including a plan to boost globalGDP by more than $2 trillion over fiveyears.

President Barack Obama miffed somein Abbott’s administration when he saidthat among Asia-Pacific nations,“nobody has more at stake when itcomes to thinking about and then act-ing on climate change” than Australia.“Here in Australia it means longerdroughts, more wildfires. The incrediblenatural glory of the Great Barrier Reef isthreatened,” he said. Bishop said she was“surprised” by Obama’s speech and laterwrote to him, outlining Australian meas-ures to protect the World Heritage-listedcoral reef and assuring its preservationfor generations to come. The Laboropposition described the government’sresponse to the speech as petulant.

Obama also used his speech inBrisbane to pledge $3 billion to theGreen Climate Fund, a UN initiative setup to support developing nations deal-ing with rising seas, higher tempera-tures and extreme weather events. Aprevious Australian Labor Party govern-ment played a leading role in establish-ing the fund, which has received closeto $10 billion in pledges from more than20 countries. Australia has not offeredmoney to the fund, though it says someof its foreign aid budget is spent on cli-

mate change mitigation.Swedish Climate Ambassador Anna

Lindstedt, who will be part of her coun-try’s delegation in Lima, said Australia’sreluctance to contribute to the fund hascreated a “negative dynamic” in negotia-tions with large developing countriesincluding China, who ask why theyshould be expected to contribute whenAustralia, one of the richest countriesper capita, won’t. “Their climate negotia-tors are still doing a very good job andtrying to be as constructive as possible,but it is a challenge under the currentcircumstances,” Lindstedt said. “Someemerging economies are in some waysmore progressive than Australia.”

On the sidelines of the Brisbane sum-mit, Turkish Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu said global warming wouldbe a top-agenda item when his countryhosts the next G-20 leaders’ summit atAntalya in 2015. “The biggest challengeto all humanity today is climate change,”Davutoglu said. Abbott’s staff latersnubbed Davutoglu’s request for a pho-tograph of the two leaders together torepresent the presidency of the G-20changing hands. Abbott said after arecent meeting with French PresidentFrancois Hollande that it is “vital” thatthe Paris climate change conferencesucceeds. He added, “For it to be a suc-cess, we can’t pursue environmentalimprovements at the expense of eco-nomic progress. We can’t reduce emis-sions in ways which cost jobs.”

Nic Stuart, a columnist for TheCanberra Times, wrote this week thatbecause of Abbott’s doomed effort tokeep climate change off the G-20 agen-da, “a vital opportunity to jump-start hisprime ministership with some interna-tional pizazz was squandered.” Abbott’spopularity in opinion polling is at arecord low for a first-term Australianprime minister. Key planks of his firstbudget, widely condemned as unfair tothe poor, remain stalled in the Senate.Climate change was the issue thatbrought Abbott to the helm of his con-servative Liberal Party in a leadershipballot of lawmakers by a single vote in2009. His predecessor, MalcolmTurnbull, was deposed over his plans tosupport the then-ruling Labor Party’slegislation to create an emissions trad-ing scheme.

Abbott is known for saying, also in2009, that the “climate change argu-ment is absolute crap.” He later said thecomment was “a little bit of rhetoricalhyperbole.” This July, Australia becamethe only country to toss out an existingcarbon-pricing system when Abbott’sgovernment repealed a carbon taxlevied on the nation’s 350 worst indus-trial greenhouse gas polluters. Instead,the government has created a 2.55 bil-lion Australian dollar ($2.2 billion) fundof taxpayer money to pay industriesincentives to become cleaner.

Abbott has ruled out any polluter-pays options for reducing Australia’sgreenhouse emissions, which on a per-capita basis are among the world’sworst. Abbott’s government says itspolicies can bring the country’s carbongas emissions to 5 percent below 2000levels by 2020. Erwin Jackson, deputychief executive of the Climate Instituteindependent think-tank, is doubtful. Hesaid he hopes the Australian delegationin Lima agrees to contribute to theGreen Climate Fund and proposes acredible plan to reduce Australian emis-sions post-2020. “The challenge forthem is that they don’t have a sustain-able or credible climate policy inAustralia,” Jackson said. — AP

Australia out ofstep with new

climate momentum

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ESUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

WASHINGTON: In a fresh confrontation withRepublicans, the Obama administration onWednesday proposed stricter emissions limits onsmog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respi-ratory illness. The move fulfilled a long-delayed cam-paign promise by President Barack Obama but leftenvironmental and public health groups wantingmore. Business groups panned the EnvironmentalProtection Agency’s new ozone regulations asunnecessary and the costliest in history, warningthey could jeopardize a resurgence in Americanmanufacturing.

But EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy argued thatthe public health benefits far outweigh the costs andthat most of the US can meet the tougher standardswithout doing anything new. “We need to be smart -as we always have - in trying to find the best benefitsin a way that will continue to grow the economy,”McCarthy said. Of reducing ozone, she added: “We’vedone it before, and we’re on track to do it again.”

Ozone joins a long list of pollutants that Obamahas wanted to limit using EPA regulations, seeking tocement an environmental legacy by sidesteppingCongress and its opposition to new pollution laws.After pledging during his first presidential campaignto tighten ozone limits, Obama backtracked in 2011by yanking the EPA’s proposed ozone limits amidintense pressure from industry and the GOP. At thetime, Obama said it was important to cut regulatoryred tape while the economy was recovering from theGreat Recession.

Public health groups sued, and a federal courtordered the EPA to issue a new draft smog rule byDec 1, with an October 2015 deadline to finalize it.Rather than settling on a firm new ozone limit now,the EPA is proposing a range of 65 parts per billion to70. Yet in a nod to concerns on both sides, the EPAwill also take public comments on an even stricterstandard of 60, as well the existing standard of 75that President George W. Bush put in place in 2008.Cutting ozone emissions to 70 parts per billionwould cost industry about $3.9 billion in 2025, theEPA estimated, while a stricter limit of 65 would pushthe cost up to $15 billion.

A price tag that high would exceed that of anyprevious environmental regulation in the US.McCarthy predicted the savings in health costs fromcleaner air would deliver a 3-to-1 return on anyinvestment, but industry groups like the NationalAssociation of Manufacturers dismissed those esti-mates and predicted far higher costs. AlthoughRepublicans balked at the proposal, it was unclear

what steps opponents will take to stop it.Congressional action to block regulations rarely suc-ceeds. Still, GOP leaders promised tough oversight ofthe limits, while incoming Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell of Kentucky said the new Congresswould “take appropriate action.”

“The American people just said clearly that theywant to see more bipartisanship in Washington andmore jobs in their communities,” McConnell said,referring to GOP gains in the midterm elections. “Thislatest Obama regulation would take our country injust the opposite direction.” Yet on the other end ofthe spectrum, environmental groups were only par-tially satisfied and vowed to push for the stricter limitof 60 parts per billion. That’s the lower end of whatscientists and an EPA report have recommended. ButMcCarthy conceded there’s “more uncertainty withthe science at that level,” and it’s unlikely the adminis-tration would adopt a limit that would be difficult todefend scientifically.

“Wherever they set that standard is defining whatis considered ‘safe,’” said Lyndsay Moseley of theAmerican Lung Association. “It’s critically important

to get that right.” In the atmosphere, ozone forms aprotective shield that protects the Earth from thesun’s ultraviolet rays. But at the ground level, scien-tists say, ozone causes smog that can lead to seriousrespiratory illness, particularly for children, the elder-ly and those with lung disease. Ozone is formedwhen chemicals emitted by power plants, cars,refineries and factories react in sunlight.

Aiming to smooth the transition, the EPA plans togive states that have the most ozone up to 2037 tocome into compliance. But McCarthy said most ofthe US won’t have to take any action, thanks to exist-ing pollution programs and previous EPA limits onpollutants like mercury and carbon dioxide that havethe side benefit of reducing ozone. The EPA said onlynine US counties would fail to meet a standard of 70parts per billion in 2025, or 68 counties if the EPAgoes with the stricter 65 parts per billion. But thosefigures - as well as the agency’s cost estimates - don’tinclude California, whose smog problem is amongthe worst in the US because of its unique geography.Consequently, California is on a separate timeline tocut ozone emissions. — AP

KUWAIT: Dr K T Rabeeullah, Chairman &Managing Director of Shifa Al JazeeraMedical Group visits Major GeneralAbdulfattah A AI-Ali, Undersecretary Officefor General Security Affairs for the grandopening of its 3rd branch of Kuwait, AI NahilInt’I Clinic in Jleeb AI Shuyoukh. DrRabeeuliah visited Major GeneralAbdulfattah with a special solicitation tograce the occasion which was on 28th ofNovember 2014.

The inaugural ceremony was gracedMega Star Padmashri Dr BharathMammooty along with Bollywood’s ActressJuhi Chawla and Malayalam Cine ArtistsKunchacko Boban & Bhama. With more than

21 Medical centers and Pharmacies acrossthe GCC, Shifa Al Jazeera has lots of satisfiedpatients who have experienced their excep-tional standards of health care service.

Major General Abdulfattah A AI-Ali,applauded the Shifa Group for their mar-velous efforts put forward towards reachingout to the community in commendableways. Besides service to the society, ShifaGroup functions to accomplish the objectiveof being socially responsible and givingmore and more to the society. Shifa AlJazeera Medical Group leaves no stoneunturned in delivering health care servicesof international standards to all sections -both citizens and expatriates.

RUSTENBURG: Venom and Killer. These aremembers of a furry breed of anti-poachingoperatives, dogs that can detect a whiff of hid-den rhino horn in a suspect’s vehicle or followthe spoor of armed poachers in South Africa’sbesieged wildlife parks. Dogs are a small part ofan increasingly desperate struggle to curbpoaching in Africa, where tens of thousands ofelephants have been slaughtered in recentyears to meet a surging appetite for ivory inAsia, primarily China.

In South Africa, poachers have killed morethan 1,000 rhinos this year, surpassing the 2013record. Countries and conservationists are try-ing more robust patrols and surveillance, com-munity programs and other tactics against crim-inal gangs that sometimes benefit from officialcorruption. As the conflict rages, elite dogs andhandlers are drilling at an anti-poaching acade-my northwest of Johannesburg. The course pre-pares K9 units to find firearms or contraband,track suspects in the undergrowth and abseil inharnesses from helicopters in pursuit of poach-

ers. Dogs and handlers learn to trust each otherand fine tune a relationship balancing controland aggression.

“One needs to be the dominant male.Hopefully, it’s the guy and not the dog,” saidMarius van Heerden, a 28-year-old handler wholives, works and sleeps with Venom, a BelgianMalinois whose breed is known for enduranceand athleticism and has been used by the USmilitary in Iraq and Afghanistan. Venom proba-bly got his name from biting trainers as a pup-py, van Heerden said. South Africa-basedParamount Group, which makes military vehi-cles and other equipment, runs the academy,which has about 50 adult dogs and the samenumber of puppies. Most are Belgian Malinoisand German Shepherds.

Henry Holsthyzen, an academy leader,trained a Belgian Malinois called Killer who hasbeen credited with anti-poaching successes inSouth Africa’s Kruger National Park. Some 400canine units are needed for the country ’swildlife parks, but only about 30 are operational,

he said. On a recent afternoon, several rangersfrom the central African country of Gabonlunged at each other in combat exercises at theacademy. “We need to focus our efforts wherethe need is greatest,” said Paramount chairmanIvor Ichikowitz, citing the slaughter of much ofGabon’s elephant population. He said poachingwas more than a conservation issue because itfunds insurgencies and other illegal activitiesacross Africa.

Rhino horn fetches enormous sums on theillegal market. It is made of keratin, a substancealso found in human fingernails. Some peoplecovet it as a status symbol and a healing agentdespite a lack of evidence that it can cure.Conraad de Rosner, who runs another anti-poaching group called K9 Conservation, saidpoachers now worry about dogs. One poacherwas caught with chili pepper, which he appar-ently thought would throw pursuing dogs off hisscent, and rangers are concerned that poachersmight try to poison dogs with contaminatedmeat, he said. However, de Rosner said handlers

were careful about letting dogs attack suspectswith potentially lethal force, saying: “We are veryreticent to release a dog to bite a suspect, justbecause of all the legal ramifications thereafter.”

Conservationists are using dogs elsewherein Africa. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenyahas Belgian Malinois dogs that are a “piece ofthe jigsaw puzzle” of anti-poaching tactics butare not “a silver bullet,” said Richard Vigne, theconservancy’s chief executive officer. At theOdzala-Kokoua National Park in Congo, twoBelgian Malinois were deployed in a successfultrial to detect ivory and illegally obtainedwildlife meat in bags and suitcases, accordingto African Parks, a Johannesburg-based groupthat jointly runs the park with the Congolesegovernment. The bond between dog andranger is vital, said Holsthyzen, the SouthAfrican trainer, recalling a student’s mistake.“He gave his dog to someone else to go andput in the kennels,” Holsthyzen said. “And myimmediate question was, ‘Would you haveanother person sleep with your wife?” — AP

South African academy trains anti-poaching dogsDogs can follow the spoor of armed poachers

US tightens smog limits in bid to protect health

OMAHA: A hill of coal is seen at the North Omaha Station, a coal-burning power station, inOmaha, Neb. The Environmental Protection Agency has will announced a preferred range of 65 to70 parts per billion to reduce the amount of smog-forming pollution allowed in the air. — AP

W H AT ’ S ONSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

All photos submitted for What’s Onshould be minimum 200dpi.Articles must be in plain text andshould include name and phonenumbers. Articles and photos thatfail to meet these requirements willnot be published.

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National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)welcomed a group of childrenfrom Al Joury Kindergarten at

Zeina’s Friends Club in Ras Al SalmiyaBranch. The visit is part of NBK’s ini-tiatives to educate children on theimportance of saving money for thefuture.

NBK pays great attention to theeducational sector in Kuwait and iskeen in participating in activitiesthat involve children, teenagers

and the youth. NBK Zeina account provides chil-

dren up to 14 years old with theirfirst bank account, to learn aboutsaving and banking with the help oftheir parents. The account teacheschildren techniques and benefits ofsaving as well as other basic bank-ing practices. It also provides par-ents with the tools they need toaccomplish their children’s longterm savings goals in a fun and

rewarding manner.Zeina’s Friends Club was the first

club in Kuwait established in 1994 foryoung children. Zeina’s Friends Clubmembers receive instant discounts ata variety of local outlets. Zeinaaccount holders can also participatein other fun events held year round,as well as benefit from many offersespecially designed for them. For fur-ther information visit nbk.com, or callNBK Call Center on 1801801

NBK welcomes Kindergarten children at Zeina’s Friends Club

Rumaithiya Health Center holds Child’s International Day

The Health Awareness Week at Kuwait University’s Engineering and Petroleum College was concluded Thursday in the presence of the College Dean Prof Hussein Al-Khayat was present and handedmementos to the participants. Meanwhile, Sebamed was on hand Thursday during the celebration of Rumaithiya Health Center of the Child’s International Day. The children went through educationalgames, that guide them to following healthy practices and habits, and they were given gifts and prizes at the end of the celebration.

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital PICU Department held a farewell gathering for Dr Nasser Mohammed Ezzat who left for Dubai after 21 years of his dedi-cated service in Kuwait.

Indian Dentist Alliance Kuwait holds dental camp

Indian Dentist Alliance Kuwait (IDAK) participated in the oral health camp organized by Balavedi Kuwait, the secular unity of children in Kuwait, as a part of the children’s day celebrations. The event was held on the 14th of November at KalaCenter Mangaf. Dr Natesh head of IDAK community welfare, along with Dr Pratapunnithan, Dr Clinton D’souza and Dr Soumyanatesh Kumar represented IDAK at the event. The highlight of the event was a seminar on children and dental care byDr Pratapunnithan. This was followed by a free dental check up for the children. More than 100 kids were screened during the camp.

Xcite showcases latest Philips appliancesChef Deema Hijjawi holds a live cooking show at the Xcite showroom at The Avenues mall showcasing Philip’s latest appliances. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

W H AT ’ S ONSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

RunQ8 2014 marathon

Participants take part in the RunQ8 2014 marathon organized by the Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute (FSRI) yesterday for the benefit of children with disabilities. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Serbian envoy affirmskeenness to boost co-op with Kuwait

Serbian Ambassador to Kuwait Vladimir Kohut affirmed his keennessto strengthen cooperation between his country and Kuwait in allfields, in addition to encouraging Serbian businessmen to coordi-

nate with Kuwaiti companies. The ambassador had a first meeting with theSerbian community in Kuwait since arriving to Kuwait. He urged theSerbian residents to comply with Kuwaiti laws. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

00:50 Dark Days In Monkey City01:15 Dark Days In Monkey City01:45 Shark City02:40 When Dinosaurs Roamed03:35 The Pool Master04:25 Too Cute!05:15 Preposterous Pets06:02 Dark Days In Monkey City06:25 Dark Days In Monkey City06:49 Animal Cops Phoenix07:36 Call Of The Wildman08:00 Animal Airport08:25 Must Love Cats09:15 My Pet’s Gone Viral09:40 My Pet’s Gone Viral10:10 Gator Boys11:05 Mutant Planet12:00 Treehouse Masters12:55 Dinosaurs Decoded13:50 Roaring With Pride14:45 Roaring With Pride15:40 Roaring With Pride16:35 Roaring With Pride17:30 Roaring With Pride18:25 Roaring With Pride19:20 Tanked20:15 Gangland Killers21:10 Cheetah: Race To Rule22:05 Sharks Of Palau23:00 Gangland Killers23:55 Cheetah: Race To Rule

00:45 Saint Hoods01:35 How It’s Made02:00 How It’s Made02:25 How It’s Made02:50 How It’s Made03:15 How It’s Made03:40 How It’s Made04:05 How It’s Made04:30 How It’s Made05:00 How It’s Made05:30 How It’s Made06:00 Fast N’ Loud06:50 Extreme Car Hoarders07:40 Fat N’ Furious: RollingThunder08:30 Destination North Pole09:20 Railroad Alaska10:10 Railroad Alaska11:00 Rattlesnake Republic11:50 American Guns12:40 How It’s Made13:05 How It’s Made13:30 How It’s Made13:55 How It’s Made14:20 How It’s Made14:45 What’s In The Barn?15:10 What’s In The Barn?15:35 What’s In The Barn?16:00 Game Of Pawns16:25 Game Of Pawns16:50 Storage Wars Canada17:15 Storage Wars Canada17:40 Storage Wars Canada18:05 Storage Wars Canada18:30 Storage Wars Canada18:55 Dynamo: MagicianImpossible19:45 Close-Up Kings20:35 Magic Of Science21:00 Magic Of Science21:25 Destination North Pole22:15 Railroad Alaska23:05 Railroad Alaska23:55 Fat N’ Furious: RollingThunder

17:55 Holmes On Homes18:45 Holmes On Homes19:40 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent20:30 Rick Stein’s India21:20 Come Dine With Me22:10 Homes Under The Hammer23:00 Antiques Roadshow23:55 Antiques Roadshow

T V PR O G R A M SSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

16:10 Austin & Ally16:35 Liv And Maddie17:00 Dog With A Blog17:25 Jessie17:50 Austin & Ally18:15 Teen Beach Movie19:55 Gravity Falls20:20 Mako Mermaids20:45 Spooksville21:10 Wolfblood21:35 Suite Life On Deck22:00 Good Luck Charlie22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Shake It Up23:10 Wolfblood23:35 Wolfblood

00:30 Party On00:55 Party On01:25 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills01:50 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills02:20 E! News03:15 Eric And Jessie: Game On03:40 Eric And Jessie: Game On04:10 E!ES05:05 E!ES06:00 Kourtney And Kim TakeMiami06:55 Kourtney And Kim TakeMiami07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 The Drama Queen10:15 The Drama Queen11:10 House Of Dvf12:05 Untold With Maria Menounos13:05 E!ES14:05 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons15:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons16:00 Giuliana & Bill17:00 Giuliana & Bill18:00 Giuliana & Bill19:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On19:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On20:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons21:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons22:00 House Of Dvf23:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills23:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills

00:25 Me & Mrs Jones00:55 Me & Mrs Jones01:25 Me & Mrs Jones01:55 Ideal02:25 Michael McIntyre’s ComedyRoadshow03:10 Stewart Lee’s ComedyVehicle03:45 Me & Mrs Jones04:15 Doctor Who05:00 Charlie And Lola05:15 Little Human Planet05:20 Mr Bloom’s Nursery05:40 Teletubbies06:05 Garth And Bev06:15 Charlie And Lola06:30 Little Human Planet06:35 Mr Bloom’s Nursery06:55 Teletubbies07:15 The Weakest Link08:00 Rev.08:30 Doctor Who09:15 The Paradise10:10 Outcasts11:05 The Weakest Link11:50 Tough Guy Or Chicken?12:45 Rev.13:15 Doctor Who14:00 Doctors14:30 Doctors15:00 Doctors15:30 Doctors16:00 Doctors16:30 Outcasts17:25 Doctor Who18:10 The Paradise19:00 Rev.19:30 Hebburn20:00 Southcliffe20:50 Hustle21:45 Life On Mars22:35 Michael McIntyre’s ComedyRoadshow23:20 Ideal

00:30 Bargain Hunt01:15 Bargain Hunt02:00 Antiques Roadshow02:50 Antiques Roadshow03:40 Antiques Roadshow04:35 Antiques Roadshow05:25 Antiques Roadshow06:20 Holmes On Homes07:10 Holmes On Homes08:00 Holmes On Homes08:45 Holmes On Homes09:35 Bargain Hunt10:20 Bargain Hunt11:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent11:55 Rick Stein’s India12:45 Come Dine With Me13:35 Antiques Roadshow14:25 Antiques Roadshow15:15 Antiques Roadshow16:10 Antiques Roadshow17:00 Antiques Roadshow

00:00 Violetta00:40 The Hive00:50 Art Attack01:15 Art Attack01:40 Jungle Junction01:50 Jungle Junction02:05 Jungle Junction02:15 Jungle Junction02:30 Violetta03:10 The Hive03:20 Art Attack03:45 Art Attack04:10 Jungle Junction04:20 Jungle Junction04:35 Jungle Junction04:45 Jungle Junction05:00 Art Attack05:25 Art Attack05:50 Mouk06:00 Dog With A Blog06:25 Liv And Maddie06:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of ATeenage Witch07:15 I Didn’t Do It07:40 Jessie08:05 Princess Protection Program09:30 Prank Stars09:45 Dog With A Blog10:10 Jessie10:35 Austin & Ally11:00 Sabrina: Secrets Of ATeenage Witch11:25 Gravity Falls11:50 Liv And Maddie12:15 Dog With A Blog12:40 Mako Mermaids13:05 Austin & Ally13:30 Girl Meets World13:55 I Didn’t Do It14:20 Sabrina: Secrets Of ATeenage Witch14:55 Gravity Falls15:20 Dog With A Blog15:45 Good Luck Charlie

01:15 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here02:00 Michael Buble’s Day Off02:55 Emmerdale05:00 Breathless05:55 May The Best House WinAbroad06:45 Ade In Britain07:35 Cook Me The Money09:20 The Jonathan Ross Show10:15 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here14:45 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here15:55 Billy Connolly: To The EdgeOf The World16:50 The Jonathan Ross Show17:45 Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40Years Of Musicals19:00 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here19:55 Michael Buble’s Day Off20:50 The Jonathan Ross Show21:45 Billy Connolly: To The EdgeOf The World22:40 Tales From NorthumberlandWith Robson Green23:35 Breathless

01:00 Graceland03:00 Supernatural12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street19:00 Once Upon A Time20:00 How To Get Away WithMurder21:00 The Killing22:00 The Americans23:00 Supernatural

00:45 Return To Amish01:35 Secret Eaters02:25 I Didn’t Know I WasPregnant02:50 I Didn’t Know I WasPregnant03:15 I Didn’t Know I WasPregnant03:40 I Didn’t Know I WasPregnant04:05 Craft Wars05:00 Craft Wars06:00 Something Borrowed,Something New06:25 Super Soul Sunday07:15 Craft Wars08:05 Ultimate Shopper08:55 The Next Great Baker10:10 Jon & Kate Plus 810:35 Little People, Big World11:00 Toddlers & Tiaras11:50 Say Yes To The Dress12:15 Say Yes To The Dress12:40 Super Soul Sunday13:30 Secret Eaters

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

A CAT IN PARIS OSN MOVIES KIDS

11:00 Wwii’s Greatest Raids12:00 Salvage Code Red13:00 Megastructures14:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines15:00 Family Guns16:00 Secrets Of The Wild17:00 Armageddon Outfitters18:00 Doomsday Preppers

00:30 The Daily Show GlobalEdition01:00 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition01:30 Saturday Night Live03:00 Hot In Cleveland04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers09:00 Hot In Cleveland10:00 New Girl11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon15:00 New Girl15:30 The Daily Show GlobalEdition16:00 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Hot In Cleveland18:30 The Goldbergs19:30 The Michael J. Fox Show20:00 Two And A Half Men21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart22:00 Saturday Night Live23:30 Two And A Half Men

02:00 European Tour Weekly03:00 Live NHL06:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights06:30 NFL Gameday07:00 International Rugby Union09:00 Live Asian Tour Golf 13:00 NFL Gameday13:30 Darts Players Championship17:30 Emirates Australian OpenHighlights18:30 NHL20:30 NFL Gameday21:00 Live NFL

00:00 White Collar02:00 Good Morning America04:00 True Blood06:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale10:00 Emmerdale12:00 Criminal Minds16:00 Live Good Morning America17:00 Criminal Minds21:00 White Collar23:00 True Blood

00:00 Salmon Fishing In TheYemen-PG1502:00 Girl In Progress-PG1504:00 Christmas At CastleburyHall-PG1506:00 Lovestruck: The Musical08:00 Pop Star-PG1510:00 All In Good Time-PG1512:00 Girl In Progress-PG1514:00 Standing Ovation-PG1516:00 Pop Star-PG1517:30 Man Of Steel-PG15

02:00 Top 1404:00 Live Emirates AustralianOpen09:00 Trans World Sport10:00 European Challenge TourHighlights11:00 International Rugby Union13:00 Emirates Australian OpenHighlights14:00 NFL Gameday14:30 ICC Cricket 36015:00 European Tour Weekly16:00 Live Snooker Champion ofChampions21:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 21:30 Top 14 Highlights22:00 Live Darts PlayersChampionship 00:30 Royal London One-Day Cup

Highlights01:30 India v West Indies T20IHighlights02:30 ICC Cricket 36003:00 Australia v South Africa T20IHighlights07:00 ICC Cricket 36007:30 Australia v South Africa T20IHighlights08:30 Australia v South Africa ODIHighlights11:30 ICC Cricket 36012:00 Champions LeagueTwenty20 Highlights13:00 India v West Indies T20IHighlights14:00 ICC Cricket 36014:30 Australia v South Africa T20IHighlights15:30 Australia v South Africa ODI

00:00 Star Trek Into Darkness02:15 Cloverfield04:00 Beneath06:00 Money Kills08:00 Star Trek Into Darkness10:15 Armageddon12:45 Fantastic Four: Rise Of TheSilver Surfer14:30 Cloverfield16:00 Star Trek Into Darkness18:15 Alex Cross20:00 Haywire21:45 Olympus Has Fallen

PG1516:15 Alex Cross-PG1518:00 Haywire-PG1519:45 Olympus Has Fallen-PG1522:00 Plunkett & Macleane-PG15

00:00 Small Apartments-1802:00 Big Trouble-PG1504:00 Loser-PG1506:00 Overboard-PG1508:00 What About Bob?-PG10:00 Home Alone-PG12:00 All In Good Time-PG1514:00 So I Married An AxeMurderer-PG1516:00 What About Bob?-PG18:00 Proof Of Love-PG1520:00 Something New-PG1522:00 Walk Hard: The Dewey CoxStory-18

01:00 Love And Honor-PG1502:45 Jobs-PG1505:00 Now You See Me-PG1507:00 Straight A’s-PG1509:00 Old Stock-PG1510:30 Jobs-PG1513:00 Centre Place-PG1515:00 The Philly Kid-PG1517:00 Old Stock-PG1519:00 Struck By Lightning-PG1521:00 Trespass-PG1523:00 Barney’s Version-18

01:30 Carrie-1803:30 Nobody Walks-PG1505:00 Tales Of The Night-PG07:00 Alfie Boe: The Bring HimHome Tour-PG1509:00 Mud-PG1511:30 Hyde Park On Hudson-PG1513:15 Captain Phillips-PG1515:30 Emperor-PG1517:30 Mud-PG1520:00 Beastly-PG1521:30 Drift-PG1523:00 Once Fallen-18

01:00 Warm Bodies-PG1503:00 The Sapphires-PG1505:00 Zambezia-PG07:00 Monsters University-PG09:00 Red Lights-PG1511:00 Quartet-PG1512:45 The Lone Ranger-PG1515:15 A Good Day To Die Hard-PG1517:00 Red Lights-PG1519:00 Promised Land-PG1521:00 Without Men-PG1523:00 The Details-18

01:00 The Ugly Duckling And Me02:45 Santa’s Magic Crystal04:30 Krazzy Planet06:00 Pacific Pirates08:00 Kong Return To The Jungle10:00 Escape From Planet Earth11:30 Quest For A Heart13:00 Santa’s Magic Crystal14:30 Dragon Hunters16:00 A Cat In Paris18:00 Escape From Planet Earth20:00 Back To The Sea22:00 Dragon Hunters23:30 A Cat In Paris

Highlights 07:00 European Challenge TourHighlights08:00 PGA European Tour Weekly09:00 Snooker UK Championship 14:00 Top 1416:00 Emirates Australian OpenHighlights 17:00 ICC Cricket 36017:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 18:00 International Rugby Union 20:00 World Cup Of Pool 21:00 World Cup Of Pool 22:00 Live Snooker UKChampionship

00:00 Hero Indian Super LeagueHighlights

00:00 Helicopter Wars01:00 Hard Time02:00 Evolutions03:00 Jurassic C.S.I.04:00 Cosmos: A SpacetimeOdyssey05:00 Naked Science06:00 Inside07:00 Beyond Magic With Dmc08:00 Helicopter Wars09:00 Hard Time10:00 Evolutions

00:15 Cloverfield-PG1502:00 Beneath-PG1504:00 Money Kills-PG1506:00 Star Trek Into Darkness-PG1508:15 Armageddon-PG1510:45 Fantastic Four: Rise Of TheSilver Surfer-PG12:30 Cloverfield-PG1514:00 Star Trek Into Darkness-

20:00 Lockout-PG1522:00 The Colony-PG15

01:00 Top 14 03:00 Emirates Australian Open

Highlights16:30 Australia v South Africa ODIHighlights18:30 ICC Cricket 36019:00 Champions LeagueTwenty20 Highlights20:00 Caribbean Premier LeaueHighlights21:00 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights22:00 India v West Indies T20IHighlights23:00 ICC Cricket 36023:30 Australia v South Africa T20IHighlights

ClassifiedsSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Kuwait

Fajr: 05:00Shorook 06:24Duhr: 11:37Asr: 14:30Maghrib: 16:49Isha: 18:11

Prayer timings

No: 16358

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(27/11/2014 TO 03/12/2014)

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Sunday 30/11/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeJAI 574 Mumbai 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:25SVA 3502 Jeddah 00:30JZR 267 Beirut 00:30JZR 539 Cairo 00:40THY 772 Istanbul 00:45FDB 069 Dubai 00:55QTR 1084 Doha 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:05PGT 858 Istanbul 01:35ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30UAE 853 Dubai 02:35JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 02:50FDB 067 Dubai 02:55MSR 612 Cairo 03:10ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10CEB 7694 Manila 03:10QTR 1076 Doha 03:45MSC 401 Alexandria 04:05JZR 555 Alexandria 04:25THY 770 Istanbul 05:35DHX 170 Bahrain 05:40QTR 8632 Doha 06:25KAC 544 Cairo 06:40BAW 157 London 06:40JZR 563 Sohag 06:45KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 07:10FDB 053 Dubai 07:45QTR 1086 Doha 07:50SVA 512 Riyadh 07:55KAC 352 Kochi 08:10KAC 382 Delhi 08:15KAC 302 Mumbai 08:20KAC 206 Islamabad 08:25KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:30UAE 855 Dubai 08:40KAC 362 Colombo 08:45KAC 284 Dhaka 08:50ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20FDB 055 Dubai 09:40QTR 1070 Doha 10:00GFA 943 Bahrain 10:15GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40IRA 665 Shiraz 10:50MSC 405 Sohag 11:25JZR 165 Dubai 11:30MEA 404 Beirut 11:55SYR 341 Latakia 12:10UAE 871 Dubai 12:50MSR 610 Cairo 13:00IRC 528 Ahwaz 13:15JZR 561 Sohag 13:45KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:05KNE 472 Jeddah 14:25SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30

FDB 057 Dubai 14:30KAC 742 Dammam 14:45IRC 6507 Shiraz 14:50GFA 221 Bahrain 15:00KAC 788 Jeddah 15:10UAE 857 Dubai 15:45ABY 127 Sharjah 15:45FDB 051 Dubai 16:00KAC 562 Amman 16:20JZR 787 Riyadh 16:25QTR 1072 Doha 16:40AFG 415 Kabul 16:45RJA 640 Amman 16:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30CLX 752 Luxembourg/Beirut 17:35GFA 944 LCA 17:50UAL 982 IAD 17:55JZR 777 Jeddah 17:55UAE 875 Dubai 18:00JZR 177 Dubai 18:20KAC 542 Cairo 18:25FDB 063 Dubai 18:40ABY 121 Sharjah 18:40KAC 786 Jeddah 18:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:50KAC 618 Doha 19:15KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15AXB 393 Kozhikode 19:15KAC 674 Dubai 19:25GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30JZR 483 Istanbul 19:35KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:40KAC 514 Tehran 19:45KAC 502 Beirut 19:50KAC 102 New York/London 19:55JAI 572 Mumbai 20:05FDB 061 Dubai 20:20OMA 647 Muscat 20:20MSR 606 Luxor 20:45DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:50ALK 229 Colombo 21:10MEA 402 Beirut 21:20ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30FDB 073 Dubai 21:35UAE 859 Dubai 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45QTR 1074 Doha 21:55JZR 135 Bahrain 22:05KLM 417 Amsterdam 22:15ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 172 Frankfurt 22:25FDB 059 Dubai 22:30AIC 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:30UAL 981 Bahrain 23:10BBC 043 Dhaka 23:10THY 764 Istanbul 23:35PIA 205 Lahore 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45

Departure Flights on Sunday 30/11/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeJZR 562 Sohag 00:05AIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05AGY 681 Alexandria 00:15FDB 072 Dubai 00:45UAL 981 IAD 00:55SVA 9601 Jeddah 01:10JAI 573 Mumbai 01:10DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:15ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45THY 773 Istanbul 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 03:25UAE 854 Dubai 03:50FDB 068 Dubai 03:55ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:10QTR 1085 Doha 04:30CEB 7695 Manila 04:40MSC 406 Sohag 05:05QTR 1077 Doha 05:15THY 765 Istanbul 05:40FDB 070 Dubai 06:30JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 06:35JZR 164 Dubai 06:55RJA 643 Amman 07:05JZR 560 Sohag 07:10GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15THY 771 Istanbul 07:30QTR 8632 Lahore/Doha 07:55FDB 054 Dubai 08:25BAW 156 London 08:45QTR 1087 Doha 08:50SVA 513 Riyadh 08:55KAC 171 Frankfurt 09:05KAC 787 Jeddah 09:25KAC 671 Dubai 09:25ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40UAE 856 Dubai 09:55KAC 117 New York 10:05ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:20KAC 561 Amman 10:25JZR 482 Istanbul 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:35QTR 1071 Doha 11:00GFA 943 LCA 11:00KAC 541 Cairo 11:05GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25KAC 741 Dammam 11:45IRA 664 Shiraz 11:50KAC 501 Beirut 12:00JZR 776 Jeddah 12:20KAC 103 London 12:20MSC 402 Alexandria 12:25MEA 405 Beirut 12:55KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00JZR 786 Riyadh 13:10SYR 342 Latakia 13:10JZR 176 Dubai 13:45MSR 611 Cairo 14:00

UAE 872 Dubai 14:15IRC 529 Ahwaz 14:15KAC 617 Doha 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00QTR 1079 Doha 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:10KNE 473 Jeddah 15:20KAC 513 Tehran 15:30SVA 503 Jeddah/Madinah 15:45GFA 222 Bahrain 15:45KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50IRC 6508 Shiraz 15:50ABY 128 Sharjah 16:25FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:05AFG 415 Jeddah 17:35QTR 1073 Doha 17:40JZR 538 Cairo 17:45UAE 858 Dubai 17:45ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:50RJA 641 Amman 17:55SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20GFA 944 Bahrain 18:35JZR 238 Amman 18:50CLX 752 Hong Kong 18:50JZR 134 Bahrain 19:10UAL 982 Bahrain 19:15ABY 121 Sharjah 19:20UAE 876 Dubai 19:40QTR 1081 Doha 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:55AXB 393 Kozhikode 20:15GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15KAC 361 Colombo 20:50KAC 281 Dhaka 20:55KAC 343 Chennai 20:55JAI 571 Mumbai 21:05KAC 351 Kochi 21:15OMA 648 Muscat 21:20FDB 062 Dubai 21:20DLH 636 Dammam 21:35MSR 619 Alexandria 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50ALK 230 Colombo 22:10KAC 301 Mumbai 22:15ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15MEA 403 Beirut 22:20FDB 074 Dubai 22:30GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30UAE 860 Dubai 22:50KAC 205 Islamabad 22:55ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00JZR 502 Luxor 23:05QTR 1075 Doha 23:05KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 23:15KAC 415 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 23:25KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:30FDB 060 Dubai 23:55

SHARQIA-1DUMB AND DUMBER TO 12:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 2:45 PMDUMB AND DUMBER TO 4:45 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 6:45 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 8:45 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 10:45 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 1:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 3:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 5:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:30 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 10:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 12:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 2:30 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 4:30 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 6:30 PMFALCON RISING 8:30 PMFALCON RISING 10:30 PMFALCON RISING 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1NORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:00 PMFALCON RISING 2:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 4:00 PMFALCON RISING 6:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 8:00 PMFALCON RISING 10:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-2HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 1:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 3:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 5:00 PMTHE CULLING 7:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 8:45 PMTHE CULLING 10:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3THE CULLING 11:30 AMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 1:15 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 3:15 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 5:15 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:15 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 9:45 PMTHE CULLING 12:15 AM

FANAR-1FALCON RISING 11:30 AMFALCON RISING 1:30 PMCATCH HELL 3:30 PMFALCON RISING 5:30 PMHAPPY NEW YEAR - HINDI 7:45 PMFALCON RISING 11:00 PMFALCON RISING 1:00 AM

FANAR-2NORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 2:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 4:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 6:30 PMDUMB AND DUMBER TO 8:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 10:30 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:30 AM

FANAR-3HAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 1:00 PM

THE CULLING 3:15 PMDUMB AND DUMBER TO 5:15 PMTHE CULLING 7:15 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 9:00 PMTHE CULLING 11:00 PMTHE CULLING 1:00 AM

FANAR-4PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 11:45 AMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 1:45 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 3:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 5:45 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 7:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 9:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 11:45 PM

FANAR-5THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 11:30 AMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 2:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 4:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 9:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 12:05 AM

MARINA-1FALCON RISING 12:30 PMTHE CULLING 2:45 PMFALCON RISING 4:45 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 6:45 PMFALCON RISING 8:45 PMTHE CULLING 10:45 PMFALCON RISING 12:30 AM

MARINA-2PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 12:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 2:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 4:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 6:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 8:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 10:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:05 AM

MARINA-3THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 12:45 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 3:15 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 5:45 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 10:15 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 1:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 4:15 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:00 PMCATCH HELL 9:30 PMCATCH HELL 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2THE CULLING 12:00 PMTHE CULLING 2:00 PMTHE CULLING 4:00 PMTHE CULLING 6:00 PMTHE CULLING 8:00 PMTHE CULLING 10:00 PMTHE CULLING 12:05 AM

AVENUES-3FALCON RISING 1:15 PMFALCON RISING 3:30 PMFALCON RISING 5:45 PMFALCON RISING 8:00 PMFALCON RISING 10:15 PMFALCON RISING 12:30 AM

360º- 1HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 1:15 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 3:30 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 5:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 8:00 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 10:15 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 12:30 AM

360º- 2HAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 12:15 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 2:30 PMJESSABELLE 4:45 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 7:00 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 9:15 PMHAMATI BITHEBINI -Arabic 11:30 PM

360º- 3FALCON RISING 12:00 PMFALCON RISING 2:15 PMFALCON RISING 4:30 PMFALCON RISING 6:45 PMFALCON RISING 9:00 PMFALCON RISING 11:15 PM

AL-KOUT.1PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 11:30 AMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 1:30 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 3:30 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 5:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 7:30 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 10:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2NORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 2:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 4:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 6:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 8:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 10:15 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3THE CULLING 11:30 AMFALCON RISING 1:15 PMTHE CULLING 3:15 PMCATCH HELL 5:00 PMFALCON RISING 7:00 PMTHE CULLING 9:00 PMFALCON RISING 10:45 PMTHE CULLING 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 12:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 2:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 4:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR-3D 6:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 8:00 PMTHE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 10:30 PMFALCON RISING 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-2HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 11:45 AMFALCON RISING 1:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 3:45 PMFALCON RISING 5:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 7:45 PMFALCON RISING 9:45 PMHORRIBLE BOSSES 2 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-3NORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 1:00 PMNORTHMEN - A VIKING SAGA 3:00 PM

SITUATION VACANT

Required driver for Kuwaitifamily. Tel: 66600625.(C4867)26-11-2014

You have a lot of energy and drive–perfect for starting something or fortaking care of old business. Communications may tend to be short and to the point thismorning. You are very determined and deliberate at whatever you choose to do. This is agreat time to get things accomplished. Emotional beginnings, a fresh start, perhaps theestablishment of new habit patterns is also in the making. This afternoon is a good timeto broaden your horizons both intellectually and spiritually. A strong urge for the sociallife may find you out and about later today. Very physical too–exercise or romance is inorder this evening. Perhaps you will meet that special person at the spa center. No wor-ries; fun times are ahead.

People that depend on you for support, particularly over the weekends,have agendas for you to work through. Golly! Sounds like you may not get anythingaccomplished on your own agenda list! Compare lists . . . You may find you can accom-plish a few things on your list while working through your loved one’s list. A willingnessto help may reduce some stress. Romance and social interactions take on a greaterimportance for you later this afternoon. There is time to relax and regroup as well.Harmonious ties to others are what you seek. The ideal partnership, the perfect balance,the highest standards of truth and beauty take work and you are willing. An afternoonget-together with neighbors or friends will find you laughing and enjoying yourself.

This may be a slow day. You are happiest when lots of activity is aroundyou. While the energies will pick back up soon, it is not the end of the

world. You should take advantage of the slow-moving day by planning your next profes-sional deal. It goes well for you when you offer to help another co-worker complete aproject. The planetary influences at this time make it possible for you to see things clearlyand to make successful plans. You are ready for a fresh start with regard to some personalroutine–perhaps the establishment of new habit patterns would be beneficial. You can bevery effective playing behind the scenes. This afternoon there is time for creative adven-tures while visiting a hobby store. Household chores are shared this evening.

You value independence, as well as anything unusual or different. You areexpressive and creative and find ways to solve problems and accomplish

projects very quickly. Someone near you, a neighbor, friend or relative may have addedresponsibilities this next weekend. Volunteer some of your time to walk the dog, bring inthe mail, etc. Your offer will be appreciated and then the group of you can relax togetherlater next week. When it comes to finances, you seem to have an angel watching over you.Of course, this does not mean you can throw caution to the wind and take risks. If you wantto shop for a new winter coat or begin to purchase gifts for the next family celebration–after the chores today would be a good time to shop.

You communicate with consummate skill and it is stimulating just beingwith you. Your high degree of mental concentration makes you an excellent student, ableto excel in speaking, writing and all types of communication skills. Today you show yourcompetitive side–even pushiness, perhaps. However, all is fair in love and war and yourdetermination to prove yourself successful is at full steam ahead. Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind and the two should never be far apart.You are full of suggestions today and you will motivate many through your own winningattitude. This afternoon you involve yourself in the arts . . . Music, dance or even a sportscompetition. This evening you may enjoy a lively trivia game.

Outer circumstances are favorable and it should be easy for you to pushforward in projects and in all aspects of your life. Things may seem to work out well foryou just now. You could be working waYour energies are up and there are lots of newprojects that are up for grabs in your place of business. Outer circumstances make it easyfor you to make clear decisions, as usual. Things seem to fall in place and progress is easy.Be careful not to overextend your energies–plan ahead. You want to get things organ-ized–you have the initiative to do it. This is a time of ambition–a time to keep your cooland pace yourself. Working hard is smart, but working smart is better. Obtaining andexchanging information takes on a good deal of importance just now.

Lovely words and a flair for description–the artistic in all its many forms iswhere you excel above any other today. You have an inner sense of warmth and good-ness with the ability to express your talent. Because you are kind and easy to be with,people enjoy being with you. This is a time for imagination and creativity when it comesto ideas and thinking. You may be working on some form of advertising or house design;whatever the case, you will hear praise from all around you. Your key word is responsibili-ty: trustworthiness. You are able to find yourself in others, in relationships, rather thanalone–a mirror or clear pool. You can be peaceful, calm and undisturbed. Today youmanage to get a family member to agree to a plan.

You enjoy socializing with people from different backgrounds. You can bevery popular when you are trying new things–you are so eager. With an open mind towhat others have to say, you could feel great support. Showing up for work early, you areable to enjoy long relationships with friends from all over the world. You can be a positiveinfluence on others just now. Think adventurously but be careful that your enthusiasm isnot so strong that it makes others uncomfortable. Remember, others have to work andachieve at their own level. You will lead others in some group activity. You are a naturalgroup leader or trainer–your vitality and drive is communicated to everyone you see,especially the young people in your life.

You are always out front and manage to spend a lot of time in the spotlightand today is no exception. Others find it easy to watch and learn from you.

Your mind is on cutting through the nonessentials and penetrating to the core of issues–you want to know who, or what pulls the strings. Sex, taxes, investments and other sub-jects of life’s most compelling phenomena may captivate your interest now. You are veryanimated and may find communicating your ideas is a particularly easy thing to do at thistime. Political, lecturing or teaching concerns could be involved with this need to commu-nicate. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon. Youshow understanding to a friend this evening.

Strong beliefs are keynotes to your power–the power of ideas and the pow-er they wield over people. Religious, cultural or philosophical controversies and crusadeshave a way of stirring your blood. You like to work with words and ideas and you have anatural appreciation for anything that is artistic. Ideas come quickly. Creative writing is anexcellent outlet of expression. Put some thoughts down on paper for future use. You mayfind yourself editing or proofing work to be published. As you relax this evening, you couldwrite some form of prose. You may enjoy talking about your experiences today and askingthe advice of an older and more experienced person.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 740

ACROSS1. A licensed medical practitioner.4. The front limb (or homologous struc-ture in other animals such as a flipper orwing).12. A guided missile fired from shipboardagainst an airborne target.15. A period marked by distinctive charac-ter or reckoned from a fixed point orevent.16. A colorless fragrant liquid found inmany essential oils.17. A loose sleeveless outer garmentmade from aba cloth.18. Having any of numerous bright orstrong colors reminiscent of the color ofblood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies.19. Fear resulting from the awareness ofdanger.20. (South African) A camp defended by acircular formation of wagons.22. Large bamboo having thick-walledculms.25. Regarded with deep or rapturous love(especially as if for a god).29. United States baseball player (born in1931).33. American novelist (1909-1955).37. The slender spear of the Bantu-speak-ing people of Africa.39. An underground tunnel with recesseswhere bodies were buried (as in ancientRome).41. A three-year law degree.42. European strong-scented perennialherb with gray-green bitter-tasting leaves.43. Title for a civil or military leader (espe-cially in Turkey).47. Enter uninvited.49. Relating to or affecting the infant dur-ing the first month after birth.51. Make a dent or impression in.54. A colorless and odorless inert gas.56. A genus of Accipitridae.61. A town in central Kansas.64. Extremely hungry.66. A public promotion of some productor service.67. A stick that people can lean on to helpthem walk.69. Same in identity.70. The longer of the two telegraphic sig-nals used in Morse code.71. Having undesirable or negative quali-ties.73. Someone who operates a barge.75. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.76. A condition (mostly in boys) character-ized by behavioral and learning disorders.77. A republic in southeastern Europe.78. (Irish) The sea personified.

DOWN1. The deep vascular inner layer of theskin.2. (Greek mythology) One of the mountainnymphs.3. A group of Plains Indians formerly livingin what is now North and South Dakotaand Nebraska and Kansas and Arkansasand Louisiana and Oklahoma and Texas.4. A crystal of snow.5. Treated with oil.6. A nucleic acid that transmits genetic

information from DNA to the cytoplasm.7. A British peer ranking below a Marquessand above a Viscount.8. An advanced law degree.9. (Greek mythology) A maiden seducedby Zeus.10. Designating a solution containing 1mole of solute per 1000 grams of solvent.11. Lacking either stimulating or irritatingcharacteristics.12. An narrative telling the adventures of ahero or a family.13. In bed.14. God of death.21. (Jungian psychology) The inner self(not the external persona) that is in touchwith the unconscious.23. Type genus of the Ardeidae.24. Cubes of meat marinated and cookedon a skewer usually with vegetables.26. A state in the eastern United States.27. Rock that form the continuous lowerlayer of the earth's crust.28. Open-heart surgery in which the ribcage is opened and a section of a bloodvessel is grafted from the aorta to thecoronary artery to bypass the blocked sec-tion of the coronary artery and improvethe blood supply to the heart.30. Metal or plastic sheath over the end ofa shoelace or ribbon.31. A resort city in southern Ukraine onthe Black Sea.32. A woman who tells fortunes.34. A benevolent aspect of Devi.35. Continuing forever or indefinitely.36. A heavy odorless colorless gas formedduring respiration and by the decomposi-tion of organic substances.38. The front part of the human legbetween the knee and the ankle.40. Brick that is laid sideways at the top ofa wall.44. An island northwest of Wales.45. Not human.46. An island (part of Campania) in the Bayof Naples in southern Italy.48. One of the two branches of the Finno-Ugric family of languages.50. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.52. An official prosecutor for a judicial dis-trict.53. The branch of computer science thatdeal with writing computer programs thatcan solve problems creatively.55. Indian religious leader who foundedSikhism (1469-1538).57. A particular environment or walk oflife.58. Of or relating to the feet.59. Complacently or inanely foolish.60. Essential oil or perfume obtained fromflowers.62. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.63. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agri-culture and patron of scribes and schools.65. The language of the nomadic Lapppeople in northern Scandinavia and theKola Peninsula.68. To make a mistake or be incorrect.72. A doctor's degree in religion.74. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallicelement.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

34s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

You could find yourself working a longer at some project today–you maybe sought after as just the person for a particular chore. You are open-minded and demo-cratic, enthusiastic and have a definite sense of mission. You are at home with differentcultures, peoples and lands and may lend yourself to others for teaching reading, techni-cal applications, math, etc. You love to work with and in groups and will find your day fullof interaction with all different types of people. Your sense of responsibility will be whatguides you and proves successful. Your general outlook on life is attractive–people seekyou out to help them. You are a natural counselor and may find yourself involved in deepdiscussions concerning the lifestyles of others.

At work, you may want to take charge of the most important issues first. Youmay have plans to leave work a little early today so you will busy yourself

quickly and with purpose. This is also a time of ambition and responsibility as well as atime to be considered in some promotion. There are good results for your efforts today.You have the opportunity to show off your unique and unusual qualities all day long.Communication is at a high. There is time this afternoon to run a few errands, perhaps thecleaners, a florist, etc. On the home front there is an urge to do a little decorating. Enjoydinner out this evening. Perhaps you will choose a new establishment or perhaps you areready to entertain others tonight with your special cooking.

inf or m at ionSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

INTERNATIONALCALLS

PRAYER TIMESFajr

SunriseZuhrAsr

SunsetIsha

STATION

4 DAYS FORECAST

DAY DATE WEATHERTemperatures

Wind Direction Wind SpeedMAX. MIN.

Expected Weather for the Next 24 Hours

RECORDED YESTERDAY AT KUWAIT AIRPORTMAX. Temp. MIN. Temp. MAX. RH MIN. RH

MAX. WindTOTAL RAINFALL IN 24 HR.

°C°C%%km/hmm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

DAY:

WARNING

UTC

Issue Time

Afghanistan 0093

Albania 00355

Algeria 00213

Andorra 00376

Angola 00244

Anguilla 001264

Antiga 001268

Argentina 0054

Armenia 00374

Australia 0061

Austria 0043

Bahamas 001242

Bahrain 00973

Bangladesh 00880

Barbados 001246

Belarus 00375

Belgium 0032

Belize 00501

Benin 00229

Bermuda 001441

Bhutan 00975

Bolivia 00591

Bosnia 00387

Botswana 00267

Brazil 0055

Brunei 00673

Bulgaria 00359

Burkina 00226

Burundi 00257

Cambodia 00855

Cameroon 00237

Canada 001

Cape Verde 00238

Cayman Islands 001345

Central African 00236

Chad 00235

Chile 0056

China 0086

Colombia 0057

Comoros 00269

Congo 00242

Cook Islands 00682

Costa Rica 00506

Croatia 00385

Cuba 0053

Cyprus 00357

Cyprus (Northern) 0090392

Czech Republic 00420

Denmark 0045

Diego Garcia 00246

Djibouti 00253

Dominica 001767

Dominican Republic 001809

Ecuador 00593

Egypt 0020

El Salvador 00503

England (UK) 0044

Equatorial Guinea 00240

Eritrea 00291

Estonia 00372

Ethiopia 00251

Falkland Islands 00500

Faroe Islands 00298

Fiji 00679

Finland 00358

France 0033

French Guiana 00594

French Polynesia 00689

Gabon 00241

Gambia 00220

Georgia 00995

Germany 0049

Ghana 00233

Gibraltar 00350

Greece 0030

Greenland 00299

Grenada 001473

Guadeloupe 00590

Guam 001671

Guatemala 00502

Guinea 00224

Guyana 00592

Haiti 00509

Holland (Netherlands) 0031

Honduras 00504

Hong Kong 00852

Hungary 0036

Ibiza (Spain) 0034

Iceland 00354

India 0091

Indian Ocean 00873

Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098

Iraq 00964

Ireland 00353

Italy 0039

Ivory Coast 00225

Jamaica 001876

Japan 0081

Jordan 00962

Kazakhstan 007

Kenya 00254

Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965

Kyrgyzstan 00996

Laos 00856

Latvia 00371

Lebanon 00961

Liberia 00231

Libya 00218

Lithuania 00370

Luxembourg 00352

Macau 00853

Macedonia 00389

Madagascar 00261

Majorca 0034

Malawi 00265

Malaysia 0060

Maldives 00960

Mali 00223

Malta 00356

Marshall Islands 00692

Martinique 00596

Mauritania 00222

Mauritius 00230

Mayotte 00269

Mexico 0052

Micronesia 00691

Moldova 00373

Monaco 00377

Mongolia 00976

Montserrat 001664

Morocco 00212

Mozambique 00258

Myanmar (Burma) 0095

Namibia 00264

Nepal 00977

Netherlands 0031

Netherlands Antilles 00599

New Caledonia 00687

New Zealand 0064

Nicaragua 00505

Nigar 00227

Nigeria 00234

Niue 00683

Norfolk Island 00672

N. Ireland (UK) 0044

North Korea 00850

Norway 0047

Oman 00968

Pakistan 0092

Palau 00680

Panama 00507

Papua New Guinea 00675

Paraguay 00595

Peru 0051

Philippines 0063

Poland 0048

Portugal 00351

Puerto Rico 001787

Qatar 00974

Romania 0040

Russian Federation 007

Rwanda 00250

Saint Helena 00290

Saint Kitts 001869

Saint Lucia 001758

Saint Pierre 00508

Saint Vincent 001784

Samoa US 00684

Samoa West 00685

San Marino 00378

Sao Tone 00239

Saudi Arabia 00966

Scotland (UK) 0044

Senegal 00221

Seychelles 00284

Sierra Leone 00232

Singapore 0065

Slovakia 00421

Slovenia 00386

Solomon Islands 00677

Somalia 00252

South Africa 0027

South Korea 0082

Spain 0034

Sri Lanka 0094

Sudan 00249

Suriname 00597

Swaziland 00268

Sweden 0046

Switzerland 0041

Syria 00963

Serbia 00381

Taiwan 00886

Tanzania 00255

Thailand 0066

Toga 00228

Tonga 00676

Tokelau 00690

Trinidad 001868

Tunisia 00216

Turkey 0090

Tuvalu 00688

Uganda 00256

Ukraine 00380

United Arab Emirates 00976

United Kingdom 0044

Uruguay 00598

USA 001

Uzbekistan 00998

Vanuatu 00678

Venezuela 00582

Vietnam 0084

Virgin Islands UK 001284

Virgin Islands US 001340

Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

l if e s t y l eG o s s i p

The two friends took to Instagram to take up a challenge set by ‘Dancing with the Stars’ duo Julianneand Derek Hough, which saw the pair dancing to Mark Ronson’s collaboration with Bruno Mars,‘Uptown Funk’, in four short clips. In the videos, Kate and her 22-year-old pal can be seen emerging

from behind some curtains and busting some moves while the ‘Wish I Was Here’ star’s brothers Oliver andWyatt, her mother’s partner Kurt Russell, and his son Boston, sat on a sofa tapping their feet.

The 35-year-old actress was joined by her mother, Goldie Hawn, to celebrate the North American holi-day, but the 69-year-old star was less willing to show off her dancing ability, and instead chose to film thehilarious snippets. Adding a caption to one of the clips, Kate wrote: “And that’s my Mum counting us in inthe background,” While Kate’s fiancÈ, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, was no where to be seen, the starenjoyed herself making the videos, with latter clips showing the family break out their freestyle moves.Signing off with a caption on the fourth video, the mother-of-two sent her well-wishes to her 407,000 fol-lowers. The Golden Globe winner wrote: “Happy Thanksgiving everyone! From our family to yours, peaceand love @juleshough@caradelevingne #lovemyfamily #UptownFunk #markronson #thanksgivingdance-wars #dancebattle #SuchABlast.” Other stars to have taken up the challenge from the dancing duo includ-ed actress Maria Menounos and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ finalist, Sadie Robertson.

Kate Hudson, Cara Delevingnecelebrate Thanksgiving with dance-off

The actor, 62, returned to the ring in Moscow, Russia, on Friday eveningto compete in an exhibition fight against a 29-year-old competitor,who he defeated in the second round. Wearing a Stetson hat, a red

and gold robe and shiny gold gloves, Mickey - who has been dating Russianmodel Anastassija Makarenko since 2011 - sent Elliot to the canvas twicebefore the fight was stopped and he was declared victorious. The matchwas the star’s first fight in more than 20 years, after deciding to focus on hisacting career with films such as ‘The Wrestler’ and ‘The Expendables’, butsaid returning to the ring has helped him deal with his personal issues. Heexplained: “I’ve got some things going on in my life so that [boxing has] sortof saved me from myself, “And for a man like me, it’s better to live in fearthan go on in shame.” Having trained as an amateur boxer as a youngster,the star returned to the sport in the 1990s for three years, and boasts acareer in which he went undefeated in eight fights. However, the star quitthe sport following a number of facial injuries for which he required surgery.After confirming his return to the sport on Friday, the Oscar winning actor -who shed 35lbs in preparation for the match - is expected to announce sev-eral more matches in the Russian capital in the coming months.

Mickey Rourkewins boxing match against Elliot Seymour

Kanye West reportedly spent

Thanksgiving in Paris

The 35-year-old rocker reportedly missed the ‘Sex Tape’ actress so much while hewas touring Australia recently that he splashed out on the rare gemstone to showher how much she means to him. A source said: “Cam thinks the opal is the most

beautiful thing she’s ever seen. She absolutely loves it.” The former Good Charlotte stardecided to pick up the gift, which was sourced from an Australian mine, after being“amazed” at how the “deep-blue stone matched her eyes.” The couple got together inMay after being introduced by Nicole Richie, who is married to Benji’s twin brother JoelMadden. Asked if she set them up, she previously said: “Yes. I’m going to take responsi-bility for everything!” A source previously claimed they quietly got engaged recently andare planning to marry in the Napa Valley, California in the near future. However,Cameron, 42, recently insisted: “I’m not looking for a husband or marriage or not notlooking for that stuff. I’m living, not thinking what I should or shouldn’t be doing withmy life.”

Benji Madden gave Cameron Diaz a $25,000 black opal

The 42-year-old rapper was making a surprise appear-ance at New York’s Webster Hall where fellow rapperO.T. Genasis was performing, when he accidentally

nose-dived into the crowd and was left with blood runningdown his face. Following the incident, the ‘Gimme SomeMore’ hitmaker was taken backstage for medical treatmentbut did not re-emerge after the incident, gossip websiteTMZ reports. Busta - whose real name is Trevor TahiemSmith, Jr. - has now taken to Twitter to assure fans he iswell, claiming he has suffered much worse injuries duringhis extensive career. He wrote: “I SALUTE ALL CALLS FRMFAMILY AND FRIENDS MAKIN’ SURE I’M GOOD. JUST 4 THERECORD I’M SUPER GOOD!! WHEN U LOVE WHAT U DO ANDUR PASSIONATE.. “AND UR PASSIONATE ABOUT WINNING UGO HARD!!! WE DONE FELL OFF STAGES AND BROKE LIMBSWHILE PERFORMING AND KEPT GONG!!! WE STAY ON LEVEL10...” In further messages, the star - who has children T’Ziah,T’Khi, Trillian and Mariah - said the unfortunate fallwouldn’t stop him from continuing to make music. “WEALWAYS WILL BE ON 10!! WE JUST TOOK 1 STEP 2 FAR OFFTHE STAGE AND THAT WAS IT!! S**T HAPPENS BUT I LOVE ITCAUSE WE LIVE IT!! “WE WILL NEVER STOP DOING WHATWE’VE ALWAYS DONE AND THAT’S DOING WHAT WE LOVE!!!SMASHIN’ & KILLIN’ S**T!!! BLESS UP #THECONGLOMERATE!!(sic)”

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake planning to move to his hometown

The ‘American Hustle’ star whips herself into a frenzy of eageranticipation when she meets new people on sets just like apuppy. She said: “When I was younger, I was just so hyper

and friendly to everybody. And still now, when I come on set, I’mlike a golden retriever at a dog park, because I’m just so happy tobe around people and eager to please.” Despite being nominatedfor five Oscars, the 40-year-old star claims she was fired from‘Grosse Pointe’ in 2000 because she “probably sucked.” She said:“There was a TV show called ‘Grosse Pointe’ that I was fired from. Iprobably sucked. I never got a straight answer. It was my secondyear in LA, and I got hired for two pilots and got fired from both ofthem. The produced called me and said, ‘It’s not working.’ “And Iwas like, I know, I could tell.’” The ‘Fighter’ star says was a “mess”when she first moved to Hollywood from Minnesota when shewas 24 and almost quit acting as a result of the “pressure”. She toldBritain’s Vogue magazine: “I was able to do everything from dayplayer to guest star to small parts in movies, and it really, to thisday, give me perspective, but going through it was painful, to saythe least. I felt a lot of pressure, but I just wasn’t able to get there inthe audition room. Or even in meetings. “My squirreliness wouldcome out and people wouldn’t feel confident. I’ve always beensomeone who had, like, a spirit of perseverance, but I actuallyalmost quit because I was starting to not like who I was. “Mylawyer called me up after I was fired from the two shows and said,‘Just to even get two shows in pilot season is amazing. So you’redoing something right.’ I thank him all the time for that call.”

Amy Adams says her ‘spiritual animal’ is a dog

Busta Rhymes suffers head injury after falling off stage

The ‘Black Skinhead’ rapper was believed tohave attended a family dinner hosted by hiswife Kim Kardashian West’s sister Khloe

Kardashian but it’s now been revealed he decidedto mark the occasion without the help of his family.Kanye, 37, left his wife and 17-month-old daughterNorth in the US while he jetted off to the Frenchcity to dine at Ralph Lauren’s restaurant with twomale friends, the New York Post newspaper’sPageSix reports. However, Kim seemed to beunfazed by her husband’s decision to skip her fami-ly meal, as she took to Twitter to reveal what shewas thankful for on the American holiday. Shewrote: “Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so thankful tohave spent the day with my whole family over atKhloes house today! Khloe cooked so much yum-my food! (sic).” The 34-year-old beauty also hintedshe has no plans to take on the role of a traditionalhousewife by hosting her own Thanksgiving dinnerin the future, claiming Khloe, 30, will be doing itevery year from now on. She added: “Thank you forstart a new tradition Khlo! Thanksgiving at Koko’s(sic).” And while Kanye is reported to have missedout on the celebrations, Kim and Khloe’s pregnantsister Kourtney Kardashian, 35, and her partnerScott Disick and their children Mason, four, andPenelope, two, and brother Rob Kardashian wereamong the guests there to indulge in turkey,pumpkin pie and other festive treats.

The couple are said to be expecting their first child together and are eager to raise their family away from the spot-light so want to leave Los Angeles. A source said: “Justin and Jessica want their kids to have a hometown and a fami-ly base, and they definitely don’t want to raise them in Los Angeles. “Being near Justin’s hometown is ideal because

his mom, Lynn, is even more excited about this baby than they are - and Justin’s grandmother Sadie is on cloud nine.“Justin’s used to living in a small town and says he had a great childhood because of it.” Jessica, whose family live in thepicturesque Boulder, Colorado, and was born in Minnesota, is more than happy to leave Hollywood behind. The sourcetold America’s OK! magazine: “Jessica can’t stand the obnoxious attitudes of kids in Hollywood. She wants her children tohave good values and a sense of community.” The couple are said to have wanted a baby for some time, but wanted towait until Justin had completed his ‘20/20 Experience World Tour’. An insider previously said: “Contractually, he was obli-gated to do the tour, but he promised they could start a family when it ended.”

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

l if e s t y l eG o s s i p

Michael Phelps is back with his girlfriend

Earlier this month, Taylor Lianne Chandler - who was born withparts of female and male genitalia - claimed to have had anaffair with the Olympic swimmer, but the 29-year-old sports-

man has now reconnected with his ex-girlfriend following theshort-lived romance. Instagram images posted to former MissAmerica, Nicole Johnson’s account, now suggests the couple haverekindled their love and have been spending lots of time together.In the caption of a selfie featuring the 22-medal Olympian takenearlier this week, she wrote: “Out with my grizzlyman @m_phelps00#datenight #nerds #movietime. “ On Thursday, she returned toshow another snap of the pair, this time with friends and membersof Michael’s family, with whom she spent Thanksgiving. She wrote:“So #thankful for each of the people in this photo@hilary_phelps,whit, @m_phelps00, @dougeldridgemissing the parents@mamaphelpsh20@annettejohnsoncoss @douginla & dougs mama#family #eastcoastlove #happiness.” News that the couple havereignited their love comes just days after his short-term fling admit-ted they are no longer an item, and spoke about how she had origi-nally connected with the stud through the dating app Tinder. Shetold The Daily Beast: “He pursued me [on Tinder]. He was actuallyoutside the age range for what my account was set-up for. But whatI’ve learned is when someone looks at whatever and likes you, evenif they’re younger it shows up in your feed.”

The ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star’s famous family are said to have had a heart-to-heart talkwith her earlier this week after becoming suspicious of her on-off beau. The Kardashians - includingKhloe’s sister Kim Kardashian West and mum Kris Jenner - believe French has been unfaithful to Khloe

and think he even used Kim as a cover for his infidelity, gossip site TMZ.com reports. During a recent trip toDubai, French is believed to have been hooking up with an attractive woman in between bumping intoKim long enough to have his picture taken with her in order to trick Khloe into thinking he was simplyhanging out with her sister and other pals. However, the ‘Ain’t Worried About Nothin’ rapper’s plan is said tohave unravelled when Kim arrived back in the US and told Khloe she’d spent very little time with French,leading to the family becoming convinced he used Kim to deceive her own sister. Meanwhile, Frenchrecently claimed he would refuse to sign a prenuptial agreement if he were to marry Khloe after it took himtwo years and $2 million to finalise his divorce from ex-wife Nadeen Kharpouch. He said: “I just settled adivorce and gave somebody money.” The 30-year-old star added that there would be “no prenups” if he andKhloe decide to tie the knot.

Khloe Kardashian’s family warned her to dump French Montana

The 53-year-old star met the medic - whom she describes as the “perfect gentlemen” -at her hotel during the Florida leg of her US tour and, after enjoying a romanticlunch date, she’s now hoping he’ll come over to the UK to visit her in her native

Scotland. She said: “It’s very early days so we’ll see what happens. I hope he comes over. “Idon’t want to say any more about who he is right now as that would be unfair on him. AllI’ll say is we are around the same age and he was a very nice guy.” The ‘Britain’s Got Talent’runner up - who previously confessed to having never been kissed before - opened upabout the date she enjoyed with her new man, revealing it ended with a “peck on thecheek”. Susan told The Sun newspaper: “He wasn’t a fan but he knew who I was. “He invit-ed me out for lunch the next day. We had a nice chat and spoke about lots of thingsincluding our careers. “He was the perfect gentleman and even paid the bill. “Afterwardswe exchanged details. When we said goodbye he gave me a peck on the cheek. “He wantsto come over and see me. I don’t know my tour dates yet though so nothing has been setin stone.” And Susan is hoping to impress her new beau with a new skill the next time shesees him, admitting she’s been taking tap dancing lessons “just for fun”.

The outspoken television personality blasted the 28-year-old in a series of tweetsafter Shia said he had been sexually assaulted while taking part in an art exhibi-tion titled ‘#IAMSORRY’, earlier this year. Taking to the social network on Friday

night (28.11.14), he wrote: “Shia LaBeouf’s claim to have been ‘raped’ is truly pathetic &demeans real rape victims. Grow up, you silly little man.” The supposed incident tookplace in February when he took part in the Los Angeles exhibition which saw him sit-ting in silence with a paper bag on his head while strangers came and sat with him.However, the star recently recalled one particularly unpleasant experience during thefive-day art installation in which he received unwelcome sexual advances. He told aDazed & Confused journalist: “One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was out-side the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then strippedmy clothing and proceeded to rape me.” Following his original tweet about Shia’sencounter, the 49-year-old journalist was sent several messages condemning the com-ments, but stood by his view the ‘Fury’ actor had made up the allegations. He contin-ued: “A Hollywood actor sitting with a paper bag over his head who did nothing as heclaims a woman ‘raped’ him has not been raped.

Piers Morgan slams Shia LaBeouf after he claimed he was raped

The Saturdays singer loves exploring independentretail outlets but admits she is more likely to comehome with garments for 18-month-old Alaia-Mai -

her child with husband Marvin Humes - than to put in herown wardrobe. She said: “I love little boutiques, theyalways have great cute things you’ve never seen before. Ishop for [Alaia-Mai] more than I shop for myself.” The 25-year-old beauty is back in shape after having her daughter,but insists she took it easy after giving birth and allowedher body to naturally lose weight. She said: “It’s importantnot to stress out about it. You think that as soon as you’vehad the baby you need to go back to normal straight away,but my mum says it takes nine months to make a baby so itwill take at least nine months to lose the weight. Take everyday as it comes and make sure you feel comfortable, asyour body does change.” Despite always looking glam-orous, the ‘Up’ hitmaker insists she doesn’t take too longgetting ready. She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I tend towash my hair twice a week so my hair is always ready. Thenmake-up on top of that - I’d say about an hour.”

Rochelle Humesshops more for her daughter

The 21-year-old One Directionmember has been brushing upon his culinary skills with the

help of a recipe book from celebritychef, Jamie Oliver, in the hope ofimpressing future girlfriends. Whenasked about his ideal date, the heart-throb said: “I’ve just started gettinginto cooking now, so come round tomy house and I’ll cook for you. I have‘Jamie Oliver’s 15-Minute Meals’ [cook-book] and it’s good.” The star - whorecently picked up three AmericanMusic Awards with his bandmatesZayn Malik, Harry Styles, LouisTomlinson and Liam Payne - revealedthe lamb mince-based meal, shep-herd’s pie, is his favourite dinner towhip up when he has time off, butadmitted he probably wouldn’t becooking for his bandmates any timesoon because they tend not to spendtheir free time together. Talking onAustralian chat-show, ‘A Current Affair’,he explained: “On our time off we justlike to chill and not really do much.We figured out recently that, it’s not aconscious decision, but we don’t reallysee each other on our time off,because we don’t get that much timeat home, so when we do go home it’sfamily time, not friends time.” Despitetheir busy schedule which Niall admit-ted hasn’t allowed him to properlyhone his cooking skills, Louis said theyare still enjoying their time in theband, having just released their fourthalbum in as many years. He added:“We’re really happy. We’re just takingone step at a time. We’re really enjoy-ing it while it’s great now, and we’rejust going to hopefully enjoy it andsee where that takes us.”

Niall Horan takes up cooking

Susan Boyle dating American doctor

The 27-year-old entrepreneur set up his sock company, Arthur George, in 2012 andhas now expanded the venture by adding a range of items, including a onesie,with sister Khloe Kardashian vocalising her support for the fashion foray on her

Instagram. Captioning a split-image of three of the items on her Instagram, his 30-year-old sister wrote: “So proud of you Rob!!!!! @arthurgeorge87loungewear by @robkar-dashian just landed at Macy’s! Make sure you go to AGloungewear.com to see the list ofstore locations. You deserve all the success in the world!” Other members of his familyalso expressed their happiness about the troubled television personality moving for-ward with his business, with his other sisters Kim Kardashian West and KourtneyKardashian tweeting links to his range. The unveiling of his line of loungewear is the for-mer ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star’s first public move in several months, follow-ing a struggle with depression which has seen him withdraw from the family’s televisionshow, and avoid celebrity events. In May, the former model - who has struggled with hisimage over the years - missed Kim’s wedding to ‘Bound 2’ rapper Kanye West in Florence,Italy, due to insecurities about his weight. Speaking on her reality television show in anepisode broadcast in September, Kim said: “When Rob flew to Paris he read some nastycomments about himself and he just didn’t feel comfortable. He didn’t want to see allmy guests. It makes me so sad for him. It’s heartbreaking. It really is. I don’t want to thinkabout it. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Rob Kardashian launches own range of loungewear

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

Eminem is provoking more outrage on a newalbum in which he threatens female stars, butthis time the self-styled Rap God also waxes

philosophical on the reasons for his aggression.The top-selling artist in hip-hop history readily

courts controversy on “Shady XV,” released Friday forthe holiday shopping season.

A compilation album, “Shady XV” has one discworth of new material from Eminem and other musi-cians on his Shady Records, with a second disc fea-turing hits from the label’s 15 years.

Eminem-or at least his musical character-imaginesattacking singer Lana Del Rey as he alludes to one ofthe notorious recent incidents of violence againstwomen, American football star Ray Rice’s beating ofhis girlfriend which was caught on a surveillancecamera. Eminem, after referring to his latent embrace

of gay rights, raps: “Play nice? Bitch, I’ll punch LanaDel Rey right in the face twice / Like Ray Rice inbroad daylight.”

On the track “Vegas,” against a backdrop of guitarriffs, Eminem speaks of raping another rising femalestar, Australian hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea: “Put thatshit away, Iggy / You don’t want to blow that rapewhistle on me.” The lyrics drew widespread outrageon social media, with many saying such blatantmisogyny was unacceptable, even for a rapper whofrequently explains he is performing in the voice ofthe character “Slim Shady.”

Azalea belittled the 42-year-old Eminem onTwitter, writing that she was “bored of the old menthreatening young women as entertainment trend.”

The 24-year-old tweeted that the lyrics were“especially a(w)kward because my 14 year old broth-

er is the biggest eminem fan and now the artist headmired says he wants to rape me. nice!”

‘It’s too late to start over’ The harsh lyrics mark the latest twist for Eminem,

who has swung between unbridled aggression tocontemplative reconciliation throughout his career.

Most famously, the Detroit rapper has had a com-plicated, to say the least, relationship with his moth-er. He fantasized about violence against her on2000’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” before apologizingto her in song. Similarly, Eminem has distanced him-self from his songs’ earlier homophobia but on hislatest full-fledged album, last year’s “The MarshallMathers LP 2,” returned to using the word “faggot,”calling it a generic insult rather than an anti-gay slur.

On “Shady XV,” Eminem again employs his narra-

tive technique of dialogues with himself or his alterego and becomes philosophical about his legacy.

On “Guts Over Fear,” Eminem demonstrates hisprowess as one of the quickest-fire rappers as hemuses about himself, “It’s too late to start over.”

“The media made me the equivalent of a modern-day Genghis Khan / Tried to argue, it was only enter-tainment, dog,” Eminem said of the criticism early inhis career. But Eminem also bemoans critiques thathe has gone soft as he explains why he has goneback to his earlier incarnation. “So, to the break ofdawn, here I go recycling the same old song,” he raps.

Eminem also offers what could be an apology toLana Del Rey and Iggy Azalea or at least an explana-tion for himself. “It just breaks my heart to look at allthe pain I caused,” he raps. “But what am I gonna dowhen the rage is gone?” — AFP

Eminem gets reflective in his aggression

Mexico’s iconic television comedianRoberto Gomez Bolanos, whoenchanted generations of Latin

American children by playing an orphanwho lived in a barrel and a goofy super-hero, died Friday aged 85.

Gomez Bolanos died in the Caribbeancoast resort of Cancun, where he retiredyears ago due to respiratory illnesses, saidthe Televisa network, where the actor spenthis entire career.

The cause of death was not given.“Televisa laments the death of Don RobertoGomez Bolanos, ‘Chespirito,’ an essentialfigure of Mexican televisions,” the broad-caster wrote on Twitter. Gomez Bolanos-whose nickname Chespirito meant “LittleShakespeare” for his short stature and pro-lific writing-created some of the most pop-ular television shows in the history of LatinAmerica.

In “El Chavo del Ocho” (“The Kid fromthe Eight”), Gomez Bolanos played a mis-chievous orphan who always wore a hatwith ear flaps and slept in a barrel in thecourtyard of a working-class housing com-plex. Another famous character was“Chapulin Colorado” (Red Grasshopper), ared-hooded superhero with antennas andarmed with a yellow and red hammer. Hisvictory catch-phrase was, “They didn’tcount on my cleverness!”

His shows had millions of viewers fromMexico to the Andes and the tip of SouthAmerica, as well as in Portuguese-speakingBrazil.

‘A great Mexican’ Tributes poured in shortly after his

death was announced. “Mexico has lost anicon, whose work has transcended genera-tions and borders,” Mexican PresidentEnrique Pena Nieto tweeted. Edgar Vivar,

an actor in “El Chavo del Ocho,” was in tearsas he spoke about his friend on Televisa.

“I’m in a state of shock. I didn’t think thatit would affect me so much,” Vivar said. “Iwill always remember him with a smile.”

Brazilian football star Ronaldinho, whoplays for Mexican club Queretaro, said:“Rest in peace, eternal Chavez (Chavo) andChapulin! A great Mexican who was part ofmy childhood and that of many Brazilians.”

Televisa is planning to hold a massivetribute at Mexico City’s 105,000-capacityAzteca Stadium.

Overcoming fearsBorn to a Mexico City middle-class fami-

ly on February 21, 1929, Gomez Bolanosgrew up dreaming of being a football play-er, but he also showed a knack for boxingin school. His father, a painter and illustra-tor for newspapers, died when GomezBolanos was eight years old.

He studied engineering but, at the ageof 22, he began to write ads for an advertis-ing company before writing radio, televi-sion and film scripts. His television show“Chespirito,” which began to air when hewas 40 years old, was on the air for 25years.

His comedies masked deep fears thathaunted him since childhood. “Couragedoes not consist in lacking fear, but over-coming fear,” he once said. “ The RedGrasshopper knew that he was small, weak,stupid, clumsy. (...)

But he would confront problems. That’sa hero.” Gomez Bolanos is the father of sixchildren he had with his first wife. He spentthe last years of his life with his secondwife, Florinda Meza, who played DonaFlorinda, a grumpy, apron-wearing house-wife with curlers in her hair in “El Chavo delOcho.” — AFP

Latin America TV’s ‘Little Shakespeare’ dies at 85

By Faten Omar

Chef Udo, a German national, takesover the kitchens at MovenpickHotel as an executive chef to con-

tinue to produce culinary masterpieces.He has over 40 years of experience inmany parts of the world, fromSwitzerland, South Africa, Syria, UAE,Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt andAustralia to Pakistan and Sri Lanka inreputed hotels.

As an employee of Movenpick Hotel,the executive chef has a huge range ofduties and responsibilities within thekitchen. The most important of these isto ensure that quality culinary dishesare served on schedule and to see thatany problems that arise are rectified. Assuch, he is responsible for being cre-ative in the way he presents his dishes.

“I am always looking for ways ofimproving the standards, be it the wayfood is prepared, displayed or present-ed. Here, customers are served freshfood,” said Udo. “I particularly enjoyedthe time I spent in the Middle East.There is always something to learn fromevery part of the world - somethingnew, something different and more toallow one to grow and mature as a chef.”

Udo’s biggest strengths are in hiscreative way of buffet decoration andunusual food presentation. “I like to cre-ate new dishes, such as my new specialsteak with chocolate dish. The chef canbe creative if he uses his imaginationand thinks out of the box,” he said.

Udo believes in the traditional wayof taking care of the guest with the mot-to “The Guest is the King”. “In any pro-fession, the main focus should be thecustomer. There are occasions whereone can be creative and adventurous inthe kitchen, but if the feedback is nega-tive and customers dislike the dish, thenyou have to make it differently,” hestressed.

Udo started his apprenticeship as a14-yearold, and was associated with hisfamily hotel for three years where he

learned the basics of cooking. He alsohelped bring the Oktoberfest toBahrain, the best and biggest in theMiddle East. He also lays claim to cook-ing the biggest rice dish “kabsa” in theworld in Bahrain (12.5 tons).

Swiss hospitalityMovenpick Hotel Kuwait is one of

the finest hotels in the city, since it com-bines exquisite hotel services and luxu-rious spas, where the guest can relaxamidst the elegant architecture and fineentertainment that expresses the pas-sion of the genuine Swiss hospitality,which makes him feel like at home.Movenpick Hotel is located in Shuwaikhin the heart of the Free Trade Zone. Withits unique location, it provides business-people and families with more than 100rooms with a pool or garden view and

genuinely fine Arabic architecture.Eating at Movenpick Hotel becomes

a beautiful experience with its 5 interna-tional specialty restaurants. On the oth-er hand, the Italian restaurant Al Denteoffers the real Italian spirit with its spe-cial and diversified Italian menu. As forthe Cuts restaurant, it offers deliciousbarbecued varieties of meat along sidesof succulent platters and live entertain-ment. And the Garden Cafe is the per-fect place to embrace nature whileenjoyed meals outdoors, as well asshisha, coffee or tea in its special tents,for there is no better place for relaxationand watching TV on a giant screen.

And it is important to mention thatMovenpick Hotel Kuwait offers a spe-cial and elegant English lounge, wherethe famous Movenpick ice cream isserved with a huge variety of tea andsnacks at the sounds of a live pianoevery night.

In this Aug. 22, 2006 file photo of two stamps in the series inaugurated by theMexican Postal Service, SEPOMEX, titled “Popular Idols of Mexican Television”shows Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolanos impersonating his famous TVcharacters “El Chavo del Ocho”, left, and “El Chapulin Colorado”. The famed comedi-an has died at age 85 on Friday Nov. 28, 2014, according to Televisa, the TV networkwhere he worked.

In this Feb. 29, 2012 file photo, Roberto Gomez Bolanos, popularly known asChespirito, waves during an event in his honor at the National Auditorium in MexicoCity. — AP photos

Chef Udo:

Thinking out of the box

Chef Udo. — Photos by Joseph Shagra.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

l if e s t y l e

It’s been two years since the world learnedthat a new “Star Wars” movie was in theworks. Since then, fans and industry figures

have taken to a massive amount of speculationand rumors-but, in the way of the plot and theway the seventh film in the “Star Wars” worldlooks, Disney and Lucas Film have kept a tightlid on info.

The world’s first substantial look at “Star Wars:The Force Awakens” came on Friday, when thean 88-second teaser trailer was released onlineand in 30 select theaters. For “Star Wars” fans, it’sbeen a long road to the first glimpse of the film,so here’s a look back at the major events that hitthe franchise in the past two years.

Oct. 30, 2012: Disney buys Lucas Film, new“Star Wars” film announced.” Disney shocked theindustry by acquiring George Lucas’ Lucas Filmfor $4.05 billion in cash and stock. We found outa new “Star Wars” pic would come in 2015, steal-ing much of the spotlight in the acquisitionnews. Disney announced plans for a new “StarWars” movie every two to three years, with plansto expand the franchise even further.

June 19, 2013: Casting breakdown leaks.Bleedingcoolnews.com leaked the casting

breakdown, giving fans a look at who might be

the stars of the movie. Seven key roles, includinga young man in his early-to-mid 20s, two youngfemales who both had to be physically fit, andan older man in his 70s who could be in the veinof Obi-Wan Kenobi, were in the breakdown.

Oct. 24, 2013: Abrams and Lawrence Kasdantake over screenwriting duties Abrams and “StarWars” veteran Kasdan took over screenwritingduties on the seventh installment of “Star Wars,”replacing “Toy Story 3” scribe Michael Arndt,who was originally hired to pen the project.

Nov. 6, 2013: “Star Wars” holds open castingcalls in the U.K. Under the guise of a genericmovie featuring young male and female leads,Disney put out a casting call in Blighty for themovie. Disney claimed to seek someone to playRachel, a young female 17-18 year old, as well asa character called Thomas, who was in the 19-23age range.

Nov. 7, 2013: Release date is announced.Disney and LucasFilm announced that the

new “Star Wars” would arrive on Dec. 18, 2015.“We’re very excited to share the official 2015release date for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’ where itwill not only anchor the popular holiday filmgo-ing season but also ensure our extraordinary

filmmaking team has the time needed to delivera sensational picture,” said Alan Horn, chairmanof Walt Disney Studios.

Nov. 14, 2013: First production photoreleased, featuring R2-D2. November 2013 con-tinued to be an exciting month for “Star Wars”fans, as the first photo from production wasreleased. It included Abrams, LucasFilm presi-dent Kathleen Kennedy and, perhaps mostnotably, R2-D2. The following week, Disney andLucasFilm confirmed that the beloved robotwould appear in Episode VII.

Feb. 26, 2014: Adam Driver cast as villain.Casting news began to seriously ramp up as

Variety exclusively revealed that “Girls” starAdam Driver would play the villain in the new“Star Wars” movie.

March 12, 2014: Actors battle over lead role.Variety revealed that that “Downton Abbey”thesp Ed Speleers, “Attack the Block” star JohnBoyega, Jesse Plemons and theater actorsMatthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher werebattling it out for the male lead. The role wouldeventually go to Boyega.

April 2014: Shooting begins.

Despite previous comments that Episode VIIwould begin filming in early May 2014, Disneychairman Alan Horn revealed in April that theyhad already begun shooting, and that castingwas almost complete.

April 29, 2014: Cast announced.In perhaps the biggest news since the

announcement of the movie itself, Disney andLucasFilm revealed the cast of the new film:John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, OscarIsaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Maxvon Sydow, as well as original cast membersHarrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill,Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and KennyBaker.

May 21, 2014: Abrams teases with UNICEFvideos. Abrams continued to tease fans, but fora good cause! The director released a video fromthe Abu Dhabi set that, while showing very fewdetails from the production itself, gave aglimpse at at least one fantastical inhabitant.

June 2, 2014: Lupita Nyong’o andGwendoline Christie added to cast LupitaNyong’o, who had just won an Oscar for “12Years a Slave,” and “Games of Thrones” actressGwendoline Christie were added to the cast.

June 12, 2014: Harrison Ford injured on set.Ford sustained a leg injury in June, causing a briefhiatus in production of the film, which resumedin August.

June 20, 2014: Rian Johnson in talks to writeand direct “Episode VIII” Though not directlyabout the seventh installment, it was revealedthat “Looper” director Rian Johnson was in talksto write and direct the eighth “Star Wars” movie.

July 21, 2014: Abrams reveals the X-Wing.There was still hardly any insight into the new

film at this point, so when Abrams released avideo from the set featuring the new X-Wingstarfighter, it was a big deal.

Nov. 6, 2014: Title revealed.Disney announced that the official title of the

new “Star Wars” movie would be “Star Wars: TheForce Awakens.” The studio also announced thatthe movie had completed principal photography.

Nov. 28, 2014: The first teaser is released.Which of these events was the most exciting

so far? Let us know in the comments and onTwitter and Facebook.— Reuters

A timeline of events

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

Puppeteer Bob Baker, whose mar-ionette theater near downtownLos Angeles was an institution

serving generations of kids, diedFriday of natural causes. He was 90.

Baker, who launched the Bob BakerMarionette Theater in 1963, offeredpuppet shows in what was billed asone of the world’s oldest and longest-running children’s theater companies.In 2009, the theater’s location on FirstStreet was named a Los AngelesHistorical Cultural Monument.

An L.A. native, Baker traveled theworld with his famous marionettetroupe. His work was featured inprominent films, ranging fromDisney’s “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”to Steven Spielberg’s “CloseEncounters of the Third Kind” to the1954 version of “A Star Is Born.” He wassaid to have an archive of more than3,000 puppets.

Baker’s interest in puppetry wassparked at the age of 5 when he saw apuppet show at a downtown LosAngeles department store. Within afew years he was studying the art andcompeting in local talent shows.

Baker graduated from Hollywood

High School and served in the ArmyAir Corps during WWII, when heworked at Lockheed Aircraft inBurbank. After his discharge, heworked for the George Pal AnimationStudios. Amid labor unrest, he left Paland began marketing his own line ofmarionettes. He created window dis-plays for prominent retailers aroundthe country-and he did the same forstorefront windows on Disneyland’sMain Street, USA.

Baker’s workshop on Santa MonicaBoulevard in Hollywood became amagnet for future showbiz stars,including producer Bob Clampett,Stan Freberg and Daws Butler, whowho would go on to create a TV sensa-tion locally with the KTLA-TV handpuppet series “Time for Beany.” In thelate 1940s Baker also worked in localTV with the series “Adventures ofBobo.” In the early 1960s, Bakerteamed with Alton Wood to launchthe marionette theater. He worked asan adviser to Disney and other stu-dios, and was a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts& Sciences as well as theTelevision Academy. — Reuters

Puppeteer Bob Baker dies

This April 6, 2014 file photo shows Bob Baker, who founded The Bob BakerMarionette Theater, leading a parade as the Grand Marshall during the“Million Puppet March’’ in Santa Monica, Calif. Baker, the founder of one ofAmerica’s oldest puppet theaters, has died. He was 90. — AP

Artistes from France, Kuwait and Yemen perform a music and dance show at Dasman Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of relations between Kuwaitand France. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Artistes from France, Kuwait, Yemen perform at

Dasman Theatre

38Chef Udo: Thinking out of the box

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Students dressed as Santa Claus and angels attend the Santa Claus general meeting yesterday in Berlin. Every year since 1949, student unions of Berlin’s universities open an office during the advent for kindergartens, companies orparents who want to hire a Santa Claus or a Christ Child during the Christmas season. — AFP

“Wild,” the Fox Searchlight dramaabout a woman’s 1,100-mile hikealong the Pacific Crest Trail, is a

redemption story in more ways than one. Inadapting Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir about apersonal breakdown, Reese Witherspoon res-cued herself from the brink of Hollywood’s ownAppalachia.

After winning the Oscar for “Walk the Line” in2006, Witherspoon stumbled through a seriesof box office and critical mishaps-”Rendition,”“How Do You Know,” “This Means War,” etc. Thencame the “Gone Girl” fiasco: Witherspoonattached herself to produce Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel, but director David Fincher toldher that he wanted someone else to play theanti-heroine Amy Dunne (he eventually castRosamund Pike). As a result, Witherspoondropped her manager of 19 years, and went onto make “Wild” (she’d optioned the book rightsherself ). At 38, she’s had to work three times ashard as her male counterparts to sustain hermovie-star glow.

Witherspoon will be an Oscar nominee for“Wild,” but she might not have very much com-petition. It’s almost redundant to say that it’s aweak year for actresses in the run-up to theAcademy Awards, because that appears to betrue every year, and it’s especially true of 2014.If landing a best actor nod is as cutthroat asHarvard admissions-poor Robert Redford andTom Hanks had nearly perfectly SAT scores andstill didn’t get in-the actress side is alwaysstarved for quality applicants.

Other than Witherspoon, the only other lockfor best actress is Julianne Moore for her por-trait of an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient in the

Sony Pictures Classics drama “Still Alice.” Theother nominees could be: Felicity Jones, whoplays Stephen Hawking’s wife Jane in “TheTheory of Everything,” Rosamund Pike for “GoneGirl,” Hilary Swank for “The Homesman,” or AmyAdams for “Big Eyes.”

The fact that Adams and Swank are stillbeing talked about as contenders-even thoughreactions to both their films have been mixed-isan indication of how tough it will for voters toeven come up with five dynamic female per-formances.

Given the lack of heavyweights in the cate-gory, the team behind IFC’s “Boyhood” consid-ered campaigning Patricia Arquette in the leadactress race. Instead, she’s been put in support-ing, which is a relief because aren’t too manywomen to fill out that category either. While thebest supporting actor race can still take a fewturns between now and Oscars nominationsmorning, there aren’t many options in support-ing actress: Meryl Streep (“Into the Woods”),Jessica Chastain (“A Most Violent Year”), LauraDern (“Wild”) and Keira Knightley (“TheImitation Game”). The only question mark is ifEmma Stone (“Birdman”) will be able to dis-place one of the others.

This is a result of the way Hollywood nowdoes business. Women are an endangeredspecies across all genres of the film industry, inboth big movies and small. On the blockbusterside, studios continue to obsess over mega-budget franchises, where women are treated asan after-thought (see Glenn Close in “Guardiansof the Galaxy,” or Keri Russell in “Dawn of thePlanet of the Apes”). No matter how many hitsthere are on the scale of “The Hunger Games,”

“Maleficent” or “The Fault in Our Stars,” maleexecutives still cling to the outdated belief thatmale audiences won’t pay to see a girl headlinea movie, because they can’t relate to femaleprotagonists. And in the indie world, womenheroes (like the one played by Jenny Slate in

the little-seen “Obvious Child”) are among thefirst casualties of a shrinking market. When theSpirit Awards nominations were announcedthis week, all the best feature nominees-”Birdman,” “Boyhood,” “Love is Strange,” “Selma”and “Whiplash”-only featured women in sec-

ondary parts, as noted by Women andHollywood’s Melissa Silverstein on Twitter.

At a lunch for “The Imitation Game” earlierthis month, someone asked Keira Knightleywhat it was like being the lone woman in atestosterone-heavy cast. “There’s normally oneactress in a movie,” Knightley shot back. “So itwas another day at the office.”

This shift has dramatic repercussion on thecareers of all actresses. It used to be that lead-ing ladies retired out of the film industry afterthey entered their mid-40s. Now it’s happeningearlier and earlier. Rachel McAdams, who wasonce next in line for Julia Roberts’ job, justmade the leap to TV with the next season of“True Detective.” Katie Holmes recently told theLA Times that she’d too consider a primetimeseries, joining the like of Claire Danes and ViolaDavis, both of whom should be movie stars.Even Julia Roberts isn’t really making movies asJulia Roberts anymore. Her only role this yearwas as an AIDs doctor in the HBO adaptation of“A Normal Heart.”

As you talk to women in the industry aboutthe actress problem, they say it will onlyimprove with a new generation of female direc-tors and writers (like Jennifer Lee, the forcebehind Disney’s “Frozen”).

The silver lining to all this gloomy news isthat next February could be the first timeever that two women are nominated forbest director-Angelina Jolie (“Unbroken”)and Ava DuVernay (“Selma”). If that happens,they will become the fifth and sixth femalebest director nominees in history, but theywill have only gotten there with storiesabout strong men. — Reuters

OSCARS

Where’s the competition in the actress categories?

In this Monday, Oct 13, 2014 file photo, US actress Reese Witherspoon and US authorCheryl Strayed pose for photographers at the premiere of “Wild” at a central London cine-ma, during the BFI London Film Festival, in London. The movie opens in the US on Dec. 5,2014. — AP

MAR DEL PLATA - Is Latin American cine-ma shift ing mainstream? Ar t picsremain of course. Indeed, three stand-

outs at Mar del Plata’s voluminous 22-titleWork in Progress, which unspooled Thursdayand Friday at the seaside resor t - DanielRosenfeld’s “To the Center of the Earth,” AnaPitarbarg’s “Alptraum” and Pablo Aguero’s“Madres de los Dioses,” which treated audi-ences Geraldine Chaplin’s latest challengingrole, as God - would all fit into that category.But the MDP WIP also featured at least threegenre movies and a bevy of titles that are -hopefully upscale - niche mainstream, ratherthan the artistic plays so common before.

One case in point: Fernando Cricenti ’sBuenos Aires-set “Veredas,” also at WIP, which,the director said at Mar del Plata, drinks at thewells of both classic Hollywood screwball come-dy - Howard Hawks, Preston Sturges, Cricentisaid at Mar del Plata - and France’s NouvelleVague, in its serial use of outdoor urban loca-tions, dotted around Buenos Aires’ upscalePalermo district.

“The characters move about a Buenos Aireswhich is contemporary, recognizable but slight-ly strange,” Cricenti said. He added: “ Thisstrangeness is based, more than anything else,on the list and organization of the places of theplaces which the characters go to and theirobsessions and actions:

It’s out of synch with normal reality, func-tions in a different way. I like early ‘60s moviesthat took the camera out into the street andstarted shooting.” Produced by Omar Jadur, atNo Problem Cine, and Sebastian Perillo - whoseparately or together also have at Mar del Platathe International Competition entry“Somebody’s Life” and “El hijo buscado,” anArgentine Competition player - “Veredas” starsactor-playwright Ezequial Tronconi (“La Tigra,Chaco”), who co-wrote the screenplay, asFederico, 30, a writer and seemingly romanticwet-blanket, who’s just been dumped by hisgirlfriend from hell, and is delighted when agamine girl, Lucia, played by Paula Reca, whosecredits include the Juan Jose Campanella-pro-duced “Belgrano,” jumps into his taxi to follow

her b.f, Andres, whom she was about to pinkslipuntil she sees him with another woman.

A romantic off-kilter chase movie, chroni-cling the gradual re-masculation of Federico,thanks to Lucia, “Veredas” boasts a strongensemble of secondary players - Anita Pauls(“The German Doctor”), Paloma Contreras (“TheFish Child”) - chance meetings, and quirkier set-tings - the Buenos Aires Zoo, and Carlos Thays’Rose Garden Walk , for instance.Cinematography is by Fernando Lockett, theregular d.p. of Matias Pineiro (“The Princess ofFrance”), whose credits also include SantiagoPalavecino’s Venice player “Some Girls” and“Somebody’s Life.” Starring Guillermo Francella,“Lionheart” grossed $10.6 million in Argentinafor Disney last year. Local romcoms are nonetoo common in the Argentine cinema, Cricentisaid. “I wanted to make an audience-friendlyfilm,” he added. Beyond films starring RicardoDarin and Francella, crime thrillers are punch-ing better box office now in Argentina. I tremains to be seen if romantic comedies stockcan rise too. — Reuters

Bollywood actress and Girl Rising ambassador Priyanka Chopra, left, listens to fellowambassador and Hollywood actress Freida Pinto at the launch of Girl Rising: Engage India,in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Girl Rising is a global campaign that uses storytelling topromote girls’ education and empowerment. The campaign in India will focus on gettingmore girls past class 10, increasing secondary school completion rates for girls and reduc-ing gender-based discrimination in India, according to a press release. — AP

Fernando Cricenti unveils ‘Veredas’