World Cup opens with a bang - Kuwait Times

NO: 16195- Friday, June 13, 2014www.kuwaittimes.net

Max 42ºMin 28º

FREE

7Culture shock;Expats recount first impression 10

Qataris cast eyes on foreigners in modesty push 15

Soldiers flee as militants march towards Baghdad

World Cup opens with a bangSEE PAGE 47

L o c a lFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

Scribbler’s Notebook

By Jamie Etheridge

[email protected]

According to a recently published report, there areapproximately 99,000 millionaires in Kuwait andanother 990 who are worth more than $100 mil-

lion. The report suggested that Kuwait ranks fifth globallyin the number of millionaires per capita.

Kuwait may be a country of millionaires (and billion-aires) but it is also a country with a growing middle class.In fact, most of the remaining 1.1 million Kuwaitis who fallinto the non-millionaire category could be classified asmiddle class.

Though less visible then the Bentley-driving, trendset-ting millionaire, the middle class Kuwaiti has become aforce for change both economically and socially. Nor is itonly Kuwaitis who are changing the society. The numberof expats who rank as middle class may be less than thetotal number of low wage workers or domestic staff butthese middle class expats nonetheless represent a finan-cially influential and socially significant minority. Theymay not get involved in the country’s politics, but they dorent, shop, drive and send their kids to school here and sowhat they spend their time and money on impactsKuwait’s economy in myriad ways both big and small.

But understanding the ‘middle class’ is not alwayseasy. Different cultures and different countries - even dif-ferent groups within the same country - define the idea of‘middle class’ differently. Across most measures, however,being middle class typically means a few basic things:most important is financial security or at least the abilityof a family to pay all its expenses each month withoutstress and to have enough disposable income left over to1. Save for children’s college; 2. Afford annual vacations; 3.Own a home (though the mortgage may not be paid off);4. Have a secure or white collar job; 5. Have health insur-ance and 6. Be able to afford some sort of retirementinvestment.

I would add for Kuwait the following: 7. Eat out inrestaurants at least a few times a week; 8. Going shoppingin one of Kuwait’s malls at least once a week; 9. Own a car(preferably an SUV) and 10. Pay for your children’s tuitionat a local private school.

A growing middle class can bring many benefits toKuwait. While mega projects are stalled and multinationalcorporations leery of investing have slowed the economyat the macro level, at the micro level small and mediumenterprises are picking up.

The combined shocks of the 2008-2009 financial crisisand the economic stagnation and political turmoil hasfueled a mini revolution in entrepreneurship in Kuwait.Both locals and expats urgently feel the need to ‘fend forthemselves’ to start their own enterprises rather than relysolely on government jobs or working for large corpora-tions. The recent trend of expos, pop up, farmers andfoodie markets are just one sign of the middle class find-ing ways to create wealth for itself.

The middle class provides a nation’s human capital. InKuwait this was for sometime concentrated in the handsof foreigners but that situation is now changing. One ofthe long term ambitions of the government’s‘Kuwaitization’ program is to reduce the reliance on for-eigners and put more Kuwaitis to work in the private sec-tor. So far this program has made limited progress - for-eigners still account for more than 90 percent of all pri-vate sector employees.

But it doesn’t take into account the locals who work forthe government and then also run their own small busi-nesses. This segment may still be a small part of the over-all economy but the entrepreneurial tradition is strong inKuwait and as the middle class grows, this trend will likelycontinue to grow as well.

Hallmarks ofKuwait’s middle class

By Sahar Moussa

Rising rents in Kuwait rival the weather as the hottest top-ic of debate in Kuwait this summer. Landlords oftenignore the five-year rule and raise rents against the law.

Many tenants are ignorant or unsure of what to do but a grow-ing number of both local and expat renters in Kuwait are notready to give up without a fight.

“I have been living in the building for four years now; I usedto pay KD 220 plus KD 10 to the haris. Recently, the haris toldme that the landlord wants to increase the rent by KD 45. Irefused and sent a message through him to the landlord that Iknow my rights very well - assuming the landlord knew what Imeant exactly,” said Toni, a Lebanese expat.

Kuwait’s rental law stipulates that the owner of an apart-ment cannot increase the rent within five years of a rental con-tract. After five years, the landlord can increase the rent onlyafter he gives a one-month notice period stating he willincrease the rent.

No English version of contract Some landlords prepare a one-year contract to get around

the law to ensure they have the power to renew it and increasethe rent legally. But still some landlords and companies disre-gard the law and try to take the tenant for a ride.Unfortunately, they get lucky sometimes, especially since mostexpats are foreigners and aren’t fluent in Arabic. More oftenthan not, there is no English version of the contract, so foreign-ers fall victim to their ploy and don’t have the courage to fightfor their rights.

“I have been staying in the same apartment for over nineyears now. I used to pay KD 180 plus KD 5 to the haris. Sincethen, the landlord has been increasing my rent every year byKD 5 until it reached KD 240,” said Rima, another Lebaneseexpat.

Standing up for their rights“At first I used to fight, make a big deal out of it and refuse

to pay the increased amount. But after that I gave up becauseI was told that if I don’t like it, I can leave. I know my rightsand the law states that they can’t raise the rent if I have a five-year contract. But I also know that the landlord’s brother is ajudge and to be honest, that scared me. So I pay what theywant because I don’t want any headaches or problems,” shecontinued.

While Rima chose not to stand for her rights, Toni decidedto dispute the rental increase. He along with several othersfrom his building refused to pay the increased amount. “Idecided with other tenants to stand up against him, and whenhe knew that the majority disagreed and it was a lost cause, hewithdrew his demand and we won,” said Toni, with triumphevident in his voice.

Rising rents is not the only thing that expats suffer inKuwait. The increasing cost of living has affected nearly everyaspect of life including food, housing, clothing and other serv-ices. Meanwhile concomitant rises in salaries are rare. AlthoughKuwait is the world’s seventh-largest oil exporter, it is alsoknown for fighting record inflation as housing and food costssoar.

Just not worth it“I want to leave Kuwait because we can’t live like this any-

more; everything is so expensive. I feel that the governmentwants to kick us out of the country. They should stop insultingus. We can’t afford to pay for anything anymore with our mod-est salaries that doesn’t match our basic needs. Today they areincreasing rents and food and tomorrow will be the petrol,then what?” asked Rima with vain.

As for Toni, he said he is celebrating his victory for now, buthe will move when his five-year contract ends because he feelsthat paying KD 256 for a small one-bedroom, one-bathroomflat is just not worth it. “I wish there was a law that categorizedand valued apartments for what they’re exactly worth and notwhat the landlord wants. Rents are very high these days. Wewish that our employers take this into consideration and giveus a pay rise so that we can afford a decent life,” he said.

High rents, low paycheck: Expats in Kuwait feel inflation’s heat

Landlords taking tenants for a ride?

Photo of the day

KUWAIT: The roads in Kuwait are pictured during a dust storm in this file photo. Director of MeteorologyDepartment Mohammad Karam said the country is affected by North-Westerly winds that are moderate to fast dur-ing the weekend. Karam said that today’s weather will be hot with a maximum temperature around 42 degreeCelsius. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat


Local Spotlight

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

KUWAIT: Students from American School of Kuwait are seen celebrating their graduation day by tossing their caps in the air. Many schools in Kuwait celebrat-ed their graduation ceremony this month. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Deportation of expats from Kuwaitwill always be an issue of concern.No expat wants to find himself in

such a condition. I know that sometimes itis not the expat’s mistake, yet she has tobear the outcome, but sometimes it is theharvest of their hands. Some expats takeloans back home just to come to Kuwait.So they have to stay long enough to payoff their debts and then start makingmoney for themselves.

In theory, this seems easy and applica-ble in two or three years,but in reality, some peo-ple stay here for yearswithout making themoney they wish.Sometimes it is com-plete misfortune thatleads some expats toget involved in illegalactivities or get draggedinto prostitution anddrugs. They end up inprison and get deportedhome empty-handed.

The Ministry ofInterior recently issued statistics thatshowed that 1,474 expatriates (1,293 menand 181 women) have been deportedfrom Kuwait in the past two years.According to the figures, 390 weredeported due to drug crimes, 326 fortheft, 230 for brewing alcohol, 182 forfraud, 147 for rape and 99 for adultery.

These are scary numbers!I know the MoI is doing its job arresting

these people because they violated thecountry’s laws, but I wish they get treatednot only as numbers to count and figuresin statistics. There is an obligation by theMinistry of Social Affairs to meet suchpeople before they leave the country andinvestigate their complaints. Some spon-sors are abusers, liars and use the law totake revenge on their workers. Somesponsors file an absconding case against

the worker becausethey don’t want to payhis salary.

Some women runaway and fall into pros-titution or work inrestaurants until theyget caught and aredeported. Those whoare arrested for cheatingpeople are also a threatto society and others. Iwonder how theyentered the country andunder which job title!

I personally think 1,474 is a large num-ber, and while we seem to have a largeexpat community because they are morethan the locals, we should make all effortsto get to the root of the problem. Weneed to learn why these people fell intotrouble, and instead of making theirdreams come true, they lost.

Deportation of expatriates

The Ministry of Interiorrecently issued statis-tics that showed that

1,474 expatriates (1,293men and 181 women)

have been deportedfrom Kuwait in the past

two years.

4L o c a lFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

day by dayLearning to speak Kuwaiti

By Jamie Etheridge

Most of us non-Arabic speakers who live in Kuwait can probably say a few words. We probably know ‘insha’Allah, bukra, iqama, bitaqa, falafel, ya’ani and schlonik. But if you are a long time expat or of the more curious sort, you might be interested in expanding

your basic Kuwaiti dialect beyond basic greetings and ordering mushakil. Until recently, however, there were few options for learning Kuwaiti. Most schools and centers that offer Arabic in-struction only teach the formal modern standard Arabic (which differs greatly in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar) from the local dialects. Now, however, a young British lady married to a Kuwaiti has started a very useful website offering daily doses of Kuwaiti ammiya (dialect).

p4-5.indd 1 6/11/14 5:12 PM


Kuwaiti Word A Day is a local blog aimed at sharing the Kuwaiti dialect in a fun and entertain-ing way. The brainchild of 26-year-old Kate Busby from the UK, the blog provides a daily word along with an interesting story to explain its meaning, a graphic and then a breakdown of the verbs, nouns and adjectives used in the story. Married to a Ku-waiti and currently living in Spain, Kate started the blog as a way to be able to communicate with her husband’s family. Kuwait Times spoke with Kate about her journey, how her blog came about and what she hopes for the future.

KT: Tell us a bit about yourself? Kate: I’m from nowheresville in the United

Kingdom. As a child, my parents would tell me bedtime stories about the desert, and I’d dream about going there someday. Someday turned out to be when I turned 26 years old, when I visited both Morocco and Kuwait in the same year. Two very different deserts. And Kuwait felt like home somehow. But I didn’t know a soul in that desert, it was 55 degrees outside and my accommodation was in a rickety old building near Mahboula that got supplied water by truck first thing in the morn-ing and where a guy selling fish would knock on your door in the afternoon.

KT: What led you to start the website Kuwaiti Word A Day?

Kate: By chance I went on an awkward date with a man who turns out to be Kuwaiti. At first, I couldn’t even pronounce his name. I thought to myself, how can you claim to date someone when you can’t even say their name? Then over dinner I just blurted out, “Look, I can’t even say your name.” He said: “Story of my life.” It turns out throughout his school years, foreigners had called him They-ab, which is the Arabic word for ‘clothes.’ So, at the end of the dinner, we made a pact: He’ll teach me a word of Kuwaiti (i.e. his name) if I have dinner with him again. And then the next night, there was the promise of another word. And then one day the word was “marriage.” Okay that’s not true, but we did indeed tie the knot just over a year ago.

KT: Are you studying Kuwaiti dialect or MSA somewhere? Do you have any linguistic training or knowledge? How do you learn the grammar?

Kate: I’m not studying anything but Kuwaiti Arabic. Theyab is my Mr Miyagi if you like, the

sort of unsung maestro with the native speaker’s instinct. He teaches me everything and I write the blog.

KT: Once you got started, what challenges have you faced? How do you make time to do it? How often?

Kate: The amazing thing about making Kuwaiti Word A Day open to the public is that if there’s any kind of a mistake, followers will just swoop in and go, errrr, no I don’t think so. And the sassier the criticism is, the better! Who wants people to just quietly stand by and watch you fall on your face? That’s why this blog is a collaboration of absolutely everyone who reads it, and that feels like a very good thing.

KT: What have you learned that has surprised or delighted you the most?

Kate: That people still care about words. I work in visual art and since Asia (and particularly the Middle East) is the place for visual art, some people have been led to believe that the long Arab tradition of poetry and storytelling is dead. Not so - maybe there isn’t a Rumi running around slaying crowds with his lyrics, but people still get excited by words.

KT: What is your favorite Kuwaiti word or say-ing?

Kate: Today’s word.

KT: Have you learned enough to speak the language?

Kate: I agreed with Theyab to do this project for one year. 365 words. In that time, I should hope to be … a beginner with a terrible accent. No, prob-ably quite proficient, but who knows? Right now I’m just enjoying exchanging English words for the ones I know in Kuwaiti, and actually having people understand!

Check out Kate’s blog at http://www.kuwaiti-word-a-day.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @kuwaiti_word_a_day

p4-5.indd 2 6/11/14 5:11 PM

Availableat The Sultan

Centre &

Carrefour

7L o c a l

By Ben Garcia

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

Rhem, Filipino nurseI was shocked when I saw men kissing each other at the airport cheek to cheek and

with a smooching sound. We don’t do this in my country. I remember the men were both handsome. Then our mandoub who picked us up at the airport didn’t speak a word of English. He just showed us the familiar logo of the place where we were sup-posed to work. It was also my first time to ride in a Mercedes Benz. At that time, the temperature was 45 degrees Celsius at 10 am, dry and the sun was really bright.

Shantie, Sri Lankan office worker I was surprised by the way Arabs talked with each other. We don’t shout while talk-

ing, so it was strange. They also use a lot of hand movements to stress their point.

Jennifer, Filipino hostess When I arrived in Kuwait, I was fascinated by the national dress - men wearing long

white “gowns” they call dishdashas, and women wearing black abayas, some of them covering their faces completely. It was shocking to me, but I eventually learned that it is part of Kuwaiti culture.

Mary from KeralaI was shocked that drivers here don’t really care about road safety and rules. I saw

them speeding and we were almost hit by another car because we were trying to avoid a collision. It was an unforgettable experience on my way to my accommodation.

Sunil from New Delhi The winter weather surprised me. I didn’t expect the bitter cold, since I knew Kuwait

is a desert country. I knew it was going to be very hot, so when I came and experienced the weather, my perception changed.

at first sightCulture shockExpatriates recount their first impression of Kuwait

Just like other countries, Kuwait ‘s culture sometimes shocks or surprises, especially if one is new

to Kuwait. The first impression is very important, as it lasts forever. Some expatriates recall what surprised them the most when they came to Kuwait for the first time.

Continued on Page 8


Marissa, a domestic helper I was shocked the first time by the amount of food on the dining table. When

I saw it, I couldn’t imagine they were going to finish it all. Well, they finished it all. We don’t eat that much in my country, so it was surprising. Besides, they eat leafy green vegetables, the kind we feed chicken and goats. But these leaves are very nutritious.

Rima, a domestic helper from MindanaoI was expecting tall buildings when I first came to Kuwait about 30 years ago.

In the Philippines, Makati City was already crowded with high-rise buildings, and I thought Kuwait was the same, since they are richer than us. But I was dismayed. I was also shocked that men here wear ‘long dresses’. It was very new to me to see my boss wearing it.

Rajiv, computer programmer from KeralaI came in the night. I remember the temperature in Kerala was about 27

degrees Celsius. It was May 20, 2005, and I was shocked by the temperature in the evening. It was 45 degrees. I was picturing Kuwait as a very beautiful country, but the residence of my brother was old, his building elevator was not working at that time and they lived on the fourth floor, so I was disappointed and sweating. But then in the morning when I walked around the building and neighborhood, I saw beautiful cars parked in the open spaces. In Kerala, even a bicycle has to be parked in a place where it belongs.

Eseri from Nigeria When I was still in my country, I visualized Kuwait as very strict Islamic coun-

try, so I didn’t expect Western clothes to be worn in public. But I was wrong. The moment I entered the country, I saw people wearing modern fashion, so I was delighted. Walking around though, I realized that many of those wearing fashion-able clothes were young people, as many adults still wear their traditional clothes. I saw no trees, and it was very hot.

Nisreen from Lebabon I am a woman, so the first thing I noticed

was the way they wear makeup here. I saw many of them wearing makeup badly. Plus I missed the greenery we have in Lebanon. Trees can be seen all over there and here there are none, and it was very hot. I saw young

people exchanging mobile numbers in their cars. It’s a no-no in Lebanon - this can only be seen in bars, and I think streets are not an appropriate place for this. I also feel awkward when people in the street, especially men, will stare at you. They are everywhere in Kuwait, and don’t allow us women to walk freely.

Ann, a businesswoman I see here the lack of appreciation to people. They don’t greet each other well

and with courtesy and hospitality – as if this is not included in their vocabulary and not in their system. They are very cold when greeting other nationalities. I am also very disappointed when they talk as if they are the most powerful people in the world. These things shock me the most.

Continued from Page 7

Culture shock at first sight

Amid reports of security raids on June 6, 2014 in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Murghab, Fahaheel, Abu Halifa, Al-Rai, Friday Market and some adjacent

areas in Shuwaikh where around 820 expatriates were rounded up for violating various Kuwaiti rules and regulations, Counselor B K Upadhyay met with Maj Gen Abdul Fatah Al-Ali, Assistant Under Secretary, Public Security Affairs, MoI, Kuwait on June 10, 2014 to discuss the issues involved and address a few com-plaints received from Indians. The following advice is given to the Indian community to help them follow rules and regulations better:

A recent raid was conducted based on complaints received from various ministries particularly Munici-pality, Commerce and Labor that expatriates were in-volved in selling used clothes, expired vegetables and food products etc at cheaper rates in the residential colonies and outside cooperatives. Such street-type

vendors are unauthorized and are creating problems for the above mentioned ministries.

Before conducting a raid, the residences and areas outside markets and cooperatives etc were photo-graphed and the activities of suspected people were monitored. Information and details were collected in advance by police before raids were planned.

Those who are detained due to cases lodged by their sponsors can be released by their sponsor only. It was informed that details of cases against individual have been computerized and one can get it checked oneself. In case of absconding cases, any individual can visit the Ministry of Labor and submit information that he/she is not absconding. The individual can explain that he de-cided to work outside since the sponsor failed to give him work. He can also insist that the sponsor be called and that he is willing to go back to work with him. Maj Gen Abdul Fatah Al-Ali further said that these people

should get an authorization letter from the sponsor that he is permitting them to work outside.

Regarding fear of night checking, it was informed that there would be no night checks and the public need not worry. In case, anybody comes to check at night in civil clothes, please ask for the identity card and call 112 for police assistance.Out of 820 expatriates who were rounded up on June 6, 2014, 720 were re-leased after verification.

Out of these 60 who were rounded up for the above mentioned illegal activities, only 15-20 are Indians. Photographs and videos have been provided of their illegal activities. The Indian Embassy will continue to render all help to the members of the Indian commu-nity. There is no need to panic. It is advised to ignore unsubstantiated rumors.

—Embassy of India in Kuwait

Indian Embassy warns on recent crackdown


By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Kuwait Transparency Society called yesterday for aneutral investigation into allegations of huge corruption scan-dals made by the opposition to first establish the authenticityof the documents. The independent society proposed askingthe Audit Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Public Authority toappoint a five-member committee to launch the investigation,allowing the panel to seek outside assistance for its assign-ment.

Prominent opposition leader Mussallam Al-Barrak showedat a public rally on Tuesday a large number of documents ofbank accounts and money transfers for former senior officialswhom he claimed have stolen around $50 billion from publicfunds during the past seven years. Barrak showed the docu-ments on a large screen but hid the names of people involved.Some of the documents allegedly were copies of transfersmade to senior officials as a bribe to influence their decisions.

The government has played down the importance of thedocuments, with the prime minister and the ministers offinance and justice saying they were only white blank sheetscontaining tables and figures. Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said the documents are not even worth theexamination.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem bluntlysaid the documents are fake and have been tampered withusing Photoshop. The Transparency Society however insistedthat the fact that corruption is rife in the country is no secret,but the latest allegations are extremely dangerous because ofthe importance of the people who allegedly received the mul-

ti-million-dollar bribes and the size of the stolen money.Three lawsuits have already been filed or will be filed with

regards to Barrak’s allegations. The supreme judicial councilfiled two lawsuits against Barrak for slander against judgesand a Twitter account for making false accusations againstthree top judges. The government is also preparing to file acomprehensive lawsuit as per a recommendation passed bythe National Assembly Wednesday following a heated debate.

The battle over the corruption documents yesterdaymoved online with activists from both camps fighting a tensewar of words to prove their points. Online anti-oppositionactivists tried every means to discredit Barrak and his docu-ments, raising technical points in a bid to cast doubts abouttheir authenticity.

On the contrary, pro-opposition activists tried to explainthat the documents are authentic and have been repeatedlyand carefully verified by Barrak and called on their opponentsto prove otherwise. Hundreds of Kuwaiti and even Gulfactivists were involved in the ongoing war.

In another development, MP Nabil Al-Fadhly proposed yes-terday an amendment to the foreign residence law to allowexpatriates to stay outside Kuwait throughout the validity oftheir residence permits. Under the current law, expats whohave valid residence permits are not allowed to stay outsideKuwait for more than six months unless they produce a docu-ment to prove they were ill or any other major reason. Expatswhose stay outside exceed six months without any reason willhave their residence permits cancelled. Fadhl’s amendmentstipulates that expats should be allowed to stay outside forthe whole duration of their residence permits.

Transparency society calls for neutral probe over graft chargesProposal allows expats to stay abroad over 6 months

KUWAIT: The car which crashed into the maternity hospi-tal in Al-Sabah Medical area is pictured. — Photo byHanan Al-Saadoun

Woman crashes car into hospital

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The Maternity Hospital in Al-Sabah Medical area wasthe scene of an accident when a woman lost control of her carand crashed into a side door yesterday morning according toan eye witness. No injuries were reported.

Drug bustNarcotics authorities caught a citizen red-handed selling

drugs. When his house was searched, 23 Shabu tablets of vari-ous sizes and 250 grams of hashish was found. He said anoth-er citizen and bedoon supplied the drugs to him and the duowere arrested. Three envelopes of Shabu, illicit tablets, an AK-47, a hunting rifle, six pistols and ammunition were recoveredfrom them. They were sent to concerned authorities.

Security crackdownA security campaign in Ahmadi Governorate resulted in 25

individuals and a citizen being arrested. Three Asians werearrested with 235 bottles of locally-made liquor. All suspectswere sent to concerned authorities.

Social Securities’ Labor Union strike in spotlight Longest protest in Kuwait’s history

KUWAIT: The strike lead by the Social Securities’ LaborUnion is drawing attention owing to their determinationto continue the strikes until their demands are met to betreated like other government areas. The strike continuedall week to become the longest protest in Kuwait’s historyby a government body.

Head of the Social Securities’ Labor Union Manal Al-Rashidi criticized statements by Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh for describing strikers as ‘unpatriotic’. She said thestrike is the only way for the workers to get their legiti-mate rights. She said the strike includes demands of thedirectors and supervisors who are currently acceptingapplications from patrons without being rewarded ade-quately. Commenting on the Voluntary Action Center’smove, Al-Rashidi said “Though voluntary work representscivilized behavior, regretfully it does have the basichumanitarian value when it turns to helping the oppressoragainst the oppressed”. — Al-Aan

BRUSSELS: The European Commission Thursday approvedunder the EU Merger Regulation the acquisition of two ItalianShell Group companies, SHELL Italia and Shell Italia Aviazione,by Kuwait Petroleum Europe BV (“KPE”) of The Netherlands andKuwait Petroleum Italia (“KPI”) of Italy. KPE is the holding com-pany for the majority of the assets of Kuwait PetroleumCorporation (KPC) in Europe and KPC’s investments in the FarEast, said the EU’s executive body in a statement.

It noted that KPI is the Italian subsidiary of KPE. It refines anddistributes petroleum products in Italy and sells motor, marineand aviation fuels, lubricants and heating oil.

Shell Italia sells motor fuels at retail level and manages thesupply and distribution of motor fuels through its retail net-work. Shell Aviazione markets aviation fuels and holds interestsin joint ventures that provide into-plane services and aviationfuel storage.

The European Commission concluded that the proposedacquisition would raise no competition concerns, in particularbecause of the parties’ moderate market shares and the pres-ence of other competitors that will continue to constrain themerged entity. The transaction was examined under the normalmerger review procedure, it added. — KUNA

EU clears acquisition of two Italian Shell Group companies

SHELL Italia, SHELL Italia Aviazione by KPE

KUWAIT: A car collision on Sixth Ring Road led to the discovery of a largequantity of drugs and money with a bedoon. A Farwaniya patrol noticed anaccident on Sixth Ring Road and informed the authorities about it. Whenofficers approached the cars, they noticed one of the men behaving in aweird manner and thought that he was in a state of shock after the accident.During conversation, he attempted to escape and the police grew suspiciousand searched his car. They found six kilos of hashish and three kilos of Shabuapart from KD 26,000. The man was sent to concerned authorities.

Citizens bustedNarcotics officials stormed an animal pen and arrested three citizens with

drugs including 500 grams of hashish and 250 grams of ICE along with anAK-47.

Maid abscondingSalmiya police are on the lookout for a Filipina after her sponsor accused

her of stealing three rings, a necklace and a bracelet before escaping. Thetotal value of the stolen pieces is estimated at KD 3,000.

Insulting messages A woman accused her divorced husband and his friend of sending

degrading messages to her on Instagram. — Al-Anba

Drugs, money seized from car in accident

Kuwait’s Al-Saqerelected Director General of AIDMORABAT: Kuwait’s Adel Al-Saqer was elected as theDirector General of the Arab IndustrialDevelopment and Mining Organization (AIDMO)during the 23rd General Assembly of ArabIndustry Ministers held here from June 9 till 11. Al-Saqer will begin his tenure next November for aperiod of four years. Speaking to KUNA, Al-Saqerthanked all those who supported him during theelection, affirming that he would handle the posi-tion he was given with utmost care and he wouldalso work on boosting the activities of AIDMO.Head of Kuwait’s delegation to the meeting andDirector General of the Public Authority forIndustry (PAI) Mohammad Al-Ajmi said that it wasan honor to elect a Kuwaiti for the position ashead of AIDMO, stressing that Al-Saqer will do hisbest to run the organization. AIDMO is an ArabOrganization specialized in the fields of industry,mining and standardization, operating under theArab League and working within a strategy devel-oped through a joint Arab economic actionapproved by the Arab Summit Conferences.

14Iran ‘redesigning’ reactor to cut plutonium capacity13 15

Turkey govt widens purge in judiciary and central bank

Iraqi soldiers flee as militants march towards Baghdad


DOHA: Mariam Saleh avoids malls and outdoormarkets on the weekends because the low-cuttops, sheer dresses and miniskirts that foreignwomen wear reveal much more than she wouldlike her impressionable young children to see.Saleh is part of a campaign in Qatar that wasspurred by locals who are fed up with the waymany tourists and visitors dress, especially as tem-peratures soar in the Gulf Arab nation. The cam-paigners say Qatar is, after all, their country, andthey should not be the ones feeling uncomfortablebecause visitors want to show some skin or dresslike they would back home.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging foreignwomen to dress more conservatively. However, it isnot spearheaded by religious hard-liners, but bymoderate locals who are concerned that a steadyinflux of foreigners is threatening to uproot theircustoms and traditions, which are intertwined with1,400 years of Islam on the Arabian Peninsula. The

campaigners say they are mothers and wives, butalso gatekeepers of Qatar’s Islamic society. MostQatari women cover their hair and wear long, looseblack robes. Many also cover their faces as is com-mon in neighboring Saudi Arabia, where moralitypolice enforce the region’s strictest dress code onlocals and foreigners alike.

‘Leggings are not pants’The campaigners began handing out flyers this

week. They will set up booths on June 20 through-out the capital, Doha, and plan to pass out morethan 200,000 flyers to raise awareness about localsensitivities with slogans such as: “Leggings are notpants” and “If you are in Qatar, you are one of us.”Children will be wearing the slogans on T-shirts, andmen and women will be passing out traditional cof-fee, chocolates and roses along with the brochures.The government, which allows alcohol in hotels toaccommodate foreigners, is not involved in the cam-

paign, which is being funded by volunteers, as wellas a women’s business club in Qatar. The campaign-ers say it is a grassroots effort aimed at spreadinginformation to foreigners rather than pressing fornew laws or reforms. Political activism of any kind isheavily restricted by Qatar’s ruling monarchy.

Similar efforts to curb Westernization are under-way in other Gulf countries. In Kuwait, a lawmaker iscalling for a ban on public “nudity” - a reference tobikinis on the beach and at hotel poolside. InBahrain, lawmakers frequently call for banning alco-hol in hotels, and in the United Arab Emirates, localslaunched a similar dress code campaign in 2012.While some malls in the UAE ticketed women forshowing shoulders and knees, the government didnot move to create any specific laws against immod-est dress. Qatar’s pro-Western government, whichbenefits from tourism and foreign investment, is alsonot expected to enact any such laws.

The tiny nation is home to the world’s third-

largest gas reserves. A rush of petrodollars trans-formed its capital in just a few decades from acoastal fishing town into a center for global invest-ment. The speed of the transformation has stunnedQatar’s conservative, tight-knit population. Qatariscurrently make up less than 10 percent of the coun-try’s 2.1 million people, with most of the populationcomprised of Asian, African and Middle Easternguest workers, as well as Western expatriates livingin the country temporarily. Like other Gulf states,Qatar relies on millions of foreigners to provideeverything from the muscle to build high-rises toworld-class experts to lead mega-projects. It ispreparing to host one of the world’s largest sportingevents, the soccer World Cup in 2022. Four yearsago, concerned citizens launched a campaign called“One of Us” to encourage foreign women to coverfrom their shoulders to their knees, but the cam-paign had little impact on visitors who felt out oftouch with Qatari society. —AP

Qataris cast eyes on foreigners Campaign encourages women to dress more conservatively

DOHA: A foreign woman wearing a short dress walks at Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar. A number of Qatari women are aiming to raise awareness with a campaign called ‘Reflect Your Respect’ thatpromotes modest clothing in the country. — AP

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

ANKARA: Turkey’s Islamic-rooted govern-ment has launched a new mass purge in thejudiciary in its political fight against an erst-while ally, and replaced five executives at thecentral bank. The country’s top judicial bodythe Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors(HSYK) published Wednesday a list of 2,224judges and prosecutors who have been reas-signed, the latest large-scale shakeup in thewake of a corruption scandal embroiling thegovernment.

Thousands of police and prosecutors havebeen dismissed or reassigned in what criticshave blasted as a government bid to stifle thegraft probe launched last year that targetsPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hisinner circle. Erdogan has blamed the scandalon supporters of his former ally, exiled Islamiccleric Fetullah Gulen, who he accuses of tryingto topple him.

Meanwhile, the central bank has replacedfive executives after Erdogan’s strong criti-cism of the interest rate policies pursued byits governor Erdem Basci, local media report-ed yesterday. In January, the bank aggressive-ly hiked key interest rates, drawing the wrathof Erdogan who has banked on strong eco-nomic growth since coming to power in 2003.Erdogan, who is tipped to run for the presi-dency in August, is accused of increasinglyauthoritarian policies and polarizing the pre-dominantly Muslim but staunchly secularnation.

Protesters go on trial In another development, more than two

dozen anti-government protesters went ontrial yesterday in Turkey, accused of organiz-ing last year’s demonstrations in whatAmnesty International denounced as a “showtrial”. An Istanbul court began hearing thecase against 26 members of the Taksim

Solidarity umbrella group, who are accused ofleading the protests that erupted in June2013 and posed the biggest challenge yet toPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 11-year rule. The activists, who include doctors,architects and engineers, face charges includ-ing founding a crime syndicate, violating pub-lic order and organizing illegal proteststhrough social media and face up to 29 yearsif convicted.

Last June’s protests started as a small envi-ronmentalist movement to stop the re-devel-opment of Istanbul’s Gezi Park and quicklyblew up into wider nationwide demonstra-tions against Erdogan’s authoritarian style

that left at least eight people dead and some8,000 injured after police brutally crackeddown on protesters. Amnesty Internationalurged the Turkish authorities to abandonwhat it called a “show trial”.

‘No shred of evidence’“This is a vindictive, politically motivated

show trial without a shred of evidence ofactual crimes. It should be stopped at the firsthearing,” Andrew Gardner, AmnestyInternational’s researcher on Turkey, said in astatement. “The prosecution has concocted acase simply to send a strong message to therest of Turkey that the authorities will ruth-

lessly pursue anyone who dissents and organ-izes protests against government policies.”The activist group was formed in 2012 afterthe government announced plans to redevel-op Gezi Park, one of the last remaining greenspaces in central Istanbul, and neighboringTaksim Square, the country’s most symbolicrallying point.

The group met Erdogan at the height ofthe unrest to discuss the protesters’ demands,only to be accused by the premier of being“traitors” aiming to destabilize the govern-ment. Mucella Yapici, 63, general secretary ofIstanbul Chamber of Architects is one of thekey accused. She told AFP she was brieflydetained by police, who stripped her nakedand deprived her of medication for a range ofchronic illnesses. But she said she was notafraid to spend the rest of her life behind bars.“I’ve lived a full life. It doesn’t matter where Ispend the rest of it when you consider that a14-year-old boy has been killed,” she saidahead of the trial, referring to Berkin Elvanwho died of injuries sustained during theunrest. Her lawyer Turgut Kazan said therewas not enough evidence that a criminalorganization had been formed. “There is onlyone sentence in the indictment that suggestswhy my client is being accused of founding acrime organization: ‘Because she cametogether with other people’,” he said. Also ontrial is Ali Cerkezoglu, secretary general of theIstanbul Medical Chamber, who treated sever-al wounded protesters.

In January, Turkey passed a new law mak-ing it a crime for doctors to provide emer-gency first aid without a permit, which criticssaid was an attempt to block doctors fromtreating protesters. Several trials related tothe protests are already taking place acrossthe country, but yesterday’s trial has the high-est profile. —Agencies

Turkey widens purge in judiciary, central bankAnti-government protesters go on trial

ISTANBUL: Supporters of the Taksim Solidarity umbrella group (holding flags and signs)gather in front of the Caglayan law court as more than two dozen anti-government pro-testers are going on trial. — AFP


DUBAI: Iran is “busy redesigning” a plannedresearch reactor to sharply cut its potentialoutput of plutonium - a possible nuclearbomb fuel, a senior Iranian official said incomments that seemed to address a thornyissue in negotiations with big powers. Thefuture of the Arak plant is among severalsticking points that Iran and six world powersneed to resolve if they are to reach a deal bylate July on limiting the country’s disputednuclear program in exchange for an end tosanctions.

The main stumbling block is the permissi-ble scope of uranium enrichment in Iran. Thelack of progress in bridging negotiating gapshas left the self-imposed July 20 deadline fora long-term settlement looking increasinglyunrealistic, and Iran has said a six-monthextension of the talks may be necessary. TheWest is worried that Arak, once operational,could provide a supply of plutonium - one oftwo materials, along with highly enricheduranium, that can trigger a nuclear explo-sion. Iran says the 40-megawatt Arak reactoris intended to produce isotopes for cancerand other medical treatments. It agreed tohalt installation work at Arak under a six-month interim deal struck with the powers

last November that was geared to buy timefor negotiations on a comprehensive accord.After the latest round of talks in Vienna inMay, a diplomat from one of the powers saidIran had appeared to row back on its previ-ous openness to address Western fearsabout the nuclear weapons potential of Arak.Iran has since dismissed as “ridiculous” onemooted solution to such worries.

But the head of Iran’s atomic energyorganization, Ali Akbar Salehi, appeared toreturn to a more conciliatory stance in com-ments to the official IRNA news agency lateon Wednesday. The amount of plutoniumthe reactor will be able to yield will bereduced to less than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) from9-10 kg (20-22 pounds) annually in its origi-nal design, he said. Western experts say 9-10kg would be enough for 1-2 nuclear bombsand that Arak’s capacity should be scaledback. “We are currently busy redesigningthat reactor to arrange for that alteration,”Salehi was quoted by IRNA as saying. Aftertalks with senior US officials earlier this week,Iran questioned the feasibility of the Julydeadline for a permanent accord that wouldminimize the risk of a wider Middle East warover Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. While an

extension is possible under the terms of thetalks, experts believe both Iran and the pow-ers may face domestic political pressures totoughen their terms during this extra timeperiod, further clouding the outlook for abreakthrough. The next round of negotia-tions will be held in the Austrian capitalVienna on June 16-20.

Grounds for optimismIn April, Princeton University experts said

that Arak’s annual plutonium productioncould be lowered to less than 1 kg - wellbelow the roughly 8 kg needed for an atomicbomb - if Iran changed the way Arak isfuelled and lowered its power capacity.However, Iran expert Ali Vaez said the majorpowers and Israel - Iran’s arch foe - “remainconcerned that Iran could suddenly revert tothe original design and build a reprocessingfacility” needed to extract plutonium fromspent reactor fuel.

“That would be a lengthy but hard-to-stop process,” Vaez, of the International CrisisGroup think-tank, said in a report. Heavy-water reactors like Arak, fuelled by naturaluranium, are seen as especially suitable foryielding plutonium. —Reuters

Political quake coulddoom Obama

immigration hopesWASHINGTON: President Barack Obama rejected Wednesday thenotion that the shock election defeat of a top Republican leaderhad effectively dashed his hopes of passing a new legacy enhanc-ing immigration bill. Obama hurriedly regrouped following thesudden eclipse of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primaryelection, in which his neophyte opponent blasted him as a favor-ing “amnesty” for illegal immigrants.

There has been little love lost between Cantor and Obama-butthe Republican chieftain had been seen as open to some limitedreform of a system that has left 12 million illegal immigrants in lim-bo. Now, few political observers believe Republicans facing toughprimary fights for their party nominations or tight mid-term elec-tion races in November, will welcome tricky votes on a reform drivereviled by conservatives.

But Obama, speaking to an audience of wealthy Democraticdonors in Massachusetts, begged to differ. “It is interesting to listento the pundits and the analysts,” Obama said. “Some of the con-ventional wisdom talks about the politics of immigration reform(being) impossible now. “I fundamentally reject that. I will tell thespeaker of the House that he needs to reject it,” said Obama, rea-soning that Cantor lost because he failed to show sufficient leader-ship on immigration. “We need to get immigration reform done.”The Senate has already passed a bill to further secure US borders,reform visa procedures and offer an eventual path to citizenship toillegal immigrants.

But the House has yet to act, with Republican leaders loath toexpose their rank-and-file to the fury of conservative primary vot-ers. The stunning primary defeat of Cantor in his Virginia congres-sional district by college professor Dave Brat, a hero of the radicalconservative Tea Party faction, ranked as one of the biggest elec-toral upsets in decades. Brookings Institution senior fellow AudreySinger said that hopes of passing immigration reform were previ-ously “slim” and “this might be the nail in the coffin.” Immigrationdoes not tell the whole story of Cantor’s demise-he had apparentlylost touch with his district-but the perception that it did him in maybe enough.

Busted hopesBusted hopes of reform are not just bad news for Obama, who

desperately needs a triumph to flesh out a thin second term. Inrecent presidential elections, Republicans have slumped amongHispanic voters - for whom immigration reform is an article of faith.Many political professionals believe the party will never recapturethe White House without repairing ties to the fast-growing com-munity. In 2012, Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney by 71 per-cent to 27 percent among Hispanics, who made the difference insome key swing states. But the recent political lesson is that anyRepublican who touches immigration reform is burned-TexasGovernor Rick Perry stumbled on the issue and saw his presidentialcampaign crumble in 2012. A possible Republican presidential can-didate in 2016, Senator Marco Rubio, has struggled to rebuild hisfortunes after championing Senate immigration reform last year.

Pressure was already piling on Obama Wednesday to use hisown power to reshape immigration laws. The president hasprotested to supporters angry at the high rate of deportations thathe simply cannot rewrite the law. But activists say he could dictatewho is thrown out-putting people who are not criminals at thebottom of the list. So far, he has held off from unilateral moves, togive House Republican Speaker John Boehner a chance to navigatethe narrow path through his support base for a vote on reform. Hemay also fear an explosive political backlash that could jeopardizehopes of reform in future presidencies. — AFP

GLEN ALLEN: College economics professor and Republican candidate for Congress David Brat (right) poses on a motor-cycle with members of Heaven’s Saints motorcycle ministry Randy “Zippo” Breen (left) and Tanner “Clear Coat”Mansfield at the Golden Corral during a campaign stop in Glen Allen, Virginia. — AFP

Iran ‘redesigning’ reactor to cut plutonium capacityWest worried Arak could yield plutonium for bombs

WASHINGTON: Political polarization in America hasbroken out of the voting booth. A new survey from thePew Research Center finds Americans are divided byideology and partisanship not only when they cast bal-lots, but also in choosing where to live, where to gettheir news and with whom to associate. And peacefulcoexistence is increasingly difficult. According to thepoll, the share of Americans who hold across-the-boardconservative or liberal views has doubled in the lastdecade, from 10 percent in 2004 to 21 percent today.Only 39 percent of Americans have an even mix of lib-eral and conservative positions, down from 49 percent10 years ago.

The numbers of ideological purists are larger amongthe politically engaged than the general public, sug-

gesting the ideological stalemates that have becomemore common in Washington and statehouses aroundthe country are likely to continue. A third of those whosay they regularly vote in primaries have all-or-nothingideological views, as do 41 percent who say they havedonated money to a campaign.

And among partisans, ideological purity is now thestandard. Majorities in both parties hold either uniform-ly liberal (on the Democratic side) or conservative(among the GOP) views. The shift toward ideologicalpurity has been more visible among Republicans due tothe popularity of the tea party, seen most recently thisweek in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s loss to atea party-based challenger in Virginia, but the surveyfound it’s happening in nearly equal measure among

Democrats. Those differences in visibility are partly dueto the Democratic hold on the White House, accordingto Pew Research Center Vice President Michael Dimock.“Levels of alarm about the direction of the nation, andabout the ‘threat’ the other party poses to the country,are substantially higher on the right than on the leftright now, and at least in part this reflects the fact thatBarack Obama is in the White House,” Dimock said.

But Democrats have expressed their share of distrustin the past, he noted in an email. “Democrats felt prettypassionately about George W Bush and the GOP in hissecond term,” he said. The survey used a battery of 10questions on issues such as regulation of business, useof the military, the environment and immigration toassess ideological leanings. —AP

Political split outgrows the voting booth in US

15I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

SLAVYANSK: For Aleksandra, a woman inher 80s, survival in the war zone comesdown to one thing: water. Like many othersin the flashpoint eastern Ukrainian city ofSlavyansk, she has come to central LeninSquare to fill her bottle from the stagnantpool at the fountain. She has no otherchoice. “It’s mostly for washing. If I drink it, Iboil it first,” she said, declining to give herlast name. “There’s no water anymore, nopower, no nothing.”

For the past week, since fightingbetween pro-Russian rebels and govern-ment troops led to the destruction of thewater supply, a trip to the fountain on LeninSquare has become a daily routine for manypeople in Slavyansk. That’s the price theyhave to pay for living in a city which hasbeen a stronghold of pro-Russian insurgentssince April. It’s a fate that they have to sharewith millions of others in the Donetsk regionof eastern Ukraine, where the water supplyhas been curtailed or halted entirely. But in

the streets of Slavyansk, a city of 120,000 res-idents, fighting takes place nearly every day.In those conditions, survival has become aconstant struggle for the city’s helplesslytrapped civilians-men, women and children.

‘Closed forever’ A long line of people suggests that there

is something sparse and desirable on offer. Itturns out to be bottled water. Even basiccommodities are in short supply inSlavyansk. Almost no businesses remain inoperation. “Closed forever,” reads a sign infront of one shop. Only a small supermarketremains open, along with a cafe, which nowcloses at 6 pm because of the hostilities,rather than 11 pm. “We’re probably braverthan most. One day they were shooting justnext door, but we kept working,” said a wait-ress at the cafe, which makes do withoutwater and power, with a menu consisting ofjust two items: Salad and meat cooked overa gas flame. The city is almost entirely cut off

from the outside world. The Internet doesn’twork any longer, and only a few operatorsare able to provide telephone services. “Atleast, we can go bathing in the river,” saidPasha, a man in his 50s.

‘Chernobyl’ Almost three decades ago, Ukraine

topped the global news agenda whenChernobyl saw the worst nuclear power acci-dent in history. Svetlana, a Slavyansk resi-dent, sees eerie parallels between that disas-ter and the one befalling her city. “You’vegot cables hanging down everywhere.You’ve got houses in ruin,” she said. “Andthis is a place where people used to live,used to work.” In the city centre, signs of thefighting are everywhere. The facades ofbuildings have been blown away, and bro-ken glass covers almost every street.Throughout the day, it resembles a ghosttown. Only occasionally, people venture outon their bicycles. The streets belong to the

pro-Russian militia, whose members carryout patrols in their vehicles, brandishingweapons.”They told us they are providingdefense. But against what? I’m not sure Iunderstand,” said an elderly woman.

Slavyansk has been her home for 45years, but now she only wants to leave, justlike her children and grandchildren, whohave already gone to stay with friends acrossthe border in Russia. “My husband is sick,and we can’t go. Otherwise, we would havebeen out of here a long time ago,” she said.While Slavyansk is in rebel hands, theUkrainian army surrounds the city and, somesay, is behind frequent explosions believedto be artillery or mortar fire. Ukrainian sol-diers control access to Slavyansk, and carryout strict checks of journalists trying to enter.A team of AFP journalists had to wait twohours at a checkpoint before being allowedto pass. “All armed men must leave,” said theelderly woman. “That’s the only way torestore calm.”— AFP

Without water, East Ukrainians struggle to survive

SALAHUDDIN: A militant of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses with the trademark Islamists flag afterthey allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin. — AFP

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Kurds took control of the northern oil city ofKirkuk yesterday after government forces abandoned theirposts in the face of a sweeping Sunni Islamist rebel pushtowards Baghdad that threatens Iraq’s future as a unifiedstate. Peshmerga fighters, the security forces of Iraq’sautonomous Kurdish north, swept into bases in Kirkuk vacatedby the army, a Peshmerga spokesman said. “The whole ofKirkuk has fallen into the hands of Peshmerga,” said JabbarYawar. “No Iraqi army remains in Kirkuk now.” Kurds have longdreamed of taking Kirkuk and its huge oil reserves. Theyregard the city, just outside their autonomous region, as theirhistorical capital, and Peshmerga units were already present inan uneasy balance with government forces.

The swift move by their highly organized security forces toseize full control demonstrates how this week’s suddenadvance by fighters of the Al-Qaeda offshoot Islamic State ofIraq and the Levant (ISIL) has redrawn Iraq’s map. SinceTuesday, black clad ISIL fighters have seized Iraq’s secondbiggest city Mosul and Tikrit, home town of former dictatorSaddam Hussein, as well as other towns and cities north ofBaghdad. They continued their lightning advance yesterday,

moving into towns just an hour’s drive from the capital.The army of the Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s gov-

ernment in Baghdad has essentially fled in the face of theonslaught, abandoning buildings and weapons to the fighterswho aim to create a strict Sunni Caliphate on both sides of theIraq-Syria frontier. The stunning advance of ISIL, effectivelyseizing northern Iraq’s main population centers in a matter ofdays, is the biggest threat to Iraq since US troops withdrew in2011. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homesin fear.

The administration of President Barack Obama has comeunder fire for failing to do enough to shore up the govern-ment in Baghdad before pulling out its troops. Security andpolice sources said Sunni militants now controlled parts of thesmall town of Udhaim, 90 km north of Baghdad, after most ofthe army troops left their positions and withdrew towards thenearby town of Khalis.

“We are waiting for supporting troops and we are deter-mined not to let them take control. We are afraid that terror-ists are seeking to cut the main highway that links Baghdad tothe north,” said a police officer in Udhaim. —Reuters

Sunni militants march towards Baghdad as Kurds take Kirkuk

Iraqi army flees in face of Sunni militant advance

Central Africanscall for rearming

of ragtag armyBANGUI: Since thousands of foreign troops have struggled in vainfor more than a year to quell sectarian violence in the CentralAfrican Republic, growing numbers of people want the notoriouslyragtag army rearmed. The idea is anathema to the internationalcommunity, but it is backed by transitional President CatherineSamba Panza amid growing hostility towards the foreign militarypresence in the impoverished country of 4.6 million people. Africanand French peacekeepers are authorized to use force to disarm bru-tal rival militias, but have so far failed to turn a tide of violence andatrocities that has claimed thousands of lives and caused a quarterof the population, mainly Muslims, to flee their homes.

At the weekend, hundreds of regular soldiers-minus theirweapons-converged on the Kassai military camp outside the capitalBangui for a weekly parade. As usual, the scene was happily chaotic,with some soldiers arriving four to a motorcycle, none wearingexactly the same uniform and some sporting basketball tank tops.“This army is no more than a skeleton, but we are determined and itis now up to the politicians to decide what to do with us,” saidLieutenant Alain Taddas. “We want to be rearmed because the peo-ple want it, to make this country safe.”

Most of the regular Central African Armed Forces (FACA), whichnumbers nearly 8,000, are based in Bangui. Soldiers became infa-mous, particularly in the 1990s, for successive mutinies mainly overunpaid wages. After failing to stop a coup mounted by the mainlyMuslim Seleka movement in March 2013, the FACA was summarilydisarmed and soldiers stopped receiving their pay. Many decom-missioned soldiers joined mainly Christian vigilante groups set upto go after Seleka members-predominantly Muslim-who wentrogue despite winning power in Bangui, embarking on a campaignof killing, raping and looting.

The country’s Minister of Justice Isabelle Gaudeuille announcedon Wednesday that it had requested the International CriminalCourt to investigate crimes committed over the past two years, say-ing the court’s intervention would be “indispensible” in prosecutingthose who carried out “the most serious of these crimes.”

The international community stepped in and removed theSeleka in January this year, while salary payments resumed to FACAsoldiers in March. But the army has remained sidelined from anyrole in resolving the latest crisis in the unstable former Frenchcolony, which lacks a functioning national administration afteryears of coups and misrule.

People feel ‘abandoned’On Bangui’s streets, many view the peacekeepers with suspi-

cion, seeing the force of more than 5,000 soldiers deployed by theAfrican Union as being too close to the former rebels. They alsoconsider the French contingent of about 2,000 incapable of disarm-ing the rampaging militias respectively drawn mainly from Muslimand Christian communities. “Given that the UN resolutions on dis-arming the militias are no longer being applied, the people feelthey are being left to their own devices, abandoned,” complainedEric Willibyro Sako, one of the organizers of recent protestsdemanding the rearming of the FACA. The UN Security Council vot-ed in February to strengthen the peacekeepers’ mandate, authoriz-ing them to use force amid warnings of a potential genocide. Itmade disarming the rival sides their central task. —AFP


ALMATY: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (left) speaks to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) during theirmeeting in Burabai outside Almaty yesterday. —AFP

ROME: Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s plansto reform Italian politics suffered a setbackyesterday when 13 senators from his cen-tre-left Democratic Party (PD) withdrewtheir backing in protest against his movesfor constitutional change. Renzi will not beassured of a majority in the Senate, theupper house of parliament, without thedefectors, which will make it difficult forhim to push through legislation.

The row centres on Renzi’s plans toreplace the Senate as an elected chamberwith one made up of mayors, regionalcouncillors and appointees of the head ofstate. He also plans to curb its powers so itsapproval is not needed to pass the budgetor most other bills and he would removeits power to bring down a governmentwith a confidence vote. Renzi, the 39-year-old former mayor of Florence, set out hisplans when he took office in February, say-ing the Senate was a drag on the legislativeprocess and a financial drain on resources.

But the reform has been held up in theSenate Constitutional Affairs Committee.This week, Renzi removed two PD oppo-nents of the plan from the committee.

In a shock response yesterday, 13 PD

senators said they were “suspending them-selves” from the party and accused Renziof authoritarian tactics at odds with theconstitution. Giuseppe Civati, a PD deputyfrequently critical of Renzi, said his removalof the senators from the committee was “apolitical error” and rebuked him for tryingto “eliminate dissent” in the party. The sen-ators did not say they would leave the PDitself and their action was seen more as awarning shot to Renzi than an immediatethreat to his government’s survival. Acrushing victory by the PD in elections tothe European Parliament last month waswidely seen as a personal triumph forRenzi, but despite his personal popularityhe has so far made little headway with araft of promised reforms.

Tax cut When Renzi ousted party rival Enrico

Letta to become prime minister he said hewould “revolutionize” Italy with a majorreform each month, but he has had tocome to terms with the difficulties of lead-ing a fractious coalition and resistancefrom sections of his own party. He pushedthrough a popular cut in income tax for

low earners, but promised reforms of thelabor market, the public administrationand the judicial system have been modestor have not yet been presented.

His blueprint for an overhaul of theelectoral law, agreed in January with cen-tre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi, has alsomade no progress in parliament andBerlusconi frequently suggests he may pullhis support. Renzi, who has been on a tourof Asia this week, said on Wednesday theEuropean elections showed Italians backhim and he was determined to pursuereforms despite political resistance.

“Considering that votes count for morethan vetoes, we will be carrying on withour heads high,” he told reporters in China.

The rebels say they are in favor ofreforming the Senate, including reducingthe current number of 315 elected sena-tors, but they want senators to continue tobe elected directly rather than chosen byregional councils and mayors. However,since winning the PD leadership, Renzi hasproven highly effective in overcominginternal dissent and his supporters madeclear they had no intention of compromis-ing.—Reuters

Italian PM faces party revolt over reform plan

Renzi’s position bolstered by European election win

A family poses for a picture inside their tent at the ZamZam refugee camp for internally displaced people (IDP) inNorth Darfur, Sudan. Thousands of people, mostlywomen, children, and the elderly, have sought refuge inZam Zam camp, following an armed militia attack on theirvillages more than three months ago. —AP

Another deal, but South Sudan far from peaceNAIROBI: South Sudan’s warring leadershave agreed another deal aimed at endingsix months of civil war but even if this oneholds, analysts expect violence to getworse before the situation can improve.

After several failed deals, many areskeptical that either President Salva Kiir orhis arch-rival Riek Machar really want anegotiated end to the conflict, and insteadbelieve a military victory is still possible.“This agreement was signed under greatpressure, including from the region, but itwill only stick if both Kiir and Machar per-ceive it to be in their best interests,” saidJames Copnall, author of a recent book onSouth Sudan, “A Poisonous Thorn in ourHearts”. “The evidence of the last few

months, during which both the govern-ment and the rebels have frequently bro-ken the cessation of hostilities agreementsthey had signed, suggests it would beunwise to be too optimistic.” War in theyoung nation has already killed thousandsand forced more than 1.3 million peoplefrom their homes. But even if negotiationsprogress, some fear it will create furtherviolence, as leaders jostle for power in aproposed transitional government whichthe enemies agreed a 60-day deadline tosettle. “Political movement forward is criti-cal but there will be a fallout on theground as well,” said Casie Copeland fromthe International Crisis Group (ICG).

“There are concerns as negotiations

progress towards a transitional govern-ment, that it will create extra instability onthe ground, as each side seeks to weakenthe other and shore up their own base,”she said.

After heavy battles early in the year,when major towns were razed as theyswitched hands several times betweengovernment forces and rebels, the conflictappears to be settling down into a miser-able low-level civil war. “The last fewmonths have shown how little either sidecares for international rules of warfare, orfor civilian lives,” said Copnall. “More con-flict will mean more rapes, more murders,thousands more pushed towards starva-tion,” he added.— AFP

BRUSSELS: British Prime Minister David Cameron faced newtension with German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterdayafter his group in the European Parliament voted to acceptGermany’s anti-euro AfD party into its political family. TheEuropean Conservatives and Reformists, which Cameronformed in 2009 after withdrawing from the European People’sParty, Europe’s main centre-right group, voted in favor of let-ting Alternative fuer Deutschland into the bloc.

Voting figures were not immediately released but AfDleaders said in a statement they were admitted by a “clearmajority” despite strong political pressure to block them.

“Welcome to the @AfD_Bund party which has joined theECR Group this morning,” the ECR announced on its Twitterfeed. “Our successful admission is a victory against those whoput huge pressure on members of the (ECR) group becausethey wanted to prevent, for domestic political reasons, theAfD from being recognized and strengthened,” AfD leaderBernd Lucke said.

With the addition of AfD’s seven seats, the ECR will nowhave 62 seats in the European Parliament, making it the thirdlargest group after the EPP and the Socialists, ahead of thepro-European centrist liberals.

It may gain a handful more if a small Bulgarian party joins.But while the ECR has gained power and influence, Cameron’sstrength within it has declined and yesterday’s decision leaveshim in an uncomfortable position with Merkel, whose CDUparty is the driving force within the rival EPP. Cameron needsMerkel as an ally if he is to get a candidate acceptable toBritain as president of the European Commission and if hisdrive for a market-friendly, decentralizing reform of the EU isto move ahead. Although AfD is not opposed to the EuropeanUnion, it has suggested weaker member should leave the sin-gle currency and it disagrees with Merkel’s broader Europeanpolicy. It also opposes a planned free-trade agreementbetween the EU and United States.

Secret ballot Officials within the ECR would not say how Cameron’s 20

Conservatives - a minority of the 55 lawmakers eligible to vote- had cast their ballots. But one source said “a couple” haddefied Cameron and supported the AfD. Syed Kamall, leaderof the British caucus within the ECR, told Reuters by email: “Itwas a secret ballot. But the prime minister made his viewsvery clear to us. He asked me as leader of the BritishConservatives to make it clear he wished the ConservativeMEPs not to vote in favor of the AfD.”

In a move to soften the blow, a source close to Cameronsaid the Conservative Party would work to reinforce ties withMerkel’s Christian Democrats. But Cameron faces a tough jobexplaining to Merkel what line the ECR will take on policyissues such as free trade and market liberalisation, andwhether he can control a group that is at sharp odds with themain centre-right bloc.

As well as the AfD, the group has taken in the far-right,anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party and the Finns, a nation-alist Finnish party that has shaken up domestic politics.

Yesterday’s decision may also make it harder for Cameronto convince Merkel that Jean-Claude Juncker, the EPP’s candi-date to be European Commission president, is the wrong manfor the job. — Reuters

Anti-euro GermanAfD joins

Cameron’s group


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yesterday condemned the first USdrone strikes on its soil this year despite suspicions the twocountries coordinated over the attack in the aftermath of aTaleban siege of Karachi airport. The strikes took place overWednesday night and early yesterday morning, killing at least16 militants in the North Waziristan tribal district that lies onthe Afghan border, in the first such attacks since December.They came in the same week as the Taleban claimed responsi-bility for an all-night siege of Karachi airport that left 37 deadincluding 10 attackers, shredding a nascent peace process andplacing pressure on Islamabad to react decisively. The foreignoffice issued a tersely worded statement condemning thestrikes as “a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorialintegrity”. “Additionally, these strikes have a negative impacton the government’s efforts to bring peace and stability inPakistan and the region,” the statement said.

A foreign office spokeswoman told AFP that rumors ofPakistan requesting the attack were “speculation”. But a seniorretired diplomat who is familiar with tribal affairs said: “Thegovernment must have consented to this attack. It could nothave happened without that.” Washington reportedly sus-pended its drone program in December to give Islamabadtime to pursue a dialogue process with the TTP aimed at end-ing a seven year insurgency that has claimed thousands oflives. The dialogue resulted in a month-long ceasefire betweenMarch and April but later broke down, with Pakistan resumingair strikes in suspected militant hideouts in the tribal areas.The army was widely seen as being opposed to the dialoguebecause of the heavy casualties it has sustained at the hands ofthe Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), which views them as a mercenaryforce serving foreign interests. But following the breakdown ofthe talks and the Karachi attack, observers believe both civiland military authorities are converging on the need for moreconcerted action. Leaked documents have shown deep coop-eration over drone attacks in the past, but they remain contro-versial with critics charging they cause many civilian casualties.Some 2,171 people have been killed in drone attacks sinceAugust 2008, according to an AFP tally.

Uzbek fighters slain The US drone strikes took place within hours of each

other as militants gathered to dig out the bodies andsearch for the injured. The first struck a vehicle and acompound in the village of Dargah Mandi in NorthWaziristan, where almost 60,000 residents have fled sinceMay fearing a long-rumored offensive. An intelligenceofficial in Miranshah, the region’s main town some 10kilometres (six miles) east of the village, said the missileshad struck a pick-up truck carrying about six militantsand laden with explosives. “Four of them were Uzbeksand two were Punjabi Taleban,” he said, referring to mili-tants from Pakistan’s central Punjab province. The TTPconfirmed to AFP on Wednesday that the Karachi airportsiege was carried out by Uzbek fighters belonging to theInternational Movement for Uzbekistan in a “joint opera-tion”. —AFP

First US drone strikesthis year kill 16

militants in Pakistan

SILIGURI: Indian rescued child laborers, take part in a procession on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labor in Siliguriyesterday. Some 28 million Indian children are engaged in some form of labor, according to a UNICEF estimate. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Swathes of north India are sweltering under thelongest heatwave on record, triggering widespread breakdowns inthe supply of electricity and increasingly angry protests over thegovernment’s failure to provide people with basic services. Thepower crisis and heatwave, which some activists say has causeddozens of deaths, is one of the first major challenges for PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, who was elected three weeks ago partlyon promises to provide reliable electricity supplies.

In Delhi, where temperatures have hit 45 Celsius (113Fahrenheit) for six days straight, residents marched through thestreets in protests organized by opposition parties on Thursday. Inthe north of the city, people enraged by night-long outagesclashed with police and torched a bus, media reported. Delhi is suf-fering staggered cuts as power companies ration spikes in demandas people crank up air coolers to fight the heat. Modi has inheritedthe shortages from his predecessors, and power distribution is par-tially the responsibility of state governments.

Residents staged sit-in protests outside electricity substations inthe state of Uttar Pradesh late on Wednesday, days after protestershad set substations on fire and taken power officials hostage afterweeks of daily blackouts. “God alone can provide any relief fromthe prevailing power crisis,” said AP Misra, director of Uttar PradeshPower Corporation. Having drawn on all available supplies, Misrasaid power would only return once rain arrived and demand fell.The protests and collapse in the power supply underline how ill-

equipped much of India remains to sudden surges in temperature,which many worry are happening more frequently because ofchanges in the climate and rapid urbanization.

BodiesFor LD Chopra, a 76-year old asthmatic in Delhi, the power cuts

almost mean the difference between life and death. Chopra wastaken to hospital on May 31 after falling unconscious when amachine he depends on for oxygen support switched off in theoutages, he said. Like Chopra’s home in the east of the city, muchof Delhi has been without power for 10 hours per day in the lastweek, after a jump in demand and damage from a thunderstormoverwhelmed the grid, causing blackouts. Seventy-nine unidenti-fied bodies were discovered in Delhi in the last four days, said theCentre of Holistic Development, a group working to end homeless-ness. Founder Sunil Kumar Aledia attributed the high number ofdeaths to the extreme weather. India has long-suffered deadlyheatwaves. Periods of extreme temperatures have led to thousandsof deaths since the 1990s, largely in rural areas where basic infra-structure is poor. RK Jenamani, director of the meteorological officein Delhi, said his research did not point to any long-term trend ofrising temperatures. But a combination of urbanization, extensiveuse of concrete and more cars did appear to be changing microcli-mates within and near cities, exacerbating the impact of heat-waves, he said. —Reuters

India swelters under record heatwave sparking protests

Homeless deaths up because of extreme heat

CHENNAI: One of the multitude of Indian emigrant doc-tors, Paul Ramesh moved to Britain in the 1990s, keen toget the best surgical training and earn a generous paypacket. Today he is still treating Westerners-but in hospitalbeds back in Chennai, his south Indian hometown in TamilNadu state. “When I came back it was quite exceptional toreturn. Now it’s the rule,” the 46-year-old told AFP at thecity’s Apollo hospital, soon after performing a heart trans-plant on a woman from the United States.

In Chennai, known as India’s healthcare capital, medicalworkers describe a “reverse brain drain” as homegrowndoctors return from the US and Europe-at the same timeas the city develops as a top budget destination for med-ical tourists. While the number of Indian doctors abroadremains substantial, Apollo staff say their national hospitalchain now gets 300 applications annually from thoseworking in Britain alone, encouraged by improved livingstandards and better medical technology at home.

Traditionally drawn to the West to boost their expertiseand earnings, doctors also cited tightening salaries under

Britain’s National Health Service and increasingly tough UShealthcare regulations as factors luring them back. “Thetrend is reversing,” said M Balasubramanian, president ofthe Indian Medical Association in Tamil Nadu. “More cor-porate hospitals are coming up, especially in Chennai.Now (doctors) have an opportunity to use their expertisein their own place... and pull the patients from abroadalso,” he said.

Inside the Apollo, with a lobby bustling more like amarketplace than a typical hospital, KP Kosygan has justcarried out a double knee replacement on an elderlyKenyan patient. The consultant orthopaedic surgeon cameback from Britain in 2011 and said there was “a regularstream of doctors coming back”. “Certainly when I leftIndia there were not many joint replacement centers orsurgeons in India who could train us,” he said. Now doc-tors want to “share our experience we have gained acrossthe globe,” he said-adding that many were also pulledback to look after ageing parents, in a country where fami-ly ties are paramount. —AFP

Indian doctors come home to the medical tourism hub

CHENNAI: Consultant orthopedic surgeon and specialist in joint replacement andarthoscopic surgery K P Kosygan (2nd L) gesturing as he speaks with a Nigerianpatient who underwent surgery at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai. — AFP


GENEVA: India has rebuffed accusations bya UN investigator that sex crimes are rife inthe world’s biggest democracy, calling heranalysis “simplistic” and full of “sweepinggeneralizations”. India’s large northern stateof Uttar Pradesh has seen a wave of violenceand sex crimes, including the rape and mur-der of two girls aged 12 and 14, whichstirred national outrage.

The United Nations special rapporteur onviolence against women, Rashida Manjoo,said violence against women was systematicand continued “from womb to tomb” in areport submitted to the UN Human RightsCouncil in Geneva.

“According to numerous interlocutors,the physical, sexual and psychological abuse

of women in the private sphere is widely tol-erated by the State and the community,”Manjoo wrote. In its response, posted on theCouncil’s website on Thursday, India calledthat allegation “baseless”. It said she hadmade “unsubstantiated yet sweeping gener-alizations”. “We do not agree with thelabelling of ‘violence against women in Indiaas systematic’,” India said. “Such a sweepingremark smacks of a highly prejudiced stateof mind.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saidon Wednesday that respecting and protect-ing women should be a priority for the 1.25billion people in India. “The government willhave to act,” Modi said, breaking his silenceon the crime wave. Manjoo, a South African

law professor, said India should try to raiseawareness of practices such as acid attacksagainst women who refuse a marriage pro-posal, so-called honor crimes where familymembers murder a woman because theybelieve she has dishonored them for exam-ple by opposing an arranged marriage, aswell as executions of women branded as“witches”.

Her report ranged from decrying degrad-ing tests used on rape victims to urgingIndia to define marital rape as a criminaloffence and to repeal a law that criminalizedconsensual same-sex behavior.

On honor killings, the government said itgave “due consideration” to an Indian LawCommission report that had suggested a

legal framework to tackle the practice. It said“witch-hunts” were not a national phenome-non and complaints were always investigat-ed. It said Manjoo should have informed thegovernment if she knew of specific caseswhere there had been a complaint but noinvestigation.

India’s response to Manjoo’s report listed16 allegations that it said were not backedup by facts. The examples it gave includedher claim that sexual violence was wide-spread across the country, that members ofthe security forces had committed massrapes, that trafficking of women and girls toand from India was widespread, and thatpolice and officials discriminated againstpeople from certain castes. — Reuters

India rebuffs ‘simplistic’ UN flak over sex crimes

KANDAHAR: Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers keep watch at a checkpoint in Kandahar yesterday. Afghans head tothe polls June 14 for a second-round election to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, with the threat ofTaleban attacks and fraud looming over the country’s first democratic transfer of power. — AFP

Afghans to vote in run-off election as US troops exit

Threats of Taleban attacks, poll fraud loomKABUL: Afghans head to the polls tomor-row for a second-round election tochoose a successor to President HamidKarzai, with the threat of Taleban attacksand fraud looming over the country’s firstdemocratic transfer of power. The votepits former foreign minister AbdullahAbdullah against ex-World Bank econo-mist Ashraf Ghani in a head-to-head con-test to lead Afghanistan as US-led troopswithdraw after 13 years of f ightingTaleban insurgents.

April’s first-round vote was hailed asuccess as turnout topped 50 percentand Islamist militants failed to launch anyhigh-profile attacks on polling day. Buttomorrow presents another major chal-lenge in the prolonged election process,which began with campaigning in earlyFebruary and will end when the finalresult is announced on July 22. “There isconcern that the enemy who failed in thefirst round will seek revenge, but we canassure you they will fail again,” General

Afzal Aman, head of Afghan army opera-tions, told reporters.

“We have been conducting missionsall over Afghanistan for election securityfor the past two months.” Ahead of thevote, the Taleban issued a warning tovoters, saying that polling booths wouldbe targeted by “non-stop” assaults. “Byholding elections, the Americans want toimpose their stooges on the people,” theinsurgents, who were ousted from powerby a US-led offensive in 2001, said ontheir website. International fears havefocused on the risk of tension betweenthe candidates’ supporters after theresult, which may be contested if thecount is close and serious fraud allega-tions are raised.

“No one should be complacent aboutwhat is at stake in the coming weeks,” USambassador James Cunningham said in astatement. “We call on both candidatesto direct their campaigns and supportersnot to engage in fraud. “It is our fervent

hope that the two candidates, with thefuture of their country in their hands atthis unprecedented time, will not seek awinner-take-all outcome.” The last presi-dential vote in 2009 was riddled withfraud, damaging relations between theAfghan government and the US-leddonor nations on which it relies for fund-ing. Abdullah eventually pulled out ofthat election, allowing Karzai to retainpower, but this year neither candidate islikely to back down if the result is close.

Advantage Abdullah? Ethnic frictions are also a concern as

Abdullah’s support is based among theTajik minority and other northern tribes,while Ghani is a Pashtun-Afghanistan’slargest ethnic group, which is strongestin the Taleban-infested south and east.Both candidates held a hectic schedule ofmeetings on Wednesday, the final day ofcampaigning before a 48-hour period ofsilence in the run-up to polling.— AFP

BANGKOK: A prominent anti-coup activist in Thailand facesup to 14 years in prison if convicted of incitement, computercrimes and ignoring a summons by the junta, police said yes-terday.

Sombat Boonngamanong, who led a social media cam-paign to stage peaceful but illegal rallies against the junta,was denied bail Thursday and is set to stand trial in a militarycourt. He has been charged with inciting unrest, violating thecomputer crime act and defying an order by the junta to turnhimself in, according to Prasopchoke Prommul, deputy com-mander of the police’s crime suppression division.

“We will bring him to the military court to seek his deten-tion,” he added. If found guilty, Sombat faces seven years injail for incitement, five years for spreading false informationover the Internet and two years for ignoring the summons,Prasopchoke said.

Sombat was one of several hundred politicians, activists,academics and journalists called in by the junta following theMay 22 coup. Those who attended were detained in secretlocations for up to a week and ordered to cease political activ-ities. Sombat, a prominent pro-democracy activist, refused toturn himself in, instead posting a message on Facebook say-ing: “Catch me if you can”. While on the run he urged follow-ers to stage peaceful public demonstrations, flashing thethree-finger salute from “The Hunger Games” films that hasbecome a symbol of defiance against the junta.

He was tracked down and arrested a week ago in Chonburi,southeast of Bangkok. The activist was taken to a militarycourt in Bangkok yesterday, escorted by police. “The courtdenied bail because his charges carry a high penalty,” said hislawyer Anond Nampa. No trial date has yet been set.

Sombat is the leader of a faction of the “Red Shirts” move-ment that broadly supports fugitive former premier ThaksinShinawatra and his sister Yingluck, who was deposed as primeminister last month. Former education minister ChaturonChaisang, who also refused to answer the summons, wasdetained by soldiers in a dramatic raid on a news conferencelast month, and faces trial in a military court.—AFP

Thai anti-coupleader may face

long jail sentence

BANGKOK: Thai anti-coup activist Sombat Boonn-gamanong (center) gestures as he arrives escorted bypolice and soldiers at a military court in Bangkok yester-day. — AFP


Page 22

Page 22

Green, yellow and blue World Cup fashion trends

Brands use music to speak

globally in World Cup

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

Celine Dion’s husband

steps down as manager

after 30 years

For the first time in her career, Canadian songstress Celine Dionhas appointed a new manager, as her husband steps downfrom the position he has held for more than 30 years. Rene

Angelil, who had a cancerous tumor removed from his throat inDecember, will now serve as chairman of Dion’s FeelingProductions Inc, the company said in a statement.

“It is with great pleasure and with the utmost confidence thatRene Angelil announces today that his long-time close friend, AldoGiampaolo, has been appointed as chief executive officer of FeelingProductions Inc., the company which manages Celine Dion’scareer,” the statement added. Giampaolo, who has worked with theQuebecois couple for more than 25 years, will live in Las Vegas,where Dion, a five-time Grammy winner, has performed full-time formore than three years. “Celine and Rene have decided that the timehas come to bring this appointment to fruition, one that Rene hadproposed to Aldo several years ago,” the statement said.Giampaolo, who has worked as CEO of sports and entertainmentgroup Quebecor Media since July 2013, has spent nearly 25 years inshow business, and worked for Cirque du Soleil from 2005 to 2011.

Dion, 46, met Angelil at the beginning of her career in 1981,when she was 12 and he was 38. The couple began a relationshipwhen Dion was 19 and married in 1994. They have three boys, theyoungest of whom are twins. — AFP

Jake Bugg isn’t the only British star headed for the BonnarooMusic & Arts Festival this week. There’s a mini-British Invasionof sorts kicked off yesterday through Sunday in Manchester,

Tennessee - and we’re not just talking about Elton John’s headlin-ing performance. Look down the list and there are lots of acts likeBugg finding a firm footing in the US to become familiar with.

Here are five British acts we’re particularly interested in seeing(and don’t forget you can stream many of the performances ifyou’re not one of the 80,000 down on the farm):

The Arctic Monkeys: Listen to any rock radio station for 30minutes and you’ll likely hear The Arctic Monkeys. The Sheffield,England, quartet began as buzzed-over darlings eight years agoand survived that experience to mature into a formidable, lastingact that’s learned the art of keeping our attention.

James Blake: It will be interesting to see how London produc-er and singer-songwriter James Blake’s minimalist sound will goover at Bonnaroo, where sound bleed gives the advantage to theraucous. Listen closely, though. Blake is one of electronic music’smost interesting artists, and he earned a Grammy Award nomina-tion for best new artist last year.

Sam Smith: Blake took a nod for best new artist last year, andyou can bet neo-soul crooner Sam Smith from London will pick

one up this year. The BBC’s Sound of 2014 winner is one of thehottest singers on vinyl this year and his star is only going to getbigger. Check him out while you can still catch him at one ofBonnaroo’s more intimate stages.

Disclosure: Guy and Howard Lawrence of Grammy Award-nominated Disclosure and Smith broke through together whenthe Surrey sibling duo featured Smith on their breakthrough“Latch” a few years ago. Like Smith, the Lawrences have drawnattention since then and are seen as one of electronic music’smost promising acts.

Chvrches: This synthpop trio from Glasgow, Scotland, makescandy confections built around singer Lauren Mayberry’s wispyvocals that feel both new and comfortingly familiar - if you’re oldenough to remember the first wave of British synthpop bands allthose decades ago. Mayberry has the same star-making appeal ofSmith. Here’s your chance to get on board early. — AP

Bonnaroo features

mini-British Invasion in 2014

This March 21, 2014 file photo shows singer-songwriter Jake Bugg visiting The Sound GardenRecords in Baltimore.

File photo shows The Arctic Monkeys, with Alex Turner, right, and bassist Nick OíMalley, per-form on Day 4 of the 2013 Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas.

In this Sept 21, 2013 file photo, Lauren Mayberry of the elec-tronic band Chvrches performs in concert during the 2013Virgin Mobile FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion inColumbia, Md. — AP photos

This November 22, 2012 file photo shows Canadian singerCeline Dion and her husband Rene Angelil arriving for theBambi Awards in Duesseldorf, western Germany. — AFP

Daddy wants theiron throne in ‘Game

of Thrones’ Puff Daddy wants love from “Game of Thrones” fans

in the new music video for his single “I Want theLove.” The video, set in the North where dire-

wolves and rapper Meek Mill roam, features Puffy (for-merly known as Sean Combs) sitting in a replica of theIron Throne that pretty much every character in the HBOfantasy series is fighting - and dying - for.

There are also snowmobiles, which Jon Snow coulduse after the ending to last Sunday’s episode, “TheWatchers on the Wall.” Is this Puff Daddy’s subtle way ofasking “GoT” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for acameo next season?—Reuters


Kerry Washington accepts the 2014 Lucy award for excellence in television at the Women In Film 2014 Crystal And Lucy Awards at the Hyatt Regency CenturyPlaza. (Right) Eva Longoria accepts the 2014 Norma Zarky humanitarian award. —AP photos

Kerry Washington stepped back into thespotlight for the first time since becom-ing a mom last month to accept an

award from Women in Film. The “Scandal” star,along with fellow actresses Cate Blanchett, EvaLongoria, Rose Byrne and “Frozen” writer-director Jennifer Lee were honored by thenonprofit group Wednesday for their careerachievements. Washington and Blanchetteach said women must be willing to take risksand reveal imperfections to tell authentic sto-ries about their experiences.

“When we step up for ourselves, we createopportunity, whether it’s because we inspireother people or we employ other people,” saidWashington, who gave birth to a daughter inMay. She thanked past winner and “Scandal”creator Shonda Rhimes, who presentedWashington with the Lucy Award, for develop-ing dynamic and diverse female charactersand giving women a chance to soar on bothsides of the camera. Blanchett said womenneed to overcome the fear that they can’t fail.“A creative career is only as good as the risksyou take with it,” she said. The two-time Oscarreceived the Crystal Award, which recognizes

those who’ve helped to expand women’s rolein entertainment, from actress Laura Dern.

Longoria accepted the Norma ZarkyHumanitarian Award from actress-writer-direc-tor Lake Bell, who described her as “a trulyhuge-hearted, great lady in a very small, sexyand sassy package.” Byrne was recognized asthe Max Mara Face of the Future. The 34-year-old star of “Neighbors” and “Bridesmaids” saidshe was humbled to be recognized, notingwomen’s ongoing underrepresentation inHollywood. “It’s a powerful business we’re in,with a loud voice,” she said. “It’s imperative werealize women are consumers just as much asmen, and have our stories told and audiencesembraced.”

“Frozen” star Kristen Bell presented Leewith the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award. Leewrote and co-directed the Oscar-winningmusical that has become the fifth-highestgrossing film of all time. She thanked WaltDisney Animation chief John Lasseter for mak-ing her the first woman to direct a feature forthe studio. “Female characters,” she said, “ifdone with authenticity... can get a wholeworld to come see them.” — AP

Washington, Blanchett accept Women in Film awards

Rose Byrne accepts thewomen in film Max Mara‘Faces of the Future’ award.

Cate Blanchett accepts the2014 Crystal award forexcellence in film.

Jennifer Lee accepts the2014 Dorothy Arzner direc-tors award.

Brad Pitt added his A-list support tohis partner Angelina Jolie’s efforts toeradicate rape in warzones when he

joined her in a flashbulb-popping appear-ance at a global conference in Londonyesterday. The Hollywood couple-withBritish Foreign Secretary William Haguestanding between them-posed for a bankof cameras as they arrived at the confer-ence venue. Jolie wore a black tuxedo-style jacket and trousers and Pitt a darksuit and sunglasses.

A government source told AFP that Pitthad wanted to show his support to thecause “but I doubt he’ll speak. He’ll leave itto Angelina: it’s her baby”. Jolie’s co-hostHague said Wednesday the star power ofJolie, who is a special envoy for the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees,all ied with the work of governments,could be “formidable”. “She has the powerto speak to the whole world, to raiseawareness, change attitudes.

“Governments like the one I am a mem-ber of hold in their hands levers of deci-sion-making and action. “And this combi-nation can be formidable. “And is in manyrespects a strong example of the future offoreign policy and how it should be con-ducted. “It’s no longer the sole preserve ofgovernments.” The conference, featuringdecision-makers and victims of warzonerape, has launched a protocol of proposalson how best to document rapes in war inan attempt to vastly increase the numberof prosecutions.

Jolie has said up to 50,000 women weresexually assaulted during the war inBosnia-but “only just over 60 people” haveever been successfully prosecuted. Haguewill meet Nigeria’s foreign minister on thesidelines of the conference today to dis-cuss violence in northern Nigeria, in thewake of the kidnapping of hundreds ofschoolgirls by the Boko Haram Islamistgroup.—AFP

Pitt adds support to Jolie at warzone rape meeting

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, centre, US actress Angelina Jolie, right,Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and US actorand Jolie’s partner Brad Pitt, left, arrive at the ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ summitin London yesterday.


In the market for a minidress in emeraldgreen spandex? Hankering for a halter topthat appears to have been made from the

national team’s canary yellow jerseys? Pining forpatriotic platform heels emblazoned with theBrazilian flag? With the World Cup kicking off,almost every domestic clothing purveyor, fromthe humblest manufacturer to Brazil’s chicestand most expensive labels, is selling clothing inthe host country’s colors. Finding apparel in oth-er hues is a challenge at the moment. Even thepet shops are stocked with doggie sweaters,capes and jerseys in Brazil’s green, yellow andblue.

A delicate crochet version of Brazil’s team jer-sey sells for $110 at whimsical high-end labelFarm - at least for those customers who can gettheir hands on the coveted item. It’s not justdomestic brands attempting to cash in on thecoming month of worldwide football mania.France’s Lacoste has fielded a graphic patch-work polo shirt with blocks of blue, green andyellow that sells online for $167. German sports-wear brand Puma teamed up with edgy,

London-based label Alexander McQueen tomake an extra-exclusive version of the “PumaKing” cleats, worn by soccer greats from Pele toMaradona. Only 100 pairs of the boots havebeen made, 70 in buttery chestnut-hued leatherand 30 in gold lame, and none of them areexpected to hit stores. Instead, they’ll be hand-ed out to special friends of the labels.

Versace fielded its own Brazil-themed T-shirt,a very Versace-esque explosion of arabesques,hothouse flowers and footballs, on sale at selectboutiques worldwide for around $700, whileValentino recently presented a special editionsneaker emblazoned on the back with theBrazilian flag. “It’s a very clever strategy for theseinternational brands,” said Abraao Ferreira, aBrazilian-born luxury markets consultant.“Brazil’s a really important luxury market now,and these World Cup items are a way of saying,‘We know who you are and we appreciateyou.’”— AP

Companies that are advertising for the World Cup are hopingmusic will strike a chord with fans globally. Because theFIFA World Cup, the international soccer tournament that

begins on Thursday, is the most popular sports event on the plan-et, advertisers want to take advantage of the large viewing audi-ence. But the World Cup poses problems for companies that areused to making a splash at big sporting events like the SuperBowl with a pricey 30-second spot.

First off, soccer doesn’t have very many commercial breaks,with two 45-minutes halves played mostly straight through.Additionally, soccer is a global event, so it’s hard to make TV adsthat translate across cultures. As a result, brands - both officialsponsors and those that just want to capitalize on the event -increasingly are using music to get the world’s attention:

Danone’s Activia yogurt teamed up with Shakira to update herwildly popular 2010 World Cup Song “Waka Waka,” about Africa,with a Brazil-centric video for “La La La.” Coca-Cola made a songin English, “The World is Ours,” and then created 32 local versions,each sung by a local artist in the native language. And Beats byDre launched a splashy new 5-minute video “The Game Beforethe Game” that shows soccer stars like Neymar Jr and many oth-ers preparing for game time by listening to “Jungle” by Jamie NCommons & The X Ambassadors. The move is an effort by compa-nies to try to capture the attention of one of the largest globalaudiences for any event. In the last World Cup four years ago, 3.2billion people tuned in, including 909.6 million for the finalmatch, according to FIFA. That’s compared with the 111.5 millionpeople who tuned into the Super Bowl this year.

Sports is a great unifier“Sports is a great unifier and very few sports are as global as

the World Cup,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of brand-ing firm Landor Associates. “Music is the other big platform thattranscends cultures and languages, so it’s an emotional way toconnect with as broad an audience as the World Cup audience is.”

The link between music and the World Cup is nothing new.The tournament has had a theme song since 1962 when “El Rockdel Mundial” by Los Ramblers kicked off the 1962 World Cup inChile. But this year, brand song tie-ins are more popular than thisyear’s official effort.

FIFA’s “We Are One (Ole Ola),” has been criticized by Braziliansand other soccer fans as being tone deaf to Brazil culture. Criticscomplain that it is sung by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull andBronx-born Puerto Rican singer Jennifer Lopez instead of aBrazilian singer (although it does feature Brazilian singer ClaudiaLeitte); and it is sung mainly in English and Spanish rather thanPortuguese. So marketers have stepped in, and so far, are scoringbig. Shakira’s “La La La” video, sponsored by Activia in partnershipwith the World Food Program, has garnered 95 million YouTubeviews since it went up 3 weeks ago. By comparison, the officialFIFA song has about 72 million views after five weeks.

Music is universal“When we heard ‘La La La,’ we immediately knew consumers

would be swayed by the rhythm and energy of this song,” saidSantiago Mier Albert, general manager of Activia and vice presi-

dent of marketing of Danone’s fresh dairy products divisionworldwide. Coca Cola’s song has hit the top 10 charts in 40 coun-tries worldwide. That is a big step up from their last effort in 2010,“Wavin’ Flag” which was done in 24 versions and charted in 17countries.

“The World Cup is universal. Music is universal too,” said JoeBelliotti, director of global entertainment marketing at Coca-Cola.“And if you can find that simple melody and simple lyrical ideathat can translate and connect with people around the world,that’s the formula we strive for.”

Beats, which is not an official sponsor of the event and refersto its ad as a global campaign featuring the world-known soccerplayers, has gotten nearly 8 million views after just four days onYouTube. The five-minute ad cinematically shows rituals athletesuse to get ready for “The Game Before The Game.” Brazilian soccerstar Neymar Jr takes a motivational call from his father, SerenaWilliams gets a patriotic manicure, and they all block out distrac-tion with their Beats headphones to the tune of the foot-stomp-ing “Jungle.” It’s a chance for Beats, which was recently bought byApple for $3 billion, to step out onto the global stage for the firsttime, said Barbara Lippert, longtime ad critic and a columnist forMediapost.com. “Beats is a company about music, they reallyknow how to make music videos, it’s a smart strategy and beauti-fully put together,” she said. — AP

Green, yellow and blue

World Cup fashion trends

A street vendor sells representations of Brazil’s national flags near the Arena Castelao inFortaleza, Brazil, Wednesday, June 11, 2014. — AP

Brands use music to speak globally in World Cup

File photo shows Braziliansinger Claudia Leitte playswith a soccer ball as sheposes for photos at theMaracana stadium in Riode Janeiro, Brazil. Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, right, and Cuban-American rapper Pitbull give a press conference

one day before the World Cup opening ceremony in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday. — AP photos

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, JUNE 13 , 2014

Artist Molly Hatch with chinoiserie vases made during her residency at the Kohler Coin Wisconsin.

This undated photograph provided by Molly Hatch shows cups the artist Hatch createdfor a solo exhibition at the Clay Studio Philadelphia in June of 2010.—AP photos

The Kohler sink in your bathroom may be moreof a work of art than you realize. The companyknown for kitchen and bathroom fixtures has

opened its factory floor to artists for the past 40years, allowing them to share ideas and techniqueswith factory workers so that both can be inspired.Three artists have created pieces produced byKohler Co, and many more have gone on to designfor other companies. The program, celebrating its40th anniversary, is notable for its longevity andimpact on the arts world, said Larry Bush, a ceramicsprofessor at the Rhode Island School of Design.Kohler is unique in letting artists work on the factoryfloor with employees and providing equipment tocreate work on a massive scale, he said.

“The sort of thing that people can do at theKohler factory has inspired a lot of work beyond theKohler factory,” Bush said. Ruth DeYoung Kohler - aprint maker, former teacher and granddaughter ofKohler Co. founder John Michael Kohler - createdthe Arts/Industry program at theJohn MichaelKohler Arts Center soon after taking over as directorin 1972. Artists who visited Kohler during a clay exhi-bition were hungry for access to the factory’s moldsand other resources, and eager to learn the tech-niques used by craftsmen working there, she said.There was little interaction between the worlds offine art and manufacturing at the time.

Kohler convinced her brother, Kohler CoChairman and CEO Herb Kohler Jr, to let two artistswork at the factory for a month. “They created allthese fanciful things with the plumbing products,”she recalled. “So, for example, they took a urinal,turned it on its back, added some clay wheels andfilled it full of clay teeth and called it the Tooth FairyWagon. And then they took two toilets and putthem back to back ... and they turned it into a rocketship.”

The project so captivated Kohler workers thatthe artists were invited back for another month inlate 1974. Since then, more than 400 artists havecompleted residencies lasting up to six months. Aretrospective of their work is on display throughAug. 31 at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center inSheboygan, about an hour north of Milwaukee.

Pieces with a consistencyJan Axel, who completed two residencies at

Kohler in 1979 and 1981, created a sink carved withundulating lines, and the company later produced itcommercially. Axel went on to create a programthat brought artists to Kohler to embellish plumbingfixtures for sale. Such collaboration was radical atthe time. “It was sort of ‘not done’ because peoplewanted to be considered artists. They didn’t want tobe designers,” said Axel, of South Salem, New York,

who went on to do product and landscape design.Molly Hatch, a ceramics artist from Northampton,Massachusetts, said her 2009 residency gave her anew career designing tableware for Anthropologie,and stationery and fabrics for other companies.Hatch said that learning to use liquid clay and moldsat Kohler allowed her to create pieces with a consis-tency she couldn’t achieve by hand. At the sametime, she was struck by the amount of handcraftingdone at Kohler, and she now creates products thatcombine mass production and a personal touch.

“Being exposed to the way things were made onthe floor at the factory at Kohler, I realized there’s somuch more involved, and a person behind theobject, and so much more pride taken in everyobject,” Hatch said, adding, “It just changed myunderstanding of the process completely.” Kohlersaid the factory workers teaching the artists to usemolds and other equipment also have beenchanged by the experience. “They understand thattheir skills are enormous,” she said, “and their skillsare valued by the artists and the company.”—AP

Kohler brings artists to factory to learn, inspire

Last December, a blaze destroyed the world-renowned NationalInstitute of Flamenco, taking with it the Albuquerque group’sstudios, irreplaceable costumes, archives and business files. But

six months later, the institute is rising out of the ashes and is hostingits annual international flamenco festival. The Festival FlamencoInternacional de Albuquerque, which began Sunday and runsthrough Saturday, features dancers from around the world thanks todonations and area schools letting organizers use their space to pre-pare. Dancers from the Albuquerque-based Yjastros company saidthe fire may had destroyed its studios, yet it didn’t finish off theirdesire to keep dancing and host the event that attracts some of theworld’s best flamenco dancers, even from Spain. “Nothing can stopus,” said Kayla Lyall, a dancer with Yjastros. “And the festival feeds us... For people who come here they know it’s not over.” According toauthorities, the fire broke out inside the costume storage room at theinstitute in downtown Albuquerque. Fire Department crews tried tofight the blaze from inside the building, but they were pulled outbecause of the possibility of the roof collapsing.

Flamenco is something that survives Once crews started battling the flames defensively from the out-

side, the roof caved in as dancer Elena Osuna sadly looked on. “We

were there watching the fire together, and there was nothing wecould do,” Osuma remembered. Less than 24 hours after the inferno,support from area businesses came, and schools offered help to keepthe institute alive and the dance company going. The University ofNew Mexico also offered space so organizers could work to keepalive one of the largest flamenco festivals outside of Spain.

The institute also quickly launched its own fundraising effortswhile focusing on the festival, said Marisol Encinias, the festival direc-tor. “We knew this festival would still happen,” Encinias said.“Flamenco is something that survives no matter what.” Originatingfrom the Andalusia region in southern Spain, flamenco is a form ofSpanish dance and folk music that developed from Romani musicand dance more than two centuries ago. The flamenco festival fea-tures performance, workshops and even classes for children atevents throughout Albuquerque until Saturday. Among those per-forming are dancers from Spain like Alfonso Losa and others fromaround the world. Yjastros is scheduled to perform later in the weekin what dancers anticipate will be an emotional event. “They’ll benothing quite like it,” Yjastros dancer Alisa Alba said. “Flamenco issomething that always stays with you.” — AP

Photo shows the Peony Portrait collectiondesigned by Molly Hatch for sale atAnthropologie stores nationwide.

In this June 6, 2014 photo, dancers rehearse for the FestivalFlamenco Internacional de Albuquerque, hosted by NationalInstitute of Flamenco just six months after a fire destroyed itsstudios in Albuquerque, NM. — AP

Flamenco festival rises from ashes of fire

Asthma prevention: The risks for de-veloping asthma are lower in people who consume a high amount of certain nutrients. One of these nutrients is vitamin C, found in

many fruits and vegetables including watermelon.

Blood pressure: Wa-termelon extract supplementation reduces ankle blood pressure, brachial blood pressure and carotid wave reflec-tion in obese middle-aged adults.

Cancer: As an excel-

lent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C as well as other antioxidants, watermelon can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. Lycopene intake has been linked with a decreased risk of prostate cancer prevention in several studies.

Digestion and regularity: Watermelon, because of its water and fiber content, helps to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.

Hydration: Made up of 92 percent water and full of important elec-trolytes, watermelon is a great snack to have on hand during the hot winter months to prevent dehydration.

Inflammation: Choline is a very important and versatile nutrient in watermelon that aids our bodies in sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Muscle soreness: Watermelon and watermelon juice have been shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery time following exercise in athletes. Researchers believe this is likely due to the amino acid L-citrulline contained in watermelon.

Skin: Watermelon is also great for your skin because it contains vitamin A, a nutrient required for sebum production that keeps hair moisturized. Vitamin A is also necessary for the growth of all bodily tis-sues, including skin and hair.

—www.medicalnewstoday.com

25FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

24

For glowing, softer skin

Mix 1 teaspoon watermelon juice with 1 teaspoon plain

Greek Yogurt. The lactic acid and enzymes in the yogurt

will help gently exfoliate and purify while the water-

melon hydrates and heals. Apply the mask to your face and

neck for 10 minutes before rinsing off.

5 cups (3/4-inch) seeded watermelon cubes 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes 3 teaspoons sugar½ teaspoon saltVinegar for taste1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Romaine lettuce leaves (optional)Cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation1. Combine watermelon and tomatoes in a large bowl;

sprinkle with sugar and salt, tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Stir in onion, vinegar, and oil. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve chilled with lettuce leaves, if desired. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper to taste.

watermelonSummer’s true child!

Grilled Grouper with Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients4 (4-oz.) grouper fillets1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper1 teaspoon salt, divided3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 cups chopped seedless watermelon ¼ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives½ English cucumber, chopped 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced2 tablespoons minced red onion 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Preparation1. Preheat grill to 350º to 400º (medium-high) heat. Sprinkle grouper

with pepper and ½ tsp. salt. Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil.2. Grill fish, covered with grill lid, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or just

until fish begins to flake when poked with the tip of a sharp knife and is opaque in center.

3. Combine chopped watermelon, next 5 ingredients, and remaining ½ tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Serve with grilled fish.

Watermelon SorbetIngredients3 cups water1 cup sugar4 cups seeded, chopped watermelon ¼ cup lime juice

PreparationBring 3 cups water and sugar just to a boil in a medium sauce-

pan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool.

Process sugar syrup and watermelon, in batches, in a blender until smooth. Stir in lime juice. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Pour mixture into the freezer container of a 1-gallon ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

—www.myrecipes.com

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

p24-25.indd 2-3 6/10/14 5:26 PM


26Tr a v e l

JordanTreasures await travelers in

A once in a lifetime experience

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which once capti-vated ancient travelers, continues to enthrall a whole new generation as a modern, vibrant nation. From the

haunting, primeval starkness of Wadi Rum, to the teeming centre of urban Amman, from the majestic ruins of bygone civilizations to the timeless splendor of the Dead Sea, Jor-dan is unveiled as a unique destination offering breathtak-ing and mysterious sights, high standard accommodations, exquisite cuisine and countless activities that can provide visitors with inspiration, motivation, and rejuvenation.

PETRA

The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value

- as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by nature and man. Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed. Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt

Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attrac-tion. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer

rock face by the Nabataeans, an industri-ous Arab people who settled here

more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that

linked China, India and southern Ara-bia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

26-27 tt.indd 1 6/10/14 5:24 PM


Tr a v e l

AMMAN

Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley. In the commercial heart of the city,

ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans’ workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much older past. Due to the city’s modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined streets and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone. The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewelry to everyday household items. The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.

THE DEAD SEA

Without a doubt the world’s most amazing place, the Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic, beautiful landscape, which at The Dead Sea, is over 400m (1,312 ft) below

sea level. The lowest point on the face of the earth, this vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go, so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest prod-ucts. The Dead Sea is flanked by mountains to the east and the rolling hills of Jerusalem to the west, giving it an almost other-worldly beauty. Although sparsely populated and serenely quiet now, the area is believed to have been home to five Biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar (Bela).

26-27 tt.indd 2 6/10/14 5:24 PM


Tr a v e l

WADI RUM

This is a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity and its destructive forces. Here, it is the weather and winds that have carved the imposing,

towering skyscrapers, so elegantly described by TE Law-rence as “vast, echoing and God-like...”A maze of monolithic rockscapes rise up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750 meters creating a natural challenge for serious mountain-eers. Hikers can enjoy the tranquility of the boundless empty spaces and explore the canyons and water holes to discover 4,000-year-old rock drawings and the many other spectacular treasures this vast wilderness holds in store. —www.international.visitjordan.com

26-27 tt.indd 3 6/10/14 5:24 PM


B o o k s

Best books to add to your summer reading list With soaring heat comes the unofficial start of

summer—and the yearly scramble to assemble your vacation reading list begins!

The Blessings by Elise Juska

Remove one branch from the family tree and its whole shape changes. This is the premise be-

hind Elise Juska’s debut novel, which captures a stunning wide-angle snap-shot of the Blessing family of North-east Philadelphia. When John Blessing dies, his young widow is left to raise their two young children alone. But, of course, she isn’t really alone—she has the support of his opinionated, overstepping family, whose perspec-tives we hear in alternating chapters spanning the course of 20 years. I Am Having So Much Fun Here

Without You by Courtney Maum

Courtney Maum bursts onto the scene with a hilarious and wise novel about a 34-year-old philandering painter who attempts to reunite with his wife when his mistress marries a famous cutlery designer.

Despite his myriad quirks and pathological infidelity, Richard Haddon is one of the more lovable male characters we’ve encountered this season. He’s his own worst enemy, and it’s fun to see the domestic and artistic worlds through his jaundiced eye. As his misguided re-courtship gathers steam, you’ll find yourself agog at Maum’s masterful storytelling and dead-on descriptions. The Vacationers

by Emma Straub

It wouldn’t be summer without family vaca-tions, and yours won’t look so irksome after you’ve survived Mallorca with the Posts. We

mean this lovingly, of course—we know you adore your mom even though she reminds you to reapply sunscreen every hour on the hour and is insistent upon planning the dinner menu before breakfast is off the table. By the end of Emma Straub’s second novel, you will be similarly enamored of the flawed (but fabulous) Posts: Franny and Jim, who are observing their 35th wedding anniversary and attempting to escape his recent career humiliation; baffled 18-year-old Sylvia (“Parents get stranger as you get older, that much was obvious”); and semi-estranged Bobby, who arrives with his older, gym-rat wife, Carmen. How this motley family will co-exist—let alone have fun—is anyone’s best guess. Their adventures are a funny combi-nation of reassuring (surely you and your crew are more functional than these folks) and 100 percent relatable.

The Arsonist by Sue Miller

You can’t beat the nightmarish premise of Miller’s latest literary block-buster: In quaint Pomeroy, New Hamp-shire, beloved old summer houses are burning to the ground in the middle of the night. No warnings, no clues about the provenance of the blazes, which are contained to the homes of wealthy summer residents. Enter Frankie Row-ley, who just returned from 15 years in East Africa to her family’s compound and is figuring out what to do next. In the tradition of some of the best sum-mer romances, Frankie strikes up with a local newspaperman who is hell-bent on finding the culprit behind the fires. Their passionate story unfolds against the backdrop of Frankie’s father’s wors-ening health, and the effect is both heady and heartbreaking.

fri page 30.indd 1 6/10/14 5:20 PM


Fa s h i o n

Ready to step into our favorite summer footwear? We’re talking about the super awesome

wedge sandal — and we’ve rounded up pairs to keep you stylin’ all spring and summer long. Adding a little height to your favorite summer outfit has nev-er felt more comfortable.

Everyone has a go-to summer shoe, so why not make it a sexy pair of wedges this summer? We all know the wedge is Kate Middleton‘s choice of foot-wear, and she isn’t alone! The trend is totally popular this season and in bold colors combined with the comfort factor, you can not go wrong in wedges. They wedge is perfect for all those summer BBQ’s and beach parties — you don’t want to get your stiletto stuck in the sand. Add a little creative flare to your summer footwear by selecting a different style, shade, or pat-tern.

We are obsessed with a great chunky wedge. No matter what the outfit, wedges can compliment any look. If you’re going for a simple sundress, throw on a fun patterned pair of wedges to add a bold pattern to your classic look. Looking to dress up a casual movie outfit? Add a pair of espadrille wedges to your denim look to dress up your ensemble with a little bit of height. We love the different designs on the wedge of these fabulous heels. Whether it’s studs, cork, or straw, whichever style you select, you will definitely rock your summer look.

Boost your confidence with a bright color on your feet! Why not look super stylish in a totally funky way? It’s time to get your summer pedicure and start flaunt-ing your fabulous feet!

—www.hollywoodlife.com

foot forward!

Put your best

fri page 30.indd 2 6/11/14 5:09 PM

L e i s u r eFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

ACROSS1. Artists or writers whose ideas are ahead of their time.4. Capable of being isolated or disjoined.12. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disor-ders.15. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.16. A pungent colorless unsaturated liquid aldehyde made from propene.17. The cry made by sheep.18. Rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos.20. The capital and largest city of Mongolia.22. An agency of the United Nations responsible for programs to aid educationand the health of children and mothers in developing countries.23. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.25. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.26. Freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort.27. Make secure by lashing.31. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a bloodvessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blockedsection of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.33. The capital and largest city of Yemen.35. A large number or amount.38. (computer science) A read-only memory chip that can be erased by ultravio-let light and programmed again with new data.42. Form into a cylinder by rolling.43. Of a pale purple color.44. Elect again.45. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.46. The rate at which red blood cells settle out in a tube of blood under stan-dardized conditions.47. Egyptian statesman who (as President of Egypt) negotiated a peace treatywith Menachem Begin of Israel (1918-1981).48. Orange liqueur with lemon juice and brandy.52. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.53. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.54. Being on the left side.55. A Loloish language.60. Any of various finches of Europe or America having a massive and powerfulbill.62. The state of being absent.65. A muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at highelevations for a short range.66. A cephalosporin antibiotic (trade name Ultracef).68. Remove the tusks of animals.71. Make false by mutilation or addition.72. Long-tailed brilliantly colored parrot of Central and South America.75. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by groundcontrol using precision approach radar.76. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of LakeErie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.77. Marked with stria or striations.79. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.80. Located in or toward the back or rear.

C R O S S W O R D 5 7 781. A stiff protective garment worn by hockey players or a catcher in baseball toprotect the shins.82. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN1. A numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed.2. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.3. One of the islands of Saint Christopher-Nevis.4. A state in midwestern United States.5. A slipper that has no fitting around the heel.6. Canadian hockey player (born 1948).7. (of roads) Made of logs laid down crosswise.8. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.9. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.10. Ions are accelerated along a linear path by voltage differences on electrodesalong the path.11. Half the width of an em.12. A master's degree in business.13. An unofficial association of people or groups.14. An informal term for a father.19. Tropical American shrub bearing edible acid red fruit resembling cherries.21. A populous province in northeastern China.24. Any of several plants of or developed from the species Dahlia pinnata hav-ing tuberous roots and showy rayed variously colored flower heads.28. A large number or amount.29. (Babylonian) The sky god.30. Systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word.32. A strong wind moving 45-90 knots.34. (of tempo) Fast n 1.36. An archaic name for Easter or Passover.37. Make a high-pitched, screeching noise, as of a door.39. Small beads made from polished shells and formerly used as money bynative Americans.40. Make anew.41. A colorless poisonous gas.49. Not out.50. Comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord.51. The capital of Morocco.56. Preaching the gospel of Christ in the manner of the early church.57. A member of a Caucasoid Muslim people of northern Africa.58. The right to enter.59. Towards the side away from the wind.61. Cooked in hot water.63. A loud harsh or strident noise.64. Any of a number of tiny parallel grooves such as.67. A form of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain that registers blood flowto functioning areas of the brain.69. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.70. God of love and erotic desire.73. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself).74. A tight-fitting headdress.78. The fifth day of the week.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

S t a r sFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

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

Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates00976

You generally like to think of yourself as someone who faces lifelogically and rationally, Aries, but today your intuitive side couldprove a valuable resource, especially when it comes to dealingwith others. Your communicative ability is enhanced by a strongsense of what others are thinking and feeling. This opens the doorto more effective interactions with everyone - friends, lovers, col-leagues, even strangers.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Your intuition is usually very strong, Taurus, and your levelof empathy enhances your relationships. Today, however, aburst of logic could enable you to see many things in a dif-ferent light. This adds a new dimension to your commu-nicative abilities and could prove valuable in bringing youcloser to the ones you love the most. It can also increaseyour understanding of yourself.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Your intuition is heightened almost to the point of telepathytoday. Gemini, you may be able to sense what others want andneed even before they know it themselves. You could alsoexperience a few visionary impressions that prove valuableinspiration for creative and artistic work. When images well upfrom your psyche, don't dismiss them as irrelevant. They couldmake a big difference in your life right now.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A get-together with a group of your closest friends could bringabout some intense communication, with many revealingsome of your deepest concerns, Cancer. Your thinking shouldbe greatly influenced by feeling, so you might experience ahigh level of understanding that your friends are going toappreciate. This could well bring all of you closer together andincrease future contact. Enjoy your day!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

A heightened level of intuition and understanding of othersmight catapult you to the center of attention at a gathering,Leo. Knowledge combined with experience results in wisdomtoday. Insights could lead to more efficient ways of doingthings. You'll probably pass this on to others, especially sincemore than one person could ask you for insights into theirparticular situation. Don't forget your sense of humor. Life isserious enough.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Contact with friends who have traveled widely could have youhankering to take the first plane to a distant place that you'vealways wanted to visit. At the very least, you'll probably want toplan a vacation. If you're traveling to a foreign country, you maywant to take a stab at learning the language. Actually, this is agood time to study a language - your mind is particularly sharp.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Dreams or visions could put you in touch with deep feelingsthat you may not have been aware of before, Libra. This couldenable you to release traumas from your past and give you anew sense of lightness. However, your logical mind is verymuch at work, so you could use this experience to shed light onothers' experiences and help them, too. Whatever happenstoday is likely to produce noticeable results.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Relationships of all kinds are likely to be strengthened by anincreased level of understanding today, Scorpio. Your thinkingis greatly enhanced by your emotional intuitiveness, so you'llbe more able than usual to identify with the needs and desiresof those around you. As a result, acquaintances could becomefriends, and friendships could progress into bonds that last forlife. Romance also benefits from intensified empathy. Enjoy.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You've always felt the need to free yourself from society. Youneed to feel independent at any cost. You may need to facecertain relationship problems at this time. Perhaps you're hesi-tant to commit either at work or in your personal life. You mayask yourself if your attitude isn't in fact revealing a desire to getaway from it all. Perhaps you'll find the answer today.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Today your mind is strongly influenced by feeling and intuition,Pisces, so you'll be able to communicate especially well with oth-ers. You might sense what they need to hear before they know itthemselves. This ability could be used in many ways. It couldenhance your writing skills. If you're into performance of anykind, it could sharpen your ability to speak, teach, or act. Makethe most of it.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Dealing with the ups and downs of other family memberscould be easier for you today than usual, Aquarius. You're lessinclined to be logical and more apt to identify with what otherpeople feel. This will increase your understanding of their situa-tion's undercurrents, and they'll likely appreciate your empa-thy. Don't forget your own concerns. You may see a lot ofthings in a different light today.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

COUNTRY CODES

Relationships with those closest to you, particularly friendsand love partners, should be enhanced by an increasedunderstanding of their emotional world, Capricorn. You'relikely to identify even more strongly than usual with oth-ers' feelings, and this could provide inspiration for artisticactivities of some kind. This is also a great day to go outwith your friends. Consider attending a concert, play, orsporting event.

T V l i s t i n g sFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

SKYFALL ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

ANIMAL PLANET HD03:15 Preposterous Pets04:05 Animal Maternity Ward04:55 Animal Cops Houston05:45 Treehouse Masters06:35 Wildlife SOS07:00 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors07:25 My Cat From Hell08:15 Too Cute!09:10 Gator Boys10:05 Call Of The Wildman10:30 Swamp Brothers11:00 Tanked11:55 Treehouse Masters12:50 Galapagos13:45 Galapagos14:40 Galapagos15:35 Speed Of Life16:30 Speed Of Life17:25 Speed Of Life18:20 Treehouse Masters19:15 Gangland Killers20:10 Shamwari: A Wild Life20:35 Shamwari: A Wild Life21:05 Shark City22:00 Gangland Killers22:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life23:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life23:50 Up Close And Dangerous

03:30 Alan Carr: Chatty Man04:15 The Weakest Link05:00 Jackanory Junior05:15 Little Human Planet05:20 The Green Balloon Club05:45 Nina And The Neurons: In TheLab06:00 Balamory06:20 Jackanory Junior06:35 Little Human Planet06:40 The Green Balloon Club07:05 Nina And The Neurons: In TheLab07:20 Charlie And Lola07:30 Last Of The Summer Wine08:00 The Job Lot08:25 The Mimic08:50 The Weakest Link09:35 Doctor Who10:20 BBC Proms 2011: Human PlanetProm11:40 The Weakest Link12:25 Last Woman Standing13:20 Doctor Who14:05 Doctors14:30 Doctors15:00 Doctors15:30 Doctors16:00 Doctors16:30 Rock & Chips: Special: Xmas201017:25 Doctor Who18:10 The Mystery Of Edwin Drood19:00 Hunderby19:25 The Job Lot19:50 Mistresses20:40 Waking The Dead21:35 The Mimic22:00 The Cafe22:25 Being Erica23:10 Doctor Who23:55 The Mystery Of Edwin Drood

03:35 Prototype This04:30 Prototype This05:20 Prototype This06:10 Prototype This07:00 How Tech Works07:25 How Tech Works07:55 The Future Of...08:45 Mythbusters09:40 Mythbusters10:30 Mythbusters11:20 Mythbusters12:10 Mythbusters13:00 How Tech Works

03:00 Nip/Tuck04:00 Bones05:00 Criminal Minds06:00 The Glades

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia02:00 The League02:30 Weeds03:00 Last Man Standing03:30 New Girl04:00 Seinfeld04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 My Boys06:00 The Goodwin Games06:30 Friends07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Seinfeld08:30 My Boys09:00 Last Man Standing09:30 Enlisted10:00 The Michael J. Fox Show10:30 Friends11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 The Goodwin Games12:30 Seinfeld13:00 My Boys13:30 Friends14:00 New Girl14:30 Enlisted15:00 The Michael J. Fox Show15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart16:30 The Goodwin Games17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Dads18:30 The Neighbors19:00 Cougar Town19:30 Melissa & Joey20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart22:00 Saturday Night Live23:00 Weeds23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

05:00 56 Up05:55 The Hungry Sailors06:45 Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night

03:20 Masterchef: The Professionals03:50 Masterchef: The Professionals04:40 Masterchef: The Professionals05:35 Masterchef: The Professionals06:30 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook07:00 Come Dine With Me07:50 Come Dine With Me08:35 Come Dine With Me09:25 Come Dine With Me10:15 Come Dine With Me

11:05 The Planners11:55 The Planners12:45 The Planners13:35 Homes Under The Hammer14:25 Homes Under The Hammer15:15 Homes Under The Hammer16:10 Homes Under The Hammer17:00 Homes Under The Hammer17:50 Masterchef: The Professionals18:20 Masterchef: The Professionals19:10 Masterchef: The Professionals20:00 Masterchef: The Professionals20:55 Come Dine With Me21:40 Come Dine With Me22:30 Come Dine With Me23:15 Come Dine With Me

13:30 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman14:20 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman15:10 Da Vinci’s Machines16:00 Nyc: Inside Out16:50 USA Memory Championships17:40 Sci-Fi Science18:05 Sci-Fi Science18:30 Prophets Of Science Fiction19:20 How Tech Works19:45 How Tech Works20:10 The Future Of...21:00 How Techies Changed TheWorld21:50 Sci-Fi Saved My Life22:40 You Have Been Warned23:30 Weird Connections23:55 Weird Connections

03:10 The Hive03:20 Art Attack03:45 Art Attack04:10 Jungle Junction04:25 Jungle Junction04:35 Jungle Junction04:45 Jungle Junction05:00 Art Attack05:25 Art Attack05:50 Mouk06:00 Austin & Ally

06:25 A.N.T. Farm06:45 Mako Mermaids07:10 Suite Life On Deck07:35 Good Luck Charlie07:55 Jessie08:20 Mako Mermaids08:45 Liv And Maddie09:05 Good Luck Charlie09:30 Dog With A Blog09:55 Austin & Ally10:15 Jessie10:40 Cheetah12:15 Gravity Falls12:35 Dog With A Blog13:00 A.N.T. Farm13:25 Jessie13:45 Austin & Ally14:10 Good Luck Charlie14:35 Mako Mermaids15:00 Flubber16:30 Cars Toons16:35 A.N.T. Farm17:00 Good Luck Charlie17:20 Jessie17:45 Dog With A Blog18:10 Liv And Maddie18:30 Mako Mermaids18:55 Good Luck Charlie19:20 Violetta20:05 Austin & Ally20:30 Jessie20:50 Dog With A Blog21:15 Jessie21:40 Shake It Up22:00 Austin & Ally

22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Good Luck Charlie23:10 Wolfblood23:35 Wolfblood

03:15 THS04:10 THS05:05 Extreme Close-Up05:30 Extreme Close-Up06:00 THS07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 The Drama Queen10:15 The Drama Queen11:10 Eric And Jessie: Game On11:35 Eric And Jessie: Game On12:05 E! News13:05 Beyond Candid With Giuliana14:05 Keeping Up With TheKardashians15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Giuliana & Bill17:00 Giuliana & Bill18:00 E! News19:00 Fashion Police19:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On20:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians21:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians22:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On22:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On23:00 Hello Ross23:30 Chelsea Lately

03:25 Andy Bates American StreetFeasts03:50 Iron Chef America04:40 Chopped05:30 Unwrapped05:50 Tastiest Places To Chowdown06:10 Food Network Challenge07:00 Tastiest Places To Chowdown07:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives08:15 Food Network Challenge09:05 Siba’s Table09:30 Have Cake, Will Travel09:55 Have Cake, Will Travel10:20 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics10:45 Extra Virgin11:10 Siba’s Table11:35 Cooking For Real12:00 Andy Bates Street Feasts12:25 Unique Eats12:50 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics13:15 Hungry Girl13:40 Hungry Girl14:05 Food Network Challenge14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:45 Chopped16:35 Siba’s Table17:00 Siba’s Table17:25 Guy’s Big Bite17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics19:05 Extra Virgin19:30 Siba’s Table19:55 Cooking For Real20:20 Chopped21:10 Food Network Challenge22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

Takeaway07:50 Shetland08:50 Dirk Gently09:45 Seven Dwarves10:40 The Chase11:35 David Suchet: The Mystery OfAgatha Christie12:30 Agatha Christie’s Poirot14:05 56 Up15:00 Big Star’s Little Star15:55 Vera17:35 Blandings18:05 Shetland19:00 Big Star’s Little Star19:55 The Hungry Sailors20:50 Vera22:35 Ant And Dec’s Saturday NightTakeaway23:35 David Suchet: The Mystery OfAgatha Christie

03:00 Hard Time04:00 Family Guns 05:00 The Border06:00 Sea Patrol07:00 The Pack08:00 Wild Kalahari09:00 Rescue Ink10:00 Banged Up Abroad11:00 Hard Time12:00 Family Guns 13:00 The Border14:00 Somewhere In China15:00 Hunter Hunted16:00 Wild Untamed Brazil17:00 Rescue Ink18:00 Banged Up Abroad19:00 Wild Kalahari20:00 World’s Toughest Fixes21:00 The Known Universe22:00 Alaska Wing Men23:00 Rescue Ink

T V l i s t i n g sFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

THE GUARD ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY

03:15 The Raven05:15 Darling Companion07:15 Playdate09:00 True Love11:00 The First Grader13:00 An Inconvenient Truth15:00 Broken Bridges17:00 The First Grader19:00 Smashed20:30 American Gangster23:15 Best Laid Plans

04:00 Super Rugby06:00 This is PGA Tour HD06:30 Inside The PGA Tour07:00 live NRL Premiership09:00 ICC Cricket 36009:30 Top 14 12:00 Live Champions Tour14:00 Live PGA European Tour18:30 Inside The PGA Tour19:00 Live PGA Tour

06:00 Trans World Sport07:00 This is PGA Tour Latinoamerica07:30 Total Rugby 08:00 Live NRL Premiership 10:00 NRL Premiership 12:00 Total Rugby 12:40 Live AFL Premiership 15:30 Top 1417:30 Super Rugby19:30 WWE This Week20:00 IndyCar Series22:30 Live IndyCar Series

03:00 IPL Highlights09:00 ICC Cricket 36009:30 IPL Highlights10:30 IPL Highlights11:30 IPL Highlights12:30 ICC Cricket 36013:00 IPL Highlights15:00 IPL Highlights16:00 ICC Cricket 36016:30 IPL Highlights17:20 Live IPL 21:00 ICC Cricket 36021:30 IPL Highlights22:30 IPL

03:00 Boardwalk Empire04:00 Mistresses05:00 Last Resort06:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale09:00 2410:00 Emmerdale13:00 2414:00 Last Resort15:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 2418:00 C.S.I.19:00 2421:00 C.S.I.22:00 Mistresses23:00 Boardwalk Empire

07:00 The Mob Doctor08:00 Made In Jersey09:00 Criminal Minds10:00 Castle11:00 Bones12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Made In Jersey15:00 The Glades16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Made In Jersey19:00 Burn Notice20:00 Top Gear (US)21:00 Witches Of East End22:00 Supernatural23:00 Nip/Tuck

00:00 Death Race: Inferno-1802:00 Bait-PG1504:00 The Fast And The Furious: TokyoDrift-PG1506:00 Crimson Tide-PG1508:00 Skyfall-PG1510:23 2 Fast 2 Furious-PG1512:00 Snake Eyes-PG1513:45 Skyfall-PG1516:15 Special Ops-PG1518:00 Snake Eyes-PG1520:00 Immortals-PG1522:00 Gangs Of Brooklyn-1823:45 Aftershock—PG15

00:00 You, Me And Dupree-1802:00 Rock Of Ages-PG1504:00 The House Bunny-PG1506:00 The Little Rascals-PG08:00 Muppets From Space-FAM10:00 Daddy Day Camp-FAM12:00 The House Bunny-PG1514:00 Over The Hedge-FAM16:00 Daddy Day Camp-FAM18:00 Spy Hard-PG1520:00 The Guard-PG1522:00 You, Me And Dupree-18

03:00 Jobs-PG1505:15 The Key Man-PG15

07:00 Now You See Me-PG1509:00 Cheerful Weather For TheWedding-PG1510:45 Jobs-PG1513:00 The Twilight Saga: BreakingDawn Pt. 2-PG1515:00 Buried-PG1517:00 Old Stock-PG1519:00 Faces In The Crowd-PG1521:00 Hick-PG1523:00 Maniac-R

05:00 Monsters University-PG06:45 Star Trek Into Darkness-PG1509:00 The Sapphires-PG1510:45 Iron Man 3-PG1513:00 Fastest-PG1515:00 Class-PG1517:00 The Sapphires-PG1519:00 Silver Linings Playbook-PG15

21:00 Jack Reacher-PG1523:15 The Campaign-18

04:15 Dino TimeOSN MOVIES PREMIERE HD04:00 Gnomeo & Juliet-PG06:00 Charlie And The ChocolateFactory-PG08:00 The Great Ghost Rescue-PG10:00 Love Will Keep Us Together-PG1512:00 Hope Springs-PG1514:00 Standing Ovation-PG1516:00 The Great Ghost Rescue-PG18:00 The Expatriate-PG1520:00 The Colony-PG1522:00 The Haunting In Connecticut 2:Ghosts Of Georgia-18

03:05 Long Island Medium04:20 What Not To Wear06:00 Super Soul Sunday07:00 What Not To Wear07:50 Secret Eaters08:40 Iyanla, Fix My Life09:30 Toddlers & Tiaras10:20 Say Yes To The Dress10:45 Say Yes To The Dress11:10 Cake Boss11:35 Jon & Kate Plus 812:00 Little People, Big World12:25 Super Soul Sunday13:15 Here Comes Honey Boo Boo13:40 Here Comes Honey Boo Boo14:05 World’s Worst Mum14:55 Extreme Couponing15:20 Cake Boss15:45 What Not To Wear16:35 Toddlers & Tiaras17:25 Say Yes To The Dress17:50 Say Yes To The Dress18:15 Jon & Kate Plus 818:40 Little People, Big World19:10 Super Soul Sunday20:05 Extreme Couponing20:30 Cake Boss21:00 Bling It On21:55 Craft Wars22:50 Long Island Medium23:15 My Teen Is Pregnant And So Am

SYDNEY: Jaiyah Saelua may be nearing the endof her football career, but the ‘world’s first’ trans-gender professional player says she has more toachieve as the sport celebrates the World Cup inBrazil. The striking 6ft 1ins (1.83 meters) centre-back, who was born John Saelua, plans to quitthe game after 2015, but hopes to remaininvolved in efforts to combat discrimination andhomophobia in the sport. “Just to get the mes-sage across that soccer should be a sport foreveryone,” the American Samoa internationaltold AFP during a visit to Sydney.

Saelua, first selected for American Samoa atthe age of 14, says she “runs like a girl” and neverconsidered her gender an issue. “Girls can be fasttoo,” she said. The 25-year-old, who is known forher tough, physical tackles, wasn’t even awareshe was the first transgender player-as recog-nized by FIFA-to play in a men’s internationalmatch before she did so. “I didn’t know the sig-nificance it had on the world because inPolynesian culture it’s not that big of an issue.“And I assumed that a lot more trans-people inthe Pacific region were playing internationalfootball. I haven’t met any in my career but I wasso sure that there has been (some) before me.”

‘Way of the woman’Saelua is one of Polynesia’s “fa’afafine”, a tra-

dition which means “way of the woman” andallows males to choose to be brought up asfemales. The deep acceptance of Saelua by herAmerican Samoa teammates is seen in a docu-mentary released earlier this year about the side’sbattle to overcome its reputation as the world’sworst football team, having suffered a record 31-0 defeat at the hands of Australia in 2001. “NextGoal Wins” shows her dancing in a dress andstraightening her long, chestnut hair in thechanging room.

Saelua says other teams are also accepting,but occasionally resort to name-calling. “Neverworks, makes me play harder,” she said with alaugh. It wasn’t until she tried out for the men’sfootball team in college in Hawaii at the age of 22that Saelua was treated differently. “At the warm-up for the try-outs the coach pulled me aside andsaid that he didn’t want to put his team in anuncomfortable position,” she said. “And I knew

that was my cue to leave. So I only spent 10 min-utes during the warm-up and I didn’t even get toshow how good a player I was.” She says shewould deal with the experience differently today.“I probably would take matters more seriously,because it is an issue worldwide. And even at thecollege level it should be dealt with.”

‘Our time’ Instrumental in American Samoa’s first ever

win-a victory against Tonga in 2011 in a prelimi-nary World Cup qualifier-Saelua is taking her roleseriously and delayed her initial plans for gendertransition in order to remain on the pitch andinspire others. “I was sure in 2011 that when the(World Cup qualifying) was over I would give itup and start my transition, but... we were doingwell,” she said of the team that failed to qualifyfor the tournament in Brazil. “And I didn’t wantto give the message to other trans athletes orpotential trans athletes (that they would) not beable to see me again playing after 2011.”

But 2015 will be Saelua’s last year playing withthe team she has helped rebuild. “There are norules against it but as a personal decision ... forme, because I tackle tough ... it’s risky for me,” shesaid of the surgeries, adding that she needs thetestosterone to “play tough”. “I feel like I am notgetting younger and the older I get, the harder itwill be to transition.” Transgender issues arereaching political agendas around the world, withIndia’s highest court ruling in April that a personcan be legally recognized as gender-neutral.Australia’s highest court has also acknowledgedthe existence of a third “non-specific” gender thatis neither male nor female, while its top sports,including all football codes, came together thisyear in support of stamping out discriminationand homophobia. Saelua is hopeful of continuingher role as a fighter for acceptance off the pitch.“(FIFA president) Sepp Blatter wrote me a letter in2011 recognizing me as the first transgender... hementioned that he has a team of athletes that heput together to fight discrimination in any way.”She hopes that American Samoan officials canreach Blatter to find a way for her to appear at theWorld Cup in Brazil as an ambassador againsthomophobia. “I think this is our time, for trans-gender people,” she said. — AFP

‘First’ transgender footballer tackles tough for acceptance


HospitalsSabah Hospital 24812000Amiri Hospital 22450005Maternity Hospital 24843100Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700Chest Hospital 24849400Farwaniya Hospital 24892010Adan Hospital 23940620Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

ClinicsRabiya 24732263Rawdha 22517733Adailiya 22517144Khaldiya 24848075Khaifan 24849807Shamiya 24848913Shuwaikh 24814507Abdullah Salim 22549134Al-Nuzha 22526804Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(12/06/2014 TO 18/06/2014)

SHARQIA-1EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 12:30 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 2:45 PM7500 (DIG) 4:45 PM7500 (DIG) 6:30 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 8:15 PM7500 (DIG) 10:45 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-2MALEFICENT (DIG) 1:00 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG-3D) 3:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 5:30 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 7:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 9:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3BLENDED (DIG) 1:30 PMA MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (DIG) 3:45 PMBLENDED (DIG) 5:45 PMBLENDED (DIG) 8:00 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 10:15 PMBLENDED (DIG) 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-1BLENDED (DIG) 2:00 PMJUMP JILANI (DIG) (Telugu) 4:15 PMFRI+MONX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 4:30 PMEnd Time: 3:00amNO FRI+MONBLENDED (DIG) 7:15 PMBLENDED (DIG) 9:30 PMBLENDED (DIG) 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-2MALEFICENT (DIG) 1:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 3:30 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 6:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 8:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 10:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 12:30 PM7500 (DIG) 2:30 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 4:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 6:30 PM7500 (DIG) 8:45 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG-3D) 10:30 PM7500 (DIG) 12:45 AM

FANAR-1MALEFICENT (DIG) 12:45 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 2:45 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 5:00 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 7:15 PMELISA KHATAFHA JAMEEL (DIG) (Kuwaiti Film) 9:30 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 12:15 AM

FANAR-2HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 1:30 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 3:45 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 6:00 PM7500 (DIG) 7:45 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 9:30 PM7500 (DIG) 11:15 PM7500 (DIG) 1:00 AM

FANAR-3BAD WORDS (DIG) 1:30 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 3:15 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 5:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 6:45 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 9:15 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 11:45 PM

FANAR-4MALEFICENT (DIG-3D) 2:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 4:15 PMBLENDED (DIG) 6:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 8:30 PMBLENDED (DIG) 10:30 PMBLENDED (DIG) 12:45 AM

FANAR-5X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 1:00 PM

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 3:30 PMJUMP JILANI (DIG) (Telugu) 3:30 PMJUMP JILANI (DIG) (Telugu) 6:30 PMFRI+SAT+MONTHE RAID 2 (DIG) 6:30 PMNO FRI+SAT+MONJUMP JILANI (DIG) (Telugu) 9:30 PMTHE RAID 2 (DIG) 12:30 A

MARINA-1BLENDED (DIG) 12:30 PM7500 (DIG) 2:45 PMBLENDED (DIG) 4:30 PM7500 (DIG) 6:45 PMBLENDED (DIG) 8:30 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 10:45 PM7500 (DIG) 12:30 AM

MARINA-2THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 12:45 PMA MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (DIG) 3:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 5:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 7:45 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 10:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 12:45 AM

MARINA-3HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG-3D) 1:30 PMMALEFICENT (DIG-3D) 3:45 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 5:45 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 8:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 10:00 PMX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-17500 (DIG) 12:45 PM7500 (DIG) 2:30 PM7500 (DIG) 4:30 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 6:30 PM7500 (DIG) 8:30 PM7500 (DIG) 10:30 PM7500 (DIG) 12:30 AM

AVENUES-2X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 1:15 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 4:00 PMX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 6:00 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 8:30 PMX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 10:15 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 12:45 AM

AVENUES-3THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 1:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 4:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 6:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 9:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 11:30 PM

AVENUES-4BLENDED (DIG) 1:15 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 3:30 PMBLENDED (DIG) 6:00 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 8:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 10:45 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 1:00 AM

1:00 AM360º- 1EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG-3D) 2:00 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 4:30 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 7:00 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG-3D) 9:30 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 12:05 AM

360 º- 2BAD WORDS (DIG) 12:30 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 2:30 PMBAD WORDS (DIG) 4:30 PMTHE ANGRIEST MAN IN BROOKLYN (DIG) 6:30 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 8:30 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 10:30 PMALIEN ABDUCTION (DIG) 12:30 AM

360 º-- 3HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 2:00 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG-3D) 4:15 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 6:30 PMHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 8:45 PMX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 11:00 PM

Prayer timings

Fajr: 03:13Shorook 04:48Duhr: 11:47Asr: 15:22Maghrib: 18:48Isha: 20:20

CHANGE OF NAME

SITUATION WANTED

ACCOMMODATION

TUITION

I have changed my namefrom Archana Jeetendra Vyasto Safiyah Shaikh as per MahaGazette No. U-45730 dated17/01/2013.I, Archana Jeetendara Vyashave changed my religionfrom Hindu to Muslim as perMaha Gazette No. U-45735dated 17/01/2013. (C 4744)10-6-2014

I, Muhammed Basheer(name in existing passport)holder of Indian Passport No:Z1922893, hereby change myname to Muhammed BasheerKany, address: Chirakkuzhyhouse, Ponkunnam P.O.,Kottayam Dist. Kerala. (C 4742)10-6-2014

Arabic Teacher for non-nativespeakers beginners & advanced- All levels of the Arabic lan-guage - IGCSE & GCSE, lan-guage training syllabus foreignand commonwealth office.Only KD 10 for an hour & freebooks. Contact: Mr Khalid:99619998. (C 4740)13-6-2014

Full furnished + attach bath.One room available fordecent executive bachelor(lady or gentleman) 2 BRcentral A/C new buildingnear Amman Street, in frontof IPS. Rent KD 130. Pleasecall 50038875 - 98007972. (C 4746)12-6-2014

Working as computernumeric control operator andholding AutoCAD-MECH 2Dand 3D with 3 years Gulfexperience. Contact +971558568727. Email:[email protected](C 4745)10-6-2014

BusinessFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

OPEC facing dark clouds on supply-side horizonPAGE 38

Japan’s ‘Abenomics’ faces critical test

PAGE 41

TOKYO: Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner (bottom center) accompanied by Japan Aircraft Development Corp (JADC) Chairman and Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries President and CEO Hideaki Omiya (bottom left) and Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President Kent Fisher (bottom right) poses with representatives of five Japanesecompanies with a scale models of 777X jets during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. — AP

TOKYO: Boeing inked a deal yesterday for fiveJapanese companies to manufacture keycomponents for its twin aisle 777X jets but thecontract doesn’t include making the wings,which were a source of delays for the 787Dreamliner.

The Japanese manufacturers will makeabout 21 percent of the new plane’s structuralcomponents, including fuselage sections andlanding gear wells. Difficulties in fitting thewings to the body of Boeing’s Dreamliner inthe US contributed to delays during the man-ufacturing of the aircraft. The Japanese furnishabout 35 percent of the 787, which was thefirst Boeing plane to have a wing designedand built by a foreign company. Deliverieswere delayed for about three years because ofvarious problems.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Presidentand CEO Ray Conner said having the Japanesemake more parts for the 777X was considered,but the decision was to have Boeing make thewing.

“This is a partnership that will endure formany, many years to come,” Conner said afterBoeing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, KawasakiHeavy Industries, Fuji Heavy Industries,ShinMaywa Industries and NIPPI Corp signedthe deal yesterday at a Tokyo hotel. Twenty-one percent is the same level Japanese manu-facturers got for the predecessor 777 aircraft,one of the most popular commercial jets on

the market. The Japanese manufacturers saidthe contract was a reflection of their reputa-tion for quality production and punctual deliv-eries.

The 777X, set for delivery from 2020, isbilled as 12 percent more fuel efficient thanrival Airbus’s A350. Boeing already has 260orders for the jets, including an order fromJapan’s All Nippon Airways.

Japan Airlines, which has had a long rela-tionship with Boeing, has not ordered themyet. ANA was the first customer for Boeing’s787 and JAL also bought some of the planes.But last year, JAL spurned Boeing and orderedfrom Airbus for the first time with a deal for 31A350 planes worth $9.5 billion at list prices.Even after delivery, the 787 was plagued withproblems including batteries that were proneto fires. Boeing has said it dealt with that prob-lem by encasing the batteries to contain anyoverheating.

Earlier this week, Emirates Airlines can-celled its order for 70 of Airbus’s A350 aircraft,the European maker’s answer to the domina-tion of the 777 and 787. The A350 has alsobeen plagued by delays. Emirates has ordered150 777X jets. The 777X variants include the777-8X, whose list price is $349.8 million andcarries up to 350 passengers. The list price forthe 400-passenger 777-9X is $377.2 million.

The companies declined to disclose mone-tary terms of yesterday’s deal. — AP

Boeing, 5 Japan suppliers ink 777X dealNew deal may help speed up Dreamliner deliveries

WASHINGTON: US retail sales rose less thanexpected in May and first-time applications forunemployment benefits increased last week,but that will probably do little to change viewsthat the economy is regaining momentum. TheCommerce Department said yesterday retailsales gained 0.3 percent last month. While thatwas below economists’ expectations for a 0.6percent rise, April’s retail sales were revised toshow a 0.5 percent increase. Retail sales, whichaccount for a third of consumer spending, hadpreviously been reported have gained 0.1 per-cent in April.

In a separate report, the Labor Departmentsaid initial claims for state unemployment bene-fits climbed 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted317,000 for the week ended June 7.

With job growth rising solidly in May andmanufacturing and services industries expand-ing strongly, the retail and jobless claims reportsprobably will not cause too much anxiety.

US stock index futures edged lower on thedata, while prices for US Treasury debt rose. Theeconomy added 217,000 jobs in May, the fourthstraight month of job gains above 200,000. Ithas recouped all the 8.7 million jobs lost during

the recession. The unemployment rate heldsteady at a 5-1/2 year low of 6.3 percent.

Economic growth in the second quarter isexpected to top a 3.0 percent annual pace aftercontracting at a 1.0 percent rate in the January-March period. So-called core retail sales, whichstrip out automobiles, gasoline, building materi-als and food services, and correspond mostclosely with the consumer spending compo-nent of gross domestic product, wereunchanged last month.

However, they were revised to show a 0.2percent rise in April, instead of the previouslyreported 0.1 percent dip. In May, consumersbought automobiles, lifting receipts at autodealerships 1.4 percent. Excluding autos, retailsales rose 0.1 percent in May.

There were solid gains in sales at buildingmaterials and garden equipment stores, as wellas receipts at non-store retailers, which includeonline sales. An increase in pump prices pushedup sales at gasoline stations. There were, howev-er, marginal declines in receipts at sportinggoods shops, electronics and appliances stores,as well as at clothing retailers and restaurantsand bars. — Reuters

US jobless claims rise,retail sales subdued

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014

SAKHIR: Men work at sunset in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain. Dramatic changes in oil production around theglobe, both higher and lower, are balancing each other out instead of wreaking havoc. — AP

VIENNA: OPEC faces a period of static oil prices as traders tracksupply-side uncertainties surrounding Iraq, Iran and Libya, as wellas Ukraine, analysts said yesterday.

The oil exporters’ cartel opted this week to maintain its crudeoutput ceiling, expressing confidence in the market despite globaltensions keeping prices high. OPEC, which will convene again inlate November to assess the state of the market, remains happywith Brent oil prices hovering close to $110, benefitting producers.

“Long term we remain rangebound, $100 to $110 per barrel,which suits most OPEC members, and with persistent upside risksamid ongoing supply jitters in the Middle East and North Africaregion,” VTB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov said.

“Sustained gains are hard to justify past $110, with the globalsupply growth still outpacing demand at this point given a fairlyweak European demand and an economic growth moderation inChina” he added. Some cartel members are meanwhile pumpingmore crude to compensate for supply shortfalls in Iran, Iraq andparticularly Libya-which remains plagued by unrest.

Libya has been rocked by violence that has slashed the NorthAfrican nation’s output to less than 200,000 barrels per day, from apotential 1.5 million bpd.

“There is little risk that OPEC will lose control of the oil price tothe downside the next six months,” said SEB analyst BjarneSchieldrop. “That OPEC does not change its overall target or ceil-ing does not mean that OPEC is not actively managing the market.Saudi Arabia is constantly managing its supply level to balance themarket.” The cartel’s 12 member nations left their collective oilproduction ceiling at 30 million barrels per day on Wednesday.

Iraq violence sparks gains World oil prices meanwhile advanced above $110 as traders

seized on a fresh outbreak of violence in OPEC member Iraq. Thenation’s provincial cities of Tikrit and Mosul have fallen to militantsfrom jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Iraq’s oil minister Abdelkarim Al-Luaybi played down theimpact, telling reporters in Vienna that most of the nation’s crudeproduction was in the south. “We haven’t any production from theregion. All our production is from the south area, and from Kirkuk,”Luaybi said Wednesday.

But spreading unrest in the south could spark an oil price spike,analysts argue. “The situation in Iraq is concerning with Mosul tak-en over by ISIL,” added Schieldrop. “Increasing terror attacks inIraq’s southern (city of) Basra would probably drive oil higher.”

Elsewhere, traders remain unsure how developments will pan outin Ukraine. The West has accused Russia of fomenting unrest inneighboring Ukraine since the ousting of pro-Kremlin presidentViktor Yanukovych in February. Moscow denies the allegation.

Investors fear a full-blown conflict because the ex-Soviet stateis a conduit for a quarter of European gas imports from Russia.“Flows of gas and oil have come under scrutiny since the begin-ning of March, and any significant drop in oil flows from Russiainto Europe will push prices higher,” said Inenco analyst GaryHornby.

“Oil prices will continue to be supported by the potential threatof oil supply issues.

“However, prices should drop if the current talks betweenRussia and Ukraine end on a positive note.” Iran’s oil output mean-while remains hit by Western sanctions over its disputed nuclearprogram. Tehran and Washington are currently locked in crunchtalks that have raised hopes of a deal to defuse the long-runningnuclear row, in a move that eventually lead to the lifting of thosesanctions.

Iran’s oil output could reach 4.0 million barrels per day in “lessthan three months” if Western sanctions are lifted over its nuclearenergy program, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said in Vienna.

That compares with Iran’s current production of about 2.7 mil-lion bpd, according to OPEC data. Washington and the P5+1 areseeking solid commitments to ensure Iran’s stated desire for apeaceful atomic energy program is not a covert attempt to build anuclear bomb. Schieldrop cautioned that there was no imediateprospect of rebounding oil output from Libya or Iran over the nextsix months.

Traders eye US oil Added to the global supply picture, however, analysts contend

that any oil price gains in the coming months will be limited byabundant supplies and surging production in the United States.The US-which is the biggest crude consuming nation in the world-is experiencing a shale energy boom.

“The recent unrest in eastern Europe and the Middle East haskept a risk premium built into prices,” added Hornby. “However,US oil production continues to cap any further gains in prices.

“US oil production is currently at its highest since 1986, alleviat-ing some of the concerns over supply from other sources, whichsuggests that this sideways trend could continue until fundamen-tals change drastically.” — AFP

OPEC facing dark clouds on supply-side horizon

Iraq, Iran, Libya and Ukraine uncertainties loom

KUALA LUMPUR: Societe Generale, France’s third-largestbank by assets, will set up a 1 billion ringgit ($311.3 mil-lion) multi-currency sukuk (Islamic bonds) program inMalaysia, the second conventional bank to do so in asmany weeks. Sukuk are growing in popularity as a fundingchoice for corporates and sovereigns across the globe,with Malaysia a preferred jurisdiction as the largest andmost liquid Islamic capital market.

The program would issue sukuk through a whollyowned subsidiary of SocGen, a structure featuring back-to-back sharia-compliant contracts that would provideinvestors legal recourse to the French lender, KualaLumpur-based credit ratings firm RAM Ratings said in abourse filing yesterday.

The sukuk wakalah program has a tenure of up to 15years and has been approved by Malaysia’s central bankand Securities Commission, SocGen said in a mediarelease yesterday. Hong Leong Islamic Bank Bhd is advis-ing the deal. “Given the advancement of Islamic finance inrecent years and the importance of the Malaysian andSoutheast Asian capital markets to its business, SocGenstands ready to issue out of its program at the right mar-ket conditions and timing,” the bank said.

Reuters reported last year that SocGen was consideringissuing $300 million worth of sukuk in Malaysia, with pro-ceeds used to expand the bank’s operations in the MiddleEast.

The program, which RAM rates at AAA(s), or stable,comes a week after Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, a unit ofMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, set up a $500 multi-cur-rency sukuk program in Malaysia. Such new issuers arecrucial in Malaysia’s efforts to internationalize its Islamiccapital markets, which remains dominated by domesticissuers. International firms represent less than 10 percentof total issuance.

An accommodative tax regime and strong demandfrom local investors have made Malaysia an attractive mar-ket for issuers from as far away as Kazakhstan, but bignames could encourage even more firms to tap the mar-ket.

Malaysia’s sukuk market saw a 26 percent slump inissuance last year due to uncertainty ahead of nationalelections and worries about the Federal Reserve’s mone-tary policies, credit ratings agency Moody’s said in areport. Moody’s estimates issuance will pick up by 10 per-cent over 2014 and 2015. — Reuters

SocGen sets upsukuk program

in Malaysia

GAZA CITY: A Palestinian street vendor holds a pumpkinat his vegetables stall in Gaza City yesterday. — AFP


PARIS: The chief operating officer of BNP Paribas is to stepdown at the end of June and retire completely on Sept. 30,France’s biggest bank announced yesterday as it wrestles withUS authorities over a potential $10 billion fine. New York’sbanking regulator had requested the departure of the long-serving Georges Chodron de Courcel as part of a settlement foralleged violations of sanctions against Iran, Sudan and othercountries, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters onJune 5.

BNP Paribas did not mention the investigation in itsannouncement. It said the 64-year-old’s departure, in less thanthree weeks’ time, was at his own request and would allow himto comply with new French bank regulations on the number ofdirectorships he can hold.

Chodron de Courcel is one of the bank’s three most seniormanagers under Chief Executive Jean-Laurent Bonnafe and hasdirect responsibility for the investment banking activities thatare at the centre of the investigation. A spokeswoman for thebank said he had planned to retire this year anyway and wouldnot comment further on the US proceedings. A source familiarwith matter said last week the bank was not considering exec-utive departures in connection with the negotiations.

The bank said Chodron de Courcel had “devoted his entire42-year career to BNP and then BNP Paribas, and has made adecisive contribution to the Group’s development, and espe-cially to the project which eventually led to the creation of thenew BNP Paribas entity”.

On Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter saidVivien Levy-Garboua, a senior adviser and formerly the head ofcompliance for the French bank, was also among people tar-geted by the superintendent of New York’s Department ofFinancial Services, Benjamin Lawsky.

US authorities - five of them in all including the New Yorkfinancial regulator - are investigating whether BNP evaded USsanctions between 2002 and 2009 and whether it stripped outidentifying information from wire transfers so they could passthrough the US financial system without raising red flags. BNPParibas may have to pay a fine of about $10 billion and faceother penalties such as being suspended from clearing clients’

dollar transactions, sources close to the situation have said.The potential impact has raised concern in French govern-

ment and banking circles. President Francois Hollande raisedthe issues with Barack Obama last week. On Wednesday, Bankof France Governor Christian Noyer said a dollar clearing sus-pension could be disruptive to the international financial sys-tem. BNP has said publicly only that it is in discussions with USauthorities about “certain US dollar payments involving coun-tries, persons and entities that could have been subject to eco-nomic sanctions”. It has set aside $1.1 billion for the fine buttold shareholders it could be far higher than that. Last month italso said it had improved control processes to ensure such mis-takes did not occur again. The bank’s market value hasdropped by 15 percent, erasing around 11 billion euros ($15billion), in the four months since it first announced the provi-sion for the fine on Feb. 13. Its shares were up 0.5 percent at51.60 euros yesterday.

Since then the scale of the likely fine has risen sharply, and afigure as high as $16 billion was suggested at one point,according to people familiar with the matter.

Fine inflation In the past two years the US Justice Department has said it

has broken records on penalties for corporate misconduct atleast seven times, including three times this year alone. Themost recent was Credit Suisse in May, which paid $2.6 billionover charges that it helped Americans evade US taxes, thelargest penalty ever levied in a criminal tax case. Total corpo-rate criminal penalties in the United States overall increasedabout 647 percent between 2001 and 2012 to about $4.3 bil-lion, according to figures compiled by University of Virginia lawschool professor Brandon Garrett.

There are multiple explanations for the rising fines. For one,cases related to the 2007-2009 financial crisis have producedbig settlements connected to trillions of dollars in subprimemortgage products. US authorities have also turned theirattention to other crimes involving big dollar amounts, includ-ing money laundering, sanctions violations and the rigging ofbenchmark interest rates. — Reuters

Top BNP exec to go amid sanctions-busting probe

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav takes a break during the UP Investor Conclave in NewDelhi yesterday. The Uttar Pradesh government signed 20 initial agreements with corporates entailing investmentsworth 35,000 crore rupees ($59 million) during the investors conclave. — AFP

Bank says 64-year-old was due to retire anyway

Infosys namesnew chief as

Murthy bows outMUMBAI: Indian outsourcing giant Infosys announced a newchief executive yesterday and said its co-founder NR NarayanaMurthy would step down as executive chairman after a string ofhigh-profile departures. Vishal Sikka, previously with Germansoftware giant SAP, will take the helm as chief executive fromAugust 1 and pledged to create a “more global” company thatwas “not limited by geography”.

Murthy, who returned from retirement as executive chair-man in June last year to help revive the company’s fortunes, willstep down from his current role on Saturday.

His son Rohan-who joined as executive assistant at the sametime-will leave on the same day, the statement said. The IT giantseems keen on ending the string of senior departures sinceMurthy returned to the company-as many as 12 have departedover the past year, according to local reports. The last big nameto quit was president B G Srinivas, who was thought to be afrontrunner for the chief executive post before he left the com-pany last month. At a press conference on Thursday, Murthylaid out various changes at the top management level, includ-ing the dissolution of his own office after he steps down.

“Vishal will have the opportunity to chart out his own pathwhile leading the company,” he said. Sikka himself said he washonored to lead the “iconic” company but that it was too earlyto comment in detail on his plans. “My sense of companies andcustomers in not limited by geography,” he told reporters. “Eacharea has a set of challenges and opportunities. I want to create amore global company.”

String of departures Sikka’s appointment means that S D Shibulal, the current

chief of Infosys, will retire nearly five months earlier than expect-ed. Indian media had been rife with speculation about likelycandidates to step into Shibulal’s shoes, and Sikka is the firstperson in the job who is not one of the company’s founders.Created three decades ago by Murthy, Shibulal, and five othersaround a kitchen table, Infosys has been losing market share torivals such as Tata Consultancy Services and HCL and the recentstaff departures had only further tainted its image.

“I believe there were many reasons for the departures,including Murthy’s focus on weeding out non-performers andadjusting responsibilities of others,” Ashish Chopra, an IT analystwith brokerage Motilal Oswal Securities in Mumbai, said. “Alongwith these, some people who believed they would not be ableto enjoy power or move into bigger positions also left.” Infosys,which is based in the southern high-tech city of Bangalore, rosenearly four percent in early trading after the new posts wereannounced but levelled out later to be down 0.50 percent at3,163.00 rupees. Last October, Infosys said it would pay $34 mil-lion to the US government to settle an investigation into allegedvisa fraud by the company. Many of India’s IT outsourcing firmshave reported subdued growth in recent years due to the glob-al economic slowdown. In April however, the Nasdaq-listedInfosys beat market estimates with the announcement that itsconsolidated net profit had surged 25 percent in the January toMarch quarter. — AFP

BANGALORE: Infosys new Chief Executive Officer andManaging Director designate Vishal Sikka (left) andChairman N R Narayana Murthy listen to a question dur-ing a press conference at the company’s headquartersin Bangalore yesterday. — AP


TOKYO: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Germany’s Siemensare set to bid nearly $10 billion for some of French “nationaljewel” Alstom’s energy assets, a report said yesterday, poten-tially blocking a $17 billion offer from General Electric.

Japanese electronics and machinery maker Hitachi has indi-cated it will also join the one-trillion-yen bid to scoop upAlstom’s gas and steam turbine business, rather than thewider energy group eyed by the US conglomerate. The reportby Japan’s leading Nikkei business daily, which did not citesources, came after Siemens and Mitsubishi announcedWednesday that they had “joined forces in evaluating a poten-tial proposal for certain assets” of the French multinational.

They did not elaborate, saying a decision on submitting anoffer would be made by June 16. In an apparent response tothe Nikkei report, Mitsubishi said yesterday that said no finaldecision had been made as it was still studying the deal,including the offer price and other details. Investors wel-comed the news with Mitsubishi’s Tokyo-listed shares rising1.24 percent to 649 yen by the close while the broaderJapanese market ended in negative territory.

Foreign ownership worries “It’s a forward-looking investment that would expand rev-

enue,” said trader Munenori Nagata at SMBC Friend Securitiesin Tokyo. The deal would boost Mitsubishi’s already strongpresence in the turbine sector and lift its bottom line followinga company restructuring to improve its finances, he added.

“It’s better to grow in a field that you’re already strong inrather than expanding into all sorts of different businesses,”

Nagata said. “GE is strong and it would be difficult for Siemensto counter it without making an alliance,” he added.

Katsumi Nagasawa, head of Hitachi’s thermal and nuclearpower business, told investors Thursday that his firm saw theoffer as a “good deal”. “We will cooperate with MitsubishiHeavy as a thermal business partner,” he added. GE has runinto opposition from French nationalists over its offer to buyAlstom’s energy unit, which builds generators, turbines andtransmission systems and would complement the US-basedfirm’s own power industry division.

French President Francois Hollande is to hold a meetingyesterday morning to review developments on the sale,according to economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who hasbeen at the forefront of trying to woo Siemens into biddingand get GE to improve its offer. Alstom said on Wednesday it“still has not received any firm offer” from the German group,while GE’s proposal was on the table until June 23.

A GE spokesman said the company continues “to have con-structive discussions about the details of our proposedalliance with Alstom and remain confident in our proposal”.

The energy unit accounts for 70 percent of Alstom’s busi-ness, and would leave behind the railway equipment divisionthat manufactures France’s prized TGV high-speed trains.

Alstom is one of France’s biggest private sector employerswith about 18,000 staff nationwide, but it depends heavily oncontracts with the French government. Last month, Parispassed a new law that would allow it to veto unwanted for-eign takeovers of major French companies, including the GE-Alstom deal. — AFP

Japan-German group to bid $10bn for Alstom assetsFresh move blocks GE’s $17bn offer

In this June 5, 2014 photo, Chelsea Vick shops for clothesat Wal-Mart Supercenter in Rogers, Ark. The CommerceDepartment releases retail sales data for May onThursday, June 12, 2014. — AP

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s central bank keptpolicy rates on hold yesterday, but onceagain trimmed its economic growth out-look as weakening exports add pressureon the country’s current account.

Bank Indonesia left its benchmark ref-erence rate unchanged at 7.50 percent, aswidely expected, ahead of next month’spresidential election. The country’s cur-rent-account deficit is at risk of wideningin the coming quarters as exports contractfrom the effects of a mineral export banand weaker commodity prices.

“As you know, the current accountissue is still a problem,” said Yudha Agung,the central bank’s executive director foreconomic and monetary policy.“Seasonally, in the second quarter the cur-rent account usually widens further.”Emerging markets such as Indonesia aredependent on capital inflows to fundlarge current-account deficits and remainvulnerable to selling of its assets by portfo-lio funds.

On Thursday, central banks in theregion took different stances on policy butrates appear to be on a firming trend. NewZealand’s central bank raised rates to afive-year high to curb price pressures fromstrong growth, while the Bank of Koreakept rates on hold but is expected to hikeas soon as next quarter.

A Reuters poll of 11 analysts had pro-jected Indonesia’s central bank wouldkeep its policy rate unchanged for a sev-enth straight month. The central bank alsoleft the deposit facility rate, or FASBI, andlending facility rate at 5.75 percent and7.50 percent, respectively.

Bank Indonesia has kept the bench-

mark rate unchanged since December,after raising them a total of 175 basispoints between June and November tocalm anxious investors and stem a sell-offin Indonesian assets.

Policy outlookThe outlook for Indonesia’s monetary

policy, however, is becoming morecloudy. The government has said its priori-ty is to shrink the current-account deficiteven at the expense of growth.

The central bank is targeting a current-account deficit of around 2.8-2.9 percentof GDP this year, lower than last year’s 3.3percent. But GDP growth is expected toslow to its lowest level in five years. The

central bank said budget cuts would limitGDP growth to 5.15 percent this year,which is at the low end of its recentlyrevised 5.1-5.5 percent target. BI hadrevised that sharply down from 5.5-5.9percent previously.

That has left analysts split on whetherthe central bank’s next move will be toraise or cut rates. “BI’s focus is ... likely toshift towards supporting growth,” saidGareth Leather, economist at CapitalEconomics. “Provided the currentaccount does not jump back up againand the rupiah remains fairly stable, wethink the next move in rates will proba-bly be down, although not until earlynext year.” — Reuters

Indonesia CB trims economic outlook, rates stay on hold

In this file photo taken Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, a woman counts U.S. dollar andTurkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey. FromIndia to Indonesia, investors are finding something to like about stocks inemerging markets this year. — AP

LONDON: British finance minister George Osborne will rejectEuropean Union plans to outlaw currency market manipulation yes-terday and instead set out his own proposals to make riggingexchange rates a criminal offence. EU laws taking effect in 2016 willmake it a criminal offence with a four-year jail term to rig key pricesin a wide range of financial markets.

But Osborne does not want these laws to apply in London, theworld’s biggest centre for currency trading. Instead, he wants a panelled by the Bank of England to recommend new criminal sanctionswhich meet the needs of London, where much of the loosely regu-lated $5-trillion-a-day trade in foreign exchange takes place.

Britain has already introduced a maximum seven-year jail termfor trying to manipulate the LIBOR interbank interest rate, and plansto introduce similar criminal penalties for rigging benchmarks in cur-rency, commodity and fixed income markets. “Our own rules will beas strong or stronger than those of the EU, but will preserve flexibilityto reflect specific circumstances in the UK’s globally important finan-cial sector,” Britain’s finance ministry said in a statement late onWednesday.

The opposition Labor Party said Osborne was acting too late toroot out malpractice, and critics are likely to warn that the new legis-lation will be excessively influenced by Britain’s financial sector.

But rejecting EU proposals may please lawmakers in Osborne’sConservative Party who oppose transferring more powers toBrussels. The large number of Britons who voted for the anti-EU UKIndependence Party in last month’s European Parliament electionmay also welcome the move.

“I am sure it’s a big deal for political reasons but it won’t make anydifference at all as far as the process of prosecuting wrongdoers,”said Simon Gleeson, a financial services lawyer at Clifford Chance.

Osborne has already clashed with the EU over laws which limitbankers’ bonuses, and Britain has the right to opt out of EU rules thatinvolve criminal penalties. The British Bankers’ Association wel-comed the plan. “The key task ... will be ensuring that we have a sys-tem that is robust and punishes any wrongdoing while being sensi-tive to the need to continue to attract global banks and investors tothe UK,” its chief executive Anthony Browne said.

Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays, which was fined forrigging Libor, said Osborne’s plans will help restore trust and confi-dence in a vital part of the global financial infrastructure.

Mansion house speech Osborne will detail the proposals in a speech to London’s finan-

cial community on Thursday evening, alongside BoE Governor MarkCarney, and will stress the importance of integrity in Britain’s finan-cial markets to the economy as a whole. The move was not com-pletely unexpected. Osborne said last week that he wanted to boostthe integrity of London’s markets, and the chief executive of the ACIumbrella group for currency traders told Reuters new criminal sanc-tions were likely.

More than 40 currency dealers around the world have now beenfired or suspended following claims that traders used client orderinformation improperly to attempt to manipulate prices. But no-onehas been prosecuted under England’s existing laws.

Some bankers worry privately that Osborne is trying to front-runand shape a similar study into forex market practices by the globalFinancial Stability Board (FSB), which is chaired by Bank of Englandgovernor Mark Carney. — Reuters

UK plans to make currency-rigging a crime


LUXEMBOURG: US chipmaker Intel lost yesterday itschallenge against a record 1.06 billion euro ($1.44 billion)European Union fine handed down five years ago, asEurope’s second highest court said regulators did not acttoo harshly. The European Commission in its 2009 deci-sion said Intel tried to thwart rival Advanced MicroDevices (AMD) by giving rebates to PC makers Dell,Hewlett-Packard Co, NEC and Lenovo for buying most oftheir computer chips from Intel.

The EU competition authority said Intel also paidGerman retail chain Media Saturn Holding to stock onlycomputers with its chips. Judges at the Luxembourg-based General Court said yesterday they backed theCommission’s decision. “The Commission demonstratedto the requisite legal standard that Intel attempted toconceal the anti-competitive nature of its practices andimplemented a long term comprehensive strategy toforeclose AMD from the strategically most important saleschannels,” the court said in a near 300-page decision.Judges said the EU watchdog had not been heavy-hand-

ed with the level of the fine, equal to 4.15 percent ofIntel’s 2008 turnover, versus a possible maximum of 10percent. While Commission penalties rarely hit the top fig-ure, the rising level of fines is a source of worry for manycompanies.

“The General Court considers that none of the argu-ments raised by Intel supports the conclusion that the fineimposed is disproportionate. On the contrary, it must beconsidered that that fine is appropriate in the light of thefacts of the case,” judges said. Intel, which can take its casefurther to the Court of Justice of the European Union butonly on points of law, declined to say whether it would doso. “We are very disappointed about the decision. It’s acomplex case which is reflected in the decision. We willbegin evaluating the decision,” Intel spokeswomanSophie Jacobs said.

Better out of court?The Commission welcomed the ruling, as did con-

sumers’ lobbying group BEUC. “When large compa-

nies abuse their dominance of the market, it causesdirect harm to consumers. The court’s ruling issued astrong reminder that such behavior is illegal andunacceptable,” said BEUC director-general MoniqueGoyens. The court’s judgment suggests companieswould be better off settling antitrust charges insteadof fighting them, said Martina Maier, a partner at lawfirm McDermott Will & Emery.

“Companies under invest igat ion by theCommission should not count on winning in courtwith the argument that the Commission would nothave properly assessed the economic effects of anabuse of dominance,” she said. “This might well leadto a supplementary incentive for a company underinvestigation for an alleged abuse of dominance tosettle with the Commission or to offer commitmentsin order to motivate the Commission to end itsinvestigation.” Samsung recently settled EU chargeswhile Google has also clinched a deal with theCommission. — Reuters

Intel loses court challenge against $1.4bn EU fine

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bidto light a fire under the country’s long-tepid econ-omy will this month face its most critical test witha long-awaited update to his plans for structuralreforms. Farming and pharmacology, pensioninvestments and immigration, taxes and trade areall expected to be addressed in some way as pres-sure builds on the premier to make good on hisearly promise to slough off two decades of eco-nomic lassitude.

The reforms are the final tranche of the primeminister’s “Abenomics” action plan, which burstinto life in early 2013 with a huge public spendingbonanza and an unprecedented monetary easingcampaign by the Bank of Japan. That gave theeconomy a shot in the arm and set off a blazingstock market rally as firms’ profitability fattenedon the back of a sharply weaker yen.

But his much-touted-and politically more diffi-cult-first attempt at a package of reforms,announced to great fanfare last summer, fell flat,amid accusations they were too timid and did notundo the vested interests Abe had promised toscuttle. Observers criticized them as little morethan a woolly wish list, full of grand ideas such asgetting more women into the workforce, but withfew details on how they might be achieved.

Now, a year later and 12 months wiser, thereforms update has been rather low-key, with nofinal date set for an announcement-although it isexpected to be this month-and little concretedetail on exactly what they will entail. Doubterssay that despite his bold rhetoric, Abe will not beable to deliver a wider overhaul of the world’snumber three economy, including shaking uprigid labour markets and taking on a powerfulagricultural sector that opposes free-trade deals.

‘Enthusiasm fading’ The 59-year-old premier faces a delicate bal-

ance as ordinary Japanese struggle with lacklusterwage growth and rising prices for everydaygoods- the result of Tokyo’s bid to stoke long-absent inflation and the April consumption taxhike to 8.0 percent from 5.0 percent.

The rise was seen as crucial for bringing downone of the world’s heaviest debt burdens, but italso threatens to dampen spending power andfurther erode support for Abe’s turnaround plan.

“The initial enthusiasm for Abenomics has longsince given way to skepticism-both in the finan-

cial markets and with the public at large,” saidMarcel Thieliant of Capital Economics. “Taxes onspending are going up, prices are increasing fasterthan wages, and many of the planned tax breakswill require painful adjustments in labor and prod-uct markets.” Last month, Abe vowed that “noth-ing can stop my reforms” but even his hand-picked central bank governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, iscalling for less talk and more action. Kurodawarned that the BoJ’s monetary easing would notguarantee long-term success on its own.

“Implementation (of reforms) is key, andimplementation should be swift,” he told the WallStreet Journal. Abe has pushed through a plans tostart deregulating the energy sector and improveaccess to child care but other changes could betougher. Among them are opening up the cosset-ed agricultural sector and a reported plan to letfirms cut overtime pay for skilled professionals.

Huge potential Abe’s possible reforms include cutting one of

the world’s highest corporate tax rates and rebal-ancing the bond-heavy national pension fund’s$1.26 trillion in assets toward equities. He mayalso unveil proposals to heavily promote cleanenergy and robotic technology, as well as scrap-ping an income-tax deduction for stay-at-homespouses in an effort to bring more women intothe workforce. Despite a low birth rate and anageing workforce, immigration reforms areunlikely in the largely homogeneous countrywhich has the lowest rate of foreign-born nation-als among major industrialized nations. Abe may,however, loosen permanent residency rules forwhite-collar professionals and some manualworkers, reports said.—AFP

SAINT-JEAN-DE-LA-RUELLE: (L-R) President of household electrical company Brandt France groupSergio Trevino, director of the industry of Algerian group Cevital Malik Rebrab and president ofBrandt France Thierry Leonard visit the Fagor Brandt plant yesterday in Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle. AfterCevital took over Brandt France in April 2014, Brandt hopes to make 40% of its sales in Africa andMideast. The two industrial plants of Saint-de-la-Ruelle and Vendome ‘’re-started progressively’’ and100% of the employees should resume work by the end of July, according to Leonard. — AFP

Japan’s ‘Abenomics’ faces critical test

Pressure on PM to make good on promises

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

PARIS: English luxury handbag maker Mulberrysaid yesterday it would take time to return togrowth and hire a new creative and managementteam after an ill-fated attempt to move upmarkettook its toll on sales and profits. The brand, hit bya string of profit warnings, said the full benefits ofits strategic U-turn would start to be felt only nextyear when its first lower-priced autumn/wintercollection hits the stores in May.

Mulberry declined to provide a sales growthforecast for the current year, with ExecutiveChairman Godfrey Davis only admitting that “thisis a reasonably tough year for us.”

Davis, however, said he expected trading toimprove in the second half of the year thanks tonew product launches. Mulberry whose retailsame-store sales fell 3 percent in the year endedMarch 31, witnessed a further drop of 15 percentin the 10 weeks to June 7, a performance it saidwas worsened by comparing it with last year’sboost from clearance sales. The brand’s retailsales, from directly operated shops, representabout 70 percent of total revenue.

Mulberry also posted a near halving of pre-taxprofit in the year to March, falling to 14 million

pounds ($24 million) from 26 million the previousyear, in line with its warning in April. “Mulberryenters the new (fiscal) year in a state of transition,”Barclays said in a note.

Mulberry is working on strengthening its prod-uct offering at a price range of 500 to 800 pounds($800-1,300) to win back UK customers put off byits previous focus on handbags priced at over1,000 pounds. Mulberry, like rivals Louis Vuittonand Gucci, is struggling to compete against moreaccessible, trendy fashion brands such as MichaelKors which give customers the look and feel ofluxury at a fraction of the price. Davis explainedthat Mulberry, known for its classic brown leatherbags with locks inspired by a postman’s satchel,was going back to its roots of providing peoplewith “everyday, practical and beautiful things.”

The priority for the group is to hire a new cre-ative director following Emma Hill’s departure lastSeptember, he said, adding that he hoped thiswould be done before the end of the year. “Oncewe have settled the creative director appointmentwe will look for a new chief executive, though ofcourse we have started doing some initialresearch,” Davis said.— Reuters

Mulberry says overhaul will take time as sales drop

FR

IDA

Y, J

UN

E 1

3, 2

014

www.kuwaittimes.net

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s forward Neymar controls the ballduring a Group A football match between Brazil andCroatia at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo duringthe 2014 FIFA World Cup yesterday. — AFP

Brazillaunch WCupin style


Page 47


GENEVA: The animal that inspired Brazil’s 2014 World Cup mascot,the Three-banded Armadillo, is facing extinction as its natural habitatis destroyed, an international nature watchdog warned yesterday.Brazil’s population of the scaly-backed animal has shrunk by morethan a third over the past decade as the area covered by the dryshrubland where it lives has halved, the IUCN said on the eve of thetournament’s kick off.

The Brazilian armadillo-which provided the inspiration for World Cupsymbol Fuleco-was named by the International Union for the Conservationof Nature as one of many species under threat worldwide. The IUCN, whichworks closely with governments, the United Nations and other environmen-tal groups, also warned that 94 percent of wide-eyed primate lemurs arethreatened with extinction. Of the 101 surviving species, 22 are underthreat-including the biggest, the Large-bodied Indri, and the smallest,Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur-the Switzerland-based body said. Lemursare threatened by destruction of their tropical forest habitat in Madagascar.Political uncertainty and rising poverty have accelerated illegal logging, theIUCN explained, adding that hunting of the animals for food had alsoemerged as a serious issue.

Orchids on the edgeIn the plant world, the group warned that close to 80 percent of temper-

ate Slipper Orchids now face extinction. The finding was based on a globalassessment of the species, which is easily recognizable thanks to its slipper-

shaped flowers, which trap insects to ensure pollination. It is found in NorthAmerica, Europe and temperate regions of Asia. The IUCN blamed habitatdestruction and excessive harvesting of wild species for sale. “What wasmost surprising about this assessment was the degree of threat to theseorchids,” said Hassan Rankou of the IUCN’s orchid team, which is based inthe Royal Botanic Gardens in London.

“Slipper Orchids are popular in the multimillion-dollar horticulturalindustry. Although the industry is sustained by cultivated stock, conserva-tion of wild species is vital for its future,” he said. Among the most at-riskspecies are the Freckled Cypripedium, with less than 100 left in Yunnan inChina and the Ha Giang province of Vietnam. Also under threat are thenational flower of the Cayman Islands, the Banana Orchid. Turning to theglobe’s rivers and oceans, the IUCN said that the Japanese Eel-a traditionaldelicacy in Japan and the country’s most expensive food fish-was also indanger. It had been hit by habitat loss, overfishing, barriers to migration,pollution and changes to oceanic currents. Its decline has driven a rise intrade in species such as the Shortfin Eel, the IUCN said. Still, there was alsogood news. The IUCN said it had raised its rating the Yarkon Bream, a fishfound only in Israel, from extinct in the wild to vulnerable. Its habitat waswrecked by drought and drawing water for irrigation, but it was saved bytaking 120 of the last wild fish into a captive breeding program at Tel AvivUniversity. Its population has increased significantly since 9,000 laboratory-born Yarkon Bream were released into restored habitats in the Yarkon andother Israeli rivers, the IUCN said.— AFP

SAO PAULO: Five memorable moments at World Cup openingceremonies:

2010 - South AfricaAfrica’s first ever World Cup-which Sepp Blatter had promised hewould deliver when he was first elected in 1998 - enjoyed a sump-tuous musical display in Johannesburg with several top nationalstars performing. However, the biggest star of all was unable tobe there as former president Nelson Mandela had to pull outwhen his great-granddaughter was killed in a car crash earlier thatday. He did make it to the final but only briefly as a frail figure hewas driven round the stadium prior to the Spain and theNetherlands clash.

2006 - GermanyIt all started with German supermodel Claudia Schiffer

strolling onto the pitch with Brazilian legend, three-time

World Cup winner Pele. However, they looked on bemusedas two figures dressed as fairytale characters Hansel andGretel were assailed on the Munich pitch by polka dancersand their hornblower partners who had been part of the firsthalf of the ceremony but clearly did not wish to leave thescene.

2002 - South Korea/Japan South Korea and bitter historical rivals Japan co-hosted

the finals with the Koreans laying on the opening ceremonyand the Japanese given the final. However, not even beingmade joint-hosts meant all was peace and harmony betweenthe two countries and Japanese Emperor Akihito was notpresent at the opening ceremony while FIFA chief SeppBlatter was roundly booed as he tried to make his f irstspeech as president at a World Cup finals having been elect-ed to succeed Brazilian strongman Joao Havelange.

1994 - United StatesDiana Ross may be a soul singing legend but her skills with a

football proved to be a talking point at the opening ceremonyin Soldier Field Stadium, home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears.Asked simply to kick the football into an open goal she fluffedher lines completely as she sent it wide of the posts. The cere-mony was capped with chat show host Oprah Winfrey falling offthe stage.

1978 - ArgentinaOpening ceremony was overshadowed by all-round surprise

that all 24 teams turned up as there was some reluctance on thepart of several players to travel to a country which had been a mil-itary dictatorship since 1976. Even more sinister was that the ven-ue the River Plate Stadium was just a mile from the NavalMechanics School (ESMA), a notorious prison camp where oppo-nents of the junta were allegedly tortured.— AFP

‘Unhackable’ goaltechnology

RIO DE JANEIRO: Goalline technology willbe used at a World Cup for the first time inBrazil with its backers insisting it is 100 per-cent accurate and cannot be hacked. It willcome as welcome news to the likes of FrankLampard who famously had a goal ruled outin England’s second round match againstGermany in South Africa in 2010 despite theball clearly crossing the line. GoalControl, theofficial provider of the system, re-tested thetechnology at Rio’s Maracana stadium-thevenue of the World Cup final-in April aheadof the tournament which starts on Thursday.

“It is 100 percent accurate. The system willwork,” Dirk Broichhausen, managing directorof GoalControl, said at a presentation at theMaracana. World governing body FIFAawarded the contract to the German compa-ny 16 months ago and there will be 14 high-speed cameras at each of the 12 World Cupstadiums to determine if an attempt on goalhas crossed the line or not. There are sevencameras trained on each goal and the cam-eras each take 500 pictures per second, send-ing a “GOAL” message to the referee’s watchif the ball is in, GoalControl chairman BjoernLindner explained. He stressed, however:“The referee has the last call. He can overridethe system any time he wants. But he knowsthe system is reliable.” FIFA tested outGoalControl last year at the ConfederationsCup, the World Cup dress rehearsal in Brazil,where it accurately detected each goal. If theball does not cross the line then the gamewill simply continue. The cameras, fitted outwith the latest in sensor technology, are sta-tioned on catwalks around the stadium andmeasure the position of the ball every twomilliseconds to within accuracy of as little as0.5cm (0.2 inches).

The data is then transmitted over anencrypted system with Broichhausen insist-ing the technology could not be hacked.“The system is offline... there is no possibili-ty to manipulate. We did a lot of internaland external testing-I think more than10,000 shots,” he said. FIFA spokesmanJohannes Holzmueller concluded that “wecan absolutely trust” the system to workand added it was designed to support andprotect referees from the kind of controver-sy which accompanied Lampard’s “goal”that wasn’t validated against Germany,despite bouncing more than a metre overthe line having come down off the under-side of the bar, presaging a 4-1 eventualdefeat. At the time of Lampard’s strike, thescore was 2-1. — AFP

Brazil’s World Cup mascot under threat

5 memorable WCup opening ceremonies

SAO PAULO:(From right to left) Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo holds the World Cup trophy next to Brazilian presenter Fernanda Lima andFuleco the official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil during the opening ceremony of the FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo. — AFP


FIFA president Joseph Blatter

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, akeen football fan who was an ama-teur player in his youth in soccer-mad Argentina yesterday wishedfor a fraternal World Cup, hoursbefore the premier championshipkicks off in Brazil. “I wish everyonea wonderful World Cup, played in aspirit of true fraternity,” the pontifftweeted. In a video message inPortuguese, transmitted byBrazilian television Rete globo,Francis also said he hoped theWorld Cup would mark “solidarityamong peoples” who “recognizethemselves as members of theunique human family.” In thevideo, available on YouTube, healso said that he hoped the com-petition remains “a game, an occa-sion for dialogue, comprehensionand reciprocal enrichment”. TheWorld Cup is “an event which goesbeyond linguistic, cultural ornational boundaries”, said Francis,adding that he believed therewere “three keys” to success insport: “Training, fair play andrespect for your opponent.”— AFP

Blatter eyes a new term

SAO PAULO: Sepp Blatter is ready to seek a new term as FIFA’spresident, he announced Wednesday, ignoring calls from topEuropean officials to stand down as controversy engulfs football’sgoverning body. “I’m ready to accompany you in the future,” the78-year-old Blatter told the FIFA congress in Sao Paulo on the eveof the World Cup. The FIFA leader was helped by a congress votenot to consider age- and term-limits for officials. He later deniedhaving any designs on a life-time presidency.

Isolated boos could be heard among the applause as Blattersaid that conditions were good for him to seek a fifth term nextyear. But he has a strong chance of victory in the election to beheld at the FIFA congress in Zurich in May next year. “My man-date will finish next year... but my mission is not finished,” he saidin his closing address. “Together we will build the new FIFA,together we have the foundations to do things.”

Blatter added: “Congress, you will decide who will take thisproud institution forward. It’s your decision to do so. But I will tellyou, I’m ready to accompany you in the future, for the game, forthe world. “Because it’s your decision congress, if you want to gowith me,” he said, exiting to clapping and Brazilian music. Blatterhas dropped heavy hints in past months that he will be a candi-date again, even though he said when he won in 2011 that itwould be his last term.

Despite stopping short of formally announcing his candidacy,his comments are likely to vex European delegates who this weekcalled for him to stand down next year. Blatter has long been acontroversial figure, and FIFA, which oversees a multi-billion dol-lar industry, has never been far from scandal. Just prior to theWorld Cup, Britain’s Sunday Times has published a series ofreports alleging that millions of dollars in bribes were paid tohelp Qatar secure the 2022 edition.

Scandal taints WCup Blatter succeeded scandal-plagued Brazilian Joao Havelange

in 1998. Under his stewardship, football’s revenues have mush-roomed, with huge amounts from television rights and sponsor-ship. But it has also attracted scandal, the latest of which is led bymedia reports that Qatar’s Mohamed bin Hammam paid morethan five million dollars in bribes to win support for the Gulfstate’s 2022 World Cup bid.

Qatar has denied any wrongdoing, and Blatter has said thecorruption allegations are racist. But the scandal has still taintedthe build-up to the start of the Brazil World Cup. In rare publiccomment on the issue, former FIFA executive committee JunjiOgura from Japan said most senior figures want the truthunearthed and welcome the spotlight on the scandal-hit organi-zation. —AFP

Pope wishes football fans ‘fraternal WCup’

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis kisses a child as he arrives for his general audience atSt Peter’s square at the Vatican. —AFP

MANAUS: Sporting a bone through hisnose, a jaguar’s tooth pendant, multicol-ored feathers in his ears and tribal bodytattoos, not many England fans wouldgive credence to the footballing ‘exper-tise’ of Amazonian sorcerer Jaraquii. Butthe striking Indian ‘Paje’ believesEngland’s World Cup opener in nearbyManaus tomorrow will be cursed by Italystriker Mario Balotelli.

“Balotelli’s magic will help you beatthe English,” Jaraquii, speaking to Italiandomestic agency ANSA, said with a seri-ous grin revealing a row of sparklinggold teeth. “He (Balotelli) is like us col-ored people. He’s not white, he’s not like(Argentina’s Lionel) Messi. That’s whywe love him.” Jaraquii’s local famestretches beyond his status as a localleader within Brazil’s National IndianFoundation (FUNAI), a governmentbody that establishes and carries outpolicies relating to indigenous peoples.Although his tribal affiliation isunknown, by local standards he iswealthy, the rumor going he struck goldon the Parana river where he lives on ahouseboat near the city of Santarem.

Although his prediction is unlikely tohold sway with England manager RoyHodgson, Jaraquii’s believes the emer-gence of an Indian player that resemblesBalotelli and who plays in the regionalindigenous championships is a portent.“For the first time ever the Wai-Wai(tribe) are reaching the highest levels inthe league in (the state of) Para, just likethe Remo and Paysandu’ have in Belem.“There’s a young player in the team whois amazing, a real Indian Balotelli.” Hemay not admit it, but Jaraquii’s prefer-ence may in part be inspired by his dis-like for all things Anglo-Saxon. “I’vebeen like that since an obnoxiousEnglishman, or he might have beenAmerican-they’re the same to me-saidthat he was afraid of me and asked ifthere were cannibals.”

Grinning widely, he added: “I toldhim to keep quiet, because we ate themall.” Dressed like a colonial explorer andwearing a wide-brimmed Australian hat

as he rides on a bicycle adorned with alarge flag of Brazil, Antonio Batista a fel-low Indian-is just as striking. His love forItaly is just as potent but has been driv-en by his admiration for Roberto Baggio,the legendary Italy striker infamous formissing the deciding penalty in the1994 World Cup final which handed thetrophy to Brazil. “In Manaus I’ll be sup-porting Italy. I’ve loved them since I waslittle,” said Batista.

“I am a native of this region, which

has forest and wild beasts everywhere.But I’d give it all up if I could be Baggio.”Known locally as a “caboclo” because ofhis mixed Indian and European heritage,Jaime Rodrigues, meanwhile, prefers tolook at the big picture. If Italy qualifyfrom Group D and get through the last16 round, a possible quarter-final clashwith Brazil awaits.

“I’m supporting England because ifBrazil meets Italy, it could be trouble,”said Rodrigues.— AFP

Balotelli to curse England, says Amazonian sorcerer

PARIS: Beyond the spectacle of 32nations battling for the greatest prize infootball, the World Cup is also a test bedfor tackling climate-damaging carbonemissions from major events. The world’sbiggest sports fest is a major source ofcarbon, but FIFA says this year’s eventshould break new ground in addressingthe problem. It describes the 2014 showas a “stepping stone” towards “sustain-able” World Cups by evaluating andreducing the carbon footprint. From2018, World Cups go into a new, greenerphase, because environmental protec-tion will be a mandatory requirement inhosting the contest. FIFA estimates theBrazil event will produce about 2.7 mil-lion tons of emissions as measured in car-bon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) - roughlythe total emissions of Iceland over a six-month period.

“It’s not just about the number offlights from A to B, it’s also the tons ofcables that are being used in TV produc-tion and the number of hours the refrig-erators will be running during the WorldCup,” said Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s headof corporate social responsibility. Butoutside observers such as FredericChome, director of Belgium-based car-bon consultancy Factor X, say the real tal-ly is even higher. “The problem withthese sporting events is that they fail tofactor in many emissions sources,” he

said. Missing from the FIFA inventory arepreparations like stadium construction,which uses vast amounts of carbon-spewing cement, and manufacturing,transporting and use of World Cup-relat-ed products. “Big international eventslike this cause TV sales to rise by one per-centage point, which is about 20 millionindividual sets,” Chome pointed out. “Ifyou consider that one TV costs 5-6 tonsof CO2 to make, that makes at least 100million additional tons of CO2. And thenyou add a billion televisions drawingpower for three hours a day over threeweeks, that makes another two milliontons of CO2.”

Many smaller, apparently invisibleitems add to the footprint. FIFA is issuingsets of World Cup uniforms-two pairs oftrousers, three T-shirts, a jacket, a jersey, acap and a rain poncho-to 2,880 peoplewho have been hired for the event. Theoutfits were made in China and shippednearly 20,000 kilometers to Rio. They werethen transported another 1,660 km to thehost cities. The result: about 436 tons ofCO2e. It all adds up, say the experts, butthe single biggest polluter is always trans-port. It accounts for more than 80 percentof World Cup emissions, mainly throughinternational carriers ferrying the estimat-ed 40 percent of international fans toBrazil. Some of the host venues are morethan 3,000 km apart.— AFP

Brazil WCup also a test bed for climate change


BEIRUT: Lebanon’s capital Beirut is awash withflags. But instead of the usual political colors,they’re the bunting of World Cup competitors likeBrazil and Germany being flown by local mega-fans. Lebanon’s national team didn’t qualify forthe event, and the tiny nation has no great sport-ing track record. But its citizens display a near-fanatical enthusiasm for chosen proxy nations,mainly countries that tend to do well in the WorldCup and host large Lebanese populations, drap-ing cars, homes and businesses with “their” coun-try’s colors.

“I just love Germany. I love the way they playthe game,” says 19-year-old Elias Nohra. He spent$50 having a Germany flag sticker affixed to theroof of his car. “Money well-spent,” he says with agrin. Some drivers have gone further, trailing flut-tering flags from their cars, draping scarves roundtheir rear-view mirrors, and even plastering semi-transparent flag stickers across entire windshields.The mania is a chance for the often unstablecountry to escape the daily grind, and good newsfor vendors, with even those who usually sell cell-phones or children’s toys adding flags to theirstock to cash in.

“Every day we get closer to the World Cup, flagsales increase,” says 23-year-old vendor AliNasrallah in the Sabra Palestinian camp in Beirut.“The flags we sell most are Brazil, Germany andItaly.” A survey of the landscape makes it clearthat Brazil, Germany and Italy are indeed localfavorites, with the three nations best representedamong the flags flying from cars and homes.

Family ties spur supportThat comes as no surprise to 23-year-old Rayan

Musallem, a sports journalists and Brazil fanatic.She belongs to an official fan club working withBrazil’s embassy to organize match viewings. “I’veloved Brazil since I was little, it might be becausemy family nicknamed me Rio, but to be honest Ijust love the country, their passion for footballand the way they play,” she says. Like manyLebanese, she knows families who have emigrat-ed to Brazil, which is home to the largest concen-tration of Lebanese in the diaspora. Such tiesthrough emigration are one reason Lebanese citein choosing which country to support. “I’m withFrance because all my family is there,” says 50-year-old Aida Qassis, who owns a toy shop but hasadded flags to her stock. “You know, Lebanontook its independence from France and Francestill supports us, so I hope they do well in theWorld Cup,” she says.

Elie Sarkis inherited his support of Brazil fromhis father and grandfather. “They’ve always lovedBrazil, I think in part because they were impressedthat when players scored they’d cross themselvesand thank God,” he says. “My family are very reli-gious, and they like that in Brazil, people might bepoor, but they have faith, and when they get richthey still love their country and have faith in God.”But for many Lebanese, the decision to pick ateam is swayed solely by their favorite players.Argentina has seen its popularity here boosted bythe high-profile career of Lionel Messi, andPortugal commands an outsize following on thebasis of its star striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

‘A unifying event’ For 24-year-old Tony Rizk, it was legendary

goalkeeper Oliver Kahn who started his passionfor Germany’s team. Last year, he fulfilled a life-long dream by visiting Munich, and this year heand the fan club he founded are working withGermany’s embassy in Lebanon to organize view-ing events. Like many Lebanese, he describesWorld Cup mania as one of the few non-politicalevents in a country often marked by political andsectarian divisions.”Our club has fans from every-where in Lebanon. You see Muslims, Christians,everyone, watching the games,” he says. “It’s aunifying event.”— AFP

World Cup fever a break from politics in Lebanon

BEIRUT: A Lebanese vendor stands in front of the Argentinean flag at a street shop selling flags of countries competing in the FIFAWorld Cup 2014. — AFP

HONG KONG: Qatar is probably better offwith the World Cup than without it. Theemirate’s reputation is under fire amid alle-gations that it bribed officials to support itssuccessful bid to host the soccer tourna-ment in 2022. Reversing the decision wouldspare Qatar eight years of scrutiny and saveit a hefty infrastructure bill. Yet without thecompetition, Qatar has little to distinguishitself from more attractive Gulf neighbors.

Even before the 2014 jamboree kicks offin Brazil, the tournament after next is miredin controversy. Britain’s Sunday Timesnewspaper has published documents sug-gesting a former vice-president of FIFA, soc-cer’s ruling body, paid bribes to win supportfor Qatar’s bid. Doha maintains it won onmerit. But current World Cup sponsors likeVisa, Sony, Adidas and Coca-Cola haveexpressed concern. If the allegations provecorrect, FIFA would face immense pressureto revisit the decision.

Losing the World Cup would provideQatar with the opportunity to scale back itsmassive infrastructure roll-out to a sizemore appropriate to its tiny population of2.1 million. It ’s hard to imagine Dohabecoming an attractive holiday destinationin its own right after the fans have dis-persed. Yet after its selection in 2010, Qatarannounced projects including hotels, roads,port facilities, a rail network, state-of-the-artstadiums and even a brand new city. Thetotal could cost up to $200 billion throughto 2020.

If it was stripped of the tournament,however, Qatar would also suffer a big set-back in the regional race for economicdiversification. Despite its enormouswealth, Doha has made it clear it wants tobe more than just a home to one of theworld’s largest gas reserves. A cancelledWorld Cup would be the largest of a num-

ber of costly failed initiatives, including theattempt to turn the emirate into a financialcentre to rival the success in neighboringDubai.

Qatar has sought to win powerful friendsin everything it does, from investmentsoverseas to foreign policy. That’s importantfor a small rich country surrounded by larg-er powers in a volatile region. But as inmuch else, Qatar seems to win as many ene-mies as it does friends. On balance, the tinynation is probably regretting ever pursuingthe World Cup. Now it is stuck in a mess,losing it might just be worse than keepingit. Five of the six top sponsors of the soccer

World Cup have voiced concerns over alle-gations about the way Qatar won the rightto host the tournament in 2022. Visa, Sony,Adidas, Hyundai and Coca-Cola have allissued statements of concern in recentdays. The top six sponsors are each payingbetween 40 and 70 million euros for theirfour-year deals, sources have told theFinancial Times. The Sunday Times newspa-per has published leaked documents it saysshowed former Fifa vice-presidentMohamed bin Hammam made secret pay-ments to African officials to win support forQatar’s bid. Qatar maintains that it won thebid on merit.— Reuters

Qatar is better off with WCup than without it

BEIJING: A team of Chinese baby pandaslined up to predict World Cup scores havebeen given the red card by authoritieshours before kick off, the animals’ keeperssaid yesterday. The pandas were billed byChinese media as China’s answer todeceased soccer soothsayer Paul theOctopus, after they were originally set topredict match results by picking food froma choice of baskets and by climbing trees.But representatives at the pandas’ breed-ing base in southwestern Sichuanprovince said the bears would not be giv-en the chance to predict results at thisyear’s tournament, which began in SaoPaulo yesterday.

“The predictions have been halted bythe authorities,” said a spokesman at theChina Centre for Research andConservation of Giant Pandas, withoutelaborating. State news agency Xinhuahad previously said the pandas, who areaged between one and two years old,

were to select food from three bamboobaskets representing either a win, loss ordraw during the group stages. For theknock-out rounds, the animals wouldselect winners by climbing trees markedwith the national flags of competingnations, it added.

China had hoped the pandas couldmatch the worldwide fame achieved byPaul, the German octopus that correctlypredicted the results of eight games at the2010 World Cup. Paul the Octopus, whoused his tentacles to choose mussels oroysters from boxes bearing the flags ofparticipating nations, died in October2010, shortly after that year’s World Cup inSouth Africa. China has about 1,600 pan-das living in the wild. They have a notori-ously low reproductive rate and are underpressure from factors such as habitat lossin their home terrain of Sichuan, northernShaanxi and northwestern Gansuprovinces.—AFP

Panda pundits red carded


BELO HORIZONTE: Chile’s national football team forward Alexis Sanchez controls the ball during a training session at the Toca da Raposa training ground in Belo Horizonte. — AFP

CUIABA: World Cup outsiders Australiaare aiming to punch above their weightand give a Chile side choc-a-bloc with tal-ent a bloody nose in Cuiaba today. Thetwo Group B protagonists are worlds apartin FIFA’s rankings-Chile are 14 withAustralia down at 62 - so the SouthAmericans are heavy favourites to sweepaside the Socceroos and get their cam-paign off to the perfect start.

The odds may be stacked against them,but Australia, unshackled by any smidgenof pressure, are not short of self-beliefahead of this clash against a team theyheld to a goalless draw on their World Cupdebut in 1974. “We don’t care who we’reup against,” said Swiss-based attackingmidfielder Dario Vidosic. “There can be 11Ronaldos or Messis out there. We want tomake everybody proud back home. We’veworked very hard to get to this stage.“We’ve got three guaranteed games andwe’re just going to give it everything thatwe can to get out of the group stage.”

Coach Ange Postecoglou’s largely tran-sitional side is skippered by Crystal

Palace’s Mile Jedinak and features experi-enced duo Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano.The Aussies laid down a marker of theirintent in a battling single goal defeat tofellow finalists Croatia in their last warm-up. Alex Wilkinson, who played a partagainst Croatia, hopes he’s done enoughto make it on to Postecoglou’s starting XI.Wilkinson hinted that Chile could be in fora surprise. “They’re expecting us to bephysical and we will be physical-but wealso want to show them we can play foot-ball as well,” said the player with SouthKorean outfit Jeonbuk Motors.

Vidal key for ChileDespite the infectious enthusiasm

emanating from the Aussie camp the seri-ous money today is on Chile. Coached byArgentine Jorge Sampaoli, the SouthAmericans take to the Arena Pantanalpitch buoyed by the apparent recoveryfrom injury of midfield star Arturo Vidal.The Juventus man, who underwent kneesurgery last month, was a doubt after bat-tling an inflammation. But he appeared to

have shrugged off that problem whenturning out on Wednesday for his firsttraining session since making an unfore-cast 15-minute comeback a week ago inthe 2-0 friendly victory over NorthernIreland. Like Vidal, another vital compo-nent of this Chile team is Barcelona for-ward Alexis Sanchez, reportedly a target ofManchester United’s new boss Louis vanGaal who is in Brazil as Holland managerbefore moving to Old Trafford.

And Sanchez stoked up expectationsback in Santiago on Wednesday when hetold a local newspaper: “I believe Chile aregoing to win the World Cup, if I didn’tbelieve that I’d be at home watching tele-vision.” Of Chile’s chances of solving thecomplex first round puzzle set by a GroupB including Holland and world championsSpain he said: “I’d be happy if we finishedas runners-up behind them (Spain).”Sanchez’s rags to riches story from a hum-ble background to world class footballer isthe stuff of any kid’s dreams, and he is fullyconscious of the benevolent hand dealt tohim by fate. — AFP

Australia undaunted by classy Chile

NATAL: Mercurial Mexico host a troubled Cameroon in thesides’ World Cup Group A opener in Natal today looking to takethe first step towards an eventual first appearance in the quar-ter-finals in nearly 30 years. Now coached by colorful MiguelHerrera, who missed out on playing for Mexico at USA ‘94 afterbeing dropped for punching a photographer, Mexico have inrecent editions failed to live up to expectations. In the past fivetournaments the Aztecs have failed to get to the ‘fifth game’and make the quarter-finals they last reached as hosts in 1986when they bowed out 4-1 on penalties to West Germany.

Critics would argue Mexico should feel lucky to be in Brazilat all. After a tortuous qualifying campaign, Herrera was para-chuted in for a two-legged play-off against New Zealand,which the central Americans won 9-3 on aggregate. Butdespite that result, Mexico have hardly lit up the world foot-balling stage of late, losing their last two friendlies 1-0 toBosnia and Portugal. In the latter encounter, Mexico spurned ahost of chances and when they took their eye off the ball lateon Bruno Alves struck the winner for Portugal in the 93rdminute. “We haven’t been that convincing when facing goal, sowe have to work on it,” admitted Herrera. “We have to work onkeeping focus all the way to the finish. We can’t be losinggames in the last 30 seconds.”

Mexico, noted for their 5-3-2 formation which focuses heav-ily on the running of the wingbacks, will however look to capi-talize on the internal strife that has simmered within theCameroon camp. Four years after becoming the first Africanside to leave the 2010 tournament, with zero points from threegames, Volker Finke’s squad recently threatened to refuse toboard the plane to Brazil due to a row over bonuses. A deal wasfinally reached, but the episode has enhanced the general feel-ing that the ‘Indomitable Lions’ will whimper and not roar theirway through a group which includes Croatia and hosts Brazil.

Like Mexico, Cameroon endured a tough qualifying cam-paign that again underlined the central African country’s repu-tation for internal strife. Much of that in recent years hasrevolved around superstar Samuel Eto’o, whom the Cameroonfederation once issued with a lengthy ban.—AFP

Cameroon andMexico clash inGroup A opener

Dutch hunt World Cup revenge against SpainSALVADOR: Holders Spain open theirWorld Cup campaign against theNetherlands today in a repeat of the 2010final with the Dutch out for revenge.Andres Iniesta’s strike four minutes fromthe end of extra-time in the Johannesburgfinal crowned Spain as world championsfor the first time and now, four years later,the European giants clash again atSalvador’s Arena Fonte Nova in themouth-watering opening match of GroupB. With South American dark horses Chileand Australia still to come, a win for eitherside would set the group’s agenda.

Captain Robin van Persie, ArjenRobben, Wesley Sneijder, Nigel De Jongand Dirk Kuyt are the five survivors from

the 2010 final in the current squad and theDutch have made no secret of their desirefor revenge. “It was a big chance for us towin the World Cup and we were reallyclose,” said Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar.“It should always burn inside to makesomething right. To play against themnow in the first game is a great challenge.”Veteran midfielder Wesley Sneijder, whowill win his 100th cap in the match, saidthe wounds of that defeat were still raw.

“It’s like a scar that hasn’t yet healed. Italways gets me down when I think aboutit,” said the Galatasaray star. As the doubleEuropean and reigning world champions,Vicente del Bosque’s Spain are bidding tojoin Brazil and Italy as the only teams to

have enjoyed back-to-back World Cupwins. The ever-loyal Del Bosque is expect-ed to make just one change from the sidewhich started and won the Euro 2012 finalwith Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta coming infor Alvaro Arbeloa at right-back.

No fear, just respectCesc Fabregas should start up front for

Spain with Brazil-born Atletico Madridstriker Diego Costa expected to make asecond-half appearance from the bench.“We don’t have any fear. But we do haverespect,” said del Bosque. “Holland are awell-organized team, well-coached, and Iam sure they will make things difficult forus.”—AFP


SAO PAULO: Croatia’s goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa (center) makes a save during a Group A football match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo yesterday. — AFP

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s poster boy Neymar scored twice andthe outstanding Oscar added a late third as the hosts camefrom behind for a dramatic 3-1 victory over Croatia in athrilling World Cup opening match yesterday. But the 71st-minute penalty from Neymar that tipped the Group A gameBrazil’s way seemed a soft one after Japanese referee YuichiNishimura harshly ruled that Croatia skipper Dejan Lovrenhad fouled Fred who appeared to throw himself to theground.

Neymar had brought Brazil back into the game after 29minutes with the equalizer after defender Marcelo putthrough his own net after 11 minutes to give Croatia ashock lead. Marcelo’s misfortune meant he became the firstBrazilian ever to score an own goal at the World Cup. Thecross came from Ivica Olic whose low ball from the left wentthrough the legs of Brazil skipper Thiago Silva, clippedNikica Jelavic’s foot and bounced in off Marcelo with keeperJulio Cesar helpless. Neymar created Brazil’s first openingwhen he jinked along the byline, resulting in a half-clearedball to Oscar who slammed in a curling 25-metre drive thatgoalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa acrobatically pushed away.

But Croatia’s reprieve only lasted seven minutes and theequalizer was greeted by scenes of unbridled joy. Oscarstarted the move by beating two men in midfield beforefinding Neymar who advanced a few meters before crackingin a low left-foot shot that went in off the base of Pletikosa’sleft-hand post for his 32nd goal in his 50th international.Neymar scored his 33rd when Pletikosa got both hands tohis penalty but could not stop the ball from going in andOscar wrapped up the win in the dying minutes. — Reuters

Today’s matcheson TV

FIFA World CupMexico v Cameroon 19:00beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 2 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HDbeIN SPORTS 13 HDbeIN SPORTS 1 HD

Spain v Netherlands 22:00beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 2 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HDbeIN SPORTS 13 HD

14-6-2014Chile v Australia 1:01beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 2 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HDbeIN SPORTS 13 HDbeIN SPORTS 1 HD FRbeIN SPORTS 1 FR

Brazil launch WCup in style Neymar’s double gives jittery Brazil a winning start

SAO PAULO: Brazil launched theWorld Cup yesterday trying to puton a carnival atmosphere afterpolice fired tear gas and rubber bul-lets at protesters in Sao Pauloopposed to the tournament. But thefive-time world champions shockedtheir fans by giving away an owngoal 11 minutes into their first gameagainst Croatia at the CorinthiansArena in front of 61,600 fans includ-ing 12 heads of state. DefenderMarcelo was almost in tears after hesteered the ball into his own netfrom a Croatian cross. But Brazilianhero striker Neymar equalized in the29th minute.

Brazilian police put up a ring ofsteel around the stadium to keepprotesters away from the gala debutof the four-week spectacle thatBrazil has spent more than 11 billiondollars to prepare for. But anarchistdemonstrators in black shirts andmasks lit bonfires of rubbish a few

kilometers from the arena afterarmored police sought to quellprotests in the hours before theopener. World Cup preparationshave been dogged by months ofprotests, reflecting widespread pub-lic anger over the money spent.

But Sao Paulo and other citieslargely went quiet as the gamestarted. Yellow and green flagshung from many buildings.Gutemberg Santos, 42, said his t-shirts and flags had sold like hotcakes. “It has been a good day,everyone is happy,” he said. But pro-testers who last year brought chaosto the Confederations Cup rehearsaltournament had vowed to march onthe Sao Paulo stadium. But riotpolice responded forcefully, chasingprotesters up a main avenue and fir-ing tear gas in the middle of oncom-ing traffic, forcing cars decoratedwith the Brazilian flag to weave theirway through the chaos. — AFP

Colorful ceremony opens World Cup amid clashes

FR

IDA

Y, J

UN

E 1

3, 2

014

www.kuwaittimes.net

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s forward Neymar controls the ballduring a Group A football match between Brazil andCroatia at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo duringthe 2014 FIFA World Cup yesterday. — AFP



World Cup opens with a bang - Kuwait Times

Documents

Transcript of World Cup opens with a bang - Kuwait Times