WASHINGTON: The US military has failed to prepare arealistic “plan B” if political turmoil forces the closure ofa vital naval base in Bahrain, a naval officer argues in areport released yesterday. The Fifth Fleet headquartersin Bahrain is the most US important maritime base inthe Middle East but senior officers have become com-placent about its future, Commander Richard McDanielasserts. “Surprisingly, military leaders have no ‘Plan B’ ifstrategic access in Bahrain is jeopardized,” McDanielwrote, in a paper published by the BrookingsInstitution, a Washington think tank.

“Because of a strong desire to support the govern-ment of Bahrain, losing critical access is not currentlybeing considered, and strategic basing alternatives arenot being developed.” The loss of the base “could leavethe United States without a key maritime base during acritical juncture of heightened tensions in the MiddleEast,” wrote McDaniel, who cited interviews withunnamed US officers. His report warns the United Stateswas caught ill-prepared and off-guard by politicalupheavals in the past-in Iran in 1979 and in thePhilippines in 1991 - which saw Washington lose accessto crucial bases.

The author proposes the United States investigatealternatives in the Qatari capital Doha, where a largeport is under construction, and in Shuabia, Kuwait, aswell as ports in Oman.

Continued on Page 15

SUBSCRIPTIO

N40

PA

GES

NO

: 158

5115

0 FI

LS

Max 46º

Min 33º

High Tide 02:20 & 13:05

Low Tide07:42 & 20:37

2Obesity a widespread disease 9

Iran, Hezbollah involvement in Syria ‘dangerous’ 27

‘Passwordfatigue’ haunts masses 20

Serena restores order after the shockwaves

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013 SHAABAN 17, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

‘New era’ as Qatar ruler hands power to his son

Kuwait, Gulf rulers congratulate young EmirDOHA: Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thanihanded power yesterday to his son, Crown PrinceSheikh Tamim, in a rare abdication by a hereditary GulfArab ruler to try to ensure a smooth succession. The US-allied state is small, with 2 million people, but is theworld’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, a globalinvestment powerhouse and heavy hitter in Middle Eastdiplomacy and international media.

Qatar has also been a high-profile supporter of ArabSpring uprisings but remains an absolutist monarchyitself, a system unchallenged by a population thatenjoys great affluence. Thousands of Qatari citizensthronged the emiri court in the capital Doha to pledgeallegiance to the 33-year-old new head of state after theemir, 61, announced the handover. “The time has cometo turn a new page in the journey of our nation andhave a new generation carry out responsibilities ... withtheir innovative ideas,” Sheikh Hamad said in a seven-minute speech broadcast on state television.

“I address you today to inform you that I will transferpower to Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. I am fullyconfident that he is qualified for the responsibility andis trustworthy,” he added, seated beside Qatar’s red-and-white flag. Sheikh Hamad made no mention of SheikhHamad bin Jassim, the veteran prime minister and for-eign minister who is the public face of Qatar’s assertiveforeign policy and had been expected to step down aswell.

Gulf political analysts said they anticipated no signifi-cant changes to foreign or domestic policy after thehandover, noting that Sheikh Tamim was alreadyinvolved in running the peninsular state under hisfather’s direction.

Continued on Page 15

DOHA: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (center) congratulates SheikhHamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (left) and his son Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani on his accessionto the leadership of Qatar as the new ruler of the state. — KUNA

DOHA: Even before Qatar’s emir Sheikh Hamad binKhalifa Al-Thani delivered his early-morning abdicationspeech yesterday, citizens in white traditional dish-dashas were lining up outside the palace to swear alle-giance to the new ruler, his son. Qataris received thenews with mixed emotions as the 61-year-old emir, whocame to power in a coup in which he overthrew his ownfather 18 years ago, announced he will cede power to hisson, crown prince Sheikh Tamim, 33.

“We are sad for the departure of the builder of mod-ern Qatar but are also pleased with the continuity of (theline of ) power,” said Hamad Al-Hijji. The 37-year-oldfinancial expert, accompanied by his brother, waitedpatiently to greet the new Emir, unlike hundreds of oth-ers who turned back when they saw the vast crowdsoutside the palace.

Under the scorching sun, scores waited in long linesoutside the large white seaside building in Doha. SheikhHamad, using the tiny Gulf state’s vast wealth generatedby its enormous gas deposits, had transformed Qatarinto a political and economic powerhouse with multi-billion-dollar investments across the world. No officialreason has been given for the abdication, although theemir is known to suffer from kidney problems.

Officials and diplomats say however that the Sheikh’shanding over of power was not linked to health issuesbut rather a determination to bring a younger leader-ship to the fore. Tamim’s accession makes him theyoungest sovereign of any of the Gulf Arab monarchies.Hijji said he hoped the historic transition would “encour-age other Arab countries to undertake similar rejuvena-tions” in their political systems. Autocratic rulers in theArab world had held power uncontested for decadesuntil the Arab Spring revolutions that toppled regimes inTunisia, Egypt and Libya.

By ceding power at his age, “Sheikh Hamad, con-cerned about the national interest, gives a lesson to oth-er Arab leaders who cling to power,” agrees a Qatarifather. The 29-year-old customs employee, who declinedto be named, added that he had been inspired by the“wisdom of Sheikh Hamad” in choosing to give up pow-er. A young Qatari woman clad in a black traditionalabaya, sitting in a coffee shop in a shopping centre onthe outskirts of Doha, voiced mixed feelings.

“I am saddened by the departure of the father of thisnation under whose reign I had lived and grown up,”she told AFP. “But I’m reassured about the future withthe enthronement of Sheikh Tamim, who is young butmature.” Abdelaziz Al-Duhaimen, a 34-year-old officialfrom the National Olympic Committee, headed byTamim, was upbeat. “This change offers a chance foryoung Qataris who, like Sheikh Tamim, are well-trainedand competent enough to take new responsibilities,”he said.

Continued on Page 15

Qataris sadbut hopeful

US has no ‘plan B’ for naval base in Bahrain

Kuwait’s Shuabia, Qatar seen as alternative

SANABIS: A Bahraini Shiite man punches his fist into the air as he and thousandsof others chant slogans in support for their senior clerics during a public forum,at a religious community center in Sanabis, Bahrain. Hatreds between Shiitesand Sunnis are now more virulent than ever in the Arab world because of Syria’sbrutal civil war. Hard-line clerics and politicians on both sides have added fuel,depicting the fight as essentially a war of survival for their sect. — AP

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The Constitutional Court is settoday to issue an explanation to its histor-ical ruling it issued on June 16 which isexpected to have an immediate impacton the election date with the possibilityto delay the polls for months. The councilof ministers on Monday decided to halt allprocedures regarding the election untilthe court has issued its explanation.

Among the procedures affected washalting the publication of the electiondecree in the official gazette which effec-tively made it not possible to hold theelection on July 25 as was announcedearlier. This is because the law requiresthe decree to be published by at least onemonth before the election date. So, the

election date now hangs on the explana-tion of the court.

The Constitutional Court, whose rul-ings are final, has three scenarios regard-ing the explanation request which wasfiled by Abdulhameed Dashti, a memberof the scrapped Assembly. It will eitherreject the request and decline to issue anexplanation on the grounds that the rul-ing was clear or it may accept the requestbut set another date to issue the explana-tion.

The third option is for the court tomake the explanation in today’s sessionexplaining how the ruling should beimplemented. The argument is whetherthe 2009 Assembly should be revivedafter the court ruling although it hadalready been dissolved on two occasions.

The 2009 Assembly was dissolved inDecember 2011 following street protestsand fresh elections were held in Februarylast year which resulted in an opposition-dominated Assembly that was dissolvedfour months later by a constitutionalcourt ruling which also ordered that the2009 Assembly must be revived.

That Assembly could not meetbecause most MPs boycotted its sessions,forcing the government to recommendto the Amir to dissolve it for the secondtime. The Amir dissolved it on October 7last year and new elections were held onDecember 1 within the 60-day legal peri-od. Again, the new Assembly was dis-solved by the Constitutional Court whichdid not order reviving the 2009 Assembly.The explanation request asked the court

if that Assembly should be reinstated.If the court says there is no need to

revive that Assembly, then the electionwill most probably will be held late Julypossibly on July 27 after the electiondecree is published either today ortomorrow. If the court says the 2009Assembly must be revived, then electionsare not likely to be held in summer andare expected to be in October.

This can also happen if the court saysthat an Amiri decree must be issued todissolve the scrapped Assembly electedlast December. Under this scenario, thegovernment can have the liberty in wait-ing several weeks to issue the decree,then several more weeks to publish theelection decree and at least a month untilthe election date.

3 scenarios at Constitutional CourtElection either in late July or months later

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

KUWAIT: Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon left the country yesterday, ending a three-day official visit which was highlighted by a meetingwith His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. President Rahmon was seen off at the airport by His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh MeshalAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Also seeing off the head of state were His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah,First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs SheikhAli Jarah Al-Sabah, and senior commanders of the army, police, and National Guard.

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Obesity is a widespread dis-ease in Kuwait, admits a formerhealth minister. Speaking at a pressconference to introduce a visitingsurgeon, Dr Peter Christian Hirsch, atthe German Specialized Clinic,Kuwait’s former health minister DrMuhammad Al-Jarallah cited researchbased on a sample of 212 Kuwaitimen and 212 Kuwaiti women, con-ducted by Kuwait University, in which71 percent people were believed tobe obese.

“Excessive overweight has animportant negative impact on a per-son’s health and quality of life, leav-ing surgery the only available optionin certain cases,” he noted.

Jarallah mentioned that with thelatest technology available now atthe German Specialized Clinic andwith their doctors dedicated to help-ing patients in Kuwait, it has becomepossible to tackle obesity.

“That is why we are joined here bythe best international consultant andplastic surgeon. He will be here withus for several months to provide thebest surgery that patients could everhave,” he added. Dr Peter ChristianHirsch graduated in Plastic Surgeryfrom the University of Hannover,

Germany. After working in severalhospitals and care centers back homein Germany, he moved to Kuwait in2008 as a permanent consultant sur-geon at a private hospital. Then, in2013, he joined German SpecializedClinic, where he continued to deliverexceptional patient care. “Plastic sur-

gery is a procedure highly in demandin Kuwait nowadays. What we offer isa comprehensive approach in whicha full range of surgical procedures ismade available to the patient as wellas qualified aftercare and specializeddermatological care,” he said.

Parts of Hirsch’s work includesbody sculpting surgery, liposuction,fat transplantation, augmentation ofthe breast and buttocks, arm andthigh lifts, reconstruction ofabdomen after pregnancies and aes-thetic and functional reconstructionof body shape after weight loss.

“Successful cosmetic surgeryrequires a team approach. I amjoined here by doctors qualified andspecialized in their respective fields,”he said. His team comprises Dr RezaPajand, an experienced Italian Boardplastic surgeon and Dr MatthiasRoux, German Board dermatologistwho covers the full range of opera-tive dermatology, laser treatmentand cosmetic skin therapy.

Obesity a widespread disease in Kuwait

German Specialized Clinic welcomes Dr Hirsch

KUWAIT: (Left) The German Specialized surgery room. (Right) Some staff members of the German Specialized Clinic in Hawally.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Former Health Minister Dr Muhammad Al-Jarallah, center, formally welcomes Dr Peter Christian Hirsch, left,at the German Specialized Clinic at a press conference yesterday.Also in the photo is Dr Reza Pajand.—Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)recently welcomed a new batch of universitystudents in its ongoing Training Program.

This annual program is specially designedfor university students and aims at providingKuwaiti youth with the appropriate opportu-nities to experience how the actual profes-sional banking issues and transactions arehandled and processed.

More than 200 trainees are enrolled annu-ally in this intensive program.

The Training Program extends over a peri-od of two months and provides practicaltraining covering different aspects of thebanking industry. The program offers trainees

the knowledge on a variety of subjects suchas: teamwork, creative thinking and modernbanking, in addition to helping them havegreater exposure to daily banking work pro-cedures. NBK’s Training Program is an exten-sion to NBK’s educative initiatives and as partof its corporate social responsibility.

NBK’s training programs include NBKAcademy which aims to train and develop theprofessional skills of fresh graduates, theSummer Internship Program for high schooland college students and the new training AlShabab program, that is specially designed todevelop the skills of newly recruited diplomaholders.

NBK launches new sessionof training program

KUWAIT: Mohammed Al-Othman, NBK’s Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group ina group photo with the trainees.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti man who arrived atKuwait Airport last night onboard a flightfrom Sharjah behaved in a rather peculiarfashion, and even clashed with a security manwho sought to question him. The passengereven assaulted the security man, whereuponhe was arrested and sent to the concernedauthorities.

Maid harassed A Sri Lankan maid complained that an

Egyptian expat working as a delivery boy at arestaurant harassed her sexually. She told thepolice that when she came out of her houseto receive the meal that was ordered, hetouched her inappropriately and tried toseduce her. A case was registered with the

Saad Al-Abdullah police who have sum-moned the Egyptian expat to hear his side ofthe story.

Girl missingAn Egyptian expat has filed a case saying

his underage daughter went missing from thehouse 48 hours ago and has not returned.

Asian held A Bangladeshi expat was arrested for

being in possession of 240 bottles of locallymade liquor. Security sources said that apatrol on duty at King Fahad Express Waynear Mina Abdullah noticed a van driven byan expat who seemed confused. After search-ing the van, police found cartons containingthe locally made liquor. He was sent to theMina Abdullah police station.

Passenger clasheswith security man

KUWAIT: The fire department received a report at 10:52 yesterday morning about a fire inthe basement of a house under construction in Mishref area. Some timbers were storedat the 750 square-meter basement for construction purposes. Personnel from the Mishreffire center and the support center, led by Hawally governorate fire director ColonelMohammad Al-Mihaimeed and head of Mishreef center Major Ali Abdul Razaq, respond-ed to the call. Within 3 minutes, firemen arrived at the site and soon brought the fireunder control. No causalities were reported.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s court of appeals on Monday dismissed arequest by former lawmaker Musallam Al Barrak to suspend his tri-al until a verdict by the cassation court is pronounced. However,the court agreed to lift a travel ban imposed on the leading oppo-sition figure put on trial on charges of undermining the status ofthe emir in a speech he delivered in October.

A five-year-sentence against Al Barrak by a lower court in Aprilwas overturned by the court of appeals in May. However, thecourt kept the case open within the court, a decision that the for-mer lawmaker challenged at the court of cassation, saying that itneeded to be sent back to the lower court. “Not taking back mycase to the lower court means that I have been deprived of my liti-gation rights,” he said. The court of appeals scheduled the next tri-al on Sept 8. The ex-MP is well-known throughout his years in thecountry’s parliament for his vociferous statements and sharpstances. He delivered his “abusive” speech at the pinnacle of a bit-ter standoff between the government and the opposition overthe amendment of the controversial 2006 electoral law.

The opposition, mostly conservative and tribal figures, saidthat the amendment that reduced the number of ballots a votercould cast from four to one was meant to ensure the election of arubber-stamp parliament. The government argued that the “onevoter, one vote” principle was adopted universally and that theamendment would also help address possible legal loopholesthat had marred past elections.

With the parliamentary elections in December, both sidessought support for their arguments and the opposition stagedseveral rallies and demonstrations where leaders gave passion-filled speeches. According to security forces and several politicalformations, the former lawmaker stepped over the limits tradi-tionally accorded to the emir. However, the ex-MP and his sup-porters denied the claim. Al Barrak boycotted the December 1parliamentary elections and this week urged eligible voters not tocast their ballots at the next national polls to elect a new legisla-tive house on July 25. Several other former lawmakers supportedhis call, but the boycott drive on Sunday evening was dealt aheavy blow after Al Awazem, Kuwait’s largest tribe, said that itsmembers would run in the elections.

Travel ban on Al-Barrak lifted

LO C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Kuwaiti Amir arrives homeKUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah andthe official delegation accompanying himarrived home yesterday after having con-gratulated Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad binKhalifa Al Thani on his accession to theleadership of Qatar as the new ruler of thestate.

On hand to see HH the Amir at the air-port here were His Highness the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and anumber of ministers and senior govern-ment officials.

Among members of the delegationaccompanying His Highness the Amir toQatar were Sheikh Faisal Al-Saud Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of theNational Guard Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad

Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Amiri DiwanAffairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy PrimeMinister and Interior Minister SheikhAhmad Al-Hamoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah,Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan AffairsSheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, President of theNational Security Apparatus SheikhMohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Advisor atthe Amiri Diwan Mohammad DhaifallahSharar, Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Advisor at the Amiri DiwanSheikh Fahad Saad Al-Abdullah Al-SalemAl-Sabah, Director of the Office of HisHighness the Amir Ahmad Fahad Al-Fahadand Chief of Amiri Protocol Sheikh KhalidAl-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah.—(KUNA)

KUWAIT: The opposition plans to adopt a differ-ent approach in its campaign to boycott theelections, compared to what it adopted duringlast December’s polls. This time, the campaignwould be “more organized” and based on “moreeffective” political tactics, according to sourcesprivy to the opposition’s thinking.

Speaking to Al-Qabas on the condition ofanonymity, the sources said that recent discus-sions among opposition groups focused oncoming up with a work plan that avoids con-frontations and in which every step would be inline with the law. One of the options discussedwas forming a shadow parliament “to monitorthe work of the executive and legislative authori-ties with regards to progress in fighting corrup-tion and commitment to the constitution,”according to the source.

Separately, former MP Falah Al-Sawaghannounced leading a movement in the fifth con-stituency to urge the voters to boycott theupcoming elections, the date for which could bepostponed to next October, depending on an

explanation to be released by the ConstitutionalCourt today for last week’s ruling that upheldthe single-vote system.

Al-Sawagh’s statements came a day after agathering of the members of his Awazem tribeduring which its leader Sheikh Falah Bin Jameurged his tribesmen to vote. “The majority of theAwazem tribesmen approve of the boycott callas hundreds of them pledged to boycott after(Sunday night’s) gathering,” he told Al-Rai.

Al-Sawagh argued that hundreds of Awazemtribe members walked out of the gathering inwhich former MPs Salem Al-Namlan, Badr Al-Dahoum and he himself advocated a rejectionof all calls to vote. “We were carried on theshoulders of our tribesmen, and hundreds ofthem accompanied us to Al-Namlan’s dewaniyawhere they vowed to continue boycotting,” headded. Al-Dahoum also argued in a separatestatement that a majority of the members of theAwazem tribe, the largest in Kuwait, plan toboycott the elections. Meanwhile, Al-Qabasreported yesterday quoting “informed sources”

that the tribesmen in all but the third con-stituency launched preparations to declare out-lawed the by-elections in which candidates willbe chosen to represent their respective tribes inthe upcoming elections.

In a related note, former MP MohammadHayef announced that he does not plan to con-test in the upcoming elections, although herejected plans to boycott. Hayef was one ofmore than 30 oppositionists who boycotted lastDecember’s elections held as per the single-vote system that was enforced in keeping withthe emergency decree released by HH the Amirfollowing dissolution of the parliament. Hayefsaid in his recent announcement that hechanged his mind based on “the need to givepriority to combating corruption ahead of per-sonal interests.”

In other news, the Kuwait Democratic Forumreleased a statement announcing it will boycottthe upcoming elections, but also indicated thatit will not stop any members from contesting ifthey planned to do so.

Opposition plans ‘more organized’ boycotting

Plan to avoid confrontations

CAIRO: Secretary-General of theArab League Dr Nabil Al-Arabi point-ed out here yesterday the Arabregion was still undergoing divergentdemographic challenges such asunemployment, marginalization, lowincome, and immigration despiteArab states’ efforts to strengthen andemploy development opportunities.

Latest data showed that a majornumber of Arab countries will not beable to accomplish most of the goalsof World Population Plan of Action by2014, as well as the MillenniumDevelopment Goals by 2015, Al-Arabisaid during his opening speech at theRegional Population andDevelopment Conference, entitled“Development Challenges andPopulation Dynamics in a ChangingArab Region, which kicked off onMonday in the Egyptian capital.

Also, he noted the Arab world iscurrently witnessing high unemploy-ment rates, compared to other inter-national regions, adding that thesehigh rates contributed in aggravating

poverty and marginalization rates asthey were some of the main causes ofthe latest political events that tookplace in many Arab countries.

In addition, Al-Arabi explainedthat some of the low-income Arabcountries are still undergoing highrates of population growth, death ofmothers, illiteracy, low awareness,and bad health services, affirming atthe same time that other Arab statesare witnessing high populated migra-tions to their lands such as forced,irregular, work, and competencies.

Furthermore, he asserted thatwars and conflicts contributed inaggravating numbers of immigrantsand refugees in the region, making itone of the world’s biggest regions inhosting refugees.

The current conference is of greatimportance since it is occurring aftertwo decades of the first populationconference in 1994, which resulted increating a 20 year program of action.

Moreover, the conference will dis-cuss how well the program was

applied in the Arab world, and willalso set a development plan to beexecuted beyond 2014.

The three-day conference, will aimto provide a better life for the 370 mil-lion people of the Arab world popula-tion, especially with the recent demo-

graphic, economic, social, and politi-cal changes they are facing. Kuwait’sdelegation for the conference is head-ed by Minister of State for Planningand Development and Minister ofState for National Assembly Affairs Dr.Rola Dashti. —KUNA

KUWAIT: LAPA (LoYACAcademy of Performing Arts)held yesterday its cultural activi-ties at the theater of KuwaitNational Museum, under theauspices of His Highness thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

His Highness Sheikh Jabersaid that the government iskeen on encouraging all youthtalents, adopting their variousideas and theses in all fields in

general, and scientifically,socially, culturally, and aestheti-cally in particular. Kuwait isknown to be rich with youthpotential, manifested in culturaland artistic productions, saidthe Prime Minister, expressingconfidence in the continuity ofKuwaitis’ creative efforts. Theevent was attended by a num-ber of sheikhs, ministers, andsenior state and Premier Diwanofficials. — KUNA

Arab countries still suffering demographic challenges

Premier sponsors LAPAcultural activities

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

What’s after

boycotting

elections?

kuwait digest

By Dr Bader Al-Daihani

It seems that the Constitutional Court’s ruling hasfailed to end the instability that has swept throughthe political scene for years. Taking a decision about

whether to participate in the elections or boycottthese is not an easy one, especially when reading thedetails in the ruling, ahead of a clarification to bereleased by the Constitutional Cour t today(Wednesday).

There is no doubt that the Fatwa and LegislationDepartment bears political and legal responsibilitythat cannot be justified just by releasing a statementto the press, as they did recently. Further, the state-ment seems like a reaction and betrays the fact that itneeds rescuing. It was illogical for the FLD to abandonits responsibility since it serves the role of being thegovernment’s only legislative body whose job is toassess the status of urgency based on which emer-gency decrees are released.

The single-vote system is in my opinion not com-patible with the population density, the distribution ofconstituencies and the political system as a whole.However, the Constitutional Court’s ruling to upholdthe system must be honored. I had hoped that the rul-

ing would have ended people’s boycott of the elec-tions, especially by the opposition. Its participationtoday is more necessary that it ever was in order torestore balance in the political struggle and amend thesingle-vote system in the parliament.

In the meantime, it is clear what steps are needednext in the political scene.

We need reinforcement of the idea of respectingdifferent opinions and plans for a better future.National unity is also critical at this point; we need tostand united in face of challenges at the local andregional levels. This requires us to stand together asKuwaitis in order to reinforce public participation inthe decision making process through steps based onaccord. Meanwhile, the executive authority needs totake radical and reformist steps in the Fatwa andLegislation Department to avoid committing furtherconstitutional errors.

Today, there are only two options left for the oppo-sition: either be convinced through efforts of youthactivists to answer the national call for voting, or pro-vide a clear vision to correct the situation in accor-dance with the law and the constitution. —Al-Qabas

A state of confusion

kuwait digest

By Khalid Al-Tarrah

When the United States and its allies beganimposing sanctions on Iran to persuade itsleaders to reconsider their policy toward its

nuclear program, they promised the world that thesanctions would be “smart” and “targeted.” They told usthat the sanctions would not hurt millions of ordinaryIranians who go about their daily lives and play no rolein the decision-making process of the Islamic Republic’sleaders regarding Iran’s nuclear policy. Now that thesanctions are in full force, they are hurting the samepeople who were not supposedly the target. In fact, ahuman catastrophe is emerging whose scale poses asmuch a threat as an outright military attack.

The supposedly “smart” and “targeted” sanctionshave been increasingly expanded to all areas, even ifthey are not part of the official sphere of sanctions. Thisis because the US and its EU allies have imposed sanc-tions on the Central Bank and practically all otherIranian banks that are involved in commercial transac-tions with the outside world. Since these banks openlines of credit for imports, and provide financial guaran-tees for commerce with the outside world, it hasbecome very difficult, if not impossible, to import vitalgoods and products into the country, even those thatabsolutely have nothing to do with the military, or oil, orthe nuclear program.

An area that has been hit very hard is the pharma-ceutical sector. Iran produces a large part of the medi-cines and drugs that its population needs, based on thegeneric versions of brand-name pharmaceuticals. But itis unable to produce the most advanced drugs thathave come to the market over the past 10-15 years thatdeal with a variety of serious illnesses, simply becausetheir generic versions are not yet available. As a result,Iran must still import a significant amount of drugsevery year to address the needs of the Iranian peoplewhen dealing with such illnesses as leukemia, AIDS andothers.

But, the sanctions imposed on Iran’s banks and finan-cial institutions have made importing the necessarydrugs and the associated chemicals almost impossible.At the same time, as Iran’s oil exports continue todecrease due to the sanctions strain on the country’sresources, it becomes increasingly more difficult to payfor the expensive imported drugs, even if a way can befound to important them. As a result, the shortage ofdrugs has begun to create a human catastrophe.

The board of directors of the Iranian HemophiliaSociety recently informed the World Federation ofHemophilia (IFH) that the lives of tens of thousands ofchildren are being endangered by the lack of properdrugs as a consequence of international economic sanc-tions imposed on Iran. According to the letter that theSociety’s board sent to the IFH, while the export ofdrugs to Iran has not been banned, the sanctionsimposed on the Central Bank of Iran and the country’sother financial institutions have severely disrupted thepurchase and transfer of medicines. Describing itself asa non-political organization that has been active for 45years, the Society condemned the “inhumane andimmoral” US and EU sanctions and appealed to interna-tional organizations for help.

There are tens of thousands of Iranian boys andyoung men who are hemophilic and need certain drugsthat must be imported. Many of them may need surgeryfor a variety of reasons, but in the absence of properdrugs for their hemophilia illness, the surgeries cannotbe performed. In fact, several reports from Iran indicatethat surgeries for all hemophilic patients have been can-

celed, and at least a few patients have already died.Fatemeh Hashemi, head of Iran’s Foundation for

Special Diseases, recently wrote a letter to UnitedNations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. TheFoundation cares for the needs of patients with life-threatening diseases, including a variety of cancers inadult patients as well as children, heart diseases, lungproblems, multiple sclerosis (MS) and thalassemia. Thefoundation has been a highly successful organizationthat, in addition to Iran, has also served many people inIraq and Afghanistan, and whose work has been recog-nized by the U.N.

In her letter, Hashemi says she leads an organization“with 6 million patients and, hence, in contact with 30percent of Iran’s total population.” Emphasizing the non-political nature of her organization and her letter,Hashemi adds, “Although drugs have not been sanc-tioned, due to the impossibility of paying for theimported drugs through the banking system, the heavyshadow of the sanctions is felt in the health sector. Notonly has importing drugs been disrupted, importing theraw chemicals [for the drugs that Iran does produce] hasalso been disrupted. ... As a human activist, I call onhumanity’s conscience to pay attention to the fact that,despite the claims by those that have imposed the sanc-tions, their pressure is having its destructive effect onthe life and health of the people.”

Hence, advanced drugs for the aforementioned spe-cial and dangerous diseases cannot be imported,endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands ofIranian people. There are about 37,000 Iranians with(MS), a debilitating disease that can be controlled onlywith advanced medications; otherwise, the patients willdie. Three members of my own extended family living inIran are afflicted with MS. Furthermore, given that evenunder the best medical conditions 40,000 Iranians losetheir lives to cancer every year, and that it has been pre-dicted by many medical experts that Iran will have a“cancer tsunami” by 2015, as every year 70,000 to 80,000new cases of cancer are identified in Iran, the gravity ofthe situation becomes even more glaring. The net resultis that, as a result of the sanctions, the shortage of drugsfor such patients and other types of illnesses is becom-ing chronic in Iran and has reached dangerous levels.

Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that two largeplants that produce drugs for a variety of illnesses havealso been closed. The reason is that it has becomeessentially impossible to import the chemical com-pounds used in the production of the drugs, due to thesanctions imposed on Iran’s financial institutions thatdeal with the outside world.

It may be useless to preach to the Obama administra-tion about the human, moral, and ethical toll of its poli-cy toward Iran, given that the president has in manyrespects perpetuated the destructive Middle East policyof George W. Bush, which in Iran’s case has been eventougher and more damaging to the livelihood of theIranian people.

But, the emerging catastrophe will be an ethical andmoral problem for the West for decades to come, acatastrophe that is being created simply becauseWestern governments blindly pursue crippling sanc-tions against Iran. Given the tragic history of the USintervention in Iran in the past, it would be prudent torethink the consequences of such blind sanctions, andtheir effect on the thinking of the Iranian people aboutthe US-a largely pro-US population in one of the mostturbulent areas in the world that has been largely hos-tile towards the United States.

The unfolding catastrophe

In my view

By Muhammad Sahimi

US cohabitation

with terrorists

In my view

By Dr Abdulaziz Sager

In mid-December 2012, President Obama in aninterview with ABC’s Barbara Walters tried toexplain US policy toward the Syrian revolution,

saying “Not everybody who’s participating on theground in fighting Assad are people who we arecomfortable with.” This comment was a direct refer-ence to the US government’s decision to designatethe Syrian rebel group “Al-Nusrah Front” as a terror-ist organization. It was amazing how fast and effi-cient the US and European counter-terrorismauthorities were in discovering that the Al-NusrahFront is a terrorist group affiliated to Al-Qaeda thatdeserves swift punishment.

Most Arab governments, and even the generalpublic, raised no objection to the US administra-tion’s decision. Yet many thought that, consideringthe criminal behavior of the Assad regime, evi-dence of Al-Nusrah practising terrorism was notsufficient or convincing. It would appear that as aSunni Jihadi militia organization, Al-Nusrah waspredestined to be branded as a terrorist group byWestern governments.

The debate over whether Al-Nusrah can be con-sidered as a terrorist group and a branch of Al-Qaeda was over quickly after it was promptlyincluded on both the US and EU terrorist groupslist, as well as on the UN Security Council blacklist.Yet, deliberation is still continuing among the EUstates on listing Hezbollah as a terrorist group, withconsiderable and evident hesitation. The fact is thatboth Al-Nusrah and Hezbollah have been equallyaccused of interfering in the Syrian internal conflict.

All terrorist groups must be faced with immedi-ate and severe punitive action, and the crime of ter-rorism must be fought regardless of sectarian, reli-gious, and nationalist pretexts. Yet, one has theright to wonder about the double standards adopt-ed by the US and its European allies toward catego-rizing who deserves to be called a terrorist and whodoes not.

Recently, many thousands of Hezbollah militiaswith their heavy arms crossed the Syrian interna-tional border to participate in the Assad’s regimebloodbath against the Syrian people, on the Syrianland. Does this not amount to a terrorist act?“Before Al-Qaeda’s attack on the US on Sept. 11,2001, Hezbollah was responsible for killing moreAmericans in terrorist attacks than any other terror-ist group.” These were precisely the words of the USUnder Secretary for Terrorism and FinancialIntelligence David Cohen on Aug. 10, 2012.

He told his audience that Hezbollah has “a longhistory of terrorist attacks against American citizensand officials, including the bombing of the USEmbassy and Marine barracks in Lebanon duringthe 1980s.” He further added that Hezbollah “quick-ly expanded its violent campaign on to a globalstage, carrying out and supporting terrorist attacksin South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and vari-ous countries in the Middle East. More recently onehas seen the group’s plotting disrupted inAzerbaijan, Egypt, Thailand, and Cyprus,” and that“Hezbollah’s members have engaged in criminalbehavior, including profiting from the narcotics andmoney-laundering schemes.”

Yet the top counter-terrorism official in theObama administration focused on Hezbollah’scrimes against the US, overlooking the fact that thegroup has practised terrorism and intimidationagainst the people of Lebanon for many years.Hezbollah’s responsibility for the brutal assassina-tion of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, andpossibly a dozen more similar crimes, has beenproven by a UN investigation team.

In this context, most Arabs are concerned aboutUS double standards, with the US government offi-cially describing Hezbollah as a dangerous terroristgroup on the one hand, yet declining to treat it likeother “terrorist groups.” Indeed, if one removes theword “Hezbollah” from the US under secretary’sstatement we will be mistaken that the top US offi-cial was referring to Al-Qaeda.

Does such strong US language bring any puni-tive consequences on the Hezbollah group, whichhas been on the US terrorist list since 1995? Does itactually increase the pressure on Hezbollah in anypractical way?

While the US has fully mobilized its militarymight and its intelligence apparatus, along withthousands of US drones, determinedly chasing andhunting down Al-Qaeda’s operatives from the jun-gles of Africa to the mountains of Pakistan, and thedeserts of Yemen, many thousands of Hezbollah’smilitia members are crossing the Syrian internation-al borders with their most sophisticated and heavyweapons, in daylight, and even under the scrutinyof the TV cameras.

This is happening while the US and its Westernallies are turning a blind eye to Hezbollah, whichhas been developed to operate as an effective ter-rorist arm for the Iranian regime. The US’s officialclassification of Hezbollah as a “dangerous terroristgroup” is no more than lip-service, mere wordsunsupported by real conviction and lacking anyreal enforcement action on the ground. Suchhypocrisy and insincerity is deeply worrying.

Soon after the start of the Syrian revolt,Hezbollah successfully ‘tested the waters’ andmoved rapidly from providing logistical and opera-tional support for the Assad regime and its repres-sion to actual participation in the bloodbath. TheIranian and Hezbollah leadership rightly assumedthat the US and its allies are either unwilling orunable to stop or hinder Hezbollah’s direct involve-ment in the Syrian internal conflict. The US lack ofresolve and interest, which remains very evident, isseen in Tehran as a green light to further pursue itsagenda.

Today, the US and its Western allies are sheddingcrocodile tears about the atrocities committedagainst the civilian population in Syria, apparentlywith the intention to deceive Arab and internation-al public opinion. President Obama rightly feelsuncomfortable to share the ground with Al-Nusrahterrorist group. Yet, he seems comfortable to shareit with the Hezbollah terrorist group.

In my last article, I said that boycotting the parliamen-tary elections to be held under the one person-onevote decree was a principled choice of those who

reject any stakeholder’s monopoly over the decision-making process and who want to stick to democraticpractices based on the constitution.

The Kuwaiti constitution stresses that no single stake-holder should override the jurisdiction and authority ofanother, and thereby destabilize the political equation.As an example, assume we are about to participate in asport where our opponent is entitled to change its rulesas he wishes while the game is in progress. Will this begame be a fair one? Can you have any hope of winning?The answer is definitely no.

Hence, the question should not be about the practica-bility of boycotting the coming elections. It should ratherfocus on the practicability of participating while knowingbeforehand that it would only impart further political andpublic legitimacy to the laws and decisions passed by thegovernment, particularly since it controls all the cards inthe political game and can change the rules of the gamewhenever it wished.

Therefore, any new parliament will not be different inessence than the one just annulled. Can this be describedas a real democracy or just a nominal one that wouldonly usher in another phony parliament?

Moreover, those who had already taken part in theprevious one-vote parliament that was annulled by theConstitutional Court will find no problem participatingonce again as well. The question will be, then, directed tothose who had boycotted the elections. They will have toponder over what they expect to happen after the elec-tions. The problem does not lie in the worthless gainsthe government can easily wipe off anytime by a simplestroke. The issue is more important than that. It is relatedto adhering to our democratic system that really reflectsthe nation’s will and addresses its interests. Democracy isnot mere polling boxes and a parliament house. We haveseen many examples of phony parliaments in the Arabregion. Democracy is all about well defined rules andmechanisms agreed upon by all to ensure stability of thepolitical system. Such a system can be formed andtweaked by the people themselves. So boycotting theelections being held as per the ‘necessity decree’ is a prin-cipled stance, expressing rejection of inducing imbalancein the political equation for the benefit of a governmentthat wishes to have a nominal parliament in which noopposition group should be able to affect its decisions. Itwill only be used to legalize an undemocratic situation.

Boycotting the elections is a peaceful and civilizedway followed in many countries worldwide to reject themoves to manipulate democratic functioning. Suchmanipulation would eventually render the government’sdecisions illegal and, thus, the government alone wouldbe responsible for them.

Hence, the role of youth and opposition powers andtheir ability to unite and overcome previous differencesbecomes very significant. —Al-Jarida

The looming

threat

kuwait digest

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi

Amid speculations about what shape the parlia-ment and Cabinet will take following the upcom-ing elections, my hope is that whatever formations

we end up with, these should be able to help the Kuwaitipeople realize their ambitions that have been put on holdduring the long years of political turmoil.

If there is something we need to focus on as a top pri-ority today, it is a plan to rescue the Kuwait’s economyand avoid a dark future in which its very existence wouldbe at risk. This plan must be based on reformist steps tocorrect the huge imbalance in spending that continues toworsen, according to researches and reports released byseveral international organizations.

Predictions for the 2012/2013 fiscal year budget indi-cate that Kuwait’s revenue will reach KD18 billion whileexpenses are set to reach KD21 billion, which means thatat least a deficit of KD3 billion is expected. What is morealarming are the statistics which indicate that the publicsector’s payroll was in excess of KD10.3 billion or 57 per-cent of the revenue, while subsidies have reached KD5.6billion or 30 percent of the revenue. Together, the salarybudget and subsidies claim KD16 billion or 88 percent ofthe revenue, leaving comparatively little funds for otheractivities.

Some might argue that these figures are not as alarm-ing as they seem to be, given Kuwait’s status as a countrythat makes more than KD10 billion in annual surpluswhile oil prices are gradually increasing. However, theproblem lies in the fact that politicians lack a long termvision and have been unable to realize that the ongoingspending policy is leading the country towards a darkfuture.

According to official estimations, Kuwait is in line toface a $179 billion deficit by 2030 in a best case scenarioin which oil production increases from three million bar-rels a day to 4.5 million and at the rate of $185 a barrel.

This scenario is almost impossible to happen; in amore pragmatic scenario, production would increase tofour million barrels a day by 2030 and the price would be$100 a barrel. With a seven percent average increase ingeneral spending, the budget deficit would exceed $624billion by then.

No one needs an economic expert to understandwhat it means for a country like Kuwait that has a lessthan 1.25 million population and a $624 billion budgetdeficit. Given the lack of sources of income other than oil,not only would this deficit mean that the country wouldface bankruptcy, but also that debts will follow Kuwaitiseverywhere they go. Greece is an example of a countrythat has a population larger than us, a history that goesfar beyond ours as well as agricultural, touristic andindustrial potential. After falling in a debt trap thatreached 350 billion Euros, the European Union offeredhelp but only as long as it follows tough conditions thatinclude releasing 150,000 people from the public sector,salary and pension cuts, increasing the retirement age,increasing income and value added taxes, as well asmerging or dissolving many public sector institutions.

Even after following these conditions, Greece is yet torecover from its debt crisis that it could have avoidedmore easily by acting earlier. Is a fate similar to Greece’sawaiting us? — Al-Rai

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

KUWAIT: Nearly 6,000 people were deportedover the past six months of crackdowns on ille-gal residents in Kuwait, a local daily reportedyesterday, quoting Interior Ministry statistics asof June 23. According to a source, who agreed toprovide the statistics to Al-Qabas on the condi-tion of not being named in the report, as manyas 25,000 expatriates were arrested during secu-rity campaigns carried out since the beginningof the year across Kuwait.

The source said around 15,000 people werelater released after their employers submitteddocuments to prove that the workers were livinglegally in Kuwait. In other cases, workers whosevisas had recently expired were released aftertheir employers gave assurances to renew theirvisas immediately.

The source also revealed that some employ-ers were required to sign undertakings that they

would not to allow their employees to work inother firms before the workers were officiallyreleased. In addition to people with expiredvisas, the continuing crackdowns are targetingexpatriate laborers reported missing by theiremployers, as well as people holding Article 20visas (for domestic helpers) but working in pri-vate firms, for which visas are issued underArticle 18 of the labor law.

However, the source stated, such securitycampaigns could be put on hold until furthernotice, with jails getting “overcrowded withdetainees.” The source indicated that nearly athousand employers were blacklisted for allow-ing domestic workers to work for others.Furthermore, he said cooperation with theMinistry of Social Affairs resulted in the blacklist-ing of nearly 500 companies found guilty of visatrafficking. The source also indicated that

Kuwait Airways is currently the only airline usedto transport deportees. A maximum of fivedeportees per flight are allowed, he added, inorder to avoid trouble inside the airplane.

Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra Al-Rashidi had announced in March the govern-ment’s intention to deport 100,000 foreignersthis year, as part of a plan to reduce the expatri-ate population in Kuwait by one million within adecade. The Interior Ministry never confirmedthat the ongoing crackdowns on illegal residentswere part of the deportation plan. In response tocriticism from rights groups inside and outsideKuwait, Al-Rashidi later identified “marginallabor forces” as the target of the plan. Kuwait ishome to 2.6 million expatriates, who make up 68percent of the country’s 3.8 million population.Nearly 90,000 of them live illegally in the coun-try, according to official numbers.

6,000 illegal residents

deported in 6 months

Jails getting overcrowded

KUWAIT: The Learning and Training Affairs Department under the Ministryof Interior has invited applications for admission to a training course forlance corporal specialized criminal detectives, for the academic year 2013-14. Applications will be accepted during the period from June 2 throughJuly 25, as advertised earlier. Applicants should be Kuwaiti citizens with agood conduct record.

KUWAIT: Kuwait marks the United Nations’International Day Against Drug Abuse andIllicit Trafficking which falls today each yearto raise awareness of the major problemthat illicit drugs represent to society.

This day is supported by individuals,communities and various organizations allover the world.

Kuwait has been marking this day since1996 when it began making laws againstdrug abuse and trafficking and in 2006 the

ministry of interior established a depart-ment for drug enforcement which not onlywent after drug abusers but worked withother government agencies and NGOs torehabilitate habitual drug users.

Since the department of drug rehabilita-tion started its task at the ministry of interi-or and up till now, the rate of drug use hasdiminished measurably. In 1993 the socialcharity organization known as Bashayer al-Khair was established unofficially for thepurpose of treating and rehabilitating drugusers. Its work was seen as effective by theministry so much so that its existence wasofficially recognized in 2005 when itobtained an official license to operate.Currently its activities are sanctioned bythe ministry of social affairs and labor.

A good example of cooperationbetween the public and private sectors ondisseminating drug awareness among thepublic is the national program or campaignfor drug awareness known as Gheras,whose efforts have paid off in recent yearsand which has garnered accolades bothregionally and internationally from the likesof the UN and the WHO.

Col Adel Al-Hashash, the director ofpublic relations, valued the gesture of theFirst Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerwho inaugurated the celebrations. He saidKuwait was participating in this event sinceit became a signatory in 1988 to the UNagreement to fight the drugs trade.

Kuwait marks World

Anti-Drugs Day

Col Adel Al-Hashash

KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait announcedtheir sponsorship of the Quran reciting competi-tion, at the Arab Open University, to be held atthe Qutaiba Al Ghanim Theatre in the Universitybuilding.

The sponsorship was held under ABK’s ongo-ing social responsibility campaign under the slo-gan “Our Society... Our Responsibility”, thatencourages activities for the youth in particular.Sahar Al-Therban - PR Manager at ABK said, “ABKsponsors and supports many activities, whether

internal for their employees or external, focusingon society, education, health, charity, environ-ment and sport. ABK is keen on participatingwith society on those levels, as such, our spon-sorship of AOU’s Quran reciting competitionhelps us achieve the Bank’s goals towards fulfill-ing our social responsibility.” AOU’s Head ofStudent Council thanked and expressed his grat-itudeto ABK for sponsoring their competition,while hoping for more such events and partner-ships in the future.

ABK sponsors Quran

reciting competition

Gulf states use

latest IT tools

in public service MANAMA: The GCC states use the latest IT tools toprovide advanced public services, said DirectorGeneral of Kuwait’s Central Agency for InformationTechnology (CAIT) Abdulatif Al-Suraie here yesterday.

During CAIT’s participation at the four-day UNPublic Service Awards 2013 Forum which beganMonday, Al-Suraie said that the GCC states briefed theevent on their experiences in utilizing IT tools in publicservice, adding that CAIT was honored during theforum by Deputy Bahraini Prime Minister SheikhMohammad bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa.

The agency was being recognized by the Bahrainigovernment for its efforts in e-governance and valu-able input to the UN forum.

He revealed that this was the first Kuwaiti participa-tion in the forum which witnessed the participation of1,700 figures from 80 countries.

Al-Suraie noted significance of Kuwait’s participa-tion in the forum, the first event of this level to be heldin the Middle East.

He indicated that CAIT was partaking in the exhibi-tion, held on the sideline of the forum, which was fea-turing the latest IT tools and application within thepublic service domain. —KUNA

OIC opens

office in

Brussels

BRUSSELS: The SecretaryGeneral of the Organization ofIslamic Cooperation (OIC) ,Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu , yesterdayofficially opened the OICPermanent Observer Mission tothe European Union in Brusselssaying the 57-member organiza-tion is keen to develop relationswith the 27-member Europeanbloc.

“There is also a growing anddeveloping interest on the highestlevel in the EU to cooperate withthe OIC,” he told the gathering ofdiplomats and officials fromEurope and the Muslim worldpresent at the inaugural ceremony.

He noted that the OIC is thesecond-biggest organization afterthe United Nations having 57members in four continents.Ihsanoglou said the OIC signed anagreement with the Belgian for-eign ministry in 2011 to open themission in Brussels and inNovember of the same they pur-chased the building in which theoffice is now located.

“I think our relations with theEuropean Union on the differentagenda items that we share willbenefit all of us. There is a need forthe cooperation between theMuslim world and Europe and theOIC as a collective voice of theMuslim world which stands formodernization and moderationwill be the proper institution todeal with the EU,” he stressed.

Hugues Mingarelli, ManagingDirector for North Africa andMiddle East in the EU foreign serv-ice, known as the EuropeanExternal Action Service, said thatEU High Representative CatherineAshton was to be present at theopening of the office but she washeld up at an EU foreign ministersmeeting in Luxembourg. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (KCCI) on Monday expressed desire forcloser ties between Kuwait and Tajikistan in theeconomic and investment fields.

“The bilateral ties have great potentials forgrowth in all domains,” KCCI First DeputyChairman Khaled Abdullah Al-Sager said afterreceiving Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and hisparty at the headquarters of the chamber.

He made the comments in a joint press confer-ence with Chairman of Tajik State Committee onInvestment and State Property Davlatali Saidov.

“The State of Kuwait is blessed with invest-ment-attractive atmosphere thanks to its politicalstability, deep-rooted democracy, fair judicial sys-

tem, modern banking system, experienced privatesector, modern infrastructure, and unique geo-graphic location,” he noted.

“All these characteristics, coupled with friendlyties with Tajikistan, provide the suitable ground foreffective partnership in the investment and com-mercial ties,” Al-Sager pointed out. “Kuwait is look-ing forward to building closer ties with the CentralAsia country and open new horizons for coopera-tion in order to meet the needs of both nationsand serve the mutual interests,” he reaffirmed.

The two countries signed an agreement on thepromotion and protection of joint investments in1995. Since then, the two sides exchanged visitson various level with a view to furthering the bilat-

eral ties. The current visit of President Rahmon toKuwait expresses not only satisfaction with theprogress of the bilateral ties but the shared aspira-tion for stronger economic and commercial ties,Al-Sager went on. On his part, Saidov said hiscountry seeks “to capitalize on her friendly ties andthe already-signed cooperative deals with Kuwaitto attract more Kuwaiti investments.

“Tajikistan is blessed with a stable investmentinfrastructure and enjoys abundant naturalresources that gave rise to the mining industry insuch fields as gold, aluminum and coal besidesthe oil and gas industries,” he said, noting that hiscountry has the biggest aluminum plant in theworld. —KUNA

Kuwait, Tajikistan to cement ties

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

KUWAIT: Expo Tag for Conferences and Exhibitions honored Touristic Enterprises Company officials Jassem Al-Shmais (left) andKhaled Fawzi (right) for the TEC’s sponsorship for the First Summer Festival concluded recently at the Ras Al-Ardh Sea Club.

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunica-tions company in Kuwait, recently held itsquarterly dealers lunch event to honor anumber of its authorized service providers fortheir outstanding performance during thefirst quarter of 2013.

During the event, Zain acknowledged theoutstanding performers of these partnersbased on several key indicators. ‘Media PhonePlus Company’ came first in terms of drivingrevenue to Zain’s value-added services, while‘BlueTec Company’ ranked first in the overallperformance of the value-added services aswell as the first in receiving the least com-plaints , and ‘First Cable Company’ the first inproviding “Zain Same’ni” value-added service.Providers’ efforts were reflected in theireagerness to exert maximum efforts toensure the upgrading of value-added servicesthat Zain offers to its customers, which direct-ly strengthens Zain’s plans and operations.

This event takes place every quarter,allowing distributors to compete fairly withone another and drive more efficiency whenoffering the best services and products toZain customers.

Nadia Al-Saif Zain’s Valued Added ServicesDirector commented by saying: “Our partnersplay a significant role in Zain’s success. Their

consistency in providing excellent service forZain’s customers is critical to the company’sfocus on enhancing the customer experi-ence.”

The company provides a world of contenton the users’ mobile phones, from news andgames to email and messaging. Zain’s latestand unmatched value added services includethe latest Mobile Applications, Mobile Health,Mobile Education, Mobile Advertising, MobilePayment, and Mobile streaming. These servic-es are presented to all mobile users and areavailable at the company’s authorized distrib-utors, who are sparing no efforts in maintain-ing the highest quality standards. Zain’s dis-tributors are without a doubt, an integral partof Zain and a significant element of successthat has helped Zain reach the leading posi-tion it enjoys today. The company encouragesdistributors to maintain their performanceand continue offering the best services andproducts in town to its loyal customers.

For more information about Zain’s numer-ous competitive promotions, customers areadvised to visit any of Zain’s branches locatedin more than 75 locations across Kuwait, visitthe company’s website on www.kw.zain.com,contact its 24 hour call center at 107, or visitthe company’s social media channels.

Zain honors its product and services partners

KUWAIT: Criminal investigation department offi-cers arrested a gang of four people whoskimmed off nearly half a million Kuwaiti Dinarsusing forged credit cards. Investigations hadbeen ongoing in several cases reported by shopswhere the suspects used the fake credit cards topurchase expensive items. Detectives wereeventually able to identify one of the suspects, aSyrian man, who was arrested in an ambush inAshbiliya. Police later arrested his accomplices -a Kuwaiti, an Egyptian and a Nigerian - based oninformation he provided during the interroga-tion. Further investigations revealed that thesuspects brought foreigners to Kuwait using visi-tor’s visas, and then registered the forged creditcards in their names. The foreigners would thenleave Kuwait once their visa expired and wouldbe paid a percentage for their cooperation. Thefour suspects explained that they used this ployto avoid being arrested.

Rapist at largeSearch is on for a bus driver accused of sexu-

ally assaulting a disabled boy in a case reportedon Monday at the Salmiya police station.According to the 14-year-old’s statements, thesuspect assaulted him inside the bus beforedropping him off at his house. The boy was atfirst hesitant about reporting the incident butdecided a week later to tell his family. His fatherimmediately took him to the police station. A

warrant was issued to arrest the Indian manwhose name was blacklisted to prevent himfrom fleeing the country.

Bribery caseA man was arrested recently for reportedly

receiving bribes to release driving license appli-cations illegally. According to a source familiarwith the case, head of the General TrafficDepartment Major General Abdulfattah Al-Aliissued orders to investigate a tip off about aSyrian man using his connections with a numberof officials in the department to release licensesillegally. Based on an extensive investigation, theman was detained and taken to the properauthorities to face charges.

Disguised fugitiveA man wanted on account of money-related

charges was arrested recently after he was founddisguised as a woman to avoid arrest. Trafficpatrol pulled over a vehicle in Farwaniya afternoticing that its female driver was donning anaqab (face-veil) in violation of traffic regula-tions. The driver was ordered to step outside thevehicle after ‘she’ refused to produce a driver’slicense or answer the officers’ questions. Policethen found that the driver was actually a mandressed in an abaiya. He said that he used thedisguise as the best way to move freely sincethere was a warrant out for his arrest for having

defaulted on a KD4000 payment. The man wasreferred to the proper authorities for furtheraction.

School quarrelPolice intervened to prevent a quarrel at a

Jahra high school on Monday after teacherscaught a group of students cheating. Securityofficers responded to an emergency call report-ing that students were trying to attack theteachers supervising the final tests held at theMulla Eissa School in Taima. The teachers toldthe police that the students went on a rampageafter they were caught using their smartphonesto cheat and were subsequently not allowed tocontinue their exams.

SuicideA man was found dead inside an under con-

struction building in Mishref and the case wasclassified as suicide, according to preliminaryinvestigation results. Police and paramedicsreached the scene where a man reported findinga person in an unconscious state. The Indianman was pronounced dead and investigatorsexamined his body and found burn marks.Preliminary investigations indicated that theman could have inflicted the burn injuries uponhimself before jumping from a height. The bodywas taken for an autopsy to confirm the causeand time of death. Investigations were on.

Four-member gang in police net for forgery

Man found dead in Mishref

KUWAIT: Dow Chemical in Kuwait, in partnershipwith en.v, recently hosted American AmbassadorMatthew H. Tueller along with representatives fromthe American Embassy in a cleanup at Sulaibikhatbeach in Kuwait. The Dow Marine ConservationProgram (DMCP) holds the distinction of being thelead corporate patron of ‘Al-Yaal’ - Kuwait’s firstnationwide marine conservation initiative devel-oped by en.v - an initiative dedicated to socialresponsibility in the Arab world.

“It was my pleasure to participate in DowChemical’s beach clean-up,” said AmbassadorTueller.”I’m so pleased to see American companiessuch as Dow Chemical assisting in the preservationand restoration of some of Kuwait’s most treasuredbeaches. I want to commend Dow Chemical anden.v on their innovative and sustainable partner-ship.”

“Dow is very passionate about sustainability and

the environment; this is very much in line with ourcore values of integrity and protecting our planet,”said Jamel Attal, Managing Director, Dow Kuwait.“We want to raise awareness of important environ-mental issues and create a lasting positive impact inthe Kuwaiti community.” Also in attendance werevolunteers from various non-profit organizationsand schools including I Am Challenge - Kuwait, TheUniversal American School and the Kuwait Societyfor the Protection of Animals and Their Habitats (K’SPATH), Al Yaal’s implementing partner. In two hours,a total of 32 volunteers collected approximately 272kgs of waste across 8000 sqm of shoreline, filling up34 heavy-duty waste bags.

Zahed Sultan, en.v’s Managing Director said,“Engaging youth is an integral part of this social pro-gram, as we aim to empower young members of thecommunity to take on a leading role in betteringtheir surroundings and in educating their peers on

how even small, concrete actions can have signifi-cant long-term impact.”

DMCP is now preparing to launch its SummerAwareness Campaign, which will focus on educatingthe public about proper waste-management and ondemonstrating how each individual’s actions cancontribute to a cleaner and more sustainableKuwait. Since its launch in April 2011, Dow’s MarineConservation Program has collected over ninetonnes of waste from over 84,000 sq.m. of Kuwait’sshoreline, engaged close to 400 volunteers and edu-cated over 2000 students. The program’s concentrat-ed efforts continue in order to protect and restorethe rich marine ecosystem of beaches alongKuwait’s bay. These areas are abundant in marine lifeand coral reefs and serve as natural nesting groundsfor turtles and migratory birds. Their fragile balanceis endangered by indiscriminate disposal of directand indirect man-made waste.

DMCP, US Embassy work toprotect marine habitat

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality inspection campaign in progress.

Municipality intensifies food inspection campaigns

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality has con-tinued its inspection of food shops,supermarkets and stores aimed at pun-ishing violators in various areas inKuwaiti Governorates, ahead of incom-ing holy month of Ramadan.

Emergency teams and regulatorybodies of the municipality are continu-

ing their round-the-clock campaigns toensure that all shops in the six gover-norates are compatible with theMunicipality’s regulations in terms offood stuffs. Director General of KuwaitMunicipality Ahmad Al-Subeih said thathis body is stepping up its efforts toprosecute those who take advantage ofthe holy month of Ramadan and sell rot-ten food to consumers. —KUNA

KUWAIT:Chairman of Kuwait Oil TankerCompany and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’sManaging Director for Government,Parliamentary, Public Relations and MediaAffairs Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid Al-Sabahannounced that the corporation is constantlyeyeing means to promote sustainable corpo-rate social accountability and responsibility.

The social role of KPC is just as importantas its economic role, noted the chairman,adding that social responsibility is a main sup-port to overall economic development. All

segments of society should follow the Islamicteachings of social cooperation and helpthose in need. There is a need for specialattention to care for those with special needsin particular, a matter recognized and stressedby the government, he said. The corporationrecently helped with a Kuwaiti Society for theHandicapped procurement of a specially-equipped bus to transport patients with spe-cial needs to and from medical and entertain-ment facilities, and also contributed towardsfurbishing physical therapy halls. — KUNA

KPC promotes sustainablesocial responsibility

MANAMA: Bahraini Deputy Premier SheikhMohammad bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa underlinedyesterday the importance of Information andCommunication Technology (ICT) in enhancinggovernment services through e-government,which has made landmark strides regarding thenumber and quality of services provided by e-service platforms in all fields.

Sheikh Mohammad, who is also theChairman of the Supreme Committee forInformation and Communication Technology(SCICT), made his remarks in a speech at theopening ceremony of the UN Public ServiceForum 2013, on behalf of King Sheikh Hamadbin Issa Al-Khalifa. Sheikh Mohammad affirmedthe Government of Bahrain’s keenness to keepside by side of all developments in the field ofpublic service through constantly updating thelaws and legislations regulating governmentwork out of its drive to upgrade performanceand achieve good governance.

The deputy premier noted that within KingHamad’s pioneering Reform Project, the publicservice sector has assumed its role in imple-menting government programs fully throughenhancing performance, achieving excellenceand developing mechanisms and goals, includ-ing use of ICT, transparency, responsibility andother incentives and stimulating programs. Headded that the government was keen to pro-vide the quality public services for the citizens,

in line with its belief in the UN goals, assertingthat the kingdom will embark on a plan toupgrade the performance of state establish-ments in the coming period, which, he said,requires it to be informed about the successfulexperiences of other countries.

Sheikh Mohammad pointed out that theforum provides a platform for participants toexchange views, expertise and successful expe-riences and discuss ways of promotingadvanced government work systems that copewith the fast technological developments wit-nessed by the world, especially in the field of e-Government in which the kingdom of Bahrainhas made quantum leaps and become a region-al role model in a record time.

The Bahraini official added that the UNPublic Service Awards distribution ceremonytestified to the world’s interest in public serviceand keenness to address the challenges it is fac-ing in the economic, social, cultural, health andeducation fields, congratulating the laureatesand lauding their contributions in the service ofindividuals and societies.

Also in his speech, Sheikh Mohammad con-veyed greetings from the King to the partici-pants, wishing a happy stay in the kingdom andsuccessful forum. The forum which tackles vari-ous technology and sustained governmentpublic service issues is bringing together inter-national and regional experts. — KUNA

UN Public ServiceForum kicks off

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Out with the old in Qatar but little change expected

Page 8

Few cheers in Brussels as Croatia readies to join EUPage 10

GOLAN HEIGHTS: Israeli soldiers from the Golani brigade drive their APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) during a military exercise in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights near the border with Syria yesterday. — AP

Al-Qaeda’s rift may spark

conflict among jihadis

‘Power grab’ by Iraqi Qaeda boss angers Syria jihadisBEIRUT: A rift between Syrian jihadis and theirfellow fighters from Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi wing maylead to internecine war among some of the mosteffective rebel groups in combating PresidentBashar Al-Assad. Trouble has been brewing sinceApril over what Syria’s Nusra Front regards as apower grab by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, leader ofthe Islamic State of Iraq. Now, Baghdadi’s insis-tence that he will keep fighting as head of a unit-ed jihadi brigade in Syria, defying orders from Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Zawahri, has brought thetwo groups close to turning on each other.

“Tension is increasing, it is about to reachboiling point. Both sides are saying they areright. A clash between them could occur soonand if it happens, it will be ugly,” said a seniorrebel commander in Damascus who is followingthe dispute. The two-year uprising against Assadhas drawn fighters from many foreign countriesto both sides, in what is increasingly a sectarianstruggle between the main denominations ofIslam. Some Iraqi Shiites are fighting for Assad,whose Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam,while Iraqi Sunni radicals who once took on US-led forces at home have joined the Syrian rebels.

Baghdadi’s attempt to unite the Syrian andIraqi wings of Al-Qaeda has provoked the dis-pute at a sensitive time when some Western gov-ernments are considering arming more moder-ate rebels, but fear the weapons might fall intothe radicals’ hands. In April Baghdadi announcedhis Islamic State of Iraq was merging with theNusra Front, which has staged some of the dead-liest attacks on Assad’s forces.

This apparently unilateral move opened upbitter and public rifts with the Nusra Front lead-ership - which resisted what it saw as his bid foroverall power - and with Zawahri, the global Al-Qaeda leader who instructed him to put themerger on hold in an apparent attempt to settlethe row. Baghdadi dismissed the demand fromZawahri, who has headed Al-Qaeda since USforces k i l led Osama bin Laden in 2011. Themerged Islamic state of Iraq and Levant “is stay-ing as long as we have a pulse and an eye that

blinks... We will not compromise over its exis-tence,” Baghdadi responded earlier this month.

“After consultation I decided to (follow) theorder from God over the order that opposesi t ,” h e a d d e d i n a n a u d i o m e s s a g e. N u s r af ighters , other rebels and Is lamic sourcesreacted by saying Baghdadi had effectivelysevered his Al-Qaeda links. “He rejected theruling of Sheikh Zawahri and therefore he isno longer a brother of al Qaeda,” said a seniorN u s r a c o m m a n d e r. “A f t e r S h e i k h Z aw a h r iruled in our favor, the State (Islamic State ofIraq and Levant) is illegitimate.”

PUSHING BAGHDADI OUTA source c lose to Nusra leader Abu

Mohammad Golani described Baghdadi’s defi-ance as dangerous. “We have no choice but toconfront them, or Zawahri himself has to dealwith these people,” he said. Nusra was ready tofight Baghdadi’s forces and kick them out ofSyria, but “Golani does not want bloodshedamong brothers in Islam, he added. “Right nowthere is a decision to avoid them... but if he actsin a way that goes against Syria’s interest he willbe pushed out by force, him and his people.”

Beneath the bluster, Nusra fighters appear tobe in no posit ion for now to chal lengeBaghdadi ’s forces, and would need t ime toregroup and find all ies among Syria’s otherrebels. A senior commander from a hardlineIslamist rebel brigade in the northern provinceof Idlib said Baghdadi’s men would probably wina direc t c lash. “Nusra was weakened by(Baghdadi’s) takeover and weakened even moreby the split that happened,” he said. “It will bevery difficult for Golani or anybody to bring itback from ashes.”

With powerful, mostly foreign, fighters on hisside, Baghdadi forced Golani and some of hismen to go underground, confiscating someNusra weapons. Many other Nusra fighters wenthome or joined other Islamist brigades. But thesource close to Golani said the fact that most ofBaghdadi’s fighters were non-Syrians meant they

could end up isolated, even among the jihadis,because they were more concerned with impos-ing an Islamist agenda than toppling Assad.

Resentment about Baghdadi’s agenda in Syriaechoes the way that Al-Qaeda fighters alienatedmany Sunni fighters during the Iraqi insurgencyagainst the US occupation forces and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. This could encour-age other rebel brigades to join a Nusra backlashagainst Baghdadi. “Baghdadi and those whobelieve in his extreme thinking, they are mostlyforeigners and they are on their own,” the sourcesaid. “Nusra is back to work,” he added, sayingGolani had ordered his commanders to prepareto resume operations.

Despite losing ground to Baghdadi’s men inthe north, particularly in Aleppo and Raqqaprovinces, rebels say the Nusra Front remainsactive and prominent in operations in the south-ern province of Deraa, near the border withJordan. Any resurgence of the Nusra Front, whichfights alongside other rebel brigades againstSyrian government forces, would further compli-cate Western efforts to support Assad’s oppo-nents. The United States has been reluctant toarm the rebels because of fears that weaponscould end up in the hands of anti-Western jihadissuch as the Nusra fighters. However, after astring of Assad gains around Damascus and nearthe Lebanese border, backed by Lebanon’s Shiitemilitia Hezbollah, President Barack Obama saidWashington would increase military aid.

ARMING A FRACTURED FORCEAny weapons which are sent would flow into

a fractured rebel force. “Nusra believe, and theyare right, that this is their land, it is their Syriaand they have the right to lead the battle here,”said the senior rebel commander in Damascus.Islamist sources close to Al-Qaeda’s thinking saythat Baghdadi’s attempt to merge the Iraq andSyrian wings of the movement did not contradictZawahri’s belief in a hierarchy and structure thatcould form the basis of a power ful Is lamicstate.—Reuters

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Qatar EmirYoung

likely to remain an exception DUBAI: Ageing Gulf Arab rulers swiftly congratulatedQatar’s young new emir on his accession yesterday,but will be in no rush to emulate his father’s abdica-tion - for them, hereditary rule is for life. The ascent topower of Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim, 33, provides astark contrast to other Gulf Arab states whose youth-ful populations are ruled by kings or princes in their60s, 70s and 80s, some with heirs of the same vin-tage.

The step is sure to stir the interest of young Arabroyals around the Gulf, especially those impatient forplum state jobs shared out in royal deliberations farfrom the public eye. And in time, as Tamim’s profilegrows, his rule may raise expectations of more youth-friendly policies in Gulf societies where almost a thirdof the population is under 15.

Since Arab uprisings erupted in 2011, Gulf stateshave worked harder to provide more jobs and bettersocial services to Internet-savvy populations increas-ingly outspoken online. But reverence for age, and aview of Qatar as an irrelevant maverick, mean otherGulf states are unlikely to follow the example Qatarset yesterday when the emir handed over to Tamim,hailing the “innovative ideas and active energies” ofyouth. “This step will not be repeated in other partsof the Arab world,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a politi-cal scientist in the United Arab Emirates. “What hap-pened in Qatar will be forgotten.” Analysts also sug-gest that the complex internal politics of Gulf rulingfamilies, which often involve balancing rival dynasticlines, tend to exhaust the energies of senior players.

ELITES GET SET IN THEIR WAYSTough decisions on succession tend to get put off.

“Elites get set in their rules and operations, in theirway of thinking and of working,” said ShafeeqGhabra, professor of political science at KuwaitUniversity. “They just keep going for decades untilthings become problematic and crises happen.” InOman, for example, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, 72, whohas yet to name a successor, has ruled for 43 years.Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, 84,put in 40 years as foreign minister before acceding tothe top job.

Bahrain’s powerful Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman binKhalifa, in his late 70s, an uncle to the king and anadvocate of stringent internal security, has beenprime minister for four decades. In Saudi Arabia, thelargest and most powerful Gulf Arab state, the rulingAl-Saud family has cautiously elevated youngerprinces over the past two years, but has given no hintthat it is contemplating a Qatar-style transfer of toproles. Two royal deaths since 2011 have led KingAbdullah, who turns 90 this year, to retire some olderprinces and promote comparatively younger mem-bers of the family to senior posts.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 53, made InteriorMinister in November, is now the most powerfulprince of his generation, commanding a ministry thatoversees the kingdom’s formidable security infra-structure and 13 provincial governors. KingAbdullah’s son, Prince Miteb, who took command ofthe National Guard from his father in 2010, was madea full minister in May, reinforcing his seat at the toptable. Other members of the next generation -grandsons rather than sons of the dynasty’s founderKing Abdulaziz Al-Saud - have been made governors

of the Riyadh and Eastern provinces.

FAMILY SIZE SLOWS DECISIONS

However, whileyounger princes may

be hungry for topjobs, Saudi and

Gulf analystssay whateverhappens inQatar willmake littledifferenceto its larg-er neigh-bor’ssucces-sion

process. For one thing, the complex internal politicsof the roughly 7,000-strong Al-Saud family makes anydirect power shift to younger men much trickier thanwithin Qatar’s Al-Thani dynasty. Unlike in Qatar, Saudisuccession does not pass from father to son butdown a line of brothers born to King Abdulaziz andthen to an as-yet unchosen prince from the youngergeneration.

That means there is no single clear candidateamong the younger princes for the family to rallyaround. Instead, there are half a dozen who mightone day become king. Princes in their 50s and 60s inSaudi Arabia at best occupy deputy ministerial posi-tions or governorships of small provinces, makingthem callow by the standards of a family that likes itssenior princes to have held top jobs for decades.Nevertheless, Tamim’s youth could evolve into a

potent symbol for Gulf states acutely aware of theneed to address the concerns of their youthful andsometimes restless societies.

Christopher Davidson, a Gulf expert at Britain’sDurham University, said Tamim’s rise “ushers in thefirst generation of Gulf rulers who have near-nativeEnglish, are fully social media-savvy, and are fully aproduct of the oil era.” Jane Kinninmont of theChatham House think tank in London said the sightof an absolute monarch voluntarily stepping down“defies the conventional wisdom about the Gulf andwill linger in the imaginations of many in the widerMiddle East. “It becomes harder for other powerfulroyals to insist the younger generation must waityears or decades for their turn in power. This hasimplications for every single one of the other Gulfcountries.” — Reuters

DOHA: To his admirers, Qatari emir SheikhHamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani is a champion of thecommon man’s struggle against tyranny, and avisionary who turned billions of dollars in energyrevenues into strategic international investments.To his critics, the 61-year-old ruler only pretendsto be a friend of the masses, for while he backedArab Spring revolts against autocracy, heclamped down on freedoms at home. What bothgroups tend to agree on is that Sheikh Hamadhas managed to turn the tiny Gulf state into aregional powerhouse that punches above itsweight in international diplomacy and high-rolling finance.

His vision is expected to continue after heannounced on Tuesday that he was steppingdown and handing power to his son, CrownPrince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Thedramatic step is unheard of in a region where,until Arab Spring revolts two years ago, authori-tarian rulers usually remained in power for life.The handover cements Qatar’s standing as “thegreat regional maverick”, said Kristian Ulrichsen, aGulf expert at The Baker Institute for PublicPolicy. The impetus behind Sheikh Hamad’s pur-suit of the limelight for his country over the pastdecade, analysts say, was a wish to differentiateQatar from regional neighbors, especially Sunnipowerhouse and rival Saudi Arabia.

VOLATILE REGION“He dexterously fostered a unique place for

Qatar as a relatively neutral country in a volatileregion,” said David Roberts, deputy director ofthe Royal United Services Institute in Doha. “Thisnot only improved his status domestically, butfurthered Qatar economically by encouraging amodern, attractive and liberalizing image.” UnderHamad’s tenure, along with his influential wifeSheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, Qatar gar-nered much attention in the past decade throughthe launch of the Al Jazeera television network,as well as its successful bid to host the 2022 soc-cer World Cup.

Sheikh Hamad mediated conflicts in Darfur,Somalia and Lebanon, often by hosting lavishmulti-day peace talks in five-star hotels until therival sides agreed to a deal. But it was Qatar’saggressive intervention in the Arab Springrevolts, especially supplying rebels in Libya withweapons to oust long-time ruler MuammarGaddafi and pushing for Arab agreement on ano-fly zone, that really turned attention to thepeninsula state of 1.9 million people.

Sheikh Hamad personally directed that bil-lions be spent on supplying weapons as well asfuel and supplies to the Libyan rebels. As one ofthe world’s richest countries with a cradle-to-grave welfare system for its 250,000 native popu-lation, Qatar has largely escaped the unrest seenin other Arab countries. It is perhaps that factthat has pushed Sheikh Hamad to throw hisweight behind popular revolts abroad withoutworrying about any backlash at home.

BIG GAS RESERVESHe has also shored up Egypt ’s Muslim

Brotherhood which rose to power after HosniMubarak was deposed, depositing millions ofdollars in Egypt’s central bank as the countrystruggled economically under the Islamist leader-ship of Mohamed Mursi. In Syria, Qatar was at theforefront of Arab countries calling for the ousting

of President Bashar Al-Assad, as well as officialrecognition of the Syrian opposition at the ArabLeague.

The first embassy for the Syrian oppositionopened in Doha in March. A close US ally thathosts a large American military base, its copiousnatural gas reserves have made Qatar one of theworld’s richest countries. The tiny country whoseeconomy once centered on pearl fishing now hasa sovereign wealth fund that controls an estimat-ed $100 billion in assets. Its high-profile purchas-es, such as the acquisition of London departmentstore Harrods, have highlighted the country’simmense wealth.

“It would not be a stretch to say that in someways, Qatar today is more influential than Egypton the regional stage, even though Egypt hasmore than 240 times the number of citizens,” saidShadi Hamid, director of research at BrookingsCenter Doha, the Qatar branch of theWashington-based think-tank. That boldnesshelped Qatar cultivate remarkable success as aregional mediator. During Sheikh Hamad’s reign,Doha displayed an ability to engage almosteveryone from the United States to Hezbollah,and even Iran.

SUPPORTIVE TWEETSThe transformation of Qatar from a backwater

into a global powerhouse began in June 1995when Hamad, then aged 45, ousted his father in abloodless coup. “I am not happy with what hashappened but it had to be done and I had to doit,” he said in brief televised speech at the time.“God knows that I was not seeking power by thismethod for the love of power. It is rather a heavyresponsibility and a great trust, and I beseechAlmighty God to guide us.”

As Hamad handed over power to his son, theQatari Twitter-sphere was awash with supportivetweets for the outgoing ruler, with a “thank youHamad” hashtag quickly gaining popularity.“Today is a new step in the history of the state ofQatar,” said one Twitter user. Another Twitter userfrom Qatar said: “Don’t want media to analyzetoday, I just want them to witness the birth of anicon. Seldom do we come across this in MENA.” —Reuters

Outgoing Emir, a visionary for tiny Gulf state

Sheikh Hamad, Emir whomade Qatar world player

Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

DUBAI: Qatar’s leadership transition is well-man-aged by the standards of the Arab Gulf, whererulers tend to hold on until death. The abdicationof Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, 61,who deposed his father in a bloodless coupeighteen years ago and has transformed Qatar,ensures an orderly succession by his son SheikhTamim, 33. But it raises some uncertainty overthe country’s outsize portfolio of financial andforeign policy interests.

The handover is unlikely to result in a majorchange of direction for the country’s fast-grow-ing economy. Domestic spending has beenagreed up until 2017, notes Eurasia Group.Sheikh Tamim has also been active in many of theemirate’s biggest projects, including Doha’s suc-cessful but controversial bid to host the footballWorld Cup 2022. That project commits the coun-try to massive infrastructure spending.

Qatar’s foreign policy in recent years has been

both assertive and ad hoc. That makes the out-look less certain now. The new emir will havemore flexibility to adopt a more moderate stanceoverseas, where Doha’s interests range frombankrolling Syria’s rebels to propping up Egypt’sflailing new Islamist government. He may also beunder pressure to do so. A desire to shore up theemirate’s security has driven decision making,but the interventionist approach has arguablymade Doha more vulnerable - not less.

There’s no official word yet on the fate ofPrime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, one of the country’s most powerful men,and a savvy dealmaker. That will determine theimpact of the transition on Qatar’s massive sover-eign fund. He is expected to step down as part ofthe first cabinet reshuffle in more than a decade.If he keeps his role as chairman of Qatar Holdingand gives the fund his full attention, activitycould increase. —Reuters

Qatar handover tests assertive global push

The step is sure to stir the interestof young Arab royals around theGulf, especially those impatientfor plum state jobs shared out inroyal deliberations far from thepublic eye. And in time, asTamim’s profile grows, his rulemay raise expectations of moreyouth-friendly policies in Gulfsocieties where almost a third ofthe population is under 15.

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

News

Saudi jails activist RIYADH: A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced ahuman rights activist to eight years in prison forsedition after his group campaigned for a constitu-tional monarchy and elections in the Gulf Arabkingdom. Abdulkarim al-Khader co-founded theSaudi Political and Civil Rights Association (ACPRA)and served as its head after the imprisonment oftwo of his colleagues in March. Mohammed FahdAl-Qahtani and Abdullah Hamad were sentencedto 10 years in prison on charges that included sedi-t ion and damaging the countr y ’s reputation.Monday’s ruling stipulated that Khader will onlyserve three years in jail, with five years suspendedunless he resumes his activities, human rightsactivists said yesterday. He has also been barredfrom travel for a further 10 years, they said.

37 die in mine collapseBANGUI: At least 37 people were killed when agold mine collapsed at Ndassima in the middle ofthe Central African Republic, where PresidentMichel Djotodia has declared three days of mourn-ing, national radio reported yesterday. The acci-dent occurred on Sunday after a landslide in veryheavy rain “led to the death of almost 40 of ourcompatriots”, presidential spokesman ProsperNdouba said on the radio. “It is to be feared thatthe casualty toll may unfortunately rise in the nextfew hours or coming days,” Ndouba added.“Confronted with this tragedy, the president of therepublic presents his sincere condolences to thefamil ies of the vic t ims and to the entireCentrafrican people. He has decided on three daysof national mourning as of Tuesday.” A source inthe district administrator’s office in the centralOuaka region said “there is no hope of finding anysurvivors” in the mine, which has been active since2009.

Iraq bombings kill 14KIRKUK: Bombings targeting protesters and pil-grims outside of Baghdad killed 14 people yester-day, the latest in a surge of violence that hassparked fears of a revival of all-out sectarian con-flict in Iraq. The latest attacks come a day after 35people were killed nationwide, most of them in aseries of car bombs across Baghdad, as the countrygrapples with a prolonged political deadlock andmonths of protests from its Sunni Arab minority.No group immediately claimed responsibility forthe attacks, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaedafrequently target Shiite Muslims-both the protest-ers and the pilgrims were from Iraq’s Shiite majori-ty-whom they regard as apostates. Yesterday’sdeadliest attack struck the ethnically-mixed townof Tuz Khurmatu, which lies in a tract of territory innorth Iraq that Kurdistan wants to incorporate intoits three -province autonomous region overBaghdad’s objections.

in brief

BEIRUT: Once adored by women forhis warm voice and good looks,Lebanese crooner Fadl Shaker fol-lowed an unlikely path to become anIslamist militant now on the run withfellow fugitive Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir.The pair are now being sought in anationwide manhunt after clashesbetween Assir and his Salafist sup-porters and the military in the south-ern city of Sidon that left 17 soldiersdead.

Though he grew to become oneof the Arab world’s most famoussingers, Shaker suffered through amiserable childhood of poverty,which a onetime musician friend sayshelped lead him down a dark pathlater in life. Now in his mid-forties,Shaker was born to a Palestinianmother and Lebanese father in thecountry’s biggest Palestinian refugeecamp, Ain Al-Helweh. Born FadlShmandur, he began his career as apopular wedding singer who per-formed from the rooftops of thecamp, an over-crowded and hopelessplace. “He has a beautiful voice.

Hearing him live was even morebeautiful than a recording,” a formerfriend of Shaker’s told AFP on condi-tion of anonymity. “But he has alwaysbeen naive and gullible. The more of astar he became, the further he strayedfrom the people who really loved him.

He constantly ended up in bad com-pany,” said the friend, who lost touchwith him some years ago. In his prime,Shaker sang love songs that wereinstant region-wide hits. He released

his first album in the late nineties, andcontinued to perform until 2011.

His biggest hits, Bayyaa Al-Qulub(The Heartbreaker), Ya Ghayeb (Youwho are far away) and Law Ala Albi

(My heart melted in your love), areregularly played at Arab weddingsand parties. Shaker’s songs areromantic and his voice full of longing.“He is a very sensitive, extremely

reserved person,” said Shaker’s friend.“When his Palestinian wife left him, hewould cry on stage as he sang, think-ing of her. He is very emotional.” Inone of his most well-known songs, hesang: “O you who are far away, whydon’t you ask after the one who lovesyou, and who can’t sleep at night? Iam thinking of you.”

Shaker’s immense popularity wasboosted by the fact he was also adefender of Palestinian rights, andwas granted honorary Palestinian citi-zenship by President MahmudAbbas. Shaker also opened a restau-rant in Sidon and pondered swap-ping his music career for a less hecticlife, closer to his three children. “Iknew he would leave music one day,but I would never have thought hewould join Assir. It’s such a shame, hehas such talent. I feel sorry for him,”his friend said. Shaker’s brother hadlong been a strict Muslim, and hetried for years to convince him toleave music.

But it wasn’t until after the out-break of an uprising in Syria againstPresident Bashar Al-Assad thatShaker became convinced thatsinging is haram, or forbidden inIslam. Shaker soon became the best-known face of Assir’s small move-ment of openly sectarian, Sunni radi-cals and praised the cleric as “the lion

of the Sunnis”. He grew a beard andbecame a highlight of Assir’s rallies,helping attract attention to the phe-nomenon of Sunni radicalism in thesmall Mediterranean country.

Performing during a televisioninterview earlier this year, Shakerswapped his love songs for a chantabout jihad (holy war) and death.Sitting by Assir, Shaker smiled andsang as sweetly as ever: “God gaveme the gift and invited me to join thejihad... Mother, don’t cry for me...Death does not frighten me, and mywish is to become a martyr.” His latestmedia appearance came in an ama-teur video in which he boasts: “Wegot rid of two of your swine, of yourdogs... God is great.”

The video went viral, with manyalleging Shaker referred to killingarmy troops. Others said the footagereferred to earlier clashes betweenAssir supporters and pro-Hezbollahfighters. Lebanon’s judicial authoritiesissued a detention order for Assir and123 of his supporters, includingShaker, whose brother was killed inweekend clashes with the army inSidon.”Fadl’s story makes me sad, butin a way I am not surprised. He hasalways been easy to manipulate,” hisfriend said. “These people have usedhim. Without him, no one wouldhave heard of them.” —AFP

Fadl Shaker: Lebanon crooner turned fugitive militant

SIDON: File picture shows Lebanese Sunni Muslim Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir(left) holding the hand of Lebanese singer Fadel Shaker during a small concert where hesang Muslim hymns in the southern city of Sidon. —AFP

Asia fuels ‘explosion’ in global arms tradeOpportunities East are double-edged, analyst warns

LONDON: Asian powers are outpac-ing the United States to become thebiggest spenders on defense by 2021and are fuelling an “explosion” in theglobal arms trade, a study showed.The global arms trade jumped by 30percent to $73.5 bill ion between2008-2012 in spite of the economicdownturn, driven by surging exportsfrom China and demand from coun-tries like India, and is set to more thandouble by 2020, defense and securityconsultancy IHS Jane’s said yesterday.

“Budgets are shifting East andglobal arms trade is increasing com-petition. This is the biggest explosionin trade the world has ever seen,” saidPaul Burton, a senior manager at IHSJane’s whose study looked at 34,000defense acquisition Programs. TheUnited States has accounted for thelion’s share of global defense spend-ing over the past decade, but budgetcuts in Washington, as it withdrawsfrom countries such as Afghanistan,mean that it will account for just 30

percent by 2021 to fall behind Asia at31 percent.

Military spending in the Asia Pacificregion - which includes China, Indiaand Indonesia - will rise 35 percent to$501 billion in the next eight years,compared to a 28 percent fall in USspending to $472 billion over thesame period, IHS Jane’s said. “The bigWestern defense companies have nooption - export or shrink - but thiscould be sowing the seed of their owndemise; the opportunities in the Eastare a double-edged sword, fuelling atrend which threatens US dominanceof defense.” said Guy Anderson, seniorprincipal analyst at IHS Jane’s.

China’s ramp-up in defense spend-ing in recent years is worrying itsneighbors such as Japan, with whomit is currently embroiled in a stand-offover a series of uninhabited islands,despite its repeated reassurances thatthere is nothing to fear. Japan, as wellas India and South Korea, are amongcountries being courted by weapon

makers such as Lockheed Martin,Boeing and BAE Systems who want tosell them fighter jets and other equip-ment to make up for reduced spend-ing in their Western home markets,but such deals tend to require invest-ment in the buyers’ defense industries.

India, for instance, is speakingexclusively to France’s DassaultAviation on a $12 billion order of 126warplanes and wants 50 percent ofthe work to be given to Indian compa-nies. China is expected to increase itsdefense budget by 64 percent to $207billion by 2021, compared to Indiaand Indonesia which are respectivelyforecast to spend 54 and 113 percentmore, the study said. These countriesaspire to build thriving defense indus-tries capable of developing modernequipment such as fighter jets andair-craft carriers, and may be able toexport “world class kit” rivaling that ofthe West in a decade as a result oftheir willingness to spend, IHS Jane’ssaid. —Reuters

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia regards the involve-ment of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria’s civilwar as ‘dangerous’ and believes the rebelsmust be offered military aid to defendthemselves, the kingdom’s foreign ministersaid yesterday. Speaking at a news confer-ence with US Secretary John Kerry inJeddah, Prince Saud Al-Faisal added thatSaudi Arabia “cannot be silent” aboutIranian intervention and called for a resolu-tion to ban arms flows to the Syrian govern-ment. “The kingdom calls for issuing anunequivocal international resolution to haltthe provision of arms to the Syrian regimeand states the illegitimacy of the regime,”Prince Saud said. More than 93,000 peoplehave been killed in the Syrian conflict,which began as a popular protest move-ment against President Bashar Al-Assad buthas descended into a civil war with sectari-an overtones. Nearly 1.7 million refugeeshave fled into neighboring countries,including Lebanon, where clashes between

armed groups supporting opposing sidesin Syria have fuelled fears of a lapse backinto sectarian civil war.

BEGGING SPREADS Meanwhile, families in Syria are increas-

ingly resorting to begging for food to copewith shortages and high prices wrought bythe civil war, the World Food Program (WFP)said yesterday. The conflict betweenPresident Bashar Al-Assad and rebels tryingto overthrow him has killed 93,000 people,uprooted millions of people, destroyedlivelihoods and wrecked property, busi-nesses and infrastructure worth tens of bil-lions of dollars.

A survey of 105 families conducted byWFP food monitors in seven provinces,including the hotspots of Homs andAleppo in April and May, found manyswitching to lower-quality foods in order tospend less, the United Nations agency said.“Those who cited begging as a coping

strategy noted that it had become theironly option to cope with the deteriorationin their living conditions,” WFP spokes-woman Elisabeth Byrs told a news briefingin Geneva. She said the WFP was steppingup food deliveries in Syria ahead of the startin early July of the Islamic holy month ofRamadan, during which devout Muslimsfast from dawn to dusk and economic activ-ities are disrupted.

“We have to anticipate that duringmonth of Ramadan..., some transport activi-ties will slow down or stop. It is urgent toensure delivery to ensure normal distribu-tion to families.” Some 9 percent of thoseinterviewed reported begging for assis-tance, a rise from 5 percent in March, Byrssaid. “They need fresh products which aremissing from their diet,” she said. “Manymarkets are not stocked or products areexpensive”. WFP hoped to reach 2.5 millionSyrians with food supplies in June, up from2.4 million in May. —Reuters

Iran, Hezbollah involvement in Syria is ‘dangerous’: Saudi

BAGHDAD: Iraqis inspect the damage outsideshops in Baghdad yesterday following an explo-sion the night before. —AFP

Baghdad picks up its pieces after bombs

BAGHDAD: Workers at a Baghdad supermarket choked back tearsyesterday and took a moment to mourn fallen friends before resum-ing a familiar task in Iraq-picking up the pieces after a bombing, andrebuilding. The Warda supermarket in the Iraqi capital’s Karrada dis-trict was hit by one of a series of car bombs on Monday night, badlydamaging the store’s facade and much of its interior. Two shop work-ers, Ashur and Jaabar, and two customers-apparently a mother anddaughter-were killed, and several others were wounded in the 7:00pm attack, when a minibus bomb blew up in the parking lot in frontof Warda, which means flower in Arabic. Overall, at least 28 peoplewere killed and more than 120 wounded in the attacks across thecity. “I was terrified,” said Thair Ghazi Said, a 48-year-old Wardaemployee, describing the moment of the attack. “I saw some peopledead, some people were bleeding.” “A woman and her daughterpassed away just here,” he said, motioning to the ground, his handsand clothes covered in dust from picking through debris. “I couldsmell the powder used in the explosives, it was mixing with the smellof blood and flesh.”

A BIG MESS INSIDEThe explosion struck the supermarket that, over the past several

years, has transformed from a musty shop with heavy glass doorsand tills where cashiers manually calculated customers’ change toone of Baghdad’s best. It now features electronic cash registers, anin-house bakery, a fresh fruit section, and often puts up stalls provid-ing free samples of new products from international brands such asCadbury’s and Kraft.

That is, it did, until Monday’s attack. “Whoever did this is inhu-man,” said Maher Abdulrahman, another Warda employee. “Some ofthe employees working here are so poor, they have only this job tomake a living. Can you imagine what their families are goingthrough? Who will compensate them, who will take care of them?”Alluding to Iraq’s religious diversity, and fears that a recent surge inviolence could push the country back towards the sectarian war thatraged here in 2006 and 2007, he continued: “Here, we are all work-ing-Christians, Muslims, Sunnis, Shiites. We are all friends here.”“Afriend of mine, he was Christian, he died yesterday,” the 29-year-oldsaid, referring to Ashur. “He was like my brother. I held him, I tried tohelp him, but he passed away.” —AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Next in line for EU membership

BRUSSELS: As Croatia prepares to join the EuropeanUnion on July 1, several other countries are still wait-ing in line-most of them in the Balkans and the for-mer Soviet Union. Only three others-Iceland,Montenegro and Turkey-have begun membershiptalks but several are considered candidates and oth-ers still are seen as possible future bidders. Here is alist of the current state of play for enlargement:

TURKEYTurkey is the European Union’s longest-lasting suitor-it first applied in 1987 — but talks have stalled inrecent years mainly because of opposition frommembers like Germany. Turkey, which actually beganmembership talks only in 2005, has also refused tonormalize ties with Cyprus, whose northern half itoccupied in 1974, leading to a long-running sover-eignty dispute. Hit by a series of unprecedented anti-government protests in past weeks and growing crit-icism of its human rights record, Turkey’s member-ship now appears an even more distant prospect.

ICELANDMembership negotiations began in 2010 but have sofar skirted the most sensitive issues-such as fisheries-even though Iceland has already adopted a lot of EUregulation. A new centre-right coalition came topower earlier this year and is less keen on joiningthan the previous government, saying it will firsthold a referendum before continuing talks. Iceland isalso highly integrated in the European network as amember of the European Economic Area (EEA), theEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the visa-free Schengen area. Two-thirds of its foreign trade iswith EU member states.

MONTENEGRONegotiations began in 2012 and in April of this yearPodgorica closed its second accession chapter out of35, although key issues like reforming the justice sys-tem have still not been discussed. Brussels hasstressed that Montenegro has a European future buthas urged the government to do far more to fightorganized crime and corruption.

CANDIDATE COUNTRIESSkopje obtained the status of candidate in 2005 andthe Commission recommended opening member-ship talks in 2009 but European leaders have still notgiven it the green light. Greece is officially in favorbut has said the country cannot use the title“Macedonia” as this is the name for a northern Greekprovince and has proposed it be called “NorthMacedonia.”

SERBIABelgrade was granted candidate status last year andis hoping to get the go-ahead for the start of mem-bership talks at a summit of EU leaders later thisweek. The main remaining stumbling block to mem-bership negotiations had been relations withKosovo, which Belgrade normalized in an historic EU-brokered agreement signed in April.

KOSOVOKosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia in2008 - a status that Belgrade and some Europeancountries like Spain stil l refuse to recognize.Following the April normalization deal with Serbia,the European Commission has recommended theopening of negotiations on a stability and associa-tion agreement with the EU.

ALBANIATirana applied in 2009. The main condition was thatit hold elections in accordance with internationalnorms, as well as clamp down on corruption andorganized crime.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINASarajevo is behind its Balkan neighbors on ties withEurope. It has still has not amended its constitutionin line with a request from the European Court ofHuman Rights which says it discriminates againstRoma and Jewish minorities. The constitution statesonly members of the three main communities-Serbia, Croatian and Muslim-can be elected to theupper chamber of parliament or the presidency.

FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICSSix former Soviet republics-Armenia, Azerbaijan,Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine-are consid-ered by the European Commission as possible futurecandidates for enlargement and are all members ofthe EU’s Eastern Partnership. — AFP

Newsin brief

LUXEMBOURG: The European Union rebukedTurkey yesterday for its crackdown on anti-govern-ment protesters by postponing a new round ofmembership talks for at least four months, but saidits path to the EU remained open. The EU’s move,discussed in advance with Turkey, drew only a mildresponse from Ankara and avoided a feared crisisin EU-Turkey relations. The EU had planned toopen a new chapter, or policy area, in talks withTurkey today, reviving Turkey’s bid to join the blocthat has been virtually frozen for three years. ButGermany, backed by Austria and the Netherlands,blocked the plan, believing it would send thewrong signal so soon after police cracked down onprotesters in Turkish cities.

EU governments yesterday backed a German-inspired proposal, agreeing to open the chapteron regional policy but delaying the formal launchof talks until after an Oct. 9 report by the EuropeanCommission on reforms and human rights inTurkey. EU governments will meet again after thereport comes out to set a date for talks on the newchapter in the light of what the report says aboutTurkey ’s behavior. Austrian Foreign MinisterMichael Spindelegger said the EU agreement gaveTurkey “a probationary period (for) how it handlesbasic rights for citizens, how it handles the right todemonstrate and the right to free speech.”

“In my view this is absolutely necessar ybecause we cannot have a double standard in theEuropean Union. We have a community ofEuropean values and this assumes that citizens’basic rights will be respected,” he said in Vienna.Protests swept Turkish cities after police used tear-gas and water cannon to disperse a demonstration

against redevelopment of an Istanbul square. Twoweeks of clashes with police have left four peopledead and about 7,500 injured.

TROUBLED BIDTurkey and Germany became embroiled in a

diplomatic row last week after Chancellor AngelaMerkel said she was appalled by the Turkish crack-down. Germany and France have always had con-cerns about allowing a largely Muslim country of76 million people into the 27-nation EU, fearing

that Turkey’s cultural differences and its size willmake it too difficult to integrate. The delay inreviving Turkey’s bid is helpful to Merkel as it push-es back the talks until after a German election inSeptember. Merkel’s conservatives oppose TurkishEU membership. Other EU governments, includingSweden, argued that the EU must keep Turkey onthe path to EU membership and should engagemore closely with Ankara to foster civil rights.

“While we have been disturbed by the reactionto the recent peaceful protests in Turkey, I believethe EU accession process is the most effective toolwe have in influencing the reform agenda inTurkey,” Eamon Gilmore, foreign minister ofIreland, current holder of the EU presidency, saidin a statement. German Foreign Minister GuidoWesterwelle, who spoke several times to hisTurkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu before yes-terday’s EU decision to smooth over any ill-feeling,said the decision was “a good decision in a difficultsituation”.

Turkey had promised a “strong reaction” to anyEU decision and Turkish press reports had said itcould suspend negotiations with Brussels alto-gether if today’s talks were called off, but it toneddown its criticism yesterday. “What is important isthe confirmation of the opening of the chapterwith an irrevocable decision,” Davutoglu said inAnkara. “An obstacle in Turkey’s relations with theEU has been overcome... Our target now is theopening of two new chapters.” Turkey openednegotiations to join the EU in 2005, 18 years afterapplying. The talks have advanced at a snail’s paceand it has provisionally closed just one of 35 chap-ters. — Reuters

EU rebukes Turkey on crackdown by delaying entry talks

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd right) speaks with a member of parlia-ment from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parlia-ment in Ankara yesterday. Erdogan yesterday praised the police “heroism” in handling several weeksof unrest that threw up the biggest challenge yet to his government after more than a decade inpower. — AFP

MOSCOW: China and Russia rejected US accusations theyhelped a former US spy agency contractor escape prosecu-tion in the United States, deepening a rift between powerswhose cooperation may be essential in settling global con-flicts including the Syrian war. Edward Snowden, chargedwith disclosing secret US surveillance programs, left HongKong for Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday. TheUS State Department said diplomats and JusticeDepartment officials were holding discussions with Russia,suggesting they were looking for a deal to secure his returnto face espionage charges.

An airport source said the 30-year-old American, whohas asked for asylum in Ecuador, had flown in on Sundayand had been booked on a flight to Cuba on Monday buthad not got on board. Journalists camped out at the air-port have not spotted him inside, or leaving, the transitarea, and say a heavy security presence has been relaxed forthe past 24 hours. He has not registered at a hotel in thetransit zone, hotel sources say.

A receptionist at the Capsule Hotel “Air Express”, a com-plex of 47 basic rooms decorated predominantly with greycarpets and grey walls, said Snowden had turned up onSunday, looked at the price list but then left. US officialsadmonished Beijing and Moscow on Monday for allowingSnowden to escape their clutches but the United States’partners on the UN Security Council, already at odds withWashington over the conflict in Syria, hit back indignantly.

“The United States’ criticism of China’s central govern-ment is baseless. China absolutely cannot accept it,” ForeignMinistry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing, alsodismissing US criticism of Hong Kong, a Chinese territory,for letting Snowden leave. Russian Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov denied suggestions Moscow had helped Snowdenin any way, including by allowing him to fly intoSheremetyevo. “He chose his itinerary on his own. We learntabout it ... from the media. He has not crossed the Russianborder,” he said. “We consider the attempts to accuse theRussian side of violating US laws, and practically of involve-ment in a plot, to be absolutely groundless and unaccept-able.” Lavrov’s insistence Snowden had not entered Russiaimplies he has not left the airport transit area, used by pas-sengers flying from one non-Russian airport to anotherwithout going through passport control or requiring anentry visa. The transit area is Russian sovereign territory, butit could be argued that in staying there Snowden had notformally entered the country - a move that could implicatePresident Vladimir Putin in helping a fugitive. Interfax newsagency quoted a source “in the Russian capital” as sayingSnowden could be detained to check the validity of hispassport if he crossed the Russian border. Snowden is trav-elling on a refugee document of passage provided byEcuador, the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said. Putin is notshy of celebrating people who challenge Washington, buthas an interest in keeping relations with the United Stateson track as both sides try to improve security cooperationand arrange a peace conference on Syria.

US, RUSSIA DISCUSS SNOWDEN Jay Carney, a spokesman for the White House, said it was

Washington’s assumption that Snowden was still in Russia.Snowden, whose exposure of the surveillance raised ques-tions about civil liberties in the United States, flew toMoscow after being allowed to leave Hong Kong eventhough Washington had asked the Chinese territory todetain him.

Snowden, until recently a contractor with the USNational Security Agency, had been expected to fly toHavana from Moscow on Monday and eventually go on toEcuador, according to sources at the Russian airlineAeroflot. There is no direct flight from Moscow to Quito,which has said it was considering Snowden’s asylumrequest.

Ecuador, like Cuba and Venezuela, is a member of theALBA bloc, an alliance of leftist governments in LatinAmerica that pride themselves on their “anti-imperialist”credentials. The Quito government has been shelteringWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its London embassy forthe past year. The airport source confirmed Snowden wastravelling with Sarah Harrison, a legal researcher workingfor WikiLeaks. “She (Harrison) came together with EdwardSnowden from Hong-Kong on June 23 around 5 pm,” thesource said. “He had a ticket to go to Havana on the 24th,but he did not use it. She also had one, but she didn’t use iteither.”

DEFIANCEWith Snowden’s whereabouts a mystery, US President

Barack Obama, may face prolonged embarrassment from ayoung man leading the world’s lone superpower on a glob-al game of hide and seek. Obama told reporters his govern-ment was “following all the appropriate legal channelsworking with various other countries to make sure the ruleof law is observed”.

But US officials said intelligence agencies were con-cerned that they did not know how much sensitive materialSnowden had in his possession and that he may have takenmore documents than initially estimated.

He could publish more documents or they could get intothe hands of foreign intelligence. The Kremlin denies knowl-edge of any contacts between Russian officials andSnowden, despite media speculation the security forcescould be questioning him. Carney said his escape woulddamage US-China relations and US Secretary of State JohnKerry said Snowden’s activities could threaten the securityof China and the United States. “People may die as a conse-quence to what this man did,” he told CNN. But to his sup-porters, Snowden is a whistle blowing hero who exposedthe extent of US surveillance activities.— Reuters

Russia, China reject US pressure over Snowden

White House says China relations ‘damaged’

MOSCOW: Photographers take pictures as light shinesthrough a cabin window on seat 17A, right, the emptyseat that an Aeroflot official said was booked in thename of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, dur-ing Aeroflot flight SU150 from Moscow to Havana,Cuba. — AP

BRUSSELS: A giant banner hanging from the EuropeanCommission headquarters in Brussels hails Croatia’simpending accession on July 1 but there is little real cheerat the prospect of another troubled economy joining EUranks. The first new member of the club since Bulgaria andRomania joined in 2007 is also proving unpopular in thestreets, where opinion polls show a majority of Europeanshave turned against enlargement after years of grindingrecession and austerity.

“The nuptials will not be followed by a honeymoonperiod, given the complexity of the current socio-econom-ic and political context,” said Corina Stratulat, an expert atthe European Policy Centre, a think-tank in Brussels.“Instead, Croatia will plunge straight into a tepid marriageand needs to prove itself,” she said, echoing the less thancelebratory mood in the EU’s corridors of power as the for-mer Yugoslav state’s economic fundamentals have wors-ened.

The European Union’s executive arm is already warningCroatia that it could face a sanctions procedure if it breach-es the EU’s already widely flouted public debt threshold of60 percent of gross domestic product next year, as forecast.Croatia has said it expects its economy to grow by 0.7 per-cent this year and 2.4 percent next but the EuropeanCommission is forecasting a contraction of 1.0 percent in2013 and a weak recovery to growth of 0.2 percent in 2014.The deficit is expected to reach 4.7 percent of GDP this yearand could even hit 5.6 percent in 2014 - well above the EU’sthree-percent limit, with unemployment rising over 18 per-cent.

“Croatia faces important challenges,” the Commissionsaid in a report last month that stressed the need torelaunch growth, strengthen public finances and boostcompetitiveness. Germany’s Bild mass-circulation tabloid

was less diplomatic. “Debts, corruption and high unem-ployment. This is Croatia,” the newspaper said in an editori-al, adding: “This is the next Greece, which will swallow upbillions from Berlin.” The controversy-courting paper is not

the only one voicing concern about Europe’s capacity tobring into the fold a fragile new arrival at a particularly dif-ficult time. Bulgaria and Romania have set a worryingprecedent. —AFP

Few cheers in Brussels as Croatia readies to join EU

BRUSSELS: A banner announcing the arrival of Croatia into the EU is seen hanging on a main wall of theBerlaymont building at the EU Headquarters in Brussels yesterday. From July 1, 2013, Croatia will be the 28thcountry to enter in the European Community. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

WASHINGTON: The US Senate cleared a key immi-gration reform hurdle Monday, bucking pointedRepublican opposition and proceeding on a criticalmeasure that would tighten security on the US bor-der with Mexico. The procedural vote marked animportant test for comprehensive immigrationreform backed by President Barack Obama. He wantsit enacted this year, though the landmark legislationfaces an uncertain fate in the House ofRepresentatives. Fifteen Republicans joined a unani-mous Democratic side to end debate on the all-important amendment, which would bring muscularnew security measures to the southern US borderincluding 20,000 additional agents, 350 miles (560kilometers) of new fencing and expansion of dronesurveillance.

The controversial legislation, shepherded throughthe Senate by its four Republican and fourDemocratic authors, would create a 13-year-longpathway to citizenship for the more than 11 millionimmigrants living illegally in the United States. Itwould also reform the work visa system in agriculture

and high-technology fields, institute electronicemployment verification and comprehensive entry-exit tracking, while seeking to prevent future waves ofillegal immigration by making the US-Mexico bordervirtually impenetrable.

“We’re securing the border but we’re allowingthose people at the back of the line to have somepathway to continue to live the American dream, thesame things that we want for our sons and daughtersall across the country,” said Senator Bob Corker, whocrafted the border deal with fellow Republican JohnHoeven. Obama, who has largely stayed out of thefray but in recent weeks sought to nudge the bill for-ward, stressed at a White House meeting with busi-ness leaders Monday ahead of the vote that immigra-tion reform would give the nation’s economic recov-ery a boost.

“Now is the time to get comprehensive immigra-tion reform done,” he said. A coterie of conservativeshowever were banding together against the legisla-tion, including Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a statewith a long border with Mexico. Cornyn accused top

Senate Democrat Harry Reid of running a “dictator-ship” in the Senate by exerting unassailable controlover which immigration amendments received votesin recent weeks, and attacked the Corker-Hoeven dealas “a “political fig leaf” that “will not solve the prob-lem.” While recognizing the amendment boosts bor-der enforcement, Cornyn and others said it unaccept-ably fails to implement border “triggers” that wouldonly allow the full legalization for undocumentedworkers to begin once all the border security meas-ures are in place. “This bill has no teeth. This bill has$48 billion thrown up against the wall to buy thevotes to say this bill will secure the border, and it willnot,” Senator Tom Coburn boomed.

Democrats hotly countered that the new borderenforcement has no fewer than five triggers, includ-ing the requirement that the “e-verify” system be inplace before any permanent residency cards areissued to legalized immigrants.

“They just won’t take yes for an answer,” Schumersaid, citing the added security measures inserted as aconcession to skeptical Republicans. “No one can dis-

pute that the border will become virtually air tight.”He said new technologies unavailable as recently as10 years ago, like drone surveillance, would allow forfar tighter operational control of the 2,000-mile(3,200-kilometer) border.

Reid is pushing for a vote on the 1,200-page bill’sfinal passage this week, and he has said he hopes tosecure at least 70 votes to send it to the House withmajor momentum. Monday’s procedural step wasapproved 67-27, although the two Democrats whomissed the vote support the amendment. Some law-makers have warned it will be dead on arrival in theRepublican-held House, where conservatives want tosee stronger protections in place that would onlyallow the full legalization for undocumented workersto begin once all the border security measures are set.The Corker-Hoeven amendment details $3.2 billion innew equipment, including four unmanned drone sys-tems, 40 helicopters, 30 boats, 4,595 unattendedground sensors, and hundreds of fixed and mobilecamera systems. “It’s almost overkill,” Corker himselfadmitted. — AFP

US Senate clears security hurdle for immigration bill

SAO PAULO: President Dilma Rousseff proposed a wide rangeof actions to reform Brazil’s political system, fight corruptionand improve public services - all demands angrily asked for bythe millions of protesters who’ve taken to the streets the pastweek. In a meeting Monday with four leaders of a main groupbehind the protest movement and later with governors andthe mayors of 26 capital cities, Rousseff shifted some of theburden for progress onto the back of Brazil’s widely loathedcongress - in particular, in calling for a plebiscite on politicalreform that only lawmakers have the authority to call.

Rousseff told the governors and mayors that the govern-ment would allocate $23 billion for new spending on urbanpublic transport, but she didn’t provide details on what thenew projects would be. The four leaders of the free-transitactivist group that launched the first demonstrations morethan a week ago said she also gave them no concrete plans. “Imainly want to repeat that my government is listening todemocratic voices. We must learn to hear the voices of thestreet,” Rousseff told the governors and mayors. “We all must,without exception, understand these signals with humility andaccuracy.”

She said her government would focus on five priorities: fis-cal responsibility and controlling inflation; political reform;health care; public transport, and education. Protesters havefilled cities across this vast country to air a wide spectrum ofgrievances including poor public services and the high cost ofhosting next year’s World Cup soccer tournament and the2016 Olympics. Mayara Longo Vivian, one of the leaders of theFree Fare Movement who met with Rousseff in the capitalBrasilia, said that no concrete measures were given to thegroup and that their “fight would continue.” The movementhas been working since 2006 to eliminate public transportfares.

Vivian referred to the billions of dollars Brazil is spendingfor the World Cup, saying, “If they have money to build stadi-ums, they have money for zero tariffs” on public transporta-tion. “The people are on the street, the left is on the street,with legitimate agendas,” she said. “Only with concrete meas-ures from the state will this situation be reversed.” At a demon-stration in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, 68-year-old sociologistIrene Loewenstein said she was not too impressed byRousseff’s action.

“It’s a necessary first step, but not a particularly meaningfulnor surprising one,” she said. “Neither Dilma nor any otherpolitician here is capable of even understanding, much lessputting into practice, the kind of systematic change the peo-ple are demanding. It’s just not within their world views.”

Monday marked the beginning of a more hands-onapproach for Rousseff in the face of sharp criticism that shehad been too silent during protests last week. She only madebrief comments on June 17 and then a 10-minute, pre-record-ed nationwide address Friday, a week after the protest explod-

ed and a day after a million people took to the streets in attimes violent protests. Since then, the demonstrations haveshrunk and become less widespread, while Rousseff lookedstronger Monday outlining her agenda.

Many of the means she listed, including using oil royaltiesto fund education and a program to attract foreign doctors towork in areas underserved by Brazilian physicians, had alreadybeen proposed by Rousseff before but met stiff resistance incongress. By putting the issues before the public at this sensi-tive time, the president is ratcheting up pressure on congress,an institution widely loathed by the population, to not serveas a bottleneck for the proposals.

Opposition politicians in congress, including a senator whois viewed as her biggest rival for next year’s presidential elec-tion, blasted Rousseff’s call for a plebiscite on political reform.“It’s the specific jurisdiction of congress to call a plebiscite,”said Sen. Aecio Neves. “To divert attention, she’s transferring tocongress a privilege that is already ours and isn’t respondingto the expectations of the population.”

Some scattered protests flared Monday, and two womendied after being hit by a car as they tried to block a highway inthe state of Goias near the nation’s capital. The highway patrolin Goias said the driver fled and was being sought. Protests inSao Paulo state blocked road access to the nation’s largest portin Santos, causing a huge backlog of trucks trying to unloadproducts. In Brasilia, a group of about 300 students protestingagainst corruption blocked some streets.

The protests have hit as the nation hosts theConfederations Cup soccer tournament, seen as a warm-up forthe World Cup. Experts said the protesters, though mostly dis-organized, were in control thanks to support from the majorityof Brazilians as seen in recent polls. That opened a window forconcessions on their demands for less corruption andimprovements to the nation’s woeful public services.

Complicating matters, though, is Brazil’s worsening eco-nomic climate, which Rousseff referred to Monday. The gov-ernment has been struggling against both a lagging economyand rising inflation, which economists say require contradicto-ry actions to fix. While the nation’s benchmark interest ratecould be slashed to stoke economic growth, it could also beraised to keep inflation at bay.

“Brazil will see several waves of protests,” said GuillermoTrejo, a professor at the University of Notre Dame in the USwhose research focuses on social protests in Latin America.“This cycle will decline, and it’ll likely return to episodicprotests once the media attention of the Confederations Cupgoes away.” But next year could be a bumpy ride as Roussefffaces re-election, Trejo said. Already, the protests have becomethe largest of their kind in Brazil in at least two decades.“Presidential elections are always a huge magnet for protestsand hosting a major event like the World Cup will open a win-dow for more,” Trejo said. — AP

WASHINGTON: It is a comparison President Barack Obamamay not relish: when it comes to Africa, he’s no Bill Clinton.Or even George W Bush for that matter. Obama makes hisfirst extended trip to Africa today. After the sky-high expec-tations raised by his election in 2008, Obama now faces theprospect of trying to convince Africans that the UnitedStates has vital interests there that it intends to safeguardand pursue.

“The African leaders, the African public have been won-dering where the US president has been,” said Ben Leo, glob-al policy director for the anti-poverty group ONE. “This triphas been designed to address some of those perceptions,those concerns, hopefully reset the engagement trajectoryover next couple of years.”

Obama’s trip risks being overshadowed by the deteriorat-ing health of South Africa’s national hero and revered formerleader, Nelson Mandela, who is approaching his 95th birth-day. Mandela’s decline could dwarf other topics. Madiba, ashe is known by his clan name, is adored by most of SouthAfrica’s 53 million people as the architect of the 1994 transi-tion to multi-racial democracy after three centuries of whitedomination. Mandela spent his second week in a hospital,where his condition was described as “critical.” The WhiteHouse has said Obama will defer to the wishes of theMandela family with regard to any meetings. “We’ll be intouch with them,” said White House foreign policy adviserBen Rhodes. “If he has an opportunity to see the family insome capacity, that’s certainly something that we may do.”

Obama may also face questions about the exposure ofclassified information by former US government contractorEdward Snowden, which has forced the president to defendwidespread government surveillance of Internet and phonedata. The furor over Snowden’s disclosures could drown outissues Obama wants to spotlight on the trip, particularlyAfrica’s potential as a business and trade partner for theUnited States. Still, Obama’s weeklong visit may afford him a

chance to reverse some of the criticism that his administra-tion has failed to launch any of the grand health or trade ini-tiatives in Africa that his two predecessors accomplished. Inthe absence of US involvement, other countries, particularlyChina, have aggressively pursued business opportunities onthe continent. “This is a place where the United States needsto be present, and we’re very pleased that early in the sec-ond term, we can send a signal of increased US engagementthrough this trip,” said Rhodes.

Shadow of Bush, ClintonCritics of Obama’s Africa policy point to George W. Bush’s

program to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, with an initial com-mitment of $15 billion over five years when it as launched in2003. As a result, the United States is credited with directlysupporting antiretroviral treatment for more than 4 millionpeople. “George kind of knocked it out of the park,” the Irishrock star Bono, an activist for development causes, said lastyear. Bush is also praised for initiating the MillenniumChallenge Corporation, a foreign aid agency that providesassistance, if a recipient nation can meet good governmentcriteria, for anti-malaria initiatives and for forgiving debt.

Before him, Bill Clinton generated enormous goodwill bybecoming the first American president to make more thanone trip to Africa and for signing the Africa Growth andOpportunity Act, which dropped trade restrictions on morethan 6,000 exports to America from 35 African countries.Clinton was also close to Mandela and supportive duringSouth Africa’s transition from white-minority rule to its firstfree election in 1994.

“Africans still consider Clinton their president,” MwangiKimenyi, director of the Africa Growth Initiative at theBrookings Institution, recently told reporters. Obama hasbeen preoccupied with winding down two foreign wars andthe worst financial crisis in the United States since the GreatDepression. —Reuters

Obama must play catch up on trip to Africa

Brazil earmarks $23bn for public transport

RIO DE JANEIRO: A masked man marches toward the Cinelandia square during a protest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,Monday, June 24, 2013. — AP

Lull in demonstrations

DENVER: Officials say a school district discriminatedagainst a 6-year-old transgender girl by preventing herfrom using the girls’ bathroom, in what advocatesdescribed as the first such US ruling in the next frontier incivil rights. Coy Mathis’s family raised the issue after schoolofficials at Eagleside Elementary in suburban ColoradoSprings said the first-grader could use restrooms in eitherthe teachers’ lounge or in the nurse’s office, but not thegirls’ bathroom. Coy’s parents feared she would be stigma-tized and bullied.

On Monday, the Mathis family and its lawyers celebrat-ed the ruling on the steps of the state capitol. Coy, dressedin a glittering tank top, jeans and pink canvas sneakers, ranaround a towering blue spruce tree as her mother spoke toreporters. “Her future will be better if we get to this placewhere this is nothing to be ashamed of,” Kathryn Mathissaid, noting the family hadn’t sought a civil rights battlebut was happy for the Colorado Division of Civil Rights’ rul-ing.

As the country’s gay rights movement has won mount-ing legal and electoral victories in recent years, advocates

hope the latest decision will lend momentum to the strug-gles of transgendered people. “This is by far the high-watermark for cases dealing with the rights of transgenderedpeople to access bathrooms,” said the Mathis family’s attor-ney, Michael Silverman of the Transgender Legal Defense &Education Fund. He and other advocates said the case isone of several potentially ground-breaking transgenderedcivil-rights cases winding their way through US courts.

The Maine Supreme Court is considering the case of a15-year-old transgendered girl who was forbidden fromusing her school’s girls’ bathroom. Last year, Vice PresidentJoe Biden called transgendered rights “the civil rights issueof our time.” Sixteen states, including Colorado, and theDistrict of Columbia expressly outlaw discriminationagainst transgendered people.

Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, which focuses on reli-gious and family litigation, said transgender cases are “amockery of civil rights.” He said his group got involveddefending a department store employee who was disci-plined for ordering a person who was obviously male toleave the women’s changing room. —AP

Ruling favors US transgender girl

RUDRAPRAYAG: Indian officialsstepped up efforts yesterday toprevent an outbreak of disease inthe northern Himalayan regiondevastated by landslides and flashfloods, as rains hampered the res-cue of thousands still stranded.Workers sprayed disinfectant amidconcerns about disease from thebodies of hundreds of people whoperished when floods hit the stateof Uttarakhand, known as the “Landof the Gods” for its revered Hindushrines. “We are spraying disinfec-tant in the flood-affected areas toprevent the spread of water-bornediseases,” state medical officer KDSharma said.

The move came as fresh rainsand landslides hampered efforts bythe military to evacuate some 6,000pilgrims and tourists still strandedthroughout the state since thefloods hit on June 15. Raging riversswept away houses, buildings andeven entire villages in the state,which was packed with travellers inwhat is a peak tourist season. Morethan 1,000 bridges have been dam-aged along with roads, cutting offhard-hit villages and towns.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said hewas saddened by the disaster,which has killed some 1,000 peo-ple. “The secretary-general is sad-dened by the loss of life, and thedamage to homes and infrastruc-ture in India as a result of the tor-rential floods in the northern stateof Uttarakhand over the last week,”a statement from his spokespersonsaid. Officials have stepped uppreparations for a mass cremationof victims in the hard-hit holy townof Kedarnath, amid health con-cerns, with tonnes of wood flownby helicopter into the area. The cre-mation had been expected to goahead yesterday but has now beendelayed by the downpours, an offi-cial said.

A police official in charge oforganising the cremations saidbelongings and documents recov-ered from bodies will be used tohelp with identification while DNAsamples will also be collected.“Under no circumstances can weallow an outbreak of an epidemic,”

senior disaster management officialK.N. Pandey told AFP. “We havereports that many stranded peopleare suffering from diarrhoea andother ailments and have decided tocremate the corpses near theKedarnath shrine,” he said.

A senior official warned that thedeath toll of 1,000 could rise dra-matically as the grim task of collect-ing the bodies from rivers and from

under flattened villages and otherdebris continues. “From the feed-back we are getting from people onthe ground, people working inscavenging bodies, our estimate isthe toll could be anything between4,000 and 5,000,” a senior disastermanagement official who did notwant to be named told AFP.

Helicopters and soldiers haveevacuated tens of thousands ofpeople from the floods, whiletonnes of food and other emer-gency supplies have been droppedto those still stranded. Unmanneddrones have also been deployed toscan the thick jungles to find those

still awaiting rescue, officials said.Thousands of soldiers along withthe Indo-Tibetan Border Police havebeen evacuating people by foot,using harnesses and erecting ropebridges across flooded rivers tohelp them to safety.

Meanwhile, an Indian televisionjournalist reporting on the deadlyfloods that have swept northernIndia defended his decision yester-

day to file a report while perchedon a survivor’s shoulders. NarayanPargaien, who works for the localNews Express channel, told Indianmedia website newslaundry.comthat the criticism he has faced sincethe video was posted online wasunfair.

“People are talking about usbeing inhuman and wrong but wewere actually helping some of thevictims there,” Pargaien said. Thereporter claimed that the slightman who carried him, who can beseen wobbling under the strainwhile standing in ankle-high water,had hoisted him onto his shoulders

as a sign of respect. The man“wanted to show me some respect,as it was the first time someone ofmy level had visited his house. Sowhile crossing the river he offeredto help by carrying me... betweenwhich, I thought of reporting“,Pargaien said.

The journalist also attacked hiscameraman for framing the shot soit showed him sitting on the floods

survivor’s shoulders and accusedhim of posting the video online.“The report was supposed to betelecast only with footage of mechest-up. This was entirely thecameraman’s fault, who... tried tosabotage my career by shootingfrom that distance and angle andreleasing the video,” he said.

“I was wrong as well. That wasthe wrong thing to do, and thewrong time to have shot thatsequence. But what my cameramandid was even more unacceptable.”The video has been viewed morethan 11,600 times since it was post-ed Saturday. —Agencies

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister JuliaGillard has revealed she is knitting a redkangaroo for the first baby of PrinceWilliam and his wife Kate. The nation’s firstwoman leader, battling a tough final weekin parliament ahead of September elec-tions amid renewed speculation that shecould be ousted from within her own par-ty, found time to tell the AustralianWomen’s Weekly she had set herself the

task of making the toy. Gillard, knownglobally for her stance against sexism, saidit was important people saw a differentside of her beyond the politics. “In terms ofknitting for Kate Middleton’s baby-I knit forbabies-in part, they are the smaller proj-ects, I’ve got not that much time in my life,”Gillard told the magazine to be publishedtoday. “I just thought that it would be acute project to work on. I thought I would

set myself the challenge of knitting a littlestuffed toy, and why not a kangaroo?”

The prime minister’s office suggestedthe idea of the knitting story, but themedia have made light of it with Sydney’sDaily Telegraph calling it “Spins & Needles”and a “last-stitch bid to woo voters”. Thecharm offensive comes amid more badopinion polls for Gillard and her centre-leftLabor Party, with the latest Newspoll pub-

lished in The Australian on Tuesday show-ing her personal support has crashed torecord lows. The poll found that if an elec-tion were held now, Labor would becrushed 56 percent to 44 percent by theconservative opposition led by TonyAbbott, a former minister in John Howard’sgovernment. Despite knitting for the royalbaby, Gillard said she still hoped Australiawould one day become a republic.

“There is a real sense of respect for theQueen, so I do think a natural moment tolook again (to a republic) will be when herreign comes to an end,” she said. “PrinceWilliam and Kate, and their child, will stillbe personalities in Australia; people willstill follow their lives with interest.” The heirto the British throne and the duchess ofCambridge are expecting the baby in mid-July. —AFP

Australia PM Gillard knits toy kangaroo for royal baby

UDHAMPUR: Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh (left), receives flowersfrom Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah after arriving atthe Udhampur district of Jammu yesterday. —AFP

KABUL: Taleban gunmen and bombers usingfake NATO identification attacked an entrance tothe Afghan presidential palace in the heart ofKabul yesterday, just a week after insurgent lead-ers opened an office in Qatar for peace talks. Anearby building known to house a CIA base alsocame under attack as explosions and gunfireerupted for more than an hour in an area close toheavily secured Western embassies and ministrybuildings. Three Afghan security guards and all

four assailants were killed, officials said. It was oneof the most brazen assaults on the city sincePresident Hamid Karzai narrowly escaped assassi-nation in April 2008 when the Taleban attackedan annual military parade.

The three guards were killed close to theAriana hotel building, used as a CIA base sinceabout 2002, but officials said neither the palacenor the CIA property were breached. Two four-wheel-drive cars using fake badges from NATO’sInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) tried

to pass through a checkpoint to access thesprawling palace grounds at about 6:30 am (0200GMT). “The first vehicle was checked and let in,and as the second car tried to get in the guardsbecame suspicious and tried to prevent it,”Mohammad Daud Amin, the Kabul deputy policechief, told AFP.

“The clash started and the cars were detonat-ed. All the attackers were killed.” Police said thecars had been fitted with radio antennae to make

them look like ISAF vehicles and that the fourattackers were also wearing military uniforms. Thecar bombs detonated near the CIA base inside thefirst of several layers of outer checkpoints, but agovernment official told AFP that the militantshad not entered the palace grounds. The chal-lenge of securing peace in Afghanistan as NATOtroops exit next year was underlined when abomb killed eight women and one child travel-ling to celebrate a wedding in the southernprovince of Kandahar.

Karzai, who lives in the palace, was due to holda press event in Kabul yesterday morning.Officials confirmed that he was in the building atthe time of the attack but not in danger. All roadsto the palace are permanently closed off, withmultiple rings of heavy security around the com-plex keeping people far away. “A big group ofattackers have struck against the CIA office as themain target and also the palace and the defenceministry nearby,” Taleban spokesman ZabihullahMujahid told AFP.

The last major attack in Kabul was on June 11when the Taleban claimed responsibility for a sui-cide car bomb outside the Supreme Court thatkilled at least 15 civilians. Yesterday’s attack cameduring a visit to Kabul by US envoy James Dobbinsafter a diplomatic spat over the Taleban’s newoffice in Qatar, whose creation is meant to be a firststep towards a peace deal to end 12 years of fight-ing in Afghanistan.

The Qatar office used the formal name of“Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan” from the rebels’1996-2001 government, and flew the whiteTaleban flag, displaying the trappings of power ina way that infuriated Karzai. The president brokeoff Afghan-US talks on an agreement that wouldallow Washington to maintain soldiers inAfghanistan after 2014. He has refused to sendrepresentatives to Qatar, but pressure is growingfor a ceasefire and eventually a peace settlementahead of the NATO withdrawal and a presidentialelection due in April. About 100,000 foreign com-bat troops, 68,000 of them from the US, are due toexit by the end of 2014, and NATO formally trans-ferred responsibility for nationwide security toAfghan forces a week ago. When in power, theTaleban imposed a harsh version of Islamic lawthat banned television, music and cinema,stopped girls from going to school and forcedwoman to wear the all-covering burqa.

They were ousted in 2001 for sheltering Al-Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, butlaunched a resilient and bloody insurgencyagainst US-led NATO troops and the US-backedAfghan government. Dobbins on Monday said theUnited States was “waiting to hear” whether themilitants were committed to peace talks afteropening the Qatar office. “It doesn’t seem like anentirely spurious effort on their part but whetherthey are prepared to participate... we just don’tknow,’ he told reporters. —AFP

Taleban hits Kabul’s

presidential palace

CIA base attacked by gunfire

KABUL: Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldiers arrive near the entrance of thePresidential palace yesterday. —AFP

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister ManmohanSingh faced protests as he arrived for a rarevisit to Indian Kashmir yesterday, a day aftermilitants killed eight soldiers in the dead-liest attack in the region for five years. Singhsaid India was united in the fight againstterrorism after landing in the southern townof Kishtwar as part of the two-day trip, hisfirst to the region for three years. “India isfirmly united against terrorism. (We) Won’tlet them succeed in their nefarious designs,”the premier told Indian media in Kishtwar,where he laid a foundation stone for ahydro-power plant.

Singh stressed in a speech that violence“had shown a sharp decline and was thelowest in last two decades,” the Press Trustof India news agency reported. Singh wasaccompanied by Sonia Gandhi, the presi-dent of the ruling Congress party, for thevisit in which he will inspect major infra-structure projects and inaugurate part of arailway line to connect north and southKashmir.

It is the first time the premier has visitedthe Indian-controlled part of the dividedHimalayan territory-which has been thescene of two wars with Pakistan-since June2010 and comes less than a year beforeIndia goes to the polls. Police and paramili-tary forces have been deployed in strengthacross the region for the visit, including inthe main city of Srinagar where the premieris expected later yesterday.

Shops and other businesses, along withschools, banks and offices were closedthroughout the city after the three mainseparatist groups called a strike to protestSingh’s visit. Government forces wereenforcing curfew-like restrictions in thevolatile and congested old town in Srinagar.“We are confined to our homes whenever a

politician from Delhi visits our Kashmir,” aresident of the area said by phone, addingthat he was not able to leave his neighbour-hood for work.

Despite the high security, a group of mil-itants staged an attack on Monday on atroop convoy on the outskirts of Srinagar,killing eight soldiers and wounding 13 oth-ers. Hizbul Mujahideen, a local pro-Pakistanmilitant, group claimed responsibility forthe attack, the deadliest on Indian securityforces since July 2008 when a landminekilled nine soldiers on a bus on the outskirtsof Srinagar.

More than a dozen armed rebel groupshave been fighting Indian forces since 1989for the region’s independence or its mergerwith Pakistan and tens of thousands of peo-ple, mostly civilians have died in the fight-ing. Armed violence had been decliningsteadily since the early 2000s but the regionhas been tense following the execution inFebruary of a local man over a deadly 2001attack on the national parliament in NewDelhi.

Mohammed Afzal Guru’s execution, car-ried out in a New Delhi prison without firstinforming his family, triggered widespreadprotests in Kashmir where many doubtedhis guilt. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wasamong those who condemned Monday’sattack, saying it was “aimed at restoring theshattered morale of the militants”.

Abdullah is an ally of Singh but has criti-cised the Delhi government for showingwhat he regards as a lack of political will toresolve the underlying tensions in what isIndia’s only Muslim-majority state. “TheKashmir issue needs to be addressed politi-cally. Economic packages are not a solutionto the issue nor can it be found on the pointof a gun,” Abdullah said recently. —AFP

Strike shuts down Kashmir

over Indian PM’s rare visit

GAURI KUND: Indian army medical staff attend to an elderly pilgrim at Guptkashi after his res-cue from the flood damaged area of Gauri Kund. —AFP

Fears of disease in flood-hit India

Indian journalist reports from victim’s shoulders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s already embattledtourism industry is struggling to deal withworried customers and cancellations afterIslamic militants attacked foreign climberspreparing to summit one of the world’stallest mountains, killing 11 people. Foryears, intrepid climbers and mountaineers,lured by a collection of awe-inspiringpeaks, were some of the only internationaltourists willing to come to Pakistan. Theregion has also attracted Pakistanis lookingfor a respite from the summer heat in thesouthern part of the country.

Now hotel owners, tour operators andtourism officials worry that may be in dan-ger after the vicious attack by militantsSaturday on the climbing group at the basecamp of Nanga Parbat, the second highestpeak in Pakistan and the ninth highest inthe world. “The impact is huge,” saidGhulam Nabi Raikoti, one of two brotherswho run Raikot Serai, a resort in an area ofnorthern Pakistan called Fairy Meadows.From the hotel’s cottages and tents, visitorscan look up at the face of Nanga Parbat,which has been nicknamed the “killermountain” for the number of peoplewho’ve died trying to climb its 8,126-meter(26,660-foot) peak.

Raikoti said a tour group of 50 Pakistanistudents already cancelled a stay at theresort. Pakistan has been beset by militan-cy for years, but this attack will likely beespecially disruptive to tourism because itstruck foreign tourists in what is usuallyone of the most peaceful regions of thecountry. The attack also demonstrated ahigh degree of planning. Just getting tothe base camp takes roughly two days ofhiking.

The militants, disguised in paramilitaryuniforms, first abducted two localPakistanis to take them to the remotecamp in Gilgit-Baltistan. Late Saturdaynight, a group of about 15 gunmenattacked the camp, beat the mountaineers

and took away mobile and satellite phonesand money. Some climbers and guideswere able to run away, but those thatweren’t were shot dead.

By the end, 10 foreign tourists and aPakistani cook employed by a tour compa-ny were killed. A faction of the PakistaniTaleban has claimed responsibility for theshootings. The remaining mountaineerswho were at camps higher up on NangaParbat when the shooting happened havebeen evacuated to allow the authorities tofreely comb the area for the suspects, saidthe president of the Alpine Club ofPakistan, Manzoor Hussain.

“In that area it is difficult for someone tohide,” said Hussain, who added that therewill be no more expeditions to NangaParbat this summer. The Pakistani militaryevacuated 34 tourists Monday on a C-130aircraft that flew them to Islamabad, saidMuhammed Ajmal Bhatti, deputy commis-sioner of Diamer District near where theshootings happened; about a dozen left onSunday. They were also evacuating theporters, guides and other Pakistanis fromthe area.

Meanwhile, those associated with thetour industry, including tour operatorsaffected by the tragedy, faced worried cus-tomers. Mohammed Ali, owner ofKarakoram Magic Mountain, with whichthe slain cook was working, said a trekkingtour expected later this summer wasalready in doubt. “I don’t know if they willcome or not. Last night they sent emails tome, and they want to know more informa-tion about this incident,” he said.

Several thousand foreign tourists a yearcome to the northern region known asGilgit-Baltistan during the warmer summermonths. Trekkers come for longer hikesthat don’t require technical skill or equip-ment. Climbers generally tackle the moreserious peaks that require technical skillsand a good deal of experience. —AP

Pak tourism industry

reels after shootings

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Websites in Koreas shut

down on war anniversary

South Korea issues cyber-attack alertSEOUL: Major government andmedia websites in South and NorthKorea were shut down for hoursyesterday on the 63rd anniversaryof the start of the Korean War. Seoulsaid its sites were hacked, while itwas unclear what knocked outthose north of the border. Seoulsaid experts were investigatingattacks on the websites of theSouth Korean presidential BlueHouse and prime minister’s office,as well as some media servers.There were no initial reports yester-day that sensitive military or otherkey infrastructure had been com-promised. The attacks in SouthKorea did not appear to be as seri-ous as a March cyber-attack thatshut down tens of thousands ofcomputers and servers at SouthKorean broadcasters and banks.Seoul alerted people to take securi-ty measures against cyber-attacks.

The North Korean websites thatshut down yesterday includedthose belonging to the national air-line, Air Koryo, the Rodong Sinmunnewspaper, the North’s officialUriminzokkiri site and Naenara, thecountry’s state-run Internet portal.All but Air Koryo were operational afew hours later. South KoreanNational Intelligence Service offi-cials said they were investigatingwhat may have caused the shut-down of the North Korean web-sites. North Korea didn’t make anyimmediate comment.

Operators of several Twitteraccounts who purported to be partof a global hackers’ collectiveknown as Anonymous claimed thatthey attacked North Korean web-sites. The Associated Press receivedno answer to several requests tospeak to the Twitter users. ShinHong-soon, an official at SouthKorea’s science ministry in chargeof online security, said the govern-ment was not able to confirmwhether these hackers were linked

to yesterday ’s attack on SouthKorean websites.

It wasn’t immediately clear whowas responsible. North and SouthKorea have traded accusations ofcyber-attacks in recent years. SouthKorean officials blamed Pyongyangfor a March 20 cyber-attack thatstruck 48,000 computers andservers, hampering banks and

broadcasters for several days,although television programmingwas not interrupted and officialshave said that no bank records orpersonal data were compromised.Seoul officials said in April that aninitial investigation pointed to aNorth Korean military run spyagency as the culprit. North Koreablamed South Korea and theUnited States for cyber-attacks inMarch that temporarily disabledInternet access and websites inNorth Korea.

Experts believe North Korea

trains large teams of cyber warriorsand that the South and its alliesshould be prepared against possi-ble attacks on key infrastructureand military systems. If the inter-Korean conflict were to move intocyberspace, South Korea’s deeplywired society would have more tolose than North Korea’s, whichlargely remains offline. The shut-

downs came on a war anniversarythat both countries were markingwith commemorations. They alsoare gearing up for the 60th anniver-sary of the end of the fighting July27, a day North Koreans call“Victory Day” even though theKorean War ended in a truce, not apeace treaty.

Tens of thousands of NorthKoreans were gathering yesterdayto Pyongyang’s main Kim Il SungSquare for the largest of many ral-lies around the nation denouncingthe United States. On Monday

evening, men lined up in the shad-ow of the capital’s iconic JucheTower to practice coordinatingtheir steps as they hoisted signsreading “Sweep away the imperial-ist American aggressors,” “swornenemies,” and “US troops out ofSouth Korea” while a man with amegaphone barked out orders.

In South Korea, thousands of

people, including Korean war veter-ans, gatherrf at Jamsil Stadium inSeoul for a commemoration. TwoSouth Korean army units held mili-tary drills in Yeoncheon inGyeonggi Province, near the demili-tarized zone, defense officials saidin Seoul. North Korea in recentweeks has pushed for diplomatictalks with Washington. Tensions ranhigh on the Korean Peninsula inMarch and April, with North Koreadelivering regular threats over UNsanctions and US-South Koreanmilitary drills. —AP

YEONCHEON: South Korean army’s K-55 A1 self-propelled howitzers fire during a military exer-cise to mark the 63rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War in Yeoncheon near the demilita-rized zone that divides the two Koreas yesterday. —AP

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia: In this photo, Mongolia’s incumbent PresidentElbegdorj Tsakhia of the ruling Democratic Party waves at his supportersduring a campaign rally in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, for today’s presidentialelections. —AP

ULAN BATOR: A popular ex-wrestler and a physi-cian, the first woman to seek Mongolia’s topoffice, are the main rivals to the Harvard-educat-ed incumbent in today’s presidential elections,but neither is likely to wrest the job from him. Theelection campaigning in this northern Asiannation has been dominated by debate over cor-ruption, which President Elbegdorj Tsakhia hopeswill work in his favor-throughout his 4-year term,the former journalist has attacked bribery andembezzlement, weeding out graft in the nationalairline, public welfare funds and among the cus-todians of Mongolia’s vast mineral wealth.

But he has also been accused of shielding hisparty members from corruption investigations.“I’m your son. I know your pain and struggles,”Elbegdorj, 50, told cheering supporters at a finalcampaign rally Sunday in the capital, Ulan Bator. “Iknow exactly what I will do if I’m re-elected. I willcontinue my fight against corruption and finishwhat I already started.” This year’s election hasagain raised the question of how best Mongolia,a staunch US ally, should benefit from its boom inthe mining of coal, copper, gold, and other miner-als. The newfound wealth has propelled the econ-omy to dizzying heights, but also contributed tosoaring inflation and further skewed the unevenwealth distribution in the landlocked country,squeezed between China and Russia.

Polls show Elbegdorj, of the ruling DemocraticParty, with a strong lead over his rivals. Elbegdorj,who has a degree from Harvard University’sKennedy School of Government, has also beenhighlighting his political origins as a leader of the1990 protests that ended 70 years of one-partyCommunist rule and gave birth to a thrivingdemocracy in a region better known for stern dic-tatorships. He was elected president in 2009 afterserving two terms as prime minister. He lives withhis wife, mother and 25 children of whom 20 areadopted. Along with fighting graft, he has prom-ised to enact further legal reforms, increase publicparticipation in government decision-making,and boost the Alaska-sized nation’s participationin global institutions.

“Before Elbegdorj, nobody dared touch thesecorrupt officials protected by their party leaders,”said retired Ulan Bator accountant TungalagTsedevdorj, a supporter of the president. “Nowwe are hearing and seeing about the arrest andjailing of corrupt government officials,” Tungalagsaid. Elbegdorj’s main rival, oppositionMongolian People’s Party lawmaker BaterdeneBadmaanyambuu, is a former wrestling champi-on who has portrayed himself as a clean politi-cian committed to upholding national unity andfighting the environmental degradationbrought by the mining industry.

Mongolians have huge respect for their tradi-tional burly wrestlers, who compete bare-chested

in boots and leather shorts, and Baterdene hassuccessfully leveraged that popularity to winthree terms to the Great Hural, Mongolia’s parlia-ment. Baterdene, who towers over most of hiscompatriots with a height of 177 cms (5 feet 10inches), is one of Mongolia’s most successfulwrestlers ever. He is a 11-time winner of theMongolian national competition of Naadam thatcombines horse racing, archery and wrestling.Baterdene, who also holds a master’s degree inlaw, has vowed to overcome regional rivalries inthe herding nation of 3 million people, a third ofwhom are poor, further root out corruption, andrid law enforcement and the justice system ofpolitical influence. A third candidate, HealthMinister Udval Natsag, is Mongolia’s first womanto vie for the presidency and a staunch backer offormer President Enkhbayar Nambar, now serv-ing time in jail for corruption.

Elbegdorj’s Democratic Party also controls thelegislature under Prime Minister AltankhuyagNorov, although elections for that body are notdue until 2016. Baterdene, who is No. 2 in therace, has pledged to review a multibillion-dollarinvestment agreement signed with Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, and has swornto fight corruption regardless of who is implicat-ed. “I will not discriminate based on the notionthat this is my party member or my brother,” hesaid.

Baterdene, 49, has himself faced unprovenaccusations that he acquired a former state farmon the cheap through a murky privatization deal,and - perhaps most seriously in a land where herdanimals have long been the basis of survival - soldhay bales to China in the middle of calamitouswinter blizzards.

Critics of the president say he and his party areusing the anti-corruption campaign as cover forpolitically motivated attacks on Baterdene’sMongolian People’s Party. They point out that noDemocratic Party members have been investigat-ed or arrested by the country’s anti-corruptionbody, the Independent Agency AgainstCorruption, run by Elbegdorj’s allies, and say thejudicial and law enforcement branches haveeffectively become Democratic Party auxiliaries.

Third-running Udval has sought support fromfemale voters and also raised complaints thatdeals with foreign mining firms have failed tobenefit ordinary Mongolians and threaten thecountry’s economic independence. Udval, 59,began her career as a neonatology doctor in 1978and held various senior medical positions beforeentering politics in 2011. She was appointedhealth minister last year. “Mongolia is facing anew choice. It is time to decide whether Mongoliacan exist or not. If we can’t make a new choice, weface the prospect of living as the colony of a for-eign people,” she told supporters. —AP

Incumbent favored over

wrestler in Mongolia polls

BEIJING: US businessman Chip Starnes stands behind the bars of his officewindow after being held hostage for five days over a wage dispute at hisSpecialty Medical Supplies factory in Huairou, Beijing yesterday. —AFP

BEIJING: Chinese workers keeping an Americanexecutive confined to his Beijing medical supplyfactory said yesterday that they had not beenpaid in two months in a compensation disputethat highlights tensions in China’s labor market.The executive, Chip Starnes of Specialty MedicalSupplies, denied the workers’ allegations of twomonths of unpaid wages, as he endured a fifthday of captivity at the plant in the capital’snortheastern suburbs, peering out from behindthe bars of his office window. About 100 work-ers are demanding back pay and severancepackages identical to those offered 30 workersbeing laid off from the Coral Springs, Florida-based company’s plastics division. Thedemands followed rumors that the entire plantwas being closed, despite Starnes’ assertion thatthe company doesn’t plan to fire the others.

The dispute highlights general tensions inChina’s labor market as bosses worry about ris-ing wages and workers are on edge about theimpact of slowing growth on the future of theirjobs. Inside one of the plant’s buildings, about30 mostly women hung around, their armscrossed. One worker, Gao Ping, told reportersinside an administrative office in the plant thatshe wanted to quit because she hadn’t beenpaid for two months. Dressed in blue overallsand sitting down at a desk, Gao said her division- which makes alcohol prep pads, used for clean-ing skin before injections - had not been doingwell and that she wanted her salary and com-pensation.

Workers in other divisions saw how badlyher division was doing, thought the wholecompany was faring poorly and also wanted toquit and get compensation, said Gao, who hadbeen working for the company for six years.Starnes, 42, denied that they were owedunpaid salary. “They are demanding full sever-ance pay, but they still have a job. That’s theproblem,” he said, still in the clothes he worewhen he went to work Friday morning.

Chu Lixiang, a local union official represent-ing the workers in talks with Starnes, said theworkers were demanding the portion of theirsalaries yet to be paid and a “reasonable” levelof compensation before leaving their jobs.Neither gave details on the amounts demand-ed. Chu said workers believed the plant was

closing and that Starnes would run away with-out paying severance. Starnes’ attorney arrivedyesterday afternoon. Chu later told reportersthat there would be no negotiations for therest of the day. Starnes said that since Saturdaymorning, about 80 workers had been blockingevery exit around the clock and depriving himof sleep by shining bright lights and bangingon windows of his office. The standoff points tolong-ingrained habits among Chinese workerswho are sometimes left unprotected when fac-tories close without severance or wages owed.Such incidents have been rarer as labor protec-tions improve, although disputes still occurand local governments have at times barredforeign executives from leaving until they areresolved. Starnes said the company had gradu-ally been winding down its plastics division,planning to move it to Mumbai, India. Hearrived in Beijing a week ago to lay off the last30 people. Some had been working there forup to nine years, so their compensation pack-ages were “pretty nice,” he said. Then workersin other divisions started demanding similarseverance packages on Friday, he said.

Kevin Jones, who advises US companies onChinese labor and employment law, said it isbetter if American executives stay at home andlet their local managers lay off workers. In a caselast week, Jones said the chief financial officerof a US telecommunications equipment makerwanted to come to Beijing to explain the situa-tion and give 41 white-collar workers their ter-mination notices.

“We told him to stay in America,” said Jones,who chairs the Shanghai-based Faegre BakerDaniels labor and employment practice. Thecompany’s lawyers met with six employee rep-resentatives in a hotel. “We had two body-guards but that was just in case things got outof control,” Jones said. Christian Murck, presi-dent of the American Chamber of Commerce inChina, said Chinese labor law specified a mini-mum severance pay in the event of a layoff dueto economic necessity or if someone is dis-missed due to cause, but not a maximum one.“There is a kind of structural weakness in theway the labor law is set up that leads to negoti-ations and disputes when departures occur,”Murck said. —AP

Chinese workers holding

US boss say wages unpaid

N Korea to dominate

S Korea-China summit

SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-Hye heads for asummit in China today, looking to exploit signs of Beijing’sgrowing frustration with its unpredictable ally North Korea.The North and its nuclear weapons programme will domi-nate the agenda of Park’s summit talks with ChinesePresident Xi Jinping, which will be anxiously monitored bythe regime in Pyongyang. Speaking to senior officials onMonday, Park said her priority in Beijing would be to “hard-en” China-South Korea cooperation on “attaining the goalof North Korea’s denulcearisation”.

Officials in South Korea feel the time is ripe for a re-cali-bration of the Seoul-Beijing-Pyongyang axis. “China has tra-ditionally emphasised the need to keep North Korea stable,while trying to solve the nuclear issue,” said Choi Woo-Seon, a professor at the state-run Korea NationalDiplomatic Academy. “But the two issues are actuallysometimes contradictory and these days China’s position isgradually moving closer to the position of the US andSouth Korea.”

Washington and Seoul have made it clear they willnever accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear state,and insist Pyongyang must show a tangible commitmentto abandoning its nuclear weapons if it wants substantivetalks. Both have pressured China-North Korea’s sole majorally and economic lifeline-to use all its leverage to bringPyongyang to heel. North Korea appears to have moder-ated its line after a series of incendiary threats in recentmonths against Seoul and Washington. While a plannedmeeting with South Korea fell through, it has offereddirect talks with the United States, and has sent twoenvoys to Beijing in the past four weeks.

China’s relationship with North Korea-famouslydescribed by Mao Zedong as being as close as “lips andteeth”-was forged in the 1950-53 Korean War which Chinaentered to prevent the North’s total defeat. But it hasweakened significantly over the years, as China’s econom-ic transformation has distanced it from the ideologicalrigidity of the dynastic Kim regime across the border.

In line with UN sanctions, Beijing has moved to restrictPyongyang’s financial operations in China which theinternational community says are the major conduit forfunding its nuclear weapons programme. “China tendedto emphasise dialogue rather than pressure in the past,but I think that Chinese leaders began to realise it’s neces-sary to put some strong pressure on North Korea,” Choisaid.

China’s relations with South Korea got off to a latestart with diplomatic relations only established in 1992,but have improved steadily ever since, especially in theeconomic sphere. China is now South Korea’s biggesttrade partner and Park will be accompanied on her tripby a sizeable business delegation. The two sides areexpected to discuss a free-trade pact.

The strategic side of the partnership has always beencoloured by the issue of North Korea and stagnatedunder Park’s predecessor Lee Myung-Bak, who focusedhis efforts on boosting Seoul’s alliance with Washington.The hopes of a reboot have been bolstered by the factthat Park and Xi are both new leaders, having takenoffice within one month of each other earlier this year.

Park will be hoping for a strong joint statement thatcommits both sides to a denuclearised North Korea, withChina unlikely to go much further. As irritating as Beijingmight find Pyongyang’s behaviour, ensuring NorthKorea’s survival remains China’s bottom line, given thealternative of a unified Korea allied to the United States.

Jia Qingguo, a professor of international relations atPeking University, said Beijing wanted to strengthen theoverall strategic relationship with Seoul. “China wants toattach a lot of importance to this relationship not justbecause of North Korea,” Jia said. “The relationshipdeserves this kind of attention.” But he acknowledgedthat any improvement in China-South Korea ties would“impact the feelings” of North Korea. “They are sensitiveto events like this,” he said. —AFP

TAIPEI: Chinese dissident Chen Guangchengsaid yesterday that the pushing and shovingthat comes with Taiwan’s raucous democracywas superior to “having tanks going rampanton the streets and squares”, referring toChina’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdownon protesters. Chen, who was invited toTaiwan by opposition lawmakers, sparked adiplomatic crisis between the United Statesand China after he fled house arrest in Chinaand sought refuge at the US Embassy inBeijing. He has been a research fellow at NYULaw School since he flew to the United Statesin May 2012.

Chen has accused New York University ofbowing to Chinese pressure to ask him toleave. On Monday, he refused to shed lighton the issue. “Taiwan’s experience is a valu-able asset. A good use of it could let Chinaget rid of dictatorship and walk on the pathto democracy more easily,” Chen toldreporters. “It’s better to have pushing andshoving in a parliament hall than havingtanks going rampant on the streets andsquares.”

China had warned Chen to mind his lan-guage and protect China’s “dignity” on his vis-it to self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims asits own and insists must unite with the main-land, by force if necessary. Chen, who hasbeen blind since childhood, is a self-schooledlegal advocate who campaigned againstforced abortions. He was jailed for four yearson charges that he and his supporters saidwere spurious, and then held in his villagehome for 19 months after being released.

Public discussion of the Tiananmen

Square crackdown is still taboo in China,where on June 3 and June 4, 1989, its leadersordered troops to open fire on demonstratorsand sent in tanks to crush a student-led cam-paign movement, killing hundreds. Chinaand Taiwan have been ruled separately sincedefeated Nationalist forces fled to the islandin 1949 after losing a civil war with the com-munists.

When asked about Chen’s comments,Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman HuaChunying said: “Every Chinese citizen has theduty and responsibility to abide by China’sconstitution and law, and should not say ordo things that harm China’s national inter-ests.” Taiwan began dismantling the struc-tures of decades of iron-fisted rule byNationalist dictator Chiang Kai-shek in the1980s, allowing the formation of new politicalparties and replacing appointed politicianswith elected ones.

The reforms spawned a feisty brand ofdemocracy. It is common for lawmakers toshout and punch their way through parliamentsessions while voting and approving laws.Taiwan regularly plays host to people Chinadespises, including exiled Tibetan spiritualleader the Dalai Lama. It is also home to twoleaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protestswho escaped China - Wang Dan and Wu’erKaixi. Yesterday, about 30 to 40 lawmakersshoved each other in parliament while arguingover a cross-straits services agreement. A legis-lator from the opposition DemocraticProgressive Party, a man, grabbed the arm of afemale legislator from the Nationalist Party,who started crying. —Reuters

China dissident cites

Tiananmen in praising

Taiwan democracy

Silvio Berlusconi’s furious reaction to a conviction forpaying for sex with an underage prostitute suggestsa belligerent centre-right will intensify pressure on

the coalition government to favour its policies, particularlyconcerning the hot-button issue of tax, analysts saidTuesday. Political observers had warned a guilty verdictcould provoke the capricious former premier into pullingsupport from Enrico Letta’s grand coalition, for failing tooffer him legal protection.

Commentators yesterday said the risks of that were lim-ited for now, but the right would want payback for theharsh seven-year jail sentence and lifetime ban on holdingpublic office inflicted by magistrates Berlusconi has longdecried as “leftist” persecutors.”Nothing will ever be thesame again. The government will not fall but it will not besaved from the storm,” political analyst Stefano Folli said inItaly’s main business daily Il Sole 24 Ore.

“It would not serve Berlusconi to bring down the grandcoalition,” but “he will try and present himself as a sort of‘defender’ of the people, unjustly persecuted,” Folli said.The 76-year-old billionaire cannot afford to pull the plugjust yet: polls show the left currently leads over the right,and any withdrawal from the coalition would open up thepath to a damaging alliance between the left and theprotest Five Star Movement.

Berlusconi can, however, drum up public support forhaving been handed a sentence even stiffer than thatrequested by prosecutors-who had called for him to begiven six years in jail. The media magnate late Mondayslammed “an incredible sentence, of a violence never seenor heard before, handed down to try and eliminate mefrom political life,” and pledged to “resist this persecution(and not) abandon my fight to make Italy a truly free andjust country.”

The sentence will be suspended until all appeals havebeen exhausted, a process likely to take years. Accordingto Folli, the centre-right “may plausibly increase pressureon their keystone issues” such as blocking an increase onVAT and a loathed housing tax. Nicholas Spiro, managingdirector of Spiro Sovereign Strategy, said: “Berlusconi’sconviction adds another layer of political risk at a timewhen the Letta government is deeply divided over fiscalpolicy and Italy’s economy remains mired in recession.”

After interest rates rose at a debt auction on Tuesday,Spiro warned: “Further pressure on Italy’s bond market willinflame political tensions, with Berlusconi’s People ofFreedom (PDL) party heaping more pressure on Letta totake a tougher line with Germany and the EuropeanCentral Bank.” The government, says political editorialistfor La Stampa daily Marcello Sorgi, risks remaining “as ifsuspended in mid air... without political margins formanoeuvre or the strength necessary to face the serious-ness” of Italy’s recession.

Massimo Franco, political commentator for the Corrieredella Sera daily, said the verdict was “a time-bomb” for theuneasy centre-left and right coalition, already sufferinginternal tensions. “Not dumping his judicial misfortunes onthe coalition, at least for now, validates Berlusconi as aresponsible politician,” he said. “He has taken on the role ofvictim, which he excels at.” “But what worry are the reper-cussions on a coalition which already has to perform dailyacrobatics to survive,” he said. James Walston, politics pro-fessor at the American University of Rome, said the convic-tion “turns up the heat” on Berlusconi, whose sentencingon Monday was just one of several legal woes.

A Milan court last month upheld his conviction for taxfraud connected to his Mediaset empire, confirming thepunishment of a year in prison and a five-year ban frompublic office, frozen pending a second appeal. A definitiveruling in that case is expected to fall around October thisyear. “Berlusconi now has to use every weapon in hisarmoury to get out of this conviction. He will try to changethe law, get a pre-emptive amnesty, anything to give himjudicial protection,” Walston said.

Ordinary Italians were, as ever, divided overBerlusconi’s legal woes and his future in politics. “I don’tbelieve he will pull support for the government... it wouldnot work in his favor. I’m curious to see what he’ll come upwith this time, he is certainly a cat with nine lives,” said 46-year-old Raffaele Lanzia, as he drank coffee in a bar in thecentre of Rome. Paola, a 35-year-old Italian nurse, said shethought Berlusconi likely had already struck a deal bywhich he would be made exempt from his legal responsi-bilities before the Mediaset verdict falls. “I’m sure there willbe an amnesty soon, they wouldn’t have sentenced himotherwise,” she said.—AFP

Issues

Berlusconi legal

blow could create

more problems

By Francoise Kadri

14A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

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Questions turn to US competence in Snowden sagaBy Andy Sullivan and David Ingram

The Obama administration has spent thepast few weeks arguing it can wieldpower responsibly after Edward

Snowden unveiled its sweeping spying pro-grams. Now the administration must prove itcan wield power effectively. As the 30-year-old leads the world’s lone superpower on aglobal game of hide and seek, US govern-ment officials faced questions about whetherthey had botched the effort to extraditeSnowden from Hong Kong to face chargesrelated to his leak of classified information.

The latest wrinkle in the Snowden sagaposes a different set of questions for anadministration that has spent weeks fendingoff questions about whether it has abused itspower to collect taxes, investigate criminalactivity and fight terrorism. On Monday,administration officials said they had done allthey could to bring Snowden to justice.Chinese defiance, rather than bureaucraticbungling, had allowed the 30-year-old for-mer contractor to slip out of Hong Kong asofficials there weighed Washington’s requestfor extradition, they said.

“This was a deliberate choice by the gov-ernment to release a fugitive, despite a validarrest warrant,” White House spokesman JayCarney said at a briefing. Carney said earlyMonday afternoon that it was the USassumption that Snowden was still in Russiaafter fleeing Hong Kong for Moscow over theweekend. Other administration officials triedto dispel any notion of foot-dragging sinceSnowden first went public on June 9, and dis-missed suggestions that they could have tak-en other steps to detain Snowden, who hadgained access to highly sensitive informationas a contract systems administrator at aNational Security Agency facility in Hawaii.

Snowden’s exact whereabouts were a

mystery on Monday as Russia resisted WhiteHouse pressure to stop him during his jour-ney to escape US prosecution. Reportersstaking out an Aeroflot flight to Havana fromMoscow on Monday, saw no sign ofSnowden. The captain told reporters onemerging from customs: “No Snowden, no.”Ecuador said it was considering Snowden’srequest for asylum, and advocates in theanti-secrecy group WikiLeaks were also ask-ing Iceland to take him in.

Snowden’s decision to go on the lam cre-ates another headache for the Obamaadministration, which has seen priorities likeimmigration reform threatened by a string ofscandals. Republicans in Congress say theObama administration has abused its powerby targeting conservative groups for heavy-handed tax scrutiny and seizing reporters’phone records in the process of investigatingsecurity leaks. When it comes to the NSA rev-elations, most lawmakers were already awareof the surveillance program and few haveraised objections. Republicans by and largehave focused their criticism on Snowden andChina rather than the administration. Thatmay change if the ordeal drags on.Republican Representative Peter King of NewYork on Monday said Obama should havetaken a harder line with the Chinese authori-ties who ultimately control the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong.

“I hate to be in the middle of a crisis sec-ond guessing the president, but where is he?Where is the president? Why is he not speak-ing to the American people? Why is he notmore forceful in dealing with foreign lead-ers?” King said on CNN television. There arealso likely to be increasingly embarrassingquestions about how Snowden managed todownload and take many highly sensitivedocuments when he was working in Hawaiifor NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. The

head of the NSA, General Keith Alexander,said on Sunday that he did not know why theNSA did not catch Snowden before he leftHawaii for Hong Kong in May.

WHITE HOUSE STEERS CLEARObama first learned that Snowden had

turned up in Hong Kong on Sunday, June 9,as he flew back from a weekend of talks withChinese President Xi Jinping. But Obamadoes not appear to have played a direct rolein trying to get him back. Obama declined tosay on Monday whether he has spokendirectly with Russian President Vladimir Putinor other foreign leaders about the extradi-tion efforts. Obama had an icy meeting withPutin a week ago at the G8 summit inNorthern Ireland.

“We’re following all the appropriate legalchannels and working with various othercountries to make sure the rule of law isobserved,” Obama told reporters at an unre-lated event on Monday on immigrationreform. Obama’s public schedule leaves littleroom for the extradition effort. He makes amajor speech on climate change on Tuesday,and then leaves on a week-long trip to Africa.Michael Chertoff, a former HomelandSecurity Secretary under RepublicanPresident George W Bush, said extraditionlaws are riddled with loopholes and theUnited States has a limited ability to get oth-er countries to do what it wants.

“You can do all the paperwork, but itbecomes a question of leverage,” he said.“Either they didn’t have enough, or they did-n’t exercise enough.” Though the WhiteHouse has distanced itself from the Snowdenaffair, other agencies have taken pains toshow that they have done all they could tobring Snowden back to face charges. TheJustice Department said it had filed espi-onage and theft charges against Snowden

on June 14, one week before it made thecharges public, and asked Hong Kong toarrest Snowden the next day.

Officials from the FBI, the JusticeDepartment and the State Departmentworked with their counterparts in HongKong to extradite Snowden over the nextseveral days, culminating in a telephone callbetween US Attorney General Eric Holderand Hong Kong’s Secretary for Justice,Rimsky Yuen, on June 19. “There was a sensethat the process was moving forward,” aJustice Department official said, speaking oncondition of anonymity.

Hong Kong officials asked for more infor-mation and evidence two days later, but didnot give the United States enough time torespond before Snowden left the Chineseterritory on June 23. Administration officialsdismissed suggestions that they had mishan-dled the extradition effort. Using a so-called“red notice” to ask Interpol, the internationalpolice organization, for help was unneces-sary because Snowden should not have beenable to leave Hong Kong if his passport hadbeen revoked, a Justice Department officialsaid.

US officials said privacy laws preventthem from describing the status of any indi-vidual’s passport, but Carney hinted that ithad indeed been revoked. “Hong Kongauthorities were advised of the status ofSnowden’s travel documents in plenty oftime to have prohibited his travel,” he said.George Terwilliger, who served as the JusticeDepartment’s No 2 official under PresidentGeorge H W Bush, said it was too early toknow whether the agency should be blamedfor failing to get Snowden. “These are notlegal issues, per se. They’re political anddiplomatic issues, and most of the skills thatare exercised are exercised away from thepublic eye.”— Reuters

Bruised Greek government to limp alongBy Harry Papachristou

Greece’s weakened coalition governmentis expected to survive the departure of a jun-ior partner for now but will be forced to resistany fresh demands from its foreign lenders toprevent its tiny parliamentary majority fromcrumbling. A year after coming to power,Prime Minister Antonis Samaras suffered aheavy blow when his smallest coalition part-ner, the Democratic Left, quit the governmentlast week to protest the abrupt closure ofstate broadcaster ERT. Left with a three-votemajority in the 300-seat parliament, Samarasrushed to appease his only remaining ally,PASOK, by giving the Socialist party key port-folios in a cabinet reshuffle and naming itschief, Evangelos Venizelos, as his deputy.

The new cabinet sworn in yesterday byGreece’s archbishop has 11 PASOK members,including four full ministers. PASOK opted tohave little say in the previous cabinet, whichonly included two PASOK-appointed tech-nocrats in ministerial posts. The more inclu-sive approach and PASOK’s fear of new elec-tions - in which the already battered partyrisks losing even more - means the two-partycoalition is in some ways more stable than itsthree-party predecessor, analysts said.

That will allow the government to limpalong for now, helped by the opposition ofGreeks to a new round of elections that couldthrow the country into chaos and reopenfears of a Greek exit from the euro zone if thehard-left Syriza opposition won. But fewexpect it to see out its four-year term endingin 2016 and the coalition could be pushed tobreaking point in the autumn if lendersdemand more austerity measures to meetbudget targets under the country’s EU/IMFbailout, analysts said.

“Most people don’t want elections andtherefore they are willing to tolerate an other-wise fragile government,” Thomas Gerakis,head of the Marc pollsters said. “Their survivalreally depends on the whether they actually

implement reforms without any serious trou-ble.” Teneo Intelligence, which assesses politi-cal risk, said a government collapse beforeyear-end could not be ruled out.

REFORM HURDLESA big test for the coalition will be to show

it is on track to meet the target to fire 15,000public sector employees by the end of 2014and accelerate privatizations-a process whichhas all but stalled. Politically well-connectedlabor unions have already vowed to fightboth and dock workers called for a seven-hour nationwide walkout as a warningagainst the planned sale of the country’s twobiggest ports. Despite naming the pro-reformKyriakos Mitsotakis as administrative reformminister, Samaras will likely struggle to pushthrough reforms that take on powerful spe-cial interest groups like lawyers or engineerswith his 153-seat majority.

Four independents and some Democratic

Left lawmakers have signaled they mightback reforms to keep Greece in the euro, buttheir support is unlikely to come withoutstrings attached. Failure on that front could inturn trigger demands from the EU and IMF foradditional austerity measures, which Samarashas ruled out to spare Greeks reeling fromrepeated rounds of pay cuts and a 27 percentjobless rate.

Instead, a new coalition agreement duefor release soon is expected to reject newausterity measures and insist on pushinglenders for gradual tax cuts to help soften asevere recession in its sixth year. Samaras saidyesterday avoiding new austerity measures tofulfill targets in the country’s internationalbailout was the priority. “Our immediate pri-ority is to return to recovery ahead of time,defeat unemployment, bring in investment,avoid new measures and create jobs for theyouth,” he told ministers at their first cabinetmeeting.

TALKING TOUGHSeveral coalition lawmakers have also sig-

naled the government plans to toughen itsstance with its lenders. “The government willnegotiate tough,” Socialist deputy CostasSkandalidis told the Mega television channel,saying it will reject new wage cuts or tax hikeson low-income workers. The government isalready pressing the EU and IMF to repeal taxhikes on restaurants and fuel. It is also resist-ing any new tax rises or public sector wagecuts to offset a privatization revenue shortfallafter failing to sell state gas firm DEPA.

“If this doesn’t happen, the (bailout) pro-gram won’t work,” Skandalidis said, suggest-ing that the government could threaten thetroika with elections if it doesn’t get its way.Another Socialist deputy, Panagiotis Rigas,went further, saying the government wouldleverage the IMF’s admission earlier thismonth - that Greece’s first bailout programmein 2010-2012 was unnecessarily harsh - toseek better terms.

But with German Chancellor AngelaMerkel keen to avoid a flare-up of trouble inGreece before she faces re-election inSeptember, most analysts do not expect anyserious clash with the EU/IMF troika beforethen. Crunch time for the coalition is expect-ed soon after, when Athens and its lenderswill also have to decide how much in newsavings Greece needs to drum up to meet fis-cal targets for 2015 and 2016 - when it faces a4 billion euro revenue gap.

“If new measures are required, then thingswill get tough for the government,” said politi-cal analyst Costas Panagopoulos. The opposi-tion has also vowed to turn up the pressurecome September, and says the government isalready near collapse.

“This government is already running onempty, it’s weak from the outset. It’s the sametwo-party system that brought the country tothe mess it’s in today,” said Panos Skourletis,spokesman for the Syriza party. “It’s a short-term government.”— Reuters

ATHENS: Ministers attend the first cabinet meeting after the swearing-inceremony of the new government in Athens yesterday. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013N E W S

Continued from Page 1

A Qatari official said earlier that the transition ofpower, once announced, would take immediate force.State television later showed Qataris lining up to shakehands and rub noses in the traditional Gulf Arab greet-ing style with the new emir and his father. Outside, aqueue of black Mercedes cars snaked their way to theroyal court.

On the eve of the power transfer, Sheikh Hamadissued a decree extending the term of the advisory shu-ra council, in effect indefinitely postponing electionsthat had been tentatively scheduled for the second halfof the year. Diplomats had said earlier that SheikhHamad, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in1995, had long planned to abdicate in favor of theCrown Prince.

Yesterday was a national holiday in the country of 2million, ruled by the Al-Thani family for more than 130years. Regional governments, including Iran, SaudiArabia and the United Arab Emirates, were swift to wel-come the new ruler. An Iranian foreign ministryspokesman said Tehran regarded “tranquillity and stabil-ity” in Qatar as very important. British Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague said in a statement that he looked for-ward to even stronger ties with Qatar, which gainedindependence from Britain in 1971.

Sheikh Hamad has elevated Qatar’s global profilethrough the development of the Al Jazeera televisionnetwork, as well as its successful bid to host the 2022soccer World Cup tournament. Qatari state media saidSheikh Hamad had formally told family members andtop decision makers of his decision at a meeting inDoha on Monday. Arab and Western diplomats saidthey understood the motive was the emir’s desire toeffect a smooth transition to a younger generation.Such a transition would be unusual for Gulf Arab states,where leaders usually die in office.

“As Tamim’s succession is very much the outcome ofa longer process rather than the enforced product ofany sudden upheaval, there will be less sensitivityattached to the change of leadership than might other-wise be the case,” said Gulf expert Kristian Ulrichsen atthe Baker Institute for Public Policy. “If anything, thedecision to hand power to a younger generation con-firms Qatar as the regional outlier, as a state that doesthings differently, meaning there is less direct compari-son with other Gulf States,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rulers of the Arab states of the Gulf,where ageing monarchs retain power, congratulatedQatar’s new young emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose father abdicated in his favor yesterday.The first reaction came from Saudi Arabia’s 90-year-oldKing Abdullah. He congratulated Sheikh Tamim, whohas played a major role in improving relations betweenQatar and the regional powerhouse, which had beenstrained until 2007 over a border dispute. “We are happyto express to you in the name of the people and SaudiArabia’s government and in our name, our sincerestcongratulations,” King Abdullah said in a statementpublished by SPA.

“We are confident that you will continue the journeyof your father... and his efforts in serving the state ofQatar and its brotherly people as well as strengtheningrelations between the two nations.” King Abdullah’s age

and frequent hospitalization have raised concernsabout the future leadership of his ultra-conservativekingdom, a key player in the Middle East and a majorexporter of oil. Recently, the king had carried out aseries of reshuffles of princes holding government postsin the OPEC kingpin.

The United Arab Emirates also congratulated SheikhTamim, voicing hope of stronger ties, the official WAMnews agency reported. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa binZayed al-Nahayan affirmed “the deepness of the broth-erly relations between the two countries and the keen-ness to strengthen them to serve the people of bothstates,” WAM said. Relations have become strained dur-ing the past few months over Qatar’s reported supportof the Muslim Brotherhood, which, allegedly backed bythe gas-rich state, has risen to power in several ArabSpring states.

Dozens of people are on trial in the UAE over theirsuspected links to the Islamist movement, with 94 ofthem accused of forming a “secret organization plottingto overthrow the regime.” Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was the first leader to meet Tamimas he visited the gas-rich state to offer the new emir hisbest wishes. Congratulations also came from Oman,where Sultan Qaboos has been in power for fourdecades, and Bahrain’s King Hamad, whose country hasbeen rocked by a Shiite-led uprising demanding theouster of the prime minister, the monarch’s uncle, sinceFebruary 2011.

Qatar has loomed large in promoting Arab Springprotests, lending significant support to rebels who top-pled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011and to a continuing uprising against Syrian PresidentBashar Al-Assad. Doha has established strong links withmoderate Islamists, especially Egypt’s ruling MuslimBrotherhood group. State television showed Youssef Al-Qaradawi, a prominent Egyptian preacher based inQatar, greeting the outgoing emir and his son.

Qatar has also played host to a delegation of theAfghan Taliban, which opened an office in Doha lastweek in preparation for possible talks with the UnitedStates about how to end a 12-year-old conflict inAfghanistan. Other crises and wars that Qatar has tack-led include Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, Darfur and thePalestinian territories. Doha has often arranged forpeace talks on its own soil to show it can punch aboveits weight in international diplomacy.

But although he has strongly supported uprisingsagainst veteran autocracies in other Arab states, SheikhHamad cracked down on dissent at home, restrictingfreedom of expression. In February this year a Qataripoet was jailed for 15 years for criticizing the emir andattempting to incite revolt. But Arab Spring sentimenthas scarcely figured in Qatar, which has one of theworld’s highest per capita incomes and whose citizenshave cradle-to-grave welfare.

Still, Qatar and other Gulf ruling dynasties haveworked harder to provide more jobs and better socialservices to Internet-savvy populations increasingly out-spoken online. Qataris said Sheikh Tamim had a big taskupon his shoulders. “He told us he would do his best tocontinue the development in the country. He lookedhappy,” Khalid Rashid Mohammed, a 34-year-old well-wisher, said after he shook hands with the new ruler. “It’snot easy work. It’s a heavy responsibility.” — Agencies

‘New era’ as Qatar ruler hands power...

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Yesterday was announced a public holiday in Qatar asthe palace invited Qataris-who comprise just 200,000people out of a population of nearly two million-tocome to the palace to swear allegiance to the new emir.On the corniche near the palace, a van decorated withQatar’s burgundy and white flags played patriotic musicand anthems. The rest of the city was nearly empty.Television footage showed Qataris, among them triballeaders, army officers and dignitaries, pouring into thepalace to greet the new emir who stood smiling next tohis father.

Among those who arrived to congratulate the fatherand son was influential Muslim cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-

Qaradawi, who embraced both. Qaradawi is a controver-sial figure in the West and has millions of supporters,mostly from the Muslim Brotherhood-which Qatarreportedly supports. But expatriates, who make up amajority of the emirate’s population, seemed indifferent.“For us, this makes no difference. It is an internal matterand it is the same family ruling,” said a Bangladeshi taxidriver. The allegiance ceremony, open to men onlybased on the conservative Gulf state’s traditions, wouldcontinue through today morning, according to a palacestatement. Qatari newspapers, which devoted their frontpages to yesterday’s event, are committed today to thehighly profitable ritual of publishing congratulatorystatements from the country’s top personalities and trib-al dignitaries. — AFP

Qataris sad but hopeful

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Shifting the whole headquarters to ships at sea isalso an alternative, he wrote, though it would be costlyand problematic. US defense officials and military offi-cers dismissed the report, saying the Pentagon regularlyreviews contingency plans, particularly for pivotalbases.

“That’s not the case,” a senior defense official said ofthe report’s claims. “We’re always assessing the securitysituation,” said the official, who spoke on condition of

anonymity. “Our relationships with the kingdom ofBahrain and other nations in the region remain strong,”a US Navy officer, who also asked not to be named said.“As in other parts of the world, we have a number ofviable options to maintain a robust presence,” the offi-cer said. Rights groups have accused the United Statesof failing to use its leverage from the naval base to per-suade Bahrain’s monarchy to address the grievances ofprotesters and ease a crackdown on dissent. Since 2011,a Shiite-led uprising has demanded more rights fromthe ruling Sunni dynasty. — AFP

US has no ‘plan B’ for naval base in Bahrain

CAIRO: General view shows a traffic jam surround a gasoline station as drivers wait in long queues in Cairo yesterday. Fuel shortages have caused long lines for months, but Egypt’s Supply Minister Bassem Oudatold a news conference that the latest fuel shortage will end in a matter of days. Authorities blame the shortage on a technical problem at a major petrol depot on the outskirts of Cairo. — AP

MOSCOW: Fugitive US intelligence leakerEdward Snowden seemingly vanished intothin air in Moscow after arriving from HongKong at the weekend. Now the hunt is on tofind where on earth he is. Snowden’s round-the-world travels with no valid passport andcaches of files revealing the dirty secrets ofWashington’s super-espionage efforts are thestuff of James Bond movies from the Cold War.Here is a summary of what we know aboutSnowden’s whereabouts since his decision tospill the beans on US and UK surveillance pro-grams.

EXIT FROM HONG KONGThe anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks said

Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow on

Sunday on Aeroflot flight SU 213. It said thathe had received emergency refugee travelpapers from Ecuador the state where he wantsto seek political asylum and which is currentlysheltering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange atits London embassy. Washington had by thispoint revoked Snowden’s passport and hadfiled an extradition request to Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong government saidWashington’s paperwork was incomplete andthat Snowden had “voluntarily” left China’sspecial administrative region for a third coun-try. Dozens of journalists swarming Moscow’sgrungy Sheremetyevo international airport’sTerminal F failed to spot Snowden in thecrowd of passengers disembarking theAeroflot flight from Hong Kong. Some of those

on board nodded when shown a picture ofSnowden and asked if they had seen anyonelike that on their flight. Reports then emergedthat Snowden was staying in the so-called“transit zone”-an airport no-man’s land that isnot actually Russia proper because it ends pri-or to passport control.

NO SHOW ON FLIGHTSnowden was checked in on Aeroflot’s

Monday SU 150 flight to Havana but neverappeared on board-unleashing speculation ofhis intentions and whereabouts. Some say hemay have never intended to go to Havana andhad just wanted to throw journalists off hisscent.

Interfax said that he may have already

secretly slipped out of Russia by the time theflight departed. ITAR-TASS countered withinformation from an unnamed source thatSnowden was definitely still at Sheremetyevo.Intelligence “veterans” quoted by both Interfaxand RIA Novosti speculated that Snowden wasfar too valuable a find for Russia to let him goso easily. Meanwhile desperate journalists onboard flight SU 150 had nothing left to do butresign themselves to a half-day flight aroundthe world with no booze served.

WHERE IS SNOWDEN NOW?Speculation now abounds as to the where-

abouts of the man Washington has painted asthe most dangerous leaker of the cyber era.He could still be staying in the box-like rooms

of the “capsule hotel” inside the Sheremetyevodepartures area where he is reported to havespent Monday night. He may have left Russiaor been taken for special debriefings some-where in Moscow or even given refuge at aSouth American embassy in Russia.

Or he simply could be killing time beforetaking a flight out of Moscow some other dayin the hopes he will not be pursued by thepress. Sources quoted by Russian news agen-cies have been adamant that Snowden is atransit passenger who never crossed the bor-der after arriving from Hong Kong. ButSnowden has also never been seen by anyjournalist at the Moscow airport. This has ledto conjecture that he may have never travelledto Moscow at all. — AFP

Snowden: The invisible international traveler

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Police Department officers search cars during a massive manhunt for a suspectwho attempted to kill two detectives yesterday in Los Angeles, California. The shooting happened in theearly morning hours as the two detectives were ambushed and slightly injured outside the Los AngelesPolice Department’s Wilshire Station, prompting the closure of a 25-square-block area in the Mid-City sec-tion of Los Angeles. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Rookie sensa-tion Yasiel Puig hit his seventhhome run in 20 major leaguegames and added a tiebreakingsingle in the eighth inningagainst Madison Bumgarner,leading the Los AngelesDodgers to a 3-1 victory overthe San Francisco Giants onMonday night.

Nick Punto led off the eighthwith a double. Mark Ellis sacri-ficed Punto to third and reachedsafely when Bumgarner threwhigh to first for an error.

Puig greeted George Kontoswith a line-drive single to leftthat scored Punto. HanleyRamirez drove in the final run ona liner toward the middle thatshortstop Brandon Crawfordknocked down with a lungingattempt before getting the outat first.

Paco Rodriguez (2-2) got twoouts and Kenley Jansen workedthe ninth for his fifth save.Bumgarner (7-5) was chargedwith three runs - two earned -and five hits in seven-plusinnings in his 100th big leaguestart.

PADRES 4, PHILLIES 3

In San Diego, Kyle Blanks sin-gled home the winning run inthe 10th inning for his career-high fourth hit, and San Diegorallied from a three-run deficit inthe ninth to beat Philadelphia.

Blanks also had a two-run sin-gle and scored the tying run onCarlos Ruiz’s passed ball in theninth as the Padres fought backagainst Cliff Lee and strugglingcloser Jonathan Papelbon.

Joe Thatcher (3-1) retiredDomonic Brown with a runneron third in the 10th. Chase Utleyhomered and Ruiz had an RBIsingle for the Phillies. Justin DeFratus (2-1) took the loss. —AP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

DUBAI: Pakistan will play series against South Africa and Sri Lanka in theUnited Arab Emirates, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said yesterday.

South Africa declined to tour Pakistan due to security concerns and the PCBhad no option but to play matches on neutral ground. Chief operating officerSubhan Ahmad said the series against South Africa would take place in

October and November and would include three tests,five one-day internationals and a Twenty20

match.Fixtures are to be played at venues in

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with theseries against Sri Lanka, due to start inNovember, to follow a similar format.

No foreign team has toured Pakistan since2009 when militants attacked a Sri Lankan

team bus in Lahore in which six Pakistanipolicemen and a van driver were killed

and members of the touring sidewounded. Militants killed nineforeign tourists last week in theNanga Parbat mountainousregion, sparking further safetyfears in the country. —Reuters

Pakistan to play in UAEFRANCE: Citroen and their nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will race on circuits next sea-son in the FIA World Touring Car championship (WTCC), the French manufacturer said yesterday. Loeb isnot contesting the world rally title this year, opting instead for a limited programme of events, and he iseager to return to full time racing.

“It’s a bit of a dream to think that we are going to write a new chapter in our history. I can’t wait to getout on track in the car and start testing,” he said in a Citroen statement announcing the new venture. “Ihave used this transitional year to try out various experiences and to improve mytrack driving skills. I don’t expect to win straight away, but I am determinedto get there one day.”

Citroen brand head Frederic Banzet said involvement in the touringcar championship would help to develop the brand in promisinggrowth markets such as China, Russia and South America. The manu-facturer will continue to compete in the world rally championship.

“Obviously, we’re still committed to rallying and we’ll continue towork hard to try and get the best possible result in 2013,” said CitroenRacing head Yves Matton.

“Our partnership with Abu Dhabi is set to be reinforced, enabling usto continue to be involved in WRC with a new system and withnew objectives.” Matton said Citroen would be able to usemuch of their existing expertise on the WTCC project aswell as the DS3 WRC car’s 1.6-litre direct injection turboengine. —Reuters

Loeb to race on circuitsNAPLES: Italian finance police seized documents from about 40 soccerclubs yesterday as part of an investigation, dubbed “Sick Soccer”, intopossible tax evasion and money laundering in the buying and selling ofplayers.

Naples prosecutors said that authorities sought documentation fromvirtually all of Italy’s top flight Serie A clubs, including three listed on thestock exchange - Lazio , AS Roma, and Juventus - last season’s leaguechampions.

Spokesmen for Lazio, Roma and Napoli had no comment, whileJuventus officials did not respond to phone calls or email. The documentseizures were part of an investigation into a “criminal conspiracy whoseobjective was to evade taxes through the systematic issuing of inexis-tent invoices” in player transfers, the Naples court said in a statement.

The suspicious player transactions “took enormous quantities of cashaway from tax authorities”, the court said. The probe also includes 12Italian and foreign player agents, police said. Italian soccer has beendogged by match fixing allegations in recent years. Juventus werestripped of two Serie A titles in 2006, and later Italy was the focus of aninternational match-fixing ring, with Juventus coach Antonio Conte tem-porarily suspended last year for failing to report infractions. —Reuters

‘Sick Soccer’ tax probe

LOS ANGELES: Pitcher Paco Rodriguez No. 75 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in relief for Ronald BelisarioNo. 51 (not in photo) in the eighth inning during the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants. —AFP

ST. PETERSBURG: Jeremy Hellicksonallowed one hit in seven shutout innings androokie Wil Myers homered in his homedebut, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat theBlue Jays 4-1 on Monday night to endToronto’s 11-game winning streak.

Myers hit the second of three straightTampa Bay homers in the second, connect-ing in his first at-bat at Tropicana Field. Hisdrive to center off Esmil Rogers (3-3) wassandwiched between home runs by JamesLoney and Sam Fuld as Tampa Bay wentdeep three times in a span of eight pitches.

Luke Scott added a bloop RBI double tomake it 4-0 in the third, and that was all thesupport Hellickson (6-3) needed. FernandoRodney worked the ninth, earning his 16thsave in 21 opportunities.

The Blue Jays were limited to four singlesand five walks. They came up short in theirbid to extend the longest winning streak inthe majors since Detroit won 12 straight in

2011. Toronto’s winning streak matched thebest in club history. The Blue Jays also won11 in a row in 1987 and 1998.

INDIANS 5, ORIOLES 2In Baltimore, Michael Brantley homered

and had four RBIs to lead Cleveland pastBaltimore for its ninth win in 12 games.

Brantley put the Indians ahead with a two-run single off Zach Britton (1-2) in the sixthinning and made it 5-2 with a two-run shot inthe eighth off Darren O’Day. His four RBIs tieda career high, reached twice previously. Thevictory improved Cleveland’s record againstthe AL East to 7-17 and provided an upliftingstart to an 11-game road trip.

Ubaldo Jimenez (6-4) allowed two runs in5 1-3 innings and Vinnie Pestano, the fourthIndians reliever, worked the ninth for hisfourth save. Nick Markakis and Matt Wietershomered for the Orioles, who have lost fourstraight. —AP

Rays roll over Jays

ST. PETERSBURG: Infielder Emilio Bonifacio No. 1 of the Toronto Blue Jays tagsout Wil Myers No. 9 of the Tampa Bay Rays as he attempted to steal secondbase. —AFP

American League

Eastern Division

W L PCT GB

Boston 45 33 .577 -NY Yankees 41 34 .547 2.5Baltimore 42 35 .545 2.5Tampa Bay 40 37 .519 4.5Toronto 38 37 .507 5.5

Central Division

Detroit 42 32 .568 -Cleveland 39 36 .520 3.5Kansas City 35 38 .479 6.5Minnesota 34 38 .472 7Chicago White Sox 31 42 .425 10.5

Western Division

Texas 44 32 .579 -Oakland 44 34 .564 1Seattle 34 43 .442 10.5LA Angels 33 43 .434 11Houston 29 48 .377 15.5

National League

Eastern Division

Atlanta 44 33 .571 -Washington 37 38 .493 6Philadelphia 36 41 .468 8NY Mets 30 42 .417 11.5Miami 25 50 .333 18

Central Division

St. Louis 47 29 .618 -Pittsburgh 46 30 .605 1Cincinnati 45 32 .584 2.5Chicago Cubs 31 43 .419 15Milwaukee 31 43 .419 15

Western Division

Arizona 41 34 .547 -Colorado 39 38 .506 3San Diego 39 38 .506 3San Francisco 38 38 .500 3.5LA Dodgers 33 42 .440 8

MLB results/standings

Cleveland 5, Baltimore 2; Tampa Bay 4, Toronto 1; LA Dodgers 3, San Francisco 1; San Diego 4, Philadelphia 3 (10innings).

Giants fall to Dodgers

SUNRIVER: Rod Perry shot an even-par 72 inrainy conditions Monday at Sunriver Resortto take the second-round lead in the PGAProfessional National Championship.

Perry, the PGA head pro at Crane Lakes inPort Orange, Fla., had two birdies and twobogeys on the Crosswater Club course, thesite of the final two rounds. The 39-year-oldleft-hander had an 8-under 135 total afteropening with a 63 on the Meadows course.

“No lead is safe; that’s for certain,” saidPerry, the 2012 PGA Professional Player ofthe Year. “Obviously, Crosswater is playingpretty tough. The crosswinds are there, andit’s tough to get the ball close to the hole. It’stough to get the ball inside 8 to 10 feet. We

have a lot of golf to play. Thirty-six holes onthis golf course a lot can happen.”

Mark Sheftic and Chip Sullivan, the 2007winner at Sunriver, were a stroke back aftershooting 4-under 67 on the Meadowscourse. The 38-year-old Sheftic is a PGAteaching pro at Merion in Ardmore, Pa., thesite of the US Open last week.

“Hectic is the right word,” Sheftic said.“But, you have to say this, everyone thatworks at Merion and the members, it was ahectic week for us all. Being out here it’salmost like a vacation. I don’t know if I wantto say it that way, because it’s still a lot ofstress. But it’s fun to get out here and playsome golf.” —AP

NEW YORK: Floyd Mayweather stood in themiddle of a jam-packed Times Square, speakingover the chants of “Mex-i-co!” that grew increas-ingly louder.

The eight-time world champion also hadplenty of fans cheering him on, but Mexican starSaul “Canelo” Alvarez appeared to be the slightcrowd favorite as the two kicked off an 11-citytour Monday to officially announce and pro-mote their title fight at the MGM Grand in LasVegas on Sept. 14.

Not that it seemed to bother Mayweather allthat much. “I take my hat off to the country ofMexico, and they have produced some tremen-dous champions and I respect the country ofMexico,” Mayweather said on a steamy after-noon in the heart of Manhattan in front of a fewthousand fans with Broadway marquees servingas a colorful backdrop.

“But one thing I always know about the sportof boxing is that my fans can’t fight for me, andhis fans can’t fight for him,” he continued. “TheEarth is my turf. You can put me in any ring and Iwill always come out victorious.”

The promotional tour includes stops in citiessuch as Washington D.C., Chicago, Miami andMexico City, and is jumpstarting the hype aheadof one of boxing’s most anticipated bouts inrecent memory.

Mayweather, 36, is unbeaten in 44 fights, thelast a unanimous 12-round decision over RobertGuerrero on May 4 in defense of his 147-poundtitle.

Alvarez, a 22-year-old rising star, is 42-0-1 andunified the 154-pound titles with a unanimous

victory over Austin Trout on April 20. “In thesport of boxing, it’s everybody’s time, and this ismy time,” Alvarez said through a translator. “I’mgoing to win.”

The 12-round fight will be contested at152 pounds with both men’s super welter-weight/junior middleweight titles on the line- Mayweather’s WBA super welterweight“super” championship, and Alvarez’s WBC,WBA and Ring Magazine super welterweightchampionships.

The bout billed simply as “The One” is expect-ed to be a monstrous draw on pay-per-view forShowtime. It also just might satisfy many fanswho had been wishing during the last severalyears for Mayweather to take on MannyPacquiao.

“In every sport, there are certain rare occa-sions when you have the best fighting the best,”said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice presidentand general manager of Showtime Sports. “TheSuper Bowl, Final Four, the college footballnational championship. Sept. 14 will be one ofthose occasions - the two biggest stars in thesport, the two biggest fan bases.

“We have America’s No. 1 fighter versusMexico’s No. 1 fighter. We have the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport versus the No. 1new star in the sport.”

There remains some dispute over who set the152-pound catch weight, with Mayweather’scamp saying Alvarez’s people brought it up first.Alvarez, however, insisted it was Mayweatherwho decided on having both fight at 152pounds instead of 154.

“It wasn’t me,” Alvarez told reporters beforethe news conference. “I don’t want to fight 2pounds below my weight class. That’s the way itwas negotiated, and I accepted it. I’m fine withit.”

There was also some contention between thetwo because Alvarez chose to headline his ownfight card against Trout rather than be includedon the undercard of Mayweather-Guerrero card.But both fighters agreed that this is a matchupthat needed to happen.

“I’ve visualized this fight for years,” Alvarezsaid, “and I feel I’m going to win.” The fighterseach announced on Twitter last month that theywould face each other, exciting boxing fansaround the world. Monday’s event marked thestart of perhaps the sport’s most ambitious pro-motional tour since Mayweather and Oscar DeLa Hoya also stopped in 11 cities before their2007 bout - won by Mayweather. Each fightertook a stroll down a makeshift red carpet lead-ing to the dais with pops of confetti - red, whiteand blue for Mayweather and red, green andwhite for Alvarez - marking their entrances. Onefan got Mayweather to crack up when he heldup a Chucky doll from the “Child’s Play” moviefranchise, taking a clear shot at Alvarez’s hair col-or.

The two took their seats after staring eachother down for nearly a minute - Mayweathernext to Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of MayweatherPromotions, and Alvarez next to De La Hoya, thepresident of Golden Boy Promotions. It was amostly tame news conference with the banterbetween sides at a minimum. Before the news

conference, Mayweather talked about shootinga commercial with the Spanish-speakingAlvarez and someone asked why he isn’t doinghis usual trash talking with his opponent. “Hewouldn’t understand me anyway,” Mayweathersaid, laughing.

It is the second in Mayweather’s six-bout, 30-month contract with Showtime that could payhim more than $200 million. After Mayweatherbeat Guerrero, he said he wanted to fight againin September - marking the first time since 2007he will be in the ring twice in a calendar year.

Mayweather showed little rust while domi-nating Guerrero by using superior defensiveskills in his first ring appearance since serving ajail term for assaulting the mother of his chil-dren.

Alvarez is a confident and rapidly rising fight-er who should provide a huge test forMayweather. Alvarez was solid against the previ-ously unbeaten Trout, showing up some fansand media who speculated that perhaps hewasn’t ready to face such an experienced oppo-nent.

“To be the best,” Alvarez said when askedbefore the news conference what his motivationis to fight Mayweather now. “(I want) to godown in history as the guy who beat the guypeople consider the best.” When the news con-ference was over, both fighters got up andstared each other down one more time. Andagain, the crowd went wild.

“Canelo, I appreciate you for taking the fight,”Mayweather said. “Now, let’s give the fans whatthey want to see.” —AP

Mayweather, Alvarez kick off tour in Times Square

Perry leads PGA Professional

PARIS: A look at major doping scandals involvingthe Tour de France since the Festina affair in 1998:

● 1998: Festina medical team member Willy Voetwas arrested at the French border before the start ofthe Tour after customs officers seized banned sub-stances, including the blood-boosting drug erythro-poietin (EPO).

Festina were kicked out of the race and their rid-ers later admitted to taking performance-enhancingdrugs. Top rider Richard Virenque was banned fornine months, team director Bruno Roussel and Voetwere fined and given suspended jail sentences.

● 2006: American Floyd Landis became the firstTour winner to fail a drugs test during the race aftertesting positive for the male sex hormone testos-terone. Landis was stripped of the title and given atwo-year ban.

Germany’s 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich and Girod’Italia champion Ivan Basso were among nine com-petitors withdrawn on the eve of the prologue afterbeing implicated in a Spanish doping investigation,Operation Puerto.

Ullrich, who retired from competition in 2007,admitted earlier this month to blood-doping underthe guidance of the Spanish doctor at the centre ofthe Operation Puerto scandal.

Basso admitted his involvement in the scandal tothe Italian Olympic Committee in May 2007 and wasbanned for two years.

● 2007: Pre-race favorite Alexander Vinokourovtested positive for blood doping after winning atime trial. The Kazakh’s Astana team left the Tour andsacked Vinokourov, who denied any wrongdoing.

The Cofidis team pulled out of the race followingItalian Cristian Moreni’s positive test for testosterone.Moreni was suspended for two years.

Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was sacked by hisRabobank team during the race for lying about hiswhereabouts in training. He was banned for twoyears by the Monaco Cycling Federation for violatinganti-doping rules.

German Patrik Sinkewitz was suspended after atest taken in June was positive for elevated levels oftestosterone. Sinkewitz had already pulled out ofthe Tour injured following a crash with a spectator.

Spanish rider Iban Mayo, who finished the race in16th place, was suspended by his team SaunierDuval after cycling’s governing body confirmedtraces of EPO in a sample taken during the race.

● 2008: Italian Riccardo Ricco was kicked out of therace after failing a test for the new generation of EPOcalled CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis ReceptorActivator). Saunier Duval then announced they werewithdrawing their sponsorship of the team.

Austrian Bernhard Kohl, third overall and therace’s top climber, as well as Italian LeonardoPiepoli and German Stefan Schumacher were alsofound guilty of using CERA following retroactivetests.

Kazakh Dmitriy Fofonov tested positive for thebanned stimulant heptaminol and was fired by hisCredit Agricole team. Spaniards Manuel Beltranand Moises Duenas Nevado tested positive forEPO. Barloworld ended sponsorship of their teamafter Nevado’s test result.

● 2012: Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck tested pos-itive for the banned diuretic Xipamide during thesecond rest day and was withdrawn from the raceby his RadioShack team. He was suspended forone year.

In June, the United States Anti-Doping Agency(USADA) recommended charging seven-timesTour winner Lance Armstrong, who won the racefrom 1999 to 2005, with using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

After initially saying he would fight the charges,Armstrong changed his mind and in August USA-DA stripped him of his Tour titles and banned himfor life.

USADA said in its report that Armstrong and hisU.S. Postal team had run “the most sophisticated,professionalized and successful doping programthat sport has ever seen”.

In January 2013, Armstrong admitted in a tele-vision interview he used banned substances in allof his Tour victories. —Reuters

Doping affairs

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

PARIS: Chris Froome is overwhelming favouritefor the Tour de France but the return of formerwinner Alberto Contador after a one-year hiatuscould trigger a classic duel to mark the 100th edi-tion of the great cycling race.

It will also be the first Tour since AmericanLance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titlesafter admitting he cheated his way to glory from1999-2005, leaving a huge gap in the event’srecords.

It is a period Briton Froome will be happy toput in the past for good. “The fact that I’m able tofinish at the front in the mountains and in thegeneral classification means that the sport haschanged since 10 years ago,” said Froome, whowas promoted to Team Sky leader before teammate and defending champion Bradley Wigginswithdrew from the race for health reasons.

“You learn from the past. The sport is going inthe right direction and my results are proof ofthat.” Froome has won four of the five stage raceshe has entered this season. “It definitely gives meconfidence that I’ve had the right build-up to theTour, that I’ve had the right preparation for theTour,” he explained.

“It also gives my team mates a lot of confi-dence, that they’re riding for a worthy cause, thatthey know I can deliver the result.

“But having said that, once we line up on thestart line in Corsica, every other race we’ve doneearly on this season folds away,” added Kenya-born Froome, with a note of caution.

Froome is expected to have the upper hand inthe individual time trials and will rely on a superstrong Team Sky with a stunning capacity to set ahigh tempo in the mountains to prevent attacks -a tactic Wiggins heavily relied on in 2012.

Contador’s presence, after missing last year’sTour because of a doping suspension, will defi-nitely be felt even if the Spaniard has made littleimpression so far this season.

Contador, who won the Tour in 2007 and2009, goes into the race with only one low-keyvictory under his belt - a stage of the Tour de SanLuis in January.

Since then, the 30-year-old has been compre-hensively beaten by Froome and others, despiterepeated attacks in the uphill stages of the Tourof Oman or the Criterium du Dauphine.

Froome is likely to gain time in the two indi-vidual and one team time trial of this year’s race,which starts on June 29, so Contador will have tomake up for it in the mountains, where his rivalalso shines.

The race should not be decided before the lastweek with the 14th stage finishing up the MontVentoux and the 18th sending the peloton twiceround the 21 hair-pins of L’Alpe d’Huez.

However, Contador is one of only five menwith titles in all three grand Tours (Spain, Italy,France) while Froome has only two podium fin-ishes - seconds in the Vuelta in 2011 and the Tourin 2012.

Contador will also be assisted by a solid teamfeaturing Australian Michael Rogers, who wasinstrumental for Team Sky during last year’s Tour,as well as Irishman Nicolas Roche and CzechRoman Kreuziger. Both have relinquished theirpersonal ambitions to help the Spaniard clinch athird title.

“There are quite a few guys whom I believe tobe threats to the yellow jersey and until any ofthose guys lose time on the general classificationthey should be treated as potential yellow jerseywearers,” said Froome.

“Contador is definitely not someone to writeoff from the group of contenders. I did come outon top in the time trial and in the mountainstages (in the Dauphine) against Contador but hecannot be ruled out.”

Contador proved in winning last year’s Vueltathat he never gives up, taking the overall lead inthe 17th stage after launching a devastating sur-prise attack.

Should he and Froome falter, the indefatiga-ble Cadel Evans, winner of the Tour in 2011, willbe ready to step up, as well as fellow AustralianRichie Porte, the Team Sky number two.

“Richie’s results this year have been fantastic,”Team Sky coach Tim Kerrison said. “He’s a veryvery good stage racer and a strong GC con-tender.”

The battle for the points classification greenjersey is likely to be between Slovakia’s PeterSagan and Mark Cavendish, although the Britonwould be happy with a brief spell in yellow.

“I would like to wear the yellow jersey afterthe first stage in Corsica,” said Cavendish, who is11 stages shy of Eddy Merckx’s all-time Tourrecord of 34. “It’s the only one of the three grandtours where I haven’t worn the leader’s jersey, soI’d like to do that.”—Reuters

Froome, Contador could make 100th Tour a classic

PARIS: Tour de France winners since the event was first stagedin 1903 (no races during the World Wars):

2012 Bradley Wiggins (Britain)2011 Cadel Evans (Australia)2010 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) ***2009 Alberto Contador2008 Carlos Sastre (Spain)2007 Contador2006 Oscar Pereiro (Spain) **2005 *2004 *2003 *2002 *2001 *2000 *1999 *1998 Marco Pantani (Italy)1997 Jan Ullrich (Germany)1996 Bjarne Riis (Denmark)1995 Miguel Indurain (Spain)1994 Indurain1993 Indurain1992 Indurain1991 Indurain1990 Greg LeMond (US)1989 LeMond1988 Pedro Delgado (Spain)1987 Stephen Roche (Ireland)1986 LeMond1985 Bernard Hinault (France)1984 Laurent Fignon (France)1983 Fignon1982 Hinault1981 Hinault1980 Joop Zoetemelk (Netherlands)1979 Hinault1978 Hinault1977 Bernard Thevenet (France)1976 Lucien Van Impe (Belgium)1975 Thevenet1974 Eddy Merckx (Belgium)1973 Luis Ocana (Spain)1972 Merckx1971 Merckx1970 Merckx1969 Merckx1968 Jan Janssen (Netherlands)1967 Roger Pingeon (France)1966 Lucien Aimar (France)1965 Felice Gimondi (Italy)1964 Jacques Anquetil (France)1963 Anquetil1962 Anquetil1961 Anquetil1960 Gastone Nencini (Italy)1959 Federico Bahamontes (Spain)1958 Charly Gaul (Luxembourg)1957 Anquetil1956 Roger Walkowiak (France)1955 Louison Bobet (France)1954 Bobet1953 Bobet1952 Fausto Coppi (Italy)1951 Hugo Koblet (Switzerland)1950 Ferdi Kubler (Switzerland)1949 Coppi1948 Gino Bartali (Italy)1947 Jean Robic (France)1939 Sylvere Maes (Belgium)1938 Bartali1937 Roger Lapebie (France)1936 Sylvere Maes (Belgium)1935 Romain Maes (Belgium)1934 Antonin Magne (France)1933 Georges Speicher (France)1932 Andre Leducq (France)1931 Magne1930 Leducq1929 Maurice De Waele (Belgium)1928 Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg)1927 Frantz1926 Lucien Buysse (Belgium)1925 Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy)1924 Bottecchia1923 Henri Pelissier (France)1922 Firmin Lambot (Belgium)1921 Leon Scieur (Belgium)1920 Philippe Thys (Belgium)1919 Lambot1914 Thys1913 Thys1912 Odile Defraye (Belgium)1911 Gustave Garrigou (France)1910 Octave Lapize (France)1909 Francois Faber (Luxembourg)1908 Lucien Petit-Breton (France)1907 Petit-Breton1906 Rene Pottier (France)1905 Louis Trousselier (France)1904 Henri Cornet (France)1903 Maurice Garin (France)

*** Spain’s Alberto Contador was stripped of the title aftertesting positive for a banned anabolic agent during the 2010race.

** American Floyd Landis was stripped of the title after test-ing positive for elevated levels of testosterone during the 2006race.

* American Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seventitles from 1999-2005 for doping. The titles have not been real-located. —Reuters

Tour de France winners

Chris Froome

Alberto Contador

BRACKLEY: Lewis Hamilton has put trials andtribulations behind him and is raring to make hisfirst British Grand Prix appearance for Mercedesthis weekend in a car he says is better than lastyear’s McLaren. With McLaren yet to finish higherthan fifth this season, after winning seven racesin 2012, the 2008 Formula One champion has noregrets about the move to Mercedes that manywere still questioning only months ago.

He heads for Silverstone as one of four Britishdrivers but the one with the best chance of vic-tory, Mercedes already being a winner inMonaco thanks to Germany’s Nico Rosberg andbeing on pole four times in seven races.

“I feel like I have a better car this year so Ithink we should be more competitive than wewere last year,” he told reporters at the Mercedesfactory, a short drive from Silverstone.

“It is definitely closer (to being able to win)than what I have had for a couple of years, so Iam looking forward to seeing what the car cando,” he added.

“I think the car will go really well here.” Twoclouds that hung over Hamilton at the last racein Canada have lifted. One was personal and theother was an international tribunal that couldhave imposed heavy sanctions on his team for a

“secret” tyre test with Pirelli. Last week’s hearing handed Mercedes a repri-

mand and ordered them to miss a young drivertest in July, but neither punishment will havemuch impact on Hamilton or Rosberg.

In Montreal Hamilton had seemed abruptand distant, telling reporters he had “things” onhis mind, but on Tuesday he was relaxed again.

“I feel good. I am really happy,” he said. “Mymind was a bit clouded (in Canada), it didn’t real-ly affect my weekend in terms of performanceand being able to do the job, but I feel good.And I am looking forward to this weekend andjust getting on with it.

“I can’t wait until Friday...And I am on the sim-ulator tomorrow so I get to really focus on tryingto nail the set-up, so we start on the right footduring the weekend.”

Hamilton, who was at McLaren in 2007 whenthe Woking team were fined a record $100 mil-lion and stripped of all their constructors’ pointsfor a spying controversy, said he had not allowedthe tribunal to unsettle him.

“I tried my best not to give it much thought.(Team principal) Ross (Brawn) kept me in theloop and I’d get an email here and there from thelawyer explaining where we were,” he said.

“Of course, when I saw the team at the week-end it was a relief for everyone...that they couldget on and start focusing on the next race. AndI’m happy as well.”

Hamilton said the team was doing a great job,adding: “We’ve got into a good position so farand if we can get into an even better one thatwould be fantastic. They have been working sohard to get the results that we’ve had, a negativeresult was not needed.”

Although Hamilton would not have takenpart in the young driver test, he said the lack of itwould be a setback. The test is the sole chanceduring the season for teams to try out newdevelopments.

“That does suck a little bit,” said the Briton ofthe team’s exclusion. “It’s important because wehad a lot planned, upgrades and stuff, on thosethree days.

“It’s also vital for the (reserve) drivers who arealways on the simulator to test the tyres, andwhere they are, and come back in here and feedback so they continue working on develop-ments and improving the simulator.

“It definitely puts us back a little bit but we’regoing to have to try to figure out a way to recov-er it elsewhere.”—Reuters Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton raring for British GP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Photo of the day

Danny MacAskill performs a backflip during the Imaginate filming in Glasgow, United Kingdom. —www.redbullcontentpool.com

MELBOURNE: The British and IrishLions will head into the second testagainst Australia with a head full ofsteam after subjecting the MelbourneRebels to a 35-0 thrashing in their tourmatch yesterday.

Eager to impress coach WarrenGatland in their last non-test tourmatch, the midweek Lions ran in fourtries and were awarded fifth by penaltyas they completely outclassed theSuper Rugby strugglers at MelbourneRectangular Stadium.

England centre Manu Tuilagi cele-brated his return to action after a nig-gling shoulder injury by contributingto the first two tries for the Lions forscrumhalf Conor Murray and wingerSean Maitland.

Openside flanker Sean O’Brien and

replacement scrumhalf Ben Youngscrossed over after the break as the DanLydiate-captained Lions dominated onall fronts.

The tourists suffered a shock loss toa well-drilled ACT Brumbies last week,with their set pieces a mess and wellbeaten at the breakdown, but their for-wards made amends against theRebels, setting up scoring chances withsharp work at the lineout.

“We definitely had to up our gamecoming here, we wanted to get theresult and keep the momentum goingfor the weekend,” said Lydiate, areplacement for the Brisbane test lastweekend.

“It ’s a massive game for us thisweekend and some of the boys puttheir hands up for selection tonight.

“The main thing was to get the win butalso play well as a team and play wellas individuals ... All credit to the Rebelsguys, they gave us a good gametonight.”

Tuilagi drove the Lions forward witha jinking run to set up their first try inthe 15th minute, scrumhalf ConorMurray swooping on a loose ball fromthe resulting five-metre scrum beforespinning over in the right corner.

The barnstorming centre was evenmore involved in the second try withanother powerful break, a fend and anoffload helping number Toby Faletautake the tourists to the Rebels’ line.

Inside centre Brad Barritt playedscrumhalf at the breakdown to get theball to Simon Zebo, who flung it widerstill to another winger in New Zealand-born Maitland for an easy try in theright corner.

The Rebels, captained by formerWales backrower Gareth Delve andmarshalled by former Wallabyscrumhalf Luke Burgess, pressed hardbut were let down by poor finishing.

Fullback Jason Woodward missed apenalty kick from straight in front, andthe Rebels waved away another threepoints by kicking for the corner only tobotch the lineout a minute before thebreak.

Although dictating proceedings,the Lions ‘dirt-trackers’ made a hash ofa few scoring chances, and O’Brien wasleft fuming a few minutes after half-time when a long looping pass fromMaitland sailed into touch to deny theIrishman a certain try.

O’Brien was all smiles a few minuteslater, though, when he dived over toscore in the opposite corner after lockRichie Gray and Lydiate had combinedwell from the lineout.

The Rebels, reduced to somethingof a rabble after a raft of substitutions,conceded a penalty try some 10 min-utes later, with replacement flankerJordy Reid sent off for illegally stop-ping a rolling maul. Youngs completedthe rout by sharking the ball at theback of a lineout and beating twodefenders to cross between the postsand hand the Lions momentum head-ing into Saturday’s second test againstthe Wallabies.

“Disappointing,” said Delve. “Wewanted to try a few things but we nev-er really got the stability at the setpiece that we wanted. And a qualityteam like that, they ran a few points upon us.” —Reuters

Lions put down Rebels

MELBOURNE: British and Irish Lions Simon Zebo is tackled heavilyby Lachlan Mitchell of the Melbourne Rebels during the Lions’ tourmatch against the Rebels at AAMI Park. —AP

FORTALEZA: For all the glory associat-ed with their famous yellow shirts,Brazil can never shake the sense ofunease that descends whenever theyfind themselves confronted byUruguay.

Today’s Confederations Cup semi-final in Belo Horizonte will be the 71stmatch between the South Americanneighbors, and for Brazilians it willdredge up a 63-year-old nightmare thathaunts the Selecao to this day.

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil wasintended to crown the hosts’ emer-gence as the world’s best nationalteam, but instead it witnessed theirmost traumatising defeat, immortalisedas the ‘Maracanazo’ (‘Maracana Blow’).

A side led by all-action inside-for-ward Zizinho went into the decisivematch at Rio de Janeiro’s newly builtMaracana stadium needing only a drawto win the tournament for the first time.

On July 16, the day of the game, Rionewspaper O Mundo carried the head-line “THESE ARE THE WORLD CHAMPI-ONS!” alongside a picture of the team,and an estimated 200,000 fansstreamed into the giant concrete arenain anticipation of Brazil’s coronation.

Opponents Uruguay, narrow victorsover Sweden in their previous game,were offered up as the sacrificial victimsand they seemed destined to fulfil thatrole when Friaca put Brazil ahead earlyin the second half.

Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalised,

but Brazil remained on course for thetrophy until Uruguay winger AlcidesGhiggia surprised goalkeeper Barbosawith a low shot in the 79th minute thatstunned the giant stadium. “Only threepeople have ever silenced 200,000 peo-ple at the Maracana with a single ges-ture,” Ghiggia once said. “Frank Sinatra,Pope John Paul II, and I.”

Uruguay, not Brazil, were the worldchampions, and the host nation sankinto mourning. Barbosa became aninstant scapegoat and played for hiscountry again only once. Reports of sui-cides abounded. “Everywhere has itsirremediable national catastrophe,something like a Hiroshima,” saidNelson Rodrigues, the Brazilian play-wright, journalist and novelist.

“Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima,was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950.” Inresponse, a competition was launchedby Rio newspaper Correio da Manha toredesign the uninspiring white stripthat Brazil’s players had worn in thefinal.

The winning entry, submitted by 19-year-old illustrator Aldyr Garcia Schlee,combined the yellow, green and blueof the Brazilian flag and is worn to thisday, but even there, Uruguay played apart. Schlee was born in the bordertown of Jaguaro and as he told Britishauthor Alex Bellos in the 2002 book‘Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life’, hegrew up supporting the national teamfrom the blue side of the frontier.

Uruguay, the country, spent the firstthree centuries of its existence beingtugged back and forth between theSpanish and Portuguese empires andwas only granted independence fromBrazil in 1828.

It has been wreaking vengeance inthe form of guerilla raids on the footballpitch ever since. Brazil’s heaviest defeat,a 6-0 thrashing in September 1920,came at Uruguay’s hands and LaCeleste have twice beaten their neigh-bours in the final of the Copa America.

A Brazil team featuring the greatSocrates fell to Uruguay in 1983, whilethe 1995 final saw a Brazil side contain-ing five members of the team that hadovercome Italy in the previous year’sWorld Cup final beaten 5-3 on penaltiesin Montevideo.

Brazil claimed symbolic revenge forthe Maracanazo by defeating Uruguayin the 1989 Copa America final at theMaracana, Romario heading in the onlygoal, but the memory of the 1950match refuses to fade. In 2014, Brazilianplayers will take to the field at aBrazilian World Cup for the first timesince Zizinho and his disconsolateteam-mates left the pitch at theMaracana over six decades previously.

So although Brazil have sinceamassed five World Cups and will startas strong favourites against Uruguaytoday, victory would represent onlypartial consolation. —AFP

Uruguay, Brazil, and the ghosts of 1950

BRAZIL: Brazil’s goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri fails to catch the ball during a training session at theMineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte on the eve of their FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 semifinalfootball match against Uruguay.—AFP

PARIS: Paris St Germain named Laurent Blanc as coach on atwo-year contract yesterday, ending weeks of speculation overwho would succeed Carlo Ancelotti.

The 47-year-old Blanc, out of a job since departing as Francecoach after their Euro 2012 quarter-final exit, led GirondinsBordeaux to the French title in 2009.

“Paris St Germain is delighted to announce the appointmentof Laurent Blanc as coach for the next two years,” PSG said in astatement. Blanc will begin work on Monday for the start of thepre-season training. The former France international sweeperreplaced Ancelotti, who said last month he wanted to leave theclub after leading them to their first French title since 1994. TheItalian agreed to join Real Madrid yesterday.

Blanc, who played for Montpellier, Marseille, ManchesterUnited, Barcelona and Inter Milan, was part of France’s WorldCup-winning squad in 1998 and won the last of his 97 caps inthe 2000 European championship final victory against Italy.

But he was not PSG’s first choice, according to mediareports. French media said Roberto Mancini, Fabio Capello,Andre Villas-Boas, Frank Rijkaard, Manuel Pellegrini, RafaBenitez, Michael Laudrup and Guus Hiddink were allapproached by the club.

Owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) have spent over 200

million euros ($262 million) on transfers since taking over theclub two years ago, recruiting the likes of Sweden striker ZlatanIbrahimovic and Brazilian defender Thiago Silva in pursuit of aChampions League victory within five years. Blanc, whoseEuropean coaching experience is limited to two seasons withBordeaux, will have to deal with QSI’s high expectations.

“The mission Paris St Germain’s management has assignedLaurent Blanc is to continue the work initiated last year andlead the team towards the European heights,” the statementsaid. The Frenchman, who earned the nickname “The President”during his playing days, will also have to prove he can handle asquad full of characters after failing to keep France’s bad-tem-pered players under control at the European Championship.

The list includes PSG forward Jeremy Menez who wasbanned for one game by the French Football Federation forinsulting a referee.

The representatives of Brazil captain Silva and Ibrahimovicappear to have supported the appointment, saying the mostrespected players in PSG locker-room back Blanc.

“Laurent Blanc can’t be a wrong choice. He was Francecoach, he’s equal to all the names that have been cited. Theyare all great coaches,” Silva’s agent Paulo Tonietto told Frenchweekly Le Journal du Dimanche. —Reuters

TAUNTON: Australia captain MichaelClarke gave the beleaguered tourists amuch-needed lift two weeks before theAshes series by declaring himself fit toreturn to competitive action after threemonths out with a lower back problem.

Clarke came through Australia’s firsttraining session under new coachDarren Lehmann, who was hired onMonday to replace the fired MickeyArthur. Clarke will start the four-daytour match against Somerset atTaunton beginning today.

“Michael is definitely playing againstSomerset, which is great news,”Australia vice captain Brad Haddin saidyesterday. “It is the first match of an

Ashes tour and the Australian captain ispretty excited about being involved.“He is in a good spot. He had a goodcatching session this morning and a bitof a hit.”

Clarke hasn’t played a competitivematch since the tour of India in March,when Australia slipped to a humiliating4-0 loss in the test series. During thattour, four players - including vice-cap-tain Shane Watson - were dropped forthe third test for failing to completewritten reports on their views of theteam’s performance - a saga dubbed“Homeworkgate.”

And the woes of the once-mightyAustralian cricket have deepened since

then, with opener David Warner firstfined following a Twitter rant at seniorjournalists and then suspended forthrowing a punch at England batsmanJoe Root in a bar. That came during theChampions Trophy, where Australiafailed to win a match and exited at thegroup stage.

Cricket Australia reacted by sackingArthur after 19 months in charge andhiring Lehmann, a popular former testbatsman who has two weeks to turnthings around before the first Ashestest against England starts on July 10.Lehmann has made a good impressionalready, according to Haddin.

“Training was good and sharp, sothe new coach got a tick today!” Haddinsaid Tuesday. “Darren is a good person,who loves the game of cricket and talk-ing about it. He loves to see guys learn-ing about cricket and has a lot ofknowledge, so he is well respected overhere and at home.

“He is very excited about getting thegroup together and playing some crick-et. There has been enough talk, now it’stime to get out there and enjoy thestart of an Ashes tour.”

The inclusion of James Faulkner inthe starting XI will see Australia go witha five-strong bowling attack forLehmann’s first match in charge.

Somerset’s team will include NickCompton, who appears likely to missout on the Ashes opener at TrentBridge, Nottingham, after beingdropped for England’s warm-up matchagainst Essex starting Sunday. —AP

Clarke gives Australia fitness boost for Ashes

Michael Clarke

BRISBANE: New South Wales can finally endQueensland’s record run of seven straight State of Originseries triumphs with a victory in today’s second match inBrisbane.

The Blues set up their chance with an impressive 14-6victory over the Maroons in the opening game in Sydneyearlier this month.

But they are prepared for a charged Queenslandresponse before their own fans in a bid to keep this year’sseries alive until the final encounter in Sydney on July 17.

Blues’ coach Laurie Daley believes his team will have toimprove on their first-match win to repel a fired-upQueensland if they are to grab their first Origin seriessince 2005.

In the eight times NSW have travelled to Queenslandfollowing a game one victory, they have won just once —in 2000 — and none of the current squad of 17 have wona live rubber at the intimidating Suncorp Stadium.

“In front of their home crowd they’re going to be a lotstronger and use those opportunities better than theydid in Sydney,” Blues’ backrower Greg Bird said.

Scrum-half teammate Mitchell Pearce added: “They’regoing to lift and we’re going to have to improve.” TheNSW team is expecting Queensland’s irrepressible Testtrio of Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper

Cronk to improve their decision-making under pressurein the big moments to lift the cornered Maroons.

All-conquering Queensland coach Mal Meninga hasbeen working on improving his team’s attitude for thepivotal showdown after the Maroons were outplayed formuch of the Sydney opener.

“We have spent the week making sure our attitude is alot better, particularly at the start,” Meninga said. “Becausewe need to play better.

“We can’t get away from the fact that we didn’t exe-cute the best that we possibly could (in game one).” Off-field issues have clouded NSW’s build-up to the big gamewith prop James Tamou suspended on a drink-drivingcharge and winger Blake Ferguson dropped after he wascharged by police for the indecent assault of a woman ina late-night bar incident.

South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt will replaceFerguson, while St George Illawarra fullback Josh Duganwill make his return to Origin football after Jarryd Haynewas ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods will make his Origindebut after coming in for Tamou. Meninga has revampedhis side with Daly Cherry-Evans and Josh Papalii comingonto the reserves bench for Ashley Harrison and DavidShillington. —AFP

Blanc takes over as PSG coachNSW primed for Queensland

19S P O R T SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

BOSTON: The Stanley Cup is back in thecity of big shoulders and short memo-ries, delivered by a Chicago team thatfeatured neither.

The Blackhawks started the lockout-shortened NHL season so fast, they werethe team to beat for months. But theystill couldn’t outmuscle anybody. Theywere all about speed and skill, advan-tages that get squeezed tighter, roundby round, in the defensive vise of thepostseason.

They had to find another way to playwith 1:30 left Monday night in Boston,when goalie Corey Crawford headed forthe bench to bring on another attacker.Turns out the Blackhawks do despera-tion well, too.

“That’s kind of the way you had toscore this whole series,” coach JoelQuenneville said after Bryan Bickell andDave Bolland banged in a pair of grittygoals during a 17-second span to stunthe Bruins.

Yet even after Bolland’s putback of arebound - off the goal post, no less -slipped by sprawling Bruins goalieTuukka Rask, there were still 59 secondsleft on the clock.

“An eternity,” Patrick Kane, who wonthe Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP,called it. “Nerve-wracking,” captainJonathan Toews added.

“Things were happening so fast,”recalled winger Patrick Sharp, “I lookedup at the clock and knew it was going tobe the longest minute of the season.”

Better a minute like that one than allthe minutes Blackhawks fans ignoredjust five short years ago. It wasn’t thatlong, after all, that the current toast ofthe town was just toast.

Toews, 25, and Kane, 24, came alongin 2006 and 2007, when the Blackhawkswere already beginning their bounceback from the bottom. Just a few yearsbefore that, the Blackhawks were round-ly derided as the worst franchise in prosports. At 32, Sharp is one of the longest-serving veterans of the team’s core. He’smade it a point not to let anybody in thelocker room forget that.

After Chicago’s 3-1 victory in Game 5,Sharp sat at his cubicle exhausted andstories rolled out about the bad old days.

“We’d get, maybe 10,000 fans, and inour building that felt like empty. I couldpick friends of mine out in the crowd.

Some nights, they’d have their own sec-tion,” he laughed.

“We used to have business cards witha website address and we’d tell people,‘Go there and you’d get two free tickets.’People wouldn’t even take the cards!”The 2004-05 lockout hurt hockey, butthe rule changes that opened up thegame helped the Hawks.

Then-general manager Dale Tallonfinally quit pursuing draft picks and freeagents with wide bodies and narrow skillsets. Suddenly, guys like Sharp and slick-passing defensemen Duncan Keith andBrent Seabrook had targets up ice withthe imagination and ability to finishplays.

Except at first, nobody noticed. Adecade or so of continuing futility - in acity where the gold standard is the Cubsat a century and counting - kept all butthe hardcore fans away.

Tight-fisted owner William “DollarBill” Wirtz stubbornly kept games off TV,and drove off legacy names like BobbyHull and Stan Mikita. Then Wirtz died inSeptember 2007 following a brief battlewith cancer and the bitterness spilledout in one sweeping gesture.

During a moment of silence for Wirtzat the home opener, the crowd respond-ed with boos. The Hawks made the post-season after a six-season hiatus, butthose fans who chose self-exile onlygrudgingly began trickling back. Itwasn’t until Wirtz’ son, Rocky, was incontrol for a full season - putting thegames back on TV, bringing guys likeHull and Mikita back as ambassadors andputting up statues outside the UnitedCenter - that all was forgiven, and thensome.

Average attendance jumped 7,000seats by the end of the 2008-09 season.The product on the ice was reflected inthe fast-climbing value of the franchise.The season after that brought the team’sfourth Stanley Cup title, giving one ofthe NHL’s “Original Six” some recent his-tory worth boasting about.

The realities of the salary cap, though,dictated what happened next. TheBlackhawks had to unload or choose notto resign nine players on that team,electing instead to lock up Toews, Kane,Keith and a handful of others.

They got ambushed in their first post-season outings the next two years -

something the Blackhawks rememberedwhen they were down 3-1 in a seriesagainst Detroit in an earlier round, andagain against Boston as the clock tickeddown the final few seconds.

“You win it once and you think you’regoing right back to the Stanley Cupfinals the next year after that,” Toewssaid. “Two first-round exits for us lastcouple years will make you realize howtough it is to get here.”

The Blackhawks have become thefirst team to win a second Stanley Cup inthe salary-cap age, a bit of smart spend-ing that would have pleased old manWirtz. And they did it as the last teamstanding from a final four that featuredthe last four cup winners, playing wideopen or gritty as each game or each shiftdemanded.

As talk of a third Cup and even thedreaded “dynasty” began making therounds, Quenneville put up his hand andasked for a moment where he didn’thave to recall what was behind or worryabout what was ahead. “I’m going toenjoy this one first,” he said, “and havefun with it. And then we’ll talk about thatone.”—AP

The longest minute in a long comeback

BOSTON: Patrick Kane No. 88 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with theConn Smythe Trophy defeating the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the 2013 NHLStanley Cup Final. —AFP

BOSTON: Chicago Blackhawks wingerPatrick Kane was awarded the ConnSmythe Trophy as the most valuable playerof the Stanley Cup playoffs after helping histeam to the National Hockey League cham-pionship on Monday.

The 24-year-old American was present-ed with the trophy after Chicago rallied inthe final minutes to beat the Boston Bruins3-2 and clinch the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Kane was Chicago’s leading point scorerduring the playoffs with 19 points from 23games, including nine goals, but said hefelt lucky to win the award, insisting histeammates did all the real work. “We actu-ally came up with a name for myself thismorning, calling me the ‘Benefish,’ for thebeneficiary of all their hard work,” he told anews conference.

“I had a couple chances to finish andended up doing that, so got to give themthe credit.” Despite his reluctance to takecredit for his achievements, Kane’s star hasbeen rising for years.

A native of Buffalo, New York, he wasdrafted first overall in 2007 after an out-standing junior career and was named theNHL’s rookie of the year in 2008.

He won a silver medal with theAmerican team at the 2010 VancouverWinter Olympics then his first Stanley Cupwith Chicago later that same year, scoringthe championship-clinching goal in over-

time against the Philadelphia Flyers.“I think there’s something about our

core. Hopefully we can stay together a longtime because that’s two Cups in four years,and we seem to only be getting better andbetter,” he said.

“It’s unbelievable to be in this situation.“It’s just a great group and it’s going to befun to celebrate with them.”

Kane paid a special tribute to Chicagocaptain Jonathan Toews, who won theConn Smythe trophy in 2010, and played inMonday’s Game Six despite saying he hadhis “bell rung” in the previous game. “He’s agreat player. He’s played big in a lot of biggames,” Kane said.

“That’s really all you can say aboutJonathan Toews is he’s a competitor. Heleads the team in the right way and we allfollow.”—Reuters

Kane named Stanley Cup playoffs’ MVP

BOSTON: Two goals. Seventeen seconds apart. A sec-ond Stanley Cup victory in four seasons for theChicago Blackhawks.

Seventy-six seconds away from defeat and a triphome for a decisive seventh game, Bryan Bickell tiedit. Then, while the Bruins were settling in for anotherovertime in a series that has already had its share,Dave Bolland scored to give Chicago a 3-2 victory inGame 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.The back-to-back scores in about the time it takes forone good rush down the ice turned a near-certainloss into a championship clincher, stunning theBoston players and their fans and starting the cele-bration on the Blackhawks’ bench with 59 seconds toplay.

“We thought we were going home for Game 7.You still think you’re going to overtime and you’regoing to try to win it there. Then Bolly scores a hugegoal 17 seconds later,” said Chicago forward PatrickKane, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the post-season’s most valuable player. “It feels like the last 58seconds were an eternity.”

The team that set an NHL record with a 24-gameunbeaten streak to start the lockout-shortened sea-son won three straight games after falling behind 2-1in the best-of-seven finals, rallying from a deficit inthe series and in its finale. Corey Crawford made 23saves, and Jonathan Toews returned from injury toadd a goal and an assist in the first finals betweenOriginal Six teams since 1979.

“I still can’t believe that finish. Oh my God, we nev-er quit,” Crawford said. “I never lost confidence. Noone in our room ever did.”

Trailing 2-1, Crawford went off for an extra skaterand the Blackhawks converted when Toews fed it infront and Bickell scored from the edge of the creaseto tie the score.

Perhaps the Bruins expected it to go to overtime,as three of the first four games in the series did. Theysure seemed to be caught off-guard on the ensuingfaceoff. Chicago skated into the zone, sent a shot onnet and after it deflected off Michael Frolik and thepost it went right to Bolland, who put it in the net.The Blackhawks on the ice gathered in the corner,while those on the bench began jumping up anddown. It was only a minute later, when Boston’sTuukka Rask was off for an extra man, that Chicagowithstood the Bruins’ final push and swarmed overthe boards, throwing their sticks and gloves acrossthe ice. “It’s unbelievable, man,” Crawford said. “Somuch hard work to get to this point. Great effort byeveryone on the team.”

The Bruins got 28 saves from Rask, who was hop-ing to contribute to an NHL title after serving as TimThomas’ backup when Boston won it all two yearsago.

“It’s obviously shocking when you think you haveeverything under control,” Rask said quietly, standingat his locker with a blue baseball cap on backwardand a towel draped over his shoulders.

The sold-out TD Garden had begun chanting “Wewant the Cup!” after Milan Lucic’s goal put the Bruinsup 2-1 with eight minutes left, but it fell silent after itsteam coughed up the lead. The team came out tosalute its fans as they streamed out of the building forthe last time, from the air conditioning into the sum-mer air.

“Probably toughest for sure, when you knowyou’re a little bit over a minute left and you feel thatyou’ve got a chance to get to a Game 7,” Bruins coachClaude Julien said. “And then those two goals go inquickly.” The arena was almost empty ‚Ä” except for afew hundred fans in red Blackhawks sweaters who fil-tered down to the front rows ‚Ä” when NHL commis-sioner Gary Bettman handed the 35-pound Cup toToews, who left Game 5 with an undisclosed injuryand wasn’t confirmed for the lineup until the morn-ing skate.

The Chicago captain skated the Cup right over thecrease in which the Blackhawks mounted the come-

back and in front of the fans in Blackhawks sweaterswho lined the front row behind the net. Toewsbanged on the glass while the remaining Bruins fansheaded up the runways. He then continued the tradi-tion of handing it from player to player before theteam settled to the side of the faceoff circle for a pic-ture with the trophy they will possess for the next 12months.

Just like in 2010, they won it in a Game 6 on theroad. “In 2010, we didn’t really know what we weredoing. We just, we played great hockey and we werekind of oblivious to how good we were playing,” saidToews, who scored his third goal of the playoffs to tieit 1-1 in the second period, then fed Bickell for thescore that tied it with 76 seconds to play.

“This time around, we know definitely how muchwork it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to getback here and this is an unbelievable group,” Toewssaid. “We’ve been through a lot together this year andthis is a sweet way to finish it off.”

The Blackhawks opened the season on a 21-0-3streak and coasted to the Presidents’ Trophy thatgoes to the team with the best regular-season record.But regular-season excellence has not translated intoplayoff success: Chicago is the first team with the bestrecord to win the Cup since the 2008 Detroit RedWings.

The Blackhawks went through Minnesota in fivegames and Detroit in seven, rallying in the WesternConference semifinals from a 3-1 deficit and winningGame 7 in overtime. They got through the defendingNHL champion Los Angeles Kings in five games toreturn to the Cup finals, where Boston was waiting.Chicago won the first game at home in three over-times but dropped Game 2 ‚Ä” another overtime ‚Ä”and fell behind 2-1 in the series when it returned toBoston. After that, it was all Blackhawks. The tightlycontested finals ‚Ä” with three games going a total offive overtimes ‚Ä” may help fans forget the lockoutthat shortened the season to 48 games and pushedback the opener to Jan. 19. That left the teams stillplaying ice hockey on a 95-degree day in Boston onJune 24, matching the latest date in NHL history.

Fans in their Bruins sweaters filtered into the TDGarden to see the last game in Boston for the seasonwith the hope there would be one more in Chicago: aseventh game just like two years ago, when theBruins rallied from a 3-2 deficit, then won inVancouver for their first NHL championship since1972.

Both teams were bolstered by the return of starforwards, Selke Trophy winner Toews of Chicago andPatrice Bergeron, who was a finalist for the award giv-

en to the top defensive forward in the league. Bothreturned after missing the end of Game 5, but onlyToews showed up in the box score.

Bergeron said afterward that he had a broken rib,torn cartilage in muscles, and added to that a separat-ed shoulder on Monday night.

“It’s the Stanley Cup Final. Everyone is banged up,”Bergeron said. “It’s tough to put words to describehow we’re feeling right now. You work so hard just toget to this point and give yourself a chance to get theCup. You feel like you’re right there and you have achance to force a Game 7, and definitely it hurts.”What had already been a physical series continued totake its toll, with Jaromir Jagr ‚Ä” the NHL’s activeplayoff scoring leader ‚Ä” and Andrew Shaw bothgoing to the dressing room during the first period.Jagr’s injury was not known, but Shaw deflected aslap shot from Shawn Thornton off his own rightcheek and crumpled to the ice, leaving behind a poolof blood when he skated off.

Both returned, but Jagr again disappeared fromthe Boston bench in the second. Crawford also forceda stoppage of play when his mask came off followingDavid Krejci’s slap shot off his shoulder; the Chicagogoalie appeared to need a little time to recover, buthe stayed in the game.

“The whole playoffs. It wasn’t just Chicago. It’sgoing to be physical, grinding the whole playoffs,”said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, the 2009 NorrisTrophy winner who was on the ice for 10 of the last12 Chicago goals. “I think that first game we playedthem we knew it would be a close series. We just hadthat feeling. It went all the way to triple overtime. Itwas physical. It was close. At times a very fast game,(but) it was very, very even.”

The Bruins, who never led in Games 4 and 5, tookthe lead seven minutes into the game when TylerSeguin gloved a pass from Daniel Paille and con-trolled it, then backhanded it across the middle toChris Kelly. He beat Crawford on the glove side tomake it 1-0.

But the Blackhawks tied it early in the secondwhen, as a Bruins power play was ending, Toewsbroke into the Boston zone on the right side. He hadKane in the middle and Shaw coming out of the box,but didn’t need either one, rattling it in off the rightpost to make it 1-1.

It stayed that way until Lucic put Boston aheadwith 7:49 left in the third. The final series seemedheaded for a Game 7 for the sixth time in 10 yearsbefore Bickell and Bolland turned it around. “DaveBolland, what else can you say about that guy?” Kanesaid. “He just shows up in big playoff games.”—AP

Blackhawks win Stanley Cup

BOSTON: Brandon Saad No. 20 of the Chicago Blackhawks hoists the Stanley Cup Trophyafter defeating the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TDGarden. —AFP

FORTALEZA: Spain’s defender Alvaro Arbeloa is surrounded by Brazilian fans onthe beach near the team’s hotel in Fortaleza. Spain will play against Italy in theirFIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 semifinal football match tomorrow. —AFP

Italy preparing to run past Spain in semisFORTALEZA: Italy has defined a clear-cut strate-gy for its Confederations Cup semifinal matchagainst Spain tomorrow: Out-run the World Cupholders.

As far as Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is con-cerned, matching Spain’s ball possession orpassing skills is impossible. So in trainingMonday, running took priority over tactics.

The Azzurri players - at least the ones that arestill healthy after a series of injuries - sprintedfrom one end of the field to the other at fullspeed about 10 times consecutively at onepoint, then stopped to have their heart rateschecked by team trainers.

“We’ve got to get it into our heads thatagainst Spain it’s going to be a battle of suffer-ing,” Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. “Their ballpossession is superior to ours and the Spanishare unbelievable at getting past any sort of trap

set up by the opponents. They’re excellent atholding on to the ball and attacking so we’vegot to try to make them run as much as possi-ble.”

Prandelli may be on to something with hisstrategy but it remains to be seen if his playershave the stamina to execute such a plan.

Japan and Brazil ran circles around Italy in thefirst half of their group matches and two keyAzzurri players have been sent home injuredsince the 4-2 loss to Brazil - forward MarioBalotelli left with a strained left thigh and full-back Ignazio Abate departed with a dislocatedright shoulder.

Also, midfielder Andrea Pirlo sat out the Brazilmatch due to a muscle problem and has contin-ued to train separately from the rest of thesquad.

Daniele De Rossi, another midfielder, missed

the Brazil game after picking up two yellowcards. Not surprisingly, De Rossi appearedamong the freshest players in training, and heand Emanuele Giaccherini were the two fastestrunners in the training exercise.

But running may not be enough againstSpain, which routed Italy 4-0 in last year’sEuropean Championship final.

“Spain is much better off than then, if youconsider how easily they advanced from thegroup and how solid they have been,” Prandellisaid. “They have a precise identity and they arethe favorites without a doubt.” Including its 10-0win over Tahiti, Spain outscored the opposition15-1 in the first round. Italy, by contrast, scoredeight goals and allowed eight in the groupphase. Still, Prandelli does not seem concernedby his defense, even after attending Spain’s 3-0win over Nigeria on Sunday.—AP

FIFA Confederations Cup

Brazil v Uruguay 22:00Al Jazeera Sport +9Al Jazeera Sport HD 1

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

MADRID: Carlo Ancelotti has been appointedas the new coach of Real Madrid on a three-year deal, the club confirmed yesterday.

“Carlo Ancelotti will be the coach of RealMadrid next season,” said a statement on theclub’s website. Ancelotti will be formally pre-sented to the media on Wednesday afternoon.

The 54-year-old’s protracted move fromParis Saint-Germain was finally confirmed afterthe French champions also appointed LaurentBlanc to be their coach for next season yester-day.

That cleared the path for Madrid to end afive-week wait to announce their new bossafter it was announced Jose Mourinho wouldnot be continuing at the club on May 20.

However, the former Juventus, AC Milanand Chelsea boss has always been Real presi-dent Florentino Perez first choice to replaceMourinho and arrives with a impressive CV.

“He has won practically everything in theambit of international football (two ChampionsLeagues, two European Supercups, One WorldClub Cup and One Intertoto Cup) and has wonthe league in three different championships inwhich he has managed (Italy, England andFrance),” the club statement added. “Familiarwith the pressure of managing big teams onthe continent, the Italian is a guarantee tomanage an exciting project.”

It is that experience that Madrid have beton after a tumultuous final year underMourinho in which Real failed to win a majortrophy and the Portuguese clashed with manyof his senior players.

And his appointment has been backed bydefender Sergio Ramos, one of those who hada public clash with Mourinho last season.

“You can only say good things about his CVand what he’s shown at a global level,” he saidyesterday at a press conference ahead ofSpain’s Confederations Cup semi-final withItaly.

It is Ancelotti’s proven track record in theChampions League in particular that attractedPerez as winning a 10th European Cup remainsMadrid’s primary objective.

After falling short at the semi-final stageunder Mourinho for the past three seasons,Perez has now entrusted Ancelotti to take whatis currently the most expensive squad everassembled in the history of the game the extratwo stages required to land Madrid’s firstChampions League trophy since 2002.

The Italian’s arrival is also likely to signal thebeginning of major moves in the transfer mar-ket from the Spanish giants who have so farjust exercised their right to buy-back Spanishunder-21 international Dani Carvajal fromBayer Leverkusen and converted 21-year-oldBrazilian Casemiro’s loan deal from Sao Paulointo a permanent move in recent weeks.

The purchase of Malaga midfielder Isco for aprice in the region of 30 million euros ($39 mil-lion, £25.5 million) is also expected to be com-pleted this week as Real look set to beat offstrong competition from Manchester City forthe highly rated Spanish international.

Real have also been strongly linked with amove for Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale and

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, however one ofAncelotti’s first jobs may be to sanction a fewtransfers out of the club to create the funds forfuture moves.

Striker Gonzalo Higuain has spoken of hisdesire to leave the club and his father admittedon Sunday that the player was close to reach-ing an agreement with both Arsenal andJuventus. — AFP

18Lions put downRebels

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 201319

Blackhawkswin Stanley Cup

Froome, Contador could make 100th Tour a classic Page 17

WIMBLEDON: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns against Germany’s Florian Mayer during their men’s first round match on day two of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club. — AFP

LONDON: Top seeds Novak Djokovic and SerenaWilliams cruised into the Wimbledon secondround yesterday as the All England Club recoveredfrom the shockwaves of Rafael Nadal’s exit 24hours earlier. World number one Djokovic, the2011 champion, beat Germany’s Florian Mayer 6-3,7-5, 6-4, in the Serb’s first grass-court outing of theseason and his first match since his shattering five-set semi-final loss to Nadal at the French Open. “Itwas a big pleasure to play in front of a packedCentre Court against a tricky rival like Mayer. He’sgot a great variety of shots and his game is well-suited to grass,” said Djokovic, who next faceseither Bobby Reynolds or Steve Johnson.

Defending champion Williams, chasing a sixthWimbledon title and 17th major, racked-up her32nd successive win, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 win overLuxembourg’s Mandy Minella.

Her 57-minute romp on Centre Court briefly

deflected attention away from the storm sur-rounding her controversial comments on a UShigh school rape case and the fall-out from hercriticism of Maria Sharapova’s love life.

The 31-year-old took out her frustrations on thehapless Minella, the world number 92 who hasnever defeated a top-30 player let alone one ofWilliams’s calibre whose French Open title threeweeks ago took her majors haul to 16.

Victory was also her 75th in her last 78 matches,a run that stretches back to her shock first rounddeparture at Roland Garros in 2012, the worstGrand Slam exit of her career.

Yesterday’s 32nd successive win took her towithin just three of the record set by older sisterVenus in 2000. “I never think about the run, I justtreat every match like a new one,” said Williams.

“It was special coming out as defending cham-pion. I played great and I have some great memo-

ries.” Williams did not concede a single point on herserve in the first set and finished the match with 25winners to Minella’s five. She goes on to faceFrench qualifier Caroline Garcia, who she beat inthe second round in Paris, for a place in the last 32.Russia’s Maria Kirilenko, who made the quarter-finals last year, slumped to a first round exit at thehands of Britain’s world number 38, Laura Robson,who claimed a 6-3, 6-4 win.

“That was a big one for me just because of allthe nerves and playing in front of your homecrowd at Wimbledon,” said Robson, a former juniorchampion. On a bad day for Russians, 21st seededAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova slumped to a 6-0, 6-1loss to Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova who madethe semi-finals in 2010. Russian 13th seed NadiaPetrova went out 6-3, 6-2 to Karolina Pliskova ofthe Czech Republic. Kimiko Date-Krumm, justthree months shy of her 43rd birthday, made the

second round with a 6-0, 6-2 win over CarinaWitthoeft, an 18-year-old German qualifier, whowas just four when the Japanese star made herWimbledon debut in 1989. “I’m taking care of mybody, because of course the most difficult thing isrecovery. I need more training. But if I do too muchI feel tired,” said Date-Krumm, a semi-finalist in1996.

“I like Chinese tea. Sometimes Japanese tea. Idrink a lot. I have a tea pot I always I carry. It’s herewith me now.” Li Na, the Chinese sixth seed,enjoyed a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 defeat ofDutchwoman Michaella Krajicek.

The 31-year-old former French Open championnext faces Romania’s Simona Halep. “It was a prettygood start to Wimbledon. Because the last twoyears I didn’t do well on the grass court,” said Li,twice a quarter-finalist. “I have to get used to play-ing on the grass. I was feeling pretty happy.”

In the men’s first round, Spanish fourth seedDavid Ferrer beat Argentina’s Wimbledon debu-tant MartÌn Alund 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 while Bulgarian29th seed Grigor Dimitrov, the man at the centre ofthe Williams-Sharapova spat, cruised past Italy’sSimone Bolelli, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Argentinian eighthseed Juan Martin del Potro, who missed the FrenchOpen through illness, saw off Spain’s Albert Ramos6-2, 7-5, 6-1.

Australia’s Bernard Tomic put out American 21stseed Sam Querrey, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 2-6, 6-3despite complaining of dizziness midway throughthe match and being forced to call for a doctor.Tomic, a quarter-finalist in 2011, was playing with-out his controversial father in the crowd.

John Tomic, who is facing a criminal charge inSpain for assaulting his son’s hitting partner, hasbeen banned from the club by Wimbledonauthorities. — AFP

Djokovic and Serena cruise

DOHA: Qatar’s new ruler was the not the firstchoice to lead the Gulf nation and its grow-ing political and economic ambitions.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thanibecame the crown prince a decade ago - atthe age of 23 - when his older brother Jassimgave up his position as emir-in-waiting.

That began a gradual grooming processfor the British-educated Sheikh Tamim insideQatar’s security and investment arms, whichare bankrolled by enormous oil and gaswealth.

As deputy commander of the armedforces, he had sway over multibillion dollararms purchases and direct dealing withdefense officials from the US and otherWestern allies. His senior role with the QatarInvestment Authority gave him a powerfulvoice over the direction of one of the world’smost active sovereign wealth funds, whoselandmark stakes around the world includeHarrods department store in London andluxury jeweler Tiffany & Co.

But Sheikh Tamim’s most enduring inter-national image to this point has been linkedto sports. His crowning moment came as hehelped win Qatar’s bid to host the 2022World Cup. Sheikh Tamim and other Qatariofficials, however, later faced complaints thatthe nation used its vast wealth to swing sup-port its way from football federation mem-bers in Africa and elsewhere.

Last year was less positive - anInternational Olympic Committee membersince 2002, Sheikh Tamim headed Doha’sunsuccessful bid for the 2020 Olympics.Qatar’s capital has been mentioned as a pos-

sible bidder for the 2024 Games - an effortthat could get a boost from the new emir.

Sheikh Tamim - who also has served ashead of Qatar’s Olympic panel since 2000 -helped avoid an embarrassing showdownwith Olympic overseers by organizing thefirst female athletes representing Qatar forlast year’s London Olympics. NeighboringSaudi Arabia and the Asian country of Bruneialso sent their first women Olympic athletes.

Sheikh Tamim was educated at schools inEngland and then graduated fromSandhurst, Britain’s prestigious military acad-emy and alma mater for many MiddleEastern leaders.

His two wives include Sheikha Anoudbint Mana al-Hajri, a member of a prominentQatari family. He has six children. — AP

TOULOUSE: A picture taken on February 1,2013 shows PSG’s coach Carlo Ancelottireacting during the French League footballmatch. — AFP

Real Madrid appoint

Ancelotti as new coach

Qatar’s new emir raised

his profile with sports

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

BusinessWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

StanChart banker Nelson to take helm at Dubai’s ENBD

Page 22

German election puts Europe’s hopes on ice

Page 23BMW ME reaches 1m fans on Facebook

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Kuwait: Employment in private sector sees risePage 23

Fuel-short Egypt faces long, hot summer

Egypt cuts back on gas exports, grapples with imports

DUBAI: Bahrain’s state spending is expected to jump 11percent this year, by more than originally planned, afterits parliament approved 174.2 million dinars ($462 mil-lion) in additional expenditure, official data showed.Budget expenditure in the small non-OPEC oil exporteris now expected to total 3.62 billion dinars in 2013, upfrom 3.26 billion actually spent last year, according to abreakdown provided by Mahmood Almahmood, a mem-ber of parliament’s financial and economic committee.

Bahrain’s 2014 spending plan was raised by 164.5 mil-lion dinars from last November’s initial finance ministryproposal, to 3.71 billion dinars. Parliament approved the2013-2014 budget plan on Monday. Demands withinparliament for extra spending, especially to raise publicsector salaries by 15 percent, a measure opposed by thecabinet, had delayed approval for several months. In theend, parliament passed the plan without the public sec-tor pay hike, but it added rises in pension payments forboth public and private sector retirees, and higher subsi-dies for food and other items, to the plan, Almahmoodsaid. The plan was supported by 23 deputies, while sev-en rejected it and 10 were absent, he said. Finance min-istry officials were not available to comment.

The tiny island state faces difficult choices betweenboosting state spending to support the economy in theface of political unrest, and grappling with a rising statebudget deficit, by far the largest in the six-nation GulfCooperation Council as a proportion of Bahrain’s econo-my. Bahrain expanded its original 2012 expenditure planby nearly 19 percent in September 2011 after protesters,inspired by revolts elsewhere in the Arab world, took tothe streets of Manama demanding political reforms.

The International Monetary Fund warned in May thatthe island needed to reform its public finances in themedium term to avoid its debt burden becoming unsus-tainable. Softness in oil prices is one threat. Bahrain nowexpects state revenue to dip to 2.79 billion dinars in eachof the years 2013 and 2014 from an actual 3.0 billion lastyear, based on an average budgeted oil price of $90 perbarrel.

It predicts a budget deficit of 833.2 million dinars in2013, widening to 914.4 million in the following year.Last November’s initial budget plan had forecast short-falls of 662.0 million dinars and 752.9 million. The actualdeficit in 2012 widened sevenfold to 227 million dinars,though it was still smaller than the government’s origi-nal projection.

The oil price which the country needs to balance itsbudget reached a critical level of $115 per barrel in2012, making Bahrain vulnerable to any sustaineddecline in oil prices, the IMF said. The country relies onoutput from the Abu Safa oilfield shared with SaudiArabia - which supports Bahrain’s Sunni rulers politically- for some 70 percent of its budget revenue. Analystsbelieve Manama’s share of the oil could be raised if itsbudget runs into trouble. The IMF expects Bahrain’s fis-cal deficit to widen to as much as 8.6 percent of grossdomestic product in 2018 from 4.2 percent forecast forthis year. —Reuters

Bahrain approves

11% rise in 2013

budget spending

NEW DELHI: Managing director and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz India Eberhard Kern poses with the newly launched E Class model of Mercedes-Benz yesterday. Car sales in India slid by over 12 percent in May, datashowed, marking an unprecedented seventh straight month of decline, and an industry body warned that layoffs loomed in the once-booming sector. — AFP

CAIRO: A gift of gas to Egypt from tiny Qatarshows just how tough this summer is shapingup to be for the government in Cairo, facing afunding crunch and power cuts as it strugglesto contain explosive public discontent. Dailyblackouts have darkened homes and busi-nesses across the country over the past fewweeks, aggravated in recent days by an earlysummer heatwave that has Egyptians crank-ing up their air conditioners. Qatar offeredfive cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG),worth perhaps $300 million, “as a gift to theEgyptian people during the summer months”.

It is a small gesture from a Gulf ally whichhas already lent Egypt some $7 billion in thepast year but highlights how tough times arefor the 84 million Egyptians. Falling livingstandards since the 2011 revolt that ended sixdecades of military rule have led to disillu-sionment focused on Islamist PresidentMohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.Opponents have called for mass protests onJune 30, the first anniversary of Morsi’s elec-tion.

The country’s budget deficit has widened,the Egyptian pound has weakened, andinvestors have taken fright, sending the Cairoshare index on Monday to its lowest close inmore than 10 months. A vicious circle ofunrest and slumping tourism revenues hasdrained government cash reserves, leavingministers scrambling for favours abroad,notably to maintain supplies of heavily sub-sidised fuel and bread that account for aquarter of all government spending.

“We will suffer this summer,” saidMohamed Shoeib, who until recently ranEGAS, the state natural gas concern, and isnow a managing director at private equityfirm Citadel Capital. “This will be the hardest

and most difficult and darkest summer Egypthas ever seen.” Adding to worries about ener-gy, the month-long Muslim fast of Ramadanwill begin around July 9, a time when tem-pers can fray as temperatures hit 40 Celsius(100 Fahrenheit) and above.

Fiscal crunchSince the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak,

the authorities have run through more thanhalf of Egypt’s foreign reserves, or some $20billion. They have also borrowed billions fromabroad and delayed payments to oil compa-nies and other suppliers. Yet partly due to fuelsubsidies energy consumption remains highas the state grapples to pay for imports of fuelto generate electricity. In April, Qatar andLibya extended loans worth $5 billion andLibya said it would provide another $1.2 bil-lion in credit to buy crude oil for Egypt atworld prices.

But this will only plug a portion of thecountry’s energy gap, and still leaves Egyptneeding to find fuel on the international mar-ket, get it from ports to power plants, keepthose plants running at near full capacity anddeliver the electricity to consumers across aleaky power grid. This is proving difficult, withrolling blackouts throughout the country,some for up to 10 hours at a time, whichprompted protests in late May, and a heat-wave in early June that pushed temperaturesin Cairo to 45 Celsius and compounded theproblem. In some places, people blockedroads and railways to demand power - need-ed in many apartments to pump water. In theancient Pharaonic capital of Luxor, local gov-ernor Ezzat Saad told Reuters that power cutsblacked out major tourist sites last month,including the 3,400-year-old temple, and he

had appealed to Cairo to prevent such inci-dents.

InfrastructureSuccessive governments have long avoid-

ed of cutting subsidies on fuel which has leftEgypt, once a net exporter of energy, in needof imported gas and products includingdiesel, fuel oil and gasoline. The politicalinstability of the past two years has alsostalled exploration and drilling activities inEgypt’s key offshore and desert areas, reduc-ing production at a time of rising domesticdemand. It has also delayed infrastructureneeded to import LNG. Currently Egypt’s twoLNG terminals are equipped only for export,meaning the five Qatari cargoes are likely tobe diverted to clients previously contractedto buy Egyptian gas.

Egyptian officials expect to be able toreceive LNG imports by October, but industrysources say it could take up to 14 monthsbefore a floating import facility can be towedinto place and connected to the country’sgrid. In the meantime, Egypt has already cutback on gas exports to free up supply for itsown power stations, including pipeline deliv-eries to Jordan. Its power plants that use fueloil also face difficulties, including foreign sup-pliers that have become reluctant to offercredit terms and bottlenecks in distribution.

“Even if you have the money to import allthe amounts that you need, the logistics thatwe have cannot cope with transportingthem,” former EGAS head Shoeib said. “Sincethe revolution they are struggling to get fueloil from ports to power plants,” one fuel oiltrader in the region said. Last summer, duringthe hottest days, electricity consumptionpeaked at 27,000 megawatts (MW ) and

seems likely to do so again this year, pressingthe power sector to its limits.

“In the summer, in Ramadan ... on somedays (demand) could rise to 29,000,” AkthamAbou-Elella, undersecretary of state at theElectricity Ministry, told Reuters. “We can’toperate at more than 86 percent of capacity -27,000 is our ceiling. Anything above that wefor sure need to conserve energy.” The gov-ernment is hoping a public awareness cam-paign can help cut demand this summer.

“It could result in a reduction in consump-tion of 2,000 MW at least, especially settingair-conditioners at 25 degrees rather than 18degrees and turning off unnecessary lights,”Abou-Elella said. Mosques and governmentbuildings will be urged to save electricity, hesaid, adding that the ministry had agreedwith energy-intensive industries to smoothout peak loads.

Some businesses have, however, have suf-fered shortages of energy. Mahmoud Arafat, aspokesman for the Nahda cement plant inQena, 700 km (400 miles) south of Cairo, saidit ran out of diesel on May 28, forcing it to layoff 600 workers. Another cement executivesaid production at major plants around thecapital has fallen by half for lack of fuel.

In the Mediterranean port of Damietta, amajor furniture-making centre, hundreds ofpeople staged a sit-in outside the local powerstation last month in protest over repeatedblackouts that had disrupted factories fordays. At the Electricity Ministry, Abou-Elellaestimated that blackouts might last no morethan an hour a day but hoped the govern-ment plans to manage demand would work.“If all these attempts succeed, we should havean acceptable summer,” he said. “We shouldnot have black-outs.” —Reuters

Indian jewelers join govt drive to cut gold buying

MUMBAI: India’s biggest jewelers’ associationhas asked members to stop selling gold barsand coins, about 35 percent of their business,adding its weight to government efforts tocut gold imports and stem a swelling currentaccount deficit. The call by the All India Gemsand Jewelry Trade Federation (AIGJTF), whichrepresents about 90 percent of jewelers,comes just days after financial services com-pany Reliance Capital halted sales of its gold-backed funds.

“As a responsible trade body, we haverequested our retailers not to sell gold coinsor bars. We need to help the government tosolve the CAD (current account deficit) prob-lem,” said Haresh Soni, chairman of theAIGJTF, which has more than 40,000 mem-bers. India is the world’s biggest gold buyer,and soaring imports have sent its currentaccount to a record deficit. New Delhi hasraised the import duty on gold twice sinceJan. 1, doubling it to 8 percent, and the cen-tral bank has imposed measures forcing cus-

tomers to pay up front for gold.“We have appealed to members not to sell

coins and bars till our CAD situation resolves,”Soni said. “We expect 1,500-2,000 retailers tostop sale of gold coins and bars immediately,”he added. About 30 to 35 percent of lastyear’s imports of 860 tonnes went into invest-ment demand, Soni said. Most of the goldimported into India goes into making goldjewelry, traditionally part of a bride’strousseau and dowry.

“We are safe guarding the jewelry industry... (which) generates employment and createsrevenues for the government,” he said. OnMonday, shares in listed jewelrs such asGitanjali Gems Ltd and PC Jeweler Ltd fellsharply on concerns the government meas-ures could hit their businesses. Soni said thefederation had asked the government toreduce the import duty from 8 percent to 4percent.

Falling world prices from mid-April trig-gered a surge in demand globally. India’s

imports hit a record of 162 tonnes in May,more than double the average monthlyimport level in 2011, a record year. The gov-ernment’s and central bank’s latest actions tocurb buying came earlier this month, andSoni said imports in June had declined drasti-cally. He declined to give specific figures.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said lastweek imports had fallen in value to about $36million a day from $135 million before thecurbs. But the World Gold Council (WGC) esti-mated imports could still be 300-400 tonnesin the second quarter - almost half the totalfor 2012 - and the government itself saidimports had exceeded 300 tonnes in April tomid-May.

Domestic prices are already back near lev-els before the rise in the duty, which indicatesdemand could revive, particularly as a bounti-ful monsoon starts to raise hopes of increasedincomes for farmers and India’s large ruralcommunity. On April 16, domestic goldfutures hit a contract low of 25,270 rupees

($430) per 10 grams, and they are now trad-ing around 26,734 rupees.

The WGC said it expected 2013 demand -largely covered by imports - to be “at thehigher end of our estimate of 865 to 965tonnes”, which would be close to the record969 tonnes of 2011. “Demand in India is priceinelastic ... the fundamental reasons for golddemand in India cannot be addressedthrough supply restrictions,” saidSomasundaram PR, managing director forIndia at the WGC, in an email. The WGC lastmonth said 82 percent of Indian consumers ina survey said they thought the price of goldwould increase or be stable in the next fiveyears. Many Indians see gold as a soundinvestment in a country that lacks any kind ofcomprehensive banking system and with realinterest rates stubbornly low. Over centuries,Indians have squirreled away at least 20,000tonnes of gold - more than is stored in thevaults of the US Federal Reserve - in theirquest for a safe investment. — Reuters

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

EXCHANGE RATES

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

US Dollar/KD .2770000 .2880000GB Pound/KD .4310000 .4470000Euro .3680000 .3760000Swiss francs .3020000 .3170000Canadian Dollar .2780000 .2920000Australian DLR .2940000 .3020000Indian rupees .0040000 .0069000Sri Lanka Rupee .0020000 .0035000UAE dirhams .0771240 .0778990Bahraini dinars .7513970 .7589480Jordanian dinar .3930000 .4110000Saudi riyals .0720000 .0770000Omani riyals .7366120 .7440150Egyptian pounds .0370000 .0440000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATESUS Dollar/KD .2841000 .2862000GB Pound/KD .4338920 .4370990Euro .3707360 .3734770Swiss francs .3043390 .3065880Canadian dollars .2795430 .2816100Danish Kroner .0497330 .0501010Swedish Kroner .0443660 .0446940Australian dlr .2963730 .2985640Hong Kong dlr .0365940 .0368650Singapore dlr .2291130 .2308060Japanese yen .0029600 .0028810Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0052870Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0022880Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0029190Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036810UAE dirhams .0773800 .0779520Bahraini dinars .7538810 .7594530Jordanian dinar .0000000 .4048090Saudi Riyal/KD .0757800 .0763400Omani riyals .7382100 .7436660Philippine Peso .0000000 .0069870

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.928Indian Rupees 4.781Pakistani Rupees 2.883Srilankan Rupees 2.210Nepali Rupees 2.994Singapore Dollar 224.360Hongkong Dollar 36.811Bangladesh Taka 3.660Philippine Peso 6.558

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 284.920Euro 376.550Pound Sterling 442.150Canadian Dollar 273.250Japanese Yen 2.965Indian Rupee 4.780Egyptian Pound 40.120Sri Lankan Rupee 2.209Bangladesh Taka 3.657Philippines Peso 6.523Pakistan Rupee 2.883Bahraini Dinar 758.650UAE Dirham 77.600Saudi Riyal 76.100*Rates are subject to change

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFTEurope

British Pound 0.4333862 0.4423862Czech Korune 0.0066804 0.0186804Danish Krone 0.0465862 0.0515862Euro 0.3699962 0.3774962Norwegian Krone 0.0436254 0.0488254Scottish Pound 0.4307440 0.4382440Swedish Krona 0.0395474 0.0445474Swiss Franc 0.3009076 0.3079076

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.2534400 0.2654400New Zealand Dollar 0.2137168 0.2237168Uganda Shilling 0.0001119 0.0001119

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.2663205 0.2753205Colombian Peso 0.0001452 0.0001632US Dollars 0.2831500 0.2853000

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.0036301 0.0036851Cape Vrde Escudo 0.0031651 0.0033951Chinese Yuan 0.0455360 0.0505360Eritrea-Nakfa 0.0164867 0.0195867Guinea Franc 0.0000443 0.0000503

Hg Kong Dollar 0.0342247 0.0373247Indian Rupee 0.0047508 0.0048158Indonesian Rupiah 0.0000237 0.0000289Jamaican Dollars 0.0028506 0.0038508Japanese Yen 0.0028410 0.0030210Kenyan Shilling 0.0032714 0.0035014Malaysian Ringgit 0.0842790 0.0912790Nepalese Rupee 0.0028596 0.0030596Pakistan Rupee 0.0028584 0.0028984Philippine Peso 0.0060597 0.0065297Sierra Leone 0.0000729 0.0000759Singapore Dollar 0.2200755 0.2260755Sri Lankan Rupee 0.0021720 0.0022140Thai Baht 0.0087723 0.0093723

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.7503375 0.7588375Egyptian Pound 0.0381014 0.0401314Ethiopeanbirr 0.0127898 0.0192898Ghanaian Cedi 0.1450613 0.1468513Iranian Riyal 0.0000793 0.0000798Iraqi Dinar 0.0001778 0.0002378Jordanian Dinar 0.3968289 0.4043289Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000Lebanese Pound 0.0001750 0.0001950Moroccan Dirhams 0.0222390 0.0462390Nigerian Naira 0.0012130 0.0018480Omani Riyal 0.7300286 0.7410286Qatar Riyal 0.0777095 0.0784925Saudi Riyal 0.0751467 0.0757867Sudanese Pounds 0.0461426 0.0466926Syrian Pound 0.0027430 0.0029630Tunisian Dinar 0.1740625 0.1800625UAE Dirhams 0.0758409 0.0772909Yemeni Riyal 0.0012801 0.0013801

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 266.58 266.000Canadian Dollar 275.63 275.000Swiss Franc 310.16 310.000Euro 377.86 380.000US Dollar 285.10 287.800Sterling Pound 441.75 445.000Japanese Yen 2.97 3.000Bangladesh Taka 3.684 3.700Indian Rupee 4.777 5.110Sri Lankan Rupee 2.216 2.800Nepali Rupee 2.986 3.600Pakistani Rupee 2.888 2.990UAE Dirhams 77.69 78.200Bahraini Dinar 758.81 760.700Egyptian Pound 40.15 40.200Jordanian Dinar 405.76 410.900

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 283.750Canadian Dollar 280.895Sterling Pound 445.920Euro 380.130Swiss Frank 300.705Bahrain Dinar 751.230UAE Dirhams 77.230Qatari Riyals 77.885Saudi Riyals 75.630Jordanian Dinar 399.990Egyptian Pound 39.942Sri Lankan Rupees 2.223Indian Rupees 4.857Pakistani Rupees 2.877Bangladesh Taka 3.643Philippines Pesso 6.561Cyprus pound 696.050Japanese Yen 4.000Thai Bhat 9.785Syrian Pound 4.055Nepalese Rupees 3.325Malaysian Ringgit 95.150

Thai Baht 9.218Malaysian ringgit 94.271Irani Riyal 0.271Irani Riyal 0.273

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 74.164Qatari Riyal 78.477Omani Riyal 741.850Bahraini Dinar 758.600UAE Dirham 77.782

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 39.200Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.140Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.332Tunisian Dinar 174.460Jordanian Dinar 403.330Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.916Syrian Lier 3.103Morocco Dirham 34.274

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 285.500Euro 376.290Sterling Pound 441.950Canadian dollar 272.290Turkish lira 146.860Swiss Franc 306.990Australian Dollar 263.800US Dollar Buying 284.300

GOLD20 Gram 244.00010 Gram 123.5005 Gram 64.000

Omani Riyal 741.44 747.600Qatari Riyal 78.73 79.100Saudi Riyal 76.16 76.400

SHARJAH: Sharjah’s transport and logistics sector isexpected to grow at 15 per cent annually over the nextfour years, driven by its fast growing sea-air traffic,according to a study released by the Sharjah Investmentand development Authority (Shurooq). “Transport andlogistics is a very dynamic market in the Emirate, wherethe total market size reached Dh3.53 billion in 2012, outof which Dh1.28 billion worth is sea freight and Dh 0.7billion is air freight, offering rewarding investmentopportunities for local and foreign investors,” Marwanbin Jassim Al-Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq said.

The transport and logistics industry consists of two-sub sectors, marine fright and airfreight, which havebeen experiencing a phenomenal growth due to majorexpansion plans and development projects.Highlighting Sharjah’s promising future, Al-Sarkal said,“As a responsible investment Authority with a mandateto stimulate the Emirate’s economy, Shurooq is nowfocusing on expanding Sharjah’s logistics infrastructure,taking advantage of the Emirate’s strategic locationbetween Europe and the Far East as well as its directaccess to the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.”

“This geographic location has led to a unique inte-gration of land, sea and air links, offering a gateway to160 countries serving 2 billion consumers, thus offeringunbeatable logistical, warehousing and distributionadvantages for investors,” Al-Sarkal remarked.“Capitalizing on this perfect location, the transportindustry is expected to see a phenomenal growth, pow-ered by the various mega transport projects that are cur-rently underway, while many others are still in thepipeline,” he added.

Al-Sarkal stated that Sharjah has all the logisticaladvantages for being a larger player in the logistics mar-ket, where traders can take the advantage of cuttingfreight cost and saving on shipping time. He added thatSharjah’s transport and logistics industry is not only onthe move, but is doing extremely well, boosted byincreasing global and regional trade and high investordemand.

The Emirate’s economy had exhibited strong growthduring the period between 2002-2009, despite therepercussions of the global financial crisis which hit theworld in early 2008, driven by its open-economy polices,incentives, flexible legislation, and the state-of-the artfacilities and sophisticated logistics infrastructure, heexplained.

According to Shurooq’s statistics, Sharjah’s GDP regis-tered a compound growth rate of 13 per cent between2002 and 2009, one of the highest in the UAE, whilebetween 2005 and 2009, its GDP per capita increased by50 percent. Furthermore, the emirate of Sharjah is aspir-ing to establish itself as a leading business hub between

three continents by focusing on four key sectors, namelytravel and leisure, transport and logistics, healthcare,and the environment.

“We have an open and fast growing economy; it is aneconomy that encourages competiveness and innova-tion without compromising our cultural identity andheritage,” Al-Sarkal said, adding that the logistics sectoris the gateway to commerce in the Middle East, whichhas become one of the world’s top trading regions after

diversifying its economy into non-oil products and serv-ices. Shurooq’s CEO said that cities with greater logisticscapabilities and sophisticated infrastructure tend toattract more foreign direct investment. Sharjah is on themove, which is creating an extraordinary opportunity forinvestors to enjoy the Emirate’s abundant businessopportunities. He stressed that the Emirate has manyunique characteristics and competitive advantages thatmake it an ideal business destination for investors fromall over the world.

The logistics sector is one of the four key sectorsShurooq is now focusing on, to fuel the Emirate’s eco-nomic growth and offer new business opportunities, inorder to pull more local and foreign investors intoSharjah’s thriving economy. Speaking about the

Emirate’s growing airfreight traffic, Humaid Al-Khatri,Commercial Director of Sharjah International AirportFree Zone (SAIF Zone), said, “The impressive growth ofSharjah’s air and sea freight industry is strongly driven byits unique geographic location as the only Emirate withseaports on the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.”

Sharjah has carved a niche in the sea-air traffic sector,experiencing growth rates of more than 50 per cent inthe last few years,” he added. The Sharjah Free Zones

and the airport have been instrumental in helpingSharjah’s economy scale new peaks. SAIF-Zone is thefastest growing airport free zone in the region, while theinternational airport has gained an enviable reputationas a leading cargo hub, Al-Khatri commented.

Further expounding on Sharjah’s cargo capabilities,Dr. Ghanem Al Hajri, Chairman of Sharjah AirportAuthority said, “Sharjah International Airport has beenalways a key landmark on the international air cargoindustry map, as a result of its on-going developmentstrategies in with regard to infrastructure, equipment,and adapting state-of-the-art cargo handling systemsand procedures. Most notably the airport pioneered theintroduction of the Sea-Air Cargo concept in UAE, wherecargo originating from Far East is moved by sea to UAE

ports and then out of the airport to its final destinationsin Europe and the USA.”

Dr Ghanem went on to add, “Sea-Air Cargo hasbecome the golden median between using prohibitivelyexpensive direct airfreight and the often too slow seafreight, and Sharjah, with its excellent sea and air infra-structure, was instrumental in its remarkable successstory in the UAE. Sharjah International Airport has alsorecorded the fastest cargo transfer time, with cargooffloaded from the ship, transferred to the airport,pushed forward to the aircraft, and final departure with-in 6 hours.”

On the topic of logistics, Ali Al-Fathi, SeniorCommercial Executive at Gulftainer Company Limitedspoke about the swift development taking place inSharjah’ s logistics and transport industry, “Sharjah has aunique advantage as it is the only Emirate that has portson the Arabian Gulf (Sharjah Container Terminal) andIndian Ocean (Khorfakkan Container Terminal).Gulftainer, operator and manager of the two ContainerTerminals are able to serve the business community inSharjah and the Northern Emirates with a fast, efficientand reliable service that saves them time and money.”

Saud Salim Al-Mazroui, Al-Hamriyah Free ZoneDirector of Commercial Affairs, said, “Al-Hamriyah FreeZone (HFZ) is the UAE’s second largest free zone and oneof the largest free trade areas in the Middle East, makingSharjah one of the cornerstones of the UAE’s industrialdevelopment as it is the only free zone in the UAE whichoffers a port specialised in bulk and heavy cargo with a14 metre deep sea port that accommodates dedicatedberths for petrochemical bulk.”

Sharjah is the industrial powerhouse of the UAE,accounting for more than 40 percent of the country’sindustrial GDP, he clarified. “The HFZ is growing at animpressive rate of 10 per cent annually, and the industri-al area in the free zone has been expanded recently tomeet the high investor demand,” Al Mazroui said. Headded that Sharjah’s strategic access to both the ArabianGulf and the Gulf of Oman, makes it an ideal businessdestination for port operators, sea freight forwarders,shipping and cargo companies, and logistics providers.

Shurooq was established in 2009 with the aim ofachieving social, cultural, environmental and economicdevelopment on the basis of Sharjah’s distinct Arab andIslamic identity, and to encourage investment by adopt-ing the best international standards in providing qualityservices that help attract investors from the region andthe world. Shurooq’s key mission is to provide facilitiesand incentives to help overcome obstacles facing invest-ment activities in the Emirate, evaluate tourism andinvestment related infrastructure projects, and lay downthe necessary plans to complete such projects.

DUBAI: Iran hopes to become a majorexporter of vehicle fuels with theopening of more plants after it movedfrom dependence on imports to self-sufficiency, President MahmoudAhmadinejad told a state news agencyyesterday.

Iran has been forced to increase itsrefining capacity over the past fewyears due to Western efforts to preventit from importing fuel as part of wide-ranging sanctions over Tehran’s nuclearactivities.

Refinery capacity expansions andgovernment efforts to curb fuel usehave slashed Iran’s imports over thelast three years. Around 1.8 millionlitres a day of additional gasoline pro-duction capacity from the Lavan oilrefinery, starting this week, shouldreduce imports further.

“Now we have no need for importsof any petroleum products. Throughexploiting the Persian Gulf Star refineryin Bandar Abbas and other develop-

ment projects we will become a bigfuel exporter,” Ahmadinejad was quot-ed as saying by state agency IRNA. “Inthe past the oil industry was complete-ly dependent and all equipment wasimported. Study, exploration anddevelopment was also in the hands ofothers,” he said, marking the inaugura-tion of the upgraded refinery.

According to a report last week byoil ministry news service Shana, theLavan refinery was able to producearound 1 million litres a day of gasolinebefore the expansion.

Further upgrade work at the refin-ery will also boost its diesel capacityfrom 1.7 million to 4 million litres,Shana reported, without giving a time-line for when the extra capacity wouldbe ready.

Iran has rationed gasoline for pri-vate motorists since December 2010.Shana said in March that average dailygasoline consumption in Iran averagedaround 63 million litres. — Reuters

DUBAI: Emirates NBD’s appointment of a seniorStandard Chartered banker with Asia experience asits new group chief executive reinforces the trendof Gulf-based banks looking beyond their ownregion for their next growth phase. Shayne Nelson,currently based in Singapore as the British-basedlender’s head of private banking, will assume thetop job at Dubai’s largest lender when current CEORick Pudner leaves at the end of the year.

ENBD, like other large Gulf banks, is increasinglylooking outside its home market to generate rev-enue and diversify its business in the face of strongcompetition and limited growth opportunities. Thebank completed its first foreign purchase thismonth with the acquisition of the Egyptian assetsof BNP Paribas and aims to make a fifth of its rev-enue outside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) withinfive years. The forthcoming CEO change wouldn’tderail ENBD’s overseas expansion, Pudner said inApril.

‘Strong credentials’“He’s done various senior roles across Standard

Chartered so would come with strong credentialsand a global perspective,” said a former colleagueof Nelson, speaking on condition of anonymity. The

appointment of Nelson, an Asia-focused bankerwho has worked in the UAE previously, draws com-parisons with the appointment by National Bank ofAbu Dhabi of its new chief executive, fellowAustralian Alex Thursby.

The neighbouring emirate’s largest lender isfocused on organic growth in the Far East andThursby led Australia and New Zealand BankingGroup’s push into Asia over a six-year period beforereplacing long-standing CEO Michael Tomalin atNBAD. Thursby starts his new role on July 1.Lenders in other Gulf states have also been expand-ing their networks outside their home region: QatarNational Bank bought Societe Generale’s Egyptianassets, Kuwait’s Burgan Bank acquired the Turkisharm of Greece’s EFG Eurobank and CommercialBank of Qatar is buying 71 percent of Turkey’sAlternatifbank. “Banking systems in the Gulf pre-dominantly cater to local populations, which arelimited in size (excluding Saudi Arabia), so youcould see some of them, particularly in Qatar, beingactive and doing deals,” said Timucin Engin, ofStandard & Poor’s.

Return to DubaiNelson also has local experience, having been

Standard Chartered’s regional CEO for the MiddleEast and North Africa and its UAE chief executivebefore being tapped to head its private bank in July2010, his profile on the bank’s website said. “I thinkhe enjoyed his stint in Dubai, so he won’t be averseto coming back. Plus ENBD is a high-profile role,”the former colleague said. Nelson’s last day atStandard Chartered will be Aug. 9, according to aninternal memo seen by Reuters.

A successor will be named in due course, thememo said, with his private banking responsibilitybeing covered by Judy Hsu, global head of wealthmanagement and priority and international banking.Nelson was also chairman of the lender’s Islamicbanking arm, which will be run temporarily by RaheelAhmed, regional head of consumer banking, MiddleEast, Pakistan and Africa.

Pudner joined Emirates Bank as chief executivein early 2006. A year later the bank merged withNational Bank of Dubai in one of the region’slargest tie-ups to form ENBD.

He led ENBD through the latter part of Dubai’seconomic boom before the emirate was hit by acollapse in its real estate market, forcing its state-linked entities to restructure billions of dollars ofdebt. — Reuters

StanChart banker Nelson totake helm at Dubai’s ENBD

ENBD chief executive to leave at year-end

Iran looking to be major fuel exporter

Sharjah’s logistics industry offers immense potential for investors

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Kuwait: Employment in

private sector sees riseEmployment growth improves among Kuwaitis, expats

KUWAIT: Population growth gained pace in2012 boosted by a more solid increase in expa-triate numbers as hiring in the private sectorpicked up. By contrast, the population of Kuwaitinationals saw its growth moderate, reflecting anageing trend seen over the past two decades.Kuwait’s population grew by 3.4 percent in 2012to end the year at 3.82 million.

While general employment growth was sta-ble during the year, it appeared to strengthensomewhat in the private sector. More Kuwaitisobtained employment in the private sector thanthe prior year. Meanwhile, in line with animproving economy, private sector growthboosted expatriate job growth, particularly inunskilled employment.

Kuwaiti population growthcontinues to moderate

The population of Kuwaiti nationals grew by2.5 percent during 2012 to reach 1.21 million.This was the slowest rate of growth on record,with the slowing trend reflecting Kuwait’s agingpopulation. On average, Kuwaiti nationals aretending to choose smaller families and are oftendelaying having children.

Despite the aging trend, the Kuwaiti popula-tion is still youthful by global standards. Over athird of Kuwaitis are under 15 years of age. In thelast decade, this share has fallen from 41 percentto 37 percent. This compares to a global worldaverage of 27 percent and an average forwealthy economies of 22 percent.

The number of births among Kuwaitis peakedin early 2011. Monthly births per 1,000 womenaged 20-45 has declined from 14.8 in 2005, to13.2 at the end of 2011. This ratio is likely to con-tinue to fall in the coming years.

Kuwait’s expatriate population increased to2.61 million by the end of 2012, 3.9 percenthigher than a year before. The proportion ofnon-Kuwaitis has remained mostly unchangedsince 2007. Before that, it had climbed relatively

quickly from 62 percent in 2001. The growth ofthe expatriate population has been acceleratingmoderately since the economic slowdown in2008 and 2009, but has not returned to the paceseen in the years before the financial crisis whenit averaged 8.5 percent annually.

Employment growth in 2012Overall employment in Kuwait grew by 3.2

percent in 2012, a pace similar to 2011. Totalemployment reached 2.25 million, 83 percent ofwhich were expatriates. Kuwaiti nationalsaccounted for only 17 percent of employment.This ratio has improved since 2007 when it stoodat 15%.

Kuwaiti civilian job growth has been some-what more rapid recording an increase of 4.4percent in 2012, with a net increase of jobs ofover 12,300. Annual job growth has been rough-ly similar over the last three years following theeconomic slowdown.

Job growth in the private sector strength-ened in 2012. Nearly 3,000 more Kuwaitisworked in the private sector at the end of theyear than did at the start. Employment growth inthis sector accelerated to 5.9 percent from 1.7percent the year before. Still, the proportion ofKuwaitis working in the private sector remainedmostly stable at 18 percent.

By contrast, the government sector generat-ed fewer new civilian jobs in 2012. The netincrease in civilian employment in this sectorreached 8,500, down from 9,750 the year before.Still, the government continued to employ over76 percent of Kuwaitis working in civilian posi-tions, a ratio which has been relatively stablesince 2008. The oil sector, which is also largelygovernment owned, accounts for another 5 per-cent.

Labor participation rateamong Kuwaiti women rising

One of the notable trends visible over the last

two decades has been the increasing role ofwomen in the labor market. This trend contin-ued in 2012 with the proportion of 30-34 year-old women in employment rising to 84 percentby the end of 2012. Ten years before, this ratiostood at 59%. By comparison, men have a partic-ipation rate of 92 percent.

Expatriate employment picked up in 2012The year saw a further improvement in job

growth among expatriates, which has been on arecovering trend since the economic slowdownin 2008 and 2009. The non-Kuwaiti workforcerose by 3.3 percent in 2012, a net increase ofnearly 60,000 jobs. The vast majority of thesenew jobs were in unskilled positions in the pri-vate sector.

At the end of 2012, 1.86 million expatriatesworked in Kuwait. Nearly half were unskilledworkers employed in the private sector. Another30 percent were domestic workers. Only around15 percent of the expatriate workforce wasmade up of skilled employees in the private sec-tor. Meanwhile, the remaining 7 percent wereemployed in the government sector.

The year saw a small pickup in the growth ofskilled expatriates working in the private sector,though the pace remained modest at 1.4 per-cent. Skilled jobs in the private sector, whichrose to 276,000, continued to be under pressurefrom a modest economic recovery and increas-ing Kuwaitization. Meanwhile, unskilled jobgrowth topped 6.7 percent in 2012.

Employment growth is expected to continueto pick up in the coming period especially aseconomic growth accelerates in the non-oileconomy. Private sector employment in particu-lar is likely to pick up steam resulting in jobgrowth for both Kuwaitis and expatriates. Thiswill help reduce the burden on government hir-ing. It will also help generate further economicgrowth as higher income jobs increase in thecountry.

NBK ECONOMIC UPDATE

This handout combo made of pictures from the Iotornose.it website shows Italiansurgeon Ciro Mastroianni (left) and Italian lawyer Natascia Musardo. — AFP

MILAN: As thousands of Italians leave thecountry to look for work elsewhere, oneyoung journalist’s blog claims to offer “amegaphone for this generation,” a voice toall those who profess to be ready to return“if...”. From disenchanted rants to nostalgiclaments, feedback from young film direc-tors, researchers and doctors in New York,France and Germany are published byAntonio Siragusa on his blog “iotornose.it”(“I’ll come back, if...”). “They have an inter-esting point of view on Italy, which is notheard enough. They can propose changesinspired by the countries where they areliving better lives,” the 28-year-old bloggerfrom Caserte, near Naples in southern Italy,told AFP.

“The situation is dramatic. As a precari-ous worker, I feel it personally,” saidSiragusa, who began the blog after hisbrother, cousins and friends began to emi-grate, and does not rule out packing hiscases too “if nothing changes”. The storieson his blog speak of a country stuck in atwo-year recession, where anti-crisis auster-ity programmes have squeezed ordinaryItalians hard, but they also denounce adeep-seated culture of nepotism and cor-ruption.

“I would like to return to Italy becausethe quality of life is better... but here I get asalary I could never dream of back homeand my work is appreciated,” said MichelaPascucci, 27, who works forPriceWaterhouseCoopers in Brussels.Natascia Musardo, 28, studying for a doc-torate in law at Mainz University inGermany, said: “I’d return, even if I had toearn half as much, if there was a decent jobto go to.”

“I’d come back if, to achieve things, I wasnot forced to make frustrating or illegalcompromises; if I was able, by investingtime and energy, to obtain my goals with-out being someone’s “daughter”; if Italy wasready to hire me on merit and choosesomeone else over me if they are betterthan me,” she said. From 2000 to 2010,according to a survey cited by La Stampanewspaper, 316,000 Italians between 25and 37-years-old with university degreesemigrated, the majority heading forGermany, followed by Britain, France andthe United States.

Confindustria business association headGiorgio Squinzi said this month that Italy

had spent five billion euros ($6.5 billion) oneducating those now working abroad, sar-donically adding: “our incredulous competi-tors thank us for this precious gift.” GabrieleScoditti, a 28-year-old project controller inSan Francisco, says on the blog: “after livingabroad, especially in a place like SiliconValley, you can see how, while returning toItaly is possible, the price to pay is high.”

“If you do it, you do it for your heart, notfor your career,” he said. The euro-zone’sthird largest economy did worse thanthought in the first quarter of this year,shrinking by 0.6 percent, and the nationalunemployment rate in April rose to 12 per-cent. The brain drain phenomenon is notnew to Italy, but the issue has been exacer-bated over the last few months, with youthunemployment reaching 40.5 percent inApril, sparking promises of governmentaction.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta earlier thismonth apologised to the country’s youngfor letting them down, saying: “the biggestdebt that we are accumulating... is towardsthe young people, which is an unforgivablemistake.” He vowed to push for action to“free up the energy of a country stifled byprivileges, bureaucracy and conservatism”.

Letta has also been at the forefront ofcalls for EU leaders to take immediatemeasures to boost job creation when theymeet tomorrow and Friday. The Italian gov-ernment is set to unveil next week a seriesof measures for tackling unemployment,such as tax breaks for firms hiring youngpeople, but many-including the thousandsof protesters who took to the streets ofRome last weekend-say enough is notbeing done.

“Letta must do more than say sorry. Weneed a very courageous policy. Nobodyhas done anything about it in twenty years,”said Gianluca Spina, president of Milan’sbusiness school MIP. Italy’s taxes are “exces-sive on payrolls and too low on property,”he said. “We cannot cut taxes but we canshift them. Such measures would be diffi-cult to implement, however, because SilvioBerlusconi’s right is very against the idea ofa property tax.” At the moment, Italy “is acountry which exports brains and importsmuscles. “It has become a country of emi-gration once more, but unlike previouswaves driven by the lower classes, this is an‘emigration of talent’,” Spina said. —AFP

‘Dear Italy, I have left,

but would return if...’

BRUSSELS: For the best part of ayear, the minds of European policy-makers have focused on one over-riding issue - banking union. Byestablishing stricter oversight ofEurope’s banking sector and a uni-fied system for dealing with anyproblems, they hope to draw a lineunder more than three years ofdebt and economic turmoil by sep-arating countries from their banks.For months, a summit of EU leaderson June 27-28 was flagged by offi-cials as an important ‘landmark’ onthe road towards a fully fledgedbanking union. But it now looksmore likely to produce a letdownthan a breakthrough.

There are unlikely to be any sig-nificant decisions given upcomingGerman elections, continued dis-agreement over how banking prob-lems should best be resolved andthe fact that financial markets areno longer exerting the same pres-sure. “We’re in a holding patternuntil after the German elections inSeptember,” said a senior diplomatinvolved in preparing files for thesummit. “Nothing controversial canhappen until then, at least in termsof economic policy.”

Ever since banking union startedto take shape in mid-2012,Germany has been wary of it. It isconcerned that as the currency

union’s largest and most powerfuleconomy, it will end up on thehook for other countries’ debts if asingle, EU-wide system for sortingout problems is put in place.Combined with German frustrationat having to bail out weaker euro-zone members including Greeceand Portugal, it is not surprisingChancellor Angela Merkel wants tokeep any banking union controver-sies out of the debate ahead of theSept. 22 vote, when she will bid fora third term.

She is being helped by theinability of EU finance ministers toagree on how best to go aboutcleaning up bad banks. Nearly 20hours of meetings in Luxembourglast Friday again failed to reach adeal. As a result, the Thursday-Friday summit will focus on youthunemployment and the need toreinvigorate growth in the EU -worthy goals but ones that someleaders feel are a distraction.

“If we don’t discuss a commonresolution of banks in crisis at thenext meeting, I have a feeling thatthe December 2013 deadline forthis will also not be met,” ItalianPrime Minister Enrico Letta said lastweek. While other countries such asFinland, France and theNetherlands share Italy’s concernsabout a delay, there is little sign the

slowdown is having an effect onfinancial markets, where minds aremore occupied by central bank pol-icy in the United States, Japan andat the European Central Bank.

“Market sentiment is really ofthe view that banking union willcome at some point in time, it’s amid-range goal,” said CarstenBrzeski, an economist with INGBank in Brussels. “In that respect,Merkel has prevailed. Muddlingthrough has become an acceptedand successful policy strategy.Europe is muddling through in verysmall steps.”

The danger is that muddlingthrough becomes complacency orprocrastination. I f concreteprogress on banking union - origi-nally conceived of as a three-stepprocess involving a single supervi-sor, a single resolution mechanismand a single bank deposit-guaran-tee scheme - is put off until afterthe German election, the chancesare that nothing will happen untilmid-2014 or later. It takes aroundsix weeks to form a coalition inGermany, which means the next EUleaders’ summit in October willcome too soon to deal with theoutstanding issues, and it is unlike-ly much progress can be madebefore the December EU gatheringeither, officials acknowledge.

Then early 2014 will be dominat-ed by campaigning for theEuropean Parliament elections inMay. If the anti-EU vote turns out tobe strong, as expected, it will com-plicate the appointment of a newpresident of the EuropeanCommission, a process in which theparliament has an increased say.Policymakers may have to wait untilafter that process is complete, andperhaps until a new Commission isin place, before they can seriouslycrack on with implementing bank-ing union. “Europe is probablycapable of making steady, butincremental, progress without anoverarching vision for the next fewyears,” said Alex White, an econo-mist with JP Morgan, playing downthe prospect of any progress at thesummit. “Leaders look increasinglyunlikely to do much that is bothadditive and transformative for theregion in the near term.” While thatmay be acceptable, it doesn’tcome without risks. If the anti-EUvote in next May’s elections is par-ticularly strong, and it thereforeproves very difficult to appointnew presidents to the Europeaninstitutions, the EU could find itselfin a power vacuum while also nothaving made any progress on sort-ing out its banks - one of the ori-gins of the crisis. — Reuters

German election puts Europe’s hopes on ice

MADRID: Spanish short-term borrowingcosts rose sharply yesterday, reflecting mar-ket concerns over China and over US mone-tary policy which Spain’s finance minister saidposed a risk to its economic recovery. TheSpanish treasury said it raised 3.075 billioneuros ($4.03 billion) in sovereign bills of threeand nine months’ maturity on Tuesday, sur-passing its target of two to three billion euros.But the rate of return demanded by investorsrose compared to the last comparable sale onMay 21 — a sign of weakened confidence inSpain’s financial strength.

The rate nearly tripled on the three-monthbill, rising to 0.869 percent from 0.331 per-cent. On the nine-month bill the rate rose to1.441 percent from 0.789 percent. Spain, theeuro-zone’s fourth-biggest economy, hasseen its borrowing costs generally ease thisyear after it resisted pressure to reach out fora sovereign bailout in 2012. “The Spanishtreasury’s situation is much more comfortablenow than what it was just a few months ago,”

said Finance Minister Luis de Guindos at aneconomic conference on Tuesday ahead ofthe sale. But analysts’ warnings over China’seconomic growth and its banks, plus thelooming withdrawal of monetary stimulusmeasures by the US Federal Reserve, causedEuropean stock markets to slump on Monday.

“Times of change in direction in monetarypolicy are always delicate,” Guindos warned.“They introduce volatility in the capital mar-kets, which if not duly controlled can derailthe recovery that we are undergoing.” Spain’ssoaring borrowing costs last year raised fearsfor the overall stability of the euro-zone.“Europe is no longer a problem for financialstability. It is no longer in the eye of thestorm,” Guindos said on Tuesday, however. Hesaid that Spain’s economic output andemployment figures would improve in thecurrent quarter. “The question now is notwhether the Spanish economy is going torecover. The fundamental question is howstrong the recovery is going to be.” — AFP

Spain short-term

borrowing costs soar

SHANGHAI: China’s central bank said yes-terday it saw an end to a liquidity crisis andoffered to support banks, after stocksclosed at a level unseen since the globalfinancial crisis in 2009. For more than twoweeks, funds have been in short supply onChina’s interbank market and the interestrates banks charge to lend to each otherhave surged to record highs. Instead ofpumping money into the system, the cen-tral People’s Bank of China (PBoC) hadstood by, as recently as Monday ruling outproviding fresh cash and ordering banks toput their financial houses in order. AfterChina’s financial markets closed yesterday,the central bank sought to ease the worriesof domestic and international investors.

“Interest rate fluctuations and the situa-tion of tight liquidity will gradually ease,”the bank said in a statement. It added ithad already offered funds to financial insti-tutions and would continue to do so, butgave no details. Analysts have warned theliquidity squeeze was raising the risk of ahard landing for the world’s second largesteconomy.

“If prolonged, this may lead to a creditcrunch to the real economy, risking a hardlanding scenario in China,” ANZ BankingGroup said in a research report yesterday.The liquidity tightness could persist to mid-July, analysts said. “The longer this goes on,there’s a risk that it could feed into the priceof credit going into the real economy,” saidPaul Gruenwald, chief economist for theAsia-Pacific region for ratings agencyStandard & Poor’s.

“But for now, we don’t see a measurablemacro (economic) impact,” he told a confer-ence call with financial analysts and jour-nalists. Analysts said the policy of the cen-tral bank stemmed from worries over finan-cial risk from loosely regulated wealth man-agement products and the vast “shadowbanking” system. China’s stock investorshave responded poorly to the moves.

The benchmark Shanghai CompositeIndex ended down 0.19 percent yesterdayat the lowest closing level since January,2009. The index tumbled as much as 5.79percent in afternoon trading beforerebounding on bargain-hunting. The mar-ket closed down 5.30 percent on Monday.“The situation with tight liquidity condi-tions has not improved,” Zhang Yanbing, ananalyst at Zheshang Securities, told AFP.

“The market is still anxiously waiting forauthorities to improve liquidity conditionsand stabilise the stock market,” he said. Butin a stern warning for China’s 170 millionstock investors, the mouthpiece of the rul-ing Communist Party, the People’s Daily,warned the government would not play“wet nurse”. “The securities regulatory com-mission is not the stock market’s ‘wet nurse’

nor is the central bank,” the influentialnewspaper said in a commentary. “So-called market-saving and market-boostingacts will not help the stock market, ratherthey will harm the market,” it said. The han-dling of the liquidity squeeze has put thecredibility of China’s new leaders on theline as they try to control financial riskswhile at the same time keeping economicgrowth on track.

“The liquidity squeeze is the first realeconomic test for China’s new leaders toprove their willingness to overcome tougheconomic issues not with words, but bytheir actions,” said Zhang Zhiwei, a HongKong-based economist for NomuraSecurities. “If the new leaders maintaintheir current approach... it will add down-side risk to growth in 2013,” he said in aresearch report, though he added it wouldhelp make growth more sustainable in thelong term. China has set its annual eco-nomic growth target at 7.5 percent for all ofthis year. The country’s economy, a crucialdriver of global growth, expanded 7.8 per-cent in 2012, its worst performance in 13years. — AFP

China central bank

soothes after plunge

Irish outrage

grows over ‘arrogant’

failed bank

DUBLIN: Ireland’s deputy prime minister laid in to “arrogant”executives yesterday at a failed bank who mocked govern-ment efforts to tackle an economic crisis, amid growing publicoutrage at the latest revelations in tapes of bank executivephone calls. The revelations were seen as potentially damag-ing to Ireland’s efforts to obtain concessions from theEuropean Union on the terms of a bank rescue that pushed itto an 85-billion-euro ($111 billion) bailout.

The bank eventually cost taxpayers some 30 billion eurosduring the financial crisis, almost one-fifth of the country’sannual output, and three former executives - not includingBowe - will go on trial next year on fraud charges. “I mean thedegree of arrogance, the degree of hubris, the degree ofcouldn’t-care-less-about-the-taxpayer, about the Irish people,that seemed to be part and parcel of the culture of that bank,”deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore said.

In Dublin, the story dominated television and radio newsfor a second day, with almost all national papers splashing thestory on their front pages. “How come nobody’s in jail?” readthe lead headline in the Irish Sun. The Irish Independentreleased more details including Bowe singing the Germannational anthem and laughing as he discussed the prospect ofGerman money flowing in after the guarantee on deposits.

“There is a lot of latent anger about this issue,” said EoinO’Malley, a lecturer in politics at Dublin City University. “Mostof us must have known - but now you can hear them com-menting and you can hear the tone.” Many Irish have had theirsalaries cut by 20 percent or more in order to meet fiscaldeficit targets as part of the loan guarantees for the country’sinternational bailout. The unemployment rate has trebledsince the crisis to 14 percent after the bank-and-land specula-tion property bubble burst. The 2008 blanket guarantee onbank liabilities led to an 85 billion euro IMF/EU bailout andprovoked widespread anger in the country of 4.6 million.“These guys in the banks lose billions and nothing ever hap-pens,” said Noel Newman, a 78-year-old retiree in Dublin. “Onthe tape they were laughing, joking. The way they said it wasdisgusting. Unbelievable.” Bowe and another executive, con-sumer banking chief Peter Fitzgerald, said they regretted theconversation but denied any wrongdoing or intention to mis-lead the central bank. —Reuters

BARCELONA: A member of the Mortgage Victims’ Platform (PAH) protests againstevictions yesterday. —AP

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

NEW YORK: In this photo, traders gather at the post on the floor of the NewYork Stock Exchange that handles Pfizer and Zoetis. Stock and bond prices aresinking because investors were caught off guard and alarmed by the FederalReserve’s signal that long-term interest rates are headed higher. — AP

BRUSSELS: As the first anniversary of hergraduation in eco-tourism and cultural histo-ry approaches, Linnea Borjars remains joblessand frustrated. After finishing her studies atSweden’s Linkoping University, the 25-year-old accepted an unpaid, part-time position atFair Travel, a non-profit group focused onhuman rights and tourism, hoping it wouldlead to a full-time job and a salary. But nosuch luck. When her contract ended inDecember, she declined the offer to stay onas an unpaid intern. Since then, dozens ofapplications and endless hours of networkinghave yielded just two interviews, despite aresume boasting a stellar academic recordand a string of hard-to-obtain internships.

“I feel in some ways that I’m of no use any-more. It’s like I’m posing nude in my cover let-ter, begging for approval, but I just keep ongetting dumped,” says Borjars, who lives a fewtrain stops south of where young Swedesrioted last month, in part in an outcry againsttheir miserable job prospects. Borjars’ situa-tion is a reflection of the depth of theEuropean economic crisis. It is not only unem-ployment but also underemployment -including workers who are overqualified,interns who are unpaid or low-paid and part-time employees who want full-time work -that has reached critical levels in many EUcountries, and could leave a permanent finan-cial and psychological mark on a generation.

The European Union’s unemployment sta-tistics do not account for university graduateswho are employed to flip hamburgers, orpart-time coffee shop baristas who want towork more hours. But experts now argue thatthe number of people who are underem-ployed has become too great to ignore, andrepresents a huge loss of potential economicoutput.

Overqualified and underemployedTo understand where underemployment

fits in, it is worth looking at how the EU’s sta-tistics break down. Last December, the mostrecent full figures available, 25 million of theEU’s workforce of 240 million were unem-ployed and actively looking for jobs, produc-ing an unemployment rate of 11 percent. Anadditional 11 million were unemployed buthad stopped looking or were not immediate-ly available to start work, and were thereforenot classified as unemployed. Adding them tothe total would bump the jobless rate up to15 percent.

Then there were more than 9 million part-time workers who wanted to work morehours but had no opportunity to do so - theywere counted as employed but felt underem-ployed. And finally there were those whowere overqualified for their jobs and mightwell have been making more money else-where if they had found the right match fortheir skills.

There is no specific figure for the overqual-ified, but a study published in 2011 by theOrganisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment, a club of wealthy nations, esti-mated that they may number as many as 65million in the European Union, or more than aquarter of the total workforce. DanielFeldman, a professor in management at theUniversity of Georgia and a specialist inunderemployment, puts the cost of unre-alised economic output in larger EU memberstates from the under-use of skills in the tensof billions of euros.

While European politicians are focused onthe deepening scourge of youth unemploy-ment, which in countries such as Greece andSpain has topped 50 percent, they are alsostarkly aware of the threat from underem-ployment. Getting people into their first job isone thing - and will be the focus of discussionamong EU leaders at a summit in Brussels onJune 27-28. But ensuring that those who havejobs are properly or fully employed, especiallyat a time when there are 2 million vacanciesacross Europe, is also critical.

Whether in the Netherlands, Belgium orAustria, which have a tradition of job-sharing,or in southern Europe and Scandinavia,where it is much less common, the number ofpeople who work part-time, increasinglyagainst their will, is soaring. A fifth of the EU’sworkforce is now registered as part-time, upfrom 16 percent in a decade.

Lost generation?“The situation in Spain is terrible. In the

Starbucks where I work, they look for peopleto work 10 hours per week,” said LauraHigueras, 24, who studied chemistry atUniversidad Autonoma in Madrid. “I have

friends in Germany and Austria who work asengineers and chemists. In Spain, if you workat a Starbucks, you are lucky.” Martin Schulz,the president of the European Parliament,says Europe has not had such a well-educatedgeneration since World War Two, especially incountries like Italy and Spain.

“Their parents invested a lot of money inthe education of their children, everythingthey did was right,” the German Socialist toldReuters in an interview earlier this year. “Andnow that they are ready to work, society says:‘No place for you.’ We are creating a lost gen-eration.” David Blanchflower, an economicsprofessor at Dartmouth College in the UnitedStates, who was previously a member of theBank of England’s monetary policy commit-tee and studied unemployment figures indetail, reckons a fifth of the part-time workersin the European Union are underemployed.

In Britain, wage freezes, particularly in thepublic sector, have resulted in a decrease inthe number of workers over 50 who chooseto cut back on working hours. This hurts theyoung, who traditionally have picked upthose hours. “ There is now a huge gapbetween these two groups. Before the crisis,they were equal,” Blanchflower told Reuters. “Iargue that the young actually get a doublewhammy - they can’t get jobs, but if they do,they can’t get enough hours.”

Studies have shown that part-time workoften sets people back on the pay scale, rarelyincludes benefits and can hinder futurecareer advancement. While working parentsmay be willing to accept that trade-off, thelong-term cost for young people at the dawnof their careers can be high. “If you have alarge section of the job market that for a longtime is dependent on short-term jobs, it canbe very damaging to people’s futureprospects,” said Dorothy Watson, a researcherat Dublin’s Economic and Social ResearchInstitute.

Poverty trapBjorn Gustafsson, a professor in the

department of social work at the University ofGothenburg, sees underemployment drivingpeople into poverty and ultimately onto wel-fare. “The process of becoming self-sufficientthrough employment is taking longer than itdid before,” he said. “They get low income,low living standards and end up in poverty,and they utilise other means of income, suchas welfare and health benefits.” With moreand more Europeans graduating from univer-sity, many companies are additionallydemanding practical experience from jobapplicants. This has deepened the mismatchbetween theoretical college programmes andthe job market, and forced a growing numberof young graduates to accept jobs they areacademically overqualified for. Or else tostudy more.

In Stockholm, Linnea Borjars has filed anapplication for graduate school, but remainsambivalent about its usefulness. “It’s a dilem-ma - you rack up more college credits, butthat doesn’t necessarily make you moreemployable,” she said. While unemploymentis a known cause of psychological and socialproblems, the mental effects of underem-ployment are less well researched. Butexperts say they are equally serious.

Feldman, who has written several booksexamining underemployment, lists cynicism,resentment, anxiety and depression as someof the common, long-lasting side effects. “Theeffects are much longer-term than peoplethink,” he said. “Even after people get re-employed in better jobs, they still don’tdevote the same level of organisational com-mitment. They always keep looking over theirshoulder for a better deal.” Goran Majlat, a 26-year-old from Croatia, returned to his homecountry in 2011 after earning a businessdegree at the University of Minnesota in theUnited States.

Even with overseas academic credentials,finding a job proved to be tough. Majlat wentunemployed for seven months, adding toCroatia’s 35 percent youth unemployment. “Iwent through all seven stages of depressionand couldn’t get out of my house. You needmoney for everything - to drive, drink coffeeand all that. It was terrible, “ Majlat said.

He was eventually hired as a bell boy at alocal hotel, but was let go after the summer.After another nine months without a job, hefound a position as a sales representative andalso works greeting holidaymakers at a yachtfirm. The latter is “unglamorous but easy”, hesays. “But you are lucky if you have a job - anyjob.” — Reuters

KUWAIT: Due to its dedication toproviding its customers with excep-tional offers and quality services,Honda Alghanim has announcedthe launch of its exclusive summerpromotion for all Honda vehiclesunder warranty. The promotionincludes a KD 50 voucher that couldbe traded in for any of Honda’s gen-uine spare parts, accessories orcomprehensive vehicle mainte-nance services.

All Honda vehicles under war-ranty are welcome to Honda’s allnew service center in Shuwaikh thatis located beside AlghanimIndustries and across from theClassical Car Museum so as to bene-

fit from this exclusive offer. Apartfrom its high quality services andproducts, Honda’s Alghanim servicecenter also offers comfortableamenities including waitinglounges that have been createdespecially for Honda Alghanim cus-tomers, electronic games areaincluding PS3, TV screens, lounges,family section, free wireless Internetaccess and massage chairs.

The exclusive offer complementsthe series of valuable promotionsthat Honda Alghanim has recentlylaunched during the start of thesummer season. Today, many offersare available at Honda Alghanim;from Honda SUV vehicles for fami-

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Honda Alghanim is also commit-ted to providing its customers withflexible payment solutions, an ele-ment that furthers customers’ satis-faction with owning a Honda vehi-cle of their choice.

The brand new Honda Alghanimservice center carries the same highstandards as every internationalHonda service center around theworld. The Honda Alghanim’s serv-ice center’s standards are furtherheightened by the exceptionalmeasures Alghanim Industries has

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Apart from being the exclusivedistributor of Honda vehicles, pow-er products and motorcycles inKuwait, Alghanim Motors also offerswarranted spare parts and genuineHonda oils, all of which enhance acustomer’s overall level of satisfac-tion with his/her Honda ownershipexperience. In order to benefit fromthis exclusive offer, visit the HondaAlghanim service center that islocated behind Alghanim Industriesand across from the Classical CarMuseum in Shuwaikh.

Honda Alghanim’s Service

Center launches summer offer

Unseen legacy of

Europe’s crisis

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

DUBAI: BMW Group Middle East has reached1,000,000 Facebook fans - the only automotive brandin the region to reach this milestone. This landmarkcomes less than three years after the world’s most suc-cessful premium automotive company launched itspopular Facebook page in the Middle East inNovember, 2010. The pace of its growth has accelerat-ed rapidly, with the fan base continuously growing -affirmation of the increasing popularity and success ofthe BMW brand in the region. The majority of BMWMiddle East Facebook fans are from Jordan, SaudiArabia, the UAE and Lebanon.

Facebook continues to be an overwhelmingly dom-inant force in the Middle East’s social space.

According to a recent Arab Social Media Report bythe Dubai School of Government, there are approxi-mately 43 million facebook users in the Arab world,which is the equivalent of one third of the region’stotal population. There is also growing reliance ontechnology signaling an increasing shift to mobilecommerce. According to the Luxury Institute, one inthree consumers own a tablet or e-reader. “People inthe Arab world trust news shared by peers on socialmedia platforms such as Facebook over mainstream

media reports. As such, we recognise the significantsocial and cultural impact of digital networks and theimportance of including it within our marketing strate-gy,” said Michael Keller, Marketing Manager at BMWGroup Middle East.

“We always strive to launch creative and uniquedigital marketing campaigns, which connect andengage customers with our brand, and create stand-out against competitors. Our strategy is obviously theright one as demonstrated in this milestone achieve-ment.”

Model launches have proven to be big contributorswhen it comes to increasing “Likes” as it offers fansexclusive images and insights of the new models aswell as conversations.

This forms part of a detailed content strategy whichfocuses on delivering high quality posts, offering prod-uct previews and allowing customers to book testdrives through the Facebook page’s application.

The one million mark achievement is testament tothe success and increasing popularity of the world’smost successful premium automotive brand here inthe Middle East, with a record 24 per cent increase insales for January - May 2013.

BMW Middle East becomes first automotive

brand in region to reach 1m fans on Facebook

TOKYO: Japan’s All Nippon Airways and AirAsiasaid yesterday they have agreed to terminatetheir budget carrier joint venture as businessslumped amid management clashes, dealing ablow to the country’s fledgling low-cost sector.Malaysia-based AirAsia said AirAsia Japan wouldcut service by the end of October, just over ayear after it started flying out of Tokyo’s Naritaairport in August. “The joint venture... facedmany challenges since its launch,” AirAsia said ina statement.

It cited a “fundamental difference of opinionbetween its shareholders on how the businessshould be managed from cost management towhere the domestic business operations shouldbe based”. AirAsia chief executive and founderTony Fernandes added that “it is time for us topart ways and focus our attention on what wedo best, which is running a true LCC (low-costcarrier)”. Fernandes hinted AirAsia may return toJapan, saying its brand had “resonated withJapanese customers”.

“I remain positive on the Japanese marketand believe there is tremendous opportunityfor an LCC to succeed,” he added. HoweverShinzo Shimizu, senior vice president of ANAHoldings, told a press briefing in Tokyo yester-day that the venture dissolved because “itsname didn’t spread in Japan and it couldn’tmake profits”.

The airline booked an operating loss ofabout 3.5 billion yen ($36 million), he said.Another problem was that the carrier focusedon online sales-a key strategy for AirAsia-butmany Japanese travellers still book flightsthrough travel agents, Shimizu said. “We thinkthat there is a limit to the strategy of simplybringing AirAsia’s operation into the Japanesemarket,” he added ANA would launch a newbudget brand in November, he said, althoughthe airplanes leased by AirAsia Japan would be

returned to the Malaysian firm.“We will announce details of which brand

and aircraft to use, as well as routes, in July,”Shimizu said. News reports said a new airlinecould fly under ANA’s other budget carrier jointventure, Peach Aviation, which flies out ofOsaka. AirAsia Japan was one of three budgetairlines to come online in Japan over the pastcouple of years, promising to shake up a sectorlong controlled by ANA and rival Japan Airlines.

But a key constraint for budget carriers isthat they were shut out of Haneda airport, just ashort train ride from downtown Tokyo and the

staging point for the most profitable domesticroutes. Flying out of Narita requires a one-hourtrain ride from the city centre, a long-standingheadache for travellers including passengerswith AirAsia Japan and Jetstar Japan, a jointventure between JAL and Australia’s Qantas.

The Japanese aviation industry has longbeen notorious for sky-high landing fees andfuel taxes.

Another no-frills carrier, Skymark Airlines, hasstruggled to offer the kind of heavily discountedfares seen in Europe and North America due tohigh operating costs. — AFP

Japan’s ANA, AirAsia to

dissolve budget carrier ANA to launch new budget brand in November

TOKYO: All Nippon Airways (ANA) senior vice president Shinzo Shimizu (right) answers a ques-tion next to the company’s executive vice president Yoshinori Maruyama during a press con-ference at the company’s headquarters yesterday. — AFP

WASHINGTON: In this file photo, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaksduring a news conference. — AP

NEW YORK: Prospective borrowers rangingfrom US companies to county governmentson Monday shelved a raft of deals to raisenew capital or refinance debt as a suddenlyuncertain interest rate environment denteddemand. In the municipal bond market, halfa dozen deals aimed at raising collectivelymore than $300 million were postponed,while several companies pulled plans to refi-nance syndicated bank loans. Corporatebonds, meanwhile, passed a fourth day withno deals brought to market, either in therisky high-yield sector or the safer invest-ment-grade sphere.

Raising capital has been challenging tosay the least since last Wednesday whenFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sentinterest rates soaring by outlining a plan towind down the central bank’s massive stimu-lus program. Known as quantitative easingand consisting of $85 billion a month inbond purchases, the program was instru-mental in a rally of bonds, equities and com-modities, and had driven interest rates torecord lows. But since Bernanke’s commentslast week, the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury Note has shot up 37 basispoints, briefly touching a two-year high of2.67 percent on Monday.

“ We need to have panic sell ing (inTreasuries) out of the way and a stable levelon the 10-year Treasury,” before the new-issue market can return, said Scott Schulte,senior investment-grade corporate bondsyndicate manager at Citigroup. That needsto be followed by borrowers willing to sellbonds at higher yields than they had tounder the Fed’s easy-money regime.

Corporate bonds had been flying off theshelves until recently as companies looked torefinance at record low rates and yield-hun-gry investors were ready to sign checks. SinceBernanke first floated the notion last monthof a pull back from bond buying, corporatebonds have fallen hard and are now down forthe year by 3.74 percent on a total return

basis, according to the Barclays investment-grade index.

“The level to which investment grade cor-porate bonds are interest rate sensitive willcertainly be an eye-opener to many totalreturn investors when they open up theirquarterly statements on June 30,” saidEdward Marrinan, head of Royal Bank ofScotland’s US research. Said CrediCorpCapital CEO Christian Laub: “What we know isthat we won’t see cheap financing like we didin the early half of the year.”

Municipal issues have also slowed to acrawl, with bond sales worth $331 millionpostponed on Monday. That brought thetotal value of deals shelved since mid-June to$2.6 billion. A steep price drop in the $3.7 tril-lion municipal bond market has lifted yieldson bonds due in 10 and 30 years to levels notseen since 2011.

“Public officials do not want be the onesselling a deal at yields which result to be topof the market,” said a municipal bond analystwho declined to be named. “They prefer towait for the market to calm down andbecome more stable before pushing aheadwith their sales.” Loop Capital, a muni bondunderwriter, recently cut its estimate for2013 muni issuance to $360 billion from$400 billion, but Loop Managing DirectorChris Mier said they may cut their forecastmore if present conditions persist.

Still, the two big munis deal of the weekremain on the calendar for now: $1.3 billioneach from the state of Illinois and the city ofLos Angeles.

In the syndicated loan market, LoanPricing Corp, a unit of Thomson Reuters,reported that Beats Electronics, the con-sumer audio company founded by rapper Dr.Dre, pulled a $600 million to $650 millionsenior secured loan deal designed to financea dividend recapitalization. Meanwhile, air-craft part manufacturer PRV Aerospaceshelved a proposed repricing due to marketconditions, sources told LPC. —Reuters

Cash hard to raise as US

Fed jars credit markets

LONDON: Author Jane Austen is “waitingin the wings” to become the next famousBriton to be honoured on the country’sbanknotes, outgoing Bank of Englandgovernor Mervyn King said. The writer of19th century classics such as “Pride &Prejudice”, “Sense & Sensibility” and“Emma” is already a “reserve” figurewhose image could be a clear candidateto replace that of naturalist CharlesDarwin on the 10-pound note when histime is up, King said yesterday.

The announcement potentially defus-es criticisms of a future lack of female fig-ures on the currency, which have beenlevelled at the central bank since it saidin April that wartime leader WinstonChurchill would feature on the five-pound note from 2016, replacing prisonreformer Elizabeth Fry. Churchill andDarwin will complement economistAdam Smith and steam engine inventorsMatthew Boulton and James Watt tocomplete the all-male line-up - otherthan the image of Queen Elizabeth onthe overleaf.

The monarch is on one side of each ofBritain’s four denominations of banknotes, while celebrated Britons take theirturn for 10 to 20-year stints on the other

side. Austen would be a well-known andlikely popular choice. Her novels ofromance among the Regency gentry,spiced with sharp social comment, stillregularly feature on bestseller and litera-ture course reading lists, and havespawned numerous period-drama TVshows and film adaptations.

Historical women figures should bechosen as individuals rather than fortheir gender, King said at his final appear-ance as governor before parliament’sTreasury Committee. “One thing whichwe are quite determined to avoid is anysuggestion that the five pound note insome sense be reserved for women,” hesaid.

The notes featuring Fry would contin-ue to circulate for some time andalthough the final decision as to theidentity of the next figure would be onefor the incoming governor, CanadianMark Carney, it was unlikely that therewould be a time when there were nofemales, King said. “I think it is extremelyunlikely that we should ever find our-selves in the position where there are nowomen among the historical figures onour banknotes. “Jane Austen is quietlywaiting in the wings.” — Reuters

Jane Austen ‘waiting in wings’

to feature on UK banknotes

LONDON: When the chief enforcer for Britain’sfinance ministry suggested that the army shouldcut spending further because it had more horsesthan tanks, he provoked an indignant responsefrom one of his own colleagues in the cabinet. AsBritain prepares to say who will take the pain formore cuts, the row over ceremonial horses versustanks shows just how hard it is to trim the size of astate that the government says has been over-spending for years. While the cuts have upset somevoters and stoked tensions among senior membersof Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition gov-ernment, the debt mountain is still rising andBritain has lost its prized triple-A credit rating forthe first time since it received the rating in 1978.

For finance minister George Osborne, the rowover Britain’s military horses shows the politicaldangers and limits of austerity just as he puts thefinishing touches to his spending reviewannouncement due on June 26. “In a departmentthat has more horses than it has tanks, there areroom for efficiency savings without affecting ouroverall military output,” said Danny Alexander,Osborne’s cabinet-level deputy at the Treasury.Asked about the criticism of his horses, DefenceSecretary Philip Hammond fired back in parlia-ment: “I will probably not share with myHonourable Friend all the thoughts that I wouldlike to offer to the Treasury and some of my col-leagues.”

“While it is easy to draw attention to such thingsas the number of horses in the army, the moralcomponent of our armed forces - that which links itto the great tradition of military service in thiscountry - is a very important part of delivering mili-tary capability and is money well spent.” One law-maker retorted that the bosses at the Treasury,Britain’s most powerful ministry, should be servedwith an “idiot’s guide” to Her Majesty’s armed forcesto put them out of their ignorance.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said ithad about 500 horses compared to around 350tanks. The horses are used in ceremonial eventssuch as the opening of parliament and the celebra-tion of Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday. In whatwill be the fourth year since he took power promis-ing deep spending cuts, Osborne reached dealswith ministers including Hammond to secure 11.5billion pounds ($17.70 billion) of further cuts in2015-2016. The fate of the horses was not immedi-ately clear.

Austerity Britain?When Osborne arrived at the offices of the

Treasury following the 2010 election, his deputyhad been left a note by departing Labour treasurychief secretary Liam Byrne saying: “I’m afraidthere’s no money left”. Osborne faced a budgetdeficit of 11 percent of gross domestic product(GDP) and the UK gilt market was, in the words ofPimco’s Bill Gross, the manager of the world’sbiggest bond fund, “resting on a bed of nitroglyc-erine” because debt was far too high.

The opposition Labour Party accuses him ofdamaging the economic recovery by cutting toofar and too quickly, although it has pledged tokeep to the spending plans for 2015-16 if it winspower in the 2015 election. After Osborne stakedthe reputation of the Conservative-led coalitiongovernment on reducing Britain’s debts, lowerthan expected tax receipts from a stagnant econo-my forced him to extend the budget cuts way pastthe 2015 election. “We are out of intensive careand our job now is to secure the recovery,”Osborne said in a BBC interview on Sunday.

“We’re going to go on taking the difficult deci-sions, go on cutting back spending, go on prioritis-ing spending on the things that help the economyand cutting the spending that doesn’t.” TheInternational Monetary Fund, long known for itssupport of austerity economics, has begun callingon Osborne to increase spending to boostdemand. Yet the chancellor has shown no sign ofrelenting, at least in public.

The British state is still spending about 120 bil-lion pounds more than it receives each year. Publicsector net debt is forecast to peak at 85.6 percentof GDP in 2016-17. “Prior to the financial crisis, wehad one of the lowest debt ratios of below 40 per-cent of GDP, so we have seen our debt ratio risefaster than our peer group,” said John Hawksworth,chief economist for the United Kingdom at PwC.“Sustained growth is harder to achieve now, andan older population will be very averse to higherinflation, so it will be a long tough job to get ourdebt ratio back down to pre-crisis levels of about40 percent of GDP.”

The biggest debt since World War Two hasstoked a discussion about whether the taxpayercan still afford the size of state which Britons havecherished for over half a century. The post-war cre-ation of the welfare state by Labour is taught atschools and Britain’s National Health Service is a

point of pride, celebrated at the London 2012Olympics opening ceremony as a part of what itmeans to be British.

Despite Osborne’s reputation for swingeingcuts, total expenditure has actually increased innominal terms under his watch and is due to riseto 720 billion pounds in 2013-14 from 670 billionpounds in 2009-10. Osborne says the public sectorwas far too big and that Britain needs a tough fis-cal policy to get the deficit under control so thatthe government can spend on health and schools.

State spending is declining as a percentage ofGDP: from 47.4 percent in 2009-10 to 45.2 percentof GDP in 2013-14. But most of the cuts are still inthe future, with spending projected to fall to 40.5percent of GDP in 2017/18, near the long-termaverage for Britain for the past half century. Still,even achieving the cuts so far has required reduc-ing the public sector workforce by nearly 10 per-cent, to 5.7 million from 6.3 million, a step Laboursays holds back the economic recovery by takingmoney out of the economy.

Britain is cutting the army by 20,000 soldiersover this decade and its navy and air force havelost 5,000 each. Fees charged to students for uni-versity have been tripled. The police force hasbeen cut by at least 10,000 and the Foreign Officehas had to cut back embassy jobs, sell off exoticproperties and cap expenses for mid-rankingdiplomats.

Osborne’s hands are partly tied by pledges notto touch spending on the National Health Serviceand schools - which together account for a third ofspending - as well as on overseas aid - a small itembut one that annoys some Conservatives whothink it wrong to shield aid abroad while imposingcuts at home. Some senior members of Cameron’sConservative party say Osborne has so far failed toget a grip on the biggest target of all, 220 billionpounds ($338.5 billion) of annual “social protec-tion” spending, nearly a third of the total and morethan five times as big as the defence budget.

So far, the government has announced a capon benefits for any one family at 26,000 pounds ayear to ensure that those on state aid do notreceive more than the average working family.Tenants in state-funded social housing will beforced to pay a fee or move home if their homesare deemed too large. Those on unemploymentbenefit will see rises to their payments capped at 1percent a year for three years. — Reuters

In Britain, attempts

to cut spending fuel

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

KUWAIT: Hyundai Electronics Marketing and Sales Manager ShadiAlamah announced a partnership agreement between theStandards Arabia Company, the exclusive supplier of the HyundaiElectronics Brand, and the Danat Al-Kuwait Group. As per this agree-

ment the Danat Al-Kuwait Showroom for Electronics was reopenedin Al-Fahaheel after undergoing redecorations in a ceremony attend-ed by Faisal Al-Boos and other Danat Al-Kuwait officials. In a state-ment made to the press on the occasion of the showroom’s opening,

Alamah acknowledged the Danat Al-Kuwait group as “a pioneer inthe electronics trading business with a long history in the Kuwaitimarket”, and also expressed appreciation to the partnership deal thatgives his company the opportunity to compete in the local market.

KUWAIT: Shadi Alamah, Faisal Al-Boos and other Danat Al-Kuwait officials inaugurate the new showroom. KUWAIT: The new and improved Danat Al-Kuwait showroom.

Hyundai Electronics, Danat Al-Kuwait state partnership

KUWAIT: Shadi Alamah (left) receives a commemorative plaque from Faisal Al-Boos. KUWAIT: Shadi Alamah and Faisal Al-Boos are seen.

KUWAIT: ASAR - Al-Ruwayeh & Partners(ASAR), Kuwait’s leading and most promi-nent corporate law firm, and one of theregion’s top tier firms has advised the JointLead Managers on the placement of a KD 60million bond issue by United Real EstateCompany (URC). The five-year bond willmature in 2018 and will be issued in twotranches, namely fixed rate bonds of KD36.45 million, and Floating Rate Bonds of KD23.55 million.

The fixed rate bonds bear a fixed interestat the rate of 5.75 percent per annum. Thefloating rate bonds bear an interest at therate of 3.25 percent per annum over the dis-counted rate of the Central Bank of Kuwait,capped at 6.75 percent, in effect on the ratefixing dates. The bonds include a KuwaitiDinar denominated fixed income investmentopportunity which will deliver regularincome in the form of quarterly coupon pay-ments with redemption at maturity of thefive year term. The bonds have been ratedBBB- with a positive outlook by CapitalIntelligence.

Rob Little, Partner at ASAR - Al-Ruwayeh &Partners said: “We are pleased to haveadvised the Joint Lead Managers in relationto URC’s latest bond issue. Such transactionsare crucial for the development of the localdebt capital markets. We strongly believethat a fully functioning and vibrant localbond market is a key element in the develop-ment of Kuwait’s private sector, in line withthe plan of developing Kuwait into a keyfinancial center in the region. The issuance ofthis bond comes at an opportune time as we

witness a renewed growth of the local bondsmarket, more so for the real estate sector.”

John Cunha, Partner at ASAR - Al-Ruwayeh & Partners said: “ASAR has beenconsistently at the forefront in advising largeorganizations with their bond issuance. Thefirm previously advised the joint lead man-agers to Burgan Bank’s landmark KD 100 mil-lion (US$ 356 million) Lower Tier IISubordinated Bond Issue. The bond markedthe first KD-denominated Lower Tier II sub-ordinated bond, largest private sector KDissuance and longest tenor in Kuwaiti mar-ket to be issued by a Kuwaiti bank.Moreover, ASAR also previously advisedKuwait Projects Company (KIPCO) with suc-cessfully completing its four year KD 80 mil-lion bond issuance.”

With dedicated offices in Kuwait andBahrain coupled with its associated officesand relationships, ASAR provides clientsacross an extensive range of industry sectorswith comprehensive legal advice and sup-port for their business activities in Kuwait,across the GCC, and beyond.

ASAR has been consistently rated as theleading corporate and commercial law firmin Kuwait by many of the world’s leading andreputable legal guides such as the ChambersGlobal Guide, International Financial LawReview, and the Legal 500. In 2012, ASAR wasnamed as the “Best Law Firm in Kuwait 2012”by the International Financial Law Review(IFLR), the market-leading guide for financiallaw firms worldwide. The firm also won the“Best Equity Deal in the Middle East” awardby IFLR during the same year.

KUWAIT: Al-Riyada Finance & Investment Co real-izes significant returns approximating 22 percentfor the company and its clients of invested capital.This significant realization of profit comes as aresult of the company’s exit from its investment inAl-Liwan Mall located at the state of Kuwait - Eqailaarea. The mall covers an area of 5,592 sq with totalexit value of KD 30 million.

Muhanad Al-Sane, Chairman & ManagingDirector, stated that Al-Riyada, since inception in2008, has focused on the achievement of its basicobjectives including the provision of finance solu-tions for feasible and carefully selected real estate

projects with manageable risks, investment in suchprojects and establishing appropriate exit strate-gies for the company & its clients. Al-Liwan Mall(launched in the middle of 2012) is one of itsachievements.

Al-Sane concluded his statement by stipulat-ing that profits realized should be included in the2013 results. In regards to the reasons of this exit,Al-Sane indicated that the market is full of prof-itable and promising investment opportunitiesand Al-Riyada wishes through its future vision todiversify sources of income for the company andits clients.

KUWAIT: “Askatna Al-Khamsa”campaign that has been recentlylaunched by Commercial FacilitiesCompany (CFC) receives goodacknowledgement from a widerange of customers who wants topurchase a car. Customers can takeadvantage of this offer to own anew or used car regardless of thesource be it a car agent, supplier orindividual by paying their fouryears installment in a stretchedperiod of five years.

Speaking about the campaign,Nasser Ali Al-Mannai, AssistantManaging Director Marketing,Commercial Facilities Companysaid: “”Askatna Al-Khamsa” cam-paign is special with its role inuplifting the car sector in Kuwait.The campaign includes new andused cars regardless of the sourcebe it a car agent, supplier or indi-viduals in Kuwait.”

Al-Mannai added: “We are reallypleased with the huge success thecampaign has achieved for beingan extension of the company’sleading marketing initiatives thatwere previously launched. Thisreflects the importance of the mar-keting strategy that the companyfollows to guarantee meeting thecustomer’s needs and requirementat all levels in Kuwait. The cam-paign played a big role in con-tributing towards the car sales inone month since its launch whichreflects the customer’s interests to

take advantage of what the“Askatna Al-Khamsa” campaignoffers.”

In conclusion, Al-Mannai said:“We are moving forward in achiev-ing more accomplishments thanksto our commitment to the best ini-tiatives and financing solutions thatfocus mainly on auto financing, inaddition to the highest standardsof efficiency in customer service,which was a key element in thesuccess of the campaign. We con-tinue to make every possible effortto provide the best and latest prod-ucts and services which we hopewill gain the trust and satisfactionof existing and prospective cus-tomers at the same time. “

Customers can submit applica-tions very easily at any of the com-pany’s branches across Kuwait andthrough sales employees who areavailable in all car agencies andsuppliers. In addition they can alsopay monthly installments, enquireabout their account balance andnext installment due date throughthe company’s website as well assmart devices which are compati-ble with systems “App Store” and“Google Play that are secure andflexible hence saving time. CFC,the first leading finance company,has gained a stronger positionthanks to its uniqueness in bestserving its clients, quick process-ing of transactions and remarkableconvenience.

KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leadinginternet service provider in Kuwaitspecialized in providing innovativeinternet and data communicationssolutions, announced that it had suc-cessfully launched its Wi-Fi services inAl-Raya Center in the framework ofits plans aiming to cover all areas inKuwait with high quality, reliableinternet.

With its leading position in theKuwaiti Internet and data communi-cations market, FASTtelco reaffirmedits commitment to provide Internetcoverage all over Kuwait thanks to itsstate of the art infrastructure and cut-ting edge Internet technology.FASTtelco noted that installing a Wi-Finetwork in Al-Raya Center illustratesits dedication to meet all the needs ofits clients mainly in the commercialcenters that attract a great number ofpeople on a daily basis. FASTtelcowent on and explained that offering

this Wi-Fi service in Al-Raya enablesthe visitors, specifically businessmenand professionals to effectively pur-sue their work efficiently.

Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib,Chairman and Managing Director ofAl-Deera Holding, and CEO ofFASTtelco, said that the company hasalways been eager and determinedto install more Wi-Fi hotspots in keylocations in Kuwait such as Al RayaCenter, and revealed that it had suc-cessfully covered over 70 other loca-tions, available and seen onFASTtelco’s dedicated page.

He confirmed that Al-Raya is a keylocation in Kuwait as it is an everydaydestination for many visitors; Al-Nakib went on and noted “Our aim isto provide customers visiting publicwith fast reliable Internet connectivi-ty. We are glad that we are now cov-ering this key commercial center inKuwait City”. On the other hand, Al-Raya officials expressed their appreci-ation for such convenient, valueadded services from FASTtelco, andhighlighted that hosting such reliableWi-Fi service may in fact invest in andenhance the satisfaction of the visi-tors.

Al-Nakib concluded that duringthe last years FASTtelco has provedits capabilities in delivering highlyinnovative internet services innumerous important locations whileassuring its quality, affirming its posi-tion among the top technologicaland social responsibility driven com-panies in the region.

Al-Riyada focuses on lucrative realty projects

CFC’s ‘Askatna Al-Khamsa’campaign in great demand

ASAR advises on KD 60m bond issuance by URC

Rob Little and John Cunha

FASTtelco launches Wi-Fi services in Al-Raya Center

Muhanad Al-Sane

Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib

t e c hnolo g yWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

TOKYO: As a schoolboy, Akihiro Matsumura spenthundreds of hours learning the intricate Chinese char-acters that make up a part of written Japanese. Now,the graduate student can rely on his smartphone,tablet and laptop to remember them for him.

“Sometimes I don’t even bother to take notes inseminars. I just take out my tablet to shoot pictures ofwhat instructors write on blackboards,” he told AFP.

Like millions of people across East Asia, 23-year-oldMatsumura is forgetting the pictographs and ideo-graphs that have been used in Japan and greaterChina for centuries.

While some bemoan what they see as the loss ofhistory and culture, others say the shift frees up brain-power for more useful things, like foreign languages,and even improves writing as a whole.

Naoko Matsumoto, a professor of law who headsinternational legal studies at the prestigious SophiaUniversity near Tokyo, said the students in her classesnow write more fluently than their predecessors. “I’min my 40s and compared with my generation, theyhave more and more opportunities to write usingTwitter” and other social networking services, she said.

“I think they are actually better at writing” becausethey write in a simple and easy-to-understand way,she said. Priorities are changing with more emphasisplaced on building logical thinking strategies-a case ofcontent becoming more important than form.

“The skill of handwriting kanji (Chinese characters)perfectly is becoming less necessary compared withearlier times,” the professor said.

Kanji developed in China as a mixture of pic-tographs-characters that represent a thing, like “moun-tain”-and ideographs-those that depict an abstractconcept, like “think”.

Greater China uses only these characters-a simpli-fied version on the mainland and the traditional form

in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Japan imported kanji sometime during the first millennium to use as a writingsystem, despite there being no linguistic link betweenJapanese and Chinese. By around the 8th-9th cen-turies, it developed a syllabary-a system of conso-nant/vowel blends-called “hiragana”. Where kanji con-tain a meaning, but no inherent sound, each hiraganacharacter represents a sound, but has no inherentmeaning-like a letter in the Latin alphabet. Unlike thealphabet, however, each syllable only ever has onesound. A second syllabary, called “katakana”, alsodeveloped. Modern-day written Japanese is a mixtureof kanji, hiragana and katakana, with an increasingamount of Western script also thrown in (known as“romaji” or Roman letters).

In both Chinese and Japanese, computer andsmartphone users need only to type the pronuncia-tion of the kanji from the constituent sounds usingeither the syllabary or the alphabet. They then chooseone of several options offered by the device.

Very different meanings can come from the samesounds. For example, in Japanese, “shigaisen” produces“street fighting” and “ultra-violet rays”.

FORGETTING, AND REMEMBERING “It’s easy to forget even the easiest of characters,”

said Zhang Wentong, an assistant at a calligraphy cen-tre in Beijing. “Sometimes you’ve got to think for ages.Occasionally I’ll repeatedly type the character out pho-netically in my phone” until the right one pops up.

Graduate student Matsumura said his reliance ondevices leaves him adrift when faced with filling informs for repairs at the electronics shop where heworks part-time.

“I sometimes can’t recall kanji on the spot while acustomer is watching me,” he said. “I remember theirrough shapes but can’t remember exact strokes... It’s

foggy.” Traditionalists fear that forgetting kanji meansthe irrevocable loss of a fundamental part of culture.

In Hong Kong, Rebecca Ko said her 11-year-olddaughter uses the computer more and more, but sheinsists the child learn traditional characters, and sendsher to a Chinese calligraphy class.

“We cannot rely too much on computers, weshould be able to write... (and) we should be able towrite neatly, it’s a basic thing about being Chinese,”she said. But, says Matsumura, times change and thespread of technology gives people opportunities todevelop their language capability in other ways, forexample allowing some to read more.

“I’m one of them. I used to listen to music blanklyon trains, but I now read news and other things,” hesaid. Guardians of the characters say there is no evi-dence of any drop-off in enthusiasm.

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, aKyoto-based organisation, says the number of peoplewho take its exam every year is holding steady ataround two million.

People are “increasingly using text messages ratherthan making phone calls”, which means they need toknow which characters to use, said a spokeswoman.

And kanji characters are not falling out of favorwith all younger people. Yusuke Kinouchi, a 24-year-old graduate student at the Tokyo Institute ofTechnology, thought children should keep learningthe characters in the way they have done for hundredsof years.

Kanji provide a certain economy, he said, whereone character can stand in for the sounds made byseveral letters in a language such as English-some-thing particularly useful on Twitter, for example, withits 140-character limit. But beyond the economy, thereis one other good reason to keep them alive, he said.“They are beautiful.” — AFP

In Asia, ancient writing collides with the digital age

TOKYO: Akihiro Matsumura (left) a University stu-dent uses his tablet computer, while his friendparctices hand writing of Chinese characters on acopybook in Tokyo. Matsumura spent hundreds ofhours learning the intricate Chinese charactersthat make up a part of written Japanese. He canrely on his smartphone, tablet and laptop toremember them for him.—AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft will use its annual devel-opers conference to release a preview of Windows 8.1,a free update that promises to address some of thegripes people have with the latest version of the com-pany’s flagship operating system.

Many of the new features have been shown offalready. The Build conference, which starts today inSan Francisco, will give Microsoft’s partners and othertechnology developers a chance to learn more aboutthe new system and try it out. It also will give the com-pany a chance to explain some of the reasoningbehind the update and sell developers on Microsoft’sambitions to regain relevance lost to Apple’s iPad andvarious devices running Google’s Android software.

There’s also speculation that Microsoft could showoff a new, smaller version of its Surface tablet comput-ers. One of the new features in Windows 8.1 is the abili-ty to work well on smaller-screen devices. Windows 8.1will be available as a preview starting Wednesday foranyone to download. It will be released to the generalpublic later in the year, though a specific date hasn’tbeen announced.

Windows 8, which was released in October, wasmeant to be Microsoft’s answer to changing customerbehaviors and the rise of tablet computers. The operat-ing system emphasizes touch controls over the mouseand the keyboard, which had been the main way peo-ple have interacted with their personal computerssince the 1980s. But some people have been put off bythe radical makeover. Although Microsoft has said ithas sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses sofar, some analysts have blamed the lackluster responseto the operating system for a steep drop in PC sales inthe first three months of the year, the worst drop sincetracking by outside research firms began in 1994.

Among the complaints: the lack of a Start buttonon the lower left corner of the screen. In previous ver-sions of Windows, that button gave people quickaccess to programs, settings and other tasks. Microsoftreplaced that with a tablet-style, full-screen start page,but that covered up whatever programs people wereworking on, and it had only favorite programs. Extrasteps were needed to access less-used programs.Settings, a search box and other functions were hiddenaway in a menu that had to be pulled out from theright. How to do that changed depending on whether

a mouse or touch was used. And while Microsoft hasencouraged people to use the new tablet-style layout,many programs - including Microsoft’s latest Officesoftware package - are designed for the older, desktopmode. People were forced into the tablet layout whenthey start up the machine and had to manually switchthe desktop mode each time.

Windows 8.1 will allow people to start in the desk-top mode automatically. In that mode, it is restoring abutton that resembles the old Start button. Althoughthe Start button will now take people back to the newtablet-style start screen, rather than the old Startmenu, the re-introduction of the familiar button maymake it easier for longtime Windows users to getaccustomed to the changes.

Other new features of Windows 8.1 include moreoptions to use multiple apps. People will get moreoptions to determine how much of the screen eachapp takes while showing up to four different programs,

rather than just two. The update will also offer moreintegrated search results, showing users previews ofwebsites, apps and documents that are on the device,all at once.

Although Microsoft is addressing much of the criti-cisms with Windows, it is positioning the update asmore than just a fix-up job. From its perspective, thetuneup underscores Microsoft’s evolution into a morenimble company capable of moving quickly torespond to customer feedback while also rolling outmore innovations for a myriad of Windows devices -smartphones, tablets or PCs.

It’s crucial that Microsoft sets things right withWindows 8.1 because the outlook for the PC marketkeeps getting gloomier. IDC now expects PC ship-ments to fall by nearly 8 percent this year, worse thanits previous forecast of a 1 percent dip. IDC also antici-pates tablets will outsell laptop computers for the firsttime this year. —AP

Microsoft to unveil latest

Windows adjustments

BOSTON: In this Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 file photo, the Microsoft Corp. logo (left) is seen on anexterior wall of a new Microsoft store. Microsoft will use its annual developers conference torelease a preview of Windows 8.1, a free update that promises to address some of the gripespeople have with the latest version of the company’s flagship operating system. — AP

BEIJING: In this May 29, 2013 file photo people sit around laptop computers at a cafein Beijing. Millions of Internet users have learned the hard way, no password is safewhen hackers can, and do, pilfer them en masse from banks, email services, retailersor social media websites that fail to fully protect their servers. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Looking for a safe password?You can give HQbgbiZVu9AWcqoSZmChwgtMYTrM7HE3ObVWGepMeOsJf4iHMyNXMT1BrySA4d7 a try. Good luck memorizing it.

Sixty-three random alpha-numeric charac-ters-in this case, generated by an online pass-word generator-are as good as it gets when itcomes to securing your virtual life.

But as millions of Internet users havelearned the hard way, no password is safewhen hackers can, and do, pilfer them enmasse from banks, email services, retailers orsocial media websites that fail to fully protecttheir servers.

And besides, with technology growing byleaps and bounds, why does the username-and-password formula-a relic of computing’sJurassic era-remain the norm?

“The incredibly short answer is, it’s cheap,”said Per Thorsheim, a Norwegian online securi-ty expert and organizer of PasswordsCon, theworld’s only conference dedicated to pass-words, taking place in Las Vegas in July.

“If you want anything else-if you wantsome kind of two-factor authentication thatinvolves using a software-based token, a hard-ware-based token or biometric authentication-you need something extra,” he told AFP. “Andthat will cost you extra money.” Back in thebeginning, it was all so easy. The very first com-puters were not only room-sized mainframes,but also stand-alone devices. They didn’t con-nect to each other, so passwords were neededonly by a handful of operators who likely kneweach other anyway. Then along came theInternet, binding a burgeoning number ofcomputers, smartphones and tablets into aglobe-girdling web that required some virtualmeans for strangers to identify each other.

Passwords have thus proliferated so muchthat it’s a daily struggle for users to cope withdozens of them-and not just on one personalcomputer, but across several devices.

There’s even a name for the syndrome:password fatigue. “People never took pass-words very seriously, and then we had a num-ber of really big password breaches,” saidMarian Merritt, Internet security advocate forsoftware provider Norton.

“As people are increasingly accessing web-sites from smartphones and tablets, typingpasswords is becoming an ever bigger pain,”added Sarah Needham of ConfidentTechnologies, developers of a picture-basedpassword alternative. In a 24-nation survey lastyear, Norton found that 40 percent of usersdon’t bother with complex passwords or fail tochange their passwords on a regular basis.Rival security app firm McAfee says its researchindicates that more than 60 percent of usersregularly visit five to 20 websites that requirepasswords, and that a like-sized proportionpreferred easy-to-use passwords.

The most popular passwords, infamously,are “password” and “123456,” according toMark Burnett, whose 2005 book “PerfectPassword: Selection, Protection,Authentication” was among the first on thetopic.

BIOMETRICS ARE COMINGCarl Windsor, director of product manage-

ment at California-based network security firmFortinet, said he once ran John the Ripper, afree program to crack passwords, through anemployer’s Unix system with its consent.

Within seconds, Windsor had one-third ofits passwords. Within minutes, he had anotherthird. “I also won a bet by finding the ‘supersecure’ password of a colleague in less thanfive minutes,” he told AFP by email.

Password alternatives are in the pipeline.Google is toying with the idea of users tap-ping their devices with personalized codedfinger rings or inserting unique ID cardscalled Yubikeys into the USB ports of theircomputers. —AFP

‘Password fatigue’

haunts Internet masses

Help at hand for those wanting to detox from technology

DUBAI: Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 for homeusers has been granted the highest 5-staraward in MRG Effitas’ Real World Protection Testfor Q2 2013. The solution detected and blocked100% of all threats it faced in the test.

During testing, the experts assessed the abil-ity of rival antivirus solutions to detect andblock dangerous malware. The MRG Effitasexperts deliberately selected samples of mal-ware which an ordinary user may face whileworking online.

The experts from this respected researchcompany chose malware samples with themost dangerous payloads. So the test samplesincluded various types of backdoors (programsthat can remotely control the user’s computer),financial malware (software designed to steal

financial information), ransomware, maliciousprograms with integrated rootkit functionalityand other dangerous types of malware.

The testing was conducted on computersrunning Windows 7 SP 1 32 bit. These PCs werealso set up with a suite of popular applicationswhich have vulnerabilities regularly exploitedby hackers. Kaspersky Lab’s product competedalongside 16 other popular security solutions.Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 blocked everyone of the 585 threats prepared for the testing,earning MRG Effitas’ highest award - 5 stars.Only two other solutions in the trial couldmatch Kaspersky Lab’s result.

“To receive the highest MRG Effitas award isa worthy achievement, but more than thatthese test results are a kind of marker which

indicates a high-quality security solution. Anyprotection product must be able to safeguardthe user from the real and dangerous threatssuch as backdoors, financial malware, ran-somware, rootkits, etc. A product which cannotdo this can hardly be called a security solution,”said Oleg Ishanov, Director of the Anti-MalwareResearch Unit, Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 continuesto collect awards in several independent RealWorld Protection tests. In May and April, theproduct demonstrated impressive effectivenessin similar tests conducted by the independentAV-Comparatives laboratory. Kaspersky InternetSecurity 2013 has also been highly acclaimedby other well-known testing laboratories suchas AV-Test.org, Matousec.com and others.

Top award for Kaspersky Internet Security 2013

in the MRG Effitas Real-World Protection Test

PARIS: Tired of checking your smartphone everyfew minutes for new emails, likes or retweets? Doyou spend more time looking at your devicethan chatting to your date? Are you close to adigital burn-out?

Fear not, an increasing number of options areavailable for those seeking to detox from tech-nology, from wallpaper that blocks wi-fi toInternet-free holidays and software that forcesyou off addictive sites.

“People connect all the time, everywhere, inevery position-lying down on their bed, at therestaurant, in the waiting room,” says RemyOudghiri, a director at French polling firm Ipsosand author of a book on the subject. More andmore people own devices that allow this. In theUnited States, over half of adults now have asmartphone, while more than a third own atablet computer. “This sudden surge in connec-tion possibilities, after the initial period of enthu-siasm, prompts every user to reflect on how tocontinue to enjoy life while taking advantage oftheir connection. How to avoid becoming

dependent,” Oudghiri said.French researchers have come up with one

solution, creating a special type of wallpaper thatblocks wifi, which materials company Ahlstrom isbusy developing further with the aim of puttingit on the market next year. Spokesman RobinGuillaud says there has already been significantinterest in the invention. Schools in particularhave made enquiries, keen to prevent studentsfrom spending too much time hooked to theirsmartphones.

According to an Ipsos survey, nearly a third ofFrench people now feel the need to disconnect,with similar trends recorded in other countries.Separate research from the same firm found thatin 2006, 54 percent of the French population feltpeople spent less time together due to theadvent of new technologies, a figure that leaptto 71 percent last year. Companies have latchedonto this lassitude, particularly in the tourismindustry where some hotels and resorts offerdigital detox packages. The upmarket Westinhotel in Dublin, for instance, gives guests the

option to surrender their smartphones andtablets on check-in and provides them with adetox pack that includes a tree planting kit and aboard game. But it comes at a price — 175 euros($230) per person per night. Other firms areoffering more in-depth packages to really getaway from it all.

The US-based Digital Detox organises tech-free retreats to remote places in the United Statesor escape destinations such as Cambodia. “Someof it is marketing”, said Thierry Crouzet, a bloggerwho went cold turkey and disconnected for sixmonths. “There are loads of places that are tran-quil. No need to book a tour operator that takesyou to the North Pole.” The 49-year-old wrote abook about his experience called “I unplugged”,after suffering from a digital burn-out that sawhim so craving technology that he would some-times check his email, blogs and Twitter at night.“I see a lot of blogger friends who are easing off.Nearly everyone gradually takes breaks. We’rerealising that at the end of the day, it (technology)doesn’t nourish us,” he said. —AFP

THAILAND: This picture taken on March 20, 2013 shows people looking at their smartphoneswhile waiting for a train at a BTS station in Bangkok. — AFP

HAVANA: Cuba will send temporarymedical personnel to work in SaudiArabia under a deal reached this weekwith Riyadh, officials in Havanaannounced. The foreign ministry saidMonday that Saudi Arabia will becomethe latest country to receive doctorsfrom Cuba, which contracts its medicalprofessionals to work in nations around

the world. “The first group of Cubandoctors will work in the King SaudMedical City and at the Prince SalmanHospital, two of the most prestigiousSaudi medical institutions,” it said in astatement. Cuba’s ambassador EnriqueEnriquez signed the agreement onSunday in Riyadh, the ministry said.Officials from both countries are now

negotiating “other types of medicalcooperation, which would let the Saudihealth system benefit from the experi-ence... of the public health sector inCuba,” the statement read.

The government of President RaulCastro hopes to expand the paid pro-gram because it produces an annualincome stream of $6 billion a year-an

important source of hard currency forthe cash-strapped Caribbean island. Asof May, Cuba had 38,870 medical per-sonnel working abroad, including15,407 doctors, said Yiliam Jimenez,head of the office that coordinates for-eign medical cooperation.

The Cuban doctors work in 66 coun-tries in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Forty of the participating nations arepoor countries receiving free medicalassistance as part of a programdesigned by former president FidelCastro in 1998.

The remaining 26 countries-includ-ing Venezuela, China, South Africa andAlgeria-pay for the medical workers’services.—AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Cuba to send doctors to work in Saudi Arabia

INDONESIA: In this handout photograph released by the presidential palaceyesterday, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inspects gov-ernment firefighting personnel during a sendoff ceremony at the HalimPerdanakusuma airport in Jakarta.—AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesian President SusiloBambang Yudhoyono has apologized toSingapore and Malaysia over fires that havecloaked the countries in thick haze, as thou-sands of emergency workers were deployedyesterday to tackle the blazes. Southeast Asia’sworst smog crisis for years pushed haze levels inSingapore to a record high last week, with resi-dential buildings and skyscrapers shrouded anddaily life for millions in the city-state dramatical-ly affected. The smog has drifted north and isnow badly affecting Malaysia, while in a badly-hit province on Indonesia’s Sumatra island-where the fires are raging in peatland-hundredsgathered to pray for rain.

The crisis has triggered a war of wordsbetween Jakarta and its neighbors, with anIndonesian minister accusing Singapore of act-ing “like a child”. But Yudhoyono sought to easetensions by issuing a public apology lateMonday. “As the president of Indonesia, I apolo-gize for what has happened and ask for theunderstanding of the people of Malaysia andSingapore,” he said. “We accept it is our respon-sibility to tackle the problem.” Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong said Singapore acceptedYudhoyono’s “gracious” apology, adding: “Weneed a permanent solution to prevent thisproblem from recurring annually.”

Indonesia had previously sought to deflectblame for the crisis, saying Singaporean andMalaysian companies who own plantations onSumatra were also responsible. But MalaysianPrime Minister Najib Razak said late Monday thequestion of who owns the plantations “is notthe issue here” and called on Jakarta to takeaction against those responsible, national newsagency Bernama reported. Police in Riauprovince, where the fires are centered, said theyhad arrested nine people so far on suspicion ofstarting the blazes, all small palm oil farmers.

Smog from Sumatra is a recurring problemduring the June-September dry season, whenbig companies and smallholders alike light firesto clear land, in a cheap but illegal method ofclearing space for planting. Several big palm oilcompanies have been accused of lighting fireson their concessions in Sumatra, and theRoundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) saidyesterday it would investigate five of its mem-bers over the allegations.

The RSPO, which produces a sought-aftercertification for producers deemed sustainable,bans its members from using burning to clearland. Southeast Asia suffered its worst smogoutbreak in 1997-98, which cost the region anestimated $9 billion, and was hit with a seriousrecurrence in 2006. Indonesia’s national disasteragency said yesterday that more than 3,000 per-sonnel-including members of the army, air forceand police-would be sent over the next twodays to Riau to join some 2,300 already tacklingthe blazes. Firefighters are backed by helicop-ters and planes dropping water and attemptingto chemically induce rain through cloud-seed-ing.

After efforts in previous days proved ineffec-tive, cloud-seeding managed to successfullyinduce rains in several parts of Riau yesterday,officials said. While the smog has lifted fromSingapore, which was enjoying its third straight

sunny day yesterday after the air pollution indexeased from the all-time highs of last week,Malaysia is now bearing the brunt of the crisis.Air quality was “hazardous” in two Malaysiandistricts, including the country’s busiest port,Port Klang on the Strait of Malacca facingSumatra, where the readings stood at 484 mid-morning yesterday.

Readings above 300 indicate “hazardous”conditions. Three other areas, mostly in centralMalaysia near the capital Kuala Lumpur, logged“very unhealthy” air quality. In one Riau districtalmost 300 people were evacuated over thepast two days as fires raged close to their hous-es, and in the province’s badly-hit Dumai cityhundreds gathered to pray for rain. “This morn-ing, we prayed to God for rain and for the effortsto fight the haze to be successful,” said localenvironment official Basri , who like manyIndonesians goes by one name.—AFP

Indonesia sorry for haze,

sends thousands to fight fires

INDONESIA: This picture shows a private helicopter deployed by pulp paper andPalm Oil Company APP Sinar Mas conducting water bombing operation on forestfires in Siak regency in Riau Province, on Indonesia’s Sumatra island.—AP

NEW YORK: Teens were more likelyto diet and use other unhealthymeasures to control their weightwhen their parents talked to themabout losing weight or the impor-tance of being thin, in a new study.Conversely, family conversationsabout healthy eating that did notinvolve the topic of weight werelinked to fewer unhealthy behav-iors, such as laxative use and skip-ping meals - especially amongheavier adolescents.

“It’s important to (have) conver-sations that focus on healthy eat-ing as a cause for healthy bodiesand strong bones, rather than acause for weight and size,” saidJerica Berge, who led the newstudy at the University ofMinnesota Medical School inMinneapolis. Past studies haveshown that being told to diet orbeing teased about weight by aparent is harmful to children, shesaid. But that still leaves the ques-tion of what families who genuine-ly want to help an overweight child

should be talking about. “ Theywould always ask me, ‘What do Isay to my kid?’” Berge said.

She and her colleagues sur-veyed 2,800 racially and socioeco-nomically diverse middle and highschool students and one or both oftheir parents about food, weightand related conversations. Twenty-eight percent of mothers of nor-mal-weight teens said they ’dtalked about healthy eating withtheir child, and 33 percent saidthey’d had conversations aboutweight or the need to lose weight.That compared to 15 percent ofmothers who talked solely abouthealthy eating with their over-weight teens and 60 percent whodiscussed losing weight. Rateswere similar for conversations initi-ated by fathers.

The researchers found that diet-ing and unhealthy eating patternswere more common among bothnormal weight and overweightchildren of parents who focused onweight. For example, 64 percent of

overweight teens whose motherstalked about weight and weightloss had used worrisome weight-control behaviors. That comparedto 41 percent when family discus-sions were only about healthy eat-ing and 53 percent when mothersdidn’t discuss food or weight at all.

Likewise, 39 percent of normalweight children whose mothersbrought up weight had usedunhealthy behaviors, compared to30 percent of those with motherswho emphasized being healthy,Berge’s team reported Monday inJAMA Pediatrics. “If a child is con-cerned about their weight andthey want to talk about theirweight, you want to have an openconversation with them,” saidAlison Field, who studies weightand unhealthy eating at BostonChildren’s Hospital but wasn’tinvolved in the new research.

However to have that talk with akid who doesn’t really want to dis-cuss weight probably won’t behelpful, she said. Because the sur-

veys represent a single point intime, Berge and her colleaguescouldn’t determine whether familyconversations or a teen’s dietingand unhealthy weight-controlbehaviors came first. Field saidfuture studies will ideally followteens who don’t engage in anyunhealthy weight-related behav-iors to see how family talks aboutfood affect who does and doesn’tstart.

Still, the researchers said, thefindings suggest parents shouldstay away from conversations thatfocus on losing weight and beingthin - and talk about the generalimportance of healthy eatinginstead. “Healthy eating conversa-tions are not going to be harmful,and they may be helpful,” Fieldsaid. “That to me is a positive mes-sage for parents who have an over-weight k id and are strugglingbecause they don’t know what todo,” Berge added. “The best thingthey can do is focus on a healthymessage.”—Reuters

Talking to teens about weight loss

tied to unhealthy dieting, laxative use

CaliforniaA package of bills moving through the

Legislature is aimed at addressingCalifornia’s medical provider gap. The legis-lation would allow nurse practitioners,optometrists and pharmacists to expand thetypes of services they can provide patients.The proposals face heavy opposition fromdoctors, who favor training and placingmore primary care physicians in rural andother underserved communities.Opponents also worry such changes wouldcreate two classes of medical care - one forpeople who have access to doctors andanother for people who don’t.

DelawareAmong the steps Delaware officials have

taken to address the primary care physicianshortage is a loan repayment program forprimary care providers who commit to workin underserved areas. The program, fundedby the state and federal governments, pro-vided more than $360,000 in loan repay-ments to seven primary care providers in fis-cal 2013. Officials say they are looking atexpanding it.

FloridaGov Rick Scott funded an additional 700

residency slots this year, but Florida will stillneed additional residencies and fellowshipsjust to bring the state up to the nationalaverage per capita. Scott also recentlysigned into law a long-debated bill thatexpands the drug-prescribing powers ofoptometrists. The state now allowsoptometrists to prescribe oral medicationsto treat eye diseases. House Republicansrepeatedly used the shortage of primarycare physicians and nurses in the state as areason not to expand Medicaid under thefederal Affordable Care Act.

IllinoisA state medical society succeeded in

killing or gutting bills this year that wouldhave given more medical decision-makingauthority to psychologists, dentists andadvanced-practice nurses. That includedone bill that would have allowed traineddentists to give flu shots and other immu-nizations. The dental society plans to bringthe issue to lawmakers again but focus nar-rowly on flu shots. The group contends den-tists should be prepared to respond to afuture flu pandemic. They plan to make thecase that the Affordable Care Act willincrease the number of patients eligible forfree flu shots and that the number of pro-fessionals who can give them also shouldincrease.

IndianaState officials and professional associa-

tions representing primary care physiciansand other health providers are reviewing thestate’s primary care providers and wherethey are concentrated. Shortly after the fed-eral health care law was signed in 2010,state officials determined that Indiana hadnot been properly tracking the density ofprimary care physicians and needed to do acomplete review, said David Roos, executivedirector of Covering Kids and Families ofIndiana.

KansasEfforts in Kansas to address medically

underserved areas of the state began nearlya half- century ago at the University ofKansas, where a scholarship program isaimed at recruiting new physicians to starttheir practices in rural areas. Kansas hasexpanded those efforts in recent budgetyears, including legislation this year toincrease the scope of study that would beeligible for the scholarships in return forserving in rural areas. Legislators also haveexpanded the laws to give pharmacists theability to perform certain wellness functions,including administering vaccines.

KentuckyThe state has not yet taken steps to deal

with an influx of patients, but a recent studyshowed Kentucky’s 10,475 doctors were notenough to keep pace with current patientloads. A report from Deloitte Consulting said

Kentucky needs some 3,790 additionalphysicians, including primary care doctorsand specialists, plus 612 more dentists, 5,635more registered nurses, 296 more physicianassistants and 269 more optometrists tomeet current demand. The report’s recom-mendations included expanding the use oftelemedicine, particularly to put patients incontact with specialists.

New JerseyThree bills in the New Jersey Legislature

would give non-physicians more authority.The bills would let advanced-practice nursesdetermine causes of death if doctors are notavailable, let psychologists prescribe med-ications and let advanced-practice nursesprescribe drugs without the same oversightrequired for doctors. None of the bills hasgotten far, and the Medical Society of NewJersey opposes all three.

New MexicoAccording to a state legislative report,

New Mexico residents could have troubleaccessing medical care due to the potentialneed of 2,000 physicians, 3,000 registerednurses and as many as 800 dentists. Statelawmakers didn’t act this year on a plan thatwould have allowed dental therapists topractice in the state. An association repre-senting dentists opposed the measure,although supporters said therapists wouldhelp address the state’s shortage of dentists.

New YorkThe New York health department’s 2013-

14 budget includes $8.5 million for pro-grams that place physicians in underservedareas. Doctors Across New York began in2008 and has awarded $8.9 million to sup-port practices and $7.6 million for loanrepayments. So far this year, it has provided26 awards totaling more than $2.5 millionover two years.

North DakotaNorth Dakota has a program that reim-

burses family doctors for student loans up to$90,000 for a two-year commitment to workin a rural or other underserved area. A com-munity match is required. A related pro-gram gives similar loan repayments up to$30,000 to physician assistants and nursepractitioners for a two-year-commitment towork in rural or other underserved areas,again with a community match required.

OhioThe governor wants to target graduate

medical education funding toward trainingin primary care. Under a budget proposalstill being debated, medical schools wouldreceive about $200 million over the two-year budget period that begins in July. Thestate would then work with medical deanson a plan to prioritize training in primarycare services, with the idea that dollarswould be more focused in that area in the2015 budget year.

South DakotaSouth Dakota has a program that reim-

burses doctors double the University ofSouth Dakota School of Medicine’s residenttuition for the most recent four-year-periodif they agree to practice for three years inunderserved rural areas. The current amountis about $138,000. A related program alsogives double tuition reimbursements tophysician assistants, nurse practitioners andnurse midwives who agree to practice inrural areas for three years, while a third pro-gram gives a $10,000 payment to nurses,therapists, lab professionals and others whopractice in a rural area for three years.

WisconsinSo far, no Wisconsin bills have dealt

specifically with increasing the number ofphysicians or granting medical decision-making authority to pharmacists and otherhealth care workers. But the budget-writingcommittee of the Republican-controlledstate Legislature unanimously approved ameasure to shift more money toward resi-dency programs in the state. Supporterssaid the bill will encourage new doctors toremain in Wisconsin.—AP

TOKYO: Japan will robustly defend its whaling pro-gram at the UN’s top court this week, ForeignMinister Fumio Kishida said yesterday as Canberraand Tokyo ready to do battle over the legality ofthe hunt. A day before hearings are due to start atthe International Court of Justice in The Hague,Kishida said Tokyo has no intention to back downunder pressure. “Japan will fully engage in the caseso the country’s position and thinking will be

understood,” he told reporters.“Japan’s research whaling is a scientific endeav-

our carried out legally under the InternationalConvention for the Regulation of Whaling, article 8.“Japan will make this point clearly in the hearing.”While Norway and Iceland have commercial whal-ing programs, Japan insists its hunt is purely scien-tific, although it makes no secret of the fact thatthe resulting meat ends up on plates back home.The whaling research is to prove that commercialwhaling is viable. The proceeds from sales of themeat partly pay for the program. Tokyo defendsthe practice of eating whale meat as a culinary tra-dition.

Australia’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus willargue the case in the final week in The Hague andsaid Canberra would assert that “Japan’s so-calledscientific whaling is contrary to its internationalobligations and must be brought to an end”. “Formore than 20 years Australian governments havetried without success to end Japan’s whalingthrough diplomacy,” Dreyfus told Australian parlia-ment yesterday. “Modern science can obtain theinformation we need to understand and protectwhales without harming them.”

Because Japan was a “friend” of Australia,Dreyfus said the two nations had agreed that “theInternational Court of Justice is the best place toresolve our differences”. Japan’s Fisheries MinisterYoshimasa Hayashi vowed in February that Japanwould never stop hunting whales, saying it was a“long tradition and culture” in his country. Canberrawill argue before the International Court of Justice

that Japan is exploiting a loophole by continuingto hunt whales as scientific research in spite of a1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) banon commercial whaling.

Australia wants ICJ judges to order Tokyo tostop its JARPA II research program and “revoke anyauthorizations, permits or licenses” to hunt whalesin the Southern Ocean. In its application, Australiaaccuses Japan of breaching its obligation “toobserve in good faith the zero catch limit in rela-tion to the killing of whales.” Critics question whatremains for Japan to conclude about sustainablewhale populations after carrying out its research inthe decades since the moratorium on internationalwhaling was established.

Japan killed around 6,500 Antarctic minkewhales between 1987 and 2005, after the moratori-um came into effect, compared to 840 whales forresearch purposes in the 31 years prior to themoratorium, court papers said. A further 2,500minke whales were killed between 2005 and 2009under the JARPA II program. Minke whales are notendangered, but JARPA II also allows for the killingof endangered mammals including humpback andfin whales.

The haul from Japan’s most recent whaling mis-sion in the Southern Ocean was a “record low”, thegovernment said earlier this year, blaming “unfor-givable sabotage” by activists. Whalers came backwith just 103 Antarctic minke whales, less than halfits tally last year, and no fin whales, after repeatedlyclashing with militant environmentalist group SeaShepherd.—AFP

How some US states are

addressing doctor shortages

Japan to robustly defend whaling at ICJ

JAPAN: Japanese Foreign Minister FumioKishida speaks at a press conferenceafter a cabinet meeting at his office inTokyo yesterday.—AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

NEW YORK: In a trial of e-cigarettesamong Italian smokers with no desire toquit using tobacco at the outset, up to 13percent of participants were not smokingregular cigarettes at all a year later.

Though the study was not billed as asmoking-cessation test, more than half ofparticipants cut down on tobacco soonafter they started using the e-cigarettes.And the percentage who quit smokingentirely by the end rivals results achievedwith medications, the authors note in thejournal PLOS ONE.

“I think the main message of the studyis that we can use these products as anextraordinary tobacco control tool,” DrRiccardo Polosa, the new study’s seniorauthor from the University of Catania, toldReuters Health. “This really is the first clini-cal trial that’s ever been reported on elec-tronic cigarettes. There has been surveyevidence and anecdotal reports, but this isthe first serious study,” said Dr MichaelSiegel, who studies e-cigarettes butwasn’t involved in the new research.

E-cigarettes were first introduced inChina in 2004. The battery-powereddevices let users inhale nicotine-infusedvapors, which don’t contain the harmfultar and carbon monoxide in tobaccosmoke.

While past studies have looked at theuse of e-cigarettes, the new study is thefirst to follow hundreds of smokers for anentire year. It did not, however, comparethe devices to traditional nicotine replace-ment therapies, such as gum or patches.

To see how many e-cigarette userswould cut down or quit smoking ciga-rettes without any encouragement, the

researchers recruited 300 people betweenJune 2010 and February 2011. All werecurrent smokers who stated they had nointention of quitting in the near future.Each participant was then randomizedinto one of three groups. One groupreceived e-cigarettes along with car-tridges containing 7.2 milligram (mg) ofnicotine. Another group also received thedevices and 7.2 mg nicotine cartridges,but later in the study they were switchedto 5.4 mg nicotine cartridges. And a thirdgroup got e-cigarettes and cartridgescontaining only tobacco flavor but nonicotine. Each participant receivedenough supplies to last three months andwent to regular checkups throughout theyear. At the end of the study, 13 percent ofthe group that first received the highest-dose nicotine cartridges was no longersmoking. That compared to 9 percent ofthose who were in the reduced-nicotinegroup and 4 percent in the group withoutnicotine.

Since there was no control group ofsmokers who got no e-cigarettes at all, it’shard to know how many would have quitsmoking on their own by the end of ayear, experts noted. Siegel, a professor atthe Boston University School of PublicHealth, said he would expect about 2 per-cent of the participants to quit within ayear if they weren’t involved in a study.However, Polosa’s team also found thatbetween 9 and 12 percent of people ineach of the nicotine-cartridge groups hadreduced the amount they smoked by atleast half. “The study is very positive inthat it shows if you smoke even a low- ormedium-strength e-cigarette, you can get

some increased quitting and decreasedsmoking,” Dr Murray Laugesen, a tobaccoand nicotine researcher who was notinvolved with the new study, told ReutersHealth.

“It also has to be acknowledged thatthese are good results in people who hadno intention of quitting,” said Laugesen, apublic health medicine specialist at HealthNew Zealand Ltd in Christchurch.

He is also involved in an e-cigaretteclinical trial and hopes to present theresults in September. Siegel told ReutersHealth that what’s attractive about e-ciga-rettes is they can not only provide thenicotine that smokers crave without otherharmful substances; they allow people tomimic their traditional smoking behavior.

Researchers said that’s one reason whye-cigarettes might turn out to be a betterform of nicotine replacement therapythan patches and gums, but there’s nodata yet to prove it. “I think that’s whythey... found the people who actually gotno-nicotine electronic cigarettes hadsome sort of quitting behavior... But obvi-ously the people who got the nicotineand the high dose of nicotine did the best.Clearly having the nicotine and devicestructure is ideal,” Siegel said. But he cau-tioned that more research is needed -especially on the long-term safety of e-cigarettes and how the devices stack upagainst traditional smoking cessationmethods. “ My advice to people is to trythe traditional therapy first. But I thinkelectronic cigarettes are for people whohave tried and failed nicotine replacementtherapy, which is, sadly, most people,”Siegel added.—Reuters

E-cigarette study hints at quit-aid potential

NEW YORK: A swine virus deadly to young pigs, andnever before seen in North America, has spiked to 199sites in 13 states - nearly double the number of farmsand other locations from earlier this month. Iowa, thelargest US hog producer, has the most sites testingpositive for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus: 102 sites,as of June 10. The state raises on average 30 millionhogs each year, according to the Iowa Pork ProducersAssociation.

PEDV, most often fatal to very young pigs, causesdiarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. It also sickensolder hogs, though their survival rate tends to behigh. The total number of pig deaths from the out-break since the first cases were confirmed May 17 isnot known.

Researchers at veterinarian diagnostic labs, whoare testing samples as part of a broad investigationinto the outbreak, have seen a substantial increase inpositive cases since early June, when data on thePEDV outbreak showed it at some 103 sites nation-wide. The data was compiled and released last weekby Iowa State University, University of Minnesota,Kansas State University and South Dakota StateUniversity. The virus does not pose a health risk tohumans or other animals and the meat from PEDV-infected pigs is safe for people to eat, according tofederal officials and livestock economists.

But the virus, which is spreading rapidly across theUnited States, is proving harder to control than previ-ously believed. In addition to Iowa, Oklahoma has 38

positive sites, Minnesota has 19 and Indiana has 10,according to the data. PEDV has also been diagnosedin Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan,Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and SouthDakota. Swine veterinarians, investigators with the USAgriculture Department and others are trying todetermine how the virus is spreading from farm tofarm and state to state. Currently the focus is on thenation’s livestock transportation system.

PEDV is spread most commonly by pigs ingestingcontaminated feces. Investigators are studying physi-cal transmission, such as truck trailers marred withcontaminated feces, or a person wearing dirty bootsor with dirty nails. While the virus has not tended tokill older pigs, mortality among very young pigsinfected in US farms is commonly 50 percent, and canbe as high at 100 percent, say veterinarians and scien-tists who are studying the outbreak.

The strain of the PEDV virus that is making its wayacross the nation’s hog farms and slaughterhouses is99.4 percent similar in genetic structure to the PEDVthat hit China’s herds last year, according to the USresearchers. After PEDV was first diagnosed in Chinain 2010, it overran southern China and killed morethan 1 million piglets, according to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention’s Emerging InfectiousDiseases Journal. No direct connection has beenfound between the US outbreak and previously iden-tified outbreaks in Asia and Europe, say scientists andresearchers.—Reuters

Deadly piglet virus spreadsto nearly 200 US farm sites

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W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Announcements

Issue of online visa by Indian embassy

Foreigners requiring visas for India need toapply it online from 16th June 2013. Applicantsmay log on to the Public portal at www.indian-

visaonline.gov.in. After successful online submis-sion, the hard copy, so generated, has to be signedby the applicant and submitted with supportingdocuments in accordance with the type of visa alongwith the applicable fee in cash at any of the two out-source centres at Sharq or Fahaheel. It is essentialthat applicants fill in their personal details as exactlyavailable in their passports. Mismatch of any of thepersonal details would lead to non-acceptance ofthe application. Fees once paid are non-refundable.All children would have to obtain separate visa ontheir respective passports.

Indian Embassy sets up helpline

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has set uphelpline in order to assist Indian expatriates inregistering any complaint regarding the gov-

ernment’s ongoing campaign to stamp out illegalresidents from the country. The embassy said inpress release yesterday that it amended its previousstatement and stated if there is any complaint, thesame could be conveyed at the following (as amend-ed): Operations Department, Ministry of Interior,Kuwait. Fax: 22435580, Tel: 24768146/25200334. Itsaid the embassy has been in regular contact withlocal authorities regarding the ongoing checking ofexpatriates. The embassy has also conveyed to themthe concerns, fears and apprehensions of the com-munity in this regard. The authorities in Kuwait haveconveyed that strict instructions have been issued toensure that there is no harassment or impropertreatment of expatriates by those undertakingchecking. “The embassy would like to request Indianexpatriates to ensure that they abide by all locallaws, rules and regulations regarding residency, traf-fic and other matters,” the release read. It would beprudent to always carry the Civil ID and other rele-vant documents such as driving license, etc. In casean Indian expatriate encounters any improper treat-ment during checking, it may be conveyed immedi-ately with full details and contact particulars to theembassy at the following phone number 67623639.These contact details are exclusively for the above-mentioned purpose only.

8th Expo Pakistanto commence in September

The 8th Expo Pakistan will be held from Sept26 to 29 in Karachi. Held annually, ExpoPakistan is the biggest trade fair in the coun-

try showcasing the largest collection of Pakistan’sexport merchandise and services.

Foreign Exhibitors also use the event to launchtheir products. Expo Pakistan 2012 was visited bydelegates from 52 countries and generated abusiness of over $ 518 million. A 16 member dele-gation from Kuwait including reputable compa-nies like Al-Yasra Foods also took part in the lastexhibition.

Expo Pakistan 2013 is being held under theauspices of the Trade Development AuthorityPakistan. Details about the event can be viewedwww.~pop~dstaii~gpy.pk. Further informationand details of sponsorship can be obtained fromthe office of Commercial Secretary, PakistanEmbassy, Jabriya (25356594) during office hours.

The Embassy of Russia

The Embassy of Russia has launched its offi-cial page on Facebook social network whichcan be found by following address:

http://www.facebook.com/RussianEmbassyKuwait All necessary information about Russia, bilat-eral relations between Russia and Kuwait andinformation for those who are going to apply visacan be found there. Please don’t hesitate to con-tact us if you have any questions. We’ll be happyto help you.

IMAX film program

Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for GroupsTo The Arctic 3D  10:30amTornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pmFlight of Butterflies 3D  12:30pm, 7:30pmJourney to Mecca 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm

Thursday:** 9:30am Showtime Available for GroupsFlight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 5:30pm, 8:30pmBorn to be Wild 3D 11:30am Tornado Alley 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pmTo The Arctic 3D  6:30pm

IMAX

The Najla Al-Naqqi Forum hosted a seminar recently discussing the aftermath of the Constitutional Court ruling and the need to honor the judgment of the Kuwaitilaw. Several lawyers and political activists attended the event including Abdul-Aziz Al-Khateeb, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi, Dr Ayed Al-Manna, Yaha Al-Enizy, Hamed Al-Omairi, Ahmad Al-Faresi, Dr Khalid Al-Enizy and Dr Abdul-Wahed Al-Khalfan.

German Shepherd owners are invited to a gathering organized this Saturday by the ‘German Shepherd Group’ in Kuwait at the Mesilah Water Village. Group leaderBader Al-Sayegh announced special activities to be featured during the event which starts at 5 pm.

The Ambassador of India Satish C. Mehta held a meeting on June 24,with HR Managers and Representatives of about 20 Companiesemploying Indian labourers in large number to discuss concerns

about ongoing checking by the Kuwaiti authorities. The ambassador briefed the company representatives about the efforts

made by the Embassy of India to address the apprehension and concernsof the Indian community. Details of the help lines of Ministry of Interiorand the embassy were given. A free exchange of views and an interactivequestion-answer session was held during the meeting which led to clarifi-cation of a number of doubts and apprehensions. During the session a fewuseful suggestions emerged for all companies to follow. The Ambassadorurged the Company Representatives to disseminate the correct perspec-tive to their Indian employees. He also advised the CompanyRepresentatives to set up their own English and Arabic help lines for thebenefit of Indian employees in their companies.

The Ambassador urged the Company Representatives to convey to theIndian workforce to abide by the Kuwaiti laws, rules and regulations andcarry Civil ID and other relevant documents such as driving license etc.

Meeting of company representatives

with Indian ambassador

Orio Milane - your Italian dining destination

Enjoy delicious Italiancuisine with a flavorthat you will never

forget. Experience uniqueItalian dishes and relishevery bite. A visit to OrioMilane is a fascinatingjourney to savour thehealthy and scrumptiousItalian delights with anunparalleled service in arelaxing ambiance. Nowopen in Abu Halifa, DomeMall, Besides KuwaitMagic.

Information

Embassy

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIAThe Australian Embassy Kuwait does nothave a visa or immigration department. Allprocessing of visas and immigration mattersin conducted by The Australian Consulate-Generalin Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS)immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel:+971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (VisaOffice); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwaitapplications can be lodged at the Australian VisaApplication Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-BanwanBuilding Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, oppositethe Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait.Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday -Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens canapply for tourist visas on-line atwww.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF CANADAThe Embassy of Canada in Kuwait doesnot have a visa or immigration depart-ment. All processing of visa and immigra-tion matters including enquiries is conducted bythe Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE.Individuals who are interested in working,studying, visiting or immigrating to Canadashould contact the Canadian Embassy in AbuDhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.going-tocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@inter-national.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is locatedat Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah.Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception isopen from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services forCanadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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EMBASSY OF US Parents of Kuwaiti citizen children maydrop off their sons’ and daughters’ visaapplications - completely free of aninterview or a trip inside the Embassy. The chil-dren must be under 14 years of age, and addi-tional requirements do apply, but the servicemeans parents will no longer have to scheduleindividual appointments for their children, norcome inside the Embassy (unless they areapplying for themselves). The service is onlyavailable for children holding Kuwaiti pass-ports. To take advantage, parents must drop offthe following documents: Child Visa Drop-offcover sheet, available on the Embassy website(http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.htm)- Child’s passport; The Child’s previous pass-port, if it contains a valid US visa; 5x5cm photoof child with eyes open (if uploaded into DS-160, photos must be a .jpg between 600x600and 1200x1200 pixels, less than 240kb, andcannot be digitally altered); A completed DS-160 form; Visa Fee Receipt from Burgan Bank; Acopy of the valid visa of at least one parent. Ifone parent will not travel, provide a visa copyfor the traveling parent, and a passport copyfrom the non-traveling parent with a letterstating no objection to the child’s travel. - Forchildren of students (F2): a copy of the child’s I-20.

Children born in the US (with very fewexceptions) are US citizens and would not beeligible for a visa. Parents may drop off theapplication packet at Window 2 at the Embassyfrom 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Monday to Wednesday,excluding holidays. More information is avail-able on the U.S. Embassy website:kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.html

EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has thepleasure to announce that visa applica-tions must be submitted to Schengen VisaApplication Centre (VFS office) located at 12thfloor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). Forinformation please call 22281046 from 08:30 to17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours:Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collec-tion from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applicationsplease visit the following websitewww.mfa.gr/kuwait.

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

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EMBASSY OF VATICANThe Apostolic Nunciature Embassy ofthe Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait hasmoved to a new location in Kuwait City.Please find below the new address: Yarmouk,Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724,Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax:965 25342066. Email:nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com

The Premier Goal Academy in association withEverton F.C. and under the sponsorship ofPorsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors

Company, held their Gala Presentation Evening Season2012-13 at the Marina Hotel this week. Over 400 guestspacked into the Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Theatre andHall for a spectacular occasion under the Patronage ofH.E. the British Ambassador, Frank Baker, which com-menced with the playing of the national anthems ofKuwait and the United Kingdom. Several otherAmbassadors and Embassy officials, Ministry ofEducation officials and special guests graced the occa-sion, during which over 150 glittering awards werepresented to selected players, coaches and sponsors atthe end of a tremendously successful season of coach-ing courses, matches, festivals tournaments, overseastrips and special events involving over 500 young play-

ers. Over 100 of these players, aged from 3 to 18 years,were nominated by their coaches to receive awards inseveral categories, including: Most Outstanding, MostImproved, Most Sporting, Top Trainer, Star Player,Coaches Award and Centre of Excellence Team Player.These players demonstrated an abundance of hardwork, commitment and high standards of performanceand conduct over the course of the season to earntheir rewards. Special Presentations were made toCoaches Peter Mapendere by Mr. Paul, ChargeD’Affaires of the Zimbabwean Embassy, and to NasserDakak by H.E. the Palestinian Ambassador, Mr RamiTahbob, in recognition of their initiatives to supportGlobal Football Development by promoting organizedsports activities and donating footballs and equipmentto underprivileged youth in Zimbabwe and bringingvisiting teams to Kuwait from Jerusalem, Palestine.

Further awards were made to players involved inthe Girls Coaching Courses, School CommunityProgrammes, and specialist Goalkeeping Awards. Allthe players were presented with trophies by the BritishAmbassador, the Palestinian Ambassador and theDeputy Head of Mission from the Canadian Embassy,Colleen Mapendere. Many surprise gifts were also pro-vided by the awards sponsors, Porsche Centre Kuwait,Behbehani Motors Company and Go Sport, includinggift vouchers, footballs, sports sunglasses, fitnesspacks, cameras and BMX bicycles. Academy DirectorMike Finn and Executive Director Baker Al-Nazerthanked the coaching team, sponsors and supportersfor all their assistance in making the season such anenjoyable and successful one for everyone involvedwith the P.G.A.

Premier Goal Academy celebrates

closing of successful season

The Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) concluded its ‘Bright Minds’ course at the “Fab Lab Q8” workshops in Qadsiya, in which chil-dren of SACGC employees learned the basics of computer programming and robot operation.

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

SHADOW DANCE ON OSN MOVIES HD

JANE EYRE ON OSN CINEMA

14:35 Border Security15:05 Auction Hunters15:30 Auction Kings16:00 Discovery Saved My Life16:55 Heroes Of Hell’s Highway17:50 Mythbusters18:45 Sons Of Guns19:40 Industrial Junkie20:05 How It’s Made20:35 Auction Hunters21:00 Storage Hunters21:30 Unchained Reaction22:25 Skywire With Nik Wallenda23:20 Mythbusters00:15 Unchained Reaction01:10 Skywire With Nik Wallenda

14:50 Real Gangs Of New York15:45 Reign Of The Dinosaurs16:40 Great Planes17:35 Chasing Classic Cars18:00 Chasing Classic Cars18:25 Marine Corps Survival School19:20 Combat Countdown20:10 Living With The Kombai Tribe21:05 What The Ancients Knew22:00 Combat Countdown22:55 Legend Detectives23:50 Most Evil00:45 Chasing Classic Cars01:10 Chasing Classic Cars01:35 Combat Countdown

14:20 Food Factory14:45 Food Factory15:10 Thunder Races16:00 Nextworld16:55 Mega World17:45 Mars: The Quest For Life18:35 The Gadget Show19:00 How Tech Works19:30 Through The Wormhole20:20 How The Universe Works21:10 Food Factory21:35 Food Factory22:00 Through The Wormhole22:50 Stuck With Hackett23:15 Stuck With Hackett23:40 Food Factory00:05 Food Factory00:30 How Do They Do It?01:00 How The Universe Works01:50 Stuck With Hackett

14:00 Ancient Aliens15:00 Ancient Aliens16:00 Ancient Aliens17:00 Ancient Aliens18:00 Ancient Aliens19:00 Ax Men20:00 Pawn Stars20:30 Storage Wars21:00 Ancient Aliens22:00 Ancient Aliens23:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East00:00 Pawn Stars00:30 Storage Wars01:00 Ancient Aliens02:00 Ancient Aliens

14:00 C.S.I.15:00 Glee16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 C.S.I.19:00 Touch20:00 Bones21:00 Castle22:00 Breakout Kings23:00 Greek00:00 Glee02:00 Castle

03:00 Last Man Standing03:30 Raising Hope04:00 Seinfeld04:30 The Tonight Show With JayLeno05:30 Two And A Half Men06:00 All Of Us06:30 Til Death07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon08:00 Seinfeld08:30 Two And A Half Men09:00 Last Man Standing09:30 Hot In Cleveland10:00 Men At Work10:30 Til Death11:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno12:00 All Of Us12:30 Seinfeld13:00 Two And A Half Men14:00 Raising Hope14:30 Men At Work15:00 Hot In Cleveland15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 All Of Us17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon18:00 Ben And Kate18:30 The Simpsons19:00 Modern Family19:30 The Mindy Project20:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 South Park22:30 South Park23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Colbert Report01:30 South Park02:00 South Park

05:15 Brandy & Mr Whiskers05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers06:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse06:30 Doc McStuffins06:45 A.N.T. Farm07:10 A.N.T. Farm07:35 Jessie07:55 Jessie08:20 Shake It Up08:45 Shake It Up09:05 Austin And Ally09:30 Geek Charming11:05 A.N.T Farm11:25 Jessie11:50 Jessie12:15 Austin And Ally12:35 Austin And Ally13:00 Shake It Up13:25 Shake It Up13:45 The Adventures Of DisneyFairies14:10 The Adventures Of DisneyFairies14:35 Suite Life On Deck15:00 Gravity Falls15:25 Good Luck Charlie15:50 Jessie16:10 Shake It Up16:35 A.N.T. Farm17:00 Austin And Ally17:20 Gravity Falls17:45 Suite Life On Deck18:10 Good Luck Charlie18:30 That’s So Raven18:55 Austin And Ally19:20 Jessie19:40 Gravity Falls20:05 A.N.T. Farm20:30 Shake It Up20:50 Suite Life On Deck21:15 Austin And Ally21:40 That’s So Raven22:00 Shake It Up22:25 A.N.T Farm22:50 Austin And Ally23:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place00:00 Hannah Montana Forever00:20 Hannah Montana Forever

00:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers01:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers01:30 Emperor’s New School01:50 Emperor’s New School02:15 Replacements02:35 Replacements

14:30 Style Star15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 Ice Loves Coco17:30 Ice Loves Coco18:00 E! News19:00 Fashion Police20:00 THS21:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami22:00 What Would Ryan Lochte Do?22:30 E! News23:30 Chelsea Lately00:00 Scouted00:55 Style Star01:25 THS

03:05 Coastal Kitchen03:30 Food Poker04:15 Bargain Hunt05:00 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish05:25 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish05:50 Cash In The Attic06:35 Coastal Kitchen07:00 Food Poker07:45 Home Cooking Made Easy07:55 The Hairy Bikers Come Home08:15 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent09:05 Bargain Hunt09:50 Antiques Roadshow10:45 Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition11:30 MasterChef Australia12:15 Come Dine With Me13:00 The Hairy Bikers Come Home13:55 Bargain Hunt14:40 Cash In The Attic15:25 Antiques Roadshow16:15 Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition17:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent17:55 Planet Cake18:25 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery18:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard19:20 New Scandinavian CookingWith Claus Meyer19:45 Come Dine With Me20:35 Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition21:20 Antiques Roadshow22:15 Bargain Hunt23:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent23:55 Food Poker00:40 Come Dine With Me01:30 MasterChef Australia02:20 Cash In The Attic

03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives03:25 Food Wars03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives04:15 Unique Eats04:40 Chopped05:30 Iron Chef America06:10 Food Network Challenge07:00 Guy’s Big Bite07:25 Guy’s Big Bite07:50 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts08:15 Unique Sweets08:40 Red, Hot And Yummy09:05 Barefoot Contessa09:30 Food Network Challenge10:20 Extra Virgin10:45 Kid In A Candy Store11:10 Charly’s Cake Angels11:35 Unique Sweets12:00 Amazing Wedding Cakes12:50 Red, Hot And Yummy13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics

14:05 Food Wars14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:20 Guy’s Big Bite15:45 Chopped16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics17:00 Red, Hot And Yummy17:25 Food Wars17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:40 Charly’s Cake Angels19:05 Unique Sweets19:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes20:20 Chopped21:10 Chopped22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels22:30 Charly’s Cake Angels22:55 Unique Sweets23:15 Unique Sweets23:40 Food Wars00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives00:55 Unwrapped01:20 Unwrapped01:45 Charly’s Cake Angels

03:00 Mission: Impossible - GhostProtocol-PG1505:15 Marley & Me: The PuppyYears-PG06:45 Hugo-PG09:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG11:00 Mission: Impossible - GhostProtocol-PG1513:30 Every Jack Has A Jill-PG1515:30 The 16th Man-PG1516:45 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG18:45 Snow White And TheHuntsman-PG1521:00 Shadow Dancer-PG1523:00 The Rum Diary-1801:00 Gone-PG15

07:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG1509:00 The Decoy Bride-PG1511:00 Underground: The JulianAssange Story-PG1513:00 No Surrender-PG1515:00 Jane Eyre-PG1517:00 Footloose-PG1519:00 The Darkest Hour-PG1521:00 Snowtown-R23:00 Now Is Good-PG1501:00 Footloose-PG15

00:00 NRL Premiership02:00 Super League04:00 International Rugby Union06:00 AFL Premiership Highlights07:00 Trans World Sport08:00 PGA Tour Highlights09:00 PGA European TourHighlights10:00 AFL Premiership Highlights11:00 Futbol Mundial11:30 UK Open Darts15:30 Futbol Mundial16:00 British and Irish Lions Tour18:00 PGA European Tour

00:00 UK Open Darts04:00 World Cup Of Pool05:00 World Cup Of Pool06:00 Trans World Sport07:00 Golfing World08:00 International Rugby Union10:00 Futbol Mundial10:30 World Cup Of Pool11:30 World Cup Of Pool12:30 Trans World Sport13:30 Golfing World14:30 Super League16:30 NRL Premiership18:30 Futbol Mundial19:00 AFL Premiership21:30 Super League23:30 NRL Full Time

04:00 Ip Man 2-PG1506:00 Soldiers Of Fortune-PG1508:00 Ice Quake-PG1510:00 Boiler Room-PG1512:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG1514:00 Ice Quake-PG1516:00 Romancing The Stone-PG1518:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG1519:45 The Big I Am-1821:45 The Crazies-1823:30 The Godfather III-1802:30 The Crazies-18

08:00 Scrooged-PG1510:00 3 Holiday Tails-PG12:00 Beethoven’s Second-PG14:00 Rookie Of The Year-PG16:00 3 Holiday Tails-PG18:00 Larry Crowne-PG1520:00 Friends With Benefits-1822:00 Extract-PG1500:00 30 Minutes Or Less-1802:00 Friends With Benefits-18

10:00 Project Nim-PG1511:45 Courage-PG1513:15 The Year Dolly Parton Was MyMom-PG15:00 Project Nim-PG1516:45 Win Win-PG1518:45 Money For Nothing-PG1521:00 Columbus Circle-PG1523:00 Roadie-1801:00 L.A I Hate You-PG15

00:00 AFL Highlights01:00 PGA European TourHighlights02:00 PGA Tour07:00 Super League09:00 NRL Premiership11:00 Trans World Sport12:00 ICC Cricket 36012:30 Live British & Irish Lions14:30 International Rugby Union16:30 ICC Cricket 36017:00 PGA Tour Highlights18:00 AFL Highlights19:00 British & Irish Lions21:00 NRL Full Time21:30 Futbol Mundial22:00 Trans World Sport23:00 PGA European TourHighlights

04:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG1506:00 Frankenweenie-PG08:00 Source Code-PG1510:00 Batman: Year One-PG1512:00 Frankenweenie-PG14:00 A Mother’s Choice-PG1516:00 Source Code-PG1518:00 Johnny English Reborn-PG1520:00 The Girl-PG1522:00 Love And Other ImpossiblePursuits-PG1500:00 Source Code-PG1502:00 Johnny English Reborn-PG15

Highlights19:00 PGA Tour Highlights20:00 ICC Cricket 36020:30 Live Cricket InternationalTwenty2023:30 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter01:00 NHL03:00 Mass Participation04:00 Motor Sports 201305:00 NHL07:00 WWE NXT08:00 WWE Bottom Line09:00 Ping Pong World10:00 US Bass Fishing11:00 NHL13:00 Mass Participation14:00 Mass Participation15:00 Mobil 1 The Grid15:30 WWE Experience16:30 Ping Pong World17:30 US Bass Fishing18:30 NHL20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid21:00 Prizefighter

Film director Roland Emmerich has made oblit-erating the White House a trademark in hisapocalyptic blockbusters and true to form, he

ravages it in spectacular fashion with a terroristattack in “White House Down,” opening in theaterson Friday. “White House Down,” starring ChanningTatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal, isEmmerich’s first foray into terrorism.

“It’s about the division in America, it’s about lob-byism and about how some people feel entitled todo certain things and totally believe in them patri-otically,” Emmerich told Reuters. Emmerich, 57, hasactually made his career destroying the WhiteHouse. In his 1996 film, “Independence Day,” thebuilding was annihilated by an alien laser beam,then buried in snow in 2004’s “ The Day AfterTomorrow,” and swept away by an aircraft carrierriding a tidal wave in last year’s “2012.”

“Whenever something big happens in America,the White House is involved. Because of that thereis a lot of White House in my movies because Ialways try to do a relatively international plot. I’mnot the only one. The White House gets attacked alot! But I probably hold the record,” the directorsaid. In “White House Down,” Emmerich dedicatedthe best part of two hours to destroying the presi-dential building as an aspiring Secret Service agent,played by Tatum, finds himself protecting the presi-dent, played by Foxx, during a terrorist attack.

Emmerich teamed up with screenwriter JamesVanderbilt, who wrote 2012’s box-office reboot“The Amazing Spider-Man,” to develop a scriptexploring the threat of terrorism. “Any point of viewwhen taken to an extreme can turn into a badthing, no matter how rational it is to begin with,”Vanderbilt told Reuters.

Asked if being a European gave him a slightlydifferent perspective as a filmmaker, the German-born director said: “I’m maybe a little bit morecourageous than an American. I realized that when

‘Independence Day’ writer Dean Devlin asked me‘So what do we blow up in Washington? TheCapitol?’ And I said ‘No, No. The White House.’ Andhe said ‘Oh!’.”

Spotlight on Tatum “White House Down,” produced by Sony Corp’s

Columbia Pictures for an estimated $150 millionaccording to IMDB.com, shines a spotlight onTatum, who is rising fast into the Hollywood’s upperechelons. Tatum, 33, voted ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ byPeople magazine last year after starring as a strip-per in “Magic Mike,” performed most of his manystunts himself in the action-packed movie.

Emmerich said he was so eager to have Tatum inhis movie, that he brought filming forward by 10weeks to accommodate the actor’s busy schedule.“When I met him, I couldn’t believe how smart andintelligent he is, and grounded in reality, humbleand how cool and everything,” Emmerich said. “AndI realized: I have a real problem if he says ‘no’.”

Foxx, 45, who plays fictional President JamesSawyer, said the role was a welcome change fromhis last one in Quentin Tarantino’s spaghettiWestern about slave revenge “Django Unchained.” “Iwas doing ‘Django’ a year ago. I was a slave, so play-ing the president is much better,” Foxx joked withreporters at a premiere screening in Washington,attended by an audience of journalists, politiciansand former White House staff members.“Remember, this is fiction. I’m here to make surethis doesn’t happen,” Homeland Security SecretaryJanet Napolitano quipped on the red carpet inGeorgetown. — Reuters

Director Emmerich brings

‘White House Down’

with terrorism plot

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

SHARQIA-1WORLD WAR Z (DIG) 1:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 3:45 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 6:15 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 8:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 10:45 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 12:45 AM

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FANAR-3LAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 1:45 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 3:45 PMNOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) 5:45 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 8:00 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 10:00 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-1LAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 1:30 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 3:30 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 6:00 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 8:00 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 10:30 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 12:45 AM

MARINA-2WORLD WAR Z (DIG) 12:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 2:45 PMMAN OF STEEL (DIG) 5:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 7:45 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 10:00 PMMAN OF STEEL (DIG) 12:15 AMNO SUN+ TUE+WED

MARINA-3THE LEGEND OF SARILA (DIG-3D) 1:30 PMMONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) 1:15 PMTHE LEGEND OF SARILA (DIG-3D) 3:30 PMMONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) 5:15 PMTATTAH (DIG) 7:30 PMTATTAH (DIG) 9:45 PMTATTAH (DIG) 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1LAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 1:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 3:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 5:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 7:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 9:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 11:15 PMLAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) 1:15 AM

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360º- 1WORLD WAR Z (DIG) 12:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 3:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 5:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 8:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 10:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG) 1:00 AM

360º- 2SCENARIO (DIG) 1:15 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 3:45 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 6:15 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 8:45 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 11:15 PM

360º- 3THE LEGEND OF SARILA (DIG-3D) 1:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF SARILA (DIG-3D) 3:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF SARILA (DIG-3D) 5:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 7:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 9:30 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) 1:15 PMMONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) 3:30 PMMONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) 5:45 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 8:00 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 10:15 PMWORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2TATTAH (DIG) 12:45 PMTATTAH (DIG) 3:00 PMTATTAH (DIG) 5:15 PMSCENARIO (DIG) 7:30 PMTATTAH (DIG) 10:00 PMTATTAH (DIG) 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.3MAN OF STEEL (DIG) 1:00 PMMAN OF STEEL (DIG) 3:45 PMMAN OF STEEL (DIG) 6:30 PM

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (20/06/2013 TO 26/06/2013)

TUITION

Fajr: 03:14

Shorook 04:50

Duhr: 11:50

Asr: 15:24

Maghrib: 18:51

Isha: 20:23

Prayer timings

112

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 26/6/2013Airlines Flt Route Time QTR 148 DOHA 00:05JZR 267 BEIRUT 00:20QTR 6130 DOHA 00:25RJA 644 AMMAN 00:30THY 764 SABIHA 01:40JZR 539 CAIRO 00:40UAE 4965 DUBAI 02:55ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA 01:45GFA 211 BAHRAIN 01:55UAE 853 DUBAI 02:25ETD 305 ABU DHABI 02:30LZB 7779 BOURGAS 02:35THY 768 ISTANBUL 02:50RJA 642 AMMAN 03:10QTR 6058 ZARAGOZA 03:55RBG 557 ALEXANDRIA 06:25KAC 412 MANILA 06:15FDB 67 DUBAI 03:10MSR 612 CAIRO 03:15OMA 643 MUSCAT 03:20QTR 138 DOHA 03:30THY 770 ISTANBUL 04:35DHX 170 BAHRAIN 05:10FDB 69 DUBAI 05:50BAW 157 LONDON 06:30JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA 06:20JZR 529 ASSIUT 06:40JZR 1541 CAIRO 06:25MEA 406 BEIRUT 09:45KAC 382 DELHI 07:30KAC 344 CHENNAI 08:20KAC 352 COCHIN 08:05KAC 284 DHAKA 08:15KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 07:25KAC 302 MUMBAI 07:50FDB 53 DUBAI 07:45UAE 855 DUBAI 08:25ABY 125 SHARJAH 08:50QTR 132 DOHA 09:00IRM 1186 TEHRAN 09:10FDB 55 DUBAI 09:15IRA 603 SHIRAZ 09:25ETD 301 ABU DHABI 09:30GFA 213 BAHRAIN 10:40MEA 404 BEIRUT 10:55IAW 157 BAGHDAD 11:00MSC 403 ASSIUT 11:30IRM 1188 MASHAD 11:45TMA 213 BEIRUT 12:00KNE 470 JEDDAH 12:15JZR 243 AMMAN 12:20JZR 1543 CAIRO 08:20JZR 561 SOHAG 12:00JZR 165 DUBAI 11:35MSC 405 SOHAG 19:15MSR 606 LUXOR 19:30JAI 572 MUMBAI 19:35FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:00ABY 129 SHARJAH 20:05ETD 933 ABU DHABI 20:05

MEA 402 BEIRUT 20:15AXB 489 COCHIN 20:35KLM 417 AMSTERDAM 21:05ALK 229 COLOMBO 21:10UAE 859 DUBAI 21:15FDB 8057 DUBAI 14:50KAC 542 CAIRO 18:15KAC 672 DUBAI 13:40KAC 774 RIYADH 19:25KAC 166 PARIS 18:40KAC 786 JEDDAH 18:30KAC 618 DOHA 19:10KAC 790 MEDINAH 13:55KAC 102 NEW YORK 19:35KAC 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 15:50KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25UAE 871 DUBAI 12:45MSR 610 CAIRO 13:00THY 766 ISTANBUL 13:10CLX 792 LUXEMBOURG 13:15KNE 480 TAIF 13:20IYE 826 SANAA 13:30QTR 140 DOHA 13:45FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50IRC 6692 MASHAD 14:00MSR 575 SHARM EL SHEIKH 14:15SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30RJA 640 AMMAN 15:55QTR 134 DOHA 16:15ETD 303 ABU DHABI 16:35UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:10UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 17:15SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:20KNE 462 MEDINAH 17:45NIA 251 ALEXANDRIA 18:00QTR 144 DOHA 18:25FDB 63 DUBAI 18:55GFA 219 BAHRAIN 19:05JZR 357 MASHAD 16:50JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:50JZR 787 RIYADH 16:15JZR 535 CAIRO 16:10JZR 257 BEIRUT 14:30JZR 177 DUBAI 17:30JZR 189 DUBAI 20:10JZR 481 SABIHA 20:10ETD 307 ABU DHABI 21:30QTR 136 DOHA 21:35GFA 217 BAHRAIN 21:45QTR 146 DOHA 22:00JAI 576 COCHIN 22:05FDB 59 DUBAI 22:20AIC 975 CHENNAI 22:25UAL 981 BAHRAIN 22:40DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:10JAI 574 MUMBAI 23:20MSR 614 CAIRO 23:30THY 772 ISTANBUL 23:45FDB 8053 DUBAI 21:30JZR 185 DUBAI 22:40JZR 239 AMMAN 22:30JZR 135 BAHRAIN 23:00

Departure Flights on Wednesday 26/6/2013Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 AHMEDABAD 00:05JAI 573 MUMBAI 00:20UAL 981 WASHINGTON 00:25DLH 637 FRANKFURT 00:30MSR 615 CAIRO 00:30JZR 1542 CAIRO 01:20QTR 6131 DOHA 01:55THY 773 ISTANBUL 02:20THY 765 ISTANBUL 02:40ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 02:45RJA 645 AMMAN 03:05LZB 7780 BOURGAS 03:25THY 769 ISTANBUL 03:40UAE 854 DUBAI 03:45FDB 68 DUBAI 03:50MSR 613 CAIRO 04:15OMA 644 MUSCAT 04:20ETD 306 ABU DHABI 04:20QTR 139 DOHA 04:25QTR 149 DOHA 05:15UAE 4965 DUBAI 05:30JZR 560 SOHAG 05:35QTR 6058 DOHA 05:55FDB 70 DUBAI 06:30RJA 643 AMMAN 06:35JZR 242 AMMAN 06:55GFA 212 BAHRAIN 07:00RBG 558 ALEXANDRIA 07:05THY 771 ISTANBUL 07:10JZR 164 DUBAI 07:25KAC 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 08:00BAW 156 LONDON 08:25FDB 54 DUBAI 08:25JZR 256 BEIRUT 08:50KAC 117 NEW YORK 09:05JZR 534 CAIRO 09:10KAC 789 MADINAH 09:15KAC 671 DUBAI 09:25ABY 126 SHARJAH 09:30UAE 856 DUBAI 09:50FDB 56 DUBAI 09:55QTR 133 DOHA 10:00ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:15IRA 602 SHIRAZ 10:25IRM 1187 IMAM KHOMEINI 10:30MEA 407 BEIRUT 10:45JZR 356 MASHHAD 11:00GFA 214 BAHRAIN 11:25KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30MEA 405 BEIRUT 11:55IAW 158 AL NAJAF 12:00KAC 175 FRANKFURT 12:10JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:25JZR 480 ISTANBUL 12:30MSC 406 SOHAG 12:30KAC 103 LONDON 12:30JZR 786 RIYADH 12:50KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:00IRM 1189 MASHHAD 13:10KNE 461 MADINAH 13:10JZR 176 DUBAI 13:20TMA 223 DUBAI 13:45

MSR 611 CAIRO 14:00THY 767 ISTANBUL 14:10KNE 481 TAIF 14:10UAE 872 DUBAI 14:15FDB 58 DUBAI 14:30IYE 827 RIYAN MUKALLA 14:30CLX 792 GIALAM 14:45QTR 141 DOHA 14:55IRC 6693 MASHHAD 15:00MSR 576 SHARM EL SHEIKH 15:00KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05FDB 8058 DUBAI 15:35KAC 617 DOHA 15:45SVA 503 MADINAH 15:45JZR 188 DUBAI 16:00KAC 773 RIYADH 16:00RJA 641 AMMAN 16:55JZR 238 AMMAN 17:05QTR 135 DOHA 17:20ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:20JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40ABY 128 SHARJAH 17:50UAE 858 DUBAI 18:15SVA 511 RIYADH 18:20GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:20UAL 982 BAHRAIN 18:30JZR 184 DUBAI 18:30KNE 471 JEDDAH 18:40JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:40NIA 252 ALEXANDRIA 19:00QTR 145 DOHA 19:25FDB 64 DUBAI 19:35GFA 220 BAHRAIN 19:50JZR 134 BAHRAIN 20:05KAC 283 DHAKA 20:15MSC 404 ASSIUT 20:15MSR 619 ALEXANDRIA 20:30JAI 571 MUMBAI 20:35FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40ABY 120 SHARJAH 20:45KAC 361 COLOMBO 20:50KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM 20:50OMA 648 MUSCAT 20:55KAC 351 KOCHI 21:05MEA 403 BEIRUT 21:15DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:50KLM 417 DAMMAM 22:05ETD 934 SHARJAH 22:05FDB 8054 DUBAI 22:10ETD 308 ABU DHABI 22:15ALK 230 COLOMBO 22:20UAE 860 DUBAI 22:25KAC 381 DELHI 22:30QTR 137 DOHA 22:35KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:40GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:45FDB 60 DUBAI 23:00KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00QTR 147 DOHA 23:05JAI 575 ABU DHABI 23:05JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 23:20JZR 1540 CAIRO 23:25KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR 23:50JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:55

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATIONAutomated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

1889988

Tuition for IGCSE/ TOEL/IELTS/ GMAT/ SAT and forAmerican, English, BilingualSchools and University stu-dents. Spoken English forall. English teacher - call:66948099. (C 4446)

24-6-2013

FOR SALE

Mercedez Benz E230, 1998model, white color in excel-lent condition for sale, wellmaintained, insured up toJune 2014. Contact:99797826. (C 4451)

26-6-2013

Mitsubishi Pajero, 2007model, single man driven,maintained by Mitsubishi,for immediate sale. Contact:66101542. (C 4447)

Nissan Tiida, 2011 model,

CHANGE OF NAME

I, HASEENABIBI ManorshaFakir holding passport No.J4436269 wish to change myname to Mrs. HasinabibiFakir Mohammad Diwan.

I, FAKIR Manorsha Pirusha,holding passport No.F8463173 wish to change myname to Fakir MohammadPirusha Diwan.

(C 4450)26-6-2013

I, Eshfak Esmailbhai Huseiny,holder of passport No.H2611280 have changed myname to Mustafa EsmailbhaiHuseiny. (C 4445)

24-6-2013

silver color (1.8), hatchback, 60,000km, price KD1,750/-. Contact: 66729295.

(C 4448)

Mitsubishi ASX (Jeep),2011 model, dark gray col-or, full options, 71,000 km,price KD 2,900/-. Contact:50994848. (C 4449)

25-6-2013

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

ARIESAbundance is in the air! Tap into and use a prosperous attitude to create

wealth. A co-worker or customer may be just a little too sensitive today. There may besome difficulty in controlling a situation. Consider the person is probably afraid of some-thing that does not relate to the present surroundings. Your interest in probing thesecrets of others is very energetic, but this may not be the proper time. Devote time andenergy to a creative project this afternoon. You can be very effective as you play. Youngpeople like to visit and be with you when you are not in a serious tone. It is worth achange of plans, to take time for love this evening. There are opportunities to have an

understanding and a deeper bonding with those you love.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You are a real charmer—able to enchant others and bring them underyour spell. All sorts of social interactions are possible. A co-worker friend is about readyto have her baby and a shower is in order. Although you have plenty of work to carryout you manage to put on a nice little shower during the lunch break. You will have helpto clean up and help this co-worker pack her things up for her drive home. At home thisevening you will still have a couple of days before you have the kids over at your placefor a birthday party. A busy but fun time . . . Certainly something that takes a rare personto carry out. Your success is remarkable. There is time this evening for a foot massageafter your nice hot bath or shower.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Everything seems to put you in the limelight today. You come off well ingroup matters. The areas in which you enjoy doing the best work are with

the written and spoken word and with ideas in all their flavors. Your enthusiasm formind, the intellect and the world of ideas makes it easy for you to communicate thesethings to others. You have no trouble putting your feelings into words and what you sayalways carries a lot of content. You could have difficulty getting outer recognition foryour efforts or accomplishments. This does not mean they are worthless but it doesmean you should throw your efforts into work or ventures from which you take greatpleasure. You enjoy mental effort and discipline and will find your efforts successful.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Today, you will find it easier to work with others than most days. You tendto pour a lot of energy into those around you. Your home and surround-

ings reflect your tender loving care as well. Your loved ones and perhaps your birds orother animals keep you company. When it comes to teaching or coaching young people,you are a natural and this is an area in which you may want to become involved thisevening. You are always able to motivate and inspire others. Your social life seems to haveincreased and because you are able to get along well with all sorts of people, you may belearning about another country through someone you just met while traveling. You havean easy manner and find it easy to communicate with just about anyone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Not a great starter today, you may have trouble initiating things and get-ting them moving. You may need help from friends or others to motivate you intobecoming more aggressive and outgoing when necessary. After you get your motorgoing, however, it could be hard to slow you down. As you become motivated, situa-tions are almost specialized so that you can see which path is the one for you to take.This is a time of good fortune when things open up naturally. Garage sales, homerepairs, talk of investing and visiting with neighbors make up most of this day.Opportunities flourish and you feel that you could do almost everything. Later this after-

noon you will probably exhibit your ability to be a smooth talker with a quick wit.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Independence, as well as anything unusual or different, is valued. You arevery communicative, flexible, mental and other-oriented as you wait or serve the publictoday. Your smooth talking abilities, as well as your quick wit and ready tongue, will cre-ate some positive results—high productivity. You may, however, yearn for a time thatyou can get away from all the busy work of late. Family outings or friendly visits couldbe planned for this upcoming weekend, perhaps a group camping expedition. Therewill be a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with some-one you love. There are good feelings among friends and family today as well as achance to deepen a weak relationship. A child tells a joke.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

You may be sought after for your advice and counsel. You seem to magi-cally cut through the red tape and get at what is hidden. This is a great time to be withothers—in play or work. Success is indicated in education, politics or the law. You knowhow to attack and solve problems, whether they are personal or public difficulties.Chances are that your social skills mean you are popular with almost everyone. Yourenergies run effectively toward making yourself felt in the material, tangible outerworld. You are an action-person who gains the attention of others and seems to getthings moving.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You may be very forceful in what you say and think. With all of this emo-tional energy, you could speak or communicate very well. You have a lot

of mental drive now. Learn to use your good intuition and feelings so that you willbecome more in-tune with what is most needed today. This is a great time to make theextra effort to stretch beyond the usual daily routine and help a person. While it is diffi-cult for you to approach your sensitive areas, it is of great importance that you do so. Agood transition from work to home this evening would be some fun trip to see anaward-winning rose garden or stopping to exercise at the gym or any number of otheractivities that pleasantly shake up the day. You enjoy time with your partner tonight.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You are understanding to the needs of others and are in a good positionto communicate concerning groups and society. You are very imaginative

when it comes to your health, the food you eat and how you take care of yourself. Youare quick to get the picture and you may find you take an interest in helping others seethe benefits that proper care—mental, physical and such—can bring. Others may findyou especially witty and eccentric. You may have insights or breakthroughs with regardto your living situation or life circumstances. A move could be in order. You are very sen-sitive, even vulnerable when it comes to expressing yourself. Periods of intense creativi-ty enable you to go through changes and inner growth. There is music.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

There are challenges this morning, but you know the details—now is thetime to just forge ahead. Your organizational abilities and sense of

accountability will be what guides you and proves successful. Your career could assumea much more determined form. This is a time of good fortune when things open up nat-urally. Working overtime is hard to avoid today. You may, however, find that you want todo almost everything. Circumstances should work together to help bring out yourideals—make it easier to make your dreams real. Overall, this is a good time to projectyour image. Whatever you ask for is granted—within reason. Real estate matters may beimportant soon. Tonight you learn a new trick to make your technical work easier.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You could be an excellent teacher in areas requiring discipline. You valueorder and place a high premium on hard work and effort. You like to get down to thebare bones, to what is essential. Whatever is most practical is best—you appreciatethings that are durable and long lasting. You love truth, philosophy, law and the like. Thisafternoon you may be able to pick up a little extra pay because of some processingmachine that you have. You can either loan it out or use it to process some product forothers. This doesn’t happen often but it is nice when you can get the extra cash. Whileyou are working a bit of fun music fills the air—not too loudly now. More money and bet-ter accommodations make life a little more comfortable . . . Sigh.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You could have difficulty getting your ideas across to others today. Youmay have doubts about those who talk too much and have little to back

up their claims. Your inner self-confidence may be lacking and you could try to overcomethis by defensive aggressiveness—careful. You probably wish you had more of the self-assurance your fiery acquaintances have. You could have difficulty getting outer recogni-tion for your efforts or accomplishments. This does not mean they are not recognized—itdoes mean, however, that you should throw your efforts into work or ventures you reallylove doing. You have an average amount of change present in life, neither too much nortoo little. Lighten up on your workload. You deserve a little break—go dancing.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 232

ACROSS1. System of measurement based on cen-timeters and grams and seconds.4. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meattrimmed off.12. A proportion multiplied by 100.15. Resinlike substance secreted by certainlac insects.16. A skirt consisting of a rectangle of calicoor printed cotton.17. Of or relating to a member of theBuddhist people inhabiting the Mekong riverin Laos and Thailand.18. Title for a civil or military leader (especial-ly in Turkey).19. Long-legged web-footed black-and-white shorebird with slender upward-curv-ing bill.20. Any of numerous low-growing cushion-forming plants of the genus Draba havingrosette-forming leaves and terminal racemesof small flowers with scapose or leafy stems.22. Corrupt morally or by intemperance orsensuality.24. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.26. Harsh or corrosive in tone.27. A state in New England.29. Declare untrue.30. The place where some action occurs.33. A silvery ductile metallic element foundprimarily in bauxite.35. A large fleet.41. Injure or wound seriously and leave per-manent disfiguration or mutilation.42. A small cake leavened with yeast.44. A gonadotropic hormone that is secretedby the anterior pituitary.45. The ratio of the circumference to thediameter of a circle.46. The rate at which heat is produced by anindividual in a resting state.48. The officer who presides at the meetingsof an organization.52. A soft silvery metallic element of the alka-li metal group.54. That is able or fit be rented.55. The branch of engineering science thatstudies the uses of electricity and the equip-ment for power generation and distributionand the control of machines and communi-cation.56. (informal) Of the highest quality.59. A town and port in northwestern Israel inthe eastern Mediterranean.63. A very young child (birth to 1 year) whohas not yet begun to walk or talk.67. Dyed with henna.70. An associate degree in applied science.73. A master's degree in business.74. A unit of surface area equal to 100 squaremeters.75. Used of animals.76. A decree that prohibits something.77. A fractional monetary unit of Japan andIndonesia and Cambodia.78. Pearl oysters.79. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

DOWN1. Wearing or provided with clothing.2. A measuring instrument for measuringand indicating a quantity or for testing con-formity with a standard.3. Someone who works (or provides workers)during a strike.4. Patterned by having color applied with

sweeping strokes.5. A setting with precious stones so closelyset that no metal shows.6. 100 avos equal 1 pataca.7. Of or related to genetically distinguishedgroups of people.8. Fragrant resin obtain from trees of the fam-ily Burseraceae and used as incense.9. Sweet liqueur made from wine and brandyflavored with plum or peach or apricot ker-nels and bitter almonds.10. Being one more than three.11. Having undesirable or negative qualities.12. An innocuous or inert medication.13. Small room on a ship or boat where peo-ple sleep.14. A person who tries to please someone inorder to gain a personal advantage.21. Measuring instrument in which the echoof a pulse of microwave radiation is used todetect and locate distant objects.23. A communist state in Indochina on theSouth China Sea.25. Informal terms for a mother.28. (astronomy) The angular distance of acelestial point measured westward along thecelestial equator from the zenith crossing.31. Annual or perennial herbs with largeleaves that resemble the leaves of cabbages.32. An independent ruler or chieftain (espe-cially in Africa or Arabia).34. A member of the Taracahitian people ofcentral Mexico.36. Lower in esteem.37. (combining form) Very large in scale orscope or capability.38. A loud resonant repeating noise.39. A translucent mineral consisting ofhydrated silica of variable color.40. Denoting a quantity consisting of onemore than eight and one less than ten.43. A flat wing-shaped process or winglikepart of an organism.47. Small European freshwater fish with aslender bluish-green body.49. Genus of North American herbs withbasal cordate or orbicular leaves and smallpanicled flowers.50. A switch made from the stems of the rat-tan palms.51. A unit of information equal to one million(1,048,576) bytes.53. (trademark) A liquid that temporarily dis-ables a person.57. Found in moist places as rounded jellylikecolonies.58. Realistic Norwegian author who wroteplays on social and political themes (1828-1906).60. A Bantu language spoken by the Kambapeople in Kenya.61. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked ona skewer usually with vegetables.62. A city in southern Turkey on the SeyhanRiver.64. A river in north central Switzerland thatruns northeast into the Rhine.65. A member of a rural Finnish people livingin eastern Russia.66. Trace the shape of.68. Having an eye or eyes or eyelike featureespecially as specified.69. A quantity of no importance.71. A diagrammatic representation of theearth's surface (or part of it).72. A groove or furrow (especially one in softearth caused by wheels).

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34s ta rs

Daily SuDoku

informat ionWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

Al-Madeena 22418714

Al-Shuhada 22545171

Al-Shuwaikh 24810598

Al-Nuzha 22545171

Sabhan 24742838

Al-Helaly 22434853

Al-Faiha 22545051

Al-Farwaniya 24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983

Al-Fahaheel 23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983

Ahmadi 23980088

Al-Mangaf 23711183

Al-Shuaiba 23262845

Al-Jahra 25610011

Al-Salmiya 25616368

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

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DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

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Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

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Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

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Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

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DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

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INTERNATIONALCALLS

36l i f e s t y l eWEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

M u s i c & M o v i e s

A picture taken in Paris shows French actor Gerard Depardieuon leaving his man-sion. — AFP

Thousands of Gaza residents yesterday gathered at theRafah border crossing with Egypt, eagerly awaiting thearrival home of a 23-year-old Palestinian who won this

year’s prestigious Arab Idol talent show. Young and old alikewaved Palestinian flags and held up posters of MohammedAssaf, raising banners congratulating him on his win in Beiruton Saturday, when he beat off stiff competition from fellowsingers from across the Arab world. The meteoric rise of Gaza’sAssaf to snatch the top prize in the pan-Arab singing contestsparked an unprecedented outpouring of joy across the WestBank and the Gaza Strip, unifying an often divided public.

“We are making him an official welcome,” said Gaza’s cul-

ture ministry director Fakri Judeh, who was heading a govern-ment delegation to receive Assaf. “Assaf is a Palestinian citizenwho has made an outstanding achievement... and we supporthim,” he said, adding “we hope he will use his God-given talentto serve the Palestinian cause.” Assaf left Gaza via the Rafahcrossing for an audition in Egypt in October last year, andmade it through each stage, eventually staying in Beirutalongside other contestants for the final rounds.

Assaf’s victory in the finals, held in the Lebanese capitaland screened live on television across the Arab world, markedthe first such success for a Palestinian entertainer.“Mohammed Assaf is the Arab Idol!” declared on Saturday the

presenter of the show which is modeled on the British hitshow Pop Idol, as confetti rained down on the cheering audi-ence. The handsome, tuxedo-clad singer immediately dedicat-ed his win to “the Palestinian people, who have been sufferingfor more than 60 years from (the Israeli) occupation”. He won aprofessional recording contract and a car, a 2013 ChevroletCamaro. Assaf’s competition included singers from as far westas Morocco and Tunisia, from Gulf countries Saudi Arabia andBahrain, and notably war-torn Syria and even Iraqi Kurdistan.

The victory of the young man from Khan Yunis in thebesieged Gaza Strip united tens of thousands of Palestiniansin celebration, temporarily overshadowing the political crisis

at home. The resignation of West Bank prime minister RamiHamdallah and internal political wrangling was largely over-shadowed by Assaf ’s victory, with Palestinian presidentMahmud Abbas crowning him a national goodwill ambassa-dor, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees named himtheir UNRWA Youth Ambassador.

Gaza’s Islamist Hamas rulers disapprove of shows such asArab Idol, which are considered to be un-Islamic, but theyhave not clamped down on support for the contest. — AFP

Arab Idol winner Palestinian Mohammed Assaf wears a garland of flowers around his neck and a scarf in the colors of the traditional Palestinian head dress or Kaffiyeh upon his arrival to the Rafah crossing terminal between Egypt and the south-ern Gaza Strip yesterday. — AFP photos

The creator of the “Kick-Ass” actionfilm franchise said on Monday thathe was “baffled” over why its star

Jim Carrey has publicly objected to vio-lence in the movie since Carrey’s charac-ter takes an anti-gun stance and refusesto fire a weapon. Comedic actor Carrey,51, said on Twitter that the Decembershooting at the Sandy Hook ElementarySchool in Newtown, Connecticut, hadchanged his mind about the violentsuperhero film that is due to open in the-aters in August.

“I did Kickass a month b4 (before)Sandy Hook and now in all good con-science I cannot support that level of vio-lence,” Carrey posted on Twitter onSunday. The shooting killed 26 people,including 20 children and intensified apush for gun control in the United States.

Mark Millar, who wrote the comicbooks on which “Kick-Ass” and its sequel“Kick-Ass 2” are based and serves as aproducer on the films, rebutted Carrey’scomments in a post on his website, say-ing the film deals with the “conse-quences of violence.” “I’m baffled by thissudden announcement as nothing seenin this picture wasn’t in the screenplayeighteen months ago,” Millar said. “Yes,the body-count is very high, but a moviecalled ‘Kick-Ass 2’ really has to do what itsays on the tin.”

Carrey, who in the past has spokenout in support of gun-control, said onTwitter he was not ashamed of the filmbut that the Sandy Hook shooting

“caused a change in my heart.” The “Ace Ventura” star plays Colonel

Stars and Stripes in “Kick-Ass 2,” the fol-low-up to 2010’s “Kick-Ass,” starring ChloeMoretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, inwhich a young girl teams up with a nerdyteenage boy to fight evil bullies.“Ironically, Jim’s character in ‘Kick-Ass 2’ isa born-again Christian and the big dealwe made of the fact that he refuses tofire a gun is something he told us attract-ed him to the role in the first place,” Millarsaid.

“Ultimately, this is his decision, but I’venever quite bought the notion that vio-lence in fiction leads to violence in real-life any more than Harry Potter casting aspell creates more Boy Wizards in real-life,” Millar added. Comcast Corp’sUniversal Pictures, the film’s distributor,had no comment. — ReutersFrench movie star Gerard Depardieu was

slightly injured in a traffic accident in cen-tral Moscow, where he is shooting scenes

of his latest film, Russian media reported yes-terday. Depardieu, who recently gained Russiancitizenship after denouncing, exorbitant taxesin his native France, was riding in a minivanwith five others en route to the lavish Metropolhotel when a taxi crashed into the side, Izvestiadaily reported. Depardieu is shooting a filmcalled “Turquoise” on location in Grozny andMoscow, where he plays a father whose son iskilled in Russia, while Elizabeth Hurley plays hislove interest.

“The six passengers from the film crewreceived scratches,” Izvestia quoted trafficpolice as saying. The accident came afterDepardieu last week was ordered by a court inParis to pay a fine and had his license suspend-ed for driving his scooter while drunk. The acci-dent occurred early Sunday, but details were

only published yesterday. Traffic police told themedia that the taxi driver had run through ared light and did not even have a valid licence.

Izvestia ran a photograph of several police-men in reflective clothing surrounding theFrench star at the scene of the accident close tothe Bolshoi theatre and Red Square. Unnamedtraffic police sources told MoskovskyKomsomolets newspaper that the taxi driverDmitry Subbotin had been banned from driv-ing until 2016 for drink-driving but had contin-ued to work for a taxi company. Depardieureceived his Russian passport during a dinnerwith Putin in January after getting into a fightwith the French authorities over a new 75-per-cent tax on the super-rich. — AFP

This film publicityimage released byUniversal Pictures

shows actor JimCarrey portrayingColonel Stars andStripes in a scene

from ìKick-Ass 2.îóAP

Famous directors, fans and evenDarth Vader congratulated “StarWars” creator George Lucas on

Tuesday on his marriage to long-timegirlfriend Mellody Hobson at hisSkywalker ranch in California.Huffington Post founder AriannaHuffington, who was at the wedding onSaturday, tweeted a picture of Lucas inwhite tie with a white flower on his labeland his bride in a white dress with a veil.

“The visionary “Star Wars” filmmakerwed the Ariel Investments presidentbefore an intimate gathering,”Huffington wrote in a report for hernews and gossip website. She saidLucas’s second wedding was officiatedby US journalist Bill Moyers and wasattended by friends and family includ-ing fellow filmmakers Steven Spielbergand Francis Ford Coppola. Van Morrisonflew in to perform at the reception.

Another guest, US film director RonHoward went on Twitter to congratulatethe couple. “George Lucas MelodyHobson (sic) wedding was joy to behold.. Congrats Mr&Mrs Lucas,” tweetedHoward. The evil Lord Vader, a dark pres-ence in the original “Star Wars” trilogywhich first hit the silver screen in 1977,revealed a sunny side on the socialmedia site. “Congrats to George Lucas,who got married this weekend. May theForce be with your marriage,” tweetedone fan from Twitter account DarthVader@Depressed Darth.

Lucas, 69, has been married oncebefore, to film editor Marcia Griffin. Hehas three adopted children. His son Jettwas his best man and his daughters,Katie and Amanda, served as brides-maids, Huffington wrote. It was the firstmarriage for 44-year-old Hobson.

Last October, the creator of the StarWars and Indiana Jones franchises, soldhis production company Lucasfilm Ltdto Walt Disney Co for $4.05 billion. Sincethen Disney has announced plans forthree new “Star Wars” films for the bigscreen which will be made in Britain and

a new animated series to air on televi-sion in 2014.

“Star Wars” has become a culturalphenomenon, making characters suchas Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia andDarth Vader, and phrases like “May theforce be with you” part of popular cul-ture. The original six-film franchise hasgrossed more than $4.4 billion at theworldwide box office. — Reuters

Actress Halle Berry testified infavor of California legislationthat would limit the ability of

paparazzi to photograph the childrenof celebrities. The hearing before theAssembly Committee on PublicSafety was set for 9 am yesterdayalthough it’s not clear exactly whenBerry is expected to speak.

Berry has repeatedly tangled withpaparazzi. The Los Angeles Timesreports that in April she shouted andcursed at photographers at LosAngeles International Airport, tellingthem to get away from her youngdaughter.—AP

In this June 16, 2013 file photo, George Lucas, left, and longtime girlfriendMellody Hobson arrive at the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in BeverlyHills, Calif. — AP

Indian Bollywoodactors Farhan Akhtarand Riteish Deshmukhpose with choreogra-pher judge GeetaKapoor during thepromotion of theforthcoming Hindifilm ‘Bhaag MilkhaBhaag’ in Mumbai onJune 24, 2013. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

l if e s t y l e

Roland Emmerich knows all about disasters.The 57-year-old filmmaker laid waste to sev-eral landmarks in “Independence Day,”

turned New York into an ice cube in “The Day AfterTomorrow” and leveled most of the world in“2012.” However, when it comes to his latest film,“White House Down,” the biggest catastrophemight not be that terrorists have commandeeredAmerica’s most famous home. It’s perhaps that theaction-packed film starring Jamie Foxx as thePresident of the United States and ChanningTatum as his impromptu bodyguard is beingreleased Friday - just three months after “OlympusHas Fallen,” which featured a strikingly similarunder-siege White House plot with Aaron Eckhartand Gerard Butler in the parallel roles.

Yet Emmerich doesn’t think the coincidence isthe end of the world. “You do your film,” saidEmmerich. “They do their film. I remember whenthere were two volcano and two meteor movies. Ithought, ‘Isn’t Hollywood stupid to do that?’ All ofa sudden, I was in the same situation, and I said,‘I’m not stopping.’ I like my script. I have the twocoolest dudes I always wanted to work withtogether in one film. I’m not stopping.’” “WhiteHouse Down” focuses on Sgt John Cale, a Capitolpolice officer played by Tatum who is touring theWhite House with his daughter right after tankingan interview for a Secret Service job. When rogueformer soldiers and government employees beginwreaking havoc on Pennsylvania Avenue, Calemust step up to rescue his daughter and the presi-dent.

While there are more than a few similaritiesbetween the films, there are some differences. The“Olympus Has Fallen” baddies were led by a for-mer North Korean terrorist who kept Eckhart’sPresident Asher in captivity for most of the movie.The “White House Down” villains are a rag-tagband of mercenaries who spend their time hunt-

ing down Foxx’s President Sawyer. The biggestcontrast is that FilmDistrict’s “Olympus Has Fallen”was rated R and Sony’s “White House Down,”which was originally set for a November launch, israted PG-13. It’s a lighter, less violent occupationof the presidential palace. Emmerich said heencouraged just as many jokes from Tatum andFoxx as he did stunts during filming last year inMontreal.

“You have to release a lot of tension withhumor,” said Emmerich. “I personally don’t likemovies that are too intense. I just don’t like them,so when I’m making something as intense as thiswhen a girl is constantly at gunpoint, you have tofigure out ways to laugh in between. Otherwise, itbecomes too fast and not enjoyable anymore.”Emmerich first learned another White Housetakeover movie was in the works when he trav-eled to Louisiana to meet with Foxx about thecommander-in-chief role. At the time, “TrainingDay” director Antoine Fuqua wasn’t attached to“Olympus Has Fallen,” so Emmerich didn’t take themovie seriously. He still hasn’t seen it - and doesn’tintend to for a while.

“I will probably watch it at Christmas when all issaid and done,” the director said with a smirk.When it comes to like-minded movies, there’s noconclusive box-office evidence that going secondis a death sentence. Sure, “Dante’s Peak” grossedmore than “Volcano” when it erupted two monthsearlier in 1997, but “Armageddon” outperformed“Deep Impact” when it struck seven weeks later in1998. Last year, “Snow White and the Huntsman”mined more than double at the box office twomonths after the debut of fellow live-action SnowWhite adaptation “Mirror Mirror.”

“Olympus Has Fallen,” which also starredAngela Bassett and Morgan Freeman, openedhigher than expectations last March, earning$30.3 million in its first weekend after distributor

FilmDistrict originally pegged it at somewhere inthe under-$20 million range. The thriller has goneon to bank $98.4 million in North America.Emmerich isn’t concerned by such figures. “Youmake your own thing and hope for the best,” hesaid. “That’s it.” — AP

In this undated publicity photo provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment,Channing Tatum, left, and Jamie Foxx, center, star in Columbia Pictures’ ‘White

House Down,’ directed by Roland Emmerich. — AP

For decades, South Korean film buffs thought all theircountry’s movie making from the Korean War era waslost forever. And it would have been, but for one film

wrapped in a cocoon of old newspapers, tucked inside a plas-tic bag and placed in a dark, dusty closet. That film, “The Streetof the Sun,” got its first screening in six decades Tuesday, the63th anniversary of the beginning of the war. Now digitallyrestored, it offers South Koreans a rare glimpse at how theirancestors lived amid the destruction and poverty of war.

The movie was the debut feature of Min Kyoung-sik, aSouth Korean director who took a camera to the streets ofDaegu in 1952, while a stream of refugees poured in. Thesoutheastern city was tucked behind a perimeter secured byUS and South Korean forces battling North Korea and China tothe north. The film’s sentimental story of a refugee school-teacher who becomes a surrogate father figure for streeturchins attempts to teach a social lesson about wartimepoverty and crime.

While fiction, it offers a look at real life in war-torn SouthKorea. The actors and producers had been uprooted by fight-ing, and many of the scenes reflect the city’s actual surround-ings rather than a movie set, with non-actors in the mix. Thewar started June 25, 1950, and ended in a truce a year afterthe film was made. The Koreas remain technically at war, sepa-rated by a heavily fortified border, and about 28,500 US troopsare still stationed in the South.

Min’s movie was long believed to have been destroyed orlost, along with the 13 other South Korean films made during

the war, according to the Korean Film Archive, the organiza-tion behind the film’s restoration. But two decades ago, thedirector’s daughter-in-law, Seong Ryeong-chul, found the 62-minute, 16 mm film in a closet at her home. Seong said in aninterview that she nearly threw away the coil of negatives.“But when I raised the plastic ribbon against the light, I sawtiny images of people etched inside,” she said.

Even after the discovery, well over a decade passed beforethe Korean Film Archive became aware of the film. Seong con-tacted the organization in 2009, and in 2012 she granted thefilm to the archive for an undisclosed fee. The audio has neverbeen found, so the film was screened yesterdaywithoutsound. The story begins at a train station where a Seoulschoolteacher arrives at the scene of a fight.

He watches a local break up the brawl between two men.Another scene depicts a dusty road in wartime Daegu linedwith thatched roof houses that form a shantytown around theoriginal city. The influences of American culture prevail overthe scenes. Refugee children play baseball in clothing straightout of 1950s American comic strips.

Civilian life behind the US-South Korean perimeter isdepicted as impoverished but peaceful: Children bend vinesin an apple orchard and swim together in a creek where theylearn to stop fighting and get along. Though they watch theirelders struggle to make ends meet, there are no obvious refer-ences to war in the film. Chung Chong-hwa of the film archivesaid the film shows the influence of post-World War II Italianclassics like “The Bicycle Thief” in South Korean cinema at a

time when war, poverty and desperation marked everydaylife. Chung said the style of “The Street of the Sun” influencedother filmmakers, including prolific South Korean director andproducer Shin Sang-ok. Shin was kidnapped in 1978 by KimJong Il, son and eventual successor of North Korean leaderKim Il Sung, and spent years making movies for the cinephileand future dictator before escaping with his wife. Min, whomade five films in a relatively low-key career, had a life storythat reflects the divisions that still haunt the two Koreas. Min’sson, Min Byoung-hak, said Tuesday that the director’s youngerbrother, Min Jung-sik, was on the north side of the 38th paral-lel when the Koreas were divided, and ended up making pro-pagandistic films for the Pyongyang government.

Even in South Korea, which was led by military dictators fordecades, filmmakers were often prevented from making thefilms they wanted to make as late as the 1990s, according toDarcy Paquet, founder of Koreanfilm.org. South Korean filmdirectors are now a growing presence on the internationalfilm festival circuit. The modern South Korean classic “Old Boy”was remade by US film director Spike Lee and will be releasedthis fall. — AP

Peyman Moaadi, who starred inthe Oscar-winning foreign film“A Separation,” is set to star

opposite Kristen Stewart in writer-director Peter Sattler’s politically-charged indie drama “Camp X-Ray,”TheWrap has learned.

Stewart stars as Cole, a young sol-dier who escapes her suffocatingsmall town by joining the military,only to find that she’s been stationedat Guantanamo rather than Iraq, asshe had hoped. Met with hatred andabuse from the Muslim men incharge, she forges an odd friendshipwith Ali (Moaadi), who has beenimprisoned at Gitmo for eight years.“Army Wives” star Joseph Julian Soriawill co-star as one of Stewart’s clos-est friends on the base.

Gina Kwon and Sophia Lin areproducing, which David GordonGreen is executive producing withLindsay Williams and EllenGoldsmith-Vein. Production willbegin later this summer in LosAngeles. Moaadi is an accomplishedscreenwriter who has penned severalfamous Iranian films and recentlymade his directorial debut with theaward-winning drama “The Snow onthe Pines.” He started his actingcareer in Asghar Farhadi’s 2009 film“About Elly” before reuniting withthe director on “A Separation.”

Moaadi will soon be seen along-side Morgan Freeman in “The LastKnights” and he also worked withJames Gandolfini on the HBO pilot“Criminal Justice,” which is now inlimbo following Gandolfini’s death.He’s repped by Shelley Browning ofMagnolia Entertainment. — Reuters

Brad Pitt is getting his action franchise after all. A personclose to Pitt’s “World War Z” told The Associated Press onMonday that Paramount Pictures is likely to develop a

sequel to the apocalyptic zombie thriller. The person was notauthorized to announce the plans and spoke on condition ofanonymity. “World War Z,” based on Max Brooks’ novel, wasalways intended to spawn a trilogy for Pitt, who stars as aUnited Nations inspector. But that seemed in doubt when thefilm ran significantly over budget, the ending had to be reshotand reports of turmoil among the filmmakers surfaced.

But the film opened strongly over the weekend, earning$66.4 million domestically and another $45.8 million interna-tionally. That put it on course to easily recoup its production

budget of about $200 million. Reviews, too, have been mostlypositive, and the film earned a B+ CinemaScore from movie-goers over the weekend.

Pitt, who’s also a producer on the film, has spent recentweeks traveling around the world to aggressively promote“World War Z.” When asked about the possibility of sequels inan interview last week, Pitt said there was plenty of fodder.“We’ve got so many good story lines stemming from the bookor inspired by the book and then just generated from our ownpowwows,” he said. “It might still be fun. We’ve got enoughmaterial, that’s for sure.”—AP

Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise hailed veteran producer JerryBruckheimer on Monday, as the man behind “Top Gun” and“Pirates of the Caribbean” got a star on Hollywood’s storied

Walk of Fame. The A-listers joined Bruckheimer at a ceremonyadding his name on the famous stretch of Hollywood Boulevardsidewalk, which is lined with stars in tribute to generations ofentertainment celebrities. Depp, who starred as Captain JackSparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films and as Tonto inBruckheimer’s latest film, “The Lone Ranger,” hailed the 67-year-old as a legend. “Without Jerry, there would be no ‘Pirates,’ therewould be no Captain Jack,” Depp said. “Without Jerry, there wouldbe no ‘Lone Ranger,’ there would be no reinvigorated Tonto.

“So I have a lot to thank him for. The man is a legend to me, alegend to us all, hence this congregation to celebrate him for hislong-deserved star on the Walk of Fame. I, for one, could not bemore honored to be here.” Bruckheimer, whose films have mademore than $16 billion at the box office, got the 2,501st star on theWalk of Fame, in a prime location outside the El Capitan Theatreopposite the famed Chinese and Dolby theatres.

“My lifelong dream began when I was a young boy inMichigan, and it always remained the same-to be a filmmaker,” hesaid. “It’s been a long exciting journey from the streets of Detroitto the sidewalks of Hollywood, to be given a star to mark my con-tribution to an industry I love so much,” he added.

Other celebrities at the ceremony, which came a week or sobefore the release of “The Lone Ranger,” included director GoreVerbinski, actor Jon Voight and actress Marg Helgenberger.Bruckheimer called the star an “unbelievable honor,” noting thatfellow honorees on the tourist-crowded Walk of Fame, whichstretches for a mile or two along Hollywood Boulevard, includeCharlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. — AFP

Seong Ryeong-chul, a daughter-in-law of late South Korean director Min Kyoung-sik,shows leaflets and photos of Min’s movie ‘The Street of the Sun,’ before its first screeningin six decades at Korean Film Archive in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. — AP photos

Late South Korean film director Min Kyoung-sik, center on photo, is pointed at by Min’s daughter-in-lawSeong Ryeong-chul, before the screening of his film ‘The Street of the Sun’.

Star power: Depp, Cruise hail producer Bruckheimer

Sequel to Pitt’s ‘World War Z’ is in works

Director Jerry Bruckheimer is honored with the 2,501ststar.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

l if e s t y l eF a s h i o n

Wearing a sleek black dress topped with a taupebolero and long stiletto-heeled boots,Nathalie Benhaim cuts an elegant figure. For

her, Orthodox Judaism’s rules of modesty have neverbeen synonymous with austerity. “I’m always made upand have my hair done, I never let myself go. It’s impor-tant for me and for my husband,” explains this mother-of-four who has just opened a bakery in Jerusalem. TheBenhaims describe themselves as religiously observant.

They are also prominent in government under theleadership of cabinet minister Naftali Bennett, head ofthe hardline right-wing Jewish Home party. Mixing asthey do with the secular population often sparks heat-ed debate over the interpretation of halacha, the Jewishcode of law which governs, among other things, how

women should behave and dress. Earlier this year,Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, one of the strictest leaders of reli-gious Zionism, issued an updated dress code forwomen, banning them from wearing red or otherbright colors, prohibiting any transparent fabrics-andordering them to wear opaque tights. He even speci-fied what thickness — 40 denier.

But this extreme reading of Jewish law has sparkedwidespread condemnation, even within the movementitself where interest in women’s fashion is rapidly grow-ing, with an ever-growing number of shops and special-ist designers entering the field. “Just a few years ago,religious Zionist fashion was all hippy chic and baba-cool. But recently a real national religious style hasdeveloped,” explains Vered Gilboa, who runs a boutiquein the centre of Jerusalem. “Now it’s more vintage, chif-fons and lace. But there are many different trends anddesigners. Zionist religious women are more and moreinterested in fashion, like women in the rest of Israelisociety,” she adds.

Such is the surge in interest that the Shenkar Schoolof Engineering and Design-the most popular in Israel,which has produced names such as Lanvin creatorAlber Elbaz-recently launched a fashion course aimedat these very women. Dress codes for women withinthe Orthodox Jewish world hardly lend themselves tothe creativity of designers: low necks are banned, dress-es and skirts must cover the knees and sleeves mustreach to the elbow.

‘We can’t live in a bubble’But according to Nathalie Haiks, a mother-of-five, it

is possible to be stylish while staying faithful to Jewishlaw. Her secret: basic skirts and t-shirts of the acceptedlength. “After you’ve done that, you can wear whateveryou want from whatever shop,” says the 48-year-old, apersonal assistant at the Hebrew University ofJerusalem. “We cannot live in a bubble even if we haveto respect the rules. The Torah does not compel women

to look dreary. We are forbidden to attract attention,that’s all. Halacha does not give a single, definitive inter-pretation,” she says.

“It has become more and more open since I arrivedin Israel,” says Haiks, who has been in the country for 25years. Leah Sheklar, a settler in her 50s living just northof the West Bank city of Ramallah, has combined herinterest in Jewish spirituality with her taste for clothesand organizes a weekly workshop for women at aJerusalem cafe.

In a side room, she has set up a mirror where thewomen are invited to stand and show others how theyhave put together an outfit. Standing in front of themirror and looking at themselves also encourageswomen to think more about their own identity. “Thequestion of clothing comes up far too often in terms ofwhat is banned. Those who are prohibiting are actuallyobsessed, not by the Torah, but by that thing whichthey never mention-sex,” explains Sheklar, wearing ablack dress with a brooch, an elegant beret coveringher head.

“I am trying to see how to live freely in the worldwhile respecting the rules. In my workshop, we speakabout clothes as a means of self-discovery,” she says.“Many religious Zionist women are following the trendin society as a whole to become more and more indi-vidualistic, they want to be happy, to live their feminityand their identity while at the same time living harmo-niously with the religious world,” she adds. — AFPJewish religious woman Nathalie Benhaim, 40, poses at her home

on January 13, 2013 in Jerusalem. — AFP photos

Models display creations aspart of Giorgio Armani

Menswear Spring-Summer2014 collection yesterday dur-ing the Menís fashion week in

Milan. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

l if e s t y l eF a s h i o n

British fashion designer Vivienne Westwoodsaid on Monday that she has no plans to fur-ther expand in China and defended the high

prices of her designs as a way to encourage cus-tomers to buy fewer clothes.

Westwood, who started selling clothes in Londonin the swinging 60s and now has shops in 15 othercountries, said she is assessing her company, itsoperations and its aims.

“I want to backtrack and control it,” Westwoodsaid before showing her men’s spring/summer 2014collection in Milan. “I don’t want to expand in Chinaanymore at the moment.” Westwood, an environ-mental activist, said she has turned her attention toher supply chain, starting with the material used tomake the protest T-shirts that have become a fea-ture of her shows. “We do a lot of T-shirts and at leastI’ve managed to get the jersey that we use for the T-shirts, which comes from Peru mostly. It’s organicand it’s not harmful,” she said.

For the Milan show, staff and some models woreT-shirts supporting US Army private BradleyManning, who is accused of releasing hundreds ofthousands of classified files, videos and other datato the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website. A romanticidea of India, which was chosen by her husband andcreative director, Andreas Kronthaler, is the theme ofthe show, which featured Harem-style trousers, kaf-tans and chunky necklaces along with militaryberets.

Westwood, dressed in a grey sequined dress shehad worn before, said she hoped other fashion iconssuch as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and the duchess ofCambridge, Kate Middleton, would also re-wear

their clothes. The designer added that she isn’t wor-ried about people’s changing habits squeezing herprofits. “If people like my clothes, it’s good if theydon’t buy things for six months, then they’ll be ableto afford them,” she said. Westwood defended the

cost of her designs, which carry high price tags, witha man’s suit costing about 800 pounds ($1,200). “Ithink it’s ecologically friendly that the clothes shouldbe expensive,” she added. — Reuters

Designers Vivienne Westwood and husband Andreas Kronthaler acknowledge the audience atthe end of the Vivienne Westwood Spring-Summer 2014 Menswear collection on June 23,2013 during the Men’s fashion week in Milan. — AFP photos

Fashion designers Dean and Dan Caten pose with models at the end of DSquared2 men’s Spring-Summer 2014 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy yesterday. — AP/AFP photos

37Star power: Depp,Cruise hail producerBruckheimer

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013

People interact with a large-scale installation art piece by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich, entitled ‘Dalston House’, in East London yesterday. A replica front of a late nineteenth-century Victorian terraced house lying on the groundhas a large mirror angled above it which gives the illusion of people hanging from the brick work. — AFP

Dalmatians, the ultimate menswear accesso-ry, and a clutch of sporting greats are justsome of the national successes that Croatia

will bring to the EU when it joins the bloc on July 1.“At all events, people who deny the influence ofEurope’s ‘smaller nations’ should remember thatthe Croats have the rest of us by the throat,” wroteNorman Davies in his book “Europe: A History”. TheBritish historian was referring to a tie or cravat-

worn every day by millions of men worldwide-whose Croatian origin reaches far into the past andis linked to love and devotion.

“For centuries girls were tying scarves aroundtheir darlings’ necks, namely when they were leav-ing for wars, as a token of love and fidelity, theywere ‘tying’ or obliging them,” explains MarijanBusic, founder of the Academia Cravatica, a non-

governmental organization. Revealingly, the word“croata” can be found in many languages as theroot of words meaning tie or cravat: the historicalreason comes from the tight neck scarves worn byCroatians in the French army during the ThirtyYears War in the 17th century.

The humble tie was soon accepted as a fashionaccessory by the powerful French court, includingKing Louis XIV himself, and later spread to Britainand throughout the world. The Academia pro-motes the tie as part of Croatia’s cultural heritage,and in 2003, broke a Guinness World Record bywrapping an ancient Roman amphitheatre in thenorthern port city of Pula with the world’s longesttie-an 800-metre (2,640-foot) specimen. While theorigins of the tie may prove a surprise to the rest ofEurope, the country has one “export” that is knownand loved.

Of Croatia’s seven native dog breeds,Dalmatians, with their distinctive brown or blackspots and elegant bodies, have won global famethanks to Walt Disney’s cartoon “101 Dalmatians”,first released in 1961. Originating from the coastalregion of Dalmatia on the Adriatic, these friendlydogs were first depicted in a number of paintingsand church chronicles dating from between the16th and 18th centuries, before becoming sought-after domestic pets hundreds of years later.

Nowadays, though, it seems both foreigners liv-ing in Croatia and sport aficionados abroad think ofathletes as the country’s best-known brand. “I findit amazing how much quality in the world of com-petitive sport Croatia brings. They (athletes) are afantastic advert and an indication and example ofthe potential of this country,” 47-year-old RussellOwens, a British businessman and Croatia resident,told AFP.

Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic and high jumpchampion Blanka Vlasichas have made names forthemselves internationally, taking their first sport-ing steps in a country whose 4.2 million popula-tion is fond of sport but where there is still a seri-

ous lack of financial support for athletes. Alpine skichampions, sister and brother Janica and IvicaKostelic, have also found stardom-even if theirhomeland has practically no ski resorts.

Croatia’s football squad are ranked fourth onFIFA’s world list, while its national handball teamscooped the world champions title in 2003 andOlympic gold in 1996 and 2004. And in 2007Croatia’s water-polo squad were crowned worldchampions, while its top basketball players, DrazenPetrovic, who died in 1993, and NBA star ToniKukoc bounced Croatia into the sporting spotlight.On the foodie side of things, Croatia’s big claim tofame is its prosciutto ham from Istria, whose artisanproducers hope to obtain protected status for thetasty delicacy.

Of course, for much of Europe, Croatia’s bigdraw is its tourism-and more specifically its pristineAdriatic coast dotted with more than a thousandislands and islets. These vary from those with lunar-like surfaces such as Pag in the north, to islandsdense with Mediterranean forest like the southernisland of Mljet. It is not for nothing that Dubrovnik,perched on the coast, and gleaming with Baroquebuildings, has earned its nickname as the “pearl ofthe Adriatic”. A survey conducted within the EUshowed that Croatia is best known for its naturalbeauty and tourism, public relations expert BozoSkoko told AFP. “There is an overall consensus overthat,” he said. — AFP

Brazilian literature and arts will this year comeunder the spotlight at the world’s biggest bookfair, which annually attracts hundreds of thou-

sands of visitors in the western German city of Frankfurt,organizers said yesterday. After New Zealand was lastyear’s guest of honor, Brazil takes centre stage at the2013 Frankfurt book fair, with 70 of its authors as well asartists and others expected to showcase the country’sliterary and cultural traditions.

“We want to show how culture feeds Brazilian life,especially when one sees what’s happening currently inBrazil,” fair director Juergen Boos told a new conference,referring to a two-week wave of street protests in Brazil.Brazil’s organizing committee head Renato Lessa saidthere was a lot of expectation in the fair and that it wasimportant for the country to trumpet its own languageinternationally.

The authors selected to take part represent “anexcellent and vivid assortment”, he said. “The currentselection, although committed to giving a broad senseof the literary variety of the country, aims to show thelink between Brazilian contemporary literary trends andthe international ones,” he added. The book fair, whichruns from October 9 to 13, will also stage Brazilian con-certs, exhibitions and demonstrations of street art, the-atre and films. More than 7,300 exhibitors from 97 coun-tries took part in last year’s five-day fair, which drewabout 280,000 visitors. — AFPThe founder of the

non-governmentalorganizationAcademia Cravatica,Marijan Busic, poseswith ties in his office inZagreb. — AFP