By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday passed the2014/2015 budgets for 13 government departments,authorities and establishments including those ofKuwait Investment Authority (KIA), Central Bank ofKuwait and Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC). But beforepassing the budgets, a large number of MPs stronglycriticized the lack of a government development plan togo along with approving budgets. MPs also criticizedthe failure of most government departments andauthorities to implement the budget plans fully.

MPs also raised the issue of several departments ingeneral and Kuwait Municipality in particular for losingkey court cases that cost those departments tens of mil-lions of dinars as a result of a lack of legal representa-tion. MP Jamal Al-Omar said Kuwait Municipality haslost cases worth more than KD 14 million because thelegal department failed to defend the municipality.

Minister of Communications and Municipality EssaAl-Kandari told the Assembly he has asked a legal teamfrom the legal and fatwa department to investigate whythe municipality lost those cases, adding that he hasinstructed the municipality staff to assist them.

Head of the Budgets Committee MP AdnanAbdulsamad said that it has become like a generaltrend that government departments lose court casesthat require them to pay huge compensations. He saidthat a local private company has filed a lawsuit againstthe customs department demanding a compensationbetween KD 800 million and KD 1 billion.

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7 10 20Iraq parliament session ends in chaos as turmoil deepens

Europe rights court upholds French burqa ban

Sharapova,Nadal knocked out of Wimbledon

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014 RAMADAN 4, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

Cybercrime rings with Kuwait roots disrupted

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Microsoft moves to fight malware • Millions of PCs infected

Ramadan Kareem

By Teresa Lesher

Prayer and Ramadan

Emsak: 03:07Fajer: 03:17Dohr: 11:52Asr: 15:26Maghreb: 18:52Eshaa: 20:23

Another Ramadan has arrived and more than abillion Muslims around the world abstainfrom food and drink from dawn until dusk for

an entire month. While this is one of the main deedsthat characterize Islam, there is one that is superiorto the month-long fast: it is the habitual dailyprayer. The daily prayer is the most significant act ofa believer since, according to Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), it is the deed most loved by God and“Between man and non-belief is the abandonmentof prayer.” Prayer is an exercise that increases one’sself-discipline and strengthens one’s faith by train-ing him to look beyond the illusive qualities of lifeon earth.

There is a specific sequence and method for theritual prayer in Islam, which is preceded with ablu-tions. Just as one would groom himself beforemeeting an important friend, ablutions prepare theMuslim physically and mentally for his encounterwith God. Every prayer starts with the first chapterfrom the Holy Quran, which constitutes what couldbe called “the Lord’s Prayer” in Islam.

Bowing and prostration are also essential parts ofthe ritual prayer, and these postures are reserved forno other being but God as a tribute to His suprema-cy, power and majesty. After invoking blessings onGod’s righteous servants, especially Muhammad(PBUH) and Abraham (PBUH), the prayer ends with agreeting of peace. Habitual daily prayers nourishthe soul, strengthen the will and revitalize the spirit.They are the mainstay of the Muslim’s faith.

In addition to the ritual prayer, the Muslimsengage often in remembrance of God and supplica-tion, which differs from ritual prayer in that it can beoffered at any time and in any form. It is a sponta-neous prayer from the heart of a believer at anymoment during his l ife - in times of need, inmoments of joy, during reflection or strenuouseffort. It is informal communication with God, a“spiritual snack” between the ritual prayers.

In addition to the five daily prayers, there areoptional congregational prayers at night, which arecalled Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan. TheMuslim increases the number of daily ritual prayersand supplications during this time. Qiyamul-layl isprayer that is performed particularly during the lastone-third of the night. These night prayers becomeespecially important during the last ten nights of themonth as Muslims anticipate Lailat-ul-Qadr, or the“Night of Destiny.” It is said to be worth a thousandmonths in merit (Quran 97:1-5).

It is on the Night of Destiny that the Quran wasfirst revealed. No one knows exactly which night itfalls on so prayers are conducted late into the nightfor all of the last then days. Attendance at designat-ed neighborhood mosques is high, and attendanceat the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City reaches about30,000 during these days.

God instructs us in the Quran to “establish prayerfor My remembrance” (20:14). Just as there is a “min-imum daily allowance” of calories, vitamins and min-erals for a healthy body, the five prayers can be con-sidered the minimum daily allowance of communi-cation with God for a healthy spirit. Courtesy of the TIES Center, the social and educa-tional hub for English Speaking Muslims in Kuwait.For more information, please call 25231015/6 or e-mail info@tiescenter.net or visit www.tiescenter.net.

BOSTON: Microsoft Corp launched what it hopes will bethe most successful private effort to date to crack downon cybercrime by moving to disrupt communicationschannels between hackers and infected PCs. The opera-tion, which began on Monday under an order issued bya federal court in Nevada, targeted traffic involving mali-cious software known as Bladabindi and Jenxcus, whichMicrosoft said work in similar ways and were written anddistributed by developers in Kuwait and Algeria.

It is the first high-profile case involving malware writ-ten by developers outside of Eastern Europe, accordingto Richard Domingues Boscovich, assistant generalcounsel of Microsoft’s cybercrime-fighting Digital CrimesUnit. “We never seen malware coded outside EasternEurope that is as big as this. This really demonstrates theglobalization of cybercrime,” said Boscovich, whose teamat Microsoft has disrupted nine other cybercrime opera-tions over the past five years, all of which it believes orig-inated in Eastern Europe.

He said it would take several days to determine how

many machines were infected, but noted that the num-ber could be very large because Microsoft’s anti-virussoftware alone has detected some 7.4 million infectionsover the past year and is installed on less than 30 per-cent of the world’s PCs. The malware has slick dash-boards with point-and-click menus to execute functionssuch as viewing a computer screen in real time, record-ing keystrokes, stealing passwords and listening to con-versations, according to documents filed in US DistrictCourt in Nevada on June 19 and unsealed Monday.

The malicious software was purchased by at least 500customers, who are identified in the court documents asJohn Does 1 to 500. Boscovich said the developers bla-tantly marketed their malware over social media, includ-ing videos on Google Inc’s YouTube and a Facebookpage. They posted instructional videos with techniquesfor infecting PCs, he said.

The court order allowed Microsoft to disrupt commu-nications between infected machines and a Reno,Nevada, firm known as Vitalwerks Internet Solutions.

Boscovich said about 94 percent of all machines infectedwith the two viruses communicate with hackers throughVitalwerks servers. Criminals use Vitalwerks as an inter-mediary to make it more difficult for law enforcement totrack them down, he said. The court ordered the reg-istries that direct Internet communications to send sus-pected malicious traffic to Microsoft servers inRedmond, Washington, instead of letting it go on toVitalwerks. Vitalwerks spokeswoman Natalie Goguensaid she had no immediate comment.

In the operation that began on Monday, Boscovichsaid, Microsoft will filter out communications from PCsinfected with another 194 types of malware that are alsobeing filtered through Vitalwerks. Microsoft has notaccused Vitalwerks of involvement in any cybercrime,though it alleges that the company failed to take propersteps to prevent its system from being used for suchactivities. “We just want them to clean up their act, to bemore proactive in monitoring their service,” Boscovichsaid in an interview. — Reuters

Assembly passes budgets of govt deptsBarrak won’t answer prosecutor’s questions

KUWAIT: Health Minister Ali Al-Obaidi (center) and Information Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah (right)attend a session at the National Assembly yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has tapped the for-mer deputy defense minister to lead the kingdom’s intel-ligence services and revitalized the political career of aformer spy chief and longtime ambassador to the UnitedStates by naming him to a new senior advisory post. Themoves come as the world’s largest oil exporter watchesthe rapid military gains made by Al-Qaeda-inspired mili-tants in neighboring Iraq with growing concern.

Continued on Page 13

Saudi kingnames new intel chief

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan declared yesterday hiscandidacy for the August presidentialelection which is expected to makehim Turkey’s longest-serving and mostdominant leader since Ataturk.Erdogan - tipped to win the polldespite a turbulent year that sawunprecedented protests against hisrule - vowed the election would mark aturning point for a “new Turkey”. Theelection will be the first time Turks willdirectly choose a president, andErdogan indicated he intended to bemuch more than a ceremonial head ofstate.

But the secular opposition - whichstrongly opposes his Justice andDevelopment Party (AKP)’s Islamic-tint-ed rule - denounced Erdogan as a vio-lator of the rule of law who had noright to be president. But launching hiscampaign in Ankara in a speech to4,000 cheering party members lacedwith Islamic references, Erdogan said,“The owner of this victory is only Allah.We are bracing for a blessed journey toserve the people.” Erdogan’s wife Eminecould be seen wiping tears from hereyes while his boisterous supporterschanted “Turkey is proud of you!”

If he wins, Erdogan, 60, would serveas president until 2019, with the possi-bility of a second mandate, making himTurkey’s longest serving leader since

the founder of the modern Turkishrepublic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.However his move to switch from thepremier’s office to the Cankaya presi-dential palace in Ankara comes at themost turbulent moment in his decade-long domination of Turkey. The govern-ment was shaken by mass protests in2013, a torrent of corruption allega-tions, a damaging feud with formerallies, and most recently its clumsyresponse to the Soma mine disasterthat killed 301 people.

Continued on Page 13

Erdogan launches bid for presidency

ANKARA: Turkish Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan gestures ashe addresses members of AKP yes-terday. — AFP (See Page 10)

SAO PAULO: Argentina’s forward and captain Lionel Messi (left) and Argentina’smidfielder Angel Di Maria celebrate after Di Maria scored during a Round of 16football match between Argentina and Switzerland at Corinthians Arena duringthe 2014 FIFA World Cup yesterday. -— AFP (See Page 20)

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Food of Ramadan

Quaker Oats Harees

Ingredients • 1 cup of Quaker Oats • 5 cups of water • 1 medium onion • 1/2 cup of fresh celery (roughly chopped) • 1 medium carrot (roughly chopped) • 2 bay leaves • 2 cardamom pods • 2 whole cloves • 2 tsps. of salt • 1 tsp. of black pepper • 1 whole chicken • 1/2 cup of Egyptian rice • Ghee (to finish)

Preparation • Put the water in a large bowl on a medium heat, add the onion, celery, carrot, bay

leaves, carda mom and cloves, and season the mixture with salt and pepper, then stiruntil it begins to boil.

• Cut the chicken in quarters, rinse, and add to the mixture, stirring until it boils. • Reduce the heat, stirring the chicken for around 45 minutes, or until completely

cooked. • Remove the chicken from the stock, and leave it to completely cool down, then skin

it and remove the bones, before shredding it into small pieces. • Strain the stock, and allow the liquid to be brought back to the boil, add the rice

and leave to boil once again. • Reduce the heat and finally remove the rice from the heat when it is almost cooked,

then add the oats and the pieces of chicken, return the mixture to the heat for a further15 minutes or until all of the contents is completely cooked.

• Blend the mixture using a masher or blender until a very smooth soup-like consis-tency is achieved.

• Raise the temperature then pour into bowls and serve hot (adding ghee accordingto taste).

KUWAIT: The KuwaitBanks Club organized itsannual ‘Qraish’ party atthe Burj Al-Hamamrestaurant.

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

DUBAI: The Bayt.com ‘Ramadan in theMENA Workplace’ poll, recently conductedby Bayt.com, the region’s number one jobsite, shows that more than 80% of the work-ing population in the Middle East and NorthAfrica (MENA) believe that Ramadan is amonth that lifts morale at work. 44.5% saythat employer efficiency is not affected, and55% claim that important decisions and vitalmeetings are not postponed till the HolyMonth is over. Nine out of 10 professionals(86.9%) say that the companies they work inhave different official working hours duringRamadan when compared to the rest of theyear. In terms of impact on performance,58% of professionals say that more working

hours throughout the Holy Month wouldhave a positive impact on their performance.The sentiment is mirrored when it comes tocompany performance as well, with 42.1%agreeing that more working hours will havea positive impact on their company’s per-formance either, although 41.3% “stronglyagree” that more working hours would havea positive impact.

Business is slower in Ramadan, accordingto 74.7% of respondents - 46.4% of whichstrongly believe so. This could be attributedto the fact that 69% of professionals claimthat colleagues tend to take their holidaysduring the Holy Month. Another possiblereason for lower productivity according to

81.1% of poll respondents could be peoplestaying up late. As a way to increase motiva-tion, 90% believe that special bonusesoffered to employees in Ramadan will begreatly motivating. Ramadan is seen as atime when there is a noticeable increase inthe number of charitable activities, with87.8% stating that their company is morecharitable during the Holy Month. It is alsoseen as a time of increased socialisationbetween colleagues, according to 84.7%,although more than half (55.4%) of respon-dents claim that employees tend to becomeshort-tempered during Ramadan. However,25.2% of respondents strongly disagree.

Eight out of 10 (81.9%) respondents say

that their consumption of goods and servic-es increases during Ramadan - to a largeextent, for 50.3%. It is considered to bemore difficult to find a job duringRamadan, with 44.6% stating that it is hard-er to do so than at any other time of theyear. 31.9%, however, believe that it is easi-er.

“Ramadan is a month of beauty, mercy,and blessings, revolving around doinggood deeds and practicing self-restraint,”said SuhailMasri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com. “It’salso a challenging month, especially forprofessionals balancing the pressingdemands of work and the extra demands ofRamadan; with 43.1% of professionals say-

ing that more working hours in Ramadanwould have a positive impact on their per-formance. The trick to staying productivethough is simple, and at Bayt.com, weadvise that professionals take the time toset goals, in order to achieve their trueRamadan potential. Ultimately, the aim ofRamadan is giving and sharing, and that’swhat should reflect in the workplace. “

Data for the Bayt.com ‘Ramadan in theMENA workplace’ poll was collected onlinefrom20 May to 24 June 2014, with 7,394BNP capital ratio slips to 10% ‘borderline’re-spondents from UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar,Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan,Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

Ramadan lifts morale of professionals

KUWAIT: The Islamic Care Society launched the second phase of its philanthropic campaign in Yemen, which includes providing food aid to2,000 people in Yemen. The ‘Empowerment Initiative’ lasts until the end of the holy month, covering areas in the Amran and Sana’a gover-norates. The initiative is part of the ‘Basket of Hope’ annual campaign which helped finance charitable and developmental projects in Yemenfor the past five years.

Hind Abu Shoushah’s grandparents threw hera party the very same day they learned thatthe seven- year-old had fasted from sunrise

to sunset without even a glass of water. She andher family traveled from the West Bank city ofJericho to Abu Dis for iftar, the traditional meal thatbreaks the fast every night during the holy monthof Ramadan.

After the family ate, they threw Hind a partywhere she was treated like Miss America and evengiven a crown to wear.

“The whole family paid attention to her whenshe fasted the first time,’ Hind’s mother Amneh said.“She was so proud of herself and found the situa-tion to be very encouraging.” Now eight, Hind hasalready started fasting this year as well. “Ramadanis something so nice because we all come togeth-er,” Hind said.

Ramadan, which began Sunday with the sight-ing of the new moon, is the holy month forMuslims. They fast from sunrise to sunset, don’tsmoke and don’t have sex. The idea is to purify thesoul and refocus attention on God. Muslims alsogive charity to the poor dur-ing this month.

To fast, especially duringthe long hot days of summeris not easy. Shaikh Abu Ali ofEizariyya near Jerusalem,says fasting teaches self-dis-cipline.

“Fasting raises the will ofa human being to do thingsthat ‘he knows will be goodfor him in the afterlife,” AbuAli said. “Because he or shedoes not eat, does not drink the whole day, he willalso not lie or steal while fasting.”

Muslims are obligated to begin fasting whenthey hit puberty, he says.

“It could be 12, it could be 13. They are not pun-ished by God if they do not fast before that age.But in order to teach them and get them used tofasting and praying, we teach them to start fastingbefore that age,” he said.

His eight-year-old daughter, Aya, began fastingwhen she was just six years old.

“I did not force her to do that,” the shaikh insists.”I even told her that if she feels hungry or thirsty,that she should go to the kitchen. Why? Becauseshe is a child. Every day I would ask her if she istired, hungry or thirsty. But they love to fastbecause they see us do that,” he said.

While it is more common nowadays to seeMuslim children fasting before they hit puberty,Palestinian pediatrician Dr Sami Nabulsi does notrecommend it. He says parents should be very cau-tious when encouraging them to fast.

“Children need extra calories. They have extraenergy so they have larger demands for caloriescompared to adults,” Nabulsi said.

He also said that if children are going to fast, par-ents should discourage them from eating foodsrich in sugar during the evening iftar meal. Insteadthey should concentrate on foods like vegetables,fruits, high protein diets, meat and wheat cereals.Extra amounts of water are crucial, especially dur-ing the summer. Nabulsi says parents should steertheir children away from energy drinks and sodaand concentrate on natural juices and water.

As for adults, Nabulsi says some can even gainweight despite fasting for 30 days from dawn todusk.

“Some people fast all day and then consumelarge quantities of food, not following any kind ofdiet. They will gain weight in Ramadan instead oflosing it,” he said. “But if you follow the recommen-dations, what food you will eat, how much you willtake in, exercise which is not against Ramadan,then you lose weight.”

Manal Samara, a Palestinian living in SaudiArabia, says she misses herfamily during Ramadan.But in some ways, observ-ing the holy month is easi-er in Saudi Arabia than inthe West Bank.

“You can buy all of yourgroceries in one placeunlike going store to storein Palestine and the shopsstay open real late here,”she said. During Ramadan,she says, many new Arab

television shows air for the first time.Samara moved to Riyadh four years ago with her

husband Shadi and their two small children.Although her children are too young to fast,Samara says she and her husband still teach themabout Ramadan.

That and they see ‘the atmosphere of Ramadan’with their father going to the mosque to pray theTaraweeh prayer (special Ramadan prayers prayedafter Iftar), and friends coming over for Iftar.

In the West Bank city of Jericho, maximum tem-peratures can reach 116 Fahrenheit in the summer.Amneh Abu Shoushah says that even children whodon’t fast should participate in the iftar meal. Sheserves soup, salad, cucumbers and yoghurt as wellas other dishes that are easy on the stomach.

This year their seven year old son Talal will startfasting. He wanted to fast last year but she encour-aged him to wait a year.

“He came to us after he saw his sister Hind wasgoing to fast and asked why does she get to fastand I don’t?” Abu Shoushah said.

Children learn to fast for Ramadanin my view

By Abdullah H. Erakat

The General Director of the Public Authority forPeople with Special Needs announced recentlythat 10,000 files out of 40,000 there belong to

people with fake disabilities. This is the number ofcases discovered so far, including some people - and Ido not know why not all of them - who were referredto the proper authorities to be held accountable. Thedirector also indicated that there are at least 5,000files of people suspected to be faking disability aswell. This means that around 40 percent of peoplewith special needs are liars or thieves of state funds.

But they are not generally considered that, unfor-tunately. In other Kuwaitis’ eyes, they are Kuwaiti citi-zens with limited income, who the state must care for,and perhaps help by taking back the benefits theytook illegally on a gradual basis. Despite that, peopleclaim that corruption and thefts in Kuwait are com-mitted by a sheikh and a merchant, and if these areeliminated, everything will be OK.

There are thousands of Kuwaiti citizens whoembezzled the allowance the government pays to

disabled citizens or attempted to do so. But in addi-tion to that, there are Kuwaitis who embezzled socialsecurity or illegally obtained loans or other govern-ment services. They break the law recklessly, or ratherwithout fear of punishment, because they areKuwaitis who can do what the sheikh or merchantcannot do. Despite that, there are many people whocriticize my repetition of this fact, and continue toinsist that Kuwait’s problem is limited to those twotypes.

Our main predicament is that people are corruptand encourage others to commit thefts. There arepoliticians who try to run away from this fact by pre-tending that the problem originates from above, andtherefore political reform is enough to fix the situa-tion. But this is a big lie, because our problem asKuwaiti people comes from within. True reform issocial in the first degree, and must start with theKuwaiti citizen and his corrupt surroundings.

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Qabas

The problem from within

kuwait digest

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net

Backbone of the future

The youth development department at theMinistry of Youth Affairs reiterated the ministry’scommitment to improve skills and capabilities of

young men and women through training programs.This is considered an important effort at a time inwhich the Arab world faces great challenges whichrequire giving attention to young people as the truenational wealth and best investment for the future.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs deserves credit for put-ting together training programs, out of the belief thatyoung people, including Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaitis, arethe backbone of the near future.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s recent step to honor par-ticipants in the ‘Entrepreneur 2’ program was also asignificant step, especially that the ceremony was held

at the National Library, the oldest library in Kuwaitwhich opened in the 1940s as a boys’ school. Honoringthe young people of today in the same place wheretheir grandfathers studied bears a very symbolicmeaning.

HH the Amir’s vision to transform Kuwait into afinancial hub includes establishing a fund to supportsmall projects and young people’s initiatives. This par-ticular issue needs to be given utmost attention, inorder to help young people give back to their nationand stay away from extremism.

There are many gifted young men and women whoneed support from the public and private sectors. Theseeds of their efforts must be put in the right soil sothat the desired fruits can be reaped. Otherwise, werisk having them kidnapped by destructive hands thathave no value for a nation or people.

In my view

The ministry’s recentstep to honor participantsin the ‘Entrepreneur 2’

program was also a significant step.

The idea is to purify thesoul and refocus attentionon God. Muslims also givecharity to the poor during

this month.

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

There are thousands ofKuwaiti citizens who

embezzled the allowancethe government pays to

disabled citizens orattempted to do so.The speech of His Highness the Amir Wednesday evening was

comprehensive and clear in addressing arguments, diwaniyatalks and gatherings that demanded an end to talks, accusa-

tions and rumors in the country. He warned that all what is beingsaid lately about the issue that has been referred to the prosecution,in addition to the continued flow of rumors and crises, cannot besomething spontaneous, or in the spur of the moment; rather it ispart of well-studied plan to bring down the state.

I liked the Amir’s affirmation on the unchangeable, most impor-tant of which is not to encroach on the judiciary, and confirming thefight against corruption and corruptors, and holding everyoneresponsible for these difficult and dangerous times. He asked citi-zens to go to the prosecution and concerned authorities with anyevidence they have about theft of public funds or violation of thelaw, and here the responsibility became the citizens’ first and thegovernment’s second. HH the Amir’s appeal is for them expressingtheir opinion through legal channels, instead of destroying thenorms by casting doubts on everything existing in our country.

We congratulate citizens, expats and all Arab and Muslim nationson the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, and all what wehope for is that everyone complies with their religion’s teachings bynot overspending and squandering money on stocking food.

I was shocked when I went to our area’s cooperative and saw thestocks of sugary, fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods in preparationfor the holy month. We warned in previous columns more than oncethat cancer patients should be aware that the disease cells flourishquickly when one eats sweets. There is a campaign in the West that

warns against children eating sweets, to a point that British legisla-tors thought about a law to hike taxes on sodas and other drinksthat are full of sugars.

Each can of such drinks contains 10 spoons of sugar, and itseems that citizens and expats have become blind and lost theirability to think right during the holy month, during which oneshould reduce the amount of eating and drinking. But they increasethe burden on their stomachs by overeating and ingesting sweets,while official statistics show that Kuwait is among the topmost inobesity around the world along with diabetes. So fear Allah duringyour fast, and do not overeat during this holy month, and do notviolate the true meaning of this month’s principles.

We congratulate the new MPs who won the by-elections:Ahmad Al-Qudaibi, Abdullah Maayouf, Mohammad Al-Rashidi,Ahmad Lari and Fares Al-Otaibi, and we wish them success in theirnew tough mission. All what we hope from the new MPs is to con-centrate on issues that are in the interest of the county away fromthe popular issues and thinking of self, tribal, sectarian or familyinterests.

Our country is lagging behind GCC countries in all fields, so it isthe responsibility of the National Assembly to take a reformist policythat rescues the country from widespread corruption, squanderingof public funds and delays in development projects, that apart fromworsening services like weak education, deteriorating health servic-es, negligence of the environment and most importantly negligenceof implementing the law strictly and fulfilling the equality in front ofthe law principle. —Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Watan

Try to avoid overeatingkuwait digest

By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa

Al-Anbaa

Ramadan TV series

What is this lame endless

show?

ISILterrorism

4- Who was the first maidento migrate to Medina?

- Um Kulthum bint Uqba

Yes No

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: A lawmaker demanded governmentintervention to end the labor strike at thePublic Institution for Social Security, whichcompleted a month last Thursday, making itthe longest work stoppage in Kuwait’s history.The PIFSS labor union demands financial bene-fits that have previously been agreed uponwith management, and received promises fromFinance Minister Anas Al-Saleh to adopt them.The union decided to go on strike after theirdemands were kept at the Civil Service Councilfor one year for study, and Saleh refuses tonegotiate their demands until employeesreturn back to their offices.

MP Hamdan Al-Azmi supported the union’sdemands, saying that council’s failure to adoptthe increases after one year makes the laborstrike due. He called the government torespond to workers’ demands in order to avoidmore labor strikes in the public sector if otherunions decide to follow suit. The union mean-while met Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem to dis-cuss their demands with the hope of ending

the crisis through a solution that guaranteesemployees’ full rights, union memberMohammad Al-Refaei said. Refaei alsoannounced that the union opened two win-dows to accept paperwork from senior citizensand people with special needs only duringRamadan.

FrustrationIn other news, police were called to the

Education Ministry building after nearly sixtyemployees stormed Undersecretary Mariam Al-Wutaid’s office in protest against losing theirjobs. The ministry decided recently to end con-tracts with food suppliers that provided lunchmeals to elementary schools around Kuwait.Nearly 800 Kuwaiti women who worked inpreparing the meals lost their jobs as a result.After no ministry official agreed to meet themduring a previous sit-in, a group of workersstaged a second sit-in Sunday outside Wutaid’soffice and demanded to meet her in order todiscuss their situation.

The senior official refused to meet them,and said that the ministry could not do any-

thing since they were hired through contractswith private companies. Her statementssparked a state of chaos that saw many workersburst into tears or lose their tempter as theytried to force their way into Wutaid’s office, forc-ing the official to call police.

The employees demand that the ministryfinds them other jobs in schools, or transfertheir contracts to co-operative societies whichwill supply schools with foodstuff from nextyear. Many of them say that they were forced tofind jobs in the private sector because theyhave not heard from the Civil ServiceCommission for years since they applied for ajob in the government.

Wutaid eventually came out of the officeand met with the protesting workers, sayingthat she plans to meet officials at theManpower and Government RestructuringProgram to find alternative jobs for them. MPAzmi also commented later on the situation,saying that the female employees have finan-cial obligations, thus firing them was unaccept-able. - Translated material from Al-Qabas andAl-Rai was used in this report

MP calls on govt to meet union demands

Education official refuses to meet fired workers

Is it the right time to sell

Rotterdam refinery?KUWAIT: Has Kuwait’s oil minister Ali Al-Omair offeredselling the Rotterdam refinery? Is this the right time toget rid of it despite its strategic location? Has the refinerybecome a burden to KPC, making annual losses? Will itdo no good to develop it? These questions have to beanswered by a number of oil experts and analysts.

The former manager of KPC’s office in Europe AbdulSamad Al-Awadhi said that selling the Rotterdam refin-ery was illogical and uneconomic because of its majorstrategic location. “Over ten years ago, there were plansto sell the refinery in a bid to sell the whole companyinstead of developing and expanding it though invest-ments worth billions,” he explained, pointing out thatlogically speaking, one should either sell a company theway it is or develop it in order to sell it for highest prices.

“Instead, Kuwait neglected the company and paidmore attention to activities in China and Vietnam,” headded, urging KPC to conduct a thorough study beforemaking a decision on selling the refinery and use it toprovide 150-200 Kuwaiti technicians with proper practi-cal training annually.

Oil marketing and refining expert Abdul Hamid Al-Awadhi said that investing in oil refineries is one of themost favored projects for crude oil producers. “Our localrefineries get various kinds of support and subsidized oil,gas, electricity and water without paying any taxes orenvironmental surcharges,” he said, pointing out thatwhat happens overseas is the exact opposite, where KPChas to either transport crude oil from Kuwait, or some-times buy non-Kuwaiti oil from other sources.

He also stressed that KPC had to pay environmentalpollution-related taxes, income taxes and fees for usingthe land. Awadhi, who is favor of selling the refinery,stressed that it has been making losses for years and has520 foreign employees while only four Kuwaitis workthere.

KUWAIT: The new ambassador of Brazil Antonio Carlos Don Nascimento Pedro visited Kuwait Timesand discussed matters of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Alyan.

KUWAIT: In pursuing its corporate social responsibility program, andwith a firm belief that Kuwait’s Youth are the backbone to support a tran-sition of Kuwait’s towards a more diversified beyond oil economy, GulfBank is welcoming its second batch of eager young adults that will beundergoing a 5 week Internship Program via ‘Lothan Youth AchievementCenter’ (LOYAC) which specializes in preparing youth in Kuwait to assumeleadership roles in their future careers. Gulf Bank has set as a key priority,the training and preparing the Youth of Kuwait to enter the private sectorworkforce armed with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in adynamic competitive environment as part of its commitment to the com-munity in which it operates.

Gulf Bank’s Internship Program is a hands-on experience wherebyInterns begin with a two-day induction program held at the Bank’sTraining Center ‘Durrat Alkhaleej’ - located in its Zahra Branch. TheInduction program is focused on the principals of banking and the bank-ing system in Kuwait. After the two day period, the Interns are thenassigned to either a branch, or a department within the Bank exposing

them to the day-to-day business, as well as shedding an insight into apossible future career in banking in Kuwait.

Mona Mansour, General Manager of Customer Service Delivery at GulfBank reiterated Gulf Bank’s vision of its role in support of the Youth inKuwait by saying; “Gulf Bank is committed to being an active player insupporting Kuwait’s youth, therefore, we are keen to welcome the latestIntern batch through LOYAC.” Further adding that; “By encouraging ouryouth to be involved in gaining hands- on experience, we are preparingand equipping them with the skill sets necessary for success in theirfuture careers. Therefore, it is our hope that by immersing the interns inour various Branches and Departments they will learn key skills; team-work, commitment, punctuality, initiatives, amongst other skills that theywill come to benefit from through this opportunity.”

The second batch of Interns follow in the footsteps of the initial 2014Gulf Bank summer Interns that were trained as part of an initiative in col-laboration with Kuwait’s Gulf University for Science and Technology(GUST).

Kuwaitkeen on

partnershipwith UNDP

KUWAIT: Undersecretary atthe Supreme Council forPlanning and Development(SCDP) Khaled Al-Khamis saidhere yesterday that Kuwait waskeen on bolstering partnershipwith the United NationsDevelopment Programme(UNDP).

Al-Khamis said that consul-tative work between Kuwaitand the UN had resulted in theDraft country programme doc-ument for the State of Kuwait(2015-2018). He added thedocument was agreed after aUNDP executive council meet-ing which was held in Geneva,June 23-27.

This document is compati-ble with the Kuwaiti leader-ship’s 2035 development goalsfor the country and it will leadto improvement in the execu-tion of development projects,said Al-Khamis.

Equally, human resourcesdevelopment in Kuwait willplay an integral part in imple-menting plans for develop-ment, said the official, stressingthat investing in the humanaspect of the developmentplan will ensure its success.

The official noted that, “thedocument directs focus ontoresults, detailed follow up onprogress, evaluation of all pro-grams, and improving trans-parency and accountability.”

Meanwhile, SCDP advisorFares Al-Obaid held meetingswith UNDP’s AdministratorHelen Clark as well as other UNofficials to look into means tobolster cooperation betweenthe two sides. The officials atthe meetings proposed theopening of several UN officesin Kuwait. The meetings alsotouched on Kuwait’s eager-ness to expand its partnershipwith UN programmes world-wide. — KUNA

Gulf Bank welcomes new group of trainees

Mona Mansour

KUWAIT: Jahra municipality inspectors confiscated 210 kg of meat products found unfit for human consumption, and issued 14 tickets during a recent campaign at factories andwarehouses in Sulaibiya. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

KUWAIT: Special patrols arrested three Arabs inan abnormal condition in Salmiya and policefound shabu (meth) on them. They were referredto the narcotics authority. Patrols also arrested abedoon who pretended to be a policeman.Policemen found him in an abnormal condition,and on searching him, they found uniforms,police and military badges, two toy pistols andnon-lethal weapons. He was sent to concernedauthorities.

Driver attackedA fight broke out between an Indian taxi driv-

er in his thirties with five youths, bruising his eyeand right cheek. The cabbie asked for the tariff inadvance, because some young people do notpay after arriving to their destination. The youthsrefused and the dispute reached the point ofexchanging blows, then the five escaped. Policeare investigating.

Graveyard fightA funeral at the Shiite graveyard turned into a

battle between two sides following a disputeover burying a dead man. Mourners were sur-prised by screams that turned into verbal insultsfollowed by fisticuffs. The fight did not stop untilafter great efforts, and when the two sides wereleaving, they resumed the fight.

Verbal exchange A verbal exchange between a female citizen

and a female employee in a citizens’ service centerended at Rumaithiya police station, as the fightbroke out when the woman asked the employee,“Why don’t you smile, what’s wrong with you?”The employee replied, “I am fasting”, so she retort-ed, “Why are you not respecting me?” The womanwas charged with insulting a public employee onduty.

Deliveryman attackedA citizen was charged in Sabah Al-Nasser police

station for beating an Indian deliveryman becausehe was late in making deliveries. A source said thecitizen ordered suhoor for his family, but the deliv-eryman was late. As soon as he knocked the door,he started beating him. The victim went toFarwaniya Hospital and filed a complaint at thepolice station. Police are investigating.

Family disputeA female citizen in Ahmadi beat her elderly

mother-in-law just before iftar time during a dis-pute over preparing a meal, after a complaint bythe mother-in-law.

Airport complaintAn employee at Kuwait International Airport

filed a complaint against a passenger who didnot like her physical inspection. The employeewas helped by policemen, and the passengerwas sent to Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station.

KD 1750 stolenAn Egyptian expat accused a compatriot of

his of stealing his savings from their residence,and he is being questioned. A security sourcesaid the Egyptian went to the police station andtold them that his roommate stole KD 1,750from his cupboard. Detectives are investigating.

Body foundAn Indian driver’s body was recovered by the

coroner when he committed suicide by drinkinga poisonous substance. A security source saidthe Indian’s sponsor called paramedics becausethe driver was very sick after drinking a sub-stance to treat camels, but when they arrived, hewas already dead. The sponsor said the driverwas depressed because his girlfriend dumpedhim.

Escape attemptA citizen was sent to criminal detectives for

attempting to leave the country with his broth-er’s passport because he is wanted for attempt-ed murder.

Three drug addictsArrested in Salmiya

Indian deliveryman assaulted

KUWAIT: Ornithologist Khalid Al-Nasrallah said that the Boubyan islandbecame a favorite habitat for the rare crab plover bird. A three-year studyshowed that the island contained more than 3,000 nests for the crab plover,the largest number for the bird worldwide, Nasrallah said.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Abdaly customs inspectorsyesterday arrested an Iraqi woman withthe possession of sorcery and witchcraftitems, said security sources, noting thatthe woman was referred to police inves-tigators to decide whether to deporther or make her sign an affidavit.

Kabd murderThe first murder in this year ’s

Ramadan took place in Kabd where anIndian stabbed his Bangladeshi col-league to death over financial disputes.The suspect was arrested, the knife wasconfiscated and further investigationsare in progress.

Asian diesA Sri Lankan male was instantly killed

when he drank pesticide at his sponsor’shouse in Saad Al-Abdullah, said securitysources, noting that initial forensic exami-nation showed that an empty pesticidebottle was found beside the man.

Sabahiya fireA fire broke out in a Sabahiya two-

storey house, said security sources, not-ing that firemen rushed to the scenewhere they had to evacuate a Kuwaitifamily to the roof until the blaze was con-trolled and the house was ventilatedfrom the heavy smoke resulting from thefire that broke out because of an electricfault. No casualties were reported.

Woman held withsorcery items

KFAED medical center inaugurated

MANAMA: The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Medical Centerwas officially inaugurated here yesterday.

The center, which provides health services for primary healthcare for a number of areas in the north of the capital, Manama,has been funded by Kuwait Fund for Arab EconomicDevelopment (KFAED). The total cost of the project is about 3.5million Bahraini dinars. Bahraini Health Minister Sadeq Al-Shihabi,who opened the center in the presence of the Dean of theDiplomatic Corps, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain, Sheikh AzzamAl-Sabah, said that the health center is the 16th to be funded byKFAED, a matter that reflects the extent of cohesion and coopera-tion between Kuwait and Bahrain.

He added that the center, which is located in Barbar area, wasa major achievement and an example of cooperation betweenKuwait and Bahrain, pointing out that the cooperation will alsoinclude the establishment of other health centers in the nextstages, especially since the ministry is seeking to develop itshealth services.

Al-Shihabi extended thanks and appreciation to Kuwait for itscontribution through KFAED in the establishment of this centerwhich serves approximately 54,000 people, in addition to its con-tribution and support in the creation of other health centers thatserve different areas of Bahrain. —KUNA

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait(NBK) organized a field trip for the stu-dents of the Summer InternshipProgram to Al-Othman Museum, afterconcluding their training session.

Students were taken on a tour ofthe Museum and learned more aboutthe history of Kuwait and how thingswere decades ago. The tour was bothinteresting and educational at thesame time.

The NBK Summer InternshipProgram is designed for students as

an extension of NBK’s education out-reach efforts. The 5-hour daily ses-sions of two-week internship featureda mixture of theoretical and practicaltraining dedicated to providing theinterns with invaluable knowledge ona variety of subjects such as teamwork, creative thinking, means of selfexpression and modern banking workprocedure, in addition to helpinginterns to have greater exposure todaily banking work procedures.

The program demonstrates NBK’s

long-standing social involvement aswell as its national commitmenttowards providing the young genera-tions with the appropriate opportuni-ties to experience firsthand how theactual professional banking issuesand transaction are handled andprocessed.

NBK regularly organizes anddesigns events and packages for theyouth of the country to familiarizethem with the world of banking andmake them responsible citizens.

NBK internship studentsvisit Al-Othman Museum

A group picture of the students at Al-Othman Museum.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate’sPR department urged all citizens andexpatriates to be very cautious of domes-tic accidents likely to happen during theholy month of Ramadan, especially at thetime of preparing iftar meals such as gasleaks and burning fat or oil while cooking.The department warned against fillingfrying pans with too much oil to preventthe oil from catching fire at a temperaturehotter than 240 degrees centigrade.

KFSD’s PR and media manager ColKhalil Al-Ameer said people must takeproper precautions against kitchenaccidents and should have fire extin-guishers and blankets because they canhelp in fighting any fire right at its

inception. “Most fires start small,” hestressed, urging everybody to followKFSD regulations found atwww.kfsd.gov.kw where they will findvideos on how to avoid home acci-dents.

Ameer also urged housewives touse electric fryers to avoid fires causedby burning oil. He also urged them towear loose clothes made from unin-flammable materials while cookingand warned against allowing childreninto kitchens while cooking. Amir alsowarned of putting too many plugs inone socket, especially before going tobed, and urged everybody to installsmoke detectors in their houses andmake sure that the circuit breakerswork properly.

Shamlan Harbor closure postponedKUWAIT: Secretary General of theFishermen’s Union Hassan Al-Sebaghasaid the issue of closing Al-ShamlanHarbor was resolved by postponing ituntil an alternative is found. He saidthat the union’s board of directors metthe Environment Public Authority andPorts Authority and agreed to limit theuse of Shamlan Harbor to fishing boatsbased on a list of names and numbersapproved by PAAAFR, and having thePorts Authority issue a clear metal platefor each boat in the harbor.

KFSD warns of Ramadan accidents

ernment, with the help of Shiite sectarian militias, has managedto stop the militants short of the capital but has been unable totake back cities its forces abandoned. The army attempted lastweek to take back Tikrit but could not recapture the city, 160 kmnorth of Baghdad, where ISIL fighters had machine-gunnedscores of soldiers in shallow graves after capturing it on June 12.Residents said fighting raged on the city’s southern outskirts onMonday.

On Friday, in an unusual political intervention, GrandAyatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Iraq’s most senior Shiite cleric, calledon political blocs to name the prime minister, president andspeaker before parliament met yesterday. Now that deadlinehas passed, a prominent Shiite lawmaker told Reuters heexpected Sistani to keep up the pressure. Maliki’s closefriends say he does not want to relinquish power, althoughsenior members of his State of Law coalition have toldReuters an alternative premier from within his party wasbeing discussed. Rival Shiite groups also have candidates.

Many worry that a drawn-out process will waste precioustime in confronting the militants, who have vowed toadvance on Baghdad. A Shiite lawmaker, speaking on condi-tion of anonymity, said: “Things are bad. The political processis not commensurate with the speed of military develop-ments.” — Reuters

BAGHDAD: Sunnis and Kurds walked out of the first session ofIraq’s new parliament yesterday after Shiites failed to name aprime minister to replace Nouri Al-Maliki, dimming any prospectof an early national unity government to save Iraq from collapse.The United States, United Nations, Iran and Iraq’s own Shiite cler-gy have pushed hard for politicians to come up with an inclusivegovernment to hold the fragmenting country together as Sunniinsurgents bear down on Baghdad.

With Shiites failing to name a prime minister, Sunnis andKurds refused to return from a recess to the parliamentarychamber in Baghdad’s fortified “green zone” where they weremeeting for the first time since an election in April. Parliament isnot likely to meet again for at least a week, leaving Iraq in politi-cal limbo and Maliki clinging to power as a caretaker, rejected bySunnis and Kurds.

Under a governing system put in place after the removal ofSaddam Hussein, the prime minister has always been a memberof the Shiite majority, the speaker of parliament a Sunni and thelargely ceremonial president a Kurd. The Shiite bloc known asthe National Alliance, in which Maliki’s State of Law coalition isthe biggest group, has met repeatedly in recent days to bargainover the premiership but has so far been unable either toendorse Maliki for a third term or to name an alternative.

Fewer than a third of lawmakers returned from the recess.Sunni parties said they would not put forward their candidatefor speaker until the Shiites pick a premier. The Kurds have alsoyet to nominate a president. Osama Al-Nujaifi, a leading Sunnipolitician, former speaker and strong foe of Maliki, warned that“without a political solution, the sound of weapons will be loud,and the country will enter a black tunnel”. He said his bloc didnot have a candidate for a speaker so far and was waiting to seewho the National Alliance would nominate for prime minister. “Ifthere is a new policy with a new prime minister, we will deal withthem positively. Otherwise the country will go from bad toworse,” Nujaifi said.

Shiite lawmakers sought to shift blame to the Sunni andKurdish blocs, saying the premiership was the last position to benamed in the constitutionally-defined process. Mehdi Al-Hafidh,parliament’s oldest member who is tasked by the constitutionwith chairing the legislature’s meetings until a speaker is named,said the next session would be held in a week, if agreement waspossible after discussions.

Fighting RagesBaghdad can ill-afford further delays. Government troops

have been battling for three weeks against fighters led by thegroup formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant(ISIL). This week it shortened its name to the Islamic State anddeclared its leader “caliph” - historic title of successors of theProphet Mohammad who ruled the whole Muslim world.Fighting has raged in recent days near former dictator SaddamHussein’s home city, Tikrit, north of Baghdad. ISIL also controlssuburbs just west of the capital and clashes have erupted to thesouth, leaving the city of 7 million confronting threats fromthree sides.

The United Nations said yesterday more than 2,400 Iraqis hadbeen killed in June alone, making the month by far the deadliestsince the height of sectarian warfare during the U.S. “surge”offensive in 2007. In a reminder of that conflict, mortars fell near aShiite holy shrine in Samarra which was bombed in 2006,unleashing the sectarian bloodshed that killed tens of thousandsover the next two years. Samarra, north of Baghdad, is now heldby Baghdad’s troops with ISIL in the surrounding countryside.

Violence also struck the capital, where police found two bod-ies with their hands tied behind their back and bullet wounds inthe head and chest in the mainly Shiite neighbourhood of Shula,police and medical sources said. A bomb went off in Baghdad’swestern Jihad district, killing two passersby and wounding sixmore, police and medics said. The insurgents’ advance has trig-gered pledges of support for Baghdad from both Washingtonand Tehran.

Yesterday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said his country hadnot received any request for weapons from Baghdad but wasready to supply them if asked. Iraq also flew Russian-madeSukhoi Su-25 jets delivered on Saturday for the first time, statetelevision reported, although there was no independent confir-mation. Saudi Arabia pledge $500 million in humanitarian aid forIraqis to be disbursed through U.N. agencies, a Saudi PressAgency statement said.

Shouting MatchParliament opened its first session with an orchestra playing

the national anthem and the recitation of a Quranic verseemphasising unity. Hafidh called on lawmakers to confront thecrisis. “The security setback that has beset Iraq must be broughtto a stop, and security and stability have to be regained all overIraq, so that it can head down the path in the right way towardthe future,” he said. Lawmakers stood at the arrival of Maliki, whowaved to his long-time foe Nujaifi and shook hands with SalehAl-Mutlaq, another leading Sunni politician.

But anger among the three main ethnic and sectarian groupssoon flared when a Kurdish lawmaker accused the governmentof withholding salaries for the Kurds’ autonomous region.Kadhim Al-Sayadi, a lawmaker in Maliki’s list, shouted back thatKurds were taking down Iraqi flags. “The Iraqi flag is an honourabove your head. Why do you take it down?” he shouted. “Theday will come when we will crush your heads.”

The dramatic advance by ISIL, which has dominated swathesof territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to near the westernedge of Baghdad in Iraq, has stunned Iraq and the West. Thegroup and allied militants seized border posts, oilfields andnorthern Iraq’s main northern city Mosul in a lightning offensivein June. Other Iraqi Sunni armed groups which resent what theysee as persecution under Maliki are backing the insurgency.Kurds have taken advantage of the advance to seize territory,including the city of Kirkuk, which they see as their historic capi-tal and which sits above huge oil deposits.

Results of April’s elections initially suggested parliamentwould easily confirm Maliki in power for a third term. But withlawmakers taking their seats after the collapse of the army in thenorth, politicians face a more fundamental task of staving off abreakup of the state. Maliki’s foes blame him for the rapidadvance of the Sunni insurgents. Although Maliki’s State of Lawcoalition won the most seats, it still needs allies to govern.Sunnis and Kurds demand that he go, arguing he favours hisown sect, inflaming the resentment that fuels the insurgency.The United States has not publicly called for Maliki to leave pow-er but has demanded a more inclusive government in Baghdadas the price for more aggressive help.

Deadline PassesWashington has so far pledged 300 mainly special forces

advisers and said on Monday it was sending a further 300 troopsto help secure the embassy and Baghdad airport. Maliki’s gov-

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

One year after Morsi, Egypt roiled byunrest

Page 8

Chaos in Iraq parliament Sunnis, Kurds walk out after no Maliki replacement named

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, center, greets lawmakers during the first session of the newlyelected parliament in the heavily fortified Green yesterday. — AP

JERUSALEM: Israel vowed yesterday to hunt down the Hamasmilitants it holds responsible for killing three teenagers, but waslikely to carefully weigh its response to avoid triggering aregional flare-up. As further details emerged of the fate of thethree abducted youngsters whose bodies were found in thesouthern West Bank on Monday, Israel said it would not restuntil it finds their killers. But despite extensive Israeli strikes onGaza overnight, no one was killed, with Israel’s military estab-lishment and cabinet heavyweights backing a more measuredresponse over isolated calls for a major operation in the Hamaspowerbase.

The disappearance of two 16-year-olds and a 19-year-oldfrom a roadside in the southern West Bank on June 12 and thehunt for their kidnappers had gripped the Israeli public, trigger-ing an outpouring of public grief and anger. The discovery oftheir bodies was given blanket coverage across all media. “Thebitter end” read the headline in top-selling newspaper YediotAharonot. “Cut down in their youth,” was the top line in pro-

government freesheet Israel Hayom. “Hamas is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of the

youths and we know how to settle accounts with them,” saidDefence Minister Moshe Yaalon. “We will continue to hunt thekillers of the youngsters, we will not rest nor will we be silentuntil we lay our hands on them.” There has never been any cred-ible claim of responsibility for the teenagers’ abduction andHamas has described Israel’s accusations as “stupid”.

PM Attends Funerals But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to attend

a joint funeral for the three youngsters later yesterday, was inno doubt whom he held responsible. “Hamas is responsible andHamas will pay,” he told an emergency meeting of his securitycabinet on Monday evening. The joint funeral was to take placein the central Israeli town of Modiin, after separate ceremoniesin the home towns of each victim. Gilad Shaer, 16, was fromTalmon settlement near the West Bank city of Ramallah; Naftali

Frenkel, 16, was from Nof Ayalon, and Eyal Ifrach, 19, from Elad-both in central Israel.

The three students were shot dead shortly after they werepicked up while hitchhiking on a road in the southern WestBank, according to media reports. Their bodies were buried in afield near Halhul, just outside the flashpoint city of Hebron, 10minutes from where they were last seen. Monday evening’ssecurity cabinet meeting ended inconclusively, with ministerssharply at odds over the right course of action, army radioreported.

An Israeli official familiar with the content of the meetingconfirmed Yaalon suggested a “measured” military responsewhich would not lead to an escalation with Gaza, andNetanyahu was inclined to accept his position. Yaalon also pro-posed turning a former West Bank army base, which is currentlyused as an educational institute, into a new Jewish settlementin their memory, Haaretz said in a report confirmed by the offi-cial.

Netanyahu to Avoid Escalation The security cabinet was expected to reconvene later yester-

day, although commentators said Netanyahu was unlikely toseek a major escalation. “The prime minister is expected torefrain from an excessively fierce reaction because of (theMuslim holy month of) Ramadan and the fear of the reactionsthat a large-scale military operation might elicit,” Yediot said.Hamas has warned Israel that it would “open the gates of hell” ifit conducted reprisal operations against the Islamist movement.Two Hamas men named by Israel as the prime suspects -Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Eishe - remain at large.Palestinian witnesses said troops blew up their homes inHebron early yesterday.

In the hours after the teens’ disappearance, Israel launched avast search and arrest operation which saw 419 Palestiniansarrested, of whom 276 are Hamas members. Five Palestinianswere killed in clashes triggered by the operation.Simultaneously, militants in Gaza began firing a wave of rocketsat southern Israel which has since escalated, prompting Israel tostage dozens of retaliatory air strikes. Overnight, eight rocketshit the south, without causing any casualties or damage, thearmy said. In response, Israeli warplanes hit 34 targets acrossthe Gaza Strip, the military said.

Palestinian medics told AFP four people were wounded inthe southern city of Khan Yunis. A sixth Palestinian, Yusuf AbuZagher, 18, was killed in the northern West Bank city of Jeninyesterday. The Israeli army said he was a Hamas operative whohad been about to hurl an explosive device at troops sent toarrest him. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Israel weighs action against Hamas over teens’ murder

JENIN: Palestinian mourners gather next to the body of Yousif Zagha, 20, who was killed by Israeli troops early yesterday, before his funeral in this West Bankrefugee camp yesterday. — AP

Israeli leaders divided over scope of future action

One year afterMorsi, Egypt

roiled by unrestCAIRO: A year after he deposed Egypt’s first freely elected presi-dent only to take his place, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi presides over acountry roiled by militancy and ever-shrinking liberties, criticssay. On July 3 last year, the army, then led by Sisi, removedIslamist president Mohamed Morsi from office after millionstook to the streets demanding his resignation. Sisi went on towin May’s presidential election, partly thanks to his image as astrongman who can restore stability to a country in tumult sincean uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. But thelead-up to the anniversary suggests the divisive ouster of Morsistill looms large over Sisi, who won the election with 97 percentof the vote against a weak leftist candidate. On Monday, twopolicemen were killed defusing bombs outside Sisi’s palace, withthe president pledging “retribution”. A few days before, a courtprolonged the detention of 24 secular activists jailed for violat-ing a ban on all but police-sanctioned protests.

Some of these activists had supported Sisi when he oustedMorsi, but a crackdown on Islamists has since extended to otherdissidents. Morsi’s overthrow unleashed the bloodiest period inEgypt’s modern history as a crackdown killed more than 1,400 ofhis supporters, jailed thousands including top Brotherhoodleaders and sentenced about 200 to death. Militant attacks havesince killed about 500 policemen and soldiers, says the govern-ment. “It’s really a dark time... We are seeing citizen killing citizen,brother killing brother, families being torn apart. It is not a civilwar, but it is a civil conflict,” said Shadi Hamid, fellow at theBrooking Institution’s Saban Centre. “Egypt is very, very divided.”

Brotherhood ‘spoiler’ The Brotherhood is facing its most daunting challenge since

its inception in 1928, but the movement that swept all electionsbetween the fall of Mubarak and Morsi is far from over, expertssay. “Certainly Egypt has moved to a new chapter, but it’s unreal-istic to think that the authorities have eliminated an 86-year-oldorganisation that is the largest political party in the country,” saidYezid Sayigh of the Carnegie Middle East Center. The movementwas blacklisted as a terrorist group in December after beingblamed for a deadly bombing north of Cairo, a charge theIslamists denied.

With no signs of reconciliation shown by Sisi, theBrotherhood has the incentive to “play spoiler,” said Hamid. TheBrotherhood insists it eschewed violence decades ago, but thereare signs some of its members have begun targeting the police.Hamid, author of “Temptations of Power”, a book on Islamistmovements, said there was a “growing openness (among sup-porters of the Brotherhood) in accepting certain low level actsagainst security personnel which is seen as defensive violence”.

The Cairo-based militant group Ajnad Misr - which theauthorities claim to have defeated - said it planted the bombsthat killed two police officers on Monday. “I pledge before Godand their families, the state will get just and speedy retribution,”Sisi said, only hours after the palace blasts.

‘Open Oppression’ Activists accuse the new authorities of wanting to counter

the 2011 uprising that saw millions rally against Mubarakdemanding “bread, freedom and social justice”. “Today’s rule isworse than under Mubarak and Morsi put together,” said AmrImam, a defence lawyer for anti-Mubarak activists being tried forviolating the protest law. “The symbols of Mubarak’s regime areall out, the officers who killed protesters are free, while the revo-lutionaries who took part in the January 25 revolution are in jail.”

Egypt’s political turmoil set off since Mubarak’s ouster wasaggravated in November when the new authorities passed a lawthat prohibits unauthorised demonstrations. Anti-Mubarakactivists have been jailed for breaching the law, which Sisi sup-porter Chehab Waguih, spokesman for the liberal Free Egyptianparty, said was adopted to “ensure stability and not restore adespotic regime”. Sisi has said his priority is to return Egypt tostability and help recover the shattered economy rather thanencourage democratic reforms.—AFP

SICHANLOO, Iran: In this village nestled inthe arid hills of rural Iran, government-sub-sidized solar panels on the rooftops ofhomes provide both needed electricityand a shining symbol of efforts by theIslamic Republic to wean itself off fossilfuels and nuclear power. President HassanRouhani’s government has quintupled itsspending on solar power projects in thelast year, taking advantage of Iran’s 300-odd days of sunshine a year that make itsvast sun-kissed lands one of the best spotson earth to host solar panels. While beinggood for the environment, the panels alsooffer rural Iran steady power amid uncer-tainty over the country’s contested nuclearprogram as it negotiates with world pow-ers.

And as the Islamic Republic cuts backon subsidies that once made gasolinecheaper than bottled mineral water, apush toward self-sustaining solar powercould help the government save money

and bolster its sanctions-battered econo-my. “A big change is in the making in Iran,”said Saman Mirhadi, a senior governmentofficial in charge of solar projects.

Iran, home to some 77 million people,is a fossil-fuel powerhouse, even in thecrude-oil rich Middle East. It is home toboth the world’s fourth-largest proven oilreserves and massive natural gas reserves.However, sanctions have cut into thecountry’s refining and production capabili-ties. Iran’s economy also has faltered, whilethe country’s push for nuclear energy hascome under scrutiny over Western fearsthe Islamic Republic could use its programto build atomic bombs. Iran has said itsprogram is for peaceful purposes.

Rouhani’s administration, however,sees a bright future in solar, spending $60million this year on solar projects com-pared to just $12 million last year. It espe-cially wants to target rural communitieslargely cut off from government services

across the country. In Sichanloo, a hamlet200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest ofthe capital Tehran, the seven families wholive here once relied on gasoline-fueledgenerators for electricity.

Now, more than two dozen solar pan-els shine from nearby rooftops. With theflip of a switch, electricity stored in truck-sized batteries from the solar panels lightsup the home of Habibollah Kakavand, thefather of one of the village’s families. “In thepast, we used gasoline-fueled power gen-erators to meet our electricity needs in theabsence of a grid network. It needed fuelplus maintenance, which was costly. It alsohad a lot of noise and caused pollution,” hesaid. “But the government has suppliedfree solar energy. It doesn’t need fuel andhas made life comfortable for us.”

Kakavand’s wife Mehri nodded inagreement as she swept the Persian car-pets in the house using a vacuum cleanerpowered by the solar panels. Solar hasbeen a hot topic of discussion in Iran,which this year fielded a team of universitystudents to compete in a US solar car con-test in July. Mirhadi said the governmentinstalled solar panels at some 1,000 loca-tions across Iran, including the rooftops ofmosques, schools and government build-ings.

Jafar Mohammadnejad, a seniorEnergy Ministry official, said recentlypassed laws and incentives encouragedomestic and foreign investment inrenewable energy projects in Iran. Itremains unclear what percentage renew-able energy accounts for in Iran’s energyportfolio, though he said officials hope toproduce 5,000 megawatts from renewableresources within two years. —AP

Iran looking to solar power

TALEGHAN, Iran: In this June, 22, 2014 photo, Iranian students tour the TaleghanRenewable Energy Site 160 km northwest of the capital Tehran. — AP

CAIRO: An Egyptian dawn awakener or ‘Mesaharati’ beatson his drum as he rides his donkey to wake up Muslims fora meal before sunrise during the holy month of Ramadanon Monday. — AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

EDINBURG, Texas: When authoritiesfound an 11-year-old Guatemalan boy’sbody about a mile from Texas’ southernborder, they also discovered his brother’sChicago phone number scribbled on theinside of his belt buckle. The boy, wearing“Angry Birds” jeans, black leather bootsand a white rosary around his neck, hadapparently gotten lost on his way northfrom his native country and was foundabout two weeks ago, alone in the brushless than a mile from the nearest UShome, a South Texas sheriff said Monday.

While hundreds of immigrants diecrossing the border each year, the discov-ery of Gilberto Francisco Ramos Juarez’sdecomposed body in the Rio GrandeValley on June 15 highlights the perilsunaccompanied children face as the USgovernment searches for ways to dealwith record numbers of children crossinginto the country illegally. “Down herefinding a decomposed body ... we comeacross them quite often,” Hidalgo CountySheriff Eddie Guerra said, adding that thiswas the first child immigrant his officehas found since he became sheriff inApril. “It’s a very dangerous journey.”

More than 52,000 unaccompaniedchildren have been apprehended enter-ing the US illegally since October, creat-ing what President Barack Obama hascalled an “urgent humanitarian situation”.On Monday, Obama asked Congress formore money and additional authority todeal with the surge of youths, mostlyfrom Central America. Obama wants flex-ibility to speed the youths’ deportationsand $2 billion to hire more immigration

judges and open more detention facili-ties.

The number of unaccompanied immi-grant children picked up along the bor-der has been rising for three years as theyfled pervasive gang violence inHonduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.More recently, children and parents havesaid they heard children traveling aloneand parents traveling with young kidswould be released by authorities andallowed to continue to their destination.

Many of the children turn themselvesin to the first law enforcement personthey see, so Guerra said it was unusual tofind a child in this more remote area -near La Joya, about 20 miles west ofMcAllen. Sometimes smugglers, knownas coyotes, leave people behind if theycan’t go on; other times a group mayscatter when authorities approach.Investigators were able to reach theboy’s brother in Chicago; his phonenumber was one of three on the boy’sbelt. It’s not uncommon for immigrantsto put relatives’ phone numbers on theirclothing because scraps of paper can getlost or wet during their journey. Theboy’s brother gave authorities hisfather’s phone number in Guatemala,and the dad identified the boy’s personalitems.

The cause of death has not beendetermined, but authorities suspect heatstroke, Guerra said. The boy was nolonger wearing a shirt when he wasfound. An autopsy did not find signs oftrauma, and the pathologist estimatedthe body had been there for about two

weeks.The boy’s family in Huehuetenango,

Chiantla, Guatemala, had last heard fromhim about 25 days before his body wasfound. At that time, he was in Reynosa,Mexico, waiting to cross the border. Hisfather told authorities the boy was trav-eling with a coyote.

Although the number of immigrantchildren who have died crossing intoTexas was not immediately available,such discoveries are not unheard of.About 445 immigrants died along theUS-Mexico border last year, according tothe Border Patrol. The Pima County med-ical examiner in Arizona, which is theperennial leader in immigrant deaths,recorded 168 of the deaths; of the 70where an age was confirmed, none wereyounger than 13. Immigrant deaths inthe brush in Hidalgo County occur fromtime to time, but more common aredrownings in the Rio Grande. BrooksCounty to the north has more immigrantdeaths in its vast unpopulated ranches.

Dr. Lori Baker, an anthropologist atBaylor University, has spent yearsexhuming immigrant graves along theborder and trying to identify them.Earlier this month, she spent two weeksexhuming 52 graves at a cemetery inFalfurrias, the Brooks County seat. Shemade a similar excavation last year. Bakerrecalled exhuming an infant, a 2-year-old, a 6-year-old and a preteen. Bakersaid children’s bones are small, so theyaren’t easily seen in the brush. “There aregoing to be many more if we can findtheir tiny bodies.” —AP

Boy’s death highlights danger of border crossings

EDINBURG, Texas: Photos of the belongings of an 11-year-oldGuatemalan immigrant whose body was discovered on June 15 are dis-played during a press conference Monday. —AP

Obama vows to go it alone on immigration

Republicans kill bill hopesWASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama ignited a newpower showdown with Republicans Monday, vowing to fixAmerica’s broken immigration system alone after Congressrefused to vote on his top remaining domestic priority thisyear. Obama rebuked Republican leaders who will not passa “darn bill” because they fear conservative activists whooppose offering a path to citizenship for 11 million undoc-umented migrants as “amnesty”.

If the lawmakers allowed a vote, “they would be follow-ing the will of the majority of the American people whosupport reform,” Obama said in a statement to reporters inthe White House Rose Garden laced with sarcasm and bit-terness. “Instead, they have proven again and again thatthey’re unwilling to stand up to the Tea Party in order to dowhat’s best for the country.” Obama said House ofRepresentatives Speaker John Boehner told him last weekthat his chamber would not vote this year on comprehen-sive legislation that passed the Democratic-run Senate ayear ago. Searching for a genuine legacy-enhancingachievement to adorn his battered second term, the presi-dent argued that he thus had no choice but to act to stema building immigration crisis. “If Congress will not do theirjob, at least we can do ours,” Obama said, revealing he hadasked the Department of Homeland Security to come upwith recommendations within the next few months, whichhe pledged to immediately implement using his executivepowers. Obama said he would surge resources to securethe southwestern US border, where a flood of tens of thou-sands of child migrants from Central America hasstretched customs services and deepened the partisan bileover immigration reform.

Fiery Mid-Terms The moves will further inflame the fiery showdown

between the Democratic president and Republicansahead of mid-term congressional elections in November.Republicans accuse Obama of exceeding his presidentialpower in a series of actions on health reform, immigra-tion enforcement and personnel issues. Their case wasbolstered by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling lastweek that found the president overstepped his powersby appointing several officials to the National LaborRelations Board without the consent of Congress.Obama’s salvo against Republicans came after theadministration announced over the weekend that itwould ask Congress for more than $2 billion to enforcethe southern border and speed up repatriations of some

of the 52,000 unaccompanied minors that crossed ille-gally into the country since October. The decision willensure that deportations are handled as humanely aspossible, while still ensuring the protection of asylumseekers and refugees, the president wrote in a letter tocongressional leaders. The president also asked for addi-tional authority for the Department of HomelandSecurity to process and remove unaccompanied childmigrants from nations like Guatemala, Honduras and ElSalvador who transited through Mexico. Obama wants

to surge immigration judges to the area and to do moreto crack down on criminal and smuggling networks. Therequest will also include funds for Central Americannations to reintegrate returned migrants. Obama cam-paigned in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections forcomprehensive immigration reform - racking up hugemajorities from Hispanic voters, for whom the issue isdeeply resonant. The president said he was certain thatRepublican leaders did in fact want to move on theissue, but were unable to get their party’s rank and fileon board. He is almost certainly correct. Political analystswarn that Republicans cannot continue to alienate the

rapidly growing Hispanic population and win presiden-tial elections. But the issue leaves Republican leadersdeeply exposed among the party’s grassroots, andactivists are whipped up every day by a chorus of invec-tive about the reform bill on conservative talk radio andother forums.

Earlier this month, the number two Republicanleader in the House, Eric Cantor, lost a primary nominat-ing contest in his seat in Virginia in a shocking resultlargely attributed to conservative outrage over the pos-

sibility of reform. He quit his post as a result. Politicalpower players in Washington quickly adopted politicalpositions after the president spoke. “Speaker Boehnerhas made it absolutely clear that he won’t lift a finger tofix our broken immigration system, so President Obamais right to protect families from being torn apart,” saidSenate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid. Boehnersaid that he told Obama last week that the Americanpeople and their elected representatives did not trustthe president to enforce existing immigration laws. “Untilthat changes, it is going to be difficult to make progresson this issue,” Boehner said. —AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President JoeBiden, pauses while making an announcement about immigration reform Monday inthe Rose Garden of the White House. —AP

NEW YORK: A federal judge has over-turned the conviction of a former NewYork City police officer accused of plot-ting to kidnap, kill and eat youngwomen. Judge Paul Gardephe ruled lateMonday that there was insufficient evi-dence to support the conviction ofGilberto Valle, defense attorney JuliaGatto said yesterday. “The judge’s well-reasoned decision validates what wehave said since the beginning: There was

no crime,” she said. “Gil Valle is innocentof any conspiracy. Gil is guilty of nothingmore than having unconventionalthoughts.”

Valle, who could have faced life inprison, was acquitted of kidnapping con-spiracy charges, the most serious counthe faced. He was convicted in March2013 and had not yet been sentenced. Ajury had concluded he wasn’t just fanta-sizing when he conversed online with

others he had never met about killingand cooking his wife and others in a can-nibalism plot. In his 118-page opinion,first reported by The New York Times,Gardephe said: “The evidentiary record issuch that it is more likely than not thecase that all of Valle’s Internet communi-cations about kidnapping are fantasyrole-play.”

The judge planned a hearing yester-day morning on the status of the case;Valle has been jailed since his arrest in2012. “Gil Valle has been in jail for 18 longmonths, 7 months in solitary confine-ment, for a crime he absolutely didn’tcommit,” said Gatto. “We’re relieved hewill be free and incredibly grateful toJudge Gardephe for upholding the awe-some and fundamental legal principlesat stake here, including our core freedomto be able to think what we want free ofgovernment intrusion.” A call to aspokesman for Manhattan federal prose-cutors was not immediately returned.

Prosecutors had argued that Valletook steps to carry out his plot, includinglooking up potential targets on a restrict-ed law enforcement database; searchingthe Internet for how to knock someoneout with chloroform and where to gettorture devices and other tools.Gardephe upheld Valle’s conviction on acharge of illegally gaining access to thelaw enforcement database, which carrieda maximum sentence of one year. Vallewas fired after his conviction.

In one of the numerous online conver-sations shown to the jury during the trial,Valle told a man he met in a fetish chatroom, “I want her to experience beingcooked alive. She’ll be trussed up like aturkey. ... She’ll be terrified, screamingand crying.” In another exchange, Vallesuggested a woman he knew would beeasy prey because she lived alone. Themen discussed cooking her, basted inolive oil, over an open fire and using hersevered head as a centerpiece for a sit-down meal. —AP

NYC police cannibalism conviction overturned

Gilberto Valle

Chile: US had role in deaths

SANTIAGO: A Chilean court said USmilitary intelligence services playeda key role that led to the 1973killings of two Americans in Chile ina case that inspired the Oscar-win-ning film “Missing.” A court rulingreleased late Monday said formerUS Navy Capt. Ray E Davis gaveinformation to Chilean officialsabout journalist Charles Hormanand student Frank Teruggi that ledto their arrest and execution justdays after the 1973 coup thatbrought Gen. Augusto Pinochet topower. “The military intelligenceservices of the United States had afundamental role in the creation ofthe murders of the two Americancitizens in 1973, providing Chileanmilitary officers with the informa-tion that led to their deaths,” the rul-ing by Judge Jorge Zepeda said.

Zepeda also upheld the deci-sion to charge retired Chilean armyCol Pedro Espinoza with the mur-ders, and Rafael Gonzalez, a formercivilian counterintelligence agent,as an accomplice in Horman’s mur-der. The two Chileans and Davis hadbeen indicted in 2011. Davis com-manded the US Military Mission inChile at the time of the Sept. 11,1973, American-backed coup thatousted the democratically electedgovernment of leftist PresidentSalvador Allende. —AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

STRASBOURG: The European Court of Human Rightsyesterday upheld France’s controversial burqa ban,rejecting arguments that outlawing full-face veilsbreaches religious freedom. In a case brought by a24-year-old French woman with the support of aBritish legal team, the court ruled that France wasjustified in introducing the ban in the interests ofsocial cohesion.

“The Court emphasized that respect for the condi-tions of ‘living together’ was a legitimate aim for themeasure at issue,” a statement from the ECHR said.The court said the “ban was not expressly based onthe religious connotation of the clothing in questionbut solely on the fact that it concealed the face”. Italso emphasized that states should be allowed adegree of discretion-”a wide margin of appreciation”-on a policy issue which is subject to significant differ-ences of opinion.

Two of the 17 judges, who spent several monthsdeliberating on the case, dissented from the majorityview that the ban did not breach the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights’ provisions protectingfreedom of thought, conscience and religion. But thejudges agreed unanimously that the woman had notbeen a victim of discrimination. She had not beenprosecuted under the law, which has resulted in onlya handful of arrests since it was introduced in 2010.The university graduate, who has family inBirmingham, England, had requested anonymity forfear of reprisals in France over her action.

She had argued that being obliged to take off herveil in public was degrading.

In written evidence, she had testified that she

wore the full veil of her own free will and was willingto remove it whenever required for security reasons-addressing two of the main arguments put forwardby French authorities in support of the ban. TheFrench government had argued that the ban was

necessary to ensure gender equality, human dignityand “respect for the minimum requirement of life insociety”. The court dismissed the first two argumentsbut upheld the third, saying it was “able to under-stand the view that individuals might not wish to see,

in places open to all, practices or attitudes whichwould fundamentally call into question the possibili-ty of open interpersonal relationships”.

‘Victory for women’s rights’Under the ban, women wearing full-face veils in

public spaces can be fined up to 150 euros ($205).Belgium and some parts of Switzerland have fol-lowed France’s lead and similar bans have been con-sidered in other European countries. TheInternational League of Women’s Rights, founded byFrench feminist Simone de Beauvoir, welcomed yes-terday ’s ruling as a “victory for secularism andwomen’s rights”. Attempts to enforce the legislationin France have proved problematic and sometimessparked confrontations, such as riots in the Paris sub-urb of Trappes last year. The hearing comes just daysafter one of France’s highest courts upheld the 2008sacking of a worker at a kindergarten in the Paris sub-urbs for wanting to wear a headscarf to work.

Coincidentally yesterday, an appeals court inVersailles outside Paris will hear the case of the hus-band of a veiled woman whose violent action duringa police ID check on his spouse earned him a three-month suspended prison sentence.

Many Muslims view France, which is officially asecular republic despite being overwhelminglyCatholic, as imposing its values on them and otherreligious minorities. France has one of the biggestMuslim populations in Europe. Apart from the veilissue, there has been controversy in the past overwhether schools and holiday camps should berequired to provide halal meals. — AFP

Europe rights court upholds French burqa ban

NORD: A woman wearing a niqab, a type of full veil, walks in a street in the center of Roubaix. TheEuropean Court of Human Rights yesterday upheld France’s controversial burqa ban, rejecting argu-ments that outlawing full-face veils breaches religious freedom. — AFP

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan wave to members of Turkey’s ruling Justice andDevelopment Party (AKP) at a ceremony in Ankara yesterday. — AFP

ANKARA: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who rosefrom selling lemons on the streets tobecome Turkey’s most powerful modernleader, is hailed by supporters as the sav-ior of his country, but has become anincreasingly polarizing figure. The reli-giously devout but charismatic prime min-ister is now seeking to extend his 11-yeardomination of Turkey by standing in apresidential election that would make himTurkey’s longest serving ruler since itsfounding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

But the man dubbed the “Sultan” isenduring the most turbulent phase of hiscareer, accused of being an autocrat andlashing out erratically at critics, from for-mer allies to Twitter users. Months of polit-ical turmoil in the wake of the Gezi streetprotests have cast a shadow over Erdogan,once hailed as an emerging global playerafter Turkey’s decade of unprecedentedgrowth. “I am not a dictator. It is not evenin my blood,” he said last year. But as talesof official graft and sleaze spread throughsocial networks, the 60-year-old hasbecome increasingly irritable and combat-ive, branding his critics “traitors” and “ter-rorists”.

The anger come to a head over hisresponse to the mine tragedy in the west-ern town of Soma in May that claimed 301lives, when he apparently attempted todownplay the incident by comparing it tomining disasters in 19th-century Britain.Yet he can still count on solid supportamong rural Turks as well as many reli-gious business people who have pros-pered under his rule. Soner Cagaptay,director of the Turkish Research Programat The Washington Institute, saidErdogan’s economic record and effectiveuse of his image as an “authoritarianunderdog” would likely see him win theelections.

‘Shift to authoritarianism ‘Erdogan was credited with bringing

stability to Turkey after decades of fre-quent coups and rocky coalitions, andclipping the wings of the powerful mili-tary. A fan of new bridges, airports andother megaprojects, he has transformedwhat was once an economic basket-caseinto a robust market, tripling the incomeof ordinary Turks and reining in runawayinflation. It was plans for another newdevelopment-an Ottoman-style shoppingmall that would concrete over Istanbul’sGezi park-that sparked unprecedentedprotests against him last June, whichpolice broke up with truncheons, plasticbullets and tear gas.

The unrest was followed in Decemberby a wave of leaked phone recordings thatspread on social media, with murky talesof ministerial bribe-taking, gold smug-gling, illicit Iranian deals and shoeboxesstuffed with cash. Erdogan had to reshuf-fle his cabinet after three ministers caughtup in the scandal were forced to resign. Hetried to hit back at his “enemies” with abotched crackdown on the Internet,including a ban on Twitter that was laterreversed.

Erdogan blames the troubles on anerstwhile ally, the powerful US-basedMuslim preacher Fetullah Gulen, firing offalmost daily tirades about coup plots andforeign conspiracies to bring down hisgovernment.

Erdogan’s overwhelming election suc-cesses have led to his increasingly authori-tarian style, according to Ilter Turan, pro-fessor at Istanbul’s Bilgi University. “Sincehe took office, the prime minister hasgradually shifted from pragmatist tenden-cies to ideological ones, from teamwork topersonal decisions, from democracy toauthoritarianism, from thought-out poli-cies to impulsive ones,” he said.

From prison to powerThe son of a coastguard officer in

Istanbul’s harbourside neighborhood ofKasimpasa, Erdogan sold bread andlemons on the streets as a teenager. Hejoined Islamic youth groups that chal-lenged the era’s secular-nationalistregimes and the coup-happy generalswho saw it as their duty to ensure a strictseparation between mosque and state.Erdogan, a one-time semi-professionalfootball player and a business graduate,became mayor of Istanbul in 1994, and setabout tackling urban woes such as trafficgridlock and air pollution in the megacityof more than 15 million people.

When his religious party was outlawed,he joined demonstrations and was brieflyjailed for allegedly reciting an Islamistpoem which the court regarded as incite-ment to religious hatred. “The mosquesare our barracks, the domes our helmets,the minarets our bayonets and the faithfulour soldiers,” read the controversial poemhe recited words he has repeated againand again on the campaign trail.

In 2001 Erdogan and his long time ally,current President Abdullah Gul, co-found-ed the Islamic-rooted Justice andDevelopment Party (AKP), which scored alandslide win the following year and twomore victories since.

A formidable campaigner, even illnessdid not stop him going from city to cityaddressing monster rallies of supporters,often draped in the scarf of the local foot-ball team. His party introduced a series ofreforms to bring Turkey closer to theEuropean Union but talks about eventualmembership have since stalled amidangry recriminations from Erdogan thatTurkey will not wait for ever.

In recent years Erdogan has easedrestrictions on women wearing the veil,limited alcohol sales and made efforts toban mixed-sex dorms at state universities,moves seen by his critics as a part of anagenda to Islamize the staunchly secularsociety. “I do not subscribe to the viewthat Islamic culture and democracy can-not be reconciled,” he once said.Defenders of Turkey’s secular regime intro-duced by Ataturk accuse Erdogan of tryingto erase his legacy, but Erdogan boasts oftransforming the country from a coup-prone economic weakling into the region-al power Ataturk wanted it to be. — AFP

Erdogan, the lemon seller now ‘sultan’

NANTERRE: Former French President NicolasSarkozy was held for questioning yesterday oversuspicions that he received leaked details of aninquiry into alleged irregularities in his 2007 elec-tion campaign. It was the first time a former headof state had been held for questioning in modernFrench history and is the latest blow to Sarkozy’shopes of a come-back after his 2012 electiondefeat by Francois Hollande. The conservativepolitician denies all wrongdoing in a string ofinvestigations involving him. Sarkozy arrived yes-terday to be quizzed by investigators at theiroffices in Nanterre, west of Paris, after his lawyerwas held for questioning on Monday. “Mr Sarkozyhas been summoned to Nanterre and is being heldfor questioning,” the source told Reuters.

Asked about the matter, governmentspokesman Stephane Le Foll said Sarkozy was“subject to justice like everyone else.” “Justiceauthorities are investigating and have to go all theway,” he told i<Tele television. Allies rushed to hissupport. “Never has any former president been thevictim of such treatment, such an outburst ofhatred,” Christian Estrosi, the mayor of the southerncity of Nice and a close Sarkozy ally, said on hisTwitter account. The case is one of six legal casesinvolving Sarkozy either directly or indirectly,including more recent allegations of irregularitiesin his unsuccessful 2012 election campaign.

The current questioning relates to suspicions heused his influence to get information on an investi-gation into funding irregularities in his victorious2007 election campaign. Sarkozy can be held incustody for up to 48 hours. One cloud was lifted offSarkozy’s future last October when a courtdropped inquiries into whether he had exploitedthe mental frailty of France’s richest woman, L’Orealheiress Liliane Bettencourt, to fund that campaign.But as investigators used phone-taps to examine

separate allegations that late Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi funded the same campaign,they began to suspect he had kept tabs on theBettencourt case through a network of informants.Those suspicions finally prompted the formallaunching of yet another investigation into influ-ence-peddling in February. Sarkozy has likened the

magistrates behind the phone-tapping to the“Stasi” police of former Communist East Germany.Sarkozy, 59, retired after his defeat by Hollande,but has continued to snipe both at the Socialistpresident and rivals inside his own conservativecamp with messages carefully placed in localmedia by his political entourage. Asked about hisfuture at a closed-door event at France’s parlia-

ment last week, Sarkozy said he was still “in a peri-od of reflection” but indicated he would make uphis mind in coming months whether to seek the2017 ticket of his UMP party.

Yet a growing number of voices in the UMPhave been arguing he is too much of a liability torun for them as president. Those calls grew louder

last week as a separate funding scandal over his2012 election campaign escalated. The formerdeputy director of Sarkozy’s campaign, JeromeLavrilleux, said four UMP members besides himselfagreed to use false accounting to cover rising cam-paign expenses that had surpassed a legal limit.Lavrilleux said Sarkozy himself was not aware ofthe accounting irregularities. — Reuters

French ex-president heldfor questioning over leaks

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy

KIEV: Ukrainian forces struck at pro-Russian separatist bases ineastern regions with air and artillery strikes yesterday afterPresident Petro Poroshenko announced he would not renew aceasefire but go on the offensive to rid Ukraine of “parasites”.Within hours of Poroshenko’s early morning announcement, themilitary went into action against rebel bases and checkpoints inthe east which has been in separatist ferment since April.

Saying Ukrainian forces had launched attacks “from the airand land”, the defense ministry said: “The terrorists’ plan to sig-nificantly escalate armed confrontation has been disrupted andthe threat of losses to the civilian population and service per-sonnel has been liquidated.” There was no immediate word oncasualties. Poroshenko, who accuses Russia of fanning the con-flict and allowing fighters and equipment to cross the border tosupport the rebels, turned his back on another renewal of a 10-day unilateral ceasefire after four-way telephone talks involvingthe German and French leaders and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Showing impatience at what he had heard from Putin,Poroshenko said in his early morning statement that Ukraine

had not seen “concrete steps for de-escalating the situation,including strengthening controls on the border.” In Moscow, theforeign ministry hinted that the United States stood behindPoroshenko’s decision not to extend the ceasefire. “There is animpression that the change in Kiev’s position ... could not havecome about without influence from abroad, despite the positionof leading EU member states,” it said in a statement.

Separately, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliamentcalled for a new ceasefire. “We think that without a truce, with-out the start of dialogue, it is simply impossible to restore peace,justice and law and order in Ukraine,” Sergei Naryshkin, an ally ofPutin, was quoted as saying. Poroshenko, just over three weeksin office, is also facing rising anger at home and from the newpolitical establishment over military losses. He is under pressureto switch to more forceful action against the rebels after aceasefire which many say was used by the rebels to regroup andrearm. A statement tweeted by the Ukrainian foreign ministryon Monday night said 27 Ukrainian servicemen had been killedand 69 wounded since the ceasefire began on June 20.

Poroshenko, announcing the military would now act toanswer the “terrorists, militants and marauders”, accused therebels of failing to keep to the truce or follow a peace plan hehad outlined. Later on his Facebook page, the 48-year-old leaderwarned the future would be difficult, adding: “we must be unit-ed, because we are fighting to free our land from dirt and para-sites.” “After the president’s speech, the ATO (Anti-TerroristOperation) went into action. We opened artillery fire, carried outair strikes at the strategic points of the terrorists and placeswhere they are concentrated,” military spokesman OleksiyDmytrashkovsky said.

Rebels had fired on an SU-25 attack aircraft, damaging it,but the plane had manage to land safely at its air base, hesaid. He denied a rebel report that a military helicopter hadbeen brought down. One Ukrainian serviceman had beenkilled and 17 wounded in the past 24 hours in rebel attacks onUkrainian posts, Dmytrashkovsky said. Poroshenko said hewas willing to return to a ceasefire “at any moment” if itbecame clear that all sides were ready to carry out all aspects

of the peace plan, including the freeing of hostages and creat-ing effective border controls.

Poroshenko had extended a government ceasefire last weekuntil 10 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Monday to allow for peace talkswith a contact group involving separatist leaders, a formerUkrainian president, a senior representative of the OSCE rightsand security body and Moscow’s ambassador to Kiev. “Theunique chance to implement the peace plan was not realized. Ithappened because of the criminal actions of the militants. Theypublicly declared their unwillingness to support the peace planas a whole and in particular the ceasefire,” Poroshenko said.

Pro-Russian separatism erupted in Ukraine’s east in April afterstreet protests in Kiev toppled a Moscow-backed president,Viktor Yanukovich, after he had walked away from a free tradedeal with the European Union that would shift Ukraine west-wards. Russia subsequently annexed Crimea and separatistrebels in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking east seized buildings andstrategic points, declaring “people’s republics” and saying theywanted union with Russia. —Reuters

Ceasefire over, Ukraine attacks rebel positionsRussia sees hand of US behind Poroshenko’s action

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

HONG KONG: Demonstrators march during a pro-democracy rally seeking greater democracy in Hong Kong yes-terday as frustration grows over the influence of Beijing on the city. — AFP

HONG KONG: Hundreds of thousands of protesters, somewaving colonial-era flags and chanting anti-Beijing slogans,staged a pro-democracy rally in rain-soaked Hong Kong yes-terday that organizers say could be the largest since the citywas handed back to China. The march reflects surging dis-content over Beijing’s insistence that it vet candidates beforea vote in 2017 for the semi-autonomous city’s next leader. Itcomes after nearly 800,000 people voted in an informal refer-endum to demand a free electoral mechanism that allowsvoters to nominate candidates. The poll irked Beijing, whichbranded it “illegal and invalid”.

Swarms of people poured out of the city’s Victoria Park,the starting point of the march that will culminate in the sky-scraper-packed Central business district. By 6pm (1000 GMT),at least 200,000 protesters had joined the march, JohnsonYeung, a rally organizer said. The streets turned into a sea ofumbrellas and banners bearing slogans such as “We wantreal democracy” and “Civil nominations for all”, with oneactivist urging police to remove barricades lining the protestroute for wider space to accommodate the surging crowds.

Flanked by security officials in lime-colored vests, someprotesters also sang the Cantonese version of “Do You Hearthe People Sing?” from the musical “Les Miserables”. “There isa strong desire for genuine democracy that offers choice andcompetition without (political) vetting,” Anson Chan, a formernumber two official in Hong Kong who is now a pro-democ-racy activist, told reporters. The chairman of the Hong Kongpost office union, who marched with the protesters in swel-tering and muggy weather, said the city’s government wasguilty of kowtowing to Beijing’s diktat. “This march is not forus, it’s for our children. Without universal suffrage there’s noway to monitor the government,” said Ip Kam-fu.

Surging crowdsOrganizers expect more than half a million people to join

the rally, which would be a record high. It was impossible toindependently verify early numbers but the rally seemed visi-bly larger than the June 4 rally to mark the 25th anniversaryof the Tiananmen Square crackdown, which police saidattracted 99,500 people. Paul Yip, a statistician at Hong KongUniversity, told AFP he was leading a team of 15 to inde-pendently assess yesterday’s crowd size, a topic of great polit-ically sensitivity. July 1, a traditional day of protest in the for-mer British colony, marks the anniversary of its handover toChina in 1997 under a “One country, two systems” agree-ment. That allows residents liberties not seen on the main-land, including free speech and the right to protest.

But there are heightened fears that those freedoms arebeing eroded. Among other fears, there has been a series ofattacks on media workers in recent months-including thestabbing of a liberal former newspaper editor-while pro-democracy media have complained of massive cyber-attacks.Concerns increased in June when Beijing published a contro-versial “white paper” on Hong Kong’s future that was widelyseen as a warning to the city not to overstep its boundaries.“Public sentiment has dropped to the lowest point since2003. I believe more people will come out,” organizer Yeungsaid. The 2003 march saw 500,000 people protest against aproposed national security bill, forcing the government toshelve it.

Venting anger Two student groups have said they will hold an overnight

rally after the march to “occupy” a Central street and an areaoutside the government headquarters. One of the group’sleaders, Joshua Wong, said the student rally would be held tovent “anger” towards the authorities but would be peaceful.Pro-democracy group Occupy Central, which organized thereferendum, has said that it will stage a mass sit-in in thecity’s business district later this year unless authorities comeup with acceptable electoral reforms.

A small group of protesters burned a copy of the whitepaper and a picture of the city’s leader Leung Chun-ying afterthey were stopped by police near a flag-raising ceremony tomark the handover on yesterday morning. “We should avoiddoing anything that may undermine Hong Kong’s stabilityand prosperity,” Leung said in a speech after the ceremony.The 10-day unofficial referendum, which ended Sunday, gavethree options for the election of the city’s next leader, all ofwhich included the public having some influence on theselection of candidates.

Beijing condemned the vote Monday and accused itsorganizers of breaching the rule of law. China has promisedto let all Hong Kong residents vote for their next leader in2017 - currently a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee choos-es the city’s chief executive. But it says candidates must beapproved by a nomination committee, which democracyadvocates fear will mean only pro-Beijing figures are allowedto stand. A study released on Monday by the ChineseUniversity’s Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies sug-gested that mistrust of Beijing is growing. Nearly 44 percentof around 800 Hong Kong residents interviewed for themonthly survey said they did not trust the central govern-ment, up five percentage points from May.- — AFP

Thousands stage boisterous march for democracy in HK

Frustration grows over the influence of Beijing

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said yester-day it will take stern action against ajunior military official if he is foundguilty of sexually assaulting a woman inNew Zealand where he was working atthe country ’s diplomatic mission.Foreign Minister Anifah Aman toldreporters that a defense ministry panelwill investigate Second Warrant OfficeMuhammad Rizalman bin Ismail, 38,who was charged in New Zealand’s capi-tal Wellington last month but evadedtrial by using diplomatic immunity. Hereturned home on May 22.

“Diplomatic immunity is not a licensefor them to commit crime,” Anifah said.It was not immediately clear what pun-ishment he faced under Malaysia’s mili-tary rules. However, the defense min-istry “will not hesitate to take sternaction against the accused ... if it isproven beyond reasonable doubt thathe is responsible and committed thealleged misconduct,” he said. Anifah saidMuhammad Rizalman worked at theMalaysian High Commission inWellington for the past year as adefense staff assistant when he wasdetained on May 9 for allegedly follow-ing a 21-year-old woman home andassaulting her.

He was charged the next day withburglary and assault with the intent torape, each of which carries a maximumprison sentence of 10 years. He returnedhome with his family on May 22. Anifahsaid the accused will be sent back toNew Zealand “if it is absolutely neces-sary.” Asked to elaborate, Anifah said “Iwill consider sending him back” if New

Zealand thinks that the Malaysian inves-tigation is not being conducted proper-ly and requests his extradition.

He said that initially Malaysia waswilling to waive diplomatic immunity sothat he could be tried in New Zealand.“But during discussions on May 12, theNew Zealand side offered an alternativefor the accused to be brought back toMalaysia,” he said. “It was never ourintention to treat the matter lightly.”However, New Zealand’s Prime MinisterJohn Key earlier indicated that his gov-ernment would have preferred to keepthe man in New Zealand and try him

there. But Malaysia “stopped us fromdoing that by invoking diplomaticimmunity,” he said.

The differing versions of the eventscould not be immediately reconciled.New Zealand officials released Tuesdaya May 10 note asking for Malaysia towaive immunity and a May 21 responsefrom the Malaysian High Commissionsaying Malaysia didn’t plan to do thatand had decided to repatriateMuhammad Rizalman “as soon as possi-ble.” But there was no record of thereported negotiations on May 12 men-tioned by Anifha.-—AP —AP

Malaysia vows stern action against NZ assault suspect

Afghan poll result delayed as fraud dispute deepens

KABUL: Afghanistan’s presidential elec-tion result has been delayed for severaldays, officials said yesterday, as a dis-pute over alleged fraud threatens toderail the country’s first democratictransfer of power. The preliminary resultof the June 14 run-off vote had beendue today but was postponed at shortnotice to allow ballots in 2,000 votingcenters to be checked-throwing thehandover process into turmoil.

Abdullah Abdullah, previously seenas the poll front-runner, has said hewould reject the result due to “blatantfraud”, while his poll rival Ashraf Ghanisaid the election was clean and claimedvictory by more than one million votes.The United Nations and donor coun-tries have been trying for months toprevent a contested election outcome,fearing political deadlock and ethnicviolence as US-led troops withdrawfrom the country.

But with the two candidates at log-gerheads, many fear the impasse could

tip Afghanistan into a risky period ofstreet protests and uncertainty. “Wehave started inspecting the votes inaround 2,000 polling centers after thecommission decided to make sure oftransparency,” Independent ElectionCommission member Sharifa Zurmatisaid. “ The announcement has beendelayed for several days until theinspection ends. We will hopefully fin-ish the inspection on Friday and thenset a date.” “During the inspection,some votes will be invalidated.” About6,000 voting centers were open acrossAfghanistan on June 14, when votersdefied the threat of Taleban attacks tochoose between former foreign minis-ter Abdullah and Ghani, an ex-WorldBank economist.

Fears of ethnic tensionAny tension between supporters

could ignite ethnic unrest since Ghaniattracts much of his support from thePashtun tribes of the south and east,

while Abdullah’s loyalists are Tajiks andother northern Afghan groups. The UNhas expressed its concerns over risingfriction and last week called on candi-dates and their supporters to “refrainfrom any acts that incite imminent vio-lence, civil disorder or lead to instabili-ty”. Ghani’s campaign team criticizedthe delay, but said it welcomed anyattempt to prevent fraud in the votecount. “We believe the election com-mission should work in accordance tothe election timeline and announcethat results on time,” said campaignspokeswoman Azita Rafat. “If this delayis for the sake of transparency then weaccept it, though it runs against theelection law.” Abdullah, a former anti-Taleban resistance fighter, believesfraud denied him victory in the 2009election and has said he is again thevictim of massive ballot-box stuffingoverseen by the election commission,Ghani and outgoing President HamidKarzai.—AFP

All India Trinamool Congress Party MP,Tapas Paul

COLOMBO: A magistrate has post-poned yesterday’s scheduled startof an operation to exhume a sus-pected mass war grave on SriLanka’s east coast after police saidthey needed more preparationtime, an official said. Authorities hadbeen due to begin excavating partof a beach in Kalavanchikudy dis-trict after a resident petitioned thelocal court, claiming the site con-tained the remains of around 100Muslims who were killed 24 yearsago at the height of Sri Lanka’s eth-nic war. But after visiting the site,the magistrate agreed to allow thestart to be delayed until August 18,giving police more time to securethe services of forensic experts.

“Police wanted more time,” a courtofficial told AFP by telephone fromthe site, around 330 kilometers eastof the capital Colombo. “So the dig-ging was postponed.” Sri Lanka’s 37-year civil war, which ended in 2009,mainly pitted the majority ethnicSinhalese, who are Buddhists,against the minority Tamils, who aremainly Hindus and live in the north.Muslims, who account for around10 percent of the population, large-ly avoided being caught up in thefighting. But there have been alle-gations that the Tamil Tigers rebelscarried out several massacres ofMuslims in the east as part of theirpush to create a separate Tamilhomeland.— AFP

Sri Lanka delays digging up Muslim mass grave

—KOLKATA: An Indian lawmakerfaced calls to quit yesterday after hewas captured on video threatening therape of his political rivals’ relatives.Amid widespread outrage in India overa series of recent high-profile rapes,the Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Palcould be clearly heard bragging of hisability to order attacks against his left-wing opponents.

“If CPIM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) tries to kill and intimidate ourworkers... I will not spare them. I will letloose my men to rape your women,” hesaid in an address to followers in lateMay and filmed on a smart phone. His

comments drew widespread condem-nation yesterday, including fromTrinamool which is the fourth largestparty in parliament and whose sup-port is concentrated in the state ofWest Bengal. “We do not in any wayendorse what he said,” par tyspokesman Derek O’Brien toldreporters, adding that party leader andWest Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee was “hopping mad” about theremarks.

Pal, who was a minor film star in theKolkata-based movie industry, tried tolimit the damage by claiming he hadbeen misquoted. “I never said rape. I

said raid. I said they should raid all thepeople and places, including womenand old,” he told CNN-IBN, refusing toapologize. However even his own wifeNandini said the lawmaker was out ofline. “I feel terrible about it. Whateverhe has said, it is not right being amember of the parliament,” she toldreporters in Kolkata. The head of theNational Commission for Women saidPal’s position was now untenable. “Heshould resign. This is a very unfortu-nate statement. CM Mamata Banerjeeshould take action against him, heshould be suspended,” said the com-mission’s head Mamata Sharma.

Brinda Karat, the leader of theCommunists, told reporters that thecomments were “completely unaccept-able” and Pal “must be suspended”from the Lok Sabha, India’s lowerhouse of parliament. India brought intougher laws last year against sexoffenders after the fatal gang-rape of astudent in New Delhi in December2012, but they have failed to stem thetide of violence against women acrossthe country. In May, two girls aged 12and 14 were found hanging from amango tree in the state of UttarPradesh after they had been abductedand gang-raped. — AFP

Outrage over Indian lawmaker’s ‘rape’ threat

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

BEIJING: The Chinese CommunistParty’s dramatic expulsion of a formertop general-the most senior figure tofall in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corrup-tion campaign-is an assertion of politi-cal control over the powerful andwealthy military, analysts say. XuCaihou, former vice chairman of China’sCentral Military Commission and untiltwo years ago a member of the rulingparty’s elite 25-strong Politburo, wasstripped of his party membership onMonday and his case was handed overto prosecutors.

The 71-year-old is the highest-rank-ing Chinese military officer to face trialin decades. The authorities’ move topursue charges against him-despitereports that he is dying of bladder can-cer-is intended to send the People’sLiberation Army (PLA) a clear message,analysts said. The PLA’s influence indomestic affairs has waned since thedays of Communist China’s foundingfather Mao Zedong, but it remains apolitical force to be reckoned with andhas at the same time built up a vastnetwork of business interests. Xipresided over the meeting that decid-ed to expel Xu, the official news agencyXinhua stressed.

The expulsion “definitively puts torest any notion that Xi is not fully incommand of the CCP and its military”,according to Christopher Johnson, theFreeman Chair in China Studies at CSISin Washington. The announcementmade explicit reference to Xu enablingthe buying of military office, he point-ed out, suggesting “Xi and his civilianpeers are keen to send a message con-cerning the party’s control of the mili-tary”. “The accusation goes right to theheart of the PLA’s loyalty to the CCPand its role as the ultimate guarantor ofparty rule,” he wrote in an analysis.

Army ‘undermined’ by corruptionAuthorities have not yet released full

details of the accusations against Xu,but some reports state that accordingto military officers briefed on the case,he and his family members receivedtens of millions of yuan in bribes.China’s military spending has seen dou-ble-digit annual increases in recentyears, with the official 2013 defensebudget reaching $119.5 billion, accord-ing to Beijing-far eclipsing the expendi-ture of neighbors including Russia($69.5 billion), Japan ($56.9 billion) andIndia ($39.2 billion), although still well

below the US’s $495.5 billion.Experts say the spending spike has

brought with it more opportunities forcorruption within the ranks, a trend

compounded by the difficult task ofdisentangling the PLA from the com-mercial interests it developed overdecades. The web of connections is soextensive that academics have coined

a term to describe it: “PLA Inc”. “WhenDeng Xiaoping took over (as para-mount leader in 1978), there were theFour Modernisations,” said BradGlosserman, executive director of thePacific Forum CSIS and an Asian securi-ty expert “One of the things that Dengcommanded was, ‘We either get thePLA out of business, or you get out ofthe PLA’,” he said of the order to busi-nessman officers.

“This intermingling of interests hasbeen slow to reverse and undo; that’sbeen a real source of the problem,” headded. “I think a lot of people believethat there’s some pretty extensive cor-ruption. There’s a sense that this min-gling of interests is undermining theability of the PLA.” Since taking office, Xihas repeatedly urged the armed forces-whose combat experience is limited,despite Beijing’s sometimes assertiveapproach in maritime territorial dis-putes with its neighbors-to strengthentheir capacity to “win battles”.

‘Correct decision’ The move to take down Xu also sug-

gests a calculation by Xi that it is impossi-ble to fully consolidate power withoutasserting control over the military, ana-

lysts say. As a son of a Chinese revolu-tionary leader, Xi already had strongercredentials with the PLA than did hispredecessor Hu Jintao. He has strength-ened that relationship over the past yearwith a high number of visits to militarybases. “Xi Jinping’s relationship with themilitary is good because of his‘princeling’ background and his earliercareer as secretary to the secretary-gen-eral of the military commission” GengBiao, said Joseph Cheng, professor ofpolitical science at the City University ofHong Kong.

For his part Xu was born in the north-eastern province of Liaoning in 1943 andgraduated from the Harbin Institute ofMilitary Engineering before risingthrough the ranks of the PLA, including astint as the director-general of its GeneralPolitical Department. But the connec-tions he built up could not save himonce the decision to purge him was tak-en. A front-page editorial Tuesday by thePLA Daily backed his expulsion andcalled for all military officers to “firmlysupport the correct decision of the CPCCentral Committee... and ensure all theiractions follow the instruction of the CPCCentral Committee, the CMC and itsChairman Xi Jinping.” —AFP

China general’s ousting tightens Xi’s grip on military

HWA: This undated picture released by North Korea’s official Korean CentralNews Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (center)inspecting the Hwa Islet defense detachment off the east coast of NorthKorea. —AFP

TOKYO: Japan took a historic stepaway from its post-war pacifismyesterday by ending a ban that haskept the military from fightingabroad since 1945 - a victory forPrime Minister Shinzo Abe but amove that has riled China and wor-ries many Japanese voters. Thechange, the most dramatic shift indefense policy since Japan set upits post-war armed forces exactly 60years ago, will significantly widenJapan’s military options by endingthe ban on exercising “collective

self-defense”, or aiding a friendlycountry under attack. DefenseMinister Itsunori Onodera, speak-ing to reporters outside the primeminister’s office, said Abe’s cabinethad adopted a resolution adoptingthe shift, which also relaxes limitson activities in UN-led peace-keep-ing operations and “grey zone” inci-dents short of full-scale war.

Long constrained by the pacifistpost-war constitution, Japan’sarmed forces will become morealigned with the militaries of otheradvanced nations, but the govern-ment will likely be wary of puttingboots on the ground in multilateral

operations such as the 2003 US-ledinvasion of Iraq. The new policy isangering an increasingly assertiveChina, whose ties with Japan havefrayed due to a maritime row, mis-trust and the legacy of Japan’s pastmilitary aggression. “China opposesthe Japanese fabricating the Chinathreat to promote its domesticpolitical agenda,” Chinese ForeignMinistry spokesman Hong Lei told anews conference in Beijing.

“We demand that Japan respectthe reasonable security concerns of

its Asian neighbors and prudentlyhandle the relevant matter.” Theshift, however, will be welcomed byWashington, which has long urgedTokyo to become a more equalalliance partner, and by SoutheastAsia nations that also have rowswith China Japanese conservativessay the constitution’s war-renounc-ing Article 9 has excessively limitedJapan’s ability to defend itself andthat a changing regional power bal-ance, including a rising China,means Japan’s policies must bemore flexible.

“Conservative governments havepushed the envelope hard and

often to get the public to agree to amore elastic interpretation of article9. Abe is taking a bigger leap andgetting away with it, thanks to theChinese,” said Columbia Universitypolitical science professor GerryCurtis. Abe, who took office in 2012promising to revive Japan’s econo-my and bolster its security posture,has pushed for the change - whichrevises a longstanding governmentinterpretation of the charter -despite wariness among Japanesevoters.

Voters warySome voters worry about entan-

glement in foreign wars and othersare angry at what they see as a gut-ting of Article 9 by ignoring formalamendment procedures. The charterhas never been revised since it wasadopted after Japan’s 1945 defeat.On Sunday, a man set himself on firenear a busy Tokyo intersection - arare form of protest in Japan - afterspeaking out against Abe’s re-inter-pretation of Article 9. Around 2,000protesters, including pensioners,housewives and trade unionists,marched near the premier’s officeyesterday carrying banners and

shouting, “Don’t destroy Article 9”and “We’re against war”. “I’m againstthe right of collective-self defense,but more importantly, I’m againstthe way Abe is pushing this changethrough,” said 21-year-old universitystudent Misa Machimura.

Legal revisions to implement thechange must be approved by parlia-ment and restrictions could beimposed in the process. Since its1945 defeat, Japan’s military has notengaged in combat. Past govern-ments have stretched the constitu-tion’s limits to develop a militarynow on par with that of France andto permit non-combat missionsabroad, but its armed forces remainfar more constrained legally thanthose of other nations. China hasalready argued that Japan is raisingregional tensions and seeks to backits case by pointing to Abe’s effortsto cast Tokyo’s wartime past with aless apologetic tone.

“It makes it easier for competitorsto paint Japan as a wolf in sheep’sclothing,” said Richard Samuels,director of the Center forInternational Studies at theMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology. But he added: “Justbecause Japan is strong does notmean that it will be aggressive.”According to the cabinet resolution,Japan could exercise force to theminimum degree necessary in caseswhere a country with which it hasclose ties is attacked and the follow-ing conditions are met: there is athreat to the existence of theJapanese state, there is a clear dan-ger that the people’s right to life, lib-erty and the pursuit of happinesscould be subverted, and there is noappropriate alternative.

Precisely how the change mightwork in practice remains unclear,although it is likely to ease the pathto joint military exercises with coun-tries other than the United States.New Kometi, the junior partner inAbe’s governing coalition, says thescope of revision is limited, andJapanese voters are still wary ofentanglements in conflicts far fromhome. “I only see this happening inareas near Japan. I don’t see Japandeploying far-away forces in the con-text where then end up in the frontlines,” said Brad Glosserman, execu-tive director of Honoulu-based thinktank Pacific Forum CSIS. —Reuters

Japan takes historic step from post-war pacifism

Historic security policy shift angers China

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for a press conference at his official resi-dence in Tokyo yesterday. —AP

BEIJING: Talks between Tokyo andPyongyang on the abduction of Japanese cit-izens during the Cold War opened in Beijingyesterday, with Tokyo’s envoys giving theNorth Koreans a diplomatic rebuke over mis-sile launches. Sunday’s test launch of twoshort-range Scud missiles was “extremelyregrettable”, Junichi Ihara, the head of Japan’sdelegation, told his North Korean counter-part Song Il-Ho as talks got under way atPyongyang’s embassy in the Chinese capital.Speaking in front of international journalists-who are rarely allowed in the embassy-Iharastressed the missile launch was “incompati-ble” with the substance of previous NorthKorean commitments made to Japan and toagreements at Six-Party nuclear talks.

Ihara called on the nuclear-armed Northnot to repeat the launches, and to respond tothe demands of the international community,but Song defended Pyongyang’s actions.“The rocket launch... was carried out smooth-ly without having the slightest impact, notonly on regional peace and security but oninternational navigation order and ecologicalenvironment,” Song said. The talks were heldin a huge meeting room under two giant,imposing pictures of North Korea’s founderKim Il-Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il, whodied in 2011. The younger man was in turnsucceeded by his own son Kim Jong-Un, asthe dynasty maintains its grip on the secre-tive, isolated state.

Kidnappings sensitive The Beijing talks are aimed at checking

progress in Pyongyang’s promised investiga-tion into the fate of Japanese citizens abduct-ed during the 1970s and 1980s to train NorthKorean spies. North Korea made the surprisepledge in May after Japan said it could easeits sanctions if Pyongyang carries out a fresh

investigation. The agreement, following threedays of talks in Stockholm, was seen as amajor breakthrough in a highly strained rela-tionship, and the most positive engagementbetween Pyongyang and the outside worldin many months. North Korea admitted in2002 that it had kidnapped 13 Japanese citi-zens to train its spies in Japanese languageand customs. The subject is highly charged inJapan, where there are suspicions thatdozens or perhaps even hundreds more weretaken. The North has promised to use theBeijing meeting to “explain about the organi-zation, composition and persons in charge” ofa committee it has set up to reinvestigate theabductions, Tokyo officials said previously.Ihara and Song were chief negotiators at thebreakthrough Stockholm talks. “What is trulyimportant is what comes next,” Ihara said yes-terday. “It’s necessary to firmly and steadilyimplement this agreement and make it effec-tive.” The North’s missile launch came threedays after Pyongyang fired what werebelieved to be three short-range missiles intothe sea. The show of force came ahead of astate visit to Seoul by Chinese President XiJinping tomorrow to discuss issues includingthe North’s nuclear weapons programs.

Japan and North Korea have no diplomat-ic ties and contact each other through theirembassies in Beijing at present. A Chinese for-eign ministry official said Beijing hopes thetwo can establish diplomatic relations. Viceforeign minister Liu Zhenmin said the nor-malization of ties between Tokyo andPyongyang would be “better for the stabilityof Northeast Asia” and said he welcomed thetwo sides using Beijing “as a platform” for dia-logue. “China has always been encouragingthe US and Japan to develop normal relationswith the DPRK,” Liu added, using an abbrevia-tion of the North’s official name. —AFP

Japan voices anger in Beijing over N Korean missile launch

SEOUL: South Korea said yesterday it isconsidering offers from plane giantsAirbus and Boeing as well as IsraelAerospace Industries (IAI) to provide airrefuelling tankers in a deal estimated tobe worth $1.38 billion. The DefenseAcquisition Program Administration(DAPA) said it has accepted the bids fromthe three companies with a goal tochoose a final bidder by the end ofNovember.

The bids involve Airbus’s A330-basedMulti-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT ),Boeing’s B767-based KC-46 and the over-hauled B767-300ER made by IAI. “We willevaluate the proposed three aircraft typesbeginning early July,” DAPA said in a state-ment. It did not elaborate on the numberof aircrafts to be purchased but industrysources put the number at four. Boeing of

the United States and Europe’s Airbus arein a global competition to win militarycontracts for building refuelling planes.

Airbus’s MRTT is already in service inAustralia, Saudi Arabia, Britain and theUnited Arab Emirates, according to theIHS Jane’s Defense Weekly. The firm won a$1.4 billion order in March to replace theSingapore air force’s ageing air refuellingtankers that had previously been made byBoeing. Boeing in 2011 beat its Europeanrival for an estimated $30 billion contractto replace the US Air Force’s ageing fleetof KC-135 tankers with the newer KC-46aircraft, with the first deliveries expectedin 2017. South Korea’s military procure-ment needs, especially where the air forceis concerned, have overwhelmingly beenmet by US suppliers in the past-a reflec-tion of their close military alliance. —AFP

Airbus, Boeing, Israel firms bid for S Korea military dealPHNOM PENH: Nearly 10,000 Cambodians

have returned to jobs in Thailand after fleeingen masse last month, officials said yesterday, asthe two countries agreed to make it easier formigrants to obtain work permits. The exodus ofmore than 250,000 laborers fearful of a crack-down on undocumented workers underThailand’s new junta has raised concerns aboutthe impact on the kingdom’s migrant-depen-dent economy. At a meeting in Phnom Penhyesterday, Cambodian Foreign Minister HorNamhong and visiting Thai foreign ministrypermanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeowagreed to help “migrants to work legally” inThailand.

“Cambodia has asked Thailand to issue visasfor more than 10,000 migrants, most of whomhave now returned to work there,” said HorNamhong. Cambodian laborers help keepmajor Thai industries from seafood to construc-tion afloat, but often lack official work permits.A junta warning last month of arrest anddeportation for those working illegally had

prompted, by some estimates, the entireundocumented Cambodian population to fleeThailand. Sihasak said it would now only takeone day for Cambodian migrants to obtain aThai visa following the establishment of workerregistration centres along the Cambodian-Thaiborder.

In a parallel move to ease the process,Phnom Penh said last week that it would nowcost only $49 for Cambodians to buy a pass-port, visa and other working documents toenter Thailand. Border off icials at theCambodian town of Poipet, the main crossingbetween the two countries, said yesterday thataround 1,000 workers had crossed back intoThailand every day since the weekend. Thailandhas almost no unemployment and dependsupon neighboring Cambodia, Laos andMyanmar to fill manual labor vacancies.

Despite insisting there was no crackdownagainst Cambodian migrants, the junta wasunable to stem the flow of workers across theborder, with Thai businesses reporting feeling

the pinch of a shrinking workforce within daysof their flight. Yesterday Sihasak also stressedthe importance Thailand placed upon its for-eign laborers. “Thailand needs to restore orderand has noted that migrants have broughthuge benefits to the Thai nation and helpedboost its economy,” he told repor ters.Meanwhile Hor Namhong urged Thailand torelease 14 Cambodians who were arrested lastmonth for using illegal work documents.

Rumors of the shootings, abuse and arrestsof migrants by Thai authorities were among thefactors believed to have triggered the massdepartures. Some Cambodian officials claimedworkers were rounded up from constructionsites in Thailand and sent back to Cambodia intrucks. But Thailand has strongly deniedforcibly expelling migrants and has dismissedreports of killings as “groundless”. The coup inThailand on May 22 followed years of politicaldivisions between a military-backed royalistestablishment and supporters of former Thaiprime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. —AFP

Cambodians return to Thailand after exodus

Xu Caihou

N E W SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Continued from Page 1

When debating the KIA budget, a number of MPs criticized theauthority’s investment policy, especially for ignoring the domesticmarket. Omar said it is not logical for the authority to manageinvestments in excess of $500 billion and ignore the local market,while MP Abdulhameed Dashti called on the finance minister todismiss KIA managing director.

In another development, opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak,who was due to appear before the public prosecutor late yester-day, said he will not answer questions by the prosecutor. The pub-lic prosecution had summoned Barrak for interrogation over a law-suit filed by the Supreme Judicial Council over remarks made bythe opposition leader at a public rally on June 10 deemed offen-sive to the judiciary and the chief justice Faisal Al-Marshed.

Barrak charged in a statement that the public prosecution hasadopted a selective policy with regards to handling the case bydeciding to start interrogating him while ignoring the main issue.The former opposition lawmaker reiterated claims that the publicprosecutor is not qualified to interrogate him because the lawsuitwas filed by the Supreme Judicial Council of which the publicprosecutor is a member. In addition, the judicial council had issueda statement on June 11 in which it clearly criticized the statementsmade by Barrak and considered it false, the statement said.

Assembly passes budgets...Continued from Page 1

The king named Prince Khalid binBandar to the post of chief of generalintelligence in a decree Monday, the offi-cial Saudi Press Agency reported. Khalidwas relieved of his post as deputydefense minister on Saturday, barely sixweeks after he was appointed. Khalidwas previously the governor of theRiyadh region, an important post heassumed in Feb 2013 that involves over-seeing the capital and provides opportu-nities for direct contact with top officialsand visiting dignitaries. He is the son ofPrince Bandar, one of the eldest surviv-ing sons of King Abdulaziz, the founderof the kingdom.

The monarch also named the formerintelligence chief, Prince Bandar binSultan, as adviser and special envoy tothe king. Bandar was ambassador to theUS for 22 years before becoming directorgeneral of Saudi Intelligence Agency inJuly 2012. His brief in the latter role

included oversight of Saudi policy in theLevant, including toward Syrian rebelsseeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. He was relieved of his post at thehelm of the intelligence agency in April.

King Abdullah last week orderedauthorities to take all necessary meas-ures to secure the kingdom from terroristgroups or others who “might disturb thesecurity of the homeland,” according to areport by the state news agency thatnoted particular concern about develop-ments in Iraq. Saudi Arabia, which hasfrosty relations with Iraq’s Shiite-led gov-ernment, shares long desert borderswith both Iraq and Jordan. Militants fromthe Islamic State of Iraq and the Levantlast week captured and temporarily heldan Iraqi post on the Jordan border, acrossing that is roughly 70 km fromSaudi territory. The insurgent group hasseized territory in both Iraq and Syria,and this week announced it was creatingits own government, or caliphate, ruledby Islamic law. — AP

Saudi king names new intel chief

Prince Khaled

Prince Bandar

Continued from Page 1

Still hailed by supporters for presiding over an eco-nomic transformation of the majority Muslim country,Erdogan is now accused by critics of running the countrylike an Ottoman sultan, and has become an increasinglypolarising figure. His candidacy means Erdogan’s one-time close ally and co-founder of the Islamic-rooted AKP,incumbent President Abdullah Gul will be stepping aside,with his political future uncertain. Gul, who has repeated-ly squabbled with Erdogan in recent months, appearedto be absent from the Ankara rally, which was attendedby the entire AKP elite.

If elected president, Erdogan is expected to wield fargreater power than previous incumbents, and he indicat-ed the direct election would give the head of state agreater mandate despite no constitutional backing. Thepresident was previously chosen by parliament. “The factthat the president will be elected by the people is a turn-ing point for democracy,” declared Erdogan. “The presi-dency will not be a place of rest.” In an apparent referenceto the AKP’s drive to lessen the historic influence of thepowerful Turkish military, he added that a democratical-ly-elected president “will put an end to a dark period oftutelages”. — AFP

Erdogan launches...

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Sometimes there is no middle ground. Throughmuch of the US Supreme Court’s term, the nine jus-tices found common if narrow ground to bridge

their differences. Many of their high-profile decisionsavoided the polarization that defines Washington today.That all changed on Monday, the last day of the nine-month term, with the re-emergence of a familiar 5-4 faultline in a dispute over a US law requiring employers toprovide insurance for contraceptives.

For 30 minutes Justice Samuel Alito, a conservativewho wrote the majority opinion, and liberal Justice RuthBader Ginsburg, who wrote the lead dissent, voiced theircompeting views of the meaning for America of the deci-sion permitting some corporate employers to object onreligious grounds to certain kinds of birth control. Inrecent weeks the justices had resolved an array of dis-putes, including over abortion protests and presidentialappointment power, police searches of cellphones andenvironmental regulation, as well as rules for class-actionlawsuits.

In all of those, the nine managed to find shared ter-rain, even some unanimity. In the cases over abortionprotests and presidential “recess” appointments, the jus-tices ruled 9-0 on the bottom line, even as four justicesbroke away each time to protest the majority’s legal rea-soning. But religion is different. The justices divide bitter-ly over it. Monday’s case was further clouded by the issueof reproductive rights and the assertion by the family-owned companies in the dispute that some contracep-tive drugs and devices are akin to abortion.

In the case of Burwell v Hobby Lobby Stores, the com-panies challenged the Obamacare insurance requirementfor employee birth control. They objected to four meth-ods, including the so-called morning-after pill. They saidthey should qualify for an exemption under a 1993 reli-gious freedom law. The Obama administration counteredthat for-profit corporations, even closely held ones, arenot covered by the 1993 law. In his opinion for the court’sfive conservatives, Alito said there was a federal interest inensuring that people who run their businesses for profitnot compromise their religious beliefs. “A corporation issimply a form of organization used by human beings toachieve desired ends,” he said. He asserted the decisionwould have limited effect. Alito said Congress did notwant to exclude people who operate for-profit businessesfrom the law’s protections. Ginsburg countered that sucha view effectively allows religious owners to impose theirviews on employees who might not share their belief.

‘Startling Breadth’In her dissent representing the four liberals, Ginsburg

called the ruling one of “startling breadth.” A women’srights advocate in the 1970s, she recalled how the courthad long declared contraceptive coverage crucial towomen’s participation in the economic life of the coun-try. The last announced opinion of the term, Monday’scase was arguably the most high-profile. It forced the jus-tices to confront difficult issues against the backdrop ofthe enduringly controversial 2010 signature healthcarelaw of Democratic President Barack Obama.

The term featured none of the blockbuster decisionsof the past two years when the court upheld theObamacare law and set the pace for same-sex marriageand voting rights. All told, this term’s cases failed to cap-ture public attention the same way. The rulings gaveeach side - left and right - something to call a triumph.The justices also ruled narrowly, and even unanimously,in some major business cases, including one brought byHalliburton testing how easily shareholders can bandtogether in class-action lawsuits for damages.

When the court separately ruled that the streamingvideo service Aereo Inc had violated copyright law, themajority stressed the decision was limited and did notcover other technologies such as cloud computing. Inpolitically gridlocked Washington, the justices, particular-ly Chief Justice John Roberts, could be feeling institution-al pressure to come together rather than pull apart,Harvard law professor Richard Fallon said. “We have thisenormous gap in politics today, between liberals andconservatives,” Fallon said. “The chief justice may be nat-urally concerned that people not look at the SupremeCourt and see it divided in this same way.”

But the justices found themselves more apart thantogether on Monday. Sitting alongside each other onthe long mahogany bench, Alito and Ginsburg barelylooked at each other while reading from their opin-ions. —Reuters

By Joan Biskupic

Issues

Fault lines in US Supreme Court at end of term

A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

By Michel Moutot

and Michael Mainville

The declaration of an Islamiccaliphate in parts of Iraq and Syriais a direct challenge to Al-Qaeda

and could set off a dangerous contest forthe leadership of the global jihadistmovement, experts say. Desperate toretain its preeminent role, the movementbehind Sept 11 may be driven to carryout fresh attacks on Western targets toprove it remains relevant. “This competi-tion between jihadists could be very dan-gerous,” said Shashank Joshi of theLondon-based Royal United ServicesInstitute, warning that Al-Qaeda maylook to make a “spectacular” show offorce. The Islamic State of Iraq and theLevant (ISIL) announced on Sunday it wasestablishing a caliphate in parts of Iraqand Syria where it has seized control. Aform of government last seen under theOttoman Empire, a caliphate has been along-held dream of radical jihadists who

want to impose their version of Islamicsharia law. Renaming itself simply theIslamic State (IS), the group also daringlydeclared its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadias caliph and “leader for Muslims every-where”.

New Generation of Jihadists

Al-Qaeda can hardly ignore what isessentially a declaration of war from anupstart that has scored a string of suc-cesses, said Magnus Ranstorp, an experton radical Islamic movements at theSwedish National Defence College. “Thecompetition has already started,” he said.“Al-Baghdadi already refused to pledgeallegiance to (Al-Qaeda leader Ayman) Al-Zawahiri and now he can say: ‘Look whatwe have accomplished... You are justsomewhere, we don’t know where, talk-ing on the Internet.’”

For a new, younger generation of radi-cal Islamic militants, Al-Qaeda with itsgrey-bearded 63-year-old leader is nolonger the draw it was under Osama bin

Laden. Believed to be holed up in theAfghanistan-Pakistan border region,Zawahiri in their eyes seems to havedone little in recent years beyond issuingstatements and videos. Baghdadi, in hisearly 40s, is meanwhile a seasoned bat-tlefield commander and IS has created amodern image with magazines andvideos, many in English.

Several jihadist groups have alreadydeclared their allegiance to IS and expertsexpect more to follow. “The younger gen-eration of the jihadist community isbecoming more and more supportive of(IS), largely out of fealty to its slick andproven capacity for attaining rapid resultsthrough brutality,” said Charles Lister ofthe Brookings Doha Centre. Ranstorp pre-dicted that supporters will flock to join IS,inspired by the group’s success in seizingterritory extending from Aleppo in north-ern Syria to Diyala province in easternIraq. “It’s going to be a great boost forthem. Now they own a piece of land, it’stangible, it’s a state-building project,” he

said. “That’s why so many people from allover the world are joining them.”

‘Pacman’ Devouring Enemies

Experts said it was unlikely that majorgroups linked with Al-Qaeda wouldimmediately declare their allegiance to IS.But the longer the movement can hold itsterritory and resist a counter-offensive byIraqi forces, the more attractive it willbecome. Some in the end may have littlechoice, as IS forces other groups operat-ing in Iraq and Syria into its fold. “TheIslamic State’s announcement made itclear that it would perceive any groupthat failed to pledge allegiance as an ene-my of Islam,” Lister said.

Anwar Eshki, head of the Middle EastCentre for Strategic and Legal Studies inJeddah, said it was inevitable that anaggressive group like IS would come intoconflict with other jihadist groups. IS, hesaid, “is like Pacman in the video game: itwill devour all the terrorist groups in itspath.” —AFP

ISIL, Qaeda rivalry could be dangerous

By Phil Stewart and Lesley Wroughton

When Washington imposed sanctions in June2012 on Boko Haram leader AbubakarShekau, he dismissed it as an empty gesture.

Two years later, Shekau’s skepticism appears wellfounded: His Islamic militant group is now the biggestsecurity threat to Africa’s top oil producer, is richerthan ever, more violent and its abductions of womenand children continue with impunity. As the UnitedStates, Nigeria and others struggle to track and chokeoff its funding, Reuters interviews with more than adozen current and former US officials who closely fol-low Boko Haram provide the most complete picture todate of how the group finances its activities.

Central to the militant group’s approach includesusing hard-to-track human couriers to move cash,relying on local funding sources and engaging in onlylimited financial relationships with other extremistgroups. It also has reaped millions from high-profilekidnappings. “Our suspicions are that they are surviv-ing on very lucrative criminal activities that involvekidnappings,” US Assistant Secretary of State forAfrican Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in aninterview.

Until now, US officials have declined to discussBoko Haram’s financing in such detail. The UnitedStates has stepped up cooperation with Nigeria togather intelligence on Boko Haram, whose militantsare killing civilians almost daily in its northeasternNigerian stronghold. But the lack of internationalfinancial ties to the group limit the measures theUnited States can use to undermine it, such as finan-cial sanctions. The US Treasury normally relies on arange of measures to track financial transactions ofterrorist groups, but Boko Haram appears to operatelargely outside the banking system.

To fund its murderous network, Boko Haram usesprimarily a system of couriers to move cash aroundinside Nigeria and across the porous borders fromneighboring African states, according to the officialsinterviewed by Reuters. In designating Boko Haram asa terrorist organization last year, the Obama adminis-tration characterized the group as a violent extremistorganization with links to Al-Qaeda.

The Treasury Department said in a statement to

Reuters that the United States has seen evidence thatBoko Haram has received financial support from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM), an offshoot ofthe jihadist group founded by Osama bin Laden. Butthat support is limited. Officials with deep knowledgeof Boko Haram’s finances say that any links with Al-Qaeda or its affiliates are inconsequential to BokoHaram’s overall funding. “Any financial support AQIMmight still be providing Boko Haram would pale incomparison to the resources it gets from criminalactivities,” said one US official, speaking on conditionof anonymity.

Assessments differ, but one US estimate of financialtransfers from AQIM was in the low hundreds of thou-sands of dollars. That compares with the millions ofdollars that Boko Haram is estimated to make throughits kidnap and ransom operations.

Lucrative Kidnapping Racket

Ransoms appear to be the main source of fundingfor Boko Haram’s five-year-old Islamist insurgency inNigeria, whose 170 million people are split roughlyevenly between Christians and Muslims, said the USofficials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. InFebruary last year, armed men on motorcyclessnatched Frenchman Tanguy Moulin-Fournier, his wifeand four children, and his brother while they were onholiday near the Waza national park in Cameroon,close to the Nigerian border.

Boko Haram was paid an equivalent of about $3.15million by French and Cameroonian negotiatorsbefore the hostages were released, according to a con-fidential Nigerian government report later obtainedby Reuters. Figures vary on how much Boko Haramearns from kidnappings. Some US officials estimatethe group is paid as much as $1 million for the releaseof each abducted wealthy Nigerian.

It is widely assumed in Nigeria that Boko Haramreceives support from religious sympathizers insidethe country, including some wealthy professionals andnorthern Nigerians who dislike the government,although little evidence has been made public to sup-port that assertion. Current and former US andNigerian officials say Boko Haram’s operations do notrequire significant amounts of money, which meanseven successful operations tracking and intercepting

their funds are unlikely to disrupt their campaign.Boko Haram had developed “a very diversified and

resilient model of supporting itself,” said Peter Pham, aNigeria scholar at the Atlantic Council think-tank inWashington. “It can essentially ‘live off the land’ withvery modest additional resources required,” he told acongressional hearing on June 11.

Low-Cost Weapons

“We’re not talking about a group that is buyingsophisticated weapons of the sort that some of thejihadist groups in Syria and other places are using.We’re talking AK-47s, a few rocket-propelled grenades,and bomb-making materials. It is a very low-cost oper-ation,” Pham told Reuters. That includes paying localyouth just pennies a day to track and report onNigerian troop movements. Much of Boko Haram’smilitary hardware is not bought, it is stolen from theNigerian army.

In February, dozens of its fighters descended on aremote military outpost in the Gwoza hills in north-eastern Borno state, looting 200 mortar bombs, 50rocket-propelled grenades and hundreds of rounds ofammunition. Such raids have left the group wellarmed. In dozens of attacks in the past year Nigeriansoldiers were swept aside by militants driving trucks,motor bikes and sometimes even stolen armoredvehicles, firing rocket-propelled grenades.

Boko Haram’s inner leadership is security savvy, notonly in the way it moves money but also in its commu-nications, relying on face-to-face contact, since mes-sages or calls can be intercepted, the current and for-mer US officials said. “They’re quite sophisticated interms of shielding all of these activities from legiti-mate law enforcement officials in Africa and certainlyour own intelligence efforts trying to get glimpses andinsight into what they do,” a former US military officialsaid.

US officials acknowledge that the weapons thathave served Washington so well in its financial war-fare against other terrorist groups are proving lesseffective against Boko Haram. “My sense is that wehave applied the tools that we do have but that theyare not particularly well tailored to the way thatBoko Haram is financing itself,” a US defense officialsaid. —Reuters

Boko Haram beats efforts to choke financing

BOSTON: Jake Arrieta held the Red Sox hitless untilStephen Drew singled with two outs in the eighthinning, and the Chicago Cubs beat Boston 2-0 onMonday night in the opener of only the second seriesbetween the teams at Fenway Park since 1918.

Six days after losing a perfect game on a leadoffsingle in the seventh inning of his previous start atWrigley Field against Cincinnati, Arrieta took his no-hit bid a little deeper. He allowed only Mike Napoli’sfifth-inning walk before Drew lined a clean single toright.

Arrieta (5-1) was lifted by Cubs manager RickRenteria immediately following the hit that came onthe right-hander’s career-high 120th pitch. He struckout 10.

Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run homer forChicago. Jake Peavy (1-7) is winless in his last 12starts. He gave up two runs on five hits, walking twoand striking out seven in six innings.

TIGERS 5, ATHLETICS 4Rajai Davis hit his third career grand slam with one

out in the ninth inning, giving the Tigers a victoryover the Athletics.

Oakland closer Sean Doolittle (2-2) was given athree-run lead to work with in the ninth, but onlymanaged one out. Nick Castellanos and Alex Avilastarted the inning with singles. Eugenio Suarez struckout but Doolittle walked Austin Jackson - just the sec-ond walk he has issued this season - to load the basesfor Davis.

Blaine Hardy (1-0) earned his first career victorywith a scoreless top of the ninth. Oakland starterScott Kazmir left the game in the sixth, one pitch afterappearing to grab at his hip, but Dan Otero replacedhim and kept the game tied through seven innings. Ateam spokesperson said that Kazmir was “fine”.

RAYS 4, YANKEES 3Logan Forsythe hit a tiebreaking single with two

outs in the 12th inning and the Rays beat the Yankeesafter squandering a late lead.

Matt Joyce and Kevin Kiermaier homered for theresurgent Rays, who have their first three-game win-ning streak since taking a season-best four in a rowMay 22-25. They’ve won five of six overall and nolonger own the worst record in the majors, a distinc-tion that had belonged to them every day since June4. Brian Roberts homered off Rays reliever Joel Peraltawith one out in the ninth to tie it 3-all.

Brandon Guyer drew a two-out walk from JoseRamirez (0-2) in the 12th and stole second base.Forsythe lined the next pitch into center field, scoringGuyer easily. Brad Boxberger (1-1) pitched two perfectinnings for his first major league win in 72 appear-ances.

ROYALS 6, TWINS 1Alcides Escobar tied a career high with four RBIs on

two doubles and Salvador Perez homered to lift theRoyals to a victory over the Twins.

Danny Duffy (5-7) gave up one run and four hitswhile striking out three in 5 2-3 innings and MikeMoustakas had two hits for the Royals. Kansas City(43-39) has won three of four and is off to its best startsince 2003.

Yohan Pino (0-2) gave up four runs and seven hitswhile also striking out three in 5 2-3 innings for theTwins. Eduardo Nunez had two hits and an RBI in hisreturn from the disabled list for Minnesota, which haslost six of its last seven games to drop into last placein the AL Central.

MARINERS 10, ASTROS 4Robinson Cano had a three-run shot in the seventh

inning, one of the Seattle Mariners’ season-high fourhomers in a win over the Astros.

Mike Zunino had a two-run drive in the second,Michael Saunders added a pair on his long ball in thefourth and Brad Miller homered two batters later tohelp the Mariners to their eighth win in 10 games.

Heralded prospect Taijuan Walker (1-0) allowedhomer runs to George Springer and Marwin Gonzalezearly before settling down to strike out six in sixinnings in his season debut after dealing with a shoul-der problem. Houston starter Collin McHugh (4-7)allowed five hits, five runs and tied a career high withthree home runs in six innings.

ORIOLES 7, RANGERS 1Steve Pearce hit two of Baltimore’s four home runs

off Joe Saunders and Ubaldo Jimenez ended a run ofnine winless starts as the Orioles defeated theRangers.

Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy also homered for theOrioles, who hit a major league-leading 46 long ballsin June. Jimenez (3-8) allowed one run, none earned,and four hits with seven strikeouts in eight innings.The right-hander walked only one after issuing 30 freepasses in his previous seven starts. Saunders (0-5)gave up seven runs and nine hits in five innings.

BRAVES 5, METSThree errors by New York fueled Atlanta’s come-

back as the Braves scored four runs in the eighthinning and beat the Mets for their fifth straight win.

Errors by reliever Jeurys Familia (1-3), center fielderJuan Lagares and third baseman Eric Campbell in theeighth helped the Braves rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Anthony Varvaro (3-1) pitched one scorelessinning to earn the victory. Craig Kimbrel recorded thefinal three outs for his 25th save. The Bravesannounced late in the game that catcher Evan Gattis

will be placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRIrevealed a bulging thoracic disk in his back. CurtisGranderson had two hits, including a homer, for theMets.

NATIONALS 7, ROCKIES 3Adam LaRoche homered, Ryan Zimmerman had

three hits and Ian Desmond added two doubles andthree RBIs as the Nationals welcomed back BryceHarper with a win over the Rockies.

Harper, who missed 57 games because of a tornligament in his left thumb, went 1 for 3 with an RBIsingle - on Bryce Harper bobblehead night.

Jordan Zimmermann (6-4) allowed two runs in sixinnings as Washington won its third straight.

Justin Morneau had three hits for the Rockies,who have lost 12 of 14. Yohan Flande (0-1), making hissecond start, was charged with three runs on six hits.

DODGERS 1, INDIANS 0Dan Haren gave up one hit in seven innings - a sin-

gle that was awarded to Michael Bourn after a videoreview - and rookie Clint Robinson had a pinch-hit RBIsingle in the seventh as the Dodgers opened their

interleague series against the Indians with a victory.The defending NL West champion Dodgers took

over sole possession of first place in the division by ahalf-game over idle San Francisco.

Haren (8-4) struck out five and walked one on the11th anniversary of his major league debut, gettingthrough seven innings for just the third time in 17starts this season. Corey Kluber (7-6) allowed a runand six hits over 6 2-3 innings and struck out five.

PADRES 1, REDS 0Everth Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning

scored the game’s only run, and the Padres toppedthe Reds despite managing just one hit.

Tommy Medica’s single in the second was the onlyhit for the Padres, who got solid pitching behindrookie Jesse Hahn (4-1) and four relievers to endCincinnati’s season-high five-game winning streak.

Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 22nd savein as many chances for the Padres, who won for thesecond time this season after getting just one hit.

Mat Latos (1-1) allowed one run, a hit and a walkover seven innings in absorbing the tough-luck lossagainst his former team. He struck out four. — AP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

LONDON: Stuart Broad insisted yesterday that Alastair Cook remained the rightman to lead England in Test cricket as he all but disclaimed his own chances ofleading his country in the five-day game. England recently went down to a 1-0defeat in a two-Test series at home to Sri Lanka, with Cook’s highest score in fourinnings a meagre 28.

That meant the left-handed opener had gone more than a year since scoringthe last of his England record 25 hundreds, while his performance in the field onthe fourth day in the second Test at Headingley-which Sri Lanka went on to win by100 runs-led to criticism from the likes of Shane Warne and Geoffrey Boycott.

However, Broad-England’s Twenty20 skipper-said he was looking forward toseeing Cook get back amongst the runs in a five-Test series againstIndia which starts at the Nottinghamshire paceman’s TrentBridge home ground next week.

“I certainly think Cooky is the right man for the jobnow and once he gets one hundred under his belt I thinkhe’ll get many more-I’m just looking forward to that hun-dred celebration when he does it,” Broad said at a news con-ference in London organised by series sponsors Investec.

“He’s a relaxed guy, there’s a few of us who have playedlong enough to know we’re in a stats and results-driven busi-ness so when you’re not scoring runs or taking wickets youexpect a certain amount of flack. —AFP

Cook gets Broad backingBRAZIL: Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has stepped down from his postafter the country’s elimination from the World Cup, FIFA said yesterday.

The Nigerian Football Federation have yet to confirm his resigna-tion, however, and Keshi was evasive in answering a question on hisfuture after Monday’s 2-0 loss to France in their last-16 roundencounter in Brasilia.

FIFA.com quoted a tweet from Keshi, although earlier in the tourna-ment Nigerian officials claimed the manager had no social media pres-ence. “Friends, it has been a good run and I have enjoyed everymoment. It’s been an honour coaching the Super Eagles. It is howevertime to bow out,” the tweet said.

Asked what he planned to do after the World Cup, after beinglinked to the national team job in South Africa, Keshi told reporters onMonday: “I’m going home to visit my wife and kids. I’ve not seen themfor a long time.”

The 52-year-old, whose nickname is “Big Boss”, coached the SuperEagles to last year’s African Nations Cup crown. He had been in chargeof the side since late 2011 after several previous stints as assistant.Keshi was the captain of Nigeria for their maiden World Cup appear-ance in the United States in 1994 and also worked as national coach ofTogo and Mali in the past. —Reuters

Keshi steps down as coachMILWAUKEE: The Milwaukee Bucks have appointed Jason Kidd ashead coach, the National Basketball Association team said in a state-ment yesterday. Kidd becomes the 14th head coach of the franchiseafter the Brooklyn Nets freed him from his contract in exchange for apair of second-round draft picks in 2015 and 2019.

He takes over from Larry Drew who was fired on Monday afterleading the team to a 15-67 record in the first year of his three-yeardeal. “Jason is a determined leader, a tough-minded competitor and agreat team mate,” Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry said.

“We believe his focus, vision and intensity willhelp him...to rebuild the Milwaukee Bucks as weaspire to achieve excellence over the next severalyears. We are excited Jason will call Milwaukee hisnew home.”

Kidd, 41, guided the Nets to a 44-38 record lastseason and won a first-round playoff series

against Toronto in the first campaign of hisfour-year deal.

The new Bucks coach was a 10-times All-Star during a stellar 19-year playing career asa point guard. — Reuters

Kidd to coach Bucks

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GB Toronto 45 39 .536 - Baltimore 43 39 .524 1 NY Yankees 41 40 .506 2.5 Boston 38 45 .458 6.5 Tampa Bay 36 49 .424 9.5

Central DivisionDetroit 45 34 .570 - Kansas City 43 39 .524 3.5 Cleveland 39 43 .476 7.5 Chicago White Sox 39 44 .470 8 Minnesota 37 44 .457 9

Western DivisionOakland 51 31 .622 - LA Angels 45 35 .563 5 Seattle 45 38 .542 6.5 Texas 37 45 .451 14 Houston 36 48 .429 16

National LeagueEastern Division

Atlanta 45 38 .542 - Washington 44 38 .537 0.5 Miami 39 43 .476 5.5 NY Mets 37 46 .446 8 Philadelphia 36 46 .439 8.5

Central DivisionMilwaukee 51 33 .607 - St. Louis 44 39 .530 6.5 Cincinnati 43 39 .524 7 Pittsburgh 42 40 .512 8 Chicago Cubs 35 46 .432 14.5

Western DivisionLA Dodgers 48 37 .565 - San Francisco 46 36 .561 0.5 Colorado 36 47 .434 11 San Diego 36 47 .434 11 Arizona 35 49 .417 12.5

MLB results/standings

Baltimore 7, Texas 1; Tampa Bay 4, NY Yankees 3 (12 Innings); Washington 7, Colorado 3; Detroit 5, Oakland4; Chicago Cubs 2, Boston 0; Atlanta 5, NY Mets 3; Kansas City 6, Minnesota 1; Seattle 10, Houston 4; LADodgers 1, Cleveland 0; San Diego 1, Cincinnati 0.

WELLINGTON: The England andWales Cricket Board (ECB)announced a life ban on disgracedformer New Zealand cricketer LouVincent yesterday, just hours afterthe player admitted he was a“cheat” and had shamed his coun-try and the sport by fixing matches.

The ECB said 35-year-old Vincenthad pleaded guilty to 18 breachesof the board’s anti-corruption regu-lations in three matches in Englandand had accepted the ban whichbarred him from playing or coach-ing in any form of recognised crick-et. “This has been a complex casewhich has crossed different cricket-ing jurisdictions and required closecollaboration and intelligence-shar-ing between both our own anti-corruption unit, other domesticboards and the ICC’s ACSU (anti-corruption and security unit,” ECBchief executive David Collier said ina statement.

“We are extremely pleased thatthe matter has now been broughtto a satisfactory conclusion andthat an individual who repeatedlysought to involve others in corruptactivity for his own personal gainhas accepted that his conduct war-rants a lifetime ban from cricket.

“It once again highlights ourresolve to keep cricket clean and ridthe game of the tiny minority whoseek to undermine the sport ’sintegrity,” he added.

Vincent, representing AucklandAces, also tried to “corrupt” twomatches in the 2012 edition of theChampions League Twenty20 tour-nament, its organisers said onTuesday.

The top-order batsman hasalready been banned by theBangladesh Cricket Board for threeyears for failing to report anapproach from match fixers whenhe played for the Khulna RoyalBengals in the 2013 BPL season.

“My name is Lou Vincent and Iam a cheat,” he said in a statementissued to local media earlier yester-day. “I have abused my position as aprofessional sportsman on a num-ber of occasions by choosing toaccept money through fixing.

“I have lived with this dark secretfor many years, but just monthsago I reached the point where Idecided I had to come forward andtell the truth.” Vincent admitted lastDecember that he had been co-operating with ICC anti-corruption

officials investigating allegedmatch-fixing in at least four coun-tries but had never spoken publiclyabout his involvement until now.He was one of three former NewZealand players identified as beinginvolved in the investigation,though neither the ICC, nor NewZealand Cricket (NZC) have namedthe other two cricketers.

Local media identified ChrisCairns as one of the other playersimplicated in the investigation, anallegation the former all-rounderhas denied.

Cairns travelled to London inMay where he had been inter-viewed at his own request byLondon police, English cricketingauthorities and the ICC’s anti-cor-ruption unit.

Upon his return to New Zealandhe again denied any wrongdoingand described the accusationsagainst him as “absurd, bizarre andscary”.

Vincent, who played 23 testsand more than 100 one-day inter-nationals for New Zealand, hadbeen investigated for beinginvolved in attempting to manipu-late 12 matches in five countriesbetween 2008 and 2012. Vincentpleaded guilty to offences relatingto two matches he played forEnglish county Sussex in August2011 - a Twenty20 contest againstLancashire and a 40-over clash withKent - besides another Twenty20match between Lancashire andDurham in 2008, the ECB said.

Vincent is unlikely to appeal theban after saying he would “acceptany punishment” in his confessionstatement.

“I have shamed my country. Ihave shamed my sport. I haveshamed those close to me. For thatI am not proud,” Vincent added.“The time has come for me to nowface them like a man and acceptthe consequences, whatever theymay be.” ICC chief executive DavidRichardson endorsed the ban andwas hopeful that it would send outa “loud and clear message” to thosecorrupt.

“These unscrupulous corruptorsand small group of greedy individu-als should not be permitted todestroy the game for the over-whelming majority who play thegame as they should, and the fansacross the world,” Richardson saidin a statement. — Reuters

Vincent handedlife ban after

fixing confession

HYDERABAD: In this Sept. 20, 2011 file photo, then Auckland playerLou Vincent plays a shot during the Champions League Twenty20cricket qualifying match. — AP

Cubs defeat Red Sox

BOSTON: Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (left) leaps as he celebrates with teammate Junior Lake,after a win against the Boston Red Sox during a baseball game. — AP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

HOUSTON: Not everything was bigger inTexas on a hot and humid weekend in whicha pair of small IndyCar teams claimed thecommemorative cowboy boots from theGrand Prix of Houston.

Sam Schmidt’s drivers went 1-2 on Sundayfor the first time in team history as SimonPagenaud grabbed the win and led rookieteammate Mikhail Aleshin to the checkeredflag. Pagenaud used the win, his second ofthe season, to climb back into the champi-onship race.

He came to Houston trailing Will Power by91 points, and cut it to 59 after the two races.“It’s fantastic for the race team and the entireorganization,” said Pagenaud, who admittedafter the race to feeling “a little faint” fromtemperatures that soared into the 90s. “Thewhole team has elevated to top team level.”Aleshin, the first Russian to compete inIndyCar, was a career-best second for his firstpodium and said a tire problem nearly pre-vented him from making it to the finish.

“It ’s definitely an amazing day for theteam,” he said. “We are one of the fastest carson the track and I think we did an amazingjob today. The whole team did an amazingjob.” Third went to rookie Jack Hawksworth,his first career podium. It capped a break-through weekend for the British driver, whofinished a career-best sixth Saturday.

“It’s been rough this year, we’ve been fastsometimes and just not quite made it hap-pen,” said Hawksworth. “We’ve not quite put ittogether and today we did.”

A day earlier, Dale Coyne Racing scored itsfirst win of the year with rookie CarlosHuertas. The rookie led a Colombian sweep ofthe rain-soaked podium alongside country-men Juan Pablo Montoya and rookie CarlosMunoz. It was a race Pagenaud thought heshould have won. He spent the previousweek training in California for the heat andhumidity, and won the pole for the first raceof the doubleheader. His race was ruined,though, first by a spin and then when he wascollected in Scott Dixon’s crash. He finished16th in the first race. “I was so disappointedSaturday because we had such a fast car thisweekend,” he said.

Power, the points leader, rallied fromanother poor qualifying effort to put himselfin position for a third-place finish. But hefailed to make it to the finish line when a partbroke on his car two laps from the finish.Pagenaud, Aleshin and Power had peeledaway from the pack, leaving Hawksworthbehind for a spirited battle to hold on forfourth-place.

Then Power went off course and fell to11th. Still, he entered the weekend with a 39point lead in the standings and that wasunchanged.

Hoping to close ground on Power thisweekend was Team Penske teammate HelioCastroneves, who was ninth Saturday butstarted from the pole on Sunday looking for awin. Instead, he was chasing Pagenaud fromsecond for the lead early in the race when hedrove into Sebastien Bourdais.

Castroneves had been setting up his passof Pagenaud and apparently didn’t seeBourdais when he suddenly tried to cut intothe same lane as Bourdais. Castroneveswound up 21st.

“I was attacking and trying to passPagenaud, and I had no idea (Bourdais) wasthere,” Castroneves said. “When I am attack-ing, I can’t have my eyes on the back. It’sabsolutely ridiculous why the guy had to putthe car over there. It’s the rules of traffic,when a guy hits a guy in the back, it’s hisfault. I am upset, yes, because we had a greatcar and it’s just a shame to have drivers likethat who do not use common sense.”

The contact broke Bourdais’ front wingwhile he was running third, caused him to fall

through the field, but he rallied to finish fifth,behind Charlie Kimball, despite the damage.It marked consecutive top-five finishes for thefirst time this season for Bourdais.

“He changed lanes and we made prettyheavy contact,” Bourdais said of Castroneves’move. “That busted my front wing prettygood. After that it was a tough fight. I had tobe really creative to compensate for the bal-ance of the car.” Huertas, winner Saturday,and Munoz, who finished third on Saturday,both failed to finish on Sunday and were thefirst two cars out. It was a topsy-turvy week-end like that in which Munoz was the onlydriver from the big three teams - AndrettiAutosport, Chip Ganassi Racing and TeamPenske - to earn a podium. —AP

LONDON: Maria Sharapova suffered moreWimbledon heartache as the French Open cham-pion crashed to a shock 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-4 defeatagainst Germany’s Angelique Kerber in thefourth round, while Lucie Safarova stormed intoher first Grand Slam semi-final yesterday.

Sharapova famously won Wimbledon aged17 in 2004, but she has struggled to emulate thatfeat for much of the last decade and this wasanother dispiriting experience for the Russian asthe ninth seed sealed a stunning Centre Courttriumph on her seventh match point. The worldnumber five arrived at the All England Club freshfrom her second Roland Garros title, but she hasnow failed to make it past the last 16 in seven ofher last eight appearances at Wimbledon.

Kerber, who reached the last four in 2012, willface Canadian 13th seed Eugenie Bouchard, awinner against the German in the French Openfourth round recently, on Wednesday for a placein the semi-finals. “Every single set was so closeso I’m just happy that I won against Maria. She’sa great player,” said Kerber after her second winin six matches against the Russian.

“I’m so happy to be in the quarters now. I hadit before the match in my mind that the last fewGrand Slams I lost in the fourth round. “When Ihad the three match points in a row and it wasdeuce, I just tried to focus on myself and say‘believe in your game’. At the end it worked.”

Sharapova’s exit means four of the top fiveseeds have been eliminated following the earlierdepartures of Serena Williams, Li Na, AgnieszkaRadwanska, and there is only one former GrandSlam winner, Petra Kvitova, remaining in thewomen’s draw. While Sharapova was bowing out,Safarova cruised into her first Grand Slam semi-final as the Czech 23rd seed thrashed Russia’sEkaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-1. Safarova was play-ing in her first quarter-final at the majors since

the 2007 Australian Open and showed no signsof being overawed in a ruthless 57-minute routof the 22nd seed on Court One.

Safarova will face one of her compatriots inthe last four as she is scheduled to meet the win-ner of Tuesday’s all-Czech quarter-final betweenPetra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion,and world number 43 Barbora ZahlavovaStrycova. It will be the first time two Czechwomen have advanced to the semi-finals at thesame Grand Slam since Hana Mandlikova andHelena Sukova at the 1986 French Open.

Earlier yesterday, Simona Halep booked herfirst Wimbledon quarter-final appearance as theRomanian third seed eased to a 6-3, 6-0 victoryagainst Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas.

Halep had never been beyond the secondround in her three visits to the All England Club,but the 22-year-old has been in fine form thisyear, reaching the French Open final last month,and she demolished world number 72 Diyas injust 57 minutes in a fourth round tie delayedfrom Monday due to bad weather.

The world number three, the highest seedleft in the women’s draw, is only the secondRomanian woman, after Virginia Ruzici, who isnow her manager, in 1978 and 1981, to make itto the last eight at Wimbledon. Her quarter-finalopponent will be Sabine Lisicki after the German19th seed shrugged off a shoulder injury todefeat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 3-6,6-4 in another weather-delayed tie. Lisicki, whobroke down in tears during her loss to MarionBartoli in the Wimbledon final 12 months ago,has now reached the quarter-finals in her last fiveWimbledon outings. Lisicki had called for treat-ment on her shoulder at break point on herserve in the third game of the final set, sparkingclaims it was a deliberate tactic to unsettleShvedova. —AFP

Pagenaud wins 2nd race of Houston doubleheader

LONDON: US superstar Serena Williams was atthe centre of a Wimbledon health scare yester-day when she wept and appeared to be closeto fainting in a doubles match with sisterVenus. Serena, the world number one singlesplayer, called the doctor to Court One just aftershe and Venus had warmed up for their secondround match against Kristina Barrois andStephanie Voegele. She broke down in tears asshe consulted with the doctor and physiobefore the tournament referee and supervisor

were called to court in a reflection of her statusin the sport. After a 15-minute delay, Serenaserved up four double faults in her first servicegame, wobbled on the baseline before Venusled her back to her chair by the hand. UmpireKader Nouni, having already come down fromhis chair to talk to the Americans, announcedthat Serena was retiring from the matchthrough illness with the sisters trailing 3-0.Later yesterday, the WTA Tour said that Serenawas suffering from “a viral illness”. — AFP

WIMBLEDON: Angelique Kerber of Germany gestures during her women’s singlesmatch against Maria Sharapova of Russia at the All England Lawn TennisChampionships. — AP

Sharapova crashes out

HOUSTON: Simon Pagenaud (77), of France, leaps as he celebrates his victory on the winner’sstage after the second IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston auto race. — AP

Weeping Serena in health scare

Nasr, Qadsiya held to 2 -2 drawKUWAIT: Al-Nasr Club of Saudi Arabiawas held to a draw in its debut match inthe 35th annual Roudhan FutsalTournament. The second day of the tour-nament did not see a large number ofgoals compared to the opening daywhich saw 17 goals scored in threematches.

Al-Nasr Club’s went down 0- 1 shortlyafter the beginning of its match withQadsiya Club, before scoring the equaliz-er and scoring again to go up 2-1.Qadsiya managed to level the scorebefore the end of the match.

In the second match, Holiday Inndefeated Redsltes 3 -1 in Group B com-petition.

In the third and final match, Doctornamade a successful debut in the tourna-ment defeating Sporty Academy 2 -1.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

FAN FERVOR

PORTO ALEGRE: Extra-time goals by Andre Schuerrleand Mesut Ozil sealed Germany’s 2-1 win over Algeria inMonday’s last 16 clash to put the three-time winnersinto the World Cup quarter-finals. The victory at PortoAlegre’s Beira-Rio Stadium was Germany’s first overAlgeria at the third attempt, but this was a far fromimpressive display by the Germans over 120 minutes.

Schuerrle’s deft flick on 92 minutes, then Ozil’s119th-minute tap-in was enough to put Joachim Loew’sGermany into Friday’s quarter-final at Rio de Janeiro’siconic Maracana stadium against France.

“We’d have prefered to win in 90 minutes, but theAlgerians did a good job,” said goal-scorer Schuerrle.“We don’t care how we did it, the main thing is we’re inthe quarter-finals.”

Algeria grabbed a deserved consolation just beforethe final whistle as replacement AbdelmoumeneDjabou claimed his second World Cup goal. The statsshow Germany had more than three times as manyshots on goal as Algeria and their lack of finishing is aconcern for Loew.

“That victory was down to sheer willpower,” admit-ted the German coach. “We gave away a lot of ball,

made too many defensive errors and allowed them tocounter-attack us.

“It was just as well that (Germany goalkeeper)Manuel Neuer came out time and time again. “Our fin-ishing must be better against France.” Much of the pre-match talk had been of Algerian revenge more thanthree decades after the ‘Shame of Gijon’ whenGermany’s mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria sentAlgeria home from the 1982 World Cup.

But Germany progress to the last eight at theexpense of the north Africans, who had reached the last16 of a World Cup for the first time.

Algeria goalkeeper Rais M’Bohli produced a string ofsaves to frustrate Germany’s mis-firing attack in a man-of-the-match performance. “We’re very disappointed,because we felt there was something to have been hadfrom this match,” said M’Bolhi.

“We’re part of Algerian football history, no otherteam went so far before and we showed we can play onan equal footing at the highest level.

“We really want to build on this and push on.”Schuerrle’s goal was just reward for a battling display ashe created a string of chances after replacing the inef-

fective Mario Goetze at the break.A blocked Goetze shot and a Thomas Mueller header

were all Germany had to show for an opening 45 min-utes which allowed Algeria to grow in confidence.Algeria had by far the better of the opening exchangesand forward Islam Slimani had the ball in the Germannet on 16 minutes, but was flagged for offside.

Schuerrle made the difference after the break as left-back Benedikt Hoewedes headed straight at M’Bolhi,while Germany captain Philipp Lahm fired wide with along-range effort on 54 minutes.

Algeria kept pushing forward, but only a crucialM’Bolhi save denied Mueller with a bullet-header on 80minutes before he hit the side netting moments later.Extra-time had barely begun when Mueller fired in across which Schuerrle deflected into the back of the netwith a deft flick to spare German blushes. Ozil looked tohave killed off Algeria’s hopes when he added theGermans’ second just before the final whistle after anexchange of passes with the impressive Schuerrle. Butthere was still enough time for Djabou to blast home athunderbolt of a shot to spark faint hope before the ref-eree ended Algeria’s quarter-final dreams. —AFP

Schuerrle, Ozil strike late as Germany sink Algeria

BRAZIL: Germany’s forward Thomas Mueller (right) fails to score past Algeria’s goalkeeper Rais Mbohli during the Round of 16 football match during the2014 FIFA World Cup. — AFP

TERESOPOLIS: It is usually Neymar, the creative geniusof the Brazil side and the country’s most recognisableand highest-paid athlete, who dominates the headlines.

When it’s not him, it is Oscar, or perhaps Thiago Silvaand David Luiz who get the most attention.

But the man who holds Brazil together arguablymore than anyone else is the unassuming holding mid-fielder Luiz Gustavo, and his absence due to suspensionfor Friday’s World Cup quarter-final against JamesRodriguez’s Colombia in Fortaleza is a serious blow forthe hosts.

“I prefer to leave the fame to the more popular play-ers,” says the 26-year-old of the wealthy but unfashion-able German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. “I take satisfac-tion from the feeling that I have given my best.”

The Brazil team’s technical director Carlos AlbertoParreira, meanwhile, describes him as “the invisible manof the team with the best defence in the world.”

During the group stage, Luiz Gustavo won the ballback more than any other Brazil player and did morerunning than any of his team-mates too while coveringto allow full-backs Daniel Alves and Marcelo to join theattack. The former Champions League winner with

Bayern Munich is the guard-dog in front of centre-backpairing Silva and David Luiz, but in last Saturday’s last-16 win against Chile he picked up his second yellowcard of the competition.

As a result, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will have toreshuffle his midfield for the second match in succes-sion at the Castelao Stadium.

Having struggled during all three group games,

Paulinho was dropped from the side against Chile, mak-ing way for Fernandinho, but now he could be set to getthe nod ahead of Hernanes and Ramires and be recalledalongside the Manchester City man.

“A lot of people said that I was downbeat after losingmy place in the team but that wasn’t the case. I will keepworking hard in training to be at the coach’s disposi-tion,” said Paulinho, who still took centre-stage beforethe dramatic penalty shoot-out against Chile, rousinghis tense and nervous team-mates one by one. Thereturn of Paulinho would see Fernandinho drop backinto the holding role, where he would assume theresponsibility of keeping an eye on Rodriguez, one ofthe players of the tournament so far. But if the 29-year-old has all the characteristics of a box-to-box player, heis quick to point out that the more defensive role is one

he is quite comfortable with.Having undertaken that less glamorous job through-

out last season at City, giving Yaya Toure the freedom toroam, Fernandinho also performed the same task whilepartnering Paulinho in Brazil’s 5-0 friendly win againstSouth Africa in March.

“When I was called up, it was to play in the holdingrole,” said Fernandinho. “That is how I played in Englandthroughout last season. For me it is no problem what-soever. “If ‘Felipao’ opts for somebody else, that is alsonot a problem. The important thing is to find the bal-ance we need to keep the midfield secure againstColombia. “When I play in that position, my job is tomark, close down spaces. Whoever plays alongside me,we will do our best to cover for the absence of LuizGustavo.” —AFP

‘Invisible man’ gives Scolari headache

Brazilian national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari

RIO DE JANEIRO: Algeria and Nigeria headed homeyesterday after another five-prong African World Cupchallenge came to a disappointing end in Brazil.

While the ‘Desert Foxes’ and ‘Super Eagles’ provedcombative last-16 opponents for Germany and France,the lack of a cutting edge in attack led to defeats. Thelosses against the former world champions were hardlysurprising as African teams have won just 16 of 80matches against European opponents at the globalshowpiece. African football supremo Issa Hayatouechoed the pre-tournament hopes of football followersfrom Cairo to Cape Town when he wished for “one oreven two” African semi-finalists.

But Algeria, Nigeria and Ivory Coast won only onceeach, Ghana collected a solitary point, and shambolicCameroon lost all three matches for the second WorldCup in succession. Slack defending, a lack of midfieldcreativity and below-par set-piece executions were con-tributing factors to an underwhelming African showing.

There was some cause for celebration, though, astwo African teams reached the last-16 for the first timeand Nigerian Stephen Keshi became the first Africancoach to make the knockout phase.

AFP sports looks at some African highlights and low-lights from the World Cup:

THE GOOD ...1. Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama enhanced his

growing international reputation even though a flapat a corner gifted a goal to France midfielder PaulPogba.

2. Top-ranked African side Algeria ditched the overly-cautious system that led to defeat by Belgium andproduced some slick counter-attacking football.

3. Ghana showed what they were capable of in a drawagainst Germany, which was sandwiched betweentimid losses to the United States and Portugal.

4. African champions Nigeria shrugged off a drab draw

with Iran to prove worthy opponents for formerworld champions Argentina and France.

5. Cameroon gave glimpses during the first half againsthosts Brazil of what they might have achieved hadthey concentrated on football rather than bonuses.

THE BAD ...1. Africans were generally woeful at set-pieces, with cor-

ners under or over-hit and free-kicks not carrying thethreat posed by European and South American stars.

2. Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah must regret his pre-tour-nament we-can-be-world-champions quote as it putunnecessary pressure on a mentally brittle squad.

3. After all the hype around outspoken Cameroon cap-tain Samuel Eto’o, he barely threatened Mexico andmissed the other two losses through injury.

4. Amateurish Ghana defending allowed American JohnBrooks to head a late winner that put the ‘Black Stars’on the back foot after just one game.

5. Nigeria were shocking in a goalless stalemate withIran, barely posing a threat up front.

... AND THE UGLY1. So-called Algerian supporters who shone green

lasers at the Russia goalkeeper, who claimed he wasblinded when conceding an equaliser.

2. Bonus-obsessed Cameroon and Ghana players whoseemed more interested in dollars than qualifying forthe knockout stage.

3. Kevin-Prince Boateng swore at his coach and SulleyMuntari struck an official and both were booted outof the Ghana camp.

4. Experienced Cameroon midfielder Alex Song wasred-carded for striking a Croatian on the back in fullview of the referee.

5. Later in the same match, Cameroonian Benoit Assou-Ekotto attempted to head-butt team-mate BenjaminMoukandjo after an attack broke down. — AFP

Africa’s good, bad and the ugly at World Cup

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

FAN FERVOR

BRASILIA: With his decisive goal against Nigeria in theWorld Cup last 16, France’s young midfielder Paul Pogbaindicated that he is ready to bear the burden of histeam’s expectations.

The captain and stand-out player of the France teamthat triumphed at last year’s Under-20 World Cup inTurkey, the tall, technically refined Juventus player haslong been seen to represent his country ’s future.National coach Didier Deschamps has described him asa central midfielder who has “everything”, but prior toMonday’s 2-0 win over Nigeria in Brasilia, his maidenWorld Cup had been mixed. He was criticised for kickingout at opposing midfielder Wilson Palacios duringFrance’s opening 3-0 win over Honduras, after whichDeschamps urged him to show more “control”.

He then impressed as a substitute in the 5-2 victoryover Switzerland, notably producing a sublime assist forKarim Benzema, but after a lacklustre display in the 0-0draw with Ecuador, his place in the team was reported tobe under threat from Moussa Sissoko.

In keeping with his experiences in Brazil to date, hisperformance against Nigeria at the Mane GarrinchaNational Stadium was a slow-burner.

While he forced Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeamainto a spectacular save with an emphatic first-half volley,his final pass often let him down, but as France began toturn the screw in the latter stages, so Pogba came to thefore. His 79th-minute header may have owed to a han-dling error by Enyeama, but his team-mates were quickto underline its importance.

“Paul produced a great performance. They say thatbig players show up in big matches,” said midfield col-league Blaise Matuidi.

“He has a lot of weight on his shoulders. Don’t forgethe’s 21.” Pogba’s performance also caught the eye ofpotential semi-final opponents Brazil.

“France are a good team, with excellent players.Perhaps the one who stands out the most is Pogba,” saidBrazil midfielder Fernandinho, who plays for ManchesterCity. “He’s a player with very good technique, is a strongfinisher, and scored with his head.” Fernandinho mighthave crossed paths with Pogba sooner had theFrenchman not run out of patience over his slowprogress through the youth ranks at former clubManchester United.

United were accused of “stealing” Pogba, then 16,from Le Havre in 2009, but despite the eagerness theyshowed to acquire his services, Pogba felt that the club’slegendary manager Alex Ferguson was stunting hisprogress. “It was the feeling I had with the coach,” Pogbatold French sports daily L’Equipe in August 2012, shortlyafter joining Juventus.

“He said he trusted me, but he didn’t let me play. Hesaid I was too young. He said: ‘Your time will come.’ It did-n’t come. “Even though he’s had a 25-year career anddespite the fact he’s the boss, my objective was to play.

“I’m impatient. When I want something, I’ll do any-thing to get it.” Ferguson countered by claiming thatPogba had not shown United “any respect at all” andasserting that he was “quite happy” to see him leave.Pogba’s instant impact at Juventus, quickly becoming akey first-team player and winning the Serie A title in hisfirst two seasons, suggested that, for once, Ferguson’sjudgement had let him down.

And with Germany now awaiting France in the quar-ter-finals at the Maracana on Friday, Pogba will nothave long to wait for another opportunity to enhancehis blossoming reputation. — AFP

Pogba ready to shoulder French expectations

France’s midfielder Paul Pogba

What a howler! World Cup teachesUS fans new lingo

AUSTIN: Fixtures have nothing to do withplumbing, kit means uniform, and clean sheet is ashutout. The World Cup in Brazil has been forcingAmerican fans to learn a whole new sportsvocabulary. With interest in soccer at new highsin the United States, Americans face a new way ofspeaking about the sport due to a preponder-ance of British English in broadcasts, which hasfiltered down to local TV.

The main broadcasters of the World Cup inAmerica, ESPN and ABC, have British commenta-tors, while the US anchors on ESPN’s flagshipSports Center wrapup show use terms such as“match”, “pitch” and “nil” without fear of offendinglocal sensibilities. Americans, well aware of thelong-standing, “soccer-football” word divide, havebeen forced in the past few weeks to decodeterms such as “boots”, what players have on theirfeet, and “fixtures”, which are the schedule.

“The matches sound better when a British guyis announcing. You can figure out what they aresaying by watching,” said Austin specialty sand-wich merchant Lucky Sibilla.

Brilliant is a popular way in British English todescribe a well-executed sports play. For exam-ple, Uruguay forward Luiz Suarez scored two bril-liant goals against England before he bit an Italydefender in their next match and got a nine-match ban. Some terms are self-explanatory.When the score goes from 1-0 to 1-1, “an equalis-er that brought the match level” makes perfectsense. When a player strikes a hard shot into thegoal, and the British announcer says “What acracker,” that comment is about the quality of thekick and has nothing to do with a salted rectan-gle holding a slice of cheese. A “howler” is a terri-ble error, unless a lonely wolf enters the pitch.

Some language is faintly familiar. Extra timewould be called overtime in U.S. football, a divewould be called a flop on a basketball court, andovercooked means overdone.

However, concepts such as time and perspec-tive may be a little more difficult for U.S. sportsfans to grasp. Basketball fans used to clocks thatcount down to the tenth of a second are chal-lenged to comprehend the fuzzy math of injurytime. National Football League fans used to preci-sion may be yelling for the replay official to cor-rect an obvious howler from a referee.

There is one British term Americans sportsfans may wish to import - describing an unsports-manlike act as being “cynical”. After all, what bet-ter word is there to describe a player who diveson an overcooked cross just looking for a penaltyin the waning minutes of injury time to breakopen a nil-nil match? — Reuters

ATHENS: Greece’s World Cup squad received a heroes’ wel-come home on their return to Athens yesterday afterreaching the World Cup last 16 for the first time in theirhistory.

Over 200 supporters greeted the players at EleftheriosVenizelos airport in an impromptu gathering, chantingloudly and embracing them as they made their waythrough the arrivals hall.

The Greeks lost on penalties to 10-man Costa Rica in asecond-round match in Recife on Sunday after a match inwhich they missed several opportunities ended 1-1 inextra time. “We thank all the people who came here and allGreeks,” midfielder Kostas Katsouranis told reporters.“Unfortunately, we could not give them a little more joy fora while longer. We are proud and we thank the fans whorecognise this.” Fanis Gekas, whose shootout penalty was

saved by Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas to send theGreeks out, thanked the supporters. “For me it means somuch, such love is the best reward for us,” he said.Although there was no official gathering organised by theHellenic Football Federation or the government, the statewas represented by minister of sport Giannis Adrianos,who pledged to follow through on the team’s wish to for-feit their bonuses for a new training centre.

“Today is a day for our national team,” he said. “I want tosay a big thank you from the bottom of my heart, like allGreeks. Also, it’s the obligation of the state for the issue ofthe training centre, the Prime Minister’s interest is a givenand we will begin planning.” Outgoing Greece coachFernando Santos was conspicuous by his absence, the 59-year-old Portuguese having returned to his homelandafter his contract expired. — Reuters

Greece players given heroes’ welcome home

BERLIN: German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s habit ofcharging out of his area could see a repeat of the notoriousincident from the 1982 World Cup semi-final betweenFrance and Germany, the villain of that match HaraldSchumacher said yesterday.

Schumacher acquired the nickname of the ‘Butcher ofSeville’ for his shoulder charge outside his area on PatrickBattiston which left the Frenchman unconscious on theground, he subsequently lost a couple of teeth, sufferedcracked ribs and bruised vertebrae. On Monday in the 2-1win in extra-time over Algeria Neuer saved his defence onseveral occasions by rushing from his area to clear the ball,coming close to bringing down opponents at the sametime. “It’s a split second thing,” the 60-year-old smartly-dressed Schumacher replied to a question from AFP at agathering of journalists organised by tabloid daily Bild inBerlin. “If one looks at yesterday’s match and how manytimes Neuer came out of his goal.....he can always beunlucky and arrive too late and something like what hap-pened (in 1982) can occur.”

Schumacher, who was presented to the press as ‘a manwho knows the French’, refuses still to change his versionof events in that he did not intend any harm to Battistonand he was just going for the ball, although theFrenchman had already shot at goal by the time the colli-sion occurred.

“This subject comes up with me at every major finals,”he said. “Later I apologised, but only because I did not goto his aid after the incident,” added Schumacher, whoinstead retreated to his goalline and nonchalantly chewedgum waiting to take the goal kick and also taunted Frenchfans. Schumacher, whose behaviour was held responsibleback in Germany of reviving negative opinions of theGermans held over from World War II by the French,praised Neuer for saving the team on several occasionsagainst the feisty Algerians but did not spare the rest of

the team. “Without Neuer it would have been a debacle,”said Schumacher. “For me he is one of the best if not thebest goalkeeper at the finals.”The team has not clicked yet,there is no unity.”

However, despite that reservation Schumacher, whocaused even greater consternation in German footballwhen he claimed in 1987 in his biography that doping wasrife in the Bundesliga and how teams enjoyed the compa-ny of prostitutes in pre-season training, still believes theGermans will win.

“I bet on 2-1 for us (the Germans), I believe we aregoing to beat the French. “They are dangerous. They havevery good players and they are very very difficult to playagainst but at the end of the day I am German and I bet onGermany.” However, never one for being sentimentalSchumacher gave a terse response when asked would it bea special match for him. “No” he said as he got into a taxi totake him off to the airport. — AFP

Neuer could provoke repeat of 1982 incident: Schumacher

Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer

LONDON: Australia’s world number144 Nick Kyrgios caused one of thegreatest Wimbledon sensations yes-terday when he sent world numberone and 14-time Grand Slam titlewinner Rafael Nadal crashing to ashock fourth round defeat.

The 19-year-old Kyrgios, makinghis Wimbledon debut, clinched afearless 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3victory to become the first wildcardin 10 years to make the quarter-finals at the All England Club.

He is also the first player rankedoutside the top 100 to defeat aworld number one since AndreiOlhovskiy stunned Jim Courier in theWimbledon third round in 1992.

It was a performance of brutalinventiveness and uninhibitedbludgeoning from a man who hadhad to save nine match points in hissecond round win against RichardGasquet and his reward is a clashwith Canada’s Milos Raonic for aplace in the semi-finals.

For Nadal, the 2008 and 2010champion, it was a third successivedisappointing Wimbledon with yes-terday’s fourth round loss followinga first round exit last year and a sec-ond round defeat in 2012. But hecannot argue with the statistics ofTuesday’s Centre Court demolitionwhich showed Kyrgios firing 37 acesand 70 winners as a new star wasborn.

“I was in a bit of a zone out there.It hasn’t sunk in at all what’s justplayed out out there,” said Kyrgios. “I

played some extraordinary tennis. Iwas struggling a little bit on returnbut I worked my way into it and I gotthat break in the fourth set. I servedat a really good level all throughoutthe match so I was really happy.”

He said he always believed hecould cause a sensation regardless ofthe status of Nadal who had arrivedat Wimbledon having wrapped up aninth French Open title.

“You’ve got to believe that youcan win the match from the start andI definitely thought that. I’m playingsome unbelievable tennis on thegrass.”

For the fourth match in succes-sion at this year’s Wimbledon, Nadaldropped the first set against a confi-dent Kyrgios, the player of Greek-Malaysian origin firing 13 aces and 22winners past the bewilderedSpaniard in the opener.

The Australian, showing no stage-fright on his Centre Court bow,showed a brash disregard for theoccasion, attempting a cheeky‘tweener ’ (hitting the ball frombetween the legs) in the seventhgame of the second set.

But Nadal then levelled the tie byconverting the first break points ofthe match in the 12th game.

That would usually signal thebeginning of the end for an oppo-nent of Nadal, but Kyrgios dug deepto seize his moment.

He saved a set point in the 12thgame of the third set before againdominating the tiebreak to take it

courtesy of a vicious run around fore-hand cross-courter off a Nadal sec-ond serve.

With Nadal wilting beneath thebarrage, Kyrgios broke for a 3-1 lead

in the fourth set and he wasn’t goingto let up. He worked his way confi-dently to three match points but onlyneeded one with his 37th ace shoot-ing past the flat-footed Nadal. — AFP

17Sharapovacrashes out

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 201418‘Invisible man’gives Scolariheadache

What a howler! World Cup teaches US fans new lingo Page 19

SAO PAULO: Argentina’s midfielderAngel Di Maria celebrates after scoringagainst Switzerland. — AP

SAO PAULO: Switzerland’s forward Admir Mehmedi (left) vies with Argentina’s forward and captain Lionel Messi in the second half of extra time during a Round of 16 football match during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. — AP

SAO PAULO: Angel Di Maria’s extra-time winnerkept Argentina’s World Cup dream alive yesterday asthey scrambled into the quarter-finals with a dra-matic 1-0 win over Switzerland.

Argentina had failed to muster much by way ofchances but just two minutes before the penaltyshoot-out, Lionel Messi picked out Di Maria for hispriceless strike.

Switzerland nearly grabbed an equaliser at thedeath when Blerim Dzemaili’s header cannoned offthe foot of the post and he sent the rebound wideof the goal.

The final result was greeted with an ecstatic roarby the Argentine-dominated crowd as theAlbiceleste headed for a last-eight clash withBelgium or USA, who play later.

Although cruel for the Swiss, it provided a mem-orable swansong for their celebrated coach OttmarHitzfeld, who is quitting football and learned of hisbrother’s death not long before the match.

The game started cagily but the closely guardedMessi carved Argentina’s first opening when heglided into the box and crossed behind the defence.

Messi’s glorious flick of the boot left two defend-ers standing on the right wing but there were noth-ing more than half-chances in the first 20 minutes.

It was Switzerland who nearly scored whenShaqiri wriggled into the box and found GranitXhaka, whose solid shot was blocked on the line bygoalkeeper Sergio Romero.

Switzerland had an even better chance whenJosip Drmic found himself one-on-one with Sergio

Romero. But his attempted chip was painfully gen-tle and lobbed gently into Romero’s hands. Soonafter the break, Drmic let another golden chanceslip when Shaqiri picked him out in the box, but thistime he fired well off-target.

Argentina, getting little change through themiddle, switched to pumping in crosses and it near-ly paid off when Higuain’s header was tipped overthe bar.

Higuain failed to connect properly with anothercross from the right, before Messi struck one fromdistance which flew narrowly over the top.

Argentina had their best chance when Messi’scross found Rodrigo Palacio, who had just come onfor Lavezzi but he could only glance his headerwide.

With extra-time looming and the crowd growingtense, Messi went at the defence with a short, jink-ing run and shot which was smothered by Swiss‘keeper Diego Benaglio.

Tempers flared and referee Jonas Eriksson inter-vened when Messi tangled with Valon Behrami, andappeared to shove him to the ground. But theArgentine captain escaped without a caution.

Despite being under pressure, the Swiss had achance for a last-minute winner. But from a deepfree-kick, defender Fabian Schaer couldn’t keep hisheader on target.

Extra-time arrived and with it more tension asthe 63,000 fans nervously watched an increasinglytimid Argentina, while Switzerland became moreand more bold.

Shouts of “Ole, ole!” rang out with each Swisspass and Shaqiri railed at referee Eriksson when heinadvertently got in the way and prodded a shortpass of his own.

Argentina regrouped for the second period ofextra-time and Di Maria nearly broke the deadlockwhen his rasping shot was palmed away from thetop corner by Benaglio.

Switzerland looked to be holding out for penal-ties-a dangerous game as, although Behrami wasshackling Messi, Di Maria saw another shot deflect-ed wide.

And their defence finally crumbled when Palaciowon the ball in midfield and fed Messi, who ran for-ward and found Di Maria who this time made nomistake with his left foot. — AFP

Di Maria breaks Swiss hearts

RIO DE JANEIRO: FIFA said yesterday it will letCameroon football authorities lead the hunt for“seven bad apples” in the national team whohave been linked to match-fixing at the WorldCup. The Cameroon federation has said it isdetermined to “employ all means necessary” touncover any wrongdoing around the Africancountry’s World Cup group game againstCroatia.

But a former head of FIFA security said con-victed match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, whomade the allegations against Cameroon, hasalso provided “disinformation.”

The Cameroon Football Federation said itsethics committee was looking into Perumal’sallegations, reported by Der Spiegel magazine,that he correctly forecast the 4-0 victory byCroatia and that a player would be sent off.

FIFA has refused to comment on the case orwhether its security department is investigating.FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed he hasbeen told about the allegations.”Yes I have beentold about this but let them do their work onthis investigation,” he told the British newsagency Press Association in Rio de Janeiro.

“Speaking generally, the integrity of thegame is a top priority for FIFA and as such wetake any allegations of match manipulation veryseriously,” said FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer.

The Cameroon federation gave no details ofits hunt to add to its statement Monday whichannounced the ethics commission inquiry.

“Recent allegations of fraud aroundCameroon’s 2014 FIFA World Cup three prelimi-nary games, especially Cameroon versus Croatia,as well of the ‘existence of seven bad apples [inour national team]’ do not reflect the values andprinciples promoted by our administration,” itsaid. “We are strongly committed to employ allmeans necessary to resolve this disruptive mat-ter in the shortest delays.”

The match raised eyebrows when Barcelona

star Alex Song was dismissed for a bizarre elbowassault to the back of Mario Mandzukic in the40th minute.

Later, left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto aimed aheadbutt at team-mate Benjamin Moukandjoleading the ‘Indomitable Lions’ German coachVolker Finke to label their behaviour as “disgust-ing”. Before the tournament started, the playersrefused to board their plane for the finals until aproblem was resolved over their bonuses. Theylost all three games to Croatia, Mexico (1-0) andBrazil (4-1).

The government has since ordered aninquiry into the disastrous World Cup campaign.The Le Jour newspaper said that football leadersand officials and team captain Samuel Eto’ohave been summoned by police.

However former Cameroon internationalgoalkeeper, Joseph Antoine Bell, dismissed theallegations in an interview with AFP. “It’s crazy. Icannot see anyone normal who would want tocorrupt this team,” he commented. “I cannotbelieve that someone would be tempted to cor-rupt a team that is losing, Bell added.

The International Centre for Sport Security,based in Qatar, said that “key questions” had tobe answered about the case and Perumal’sinvolvement.

Perumal-who started fixing matches in hisnative Singapore before moving abroad-wasfirst arrested and ordered jail in Finland in 2011.He is now in Hungary, under police protection.

Chris Eaton, ICSS director, said there has beenno observed “suspicious betting” on theCameroon-Croatia game.

“Key questions that should be asked aboutthis case include how, when and from whomPerumal received information about this matchand why he sent it to the media, instead of pass-ing this information to the police and prosecu-tors that he has reportedly been co-operatingwith over the past three years,” Eaton said. — AFP

FIFA lets Cameroon lead ‘seven bad apples’ hunt

Teenage Kyrgios beats Nadal at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios returns against Spain’s Rafael Nadalduring their men’s singles fourth round match on day eight of the 2014Wimbledon Championships. — AFP

BusinessWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Germany’s jobless figures disappoint

Page 23

Japan’s business confidence sags

Page 23

GAC launches the most fully-loaded economical car

Page 26Asian stimulus boosts factories, euro-zone still lags

Page 24

AMRITSAR: Indian activists of the Congress Party sit on a tractor pulled by a horse as they shout slogans against central government during a protest against the fuel price hike in Amritsar yesterday. State run oil marketing compa-nies such as IOC, HPCL and BPCL surged in trade, after they raised the price of petrol by 2 rupees a liter, the biggest increase in nine months in Delhi. The move follows an increase in railway passenger fares by 14.2 percent and freightby 6.5 percent on June 20. —AFP

Oil outage would strain supplyAlmost 3 million bpd off the market due to outages

LONDON: The world’s unused spare oilproduction capacity would struggle tocover for another big outage, industryofficials and analysts say, increasing thechance governments may tap strategicreserves should Iraq’s southern exports bedisrupted. Unrest in Iraq comes as thealmost total loss of Libyan supply,Western sanctions on Iran as well as con-flict in Syria and northern Iraq are keepingalmost 3 million barrels per day (bpd) -more than 3 percent of world demand -off the market.

More Saudi Arabian supply, and the USshale oil boom, have helped plug gaps,but another crisis would deepen depend-ence on the Saudis, who are alone inholding significant amounts of unusedproduction capacity. Militants from theIslamic State in Iraq and the Levant over-ran the northern Iraqi city of Mosul inJune, increasing concern of a disruptionto exports from the second-largest OPECproducer. So far, Iraq’s southern ship-ments are not affected. Global spare pro-duction capacity stands at 3.3 millionbpd, the International Energy Agencyestimated in June. Iraq produces about

3.3 million bpd and exports about 2.5 mil-l ion bpd from its southern terminalsaround Basra.

“If we were to have another big out-age, spare capacity would be really test-ed,” said Olivier Jakob, oi l analyst atPetromatrix. “The answer to a big disrup-tion is going to come more from the SPRthan from spare capacity.” The SPR, or theStrategic Petroleum Reserve of the UnitedStates and similar reserves held by otherindustrialized countries through theirmembership of the IEA, are consumercountries’ last resort in case of supply out-ages. Another big outage would alsoencourage the case in the West for relax-ing strict monitoring of Iran’s oil exports,stunted by sanctions over Tehran’snuclear program. Strategic reserves werelast tapped in 2011 during the Libyanconflict. China, not an IEA member andthe second-largest oil consumer after theUnited States, also holds stocks. “A majorhit in or around Basrah would be verybullish in the short term for prices, andwould likely lead to an IEA/SPR release,”said a former government off ic ialinvolved in strategic reserves, now work-

ing for an oil company. Iraqi officials saythe southern oilfields that produce almostall of the country’s exported oil are safe.OPEC Secretary General Abdullah Al-Badrisays the group is ready to pump extra oilif needed.

Saudi readyOf the 3.3 million bpd of spare capcity

the IEA estimates is available, some 2.65million bpd is in Saudi Arabia, the world’slargest exporter. A Saudi official last weekreaffirmed the kingdom’s willingness tomake up shortages. “Saudi Arabia has thecapability to produce up to 12.5 millionbpd when the customers ask for it,” aSaudi official said. “The oil resources, pro-duction facilities and the management allsupport this.” But some in the industryquestion how sustainable the full 12.5million bpd is. The kingdom has not beenknown to boost its production that far -output touched 10.1 million bpd in 2013,believed to be the record high.

“Saudi Arabia may very well be techni-cally capable of supplying close to 12.5million bpd, but probably only by draw-ing down stocks and thereby for a limited

amount of time,” said David Wech of JBCEnergy. As a result, readily available sparecapacity may be less than the IEA’s officialestimates. “Global spare capacity is 1.5million bpd, overwhelmingly in SaudiArabia, although for short periods of timewe could draw on surge capacity of sayanother 1 million bpd,” said a former IEAofficial. “People are surprisingly compla-cent, I think.” Apart from Saudi Arabia,supply could also increase in the shortterm should Western sanctions on Iran, inplace over its nuclear program, beremoved, analysts including Jakob said.But there is no sign of that happening yet.It is therefore fortunate that Iraq’s south-ern oil ouptut is unaffected so far. Brent oilhas fallen to below $113 a barrel from thenine-month high of $115.71 it reached onJune 19 as traders saw less of a risk of dis-ruption. “Should there be no meaningfuldisruptions to Iraq’s oil production - as weexpect - the Brent price should correctmost of its recent increase,” said EugenWeinberg, analyst at Commerzbank inFrankfurt. “Should there be any meaning-ful disruption, a price rise to at least $120per barrel should be expected.”—Reuters

LONDON: BNP Paribas said a record $9 billionfine slapped on it for avoiding US sanctionswould not force it to rush out and raise cashor sell assets, even though it will wipe out theFrench bank’s capital advantage over weakerrivals. The fine will leave BNP with a core capi-tal ratio of 10 percent - above minimum regu-latory levels but the floor that investors nowexpect big banks to hold, and below the 11percent average that Europe’s bigger banksnow hold.

It undermines progress made by BNP inbuilding its capital up over the last threeyears and could leave it under pressure toraise equity if a review of assets by Europeanregulators throws up any nasty surprises, or ifany more bills land at its door from a risingtide of legal charges and fines. In a show ofconfidence, BNP rejected the option to cut itsdividend. It said it planned to keep its 2014payout unchanged at 1.5 euros per share incash, which costs 1.9 billion euros.

BNP’s record penalty for breaking US sanc-tions on trading with Sudan, Iran and Cubahas been hanging over the bank for months,and analysts said it was encouraging that thebank’s capital at the end of this year shouldstill scrape above its target of 10 percent. “Itleaves them in a position where they (should

be) above their target - not as strong asthey’d like to be, but they’re not far off giventhe enormous trauma they’ve had to gothrough,” said Chris Wheeler, analyst atMediobanca. BNP’s core capital was 10.6 per-cent at the end of March, after the bankworked hard to bolster capital since the sum-mer of 2011, mainly by closing businessesand reducing its reliance on short-term fund-ing, especially in US dollars.

But rivals have also been building capital,and most European banks have an averagecore capital ratio of 11.1 percent under fullBasel III rules, according to analysts at CreditSuisse. Nordic lenders Handelsbanken andSwedbank have ratios of near 18 percent,while weaker rivals in Italy, Portugal andSpain are below 10 percent. Deutsche Bankand Barclays have both raised billions ofeuros from rights issues in the past year astheir capital and leverage ratios came underintense scrutiny. BNP Paribas could sellAdditional Tier 1 debt - or bonds that convertinto equity if the bank hits trouble. “At thisstage we’re in no rush in respect to Tier 1.That doesn’t mean we might not do some-thing opportunistically, but there is no rushfor Tier 1,” BNP finance director Lars Macheniltold analysts on a call yesterday.

Asked if the bank could sell assets, such asits stake in shopping centre Klepierre worthmore than 1.5 billion euros, Machenil saidthat was a “micro management question”and there were no specific plans for anysales. There are risks to its capital rebuildplan, however. Income for all investment

banks remains weak, which could limit earn-ings generation. BNP also still needs to payPolish bank BGZ, which it has agreed to buyfor $1.4 billion, and it faces a regulatory “valu-ation adjustment” next year, which togethermay knock 50 basis points off its capital, ana-lysts said.— Reuters

WASHINGTON: Attorney General Eric Holder (center) flanked by FBI Director JamesComey (left) and Deputy Attorney General James Cole announced a deal betweenthe US government and French bank BNP Paribas at the Justice Department inWashington. — AP

Newsin brief

Qatar Airways threatens to halt the Airbus orders

FRANKFURT: Qatar Airways could reconsider orderingAirbus aircraft if it could not obtain landing rights - orslots - at European airports, Chief Executive Akbar AlBaker told a German newspaper in an interview. “If they(European airport slots) are limited further, we will stopbuying European aircraft. We have 186 orders at Airbus.What impact would that have on German jobs?” theHandelsblatt daily quoted Al Baker as saying in itsTuesday edition. Fast-growing Middle East airlines suchas Qatar and Emirates have said that European govern-ments were seeking to restrict fair competition by giv-ing airlines based closer to home preference whenawarding airport slots.

Kuwait crude exports to Japan down 18.8%

TOKYO: Kuwait’s crude oil exports to Japan fell 18.8percent in May from a year earlier to 6.31 million bar-rels, or 204,000 barrels per day (bpd), down for the sec-ond straight month, government data showed. AsJapan’s fifth-biggest oil provider, Kuwait supplied 6.2percent of the Asian nation’s total crude imports, theJapanese Natural Resources and Energy Agency said ina preliminary report. Japan’s overall imports of crude oilslid 3.3 percent year-on-year to 3.27 million bpd for thethird consecutive monthly decline. Shipments from theMiddle East accounted for 83.0 percent of the total,unchanged from a year before. Saudi Arabia remainedJapan’s No 1 oil supplier, with imports from the king-dom growing 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.09 mil-lion bpd, followed by the United Arab Emirates with751,000 bpd, up 4.3 percent. Qatar ranked third with352,000 bpd and Russia fourth with 254,000 bpd,respectively. Japan is the world’s third biggest oil con-sumer after the US and China.

Saudi Ma’aden signs $5 bn financing deal

DOHA: Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma’aden) has signed a$5 billion financing deal with commercial banks and astate-owned investment fund to back its $7.5 billionphosphate production project in the kingdom, it said ina statement yesterday. The project in the northern cityof Waad al-Shimal is a joint venture between Ma’aden,Saudi Basic Industries Corp and Mosaic and is part ofSaudi state efforts to create a stronger industrial basebeyond oil refining and export. Phosphate is commonlyused in fertilisers. A total of 16 local and internationalcommercial banks, including Al Rajhi Bank, Bank ofTokyo-Mitsubishi and BNP Paribas, as well as threeexport credit agencies and the Public Investment Fund(PIF) signed the financing agreement on June 30, thebourse filing said.

BNP capital ratio slips to 10% ‘borderline’

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

B U S I N E S S

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.786Indian Rupees 4.701Pakistani Rupees 2.863Srilankan Rupees 2.165Nepali Rupees 2.942Singapore Dollar 227.210Hongkong Dollar 36.472Bangladesh Taka 3.635Philippine Peso 6.481Thai Baht 8.736Irani Riyal transfer 0.271Irani Riyal cash 0.273

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 75.403Qatari Riyal 77.694Omani Riyal 734.540Bahraini Dinar 751.030UAE Dirham 77.006

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 38.550Egyptian Pound - Transfer 39.446Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.319Tunisian Dinar 169.000Jordanian Dinar 399.310Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.897Syrian Lira 2.015Morocco Dirham 35.331

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 282.650Euro 387.940Sterling Pound 484.600Canadian dollar 265.520Turkish lira 133.340Swiss Franc 319.410Australian Dollar 267.950US Dollar Buying 281.450

GOLD20 Gram 245.00010 Gram 124.0005 Gram 64.000

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007346 0.008346British Pound 0.476304 0.485304Czech Korune 0.006056 0.018056Danish Krone 0.047744 0.052744Euro 0.380792 0.388792Norwegian Krone 0.041958 0.047158Romanian Leu 0.087851 0.87851Slovakia 0.008090 0.018090Swedish Krona 0.038143 0.043143Swiss Franc 0.311654 0.321854Turkish Lira 0.133708 0.140708

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.258556 0.270056New Zealand Dollar 0.241157 0.250657AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.259122 0.267622US Dollars 0.278550 0.282900US Dollars Mint 0.279050 0.282900

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003292 0.003892Chinese Yuan 0.044123 0.047623Hong Kong Dollar 0.034380 0.037130Indian Rupee 0.004465 0.004866Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002698 0.002878Kenyan Shilling 0.003215 0.003215Korean Won 0.000269 0.000284Malaysian Ringgit 0.084109 0.090109Nepalese Rupee 0.002985 0.003155Pakistan Rupee 0.002674 0.002954Philippine Peso 0.006362 0.006642

Sierra Leone 0.000062 0.000068Singapore Dollar 0.223139 0.229139South African Rand 0.020502 0.029002Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001869 0.002449Taiwan 0.009335 0.009515Thai Baht 0.008383 0.008933

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.743279 0.751279Egyptian Pound 0.036559 0.039659Iranian Riyal 0.000078 0.000079Iraqi Dinar 0.000178 0.000238Jordanian Dinar 0.394439 0.401939Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000Lebanese Pound 0.000136 0.000236Moroccan Dirhams 0.024381 0.048381Nigerian Naira 0.001195 0.001830Omani Riyal 0.728123 0.733803Qatar Riyal 0.076927 0.078140Saudi Riyal 0.074737 0.075437Syrian Pound 0.001753 0.001973Tunisian Dinar 0.164339 0.172339Turkish Lira 0.133708 0.140708UAE Dirhams 0.075973 0.077122Yemeni Riyal 0.001274 0.001354

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 269.69 266.69Canadian Dollar 263.32 264.32Swiss Franc 320.22 318.22Euro 386.63 387.63US Dollar 282.15 285.15Sterling Pound 483.92 486.92Japanese Yen 2.91 2.93Bangladesh Taka 3.632 3.902Indian Rupee 4.693 4.993Sri Lankan Rupee 2.166 2.601Nepali Rupee 2.935 3.470Pakistani Rupee 2.871 2.790UAE Dirhams 76.89 77.35Bahraini Dinar 750.97 753.04Egyptian Pound 39.45 40.05Jordanian Dinar 401.57 407.22Omani Riyal 733.77 741.07Qatari Riyal 77.91 78.46Saudi Riyal 75.37 75.77

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 282.400Canadian Dollar 267.955Sterling Pound 482.435Euro 386.295Swiss Frank 316.855Bahrain Dinar 751.635UAE Dirhams 76.865Qatari Riyals 78.445Saudi Riyals 75.580Jordanian Dinar 397.895Egyptian Pound 39.442Sri Lankan Rupees 2.168Indian Rupees 4.698Pakistani Rupees 2.863Bangladesh Taka 3.635Philippines Pesso 6.446Cyprus pound 693.630Japanese Yen 3.780

Syrian Pound 2.885Nepalese Rupees 3.930Malaysian Ringgit 88.740Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.825Thai Bhat 9.685Turkish Lira 133.280

Al Mulla Exchange

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 282.150Euro 385.550Pound Sterlng 481.650Canadian Dollar 264.450Indian Rupee 4.696Egyptian Pound 39.435Sri Lankan Rupee 2.164Bangladesh Taka 3.632Philippines Peso 6.468Pakistan Rupee 2.862Bahraini Dinar 751.400UAE Dirham 76.850Saudi Riyal 75.400*Rates are subject to change

LONDON: Euro-zone manufacturinggrowth eased slightly more than previ-ously thought last month and factoriesfulfilled existing orders to keep busy, abusiness survey showed yesterday. Aresurgence in the bloc’s periphery coun-tries supported Germany, which wasagain the driving force, despite slowergrowth due to extra public holidays. Butin France - the bloc’s second-biggesteconomy - the contraction in activitydeepened. Markit’s final ManufacturingPurchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the

euro-zone fell to 51.8 in June from May’s52.2, its lowest since November.

The final figure was just below a pre-liminary flash reading of 51.9 but has nowheld above the 50 mark that separatesgrowth from contraction for a full year. Asubindex measuring output fell to 52.8from 54.3, marking a nine-month low.Some of that tepid growth was generatedby running down existing orders as newbusiness increased at a slower pace thanin May. The backlogs of work index fell toa nine-month low of 49.5 from 49.6. “The

PMI survey will raise concerns that theeuro-zone recovery is losing momentum.The overall picture is a reminder of justhow fragile the region’s recovery is look-ing,” said Chris Williamson, chief econo-mist at data collator Markit.

Having expanded a feeble 0.2 percentin the first three months of 2014, euro-zone quarter-on-quarter growth isexpected to be just 0.3-0.4 percentthrough to the end of next year. “Theslowdown will put pressure on policy-makers at the ECB to do more to prevent

the recovery from stalling, and we will nodoubt see more calls for full-scale quanti-tative easing to be implemented,”Williamson said. The chance of theEuropean Central Bank launching anasset purchase program has risen to one-in-three, a Reuters poll taken last weekfound, ahead of this Thursday’s ECB poli-cy-setting meeting.

ECB President Mario Draghiannounced a raft of measures last monthto counter the threat of deflation andsupport growth, including cutting the

deposit rate below zero and offeringmore long-term loans aimed at boostingbank lending to businesses. Inflation heldsteady at just 0.5 percent last month, wellbelow the ECB’s target of just below 2percent and firmly in what it calls the“danger zone”. The PMI data showed fac-tories raised prices marginally in June fora second month but not as fast as theirinput costs rose. Detailed PMI data areonly available under license from Markitand customers need to apply to Markitfor a license.— Reuters

Euro-zone manufacturing growth eases

JOHANNESBURG: A strike by more than220,000 South African engineering workers,hot on the heels of a crippling platinum boy-cott which ended last week, will deal a freshblow to an economy that contracted in thefirst quarter. Members of the National Unionof Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), thecountry’s largest union, were downing toolsyesterday and gearing up for protest marchesafter last-gasp talks failed to yield a deal onwages and other issues.

The union’s members would take part inmarches from 0900 local time (0700 GMT) inseveral cities including the commercial cap-ital Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban,NUMSA spokesman Castro Ngobese toldReuters. “There are no talks at the momentand none are scheduled,” he said. NUMSAwill also picket the headquarters of powerutility Eskom on Wednesday to press for awage increase of 12 percent, nearly doublethe current inflation rate. Employers have

offered raises of up to 8 percent.Ngobese said a report by public broadcast-

er SABC that NUMSA has revised its wagedemand down to 10 percent “was not true”.Eskom produces the bulk of electricity inAfrica’s most developed economy and isdeemed an essential service, making strikesillegal. But NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jimhinted at the weekend that workers woulddefy the ban, saying the union might have “nooption but to allow our members to liberatethemselves”. The strike will likely hit the opera-tions of companies like constructing andengineering firms Murray & Roberts andAveng Ltd , both involved in building two cru-cial power stations for Eskom.

Fresh blow to economyAuto parts makers such as Dorbyl Ltd ,

Africa’s biggest packaging firm Nampak andpower cables maker Reunert could also beaffected. The total turnover of the metals and

engineering sector in South Africa is 335 bil-lion rand ($32 billion), according to the Steeland Engineering Industries Federation ofSouthern Africa. The looming boycott is afresh blow for the economy, which lurchedinto a contraction in the first quarter after afive-month platinum strike hit mining output.Mining contributes 5 percent to gross domes-tic product.

Steel and metals manufacturing directlyaccounts for about a fifth of the factory sector,and the impact of NUMSA action will proba-bly be stronger than that of the platinumstrike, Barclays Africa said in a note. The randcurrency was little changed in early trade,fetching around 10.64/dlr. NUMSA, once apolitical ally of the ruling African NationalCongress, fell out with President Jacob Zuma’sgovernment over policy differences last year.The union claims around 340,000 members,although only around two-thirds of these areplanning to go on strike. — Reuters

South Africa engineering strike, latest blow to sickly economy

Strike follows 5-month platinum stoppage

JOHANNESBURG: A striking worker wears a tyre around his neck as thousands of workers clad in red demonstrate on the first day of a nation-wide strike called by South Africa’s National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) in Johannesburg Central Business District yesterday. — AFP

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican bank’s chair-man is to step down as soon as next weekas part of the restructuring of an institutionthat has been an embarrassment to theCatholic Church for decades, Vaticansources said yesterday. But the sources,who spoke on the condition of anonymity,disagreed over whether Ernst von Freybergwas leaving willingly or whether he wasbeing pushed out over differences withinthe Vatican about the pace of reform.

Freyberg’s departure is expected to beannounced in connection with the publica-tion, most likely next week, of the newannual report of the bank, officially knownas the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR).The new statues of the bank are expectedto make the chairman’s job a full-time, resi-dential position and, according to onesource, Freyberg has decided he wants toreturn to his family in Germany.

“He is at peace with his decisionbecause it is his decision,” this source said.Freyberg was appointed to head the bankin February, 2013 in one of the last deci-sions made by former Pope Benedictbefore he resigned at the end of thatmonth. Under his leadership, the IOR,which has been hit by numerous scandalsin the past, closed hundreds of accounts,instituted strict anti-money launderingregulations and launched several investi-gations into suspicious activities. Justthree months ago, Australian CardinalGeorge Pell, bought in by Pope Francis tohead the Vatican’s new department tooversee all its economic activities, said

Freyberg was doing “an excellent job”.

Clean upAccording to another source, some

Vatican officials always saw Freyberg’s posi-tion as a stop-gap following the spate ofscandals at the bank in the closing years ofBenedict’ papacy. Now that many of thereforms are in place, according to thissource, these officials felt a new chairmanshould be found as the bank enters a newphase with new statutes. “Freyberg wascalled in to clean up the mess and nowsomething different, more stable, is need-ed,” the second source said. Freyberg wasnot available to comment on his future. Aspokesman for the bank declined to com-ment, saying merely that there was “anoverall structural reform process being con-sidered” by a group of eight cardinals advis-ing Pope Francis. The group is meeting atthe Vatican all this week and is expected todiscuss the changes at the bank ahead of ameeting of the pope’s economic adviserson Saturday. Last week the Italian maga-zine L’Espresso ran a story about tensionsbetween Monsignor Battista Ricca, PopeFrancis’ personal delegate at the bank andFreyberg. L’Espresso said Ricca was upsetthat Freyberg had not kept him fullyinformed about some of the clean-up oper-ations at the bank. In particular, L’Espressosaid, Freyberg kept Ricca in the dark aboutmoves in 2013 to unwind an operation thatbegan before his arrival and that resulted ina 15 million euro ($20 million) loss for theVatican bank.—Reuters

Vatican bank’s head to quit as shake-up bites

SHANGHAI: Shanghai has trimmed the listof what is banned in China’s first free tradezone, opening a few more areas to foreignparticipation, it said yesterday, followingdisappointment over the new FTZ. TheShanghai government released a new“negative list” of what is barred in the zone,cutting the number of items from 190 to139, according to the document postedonline. The FTZ in China’s commercial hubwas launched last September, a much-her-alded move promising widespread reformincluding free convertibility of the yuancurrency. The original “negative list” wasissued at the same time. But yesterday’srevisions were limited, the new list showed,among them allowing some foreign com-panies to use Chinese airline reservationsystems, and scrapping some requirementsfor investing in medical facilities.

Foreign investors would be allowed toset up wholly-owned companies to designyachts and manufacture aviation enginecomponents. They would also be allowedto process green tea through joint ven-tures with Chinese partners. Initial excite-ment that a ban on investment in someforms of gambling could be lifted, includ-ing lottery tickets and horse racing, was

dashed when a government official saidsuch activities were off limits to both for-eign and domestic firms. In addition, 23 ofthe reductions were the result of mergingitems together, the official Xinhua newsagency reported.

Some analysts had expected the list tobe slashed. “The Shanghai FTZ is off to anambiguous start,” real estate services firmCushman & Wakefield said in a report lastweek. “The opacity of the rules governingthe FTZ, the uncertainty about its futureand the slow pace of reform have led toconcern that the much-heralded zone willdeliver far less than officials have prom-ised,” it said. Companies have still beenflocking to the zone in anticipation offuture opportunities, with office rents dou-bling in the last year-but largely due tospeculation, Cushman & Wakefield added.By the end of June, 1,245 “overseas” firmshad set up in the FTZ, though the figureincludes companies from Hong Kong andTaiwan, the Shanghai government said.

“The Shanghai free trade zone is a testfield for the country’s deepening of reformand opening,” Dai Haibo, deputy directorof the management committee for theFTZ, told a news conference. —AFP

China opens tea and yachts to foreigners in free trade zone

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

TOKYO: AirAsia’s feisty chief executiveyesterday declared the low-cost airlineback in Japan after its bitter split withANA, but this time in an alliance withe-commerce giant Rakuten. “This isAirAsia Japan part two, and I am veryexcited. I hope there is no part three,”chief executive Tony Fernandes told apress conference. AirAsia entered theJapanese market in 2012 in a jointventure with major carrier All NipponAirways (ANA). But the project endedin an acrimonious dispute over busi-ness practices last year. ANA subse-quently inherited the business andrebranded it Vanilla Air. “Watch out,JAL, ANA, Peach and-Vanilla,”Fernandes said, naming some of the

major airlines in Japan.The rebooted AirAsia Japan will see

Malaysia-based AirAsia, Asia’s biggestbudget carrier, partner with Rakuten,along with an infrastructure fund, acosmetics company and a sports gearretailer. AirAsia will have 49 percent ofthe venture and Rakuten will hold an18 percent stake. However, in accor-dance with Japanese law which limitscontrol by foreign entities, theMalaysia-based airline will hold justone-third of voting rights. Details of itsbusiness plan, such as its flight sched-ules and which airport it will use as itshub, are to be announced later,Fernandes said, adding the unit wouldbegin flying in early 2015.

Fernandes was in combative moodyesterday, making clear he was happyto take on the whole of Japan’s avia-tion establishment, includingAirAsia’s former partner. “AirAsia is aunique company. We have many fla-vors, many different colors, many dif-ferent ways of doing things,” he saidin an apparent jab at the new nameof the old company. Fernandes, whostrode on stage to Taylor Swift’s “WeAre Never Ever Getting BackTogether”, said: “ANA were fantasticpartners... but we were just different,different views of doing things, so wesplit.” The press conference endedwith servings of ice cream in severalflavours but not vanilla.— AFP

AirAsia announces Japan comeback with e-commerce giant

TOKYO: AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes (left) speaks during a press confer-ence in Tokyo while AirAsia Japan CEO Yoshinori Odagiri (center), Rakuten CEOHiroshi Mikitani (right) attend. — AFP

KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing andmost developed telecom operator,announced the launch of the latest HuaweiMediaPad X1 and the Huawei MediaPad M1,at unbeatable monthly packages allowingcustomers to enjoy the latest tablet device.VIVA’s postpaid customers can enjoy theHuawei MediaPad X1 or the HuaweiMediaPad M1 for free when subscribing tothe KD 11 plan with an 18 month contract.VIVA continuously looks for the newest prod-ucts to present its customers with to surpasstheir expectations, and through this latestexclusive promotion, it is achieving just that.

The Huawei MediaPad X1 features a 7-inchFull HD display, a 1.6GHz quad-core processorrunning on Android Jelly Bean (which can beupgraded to Android KitKat over the air laterin early July), and has a SIM card slot that pro-vides 4G LTE data as well as letting you make

calls and send SMS messages, all packed in anattractive metal body and a 13-megapixelcamera.

The Huawei MediaPad M1 features an 8-inch screen, a 1.6GHz quad-core processorrunning on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and hasa SIM card slot that provides 4G LTE data aswell as letting you make calls and send SMSmessages, and comes with a 5 mega pixelrear camera and a front facing 1 mega pixelcamera. VIVA continuously presents its cus-tomers with the exciting packages that offerexcellence in quality of service with addedvalue for money. For more information aboutVIVA’s latest Huawei MediaPad X1 offer, andany other VIVA promotion, customers can vis-it any of VIVA’s 54 branches or authorizeddealers, or simply visit the websitewww.viva.com.kw or contact its 24 hour callcenter at 102.

VIVA launches its new promo

BATU HIJAU: This undated handout photograph shows trucks hauling raw earth materials in the Batu Hijau copper mine site, located inIndonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province. US mining giant Newmont said yesterday it has filed for international arbitration against Jakarta overa controversial mineral ore export ban that has forced it to halt production at its Indonesian mine. — AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia posted a small trade sur-plus in May as imports fell more than expected,helping to take some pressure off the fragilerupiah ahead of a presidential vote next week.

Southeast Asia’s largest economy has beentrying to curb strong consumption amid slidingexports to keep its current-account deficit fromwidening and hurting confidence. The country’strade balance for May returned to surplus, amodest $70 million compared with expectationsfor $410 million, but analysts said this was still arelief after the previous month’s shock deficit.

“The fact that exports managed to outdoimports this time round comes at a very fortu-nate time, especially after April’s hefty $2 billiondeficit,” said Wellian Wiranto, economist at OCBCBank in Singapore. Exports in May fell 8.11 per-cent from a year earlier, data from the statisticsbureau showed yesterday, worse than a 5.94 per-cent decline forecast in a Reuters poll. Annualimports in May dropped 11.43 percent versusexpectations for a 8.21 percent fall.

The rupiah, Asia’s worst performing currencylast year, eased 0.3 percent to 11,880 per dollar

by 0750 GMT. Non-deliverable forwards werealso weaker. The softer tone was attributed tothe smaller-than-expected trade surplus andconcerns over the outcome of the presidentialelection. A patchy global recovery and weakcommodity prices will likely weigh on the out-look for exports in the near term, while continu-ing pressures on Indonesia’s trade and currentaccounts mean the authorities need to bewatchful of inflation.

Indonesia will hold presidential elections onJuly 9, a day before its central bank meets todecide monetary policy. “Facing the increasinglythick atmosphere of uncertain anticipationahead of next Wednesday’s very close presiden-tial election, this number (trade surplus) will bewelcomed by the market,” Wiranto said. Aftersurpluses in February and March, Indonesia’strade balance swung to a $1.96 billion deficit inApril - the second biggest monthly one in fiveyears, hit by a mineral export ban and weakcommodity prices.

Annual inflation in June slowed to 6.70 per-cent from 7.32 percent in May, the data showed,

but was near forecasts for 6.76 percent. On amonth-on-month basis, CPI was up 0.43 percent.Analysts mostly expect Bank Indonesia to keeprates unchanged but maintain a hawkish bias asit remains vigilant on inflation. Bank Indonesiahas indicated that it will continue to adopt atight monetary policy at least until end of thisyear to help stabilize the rupiah and to lower thecurrent-account deficit to under 3 percent ofgross domestic product from 3.3 percent in2013.

It has maintained its policy rate at 7.5 per-cent after increasing it by 175 basis pointsbetween June to November to support therupiah. An HSBC Markit purchasing managers’index survey yesterday showed manufacturingactivity in Indonesia rose in June due to a risein new orders on strong domestic activity, butexpor t orders fel l for the f irst t ime in sixmonths. “Given the import-driven pressureson Indonesia’s trade and current accountdeficits, such pick-up in domestic activity isnot desirable at this juncture,” said Su SianLim, economist at HSBC. — Reuters

Indonesia ekes out trade surplus; rupiah still shaky

Exports fall 8.11%, imports down 11.43%

LONDON: British online grocer Ocado willstart building a third major distributioncentre this year, it said yesterday, hopingthe smaller design will provide a model forpartnership deals with overseas retailers.Ocado, which signed its first third-partydeal with Britain’s No 4 grocer Morrisonslast year, also reported a first-half profit,putting it on track to make its first annualpretax profit this year. Britain’s online gro-cery market is growing at around 15 per-cent a year, far outpacing the broader mar-ket, and while it still accounts for onlyabout 5 percent of total grocery sales,industry group IGD sees it more than dou-bling in value over the next five years to 17billion pounds ($28.93 billion).

Despite the rapid growth, however,Ocado has struggled to make a profit dueto the costs and complexity of deliveringperishable goods to customers’ doors, andsome industry analysts think partnershipdeals with foreign retailers could be animportant way for the firm to prosper infuture. Ocado said it had secured a site for aso-called customer fulfillment centre (CFC)in Andover, southern England, that willhave a capacity of 65,000 orders per week -about one third of the capacity of its sec-ond CFC at Dordon, central England.

Building works are expected to start inthe fourth quarter of 2014, with the siteopening for Ocado’s sole use at the end of2015. Investment in the project will total80 million pounds. Chief Executive TimSteiner said the investment would showOcado could build CFCs that were “modu-lar and scalable,” putting it in a strongposition to attract partners elsewhere inthe world, where online grocery shoppingis less well established. Some sector ana-lysts remain to be convinced, however. “Itis unclear to us that this provides thecapex-light solution which is needed inorder to strengthen the appeal to interna-tional partners,” said analysts at Jefferies.At 0900 GMT, Ocado shares were down4.9 percent at 353.4 pence, valuing the

business at about 2.1 billion pounds.

Making a profitOcado, whose range includes products

supplied by upmarket grocer Waitrose, saidit made a profit before tax and one offitems of 7.5 million pounds in the 24 weeksto May 18, its fiscal first half, compared witha loss of 1.0 million pounds in the sameperiod last year. Gross sales rose 15.6 per-cent to 442.4 million pounds, having beenup 18 percent in the first quarter, a slow-down Steiner attributed to “subdued andcautious consumer spending”.

Ocado said its retail business would con-tinue growing broadly in line with, orslightly ahead of, the online grocery mar-ket. It has not made an annual pretax profitsince it was founded in 2000 but analystsare forecasting one of about 16 millionpounds for its 2013-14 financial year.Britain’s traditional supermarkets are see-ing little, if any, growth in sales at their bigstores, leading to a pick up in competitionin online sales. Market leader Tesco recentlycut the delivery price for its online groceryorders. Though Ocado’s share price is down16 percent over the last six months, it is stillup 24 percent over the last year, mainly onthe back of a 200 million pound deal withMorrisons to provide its online groceryoperation and on hopes it could do similardeals overseas. The Jefferies analysts, whohave a “hold” rating on Ocado stock, saidthe shares looked fully valued. They reckoninvestors are pricing in an option value forinternational expansion of about 500 mil-lion pounds with the remaining 1.9 billionpounds of economic value reflectingbroadly static market share in a stronglygrowing UK online food market. In the firsthalf, Ocado’s active customers increased to396,000 from 360,000, though average bas-ket size dipped slightly to 114.43 poundsfrom 114.90 pounds. Ocado said theMorrisons.com service successfullylaunched in January and was ramping up inline with expectations.— Reuters

Ocado hopes new depot model will attract partners

Shares down 4.9 percent

TOKYO: Japanese business confi-dence has sagged since an Aprilsales tax hike came into force,pushing up prices, in the first dete-rioration in six quarters, a Bank ofJapan report showed yesterday.The Tankan survey for the April-June quarter showed confidenceamong large manufacturers stood

at plus 12, well short of marketexpectations, after hitting a morethan six-year high of plus 17 in thepreceding quarter. The latest read-ing marked the first decline sincePrime Minister Shinzo Abe tookoffice in late 2012 on a pledge tokick-start the world’s number-threeeconomy, and throws into question

the strength of Japan’s recovery.The Tankan reading for large

companies in the non-manufactur-ing sector tumbled to plus 19 fromplus 24 in the March quarter, alsothe first downturn in six quarters.The business sentiment indexmarks the difference between thepercentage of firms that are upbeatand those that see conditions asunfavorable. A positive figuremeans there are more optimisticbusiness managers than pessimisticones. The closely watched survey ofmore than 10,000 companies is themost comprehensive indicator yetof how Japan is coping with theimpact of the nation’s first sales taxrise in 17 years.

Consumer spending turneddown after Japan raised its sales taxfrom 5.0 percent to 8.0 percent onApril 1, with millions of shoppersmaking a last-minute dash to storesahead of the increase. The rise wasseen as crucial for shrinking Japan’smammoth national debt, one ofthe worst among wealthy nations.However there were fears it wouldslam the brakes on growth andpossibly derail Abe’s plan to turnaround the economy. The Tankansurvey came a day after govern-ment data showed that Japan’s fac-tory output rose a smaller-than-expected 0.5 percent in May from amonth earlier.

Q3 recovery expectedHousehold spending and hous-

ing starts have also turned down as

Japanese consumers face higherprices due to the tax rise and creep-ing inflation-the result of the cen-tral bank’s efforts to conquer yearsof deflation and slow growth.However, other recent data showedJapan’s jobless rate edged down to3.5 percent in May, the lowest levelin nearly 17 years, with signs of atightening labor market. That willadd pressure on firms to raisewages to attract workers, econo-mists said, after major companieswrapped up spring labor negotia-tions with pay rises for the first timein years. Also on a brighter note,the Tankan showed big firms’ plansfor capital spending were pickingup since the last survey and manyeconomists expect activity torecover in the third quarter.

“While today’s Tankan points toa contraction in GDP of around 0.5percent... last quarter, the surveysuggests that the recovery willresume in the second half of theyear,” said Marcel Thieliant ofCapital Economics. Abe swept topower on a ticket to nudge theeconomy out of a cycle of fallingprices and lacklustre growth, whichsaw consumers put off purchases inthe hopes of getting goods cheap-er down the road. That, in turn, hurtproducers and held back theirexpansion and hiring plans. The lasttime Japan brought in a highersales levy, in 1997, it was followedby years of deflation and tepid eco-nomic growth that defined thecountry’s protracted slump.—AFP

Japan’s business confidence sags

TOKYO: Passers-by use cellphones in front of electronic stock board ofa securities firm in Tokyo yesterday. Shares were mostly lower in Asiayesterday as investors shrugged off signs that Chinese manufacturingis regaining momentum. — AP

SYDNEY: Australia’s central bank kept inter-est rates on hold at a record low 2.5 percentyesterday, as a resilient currency and soft-ening commodity prices hobbled the econ-omy’s shift away from mining. The ReserveBank left the cash rate unchanged for its10th straight meeting as it continued tohighlight the need for accommodativemonetary policy to “provide support todemand and help growth to strengthenover time”.

But it expanded on its frustrations aboutthe recent strength of the Australian dollar,saying it was “offering less assistance than itmight” in lifting growth in non-resourcessectors. “The exchange rate remains highby historical standards, particularly giventhe declines in key commodity prices, andhence is offering less assistance than itmight in achieving balanced growth in theeconomy,” RBA governor Glenn Stevenssaid. The local unit jumped by a quarter ofone US cent to 94.44 US cents following therelease of the central bank’s statement.

JP Morgan’s chief economist forAustralia Stephen Walters said it was clearthe RBA was content to stay the course atthis time, although he questioned why it

was not more robust in its commentary onthe exchange rate. “The big issue is ... whythey are not re-engaging on the Aussie dol-lar, which seems a little puzzling,” Walterssaid. He added that financial markets hadhoped for a stronger acknowledgementfrom the RBA that the currency’s strengthwas hurting the economy. “They didn’t takeany opportunities to say something like, ‘it’suncomfortable or unsustainable’.” Australiais transiting away from an unprecedentedboom in the mining sector, which hashelped it avoid a recession for more thantwo decades.

The economy has lost some momentumafter a strong start to the year saw it post1.1 percent growth in the first-quarter, withrecent data recording an easing in newbuilding approvals as well as a moderationin retail sales and house prices. Consumerconfidence also weakened in the wake of atough federal budget in May that cut backon government welfare and spending,although it has recovered slightly sincethen. Stevens repeated his expectation thatgrowth would be “a little below trend overthe year ahead” as the transition contin-ues.—AFP

Australia keeps rates on hold at 2.5 percent

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2X, 2014

LONDON: Manufacturing activity in Asia’sindustrial powerhouses China and Japangained pace in June, fuelled by improvingdemand at home, but euro-zone growth fal-tered as main motor Germany slowed.Business surveys published yesterday con-firmed factory output expanded across Asiafollowing months of decline in its two biggesteconomies, as massive stimulus packagesfrom the authorities in Beijing and Tokyobegin to take effect. China’s final HSBC/MarkitPurchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.7,slightly below a flash reading but above the50 mark that separates growth from contrac-tion for the first time in six months. The officialChina PMI, which is geared more towards big-ger state-owned firms, hit a six-month high of51.0.

“The Chinese numbers were good. Theauthorities are helping, they are supporting,

they are guiding the economy in the directionthey want it to go in,” said Peter Dixon, econo-mist at Commerzbank. In contrast, the raft ofmeasures announced last month by theEuropean Central Bank to counter the threatof deflation and support growth by boostinglending to companies and households haveyet to show any impact. Markit ’s finalManufacturing PMI for the euro-zone fell to51.8 in June from May’s 52.2, the lowest read-ing since November.

“The ECB is going to be looking at thesenumbers in the coming months and hopingthat we see a bit more of a pick-up. Let’scheck in six month’s time if the ECB needs todo any more,” Dixon said. Stock markets firmedafter the China data, which reinforced marketviews that the world’s second-largest econo-my is steadying thanks to stimulus fromBeijing after growth dipped to an 18-month

low of 7.4 percent in the first quarter. Thosemeasures include reserve requirement cuts forsome banks to encourage more lending,quicker fiscal disbursements and hasteningconstruction of railways and public housing.

A downturn in the property market isclouding the outlook, however, and econo-mists expect Beijing to stand ready to ease fis-cal and monetary policy further to counterany major spillover into the broader economy.“Efforts to slash overcapacities in old-fash-ioned industries, as well as the housing mar-ket downturn ... will continue to weigh onoverall economic activity,” said Nikolaus Keis atUniCredit. In Japan, central bank and PMI sur-veys painted a similar picture of improvingfactory activity, supported by continued heftycentral bank money injections and govern-ment spending.

Japan’s PMI topped the 50-point mark for

the first time in three months but with an Aprilsales tax rise still acting as a drag, the Bank ofJapan’s business optimism gauge dipped inthe second quarter. Still, firms were optimisticabout the outlook, declaring readiness toboost capital investment and output. “It wasstill a good result. The Tankan result supportsthe Bank of Japan’s upbeat view on the econo-my,” said Takuji Aida at Societe Generale. InIndonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy,factory activity grew at its fastest pace onrecord and in India, the continent’s third-largest economy, it hit a four-month high.Markets will also be looking ahead to US PMIdata to confirm that the world’s biggest econ-omy has finally put its weather-affected startto the year firmly behind it.

Britain leads EuropeBritish factories followed Asia’s lead,

increasing activity at the fastest rate in sevenmonths while creating new jobs in at thebriskest pace in more than three years. Euro-zone unemployment was stable for the sec-ond consecutive month in May at 11.6 percentbut the pace of factory growth eased as a con-traction in the bloc’s second biggest economy,France, deepened. Germany was again the

driving force, helped by a resurgence in thebloc’s periphery countries, although its PMIdipped due to public holidays.

“The slowdown will put pressure on policy-makers at the ECB to do more to prevent therecovery from stalling, and we will no doubtsee more calls for full-scale quantitative easingto be implemented,” said Chris Williamson,Markit’s chief economist. The chance of theECB launching an asset purchase program hasrisen to one-in-three, a Reuters poll taken lastweek found, ahead of this Thursday’s policymeeting.

The ECB cut its deposit rate below zero lastmonth and suggested rates will remain atrecord lows for years, while offering morelong-term loans aimed at boosting bank lend-ing. But it is still reluctant to conduct outrightbond purchases. By contrast, the Bank ofEngland is widely expected to be the firstmajor central bank to begin tightening policy,possibly as soon as this year. The pound hasbeen surging as a result. “Manufacturing isgrowing strongly, and work flows suggest thishas legs,” said David Tinsley at BNP Paribas. “Asthis news flow is absorbed further, rate hikeexpectations for the first hike in Q4 this yearshould harden.”— Reuters

Asian stimulus boosts factories, euro-zone still lagsStimulus paying off in Asia, euro-zone yet to benefit

KIEV: People rally near installation depicting a hanging dummy, symbolic blood in bottles andplacard showing a banker counting money signed ‘Excess profits - at any price’ in front ofUkrainian parliament during protest action of borrowers of Ukrainian banks yesterday. Theborrowers, who took credits in the western currency for the construction or purchase of hous-ing, protest against the policy of the banks which make enormous profits at the expense of bor-rowers after the depreciation of the Ukrainian currency. — AFP

LONDON: Brent oil held above $112 per barrelyesterday as investors took heart from upbeatmanufacturing data in China while ongoing ten-sions in Iraq and Ukraine underpinned supplyconcerns. China’s factory growth rose to a six-month high, adding to signs the economy of theworld’s second-biggest oil consumer is regainingstrength. Oil markets have for weeks been rattledby supply concerns due to the Ukraine crisis andas a takeover of large areas of Iraq by Sunni mili-tants stoked fears of disruption in exports fromOPEC’s second-biggest producer.

Brent crude gained 4 cents to $112.40 a barrelby 0925 GMT, after ending down 94 cents at itslowest settlement since the rally spurred by theIraqi crisis started on June 12. US oil was up 39cents to $105.76 a barrel. “Oil is up today withsome positive data out of China. Geopoliticalconcerns will continue to underpin it and we willremain in a fairly elevated range in the nearfuture,” CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewsonsaid. “Iraq has stabilized for now but we are by nomeans out of the woods and it remains a very flu-id situation,” he said, adding that the prospects ofsanctions against oil producer Russia over theUkrainian crisis remain high.

“Brent will need to get below $111 a barrel tosuggest political risk is subsiding,” according toHewson. Newly elected Iraqi lawmakers aremeeting yesterday, under pressure to name aunity government to keep the country from split-ting apart after an onslaught by Sunni Islamists

who have declared a “caliphate” to rule over allthe world’s Muslims. In Ukraine, President PetroPoroshenko said government forces wouldrenew offensive operations against rebels and“free our lands”, hours after a ceasefire to allow forpeace talks with the pro-Russian separatists hadexpired.

US stocks drawOil, particularly the US benchmark, drew addi-

tional support from forecasts US crude invento-ries dropped 2.3 million barrels last week, a pre-liminary Reuters poll showed. It estimated distil-late stockpiles rose 600,000 barrels, with gasolineinventories increasing 800,000 barrels. The surveywas taken ahead of weekly inventory reportsfrom industry group the American PetroleumInstitute (API) and from the Energy’s EnergyInformation Administration (EIA).

A slide in OPEC’s output also supportedprices. The producer group’s output fell in Junefrom May’s three-month high, a Reuters surveyfound, as fighting in Iraq closed its largest refin-ery and technical problems slowed its southernexports, underlining how unrest and outages inthe Middle East and Africa are taking their toll onOPEC supply. A Reuters monthly poll of 26 ana-lysts forecast Brent crude oil would average$108.00 a barrel in 2014, the highest averageforecast of a Reuters poll so far this year and wellabove the $105.90 average projected in lastmonth’s poll. —Reuters

Oil holds above $112

LONDON: Gold steadied above $1,325 an ounceyesterday as some buyers cashed in gains after themetal’s earlier rally to three-month highs, but pricesremained supported by dollar weakness and unrestin Ukraine and the Middle East. Prices rose nearly 1percent on Monday after mixed economic dataprompted a drop in the dollar index to seven-weeklows, and as geopolitical tensions flared. The metalextended gains in Asian trade to its highest sinceMarch 24 at $1,332.10 an ounce. It failed to maintainthat level, however. Spot gold had eased to$1.325.80 by 1146 GMT, little changed from$1,327.19 late on Monday, while US gold futures forAugust delivery were up $4.90 an ounce at$1,326.90.

“The move today above $1,331 probably trig-gered a bit of initial profit taking,” Saxo Bank’s headof commodities research Ole Hansen said. “If we canhold $1,321 today and close above $1,331 I think itcould open the road towards a test of $1,370 - aweaker dollar, the end of the ceasefire in Ukraine,tensions in Israel and rising ETF holdings have allprovided some support.” The dollar index lan-guished near seven-month lows, disappointingsome analysts who had expected the currency to beon the verge of a push higher, given the prospect ofrises in US interest rates sometime next year.

Bets that record-low interest rates will remain inplace for some time yet and upbeat Chinese datalifted European and Asian stocks yesterday.Geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the Middle Eastalso supported gold. Iraq’s new parliament con-vened, under pressure to name a unity government

to stop the country splitting apart after anonslaught by Sunni militants who have declared a“caliphate” to rule all the world’s Muslims. Ukrainiangovernment forces launched air strikes and artilleryassaults on pro-Russian separatists in easternregions yesterday, a military spokesman said, afterPresident Petro Poroshenko said he would notrenew a ceasefire.

Improving sentimentThe improving sentiment towards bullion was

reflected in a 5.7 ton inflow into the world’s largestgold exchange-traded fund, New York’s SPDR GoldShares, the biggest one-day change it has reportedin its holdings since March 10. That has taken thefund’s holdings to their highest since late April at790.7 tons, after they fell to their lowest since late2008 in May at 776.9 tons. “Gold’s strength over thepast 24 hours could partly be explained by chunkyETF buying yesterday,” Swiss bank UBS said in a noteyesterday. “The significant change in ETF flows thisyear compared to last year is a key factor that ishelping gold - that the aggressive ETF selling of2013 has not made a comeback has provided ongo-ing support.”

In the physical markets, however, buyers wereput off by the recent price increase. In top consumerChina, local prices fell to a discount of about $1 anounce to global prices yesterday from being on parin the previous session, in a sign of weak demand.Platinum group metals were steady, following anend to a crippling five-month strike in South Africanmines last week.—Reuters

Gold nears 3-month high Dollar index edges off 7-week low

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

KUWAIT: Tissot has been the Timekeeper for manyworld-renowned sports for more than a decade. Interms of football, however, it wanted to offer its cus-tomers the chance of filling that role themselves. Forthat reason, the Tissot Quickster Football has amovement specifically designed to time footballmatches, with half-times and overtime. In 1976already, Tissot produced a watch for the referees,The Tissot Football Chronograph, which gave them aclear view of the timing of the games, thanks to acolorful dial that indicated half-time. Today, it isallowing fans to be able to really get involved in thematch, as more than a spectator, as timekeeper!

The colors of the worldThe design is inspired from jerseys seen on foot-

ball pitches, representing colors from around theworld. It is a vibrant range of watches that Tissot has

created, that all feature a football engraved on theircaseback. An aluminum bezel, adds a further touchof color with styles varying depending on the mod-el, there is no doubt that there will be a watch to suiteveryone’s taste. A date display at four o’clock willremind you of the day so that you don’t miss out onthe important games. Features include; Swiss made;Quartz chronograph movement, football timekeep-ing function; Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal;Stainless steel case with black PVD coating option,an aluminum bezel ring and engraved caseback;Water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m /330 ft) andSilicone strap with standard buckle.

It’s the Swissness at the very heart of Tissot thatmakes the brand such a distinguished one. The + inthe Tissot logo is the same as the Swiss flag, symbol-izing the quality and the reliability that watchmakershave proudly demonstrated since 1853. The innova-

tive brand remains in its home in Le Locle in theSwiss Jura Mountains, keeping its Swiss identity atits core. Tissot watches are authentic and accessible,using special materials, advanced functionality andmeticulous design detail to create pieces that areboth precise and stylish.

The high caliber of the brand has been repeated-ly recognized, as in its illustrious history Tissot hasbeen named Official Timekeeper and Partner ofMotoGPTM, FIM World Superbike, FIBA, AFL, RBS 6Nations Rugby and the World Championships ofcycling, fencing and ice hockey. Tissot, which sells itstimepieces in more than 160 countries round theworld, is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’slargest watch producer and distributor of Swisswatches. As it continues to create pioneering cre-ations, Tissot stands by its signature, “Innovators byTradition.” — www.tissot.ch

Tissot Quickster Football - Be the Timekeeper

FRANKFURT: Brokers have a German national flag displayed on their desk at the German stock exchange in Frankfurt, western Germany. — AFP

NEW DELHI: France has proposed to give India a1 billion euro ($1.4 billion) credit line to fund sus-tainable infrastructure and urban developmentprojects, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saidyesterday.

The credit line would be available over threeyears and would be delivered through the FrenchDevelopment Agency, Fabius, who began hisIndia visit on Monday, told reporters in NewDelhi. India, which has said it needs $1 trillion ofinvestment by 2017 to upgrade its creaking infra-structure, is keen to attract foreign developmentagencies and companies to help finance newroads, railways and cities. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, who took office in May, hasvowed to focus on infrastructure.

“If you don’t have the share of technology andthe share of finance, you can develop brilliantideas, may be brilliant, but (you will have) noth-ing concrete,” Fabius said at an event about sus-tainable growth and climate change. He is thefirst of a string of Western politicians due to visitIndia over the next few weeks for talks with Modiand his government, drawn in part by theprospect of lucrative defence deals that stalledunder the last administration.

After meetings with ministers in Modi’s cabi-net on Monday, Fabius expressed confidencethat there would be a “positive outcome” tonegotiations on a $12-billion deal to sell Rafalecombat aircraft to India. The deal to supply 126Rafale fighter jets manufactured by DassaultAviation has been under final negotiations sinceJanuary 2012 after they pipped the Americans,Europeans and Russians. The contract, whichinvolves technology-sharing and the productionof most of the planes in India, has been makingslow progress through numerous stages of vet-ting and evaluation.

The French minister sounded less upbeat yes-terday after meeting Modi, declining to say whenthe deal might be concluded. “The next step is

for Dassault and the (Indian) government to dis-cuss the details which have not yet been dis-cussed and hopefully to reach a conclusion,” hetold news agency reporters. “For us, the earlierthe better ... but it’s a normal negotiation and theway it must be.” Fabius said Paris was keen toshare technology and industrial developmentwith India in the defense sector. “To be honestand candid, you have a diminution of thedefense budget in Europe ... and therefore (it isin) our interest, it’s not only the interest of India,”he said. Fabius, who flew on from New Delhi toIndia’s financial capital, Mumbai, said Modi had

accepted an invitation to visit France, and Pariswas hoping he would stop there on his way to orfrom a visit to the United States in September.Some countries find extending a credit line orinvesting through development arms a usefulway to boost ties with India and also gain an ear-ly link to the South Asian nation’s future infra-structure schemes. Japan is a key investor in theDelhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a mega infra-structure project that envisages dozens of newindustrial zones and cities sprouting alongside a1,483-kilometre highway stretch between India’sbiggest two cities. — Reuters

France proposes 1bn euro credit line for India projects

Dwindling European defense budgets drive ambition

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yes-terday the launch of the new YouthAccount draw, now entitling students todouble their student allowances whentransferred into the “Youth” account. Withthe introduction of the Youth Accountdraw, customers transferring their educa-tion allowances to the bank will be auto-matically enrolled into a draw, wherebyfor every KD20 in their Youth Account,customers will be given a chance to winKD200 every month, therefore doublingtheir educational allowance. Customerswishing to take part in this draw areadvised to transfer their studentallowances to Burgan Bank’s Youthaccount and enjoy their multiple chances

of winning.The bank’s Youth Account was

launched for young individuals, aroundthe ages of 15 to 25, who seek to attain asuccessful future. There is no KD limit toopen an account, and no minimum bal-ance required to maintain it.Furthermore, account holders receivefree prepaid card and an ATM card whichentitle them to discounts at select mer-chants. To find out more about BurganBank’s Youth Account as well as the latestpromotions, customers are required tovisit their nearest Burgan Bank branch orcontact the call center on 1804080. Formore information, customers can visitthe bank’s website on www.burgan.com.

Burgan Bank launches the new Youth Account draw

FRANKFURT: The jobless rate in Germanyremained stuck at 6.7 percent in June asclouds begin to appear on the horizon ofEurope’s biggest economy and the benefitsof mild weather wear off, official datashowed yesterday. The unemploymentrate-which measures the proportion ofpeople claiming dole against the workingpopulation as a whole-has stood at 6.7 per-cent since March. But the total number ofpeople registered as unemployed rose by9,000 to 2.916 million, the Federal LaborOffice said in a statement.

That took analysts by surprise. They hadprojected a decline of around 7,500. “Theeconomic outlook remains positive, but isgradually starting to cloud over,” the laboroffice said. “After having not risen in thewinter months as a result of the mildweather, the usual June decline in unem-ployment was shallower than expected,”the office explained. “Nevertheless, takinginto account this one-off effect, the funda-mental trend in the winter and springmonths remains positive,” it added.

In raw or unadjusted terms which donot allow for seasonal blips, the Germanjobless total fell by 49,250 to 2.833 millionand the unadjusted jobless rate slipped to6.5 percent from 6.6 percent, the office cal-culated. German labor minister AndreasNahles said the “situation on the labor mar-ket is favorable.” Analysts also said theywere not overly perturbed by the slight risein the jobless total this month. “ TheMay/June setback represents a natural cor-rection to ... a very mild winter and mustnot be interpreted as a shift in trendtowards renewed deterioration,” said IHS

Global Insight economist Timo Klein. “Overall, labor market conditions remain

much healthier in Germany than in mostother countries in Europe. The underlyingdownward trend for unemployment willunderpin consumer demand throughout2014-15,” the expert said. All in all, “Germaneconomic growth is gaining momentumdespite the uncertainty stemming from theUkraine crisis, as euro-zone crisis relateduncertainty has conversely declined,” Kleinsaid.

Analysts confidentBNP Paribas economist Caroline

Newhouse agreed. “All in all, the Germanlabor market seems to be benefiting fromthe current recovery. As mentioned by thelabor office, the job market is in goodshape,” she said. Natixis economistJohannes Gareis also felt that “today’s dataare not a huge concern at this stage.Because of the mild winter weather, whichboosted jobs in the early months of thisyear, there had not been the usual surge injobs in spring.

“All in all, with the unemployment rateholding steady at 6.7 percent, today’s jobreport provides further support for a robustgrowth in 2014,” Newhouse said. BayernLBeconomist Stefan Kipar said: “The overalluptrend on the labor market is continuing.“The current high level of confidence indi-cators, such as the Ifo, do not point to anynoticeble clouding of the labor market forthe time being. The labor market remains ingood shape. If short-term fluctuations areblended out, the overall trend is positive,”Kipar said. — AFP

NEW DELHI: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (left) talks to India’s Prime MinisterNarendra Modi (front right) during their meeting at the latter’s residence in New Delhi yester-day. Fabius is in India for a two-day official visit. — AFP

Germany’s joblessfigures disappoint

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina and hedge fundcreditors it calls “vultures” blasted each other asthe country missed a deadline for a key debtpayment Monday. US District Judge ThomasGriesa on Friday barred the Bank of New YorkMellon from transferring $539 mill ion inArgentine funds to the country’s main creditors,the so-called exchange bondholders, unlessArgentina also pays the hedge funds meant thecountry would likely be in default on Monday.

But a one-month payment grace periodgives Buenos Aires until the end of July to nego-tiate a deal with both groups of lenders beforebeing called into default on its debt for the sec-ond time in 13 years. Argentina insisted that ithad fulfilled its obligations last week, when itdeposited the funds in the BNY Mellon account.President Cristina Kirchner’s cabinet chief JorgeCapitanich said the country could not be consid-ered in default if the bank did not forward themoney to the exchange bondholders, creditorswho joined the 2005 and 2010 restructurings ofthe country’s $100 billion in defaulted debt.

“When a country assumes financial obliga-tions, a judge cannot come along and alter thecontractual relation between two parties,”Capitanich said. “The funds were deposited asthey should be for transfer to the creditors whovoluntarily took part in the debt restructuring.”Buenos Aires said it was sending an EconomyMinistry delegation to meet on July 7 withDaniel Pollack, the case coordinator picked byGriesa. But on Friday, Griesa ordered the bankto withhold the transfer, unless Argentinasimultaneously pays $1.3 billion to the hedgefunds that held out the restructurings and suedBuenos Aires for full payment on the bonds.

Griesa, whose original 2012 ruling in sup-port of hedge funds NML Capital and AureliusManagement was supported two weeks ago bythe US Supreme Court, pressed Buenos Aires onFriday to negotiate a payment deal with thetwo funds. Argentina has argued that payingthe full worth of the bonds held by the hedgefunds is unfair to the 92 percent of creditorswho joined the restructuring taking a huge 70percent writeoff. Secondly, the country says

being forced to pay the “holdouts” would over-whelm its weak finances and force it intodefault.

‘No negotiations underway’It was unclear whether Buenos Aires was

willing to talk with the hedge funds. NML saidthat, despite promises and Griesa’s prodding,and the naming of a special representative lastweek to oversee negotiations, Argentina has notjoined talks. “NML is at the table, ready to talk,but Argentina has refused to negotiate anyaspect of this dispute,” said Jay Newman, seniorportfolio manager at NML parent ElliottManagement.

“There are no negotiations underway, therehave been no negotiations and Argentina refus-es to commit to negotiations in the future.Argentina’s government has chosen to put thecountry on the brink of default.” Buenos Airesaccuses the holdout hedge funds of buying thebonds at steep discounts when the countrydefaulted in 2001, and then refusing to join therestructuring in order to litigate the issue to tryto recover 100 percent of their value. In an offi-cial statement published Sunday in US newspa-pers, Argentina said “the judge’s bias in favor ofthe vulture funds” is aimed at pushing the coun-try into default. It said Griesa’s ruling is “merely asophisticated way of trying to bring us down toour knees before global usurers.”

Even so, many expect Argentina will have toreach a deal on paying the hedge funds by theend of July if it wants to recover any status inglobal financial markets. “If, within a month,there is no agreement with the holdouts, the sit-uation will become extremely difficult,” saidDaniel Marx, an executive at financial consult-ants Quantum Finanzas in Argentina. TheWashington-based Organization of AmericanStates agreed to discuss the Argentine debtissue on Wednesday in a meting for the region’sforeign ministers. Argentina’s representative atthe OAS called it an issue of “urgent and com-mon interest.” “This is an issue that transcendsthe financial aspects and has global implicationsand consequences,” he said. — AFP

Argentina, ‘vulture’ fundsbattle amid debt deadline

BASEL: A watershed free-trade deal betweenChina and Switzerland came into force yesterday,the first such accord between the Asian giant and amainland European economy. Senior Swiss andChinese officials were scheduled to mark the debutof the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at a ceremony inthe northern city of Basel, a highly symbolic loca-tion given its historical status as a hub for com-merce along the River Rhine. The FTA was finallysigned in Beijing July 2013, capping two years oftalks between China and Switzerland.

The two sides had inked a preliminary agree-ment two months earlier in Switzerland, duringChinese Premier Li Keqiang’s first visit to Europesince taking the helm in a once-in-a-decade powertransfer in March 2013. The deal with the Swiss isChina’s second with a European country, withBeijing having signed an FTA with economic crisiscasualty Iceland in April 2013.

Neither Iceland nor Switzerland-whose prosper-ous economy emerged relatively undented by thecrisis-is a member of the European Union. Beijing

has been pressing Brussels for a similar FTA, butefforts on that front are more complicated becauseChina would need to find agreement with theentire 28-nation bloc, and the two sides are lockedin a series of tit-for-tat trade disputes.

EU, China trade links The European and Chinese economies are tight-

ly linked. The EU is China’s top export market, whileChina is second to the United States as a destina-tion for EU exports.

But the balance is heavily in China’s favor. WhileEU exports to China reached a record 148.1 billioneuros ($191.8 billion) in 2013, Chinese exports tothe EU were worth 279.9 billion euros ($382.4 bil-lion). EU powerhouse Germany is China’s top indi-vidual trade partner, with its exports to Chinaworth 67 billion euros ($91.5 billion) last year, whileChinese imports in Germany reached 73.4 billioneuros ($100.2 billion).

In contrast, Switzerland is one of the rareWestern countries with a relatively narrow trade

deficit with China, its third-ranked partner after theEU and the United States. In 2013, its exports toChina were worth 8.8 billion Swiss francs (7.2 bil-lion euros, $9.9 billion), while Chinese imports inthe Alpine country reached 11.4 billion francs (9.38billion euros, $12.8 billion). Switzerland’s topexports to China are watches, pharmaceuticals andchemicals, and machinery, while textiles andmachinery head the list of imported Chinesegoods.

The relatively low deficit goes a long way toexplaining its business sector’s positive stance onthe FTA, but the Alpine country also sees it as a wayto get the edge on competitors. With the strongSwiss franc and high labor costs making it hard tobeat rivals on price, Swiss firms have long madequality their selling point. FTAs, including aplanned EU-US accord and a proposed trans-Pacificagreement, are solidly in focus as the 160-nationWorld Trade Organization struggles to craft a glob-al treaty on liberalizing international commerce, aprocess launched in 2001. — AFP

Swiss-China free-trade deal comes into force

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

KUWAIT: Yesterday marked the officialintroduction of the GA3 from GAC intoKuwait by Mutawa Alkazi Co - the exclu-sive distributors for GAC in Kuwait (andGAC’s first international distributor world-wide. As a key player in the automobilebusiness for nearly 55 years with consecu-tive awards for Consumer Satisfaction,Sales Satisfaction, and Excellence in carservicing among others under their belt,Mutawa Alkazi will take advantage of itsvast experience to help the car succeed inthe local market.

Marking the beginning GAC was established in 2007, and

forms part of the GAC GROUP which massproduces cars for Honda, Toyota,Mistubishi, Fiat, and trucks for Hino.Hence, with the experience gained inbuilding cars for international brands, GAChas succeeded in producing cars thatdirectly compete with their Korean andJapanese counterparts. What’s more, GACnot only uses the experience gained fromworking with other car manufacturers, butalso sources various components of itscars from international suppliers such asthe electronic stability program andengine management systems from Bosch(Germany), front brakes from Continental(Germany), front and rear bumpers fromVisteon (USA), automatic transmissionfrom Aisin (Japan), air conditioning fromDenso (Japan), seatbelts, airbags, rearbrakes, and hydraulic power systems fromTRW (USA).

Quality, safetyThe GA3, which is derived from the con-

cept car which features in the upcomingTransformers 4 Movie, is the third model tobe offered by GAC and its price starts at KD3,699. The new model features a high per-formance fuel-efficient 1.6 DCVVT engine,and Japanese Aisin 5 speed automatictransmission (with a tiptronic option), and achassis that was jointly developed withPorsche Engineering and utilizes a similarMcPherson five-link rear suspension design.

In terms of standard safety features, theGA3 incorporates 6 SRS airbags (two frontalairbags, two side airbags, and two side cur-tain SRS airbags), Electronic StabilityProgram from BOSCH that detects loss ofsteering control and automatically appliesthe brakes to help stabilize the car), tire tem-perature and pressure monitoring system,rear seats equipped to fit universal childseats, and its passenger compartment ismade of up to 95% high-strength steel forbetter protection in case of a collision.Furthermore, it is equipped with a six-in-one active safety system which includesABS, EBD, TCS, HBA, ESP, and HHC. Lastly,the GA3 also has a break override system(whereby if both the acceleration and brakepedals are applied, the brake takes prece-dence - bringing the car to a full stop).

Other important elements that one canlook forward to with the GA3 is PEPS keylessentry and start (which allows the driver tokeep the key in his pocket when locking,unlocking , and starting the vehicle), a 450Lcapacity boot, electric folding mirrors with

turn signal indicators, and 6-way power dri-ver’s seat adjustment. Furthermore, a fea-ture which is unique to the GA3 is the T-BOX: a smart system that connects yoursmart phone to your vehicle and allows thedriver control over various settings of thecar such as locking, unlocking the doors,engine start, and air-condition settings.

A lineup of excellenceAmong the other models currently on

offer from GAC is the elegant GS5, an urbanSUV starting at KD 5,199. This vehicle fea-tures an i-4WD system for wheel torque dis-tribution, automatic and tiptronic transmis-

sion, intelligent control unit with navigation,European SUV chassis with independentsuspension, keyless entry and engine startbutton, an ultra large capacity trunk (480L,and 1350L when the rear seats are foldeddown), and the car features advanced light-ing technology whereby its front and rearlights are made up of 100 LED lights.Another model currently available fromGAC Motor is the GA5 which starts at KD4,799, a mid-sized sedan featuring either a1.8T or 2.0 DCVVT engine, hydraulic powersteering, multi-link independent rear sus-pension, 5AT transmission, leather seats,sunroof, reverse rearview system, GPS navi-

gation system, dual lens HID head lamps,and an aerodynamic form designed for asmooth and quiet ride.

Driving Excellence Before the end of 2014, customers can

expect the three new models to join thecurrent lineup by GAC Motor to. The first isthe GA3S, which comes equipped with a1.3T engine and the latest 7-speed dualclutch transmission which represents anewest R&D achievement from the GACGroup. The second is the GA6, a forward-looking mid-size luxury sedan that embod-ies the trend of futuristic design and thephilosophy of GAC Motor’s products. Thethird is the GS3 which is an SUV similar tothe GS5 but smaller in size.

On the occasion of the introduction,Omar Alkazi, Managing Director of MutawaAlkazi commented, “With the introductionof the GA3 we are witnessing the gradualrise of the GAC brand in Kuwait as its prod-uct lineup begins to grow. The car has greatpotential, and we are certain that it willprove popular with our customers.” GACMotor’s primary locations are at the newlyrefurbished Mutawa Alkazi Showroom in AlRai, Fourth Ring Road, and at the TilalShowroom on Jahra Road. GAC Motor vehi-cles will be serviced at the Mutawa AlkaziService Centre in Shuwaikh along with anoffer of 11 years (or half a million kms) war-ranty, 3 years (or 45,000 kms) free servicingand a guaranteed buy back certificate toensure the resale value of the car in thefuture.

GAC launches the most fully-loaded economical car

Conflict minerals law ‘working’ despite poor industry response

Profits still go astray in lawless regionLONDON: A US law on conflict minerals is curbingAfrican warlords’ presence around mines in Congo, cam-paigners say, but its full impact remains unclear, withmost firms failing to pinpoint the origin of their metalsby a June deadline. Millions are estimated to have diedin nearly two decades of bloodshed in easternDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fuelled by theminerals smuggled through Rwanda, Uganda andBurundi. Under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, UScompanies must try to establish the origin of four met-als often used by rebel groups in the area to financetheir activities.

Only five percent of firms making filings by a June 2deadline traced the conflict status of the minerals usedin their products, said Source Intelligence, a US risk man-agement firm. A grace period means big firms can saythey were unable to get information for two years, butcampaigners urged them try harder, saying the law hadalready helped but could do more. “Overall we’ve beendisappointed with the response of companies, and thelack of meaningful information on the supply chainchecks and risk assessments they are doing, although afew of the reports have been strong,” said Emily Norton,assistant campaigner with Global Witness in London.

The electronics sector has been the most robust attracing the source of its minerals, Norton said, holdingup chip giant Intel as a rare company that had conduct-ed an audit. Campaigners say the law has had a positiveimpact in three of the four metals it covers-tin, tantalumand tungsten- while gold remained a problem. Many ofthe minerals are used in smart phones and other elec-tronics goods. “The law has triggered companies rightalong the supply chain to change their sourcing prac-tices,” Norton said.

CertificationA new certification scheme organized by the tin

industry body ITRI is being rolled out in North Kivu afterearlier projects in Congo’s copper-rich southeasternprovinces of Katanga and South Kivu. Sasha Lezhev, sen-ior policy analyst with the Enough Project based inWashington DC said about two third of mines in tin, tan-talum and tungsten in eastern Congo had been demili-tarized. In a report based on five months of fieldresearch, the organization said minerals not certified as“conflict free” sold for 30-60 percent less, cutting profitsfor the armed groups. Some analysts say the law’simpact has been overstated.

A Congolese government adviser cautioned rebelinvolvement was hard to track in remote areas and anacademic specializing in the region said profits were stillgoing astray. “Dodd-Frank and the ensuing initiatives,including traceability and certification, have removedarmed actors from the mines,” said Christoph Vogel, aCongo researcher at the University of Zurich. “But nowwe hear that army commanders are sending intermedi-aries to organize taxation on the sites,” Vogel said.

GoldGlobal Witness said last year there was still high-level

military involvement in eastern Congo’s gold trade andLezhev called on jewelers and the US government tocounter this. Campaigners are also urging the EuropeanUnion to strengthen a conflict minerals proposalreleased in March, making it mandatory instead of vol-untary. Some of those advising the companies about thelaw say the firms find it hard to discover the origin oftheir supplies.

“We have clients that have literally tens of thou-

sands of suppliers,” said Michael Littenberg, a partner atNew York law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel. Another con-sultancy said that information was available and com-panies needed to be more rigorous. Of the 1,306 com-panies that filed reports, only 14 of them contactedIndonesia’s CV United Smelting Corp, one of the mostwidely used tin smelters in the world, said Canadianenvironmental consultancy Claigan, which specializesin conflict minerals.

“Very few companies showed any due diligence,”Bruce Calder, vice president of consulting services atClaigan, said in a presentation. When the conflict miner-als law was first passed, there were fears that it wouldlead to companies boycotting the region’s minerals, andsome firms initially moved in that direction, but that isless of a problem now, Littenberg said. “Most companieshave figured out that isn’t the right approach and theNGOs (non-governmental organizations) have also beenpretty vocal that they don’t want to see companies boy-cotting the region,” he said.

The law was watered down by a court ruling afterindustry groups challenged it, but an appeal has beenlaunched by the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) which is in charge of enforcing it. Analysts say it hashad little impact in some neighboring areas, such asCentral African Republic on the DRC’s northern border,where the short-lived rule by Seleka rebels last year trig-gered an internal political and religious conflict whichhas required the intervention of French and Africanpeacekeepers. “Once in power the movement assertedcontrol of lucrative trafficking networks (gold, diamondand ivory). Their systematic looting destroyed what wasalready a phantom state,” said a report in June byBrussels-based International Crisis Group. —Reuters

KUWAIT: DHL has pioneered logistics in thisregion for 35 years, building market leadershipthrough innovation, service excellence and com-mitment. The Middle East and North Africa andits trading links are growing in importance in theglobal logistics industry with strong growth pro-jections for the next few years. Our plan is to beright at the center of that growth to serve ourcustomers. As the world’s leading logisticsprovider, it is important for us to support andhelp build international trade routes, accordinglyDHL has invested $177M in the region so far andhas plans for much more investments in the nearfuture. With main focus on the largest markets ina growing region, DHL’s investment creates threenew facilities and gateways in Saudi Arabia, anew Country Office in Cairo, and launches itsbiggest ground operations facility in the regionin Dubai.Question - What is the size of operations in theMiddle East?

DHL has seen clear growth in multipleregions around the world. The Middle East is oneof our fastest growing markets. We grow in dou-ble digits every year and managed to stay aheadof the likes of America and Europe in percentageof growth rate. We are keen to support our oper-ations in the region while simultaneously securestrategic and convenient expansions. Last year,

DHL introduced two new flights to its MiddleEast network to Lebanon and Qatar and DHL hasalso unveiled plans to grow its presence inMorocco. We currently operate over 260 servicecenters and service points across 15 countries inthe region with over 5,000 employees across theMiddle East. The recent investments will surelyreaffirm DHL’sstrong foothold in the logisticsindustry in the region.Question - What new products DHL is looking tolaunch in the region?

DHL products are unique in the sense thatwe stand unmatched in the ability of our net-work to delivery Express Time Definite products.Our deliverables are strategically designed tocater to our customers’ needs in a record timewith state of the art convenience and quality ofservice.Question - How does DHL prepare itself to facecompetition?

The increase in competition is definitely agood sign; it’s a sign that the market is healthyand we do want that to be the case. As a compa-ny that has provided express logistics around theworld for more than 40 years, we prepare our-selves in the best way we know how, by invest-ing. If you are on top and want to stay there thebest way to do so would be to continue improv-ing. Its not just a matter of investing in infrastruc-

ture, but in the network, in our people and in ourproducts. Providing innovative solutions on allfronts that help deliver the top of the line servicethat we promise as a brand is how we face anychallenges in our markets. Question - What is your market share in Kuwaitand Gulf region?

We are the market leaders in Kuwait andacross the Gulf and Middle East region. We haveover 50% of the Middle East market. We have aspecial relation with our customers, and we workon maintaining these relations. We work closely

with our customers to provide them solutionsthat would help their business and that creates aspecial bond between us that they too appreci-ate.Question - Any new expansions in Kuwait?

Kuwait is one of our key markets in theregion, and our operations in the market areflourishing therefore we are keen to ensure thatwe have the operations and infrastructure capa-bilities to accommodate the expected growth inthe industries for years to come. In our industry,we are expected to invest and expand ahead of

growth; therefore we do have major plans forKuwait including expansions and new services inthe upcoming period and although the finalplan has not been set in motion yet, Kuwait isdefinitely in the pipelineQuestion - Why is DHL investing so heavily inthe region?

The business in the Middle East is prosperingin nearly all sectors. We have to ensure that wehave the operations and infrastructure capabili-ties to accommodate the expected growth in theindustries for years to come. This way, we can ful-fill customers’ needs effectively and efficiently.We expand because that is the only way forwardyou either grow or you don’t and the only way togrow is by expanding. I could say that the returnon investment is immediate and our staff get abetter work environment and perform better. Asour hub get a much bigger space which allowsfor more efficient shipment handling. Question - What effect does e-commerce have?

E-commerce is the future, and would not bepossible without logistics. So in terms of whatwas logistics’ effect on the industry, I would say itmade the industry possible. The world around usis changing much more quickly than it did in thepast. Ecommerce is one of the primary movers ofthe global economy, and it is subject for majorgrowth in the coming years. Shipping companies

are at the heart of this growth since they presentinnovative solutions which maximize time andcost-effectiveness. Question - What are the challenges facing DHL?

Challenges in places suffering unrest arealways to continue operations while maintainingthe safety of our people, our assets and our cus-tomers’ shipments. We develop contingencyplans we work on new routes we stay updatedwith road changes and always find a way tomake it happen. It is impossible for us to dis-charge our duties without first ensuring the safe-ty of our ground staff who cover a vast geo-graphical area around the clock. So we are con-stantly monitoring the situation in order to beable to secure our employees and our clients’shipments. Question - How do you see the economy?

The clearest example of commercial depend-ency on express services is e-commerce. Withoutthe global reach of fast, around-the-clock ship-ping and massive sorting centers, e-commercewould not have the strong presence we seetoday. But this isn’t limited to internet retailersalone: the Express service provided by DHLExpress is a fundamental factor in productionlines for basically every industry. Almost no com-mercial or industrial activity can continue with-out effective logistics.

DHL has invested $177 million in the region

KUWAIT: The mega winning opportunity atJoyalukkas Golden Carnival has received anoverwhelming response from customers acrossGCC and India. The Joyalukkas Golden Carnivalis offering every customer shopping for KD40worth of jewelry, the opportunity to win 12BMW’s and 2 Kilos of Gold. The fourth set ofthree winners of the ongoing promotion wasannounced on 26/06/2014, by Abdul Aziz ofKuwait Promotions Department, in the pres-ence of Joyalukkas officials and a lively crowd ofcustomers who had gathered at JoyalukkasKuwait, Panasonic Tower branch.

So far the names of 12 winners of gold coinshave been announced. The winners werethrilled with their win and exclaimed “Wow, weare starting a good summer holiday seasonthanks to the winning opportunity at ourfavorite jeweler, Joyalukkas. It’s a pleasure tosee such an overwhelming response forJoyalukkas Golden Carnival. This mega winningopportunity will make many dreams come true

and we feel happy to be able to enable this,”said Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, JoyalukkasGroup.

John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director,Joyalukkas Group congratulating the winnerson the occasion said, “During the 60-day dura-tion of the Joyalukkas Golden Carnival, shop-pers in addition to getting the big win opportu-nity can also avail an attractive exchange offerwherein customers will be offered zero deduc-tion in weight and rate of old jewelry on pur-chase of new jewelry at Joyalukkas.” Joyalukkas,a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate withvaried business interests, is an ISO certified jew-eler with 95 showrooms across 10 countriesaround the world. Joyalukkas has been award-ed the Superbrand status, 5 years in a row inthe UAE. The names of the 12 winners so far are:Ajay Gatla; Alina Mary; Iftikhar Ahmed; AbelChris; Muthu; Shaima Sameer; KorrapatiVenkatesh; Pradeepan Kanniah; MKL Perera;Precy P; Subaj Miah and Sindhu C H Nair.

‘Joyalukkas Golden Carnival’ promotion

t e c h n o l o g yWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

ALASKA: In this June 7, 2014, photo released by BP Alaska, Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology using an AeroVironment Puma drone isgiven a pre-flight checkout in preparation for flights by BP at its Prudhoe Bay, Alaska operations. —AP

SAO PAULO: Click. Brazilian football starNeymar poses shirtless with his girl-friend. Click. German forward LukasPodolski has his arm around ChancellorAngela Merkel in a stadium locker room.Anybody armed with a smartphoneseems to be taking selfies at the WorldCup in Brazil, with fans and players post-ing their souvenirs online for all to see.

Thanks to the proliferation of smart-phones, millions of messages and pic-tures have been posted on social net-works during the tournament, whichstarted June 12 and ends July 13.

The number of handheld deviceswith broadband Internet access hassoared globally since the 2010 WorldCup in South Africa, from 800 millionfour years ago to 2.5 billion in 2013,according to the GSMA association ofmobile operators.

Some three million Brazilians and600,000 foreigners are attending theWorld Cup’s 64 games, snapping pic-

tures across the vast South Americannation.

“It is very tempting for human beingsto feel recognized, and the Internet is apowerful communications tool,” saidRosa Maria Farah, an expert at theCatholic University of Sao Paulo’sInformation and Psychology ResearchCenter.

“Selfies don’t depend on publicityagencies. It is the individual himselfwho communicates,” which makes themessage “much more intense,” Farah toldAFP. Neymar, the 22-year-old striker witha model girlfriend, regularly shares per-sonal pictures on social media. Morethan one million people clicked on “like”when he uploaded a selfie on the photo-sharing website Instagram showing hisgirlfriend resting her hands on his bareshoulder.

He posted the snapshot after scoringtwo goals in his team’s 3-1 defeat ofCroatia on June 12, which coincided

with Brazil’s version of Valentine’s Day.Podolski posted his selfie with

Merkel, who is a big fan of the footballteam, after she visited the locker roomfollowing Germany’s 4-0 trouncing ofPortugal during the tournament’s groupphase. Some teams, like Portugal andMexico, took group selfies with theircountries’ respective presidents beforethe World Cup.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldoshared the team’s photo withPortuguese President Anibal CavacoSilva on Twitter, getting more than14,000 retweets while 17,000 users“favorited” it.

Argentina and Manchester City for-ward Sergio Aguero has published forhis six million Twitter followers severalselfies he took with his famous team-mates during the World Cup.

For some, the selfie craze continueseven after the World Cup. After beingeliminated by Brazil on Saturday, the

Chilean team was invited to PresidentMichelle Bachelet’s palace.

“Now that’s a selfie!” wrote defenderGary Medel, aka “Pitbull,” in a picture ofhim with the bespectacled Bachelet.

But it’s not just the famous goal-scor-ers who are immortalizing their WorldCup experience. Countless fans have tak-en selfies across the 12 cities hostingWorld Cup games: on their way to thestadiums, in the stands, at street screen-ings and at the bars.

In Rio de Janeiro, one spot became afan favorite to take a self-portrait: infront of an Adidas billboard featuringdisgraced Uruguayan striker Luis Suarezwith his mouth roaring open.

Hundreds of people took shots withtheir shoulder placed between Suarez’steeth, reenacting the player’s infamousbite against Italian defender GiorgioChiellini, which led to his expulsion fromthe tournament. From the first game ateach of the 12 stadiums, a combined

total of 7.6 million emails, pictures ormultimedia messages were sent, accord-ing to official figures.

The government says 3G, 4G and wi-ficonnections are available at all the stadi-ums, though AFP journalists said dataservices or calls did not always gothrough at all the arenas.

In the group phase of the World Cup,some 300 million messages related tothe tournament were sent on Twitter.Facebook said Monday that the WorldCup has kicked up more action at theleading social network than any otherevent in its history.

More than one billion comments,posts, and “likes” related to World Cupmatches have been racked up since thetournament began, in a level of onlineconversation never seen before on thesite, according to the California-basedsocial network. About 220 million peo-ple have taken part in the unprecedent-ed online conversation.—AFP

Selfies: From Neymar to Merkel

WASHINGTON: The federal effort to providedrones regular access to U.S. skies faces sig-n i f i c a n t h u rd l e s a n d w i l l n o t m e e t aSeptember 2015 deadline set by Congress, agovernment watchdog said Monday. Despiteye a r s o f re s e a rc h , t h e Fe d e r a l Av i a t i o nAdministration hasn’t figured out what kindof technology unmanned aircraft should useto avoid crashing into other planes and toprevent lost links with ground control sta-tions, Matthew Hampton, the TransportationDepartment’s assistant inspector general for

aviation, said in a report.The FAA also hasn’t set standards for certify-

ing the safety of drone designs and manufac-ture like those that exist for manned aircraft,the report said. Nor has the agency developedstandard procedures for air traffic controllersto guide drones. There is no adequate programfor training control lers how manageunmanned aircraft. And criteria for training“pilots” who remotely control drones from theground have yet to be developed.

Until the FAA resolves these problems and

others, the effort to integrate drones into thenational airspace “will continue to move at aslow pace, and safety risks will remain,” thereport said.

FAA officials, defending the agency’s record,said in a statement that despite the inspectorgeneral’s findings the FAA “has made signifi-cant progress” toward giving drones wideraccess to U.S. skies “even as it dealt with dis-ruptions” due to automatic, government-widespending cuts and a three-week partial gov-ernment shutdown. —AP

Drone access to US skies faces significant hurdles

NEW YORK: Twitter is fattening its mobilead portfolio by agreeing to acquireTapCommerce, a company that specializesin targeting app consumers, the latter saidlate Monday.

The price was not given but the WallStreet Journal put it at around $100 million(73 million euros), quoting a source close tothe transaction.

Based in New York, San Francisco andLondon, TapCommerce specializes in tar-geting consumers who have downloadedan app and trying to entice them to comeback to it. The firm says it is present on50,000 apps. “The TapCommerce platform

is already deeply integrated with MoPub,Twitter’s mobile-focused RTB ad exchange.We look forward to growing our role as anintegral part of the Twitter PublisherNetwork,” TapCommerce co-founder BrianLong wrote on the firm’s blog.

He said the acquisition would have noeffect on current users of TapCommerce.Since the start of the year Twitter has beenon a shopping spree, buying in particularcompanies that measure TV audiences orthe impact of TV programs or ads on socialmedia, including Gnip or SnappyTV in theUS, Mesagraph of France and SecondSyncin Britain.—AFP

Twitter buys TapCommerce

PRINCETOWN: When Maggie McNally-Bradshaw and husband Curt hop on theirelectric motorcycles and twist the throttles,they get a rush like no other. Or maybe aWHOOSH!

“There is that sense of being at thebeginning of something new, and part ofour future as far as ecology,” said McNally-Bradshaw, chairwoman of the AmericanMotorcyclist Association. “People think it’snovel. Then they realize it’s powerful stuff.The technology is improving by leaps andbounds. It’s coming.” While startups likeZero, Brammo and Mission are producingstate-of-the-art electric motorcycles on theWest Coast, Harley-Davidson has decidedto jump into the fray. The Milwaukee-basedmanufacturer announced its LiveWire thismonth and plans to offer demo rides togauge interest nationwide before goinginto production.

“We don’t see it at all replacing internalcombustion,” Harley President MattLevatich said. “I mean, maybe in 100 or 50years, I don’t know. We’ll be open to whatpeople want.”

Still, while Harley’s announcement maynot sit well with its core riders, who relishthe distinctive rumble of the V-twinengine’s exhaust, it might provide theimpetus needed for the electric market totake off. “We had our biggest single day ofInternet traffic in the history of the compa-ny the day Harley made its announcement,”said Scot Harden, vice president of globalmarketing for Zero Motorcycles, whichbegan in a Santa Cruz, California, garage in2006 and now is the top seller of full-size,high-powered electric bikes. “It just vali-dates what we’ve been saying and how it’sgoing to play out in the years ahead.”

A recent study by Navigant Researchsuggests the industry is at the start of atrend. The research company anticipatessales of electric motorcycles worldwide willgrow to 1.2 million this year.

No surprise that Yamaha, Honda andKTM also have electric bikes in the pipeline.“It seems that electric motorcycles aregoing to be a pretty important mainstay,”said Jerry Phibbs Jr., a longtime motorcycledealer in Albany who sold all four of theZero bikes on the showroom floor this year.“All of the industry standards say by 2018 itwill consist of more than 50 percent of themarket. I don’t know if I believe that, but it’scertainly going to be a major part of it.”

Zero expects to sell 2,400 electric motor-

cycles this year, a fraction of the more than260,000 conventional motorcycles sold lastyear alone by Harley. But what has hap-pened to the technology since formerNASA engineer Neal Saiki began tinkeringin that Santa Cruz garage is impressive.

“When we started, we were hoping toget to the performance of the 125cc racebike,” said Craig Bramscher, chairman ofOregon-based Brammo Inc. “Now, we wentaround Daytona (International Speedway)at 175 mph. We see the path.

There’s technology there where it startsto exceed the capabilities of the bike tohold the road. We can see that we can passgasoline in terms of its capability.”

Mission’s high-end superbike representsthe cream of the crop in performance andcost, with a price tag around $29,000. Itlooks like any gas-powered model, butthat’s where the similarities end. Cited byTime Magazine as one of the 25 best inven-tions of 2013, it zooms from zero to 60 inunder 3 seconds, has a top speed in excessof 150 mph with a range of 140 miles onthe highway and 230 in the city, and has acomputer for a dashboard.

“We’re as good or better than any gasbike, but we’re still expensive,” said Missionpresident Mark Seeger, whose goal is toproduce a bike with a 600-mile range socharging time becomes a moot point. “Canwe produce a vehicle that is better thananything that came before it and has thesame price or cheaper? It’s going to hap-pen.”

Electric motorcycles are well-balancedand easy to ride because most have directdrive (gears and clutches are optional).There are no tailpipe emissions, no clunk-ing pistons, no crankshaft, no oil leaks, novibration and virtually no maintenancesave new tires and brakes. The averagerange is well over 100 miles in city driving.(Four years ago, it was about 25 miles.)They plug into regular household outletsfor charging that costs under $2. And Zerosays its batteries will last over 300,000miles. The global marketplace is a target asconsumers outside the United States seekrelief from high gasoline prices. Zero’s SRmodel gets the equivalent of 462 miles pergallon around town. “The total cost of own-ership will be cheaper soon, very soon, andthe upfront cost will be lower as well,”Bramscher said. “People will ride them, andthen they’ll go, ‘Oh, my gosh! This is somuch fun!’”—AP

Harley helps put electricmotorcycles in spotlight

NEW YORK: Maggie McNally-Bradshaw and her husband Curt Bradshaw pose withtheir Zero electric motorcycles on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in Princetown. —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Google onMonday said it is shutting downOrkut, its “first foray into socialnetworking,” to focus on YouTube,Blogger, and Google+ servicesthat have proven more popular.

The California technology titanwill pull the plug on 10-year-oldOrkut at the end of September.“Over the past decade, YouTube,Blogger and Google+ have takenoff,” Google engineering directorPaul Golgher said in a blog post.

“Because the growth of thesecommunities has outpacedOrkut’s growth, we’ve decided tobid Orkut farewell.” Orkut was theresult of a “20 percent project” inwhich Google workers got tospend a fifth of their time onideas not necessarily related totheir job responsibilities.

Orkut proved particularly pop-ular in Brazil, where two years agoit was eclipsed by social network-ing powerhouse Facebook.Google launched its Google+social network in 2011 and hasbeen slowly weaving it into otherservices.

Meanwhile, Google executivechairman Eric Schmidt visitedCuba this week along with threeother top executives to promote“a free Internet,” Cuban independ-ent online newspaper “14yMedio”reported.

The four executives “met withofficials,” spoke “with youth atpolytechnical schools” and, onSaturday, visited the University ofComputer Sciences in westernHavana, wrote the newspaper,run by dissident blogger Yoani

Sanchez.The two-day visit to the

Americas’ only communist-runcountry also included JaredCohen, Brett Perlmutter and DanKeyserling.

It was the first such visit byGoogle executives to “promotethe virtues of a free and openInternet,” said the new site, whichwas also contacted by the visitingteam.

The visit by Google, which hasbeen accused by Cuba of “scan-dalously” blocking some of itsservices on the island, was notreported in any official media.

The Internet giant has justifiedthe services blocked under thefull US economic embargo thathas been in place since 1962.

In her blog GeneracionY,Sanchez described her meetingFriday with the Google team as“an online workshop.” “We didn’task him any questions and wedidn’t want any answers, we justtold him who we are and what weare trying to do.”

US-based Schmidt confirmedthe trip on a Google+ postingSunday, saying US sanctions onCuba defied reason. “Walkingaround (Havana), it’s possible toimagine a new Cuba, perhaps aleader of Latin America educa-tion, culture, and business,” hewrote.

“Cuba will have to open itspolitical and business economy,and the US will have to overcomeour history and open the embar-go. Both countries have to dosomething that is hard to do

politically, but it will be worth it,”Schmidt argued.?

An underwater cable connect-ing Cuba to Venezuela openedpossibilities to upgrade Internetservice starting in 2013.

However, Cuban authoritiessaid financial limitations stoppedthem from increasing access, andcontinued with their policy of pri-oritizing use for universities,

research institutes and state enti-ties.

The only Cuban residentswho can connect to the Internetfrom their homes are doctors,journalists and other profession-als authorized by the govern-ment. Havana accuses Sanchez,along with other Cuban dissi-dents, of being a US-paid “mer-cenary.” — AFP

Google shutting down Orkut social network

ALPENA: In this photo provided by the Marine Advanced TechnologyEducation Center, a remotely operated vehicle collects simulated sam-ples at the bottom of the tank during final day of tank missions for the13th Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely OperatedVehicle International Competition. — AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

NEW YORK: Parents who catch their middle school-aged children sexting may be justified in suspectingsomething more, a new study suggests. Adolescentswho sent or received sexually explicit photos or textmessages were three to seven times more likely to besexually active than their peers not involved in sexting,according to a survey of nearly 1,300 middle schoolstudents in Los Angeles.

“Even among kids as young as 11 to 13, those whosext are also sexually active,” Eric Rice, who led thestudy at the University of Southern California in LosAngeles, told Reuters Health in an email. “Parents,teachers, social workers and pediatricians all need torecognize that sexting is a contemporary adolescentsexual behavior. We need to be teaching kids aboutthe ramifications of sexting as part of our sexual educa-tion programs,” he said.

The researchers found that three-quarters of themiddle schoolers had easy access to texting-capablephones. Of the kids with cell phone access, 20 percentsaid they had received at least one sext and almost fivepercent had sent one. Students who had received a

sext were about seven times more likely to be sexuallyactive than those who hadn’t and students who hadsent a sext were about three times more likely to besexually active, the researchers found. In total, 11 per-cent of the kids surveyed said they were sexuallyactive. And 30 percent of them said that the last timethey had sex, it was unprotected, according to findingspublished in Pediatrics.

Past research has found a link between sexting andsex among high school students. The new survey addsmiddle schoolers who sext as well as those who exces-sively text to the list of young people who are morelikely to be sexually active. “About 40 percent of 11- to13-year-olds are sending more than 100 text messagesa day. This appears to be part of a ‘cluster’ of riskybehaviors that also includes sexting and sexual activity.Excessive texting may be an indicator for other issuesand is something parents, teachers, social workers andpediatricians should be monitoring,” Rice said.

Monitoring cell phonesParents should think about monitoring their

middle school-aged children’s cell phones, theresearchers say. They should do any monitoringopenly, and also consider checking in with chil-dren about who they are texting, the researchersrecommend. The findings suggest that sexting andtexting can be an opening for parents to talkabout sex with their children, Rice’s team adds.

Christopher Houck , a staff psychologist atRhode Island Hospital in Providence and leadinvestigator at Bradley Hasbro Children’s ResearchCenter, has also studied sexting and sex but wasnot involved in the new research. “Finding strate-gies to talk about sex can be difficult for parents,and using what’s happening naturally in an adoles-cent’s environment is a good way to start theseconversations,” he told Reuters Health in an email.“For some, it might be talking about things on TVor radio. For others, it might be talking about thetexts that they or their friends send and receive,and what that means to them. The key is for par-ents to find a way to start talking about theseimportant topics.”— Reuters

Students who send explicit texts more likely to be sexually active

40% of children sending more than 100 texts a day

WASHINGTON: Some childhoodvaccines are linked to serious sideeffects, but they are quite rare anddo not include autism, food aller-gies or cancer, said a review of sci-entific literature yesterday. A host ofvaccines commonly given to chil-dren under age six were the focus ofthe systematic review of rigorouslyconducted studies, published in thepeer-reviewed US journal Pediatrics.The report seeks to address a risingtrend of vaccine hesitancy amongparents in the United States andEurope, which has led to a resur-gence of measles and whoopingcough in some parts of the world.

“We found that serious adverseevents that are linked to vaccinesare really rare, and that when theydo occur they are often not neces-sarily severe,” said study co-authorCourtney Gidengil, a pediatrician atBoston Children’s Hospital and pro-fessor at Harvard Medical School.“We think this adds to the body ofevidence that the benefits really doseem to clearly outweigh the lowrisk of serious side effects from vac-cines,” she told AFP.

The study expands on a 2011report by the Institute of Medicinethat also pointed to some sideeffects linked to vaccines but found“few health problems are caused byor clearly associated with vaccines.”The Pediatrics report includes sever-al vaccines that were not studied bythe IOM, including those againsthepatitis A, Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib), polio, rotavirus and thepneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Side effects Side effects of the measles,

mumps and rubella (MMR) andpneumococcal vaccines includedthe potential for fever and seizures.The MMR and hepatitis A vaccineswere also linked to a side effectcalled purpura, when small bloodvessels leak under the skin. Therewas some evidence that immune-deficient children given the varicellavaccine against chicken pox coulddevelop infections or have an aller-gic reaction.The rotavirus vaccines,RotaTeq and Rotarix, were associat-ed with a risk of intussusception, acondition in which one part of theintestine slides into another part.However, the risk of this conditionwas rare, amounting to between 1-5in 100,000, the researchers said.

“Clinicians who immunize chil-dren regularly may have encoun-tered these adverse events in their

practices, particularly seizures asso-ciated with fever,” said an accompa-nying editorial by Carrie Byington,vice chair for research in the pedi-atrics department at the Universityof Utah. “Fortunately, the adverseevents identified by the authorswere rare and in most cases wouldbe expected to resolve completelyafter the acute event.”

No deaths No fatalities were found in the

research, which spanned from 2010to 2013 and included a total of 67studies, whittled down from morethan 20,000 research papers. Eachstudy that made the final cut had acontrol or comparison group, andinvolved vaccines approved for theUS market as of 2011. The reportfound insufficient evidence to linkthe inactivated polio vaccine tofood allergies, and showed no linkbetween childhood vaccines andthe onset of leukemia.

Furthermore, its review ofresearch backed up the IOM conclu-sion that the “MMR vaccine is notassociated with autism,” the reportsaid. The systematic review exclud-ed reports to the federal VaccineAdverse Event Reporting System,which contains complaints filed byindividuals or health care profes-sionals if they suspect a vaccinemay have caused a problem with apatient’s health.”We didn’t use thatdata because there is no compari-son group out there and there is noway to really assess the validity andreliability,” said co-author MargaretMaglione, a policy analyst at RANDCorporation.

The paper described vaccinesas “one of the greatest publ ichealth achievements of the 20thcentury for their role in eradicat-ing smal lpox and control l ingpolio, measles, rubella, and otherinfectious diseases in the UnitedStates.”Gidengil said that the lat-est study may not be enough tochange the minds of parents whoare skeptical of vaccines. “Withoutthis work there would be a lack oftransparency around this issue, soby doing this important researchin a thorough and systematic way,we acknowledge that there arerare but actual side effects,” shesaid. “And we can document thoseclearly for people, which we hopewill just increase some trust in thevaccine process and the t rustbetween parents and their healthcare provider.” — AFP

Vaccines have low riskof serious side effects

WASHINGTON: No more dreadedpelvic exam? New guidelines say mosthealthy women can skip the yearly ritu-al. Routine pelvic exams don’t benefitwomen who have no symptoms of dis-ease and who aren’t pregnant, and theycan cause harm, the American Collegeof Physicians said Monday as it recom-mended that doctors quit using themas a screening tool. It’s part of a growingmovement to evaluate whether manylongtime medical practices are donemore out of habit than necessity, andthe guideline is sure to be controversial.Scientific evidence “just doesn’t supportthe benefit of having a pelvic examevery year,” said guideline coauthor DrLinda Humphrey of the PortlandVeterans Affairs Medical Center andOregon Health & Science University.

“There will be women who arerelieved, and there are women whoreally want to go in and talk with theirdoctor about it and will choose to con-tinue this,” she added. The recommen-dations aren’t binding to doctors - orinsurers. Indeed, a different doctors’group, the American College ofObstetricians and Gynecologists, stillrecommends yearly pelvic exams, evenas it acknowledges a lack of evidencesupporting, or refuting, them.

Pelvic exams have long been con-sidered part of a “well-woman visit,” andsome 62 million were performed in theUnited States in 2010, the latest avail-able data. Here’s what put the testunder the microscope: Pap smears thatcheck for cervical cancer used to bedone yearly but now are recommendedonly every three to five years. So ifwomen weren’t going through that testevery year, did they still need the pelvicexam that traditionally accompanied it?

A broader lookDuring a pelvic exam, a doctor feels

for abnormalities in the ovaries, uterusand other pelvic organs. But two yearsago, scientists at the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention reported thatthe internal exams weren’t a goodscreening tool for ovarian cancer andshouldn’t be required before a womanwas prescribed birth control pills. TheAmerican College of Physicians, special-ists in internal medicine, took a broaderlook. Pelvic exams are appropriate forwomen with symptoms such as vaginaldischarge, abnormal bleeding, pain, uri-nary problems or sexual dysfunction,the ACP said. And women should gettheir Pap smears on schedule - but aPap doesn’t require the extra step of amanual pelvic exam, it said.

For symptom-free women, years of

medical studies show routine pelvicexams aren’t useful to screen for ovari-an or other gynecologic cancers, theydon’t reduce deaths, and there are oth-er ways, such as urine tests, to detectsuch problems as sexually transmittedinfections, the doctors’ group reportedin the journal Annals of InternalMedicine.

False alarmMoreover, pelvic exams can cause

harm - from unnecessary and expensiveextra testing when the exam sparks afalse alarm, to the anxiety, embarrass-ment and discomfort that manywomen report, especially survivors ofsexual abuse, the guidelines said. Noone knows how many women post-pone a doctor’s visit for fear of a pelvicexam, Humphrey said.

Dr Ranit Mishori, a family physicianand associate professor at GeorgetownUniversity School of Medicine, said thenew guideline “gets rid of an unneces-sary practice” that takes up valuabletime that could be put to better use.“Many women will be happy to hearthat, and I think also, frankly, manyphysicians will be happy to hear it.Many of us have stopped doing themfor a long time,” said Mishori, whowasn’t involved with the recommenda-tions.

A ritual practiceDespite its continued recommenda-

tion for annual pelvic exams, theAmerican College of Obstetricians andGynecologists said in 2012 that patientsshould decide together with theirproviders whether to have them.Sometimes that exam lets the doctorspot, say, problems around the uterusthat might lead to questions aboutincontinence that the supposedlyasymptomatic patient was too embar-rassed to bring up, said ACOG vice pres-ident Dr Barbara Levy. “Women have anexpectation that they’re going to havean exam” if they choose a gynecologist,Levy said.

An editorial published alongside theguidelines Monday cautioned thatpelvic exams also look for noncancer-ous uterine and ovarian growths, andthe scientific review didn’t addresswhether that’s beneficial. Still, editorialcoauthors Drs George Sawaya andVanessa Jacoby of the University ofCalifornia, San Francisco, said thatwhether the new guideline changesdoctors’ practice or not, it could lead tobetter evaluation of what “has becomemore of a ritual than an evidence-basedpractice.” —AP

BERLIN: In this April 20, 2012, file photo, Holly Ann Haley, 4, getstwo vaccinations at the doctor’s office. — AP

NEW YORK: The ability to videochat with familyand friends might help relieve stress amongsome hospitalized kids, according to a newstudy. The “virtual visits” seemed to help kidswho lived closest to the hospital and were hos-pitalized for the shortest amount of time, anaverage of five days. The videochat program hasbeen used at the University of California DavisChildren’s Hospital in Sacramento for the pastseveral years, said lead author Nikki H Yang,who works at the hospital.

“Before starting this research project, wealways received positive feedbacks onimproved children’s stress and other mentalsymptoms after using our videoconferencingprogram,” Yang told Reuters Health in an email.For the study, the researchers gave the so-calledFamily-Link system to 232 kids who wereexpected to be in the hospital for at least fourdays. The system uses laptops loaded with web-cams and several programs like Skype, WindowsLive Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.

Measuring stressThe study also included 135 similar kids who

did not get the Family-Link laptops. Each familyfilled out two surveys, one in the first few daysof the child’s hospitalization and the other with-in two days of discharge. The surveys weremeant to measure stress and asked about thechild’s behavior, emotions and appearance. Allof the kids’ stress levels went down after theyleft the hospital. Among children who lived anaverage of 35 miles from the hospital and werehospitalized for roughly five days, stress levelsfell 37 percent more for the Family-Link groupthan for the kids without the program.

For kids who spent more time in the hospi-tal or whose families lived further away, howev-er, Family-Link didn’t seem to make a differ-ence. Almost all of the Family-Link users were

satisfied with the program, and 71 percent ofparents said the program helped kids stay intouch with their family and friends more thanusual, according to results published inPediatrics. Hospital-provided videoconferenc-ing services could help supplement in-personfamily visits, according to Sarah Rhoads Kinder,who has studied those services at theUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences inLittle Rock.

‘Virtual visits’“What I found is for a lot of families, we

expect them to stay in the hospital with theirchild but if they have other children at home oraren’t financially able to take off from work,there are barriers to that,” Kinder told ReutersHealth. And while parents generally make fre-quent in-person visits, friends who may other-wise not visit could use this videoconferencingprogram, she said. In-person visits really canhelp patients recover, and “virtual visits” are like-ly to be nearly as good, Kinder said. Reducedstress levels may even lead to earlier hospitaldischarges, she said.

Though many kids have cell phones andmay Skype or FaceTime their families andfriends anyway, hospital-provided options areimportant too because different options workfor different people, she said. “The moreoptions family members have to stay connect-ed the better,” she said. “Grandmothers may feelmore comfortable using this type of system.”Kinder’s hospital uses a webcam system fornew parents to watch their babies in theneonatal intensive care unit, which has beenvery successful, and she believes other groups,including adult cancer patients, would wel-come this option. “I think this is very promisingand I’m encouraged that pediatric facilities arelooking into this,” Kinder said. — Reuters

Malaysia sets up taskforce to fight

dengue as deaths riseKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has set up a task force to combatdengue fever as deaths from the mosquito-borne tropical diseasehave soared, Prime Minister Najib Razak said yesterday. Najib saidhe hoped the task force led by his deputy would be able to curb thespiralling number of cases, according to local media reports. Eighty-two people have died from the flu-like illness from January untilJune 21, more than triple the number in the same period last year.The number of cases has soared 3.5 times to more than 42,000,according to health ministry figures.

The deadliest year on record in Malaysia was 2010 when 134people died from dengue. More than 43,000 cases were reportedfor all of last year, with 92 deaths, up from 35 dead in 2012. “Wehope the establishment of this special task force will be able to curbthe rise in dengue cases and at the same time implement preven-tive measures more effectively throughout the country,” Najib wasquoted by the Star as saying.

Authorities have repeatedly urged people to make sure their sur-roundings are free of mosquito-breeding places, such as stagnantwater collecting in empty flower pots, dumpsters and constructionsites. They have also appealed to those with symptoms, such asnausea, headache and severe muscle and joint pain, to seek hospi-tal treatment.

In severe cases, the illness nicknamed “break-bone fever” cancause internal bleeding, organ impairment, respiratory distress anddeath. Repeated hot spells this year have contributed to more casesof dengue fever, as it speeds up the life cycle of the Aedes mosquitothat carries the virus and enhances replication of the pathogen,experts say.

The World Health Organization calls dengue one of the fastest-growing viral threats globally, especially in the tropics. Dengue istransmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can pick up thevirus from an infected human and transmit it to the next person itbites. According to the World Health Organisation, the disease maybe infecting up to 50-100 million people each year. There is no vac-cine so prevention focuses on mosquito control. — AFP

Video conferencing linkedto reduced stress for some hospitalized kids

Most healthy women can skip pelvic exam

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court ruled Monday thatsome corporations can hold religious objections that allowthem to opt out of the new health law requirement thatthey cover contraceptives for women. The justices’ 5-4 deci-sion is the first time that the high court has ruled that profit-seeking businesses can hold religious views under federallaw. And it means the Obama administration must search fora different way of providing free contraception to womenwho are covered under objecting companies’ health insur-ance plans. Contraception is among a range of preventiveservices that must be provided at no extra charge under thehealth care law that President Barack Obama signed in 2010and the Supreme Court upheld two years later. Two yearsago, Chief Justice John Roberts cast the pivotal vote thatsaved the health care law in the midst of Obama’s campaignfor re-election. On Monday, dealing with a small sliver of thelaw, Roberts sided with the four justices who would havestruck down the law in its entirety.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion. Thecourt’s four liberal justices dissented. The court stressed thatits ruling applies only to corporations that are under thecontrol of just a few people in which there is no essential dif-ference between the business and its owners, like theOklahoma-based Hobby Lobby chain of arts-and-craftstores that challenged the provision. Alito also said the deci-sion is limited to contraceptives under the health care law.“Our decision should not be understood to hold that aninsurance-coverage mandate must necessarily fall if it con-flicts with an employer’s religious beliefs,” Alito said. He sug-gested two ways the administration could ensure womenget the contraception they want. It could simply pay forpregnancy prevention, he said. Or it could provide the samekind of accommodation it has made available to religious-oriented, not-for-profit corporations.

Religious claimsThose groups can tell the government that providing the

coverage violates their religious beliefs. At that point, thegroups’ insurers or a third-party administrator takes on theresponsibility of paying for the birth control. The accommo-dation is the subject of separate legal challenges, but thecourt said Monday that the profit-seeking companies couldnot assert religious claims in such a situation.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was part of the majority,also wrote separately to emphasize that the administrationcan solve its problem easily. “The accommodation works byrequiring insurance companies to cover, without cost shar-ing, contraception coverage for female employees who wishit,” Kennedy said. That arrangement, he said, “does notimpinge on the plaintiffs’ religious beliefs.”

Houses of worship and other religious institutions whoseprimary purpose is to spread the faith are exempt from therequirement to offer birth control. In a dissent she readaloud from the bench, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg calledthe decision “potentially sweeping” because it minimizes thegovernment’s interest in uniform compliance with lawsaffecting the workplace. “And it discounts the disadvantagesreligion-based opt outs impose on others, in particular,employees who do not share their employer’s religiousbeliefs,” Ginsburg said.

Suing over contraceptivesThe administration said a victory for the companies

would prevent women who work for them from makingdecisions about birth control based on what’s best for theirhealth, not whether they can afford it. The government’ssupporters pointed to research showing that nearly one-third of women would change their contraceptive if costwere not an issue; a very effective means of birth control,the intrauterine device, can cost up to $1,000. The contra-ceptives at issue before the court were the emergency con-traceptives Plan B and ella, and two IUDs.

Nearly 50 businesses have sued over covering contracep-tives. Some, like those involved in the Supreme Court case,are willing to cover most methods of contraception, as longas they can exclude drugs or devices that the governmentsays may work after an egg has been fertilized. Other com-panies object to paying for any form of birth control.

There are separate lawsuits challenging the contracep-tion provision from religiously affiliated hospitals, collegesand charities. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundationfound 85 percent of large American employers already hadoffered such coverage before the health care law required it.

Ruling impactMost working women will probably see no impact from

the ruling, corporate health benefits consultants expect.Publicly traded companies are unlikely to drag religion intotheir employee benefit plans, said Mark Holloway, directorof compliance services at the Lockton Companies, an insur-ance broker that serves medium-sized and growingemployers. “Most employers view health insurance as atool to attract and retain employees,” said Holloway.“Women employees want access to contraceptive cover-age and most employers don’t have a problem providingthat coverage. It is typically not a high-cost item.” It isunclear how many women potentially are affected by thehigh court ruling. Hobby Lobby is by far the largestemployer of any company that has gone to court to fightthe birth control provision.—AP

US justices: Can’t make employers cover contraception

WASHINGTON: Demonstrators react to hearing the Supreme Court’s decision on the Hobby Lobby case outside theSupreme Court. — AP

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Wishing you aday that is asspecial in

every way as you are.Happy birthday JongSimbol greetingscoming from yourDINALITS and MAR-CO VINCENT familyand friends.( July 1,2014 )

Greetings With the kick-off of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, anumber of activities are being held at TheAvenues in collaboration with renowned brands

located at SoKu between June 12 and July 13.These activities are part of a series of summer activities

that The Avenues is organizing with different stores andbrands in SoKu, including sports and electronic brands. Allof this is being brought to the visitors of The Avenues in afestive sports atmosphere, in conjunction with the WorldCup that is currently taking place in Brazil.

The activities included the distribution of match timeta-bles at the customer service desks, with personnel wearingthe jerseys of the teams competing for the Cup. AcrossSoKu, visitors can see the flags of the countries plating inthe football tournament and the logos of the stores that aresponsoring the event. Radio contests are also being heldfor two weeks, with a wide range of prizes provided by thesponsors.

On its part, the management of The Avenues expressedits keenness to celebrate events in cooperation with thestores under its roof, as well as encouraging stores to holdtheir own events in order to make the shopping experienceat The Avenues an ideal one for every member of the fami-ly. The stores sponsoring the World Cup celebration eventare Adidas, Nike, Soccer Scene, Nutrishop, Piel de Toro,Samsung and Yamaha.

Influenced by New York’s bohemian Soho district, SoKuis an acronym for the “South of Kuwait”. SoKu offers an icon-ic urban shopping experience that attracts Kuwait’s youth,and the district is perfectly poised to house leading youthbrands. SoKu is located on two separate streets and its twofloors offer young people the ultimate place to hang outwith their friends at the restaurants and cafes in the district,as well as in the open courtyards. LED lights are embeddedin the floors, lighting up in different colors in a reflection ofthe youthful spirit of the district.

World Cup activities at The Avenues

The brand new mega campaign of BEC Exchange was inaugurated by Mathews Varughese, ActingGeneral Manager of BEC Exchange. Starting from June 22 and running until October 11, everycustomer that makes a transaction from any BEC branch will be automatically entered into the

campaign with a chance to drive away in a BMW 316i. Customers will also have the chance to win oneof 3 x Toyota Yaris’ and one of thirty pieces gold bars.

The Government of India has decided to hold thenext Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD-2015) atMahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat in

January 2015.The effort would be to have more meaningful and

interactive sessions that would address the issues andconcerns of the overseas Indian community effective-ly. Since 2015 marks the hundredth anniversary of thereturn of the greatest “Pravasi”of all, Mahatma Gandhi

from South Africa, it is desired that PBD-2015 wouldbe celebrated in a grand way.

The detailed programme of PBD-2015 is being pre-pared and will be uploaded on the Embassy’s Websitein due course.

More detailed information on Pravasi BhartiyaDivas (PBD-2015) can be accessed at the Ministry ofOverseas India Affairs’ website(http://www.moia.gov.in).

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad(IIMA)’s Post-Graduate Programme inManagement for Executives (PGPX) has been

empaneled in the Govt of India’s Indian Technicaland Economic Cooperation’ (ITEC) ScholarshipProgramme under which international candidatesfrom 141 ITEC Partner Countries would be eligiblefor full scholarship from the Department ofProgramme Administration (DPA), Ministry ofExternal Affairs (MEA), Govt of India. The ITEC pro-gramme was initiated in 1964 and has generatedimmense goodwill and substantive cooperation

among the developing countries. As per the details mentioned on the ITEC website,

international students who qualify and are admittedto the scholarship programmes/courses (as per theconcerned institution’s admission process) would beeligible for a return air-fare, full programme fee,monthly subsistence allowance, a stationeryallowance and allowance for traveling in India.However, the International Immersion Programmecomponent of the PGPX is not sponsored for whichthe student may have to spend from own pocket orundertake any substitute credit at IIMA.

For candidates applying for the PGPX at IIMA, thecandidate will have to first apply for the ITECScholarship through the Indian Embassy/MissionOffice in his/her country. Simultaneously he/she willhave to apply for the PGPX programme and getadmitted by following IIMA’s admission process.IIMA is India’s premiere management Institute setup in 1961 through a ‘Public-Private-Partnership’between the Govt. of India, Govt. of Gujarat State,Philanthropic Industrialists of Ahmedabad, HarvardUniversity and Ford Foundation. PGPX is a one yearfull time residential programme for executives with

substantial work experience leading to a One YearPost-Graduate Diploma in Management forExecutives. PGPX was launched in 2006 and applica-tions for the 10th batch starting April 2015 is cur-rently on. Application window will close at 6:00 pmIST on Aug 11 . (Early bird discount in applicationfees ends at 6:00 pm IST on July 28) The ‘Must Read’section on the PGPX’s home page gives all informa-tion concerning IIMA, PGPX, Placements/CareerServices, Application Criteria and Process, AdmissionCriteria and Process and Post-Admission relatedprocess.

The “Hakawati” series is back fora second consecutive year, pre-sented by McDonald’s Kuwait

throughout the Holy Month ofRamadan. The televised series followsmain character, storyteller AbouSaleem The Hakawati, as he tells anew story each day to bring familiestogether with tales that reflect thevirtues of the holy month, foster alife-long love of reading, and teachvaluable lessons to children.

The “Hakawati” program byMcDonald’s Kuwait hopes to activelyengage the community, encouragingchildren and their family members totake part in fun but still educationalactivities. Throughout the program,kids will be able to learn more aboutthe age-old Arabic tradition of the“Hakawati” (the storyteller), as theylisten to his entertaining and engag-ing stories full of valuable life-lessons. The show also hopes toencourage children to read more andto better appreciate the power of agood story. The program will air intwo minutes episodes every eveningbefore Iftar and will be depicting 15individual stories throughout theHoly Month, all told in ClassicalArabic dialect.

“Hakawati” will be airing on satel-lite channels Al-Watan, Al-Rai andMBC 1. It will also be made availableto all online users through Shahid.netand McDonaldsArabia.com, as well ason the McDonald’s Arabia Facebookpage and YouTube channel.

“”Hakawati”, is a truly unique

Ramadan experience thatMcDonald’s is presenting to the pub-lic with the aim of bringing familiestogether through a shared love ofreading”, said Sherif Coutry Directorof Marketing at McDonald’sKuwait.”The series will not only enter-tain but also prove educational,instilling positive values in our chil-dren. In addition to that, allMcDonald’s branches in Kuwait will

have a reading corner during thewhole month.”

Coutry further added. “We are alsoproud to have our McDonald’sambassador of goodwill, RonaldMcDonald, play a big part in our ini-tiatives of giving during Ramadan; ashe will be visiting hospitals and chil-dren associations across Kuwait inthe hopes of drawing a smile on thefaces of children in Kuwait.”

McDonald’s presents‘Hakawati’ series

Pravasi Bhartiya Divas

Govt of India sponsors International Diversity at IIMA programme

Consular hours

The consular section at the Embassy of Canada inKuwait will be introducing temporary service timesfor consular services as of June 22, 2014. Until further

notice the service hours will be: Sunday, Monday andWednesday from 9am to 11am. Reminder: Payment for allconsular services is by credit card only.

Burgan Bank Ramadan timing

Burgan Bank announced yesterday its new branch timingswhich will be applicable all throughout the holy month ofRamadan. All Burgan Bank branches will commence work in

one shift from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Additionally, the Airport branch willbe open in the mornings from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm and in theevenings from 9:30 pm to 11:30pm.

For more information on any products or services, customers arerequired to contact Burgan Bank’s call center 1804080 during theholiday. On this occasion, Burgan Bank extends its best wishes toeveryone during the Holy month of Ramadan.

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Embassy of Brazil

On the occasion of the aus-picious month ofRamadan, the Embassy will

open Sunday through Thursdayfrom 10:00am to 2:00pm and theConsular Section will receive visaapplicants from 10:30am to1:00pm (sharp).

Grosvenor House Apartments byJumeirah Living, centrally located in oneof the most exclusive areas of London

on Park Lane in the heart of Mayfair, is all set tocelebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan withspecially invited guests. The luxurious propertyis set to host an exclusive Ghabka event on July9 at the Messilah venuein the JumeirahMessilah Beach Hotel & Spa.

On hand to welcome the invited guests isAstrid Bray, General Manager of GrosvenorHouse Apartments. Bray is a British nationalwho originally joined Jumeirah Group in 2005as Director of Business Development forJumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah LowndesHotel in London.

“Grosvenor House Apartments has been thepreferred place to stay in London for discerningbusiness and leisure travelers from Kuwait andbeyond,” said Bray.

“I am extremely delighted to be given thisopportunity to meet some of our loyal cus-tomers from Kuwait as well as to be acquaintedwith those who have yet to try the uniqueexperience that Grosvenor House Apartmentshas to offer. I am indeed looking forward tohosting this Ghabqa event during the holymonth of Ramadan for all our distinguishedguests from Kuwait.”

Combining the refined services of a luxury

hotel with the privacy, comfort and generousliving space of a contemporary Mayfair resi-dence, Grosvenor House Apartments is a ‘hotelresidence’ that is truly a ‘home away from home’for businessmen, families, diplomats or couplesvisiting London either for business or leisure.

As an all-suite luxury hotel characterized byluxurious privacy, comfort and generous livingspace, the property has 130 suites ranging fromstudio to three bedrooms to choose from.Furthermore, a new collection of three and fourbedroom suites called ‘The London Suites’, aswell as four spacious single strata penthouseson the top floor are likewise available. All suitesfeature complimentary wireless internet, a fully-equipped open plan kitchen and living area forconvenience and comfort. Additionally, guestsalso receive luxury five-star service with the res-idence concierge and guest services teams whoare available around the clock.

Combining the refined services of a luxuryhotel with the privacy, comfort and generousliving space of a contemporary Mayfair resi-dence, Grosvenor House Apartments offers aunique experience for both short and extend-ed stays. Managed by Jumeirah Living, the 130serviced residences range from studio resi-dences to the 5-bedroom GrosvenorPenthouse and offer truly personalised touchesfor effortless living. Grosvenor House

Apartments feature cutting-edge technology,sumptuous finishes and contemporary designto provide guests and residents with theexceptional, world-class luxury service forwhich Jumeirah is renowned, in a home awayfrom home.

Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotelcompany and a member of Dubai Holding,operates a world-class portfolio of hotels andresorts. Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts includesJumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi; Burj AlArab Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel,Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Jumeirah EmiratesTowers, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray and MadinatJumeirah in Dubai; Jumeirah Messilah BeachHotel & Spa in Kuwait; Jumeirah Bilgah BeachHotel in Baku; Jumeirah Dhevanafushi andJumeirah Vittaveli in the Maldives; JumeirahHimalayas Hotel in Shanghai; JumeirahFrankfurt in Germany; Jumeirah Grand Hotelvia Veneto in Rome; Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel& Spa in Mallorca, Spain; Pera Palace HotelJumeirah in Istanbul; as well as JumeirahCarlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel inLondon. Jumeirah Group also runs the luxuryserviced residences brand Jumeirah LivingTM;the wellness brand Talise; JumeirahRestaurants; Wild Wadi WaterparkTM; TheEmirates Academy of Hospitality Management;and SiriusTM, its global loyalty programme.

Grosvenor House Apartments toshowcase unique experience

In order to maintain a strong rapport with clientsand expatriate communities working in Kuwait, Al-Mulla Exchange organized a musical concert for the

Nepalese community on Friday called ‘Himalaya Music’.This initiative was a part of the company’s outreach

plan to reward its loyal customers by providing whole-some entertainment.

The concert was held at the American InternationalSchool in Maidan Hawally and entertained the audi-ence with outstanding musical performances in the

presence of Nepal’s Charge-de-affaires in Kuwait,Bishal Bihtrai.

The artists comprising of Ram Krishna Dahkal, AnjoPanta, Manoj Kajoral, Bashobati Sharma and KikiAdhakari took the crowd of 1800 to a different level

altogether with their singing and entertaining antics.The concert which went for more than 5 hours had thecrowd thumping to their favorite tunes and wenthome happy after seeing and hearing the songs oftheir choice.

Al-Mulla Exchange holds concert for Nepalese community

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

ALEX CROSS ON OSN MOVIES HD

THE TUXEDO ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

00:15 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill00:40 Come Dine With Me01:30 Bargain Hunt03:45 Homes Under The Hammer04:35 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook05:00 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill05:30 Bargain Hunt08:30 Homes Under The Hammer09:25 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook09:50 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill10:15 Raymond Blanc’s KitchenSecrets10:40 Bargain Hunt12:50 Homes Under The Hammer13:40 Gok’s Fashion Fix14:30 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook14:55 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill15:20 Raymond Blanc’s KitchenSecrets15:45 A Taste Of My Life16:10 Bargain Hunt18:25 Marbella Mansions19:10 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery19:35 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery20:00 Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition22:15 Bargain Hunt23:00 Marbella Mansions23:45 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery

00:00 Escape Club00:55 Chelsea Lately01:25 Style Star02:20 Keeping Up With TheKardashians03:15 Extreme Close-Up04:10 E!ES05:05 Beyond Candid With Giuliana06:00 THS07:50 Style Star08:20 Fashion Police08:45 Eric And Jessie: Game On09:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 The Drama Queen12:05 Fashion Police13:05 Extreme Close-Up13:35 E!ES14:30 Style Star15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills18:00 E! News19:00 Giuliana & Bill21:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On21:30 Keeping Up With TheKardashians22:30 E! News23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:00 Chasing UFOs01:00 The Numbers Game01:30 The Numbers Game02:00 Great Migrations03:00 Secrets Of The Taj Mahal04:00 Mega Breakdown05:00 Engineering Connections06:00 Air Crash Investigation07:00 Lords Of War

00:45 Beast Lands01:35 Untamed & Uncut02:25 Shamwari: A Wild Life03:15 Give Me Shelter03:40 Give Me Shelter04:05 Dog Rescuers04:30 Dog Rescuers04:55 Animal Cops Houston05:45 Roaring With Pride06:35 Breed All About It07:00 Animal Airport07:25 Animal Battlegrounds08:15 Wild France09:10 Wildest Indochina10:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life11:00 Animal Precinct11:55 Animal Airport12:20 Breed All About It12:50 Outback Rangers13:15 Outback Rangers13:45 Max’s Big Tracks14:40 Shamwari: A Wild Life15:30 Treehouse Masters16:30 The Magic Of The Big Blue17:25 Pandamonium18:20 Penguin Safari19:15 World’s Wildest Cities:Manaus20:10 Galapagos21:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life22:00 World’s Wildest Cities:Manaus22:30 World’s Wildest Cities:Manaus

01:00 Little Bee 202:45 Marvel’s The Invincible IronMan04:30 Kong Return To The Jungle06:00 Angel’s Friends08:00 Jelly T10:00 The Polar Express11:45 Zambezia

00:00 Grassroots-PG1502:00 Saving Grace B. Jones-PG1504:00 Cloudy With A Chance OfMeatballs 2-PG06:00 The Arrangement-PG1508:00 From Prada To Nada-PG1510:00 3 Times A Charm-PG1511:45 42-PG1514:00 Class-PG1516:00 From Prada To Nada-PG1517:45 Oblivion-PG1520:00 Celeste And Jesse Forever-PG1522:00 The Big Wedding-PG15

00:20 The Gadget Show00:45 How Does That Work?01:10 Prototype This02:00 Sci-Trek02:45 Mythbusters03:35 What’s That About?04:30 Moon Machines05:20 Unchained Reaction06:10 Science Of The Movies07:00 Close Encounters07:25 Close Encounters07:55 Engineering Earthquakes08:45 What’s That About?09:40 Science Of The Movies10:30 X-Machines11:20 Moon Machines12:10 Unchained Reaction13:00 How Does That Work?13:30 What’s That About?14:20 Mythbusters15:10 Unchained Reaction16:00 X-Machines16:50 Science Of The Movies17:40 Prototype This18:30 Sci-Trek19:20 The Gadget Show19:45 How Does That Work?20:10 Mythbusters

00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Colbert Report01:30 Seinfeld02:00 Seinfeld02:30 The Mindy Project03:00 Cougar Town03:30 Raising Hope04:00 My Boys04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 My Name Is Earl06:00 The War At Home06:30 Friends07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 My Boys08:30 My Name Is Earl09:00 Cougar Town09:30 About A Boy10:00 Hot In Cleveland10:30 Friends11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 The War At Home12:30 My Boys13:00 My Name Is Earl13:30 Friends14:00 Raising Hope14:30 About A Boy15:00 Hot In Cleveland15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 The War At Home17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Cougar Town18:30 Parks And Recreation19:00 Trophy Wife19:30 Modern Family20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 Sean Saves The World22:30 2 Broke Girls

00:00 Delirious-PG1501:45 The Holiday-PG1504:00 Coneheads-PG06:00 The Beautician And TheBeast-PG1508:00 A Kiss For Jed Wood-PG1510:00 Down Periscope-PG1512:00 The Big Bus-PG14:00 Just Like Heaven-PG1516:00 Damsels In Distress-PG1517:45 Mrs. Doubtfire-PG20:00 Norbit-PG1522:00 Step Brothers-18

01:00 Atlas Shrugged-PG1503:00 Dark Horse-PG1505:00 Timer-PG1507:00 The Entitled-PG1509:00 The Woman In The Fifth11:00 Timer-PG1513:00 The Entitled-PG1515:00 Old Stock-PG1517:00 The Woman In The Fifth19:00 The Glass Man-PG1521:00 Texas Killing Fields-PG1523:00 The Last Harbor-PG15

00:45 Flesh And Bone-PG1503:00 Being John Malkovich-PG1505:00 Broken Bridges-PG1506:45 Fat Man And Little Boy-PG1509:00 Being John Malkovich-PG1511:00 Katy Perry The Movie: Part OfMe-PG13:00 The Gospel-PG1515:00 Deadly Spa-PG1517:00 Katy Perry The Movie: Part OfMe-PG18:45 A League Of Their Own-PG1521:00 Sparkle-PG1523:00 No Country For Old Men-

01:30 Futbol Mundial02:00 Champions Tour Highlights03:00 Super Rugby07:00 Golfing World 08:00 WEB.COM Tour Highlights09:00 Champions Tour Highlights10:00 Challenge Series GolfHighlights10:30 NRL Premiership14:30 PGA Tour Highlights15:30 NRL Full Time16:00 Futbol Mundial16:30 Challenge Series GolfHighlights17:00 AFL Premiership Highlights18:00 PGA European TourHighlights19:00 Golfing World 20:00 European Tour weekly20:30 Inside the PGA Tour21:00 Trans World22:00 PGA Tour Highlights23:00 International Rugby Union

00:00 Bellator MMA 02:30 WWE SmackDown03:00 WWE Bottom Line04:00 IndyCar Highlights 06:00 Web.Com Tour 07:00 Super Rugby09:00 Super Rugby11:00 Golfing World 12:00 Web.Com Tour 13:00 WWE SmackDown15:00 WWE Bottom Line16:00 Golfing World 17:00 Champions Tour Highlights 18:00 Super Rugby20:00 V8 Supercars Highlights21:00 V8 Supercars Highlights22:00 WWE Bottom Line23:00 Bellator MMA

00:00 Violetta00:45 The Hive00:50 Art Attack01:15 Art Attack01:40 Wolfblood02:05 Wolfblood02:30 Violetta03:10 The Hive03:20 Art Attack03:45 Art Attack04:10 Jungle Junction04:20 Jungle Junction04:35 Jungle Junction04:50 Jungle Junction05:00 Art Attack05:25 Art Attack05:50 Mouk06:00 Austin & Ally06:25 Austin & Ally06:45 Mako Mermaids07:10 Mako Mermaids07:35 Jessie07:55 Jessie

03:00 Storage Wars03:30 Storage Wars04:00 Pawn Stars04:30 Pawn Stars05:00 Ancient Aliens06:00 Storage Wars Texas06:30 Counting Cars07:00 Pawn Stars07:30 Pawn Stars08:00 American Restoration08:30 Cajun Pawn Stars09:00 Storage Wars Texas09:30 Counting Cars10:00 Pawn Stars10:30 Pawn Stars11:00 Storage Wars11:30 Storage Wars12:00 Pawn Stars12:30 Pawn Stars13:00 Mountain Men14:00 Cajun Pawn Stars14:30 Cajun Pawn Stars15:00 Pawn Stars15:30 Pawn Stars16:00 Pawn Stars18:00 Storage Wars18:30 Storage Wars19:00 Pawn Stars19:30 Pawn Stars20:00 Cajun Pawn Stars20:30 Cajun Pawn Stars21:00 Pawn Stars21:30 Storage Wars22:00 Storage Wars22:30 Storage Wars23:00 Duck Dynasty23:30 Duck Dynasty

00:30 Survive That!01:20 Get Out Alive With BearGrylls02:10 Manhunt03:00 Fast N’ Loud03:50 Storage Hunters04:15 Container Wars04:40 Savage Family Diggers05:05 How It’s Made05:30 How Stuff’s Made06:00 Gold Rush07:00 Dual Survival07:50 Alaska: The Last Frontier08:40 Fast N’ Loud09:30 Storage Hunters09:55 Container Wars10:20 Savage Family Diggers10:45 How It’s Made

11:10 How Stuff’s Made11:35 Survive That!12:25 Get Out Alive With BearGrylls13:15 Manhunt14:05 Storage Hunters14:30 Container Wars14:55 Savage Family Diggers15:20 Dual Survival16:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier17:00 Fast N’ Loud17:50 Treehouse Masters18:40 Futurescape With JamesWoods19:30 Gold Rush20:20 How It’s Made20:45 How Stuff’s Made21:10 Container Wars

00:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights01:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights02:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights03:30 ICC Cricket 36004:00 IPL Highlights05:00 IPL Highlights06:00 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights07:00 ICC Cricket 36007:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights08:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights09:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights10:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights11:30 ICC Cricket 36012:00 IPL Highlights13:00 IPL Highlights14:00 IPL Highlights15:00 IPL Highlights16:00 ICC Cricket 36016:30 IPL Highlights17:30 IPL Highlights18:30 IPL Highlights19:30 Natwest T20 Blast Highlights20:30 Live Natwest T20 Blast

00:10 The Undateables01:00 Pregnant Behind Bars01:50 Hoarding: Buried Alive02:40 I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant03:05 Pregnant Behind Bars03:55 Long Island Medium04:20 Say Yes To The Dress04:45 Say Yes To The Dress05:10 Toddlers & Tiaras06:00 Oprah: Behind The Scenes07:00 What Not To Wear07:50 Oprah Presents: Master Class08:40 Oprah’s Next Chapter09:30 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 Oprah: Behind The Scenes13:15 Brides Of Beverly Hills13:40 Brides Of Beverly Hills14:05 Something Borrowed,Something New14:30 Something Borrowed,Something New14:55 Extreme Couponing All-Stars15:20 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 Oprah: Behind The Scenes20:05 Extreme Couponing All-Stars20:30 Cake Boss21:00 My Crazy Obsession21:30 My Crazy Obsession21:55 My Strange Addiction22:25 My Strange Addiction22:50 Long Island Medium23:15 My Crazy Obsession23:40 My Crazy Obsession

01:00 Alex Cross-PG1503:00 Stolen-PG1505:00 Lovestruck: The Musical-PG1507:00 Ice Age: Continental Drift-PG09:00 Batman: The Dark KnightReturns Part Two-PG1510:45 The Host-PG1513:00 Fastest-PG1515:00 The Hobbit: An UnexpectedJourney-PG17:45 Batman: The Dark KnightReturns Part Two-PG1519:15 Red Dawn-PG1521:00 The Pact-PG1522:45 Fast & Furious 6-PG15

08:20 Win, Lose Or Draw08:45 Good Luck Charlie09:05 Dog With A Blog09:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place09:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place10:15 Liv And Maddie10:40 Space Buddies12:00 Disney Mickey Mouse Shorts12:15 Jessie12:35 Jessie13:00 African Cats13:25 Austin & Ally13:45 Good Luck Charlie14:10 Good Luck Charlie14:35 Dog With A Blog15:00 Dog With A Blog15:25 Liv And Maddie15:50 Liv And Maddie16:10 Mako Mermaids16:35 Win, Lose Or Draw17:00 Robin Hood18:30 Mako Mermaids18:55 Mako Mermaids19:20 Violetta20:05 African Cats20:30 Jessie20:50 Dog With A Blog21:15 Mako Mermaids21:40 Austin & Ally22:00 Good Luck Charlie22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Shake It Up23:10 Wolfblood23:35 Wolfblood

00:00 The Tuxedo-PG1502:00 Nitro Circus: The Movie-PG1504:00 Metal Tornado-PG1506:00 Sins Expiation-PG1508:00 Badges Of Fury-PG1510:00 Blown Away-PG1512:00 Special Forces-PG1514:00 Sins Expiation-PG1516:00 The Tuxedo-PG1518:00 Blown Away-PG1520:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG1522:00 Live Free Or Die Hard-PG15

TV star Rolf Harris guilty of sex assaults in Britain

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name inBritain since the 1960s, could face jail after his convic-tion Monday on 12 counts of indecently assaulting

girls. Australian-born Harris, 84 — a TV presenter, artist andperformer of amusing songs like “Tie Me Kangaroo Down,Sport”-was found guilty of all the charges against him aftera six-week trial. He assaulted four girls and young womenaged from seven to 19 between 1968 and 1986, includinghis daughter Bindi’s childhood best friend, a London courtfound. Harris’s conviction represents a spectacular fall fromgrace for one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers.

Known for his catchphrase “Can you tell what it is yet?”he painted Queen Elizabeth II on her 80th birthday, hostedpopular BBC television show “Animal Hospital” and per-formed at the Glastonbury music festival.

He was made a CBE in 2006 — one of the highest honorsthe queen can bestow-and performed at a concert markingthe monarch’s Diamond Jubilee outside Buckingham Palacein 2012. In his native Australia, Prime Minister Tony Abbottsaid he was “gutted and dismayed” by Harris’ conviction asthe entertainer’s home town moved to purge his memory.

Harris is the second person to be convicted underOperation Yewtree, the high-profile police investigation setup in 2012 after allegations that the late BBC presenterJimmy Savile was a prolific sex offender. Harris was releasedon bail until Friday when he will be sentenced. Judge NigelSweeney warned him that a jail term was a strong possibili-ty, but his state of health would be assessed first.

‘Sickened’ by his own behavior During the trial, prosecutors said Harris was a “Jekyll and

Hyde” character who used his fame to abuse under-agegirls with impunity. When he took the witness stand, Harristurned on the charm which had enchanted millions ofviewers, singing part of his hit “Jake the Peg” and describ-ing how he invented the “wobble board”-a musical instru-ment made of a sheet of hardboard. But the mood in courtchanged when he was confronted with the allegationsagainst him, including seven counts relating to his daugh-ter’s friend. She said Harris assaulted her over several years,the first time when she was 13 and emerging from a show-er on a trip to Hawaii. —AFP

07:30 Mystery Files08:00 Chasing UFOs09:00 The Numbers Game10:00 Great Migrations11:00 Cradle Of The Gods12:00 Mega Breakdown13:00 Engineering Connections14:00 Pirate Patrol15:00 Lords Of War15:30 Mystery Files16:00 Jurassic C.S.I.17:00 The Numbers Game18:00 Banged Up Abroad19:00 Situation Critical20:00 The Indestructibles21:00 Naked Science 2.522:00 Megastructures23:00 World’s Toughest Fixes

00:20 The Great Serengeti01:10 Sea Strikers02:00 Built For The Kill02:50 World’s Deadliest03:45 Touching The Dragon04:40 Wild Dog Diaries05:35 Built For The Kill06:30 World’s Deadliest07:25 Touching The Dragon08:20 Lion Battle Zone09:15 Crocpocalypse10:10 World’s Deadliest Killers11:05 Mudcats12:00 Fish Warrior12:55 World’s Worst Venom13:50 World’s Deadliest14:45 Croc Ganglands15:40 Super Pride16:35 Hippo vs Croc17:30 World’s Deadliest: Jaws &Sins18:25 Mudcats19:20 World’s Worst Venom

00:00 The Carrie Diaries01:00 24: Live Another Day02:00 The Newsroom03:00 C.S.I.04:00 White Collar05:00 Psych06:00 The Carrie Diaries07:00 Last Resort08:00 Scandal09:00 24: Live Another Day10:00 Psych11:00 White Collar12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Scandal15:00 The Carrie Diaries16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Scandal19:00 Once Upon A Time20:00 Unforgettable21:00 Chicago Fire22:00 Bates Motel23:00 C.S.I.

00:00 The Blacklist01:00 Good Morning America03:00 Rescue Me04:00 House Of Cards05:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 Almost Human10:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:00 Grey’s Anatomy13:00 The Blacklist14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 Almost Human17:00 Grey’s Anatomy18:00 The Blacklist19:00 Almost Human20:00 Grey’s Anatomy21:00 The Blacklist22:00 House Of Cards

00:05 Fast Food Gone Global00:55 Grill It! With Bobby Flay01:20 Roadtrip With G. Garvin01:45 The Next Food Network Star02:35 Unique Eats03:00 Unique Eats03:25 Guy’s Big Bite03:50 Iron Chef America04:40 Chopped05:30 Unwrapped05:50 Tastiest Places To Chowdown06:10 Chopped07:00 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam07:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives08:15 Iron Chef America09:05 Barefoot Contessa09:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes10:20 Easy Chinese: San Francisco10:45 Fast Food Gone Global11:35 Grill It! With Bobby Flay12:00 Reza, Spice Prince Of India12:25 Charly’s Cake Angels12:50 Siba’s Table13:15 Jenny Morris Cooks TheRiviera13:40 Guy’s Big Bite14:05 The Next Food Network Star14:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:45 Chopped16:35 Fast Food Gone Global17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks TheRiviera17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:40 Siba’s Table19:05 Reza’s African Kitchen19:30 Guy’s Big Bite19:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin20:20 Chopped21:10 Chopped22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives22:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives22:50 Roadtrip With G. Garvin23:15 Roadtrip With G. Garvin23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, centre, accompaniedby members of his family, daughter Bindi, right, wifeAlwen, 2nd left, and niece Jenny, left, leave theSouthwark Crown Court in London, Monday. — AP

SHARQIA-1

BORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 9:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 11:30 PM

SHARQIA-2

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 9:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 11:15 PM

SHARQIA-3

BLENDED (DIG) 9:30 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-1

THE WIND RISES (DIG) 9:00 PMNO MONBLENDED (DIG) 11:30 PMNO MONAUTONAGAR SURYA (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:00 PMMONBLENDED (DIG) 12:05 AMMON

MUHALAB-2

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 11:15 PM

MUHALAB-3

EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 9:30 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 11:45 PM

FANAR-1

ELISA KHATAFHA JAMEEL (DIG) (Kuwaiti Film)9:00 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 11:45 PM

FANAR-2

THE WIND RISES (DIG) 9:15 PMCUBAN FURY (DIG) 12:05 AM

FANAR-3

BORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 9:45 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 11:45 PM

FANAR-4

MALEFICENT (DIG-3D) 9:00 PMBLENDED (DIG) 11:00 PM

FANAR-5

AUTONAGAR SURYA (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:00 PMNINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-1

BLENDED (DIG) 9:45 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-2EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 9:15 PM

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 11:45 PM

MARINA-3

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 9:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 11:15 PM

AVENUES-1

ELISA KHATAFHA JAMEEL (DIG) (Kuwaiti Film)9:15 PMCUBAN FURY (DIG) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2

NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR (DIG) 9:30 PMELISA KHATAFHA JAMEEL (DIG) (Kuwaiti Film)11:30 PM

AVENUES-3

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 9:15 PMTHE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 11:45 PM

AVENUES-4

BLENDED (DIG) 10:45 PM

AVENUES-5

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG-3D) 11:15 PM

AVENUES-6

BORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 9:30 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 11:30 PM

AVENUES-7

THE WIND RISES (DIG) 9:00 PM7500 (DIG) 12:30 AM

AVENUES-8

EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 10:30 PM

AVENUES-9

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 9:45 PMONE CHANCE (DIG) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-10

BLENDED (DIG) 9:00 PMBLENDED (DIG) 11:15 PM

AVENUES-11

MALEFICENT (DIG) 10:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 12:15 AM

360º 1

BORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 10:00 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 12:05 AM

360º- 2

EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 9:00 PM

EDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 11:15 PM

360º- 3

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG) 9:15 PMX-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DIG) 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.1

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.2

BORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 9:30 PMELISA KHATAFHA JAMEEL (DIG) (Kuwaiti Film)11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.3

THE WIND RISES (DIG) 9:15 PMEDGE OF TOMORROW (DIG) 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.4

BLENDED (DIG) 9:45 PMNINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR (DIG) 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DIG-3D) 9:15 PMMALEFICENT (DIG-3D) 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (DIG) 9:00 PMBLENDED (DIG) 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-3

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:30 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 12:05 AM

PLAZA

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:30 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 11:30 PM

LAILA

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:45 PMBLENDED (DIG) 11:45 PM

AJIAL.1

HUMSHAKALS (DIG) (HINDI) 9:00 PMMALEFICENT (DIG) 12:05 AM

AJIAL.2

MALEFICENT (DIG) 9:15 PMBORN TO RACE: FAST TRACK (DIG) 11:15 PM

AJIAL.3

EK VILLAIN (DIG) (HINDI) 10:00 PM

AJIAL.4

AUTONAGAR SURYA (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:30 PM

Kuwait

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 2/7/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeQTR 1084 Doha 00:05JZR 239 Amman 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:25JZR 539 Cairo 00:30DLH 637 Dammam 00:35PGT 858 Istanbul 01:25THY 764 Istanbul 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45GFA 211 Bahrain 01:55UAE 853 Dubai 02:25ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 02:30MSC 403 Asyut 02:30JAI 576 Kochi/Abu Dhabi 02:35FDB 5067 Dubai 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15OMA 643 Muscat 03:20QTR 1076 Doha 03:25MSC 401 Alexandria 04:00THY 770 Istanbul 04:35DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10RBG 555 Alexandria 05:25KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15BAW 157 London 06:35JZR 563 Sohag 06:35FDB 053 Dubai 07:00KAC 382 Delhi 07:30KAC 204 Lahore 07:35JZR 503 Luxor 07:40KAC 288 Dhaka 07:45KAC 206 Islamabad 07:50KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50QTR 1086 Doha 07:55KAC 364 Colombo 08:00KAC 352 Kochi 08:05KAC 344 Chennai 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ABY 125 Sharjah 08:50IRM 1186 Tehran 09:10IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:30FDB 5055 Dubai 09:35MEA 406 Beirut 09:40QTR 1070 Doha 10:00FDB 057 Dubai 10:40GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55IAW 157 Baghdad/Al Najaf 11:00MSC 405 Sohag 11:20JZR 151 Dubai 11:50IRM 1188 Mashhad 11:50JZR 561 Sohag 12:00SYR 341 Damascus 12:05FDB 071 Dubai 12:35UAE 871 Dubai 12:45MSR 610 Cairo 13:00THY 766 Istanbul 13:10CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15IYE 826 Sanaa/Mukalla 13:30QTR 1078 Doha 13:45MSR 575 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:15

KAC 546 Alexandria 14:15MSC 407 HRG 14:20GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30IRC 526 Mashhad 14:30KNE 472 Jeddah 14:40KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00IYE 824 Sanaa/Doha 15:05ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35KNE 462 Madinah 15:45IRM 1180 Mashhad 15:45KAC 672 Dubai 15:45KNE 460 Riyadh 15:55RJA 640 Amman 15:55JZR 787 Riyadh 16:15QTR 1072 Doha 16:15JZR 243 Amman 16:40ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:45KAC 562 Amman 16:50NIA 251 Alexandria 16:50UAE 857 Dubai 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15JZR 357 Mashhad 17:30GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 177 Dubai 17:45JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50JZR 483 Istanbul 17:55KAC 542 Cairo 18:15QTR 1080 Doha 18:25KAC 786 Jeddah 18:30FDB 063 Dubai 18:35KAC 166 Paris/Rome 18:40ABY 129 Sharjah 19:00KAC 618 Doha 19:00GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15KAC 674 Dubai 19:25MSR 606 Luxor 19:30JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 102 New York/London 19:35OMA 647 Muscat 19:55FDB 5061 Dubai 20:05MEA 402 Beirut 20:15DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:15ETD 919 Abu Dhabi 20:25KAC 514 Tehran 20:50ALK 229 Colombo 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30QTR 1074 Doha 21:30GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45JZR 135 Bahrain 21:45KNE 480 Taif 22:00AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25JZR 157 Dubai 22:55BBC 043 Dhaka 23:10FDB 059 Dubai 23:15JAI 574 Mumbai 23:20MSR 614 Cairo 23:30KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 23:40THY 772 Istanbul 23:45NIA 263 Luxor 23:50

Departure Flights on Wednesday 2/7/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 562 Sohag 00:10JAI 573 Mumbai 00:20UAL 981 IAD 00:25MSR 615 Cairo 00:30JZR 502 Luxor 01:30DLH 637 Frankfurt 01:35THY 773 Istanbul 02:20ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55MSC 404 Asyut 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:45FDB 5068 Dubai 03:45MSR 613 Cairo 04:15ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:20OMA 644 Muscat 04:20QTR 1077 Doha 04:25MSC 406 Sohag 05:00QTR 1085 Doha 05:20JZR 560 Sohag 05:35THY 765 Istanbul 06:00RBG 556 Alexandria 06:05JAI 575 Abu Dhabi/Kochi 06:30RJA 643 Amman 06:35THY 771 Istanbul 06:50GFA 212 Bahrain 07:00JZR 150 Dubai 07:15KAC 545 Alexandria 07:20FDB 054 Dubai 07:50BAW 156 London 08:25QTR 1087 Doha 08:55KAC 117 New York 09:05ABY 126 Sharjah 09:30KAC 787 Jeddah 09:35UAE 856 Dubai 09:50JZR 482 Istanbul 09:55ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:15FDB 5056 Dubai 10:15IRM 1181 Mashhad 10:20IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25MEA 407 Beirut 10:40QTR 1071 Doha 11:00JZR 242 Amman 11:05KAC 671 Dubai 11:20FDB 058 Dubai 11:20KAC 561 Amman 11:25KAC 541 Cairo 11:30GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35JZR 356 Mashhad 11:40MEA 405 Beirut 11:55IAW 158 Al Najaf/Baghdad 12:00KAC 175 Frankfurt/Geneva 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15MSC 402 Alexandria 12:20KAC 103 London 12:30JZR 786 Riyadh 12:50KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00SYR 342 Damascus 13:05JZR 176 Dubai 13:10IRM 1189 Mashhad 13:15

FDB 072 Dubai 13:15MSR 611 Cairo 14:00THY 767 Istanbul 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15CLX 792 Hanoi 14:30IYE 827 Mukalla/Sanaa 14:30QTR 1079 Doha 14:55MSR 576 Sharm el-Sheikh 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:05GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05MSC 408 HRG 15:15KAC 617 Doha 15:30IRC 527 Mashhad 15:30KNE 473 Jeddah 15:35SVA 503 Madinah/Jeddah 15:45KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50IYE 824 Sanaa 16:05ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15KAC 513 Tehran 16:20KNE 463 Madinah 16:30KNE 481 Taif 16:40RJA 641 Amman 16:55IRM 1187 Tehran 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:05QTR 1073 Doha 17:20JZR 538 Cairo 17:40ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:45NIA 262 Luxor 17:50UAE 858 Dubai 18:15SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 156 Dubai 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 554 Alexandria 18:30JZR 238 Amman 18:45JZR 134 Bahrain 18:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:20QTR 1081 Doha 19:25ABY 120 Sharjah 19:40GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50MSR 619 Alexandria 20:30KAC 283 Dhaka 20:30JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35FDB 5062 Dubai 20:50KAC 361 Colombo 20:50KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:50OMA 648 Muscat 20:55DLH 636 Dammam 21:00KAC 351 Kochi 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20ETD 920 Sharjah 22:25UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KAC 381 Delhi 22:30QTR 1075 Doha 22:40KAC 301 Mumbai 22:40GFA 220 Bahrain 22:45KNE 461 Riyadh 22:50KAC 205 Islamabad 23:35KAC 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 23:50FDB 060 Dubai 23:55

No: 16214

24835616/7 ,24833199

112

Fajr: 03:17

Shorook 04:52

Duhr: 11:52

Asr: 15:26

Maghrib: 18:52

Isha: 20:23

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM 1ST DAY OF RAMADAN TO

WEDNESDAY (02/07/2014)

TRANSPORT

SITUATION WANTED

TUITION MATRIMONIAL

Arabic Teacher for non-native speakers beginners &advanced - All levels of theArabic language - IGCSE &GCSE, language training syl-labus foreign and common-wealth office. Only KD 10 foran hour & free books.Contact: Mr Khalid:99619998. (C 4740)30-6-2014

Transportation requiredfrom Shuwaikh SanatAlghanim to Hawally BinKhaldoun Street duringworkdays at 3.30pm duringRamadan and 5.30pm afterRamadan. Please contact: 9987831730-6-2014

Prayer timings

Indian female (MBA in HR),10 years experience inHR/Administration. Capableof managing all functions inHR/Admin. Proficient in MSOffice. Good communica-tion skills. Please contact60636328. (C 4749)22-6-2014

FOR SALE

Toyota Camry 2004 Grandy,6 clr, white color, very goodcondition. KD 1450. Tel:66729295. (C 4803)

Nissan Altima 2008, silvercolor, full options, 4 clr,excellent condition. KD1800. Tel: 50994848. (C 4804)

24-6-2014

Marthomite parents inviteproposals for their son26/180 BE civil, from par-ents of professionally quali-fied girls, working inKuwait. PreferenceMarthoma, Orthodox,Jacobite and Evangelics. E-mail: johnm@utc.com.kw (C 4802)

Note:- The Day before Ramadan, All Cinemas will close at 1.00 am

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR

CIVIL INFORMATIONAutomated enquiry

aboutthe Civil ID card is

1889988

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

You could be in the limelight today, especially in relation to your work. Youmay find that you enjoy your job or the responsibility it entails more than

usual. Financial security and enjoying the finer things in life, appreciating and creatingthings others long to have are experiences that assume a high priority. You are valued inthe workplace but it is important to keep up appearances and show that you value yourselfand others in the way you present yourself. You may be planning a shopping trip this after-noon. While it is good to have money in the bank, it is also good to go shopping for clothesthat fit. You enjoy a big chuckle with a friend this evening when you see the new magictrick he or she has finally achieved.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Today brings you a kind of recognition of who you really are with regard tohow you appear to others, in the business as well as the social world. You have a strongneed for this recognition and you are appreciative. You will be wise to make plans towardsecuring your professional and financial life instead of spending time in worry. Write out aplan that will include these goals. More demanding years could be in the forecast. Now isthe time to build on all of your relationships. A lover or child becomes a focal point in yourlife. Laughter and fun communications come easily this afternoon. There is fun competitionwith a hobby this evening. You won’t be up late tonight but you will be distracted from theeveryday stress.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You have a great love of the written and spoken word; ideas are what you liketo work with best. Your enthusiasm for mental stimulation and the world of

ideas makes it easy for you to communicate to others. You may find yourself teaching spiri-tual lessons today. You have no trouble putting feelings into the way you express yourwords; this carries a lot of meaning. A choice of entertaining, teaching, speaking or singingcomes about in order to communicate hope, realities and possibilities. Your expression ofthis hope, acceptance and good insights shows off the magnitude of your perspective. Youwill always find new ways to relate in a love relationship and this evening is a good time todo just that.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Teamwork and group projects are where your attention turns this day. If youare working alone, consider creating a work group that will move through the work fasterthan one person. A convention or important presentation is in the last stages of develop-ment. You work well in groups and this is certainly the time to get those last-minute detailscompleted. There are lots of people ready to buy what your company has to offer. You willbe pleased at how your showmanship makes all the difference in merchandise appeal. Thebiggest challenge is to convince the higher-ups how you and your teammates can makework really move along fast. Celebrations make good pictures. Happy birthday!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your feelings or yourability to act and get things done. Everything may be pouring in at once and it’s all goodnews. Your career direction gets some encouragement and life’s problems seem to haveeasy solutions. You benefit from an older person or one in authority. Life could assume adreamlike stance. You may find yourself more than a little greedy and your current appreci-ation for just about everything may lead you to overspend. Something you really want topurchase may not be as desirable after a few days of delay-compare prices. You will makecareer gains by your ability to sense quality and choose accordingly. Someone understandsyour complaints.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

This is a period emphasizing an enhanced sense of personal possibility andpotential. There is tremendous psychological growth and it will lead to great

personal success, if you follow through with it. You might also find that you will put on thepounds if you are not careful. Respect, status and achievement are central goals for you as anew phase begins in your life. Ambition unlimited always ends in defeat. In-depth discus-sions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are ata high point. Good practical job-related thoughts and ideas are available to you. The abilityto communicate with superiors or describe what you see is a talent others wish they had.Take some time to just relax and enjoy some quiet time tonight.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Your insight and vision into what unites people and into the dreams andmystical regions of our minds are profound. You may be working and communicating withothers in these matters and with music and the arts. New paths to world or personal unityare a major interest, and you have a very practical sense of how to make your dreams real.You think of life as a grand experience and will do whatever it takes to find where the bestopportunities are developing. Concentrate on developing your special talent or on helpinga loved one develop his or her special talent. This is an excellent time to seek out an inspir-ing teacher or mentor. You are generous to the extreme with others. You are good at sens-ing the unity in life. Relax with your loved one this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Everything points to your taking the initiative. You could feel great supportfrom those around you. You feel healthy and natural with a sharp, nimble

mind and ready wit. You are quick to achieve and gain insights to new solutions. Yourresponse to stress makes the difference between success and failure. Your ability to con-verse with most any individual in any sector of life puts you in the genius arena when itcomes to communication skills. Others will find that you have a natural physical dexterity-good hands too. Your enchanting manner transports all who meet you beyond the mun-dane and into the extraordinary regions where you spend a lot of your time. You may findyourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You have a natural appreciation for the past-personal or worldly-all that istraditional. There is an opportunity to lead a club or group organization

today. This could mean a location away from your place of work. You will find that you enjoydecorating homes or advising medical groups on how to use color and floral setting as wellas pictures and furniture settings. Part of this decorator job entails the confirmation oftimes, products and people. You enjoy moods and emotions, especially in social surround-ings. You find it easy to work with other people and you tend to pour a lot of energy intothose around you. Perhaps stage-managing would also be a good way to express yourmany talents. Your dreams are memorable-keep your diary current.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Your mind is full of practical ideas, especially related to your particular talents.You may come up with new ideas to manage things better. You sense things

with the mind and understand that feelings are thoughts first. What does this or thatthought meanwhere is it pointing these are questions you may ask. You use subjectiverather than objective logic-intuition and gut instinct. Your image and ideals could be chal-lenged by another who sees you as too probing. You understand that thoughts must beproductive. Poetry, music and the arts interest you, as do psychology and the psyche. Aclassic movie or a book about new discoveries is enjoyed this evening. You will want torecord the antics of an animal this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

There is news of a part-time job, if you want it. This part-time job may remindyou of the job you had as a youth. You know you will be able to handle it eas-

ily. Family, home, relatives and real estate play a bigger part in your life and it may be time tothink about investing in a home. You want to belong on a private, intimate, personal leveland to have the security of a home and a place to call your own. Your work moves as itshould . . . Smoothly. You are in a mood of self-enjoyment and can appreciate your own bet-ter qualities. You may see value in or feel love for an older person or someone in authority.You are very animated and it is fun for you to convey your ideas. After work you might drivearound to see some of the homes that are for sale.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental bestthis day. Your analytical abilities are well tuned. Others will find a good

understanding of your thoughts and ideas. This afternoon is a good time to study-you havea real appreciation for innovative thinking and new discoveries are escalating all aroundyou. This may mean medical discoveries, weather discoveries or trends that have escalatedinto everyday uses. You may find yourself needing to set an alarm when you visit the libraryor bookstore, use your computer or chat with a buddy or just generally involve yourselfsomehow with learning about the latest discoveries. It is awesome to learn about the latesthappenings and you could be quite hungry when you stop.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 596

ACROSS1. Counting the number of white and red bloodcells and the number of platelets in 1 cubic mil-limeter of blood.4. Component consisting of a side piece oppo-site the moldboard.12. Edible tuber of any of several yams.15. Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.16. Lack of strength or vigor esp from illness.17. The compass point midway between eastand southeast.18. A short trip that is taken in the performanceof a necessary task or mission.20. Collect or gather.21. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning.22. Cruel or inhumane treatment.24. A class of proteins produced in lymph tissuein vertebrates and that function as antibodies inthe immune response.25. A landlocked desert republic in north-cen-tral Africa.27. A person who is regarded as easygoing andagreeable.30. The content of cognition.32. A knockout declared by the referee whojudges one boxer unable to continue.33. (Hinduism and Buddhism) The beatitudethat transcends the cycle of reincarnation.37. An Indian side dish of yogurt and choppedcucumbers and spices.41. A person who acts as host at formal occa-sions (makes an introductory speech and intro-duces other speakers).43. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.44. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts ofthe lateral columns and anterior horns of thespinal cord.45. In bed.47. Go away from the surface to which it isadsorbed, of a substance.50. A public promotion of some product orservice.52. Being or of the nature of an ovule.53. A river of southwestern Africa that rises incentral Angola and flows east and then north(forming part of the border between Angolaand Congo) and continuing northwest throughCongo to empty into the Congo River on theborder between Congo and Republic of theCongo.55. A Mid-Atlantic state.56. A condition requiring relief.57. Before noon.59. Humorously vulgar.61. A user interface based on graphics (iconsand pictures and menus) instead of text.63. An informal term for a father.66. A populous province in northeastern China.70. Any of a number of fishes of the familyCarangidae.72. Drink made by steeping and boiling and fer-menting rather than distilling.74. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.75. Generator consisting of a coil (the armature)that rotates between the poles of an electro-magnet (the field magnet) causing a current toflow in the armature.77. The 3rd planet from the sun.78. The molecular weight of a substanceexpressed in grams.79. A white crystalline amino acid occurring inproteins that is essential for nutrition.81. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flow-ers.82. Either extremity of something that haslength.83. Be behind.84. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN1. Relatively low in price or charging low prices.2. Found along western Atlantic coast.3. Persian prince who was defeated in battle byhis brother Artaxerxes II (424-401 BC).4. United States educator who founded the firstprivate school for Black students in Augusta,Georgia (1854-1933).5. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized bybehavioral and learning disorders.6. A Mid-Atlantic state.7. A nucleic acid consisting of large moleculesshaped like a double helix.8. The language of the nomadic Lapp people innorthern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula.9. Not based on fact.10. God of the underworld.11. A Christian celebration of the Resurrectionof Christ.12. Not only so, but.13. The largest continent with 60% of theearth's population.14. A form of rummy using two decks and fourjokers.19. A useful or valuable quality.23. Australian shrubs and small trees with ever-green usually spiny leaves and dense clusters ofshowy flowers.26. Salted roe of sturgeon or other large fish.28. A New England state.29. An alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimesarsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelryand for gilding.31. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces.34. A primeval personification of air and breath.35. Given or having a specified name.36. Any organic compound containing thegroup -CONH2.38. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug(trademarks Aleve and Anaprox and Aflaxen).39. An important question that is in dispute andmust be settled.40. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or brightlight) that precedes the onset of certain disor-ders such as a migraine attack or epilepticseizure.42. Any of numerous trees of the familyCupressaceae that resemble cedars.46. Submerged aquatic plant having narrowleaves and small flowers.48. A song that was formerly popular.49. (informal) Exceptionally good.51. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.54. English actress noted for her performancesin Shakespearean roles (1755-1831).58. A seat with a cushion that is used as athrone by Indian princes.60. 1 species.62. Small tropical American tree bearing edibleplumlike fruit.64. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on askewer usually with vegetables.65. A Bantu language spoken in southerncoastal Tanzania.67. Very dark black.68. With no effort to conceal.69. Not in action or at work.71. An independent ruler or chieftain (especiallyin Africa or Arabia).73. (Roman Catholic Church) The supremeecclesiastical tribunal for cases appealed to theHoly See from diocesan courts.76. A yearning for something or to do some-thing.80. The branch of engineering science thatstudies the uses of electricity and the equip-ment for power generation and distributionand the control of machines and communica-tion.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

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34s ta rs

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inf or m at ionWEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

Ophthalmologists

Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444

Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222

Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171

Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999

Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700

Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223

Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510

Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660

Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478

Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996

Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988

Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166

Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General Practitioners

Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123

Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312

Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920

Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465

Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528

Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781

Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

Urologists

Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534

Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955

Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120

Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

Al-Madeena 22418714

Al-Shuhada 22545171

Al-Shuwaikh 24810598

Al-Nuzha 22545171

Sabhan 24742838

Al-Helaly 22434853

Al-Faiha 22545051

Al-Farwaniya 24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983

Al-Fahaheel 23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983

Ahmadi 23980088

Al-Mangaf 23711183

Al-Shuaiba 23262845

Al-Jahra 25610011

Al-Salmiya 25616368

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam

Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid

MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC

Assistant Professor Of Medicine

Head, Division of Cardiology

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555

MD, PH.D, FACC

Inaya German Medical Center

Te: 2575077

Fax: 25723123

Soor Center

Tel: 2290-1677

Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com

www.soorcenter.com

Psychologists

/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677

Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677Kaizen center

25716707

Noor Clinic

23845955

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

Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677

INTERNATIONAL

CALLS

Keri Russell thinks Andy Serkis is an “unbelievable”

actor. ’The Americans’ star, who takes on the role of Ellie in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, claims her

co-star - who provides the voice for ape leader Caesar in the film as well as that of Golum in ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies - isn’t given enough recognition in the film industry. She told The Hollywood Reporter: “Andy is just so good. That was really the treat of doing this movie. I really hope people start paying attention to him. He’s unbelievable.” Serkis’ character leads a nation of genetically evolved apes as they are threatened by a band of human survivors of a devastating virus which was unleashed a decade earlier, and the film’s screenwriters claim it was his talent that allowed Caesar to speak. Rick Jaff and Amanda Silver explained: “The decision to have him speak and have words - it was really Andy, [We] credit him with figuring out Caesar’s voice.” ’Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ is scheduled for release in the UK on July 17 2014.

36G o s s i p

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Sarandon peer pressured into Tammy role Susan Sarandon claims she was peer pressured into starring

in ‘Tammy’. The 67-year-old actress plays the alcoholic grandmother of ‘Bridesmaids’ star Melissa McCarthy’s

character in the comedy, which marks Ben Falcone’s directo-rial debut, and she’s confessed she was sceptical about how she’d fit into the project. She explained: “Ben and Melissa called me and prepared me for the script. I read the script and didn’t understand what reality we would be in and so we had another call. ”Then Mark Duplass called me, I didn’t even know he was going to be in the movie, it was a conspiracy. He said you have to do this, you have to do this, they’re such great people. ”So peer pressure got to me and I thought, I’ll jump.” ’Tammy’ tells the story of a woman - played by McCarthy - who, after losing her job, husband and car in one day, decides to escape from her small town existence, but with no form of transport is forced to take her hard partying grandmother Pearl along for the ride. The 43-year-old comedienne admits Sarandon was worried she was expecting her to play a traditional grandmother, but insists once they’d clarified that wasn’t the case, she was more than happy to join the cast. McCarthy told Latino Review: “One of the first questions when we were talking on the phone was, ‘Are you seeing a little old granny with glasses and a knitted sweater and an up do bun?’ ”We were like oh God no she’s a raging alcoholic and she sleeps around. Then Susan was like OK we’ll be fine.”

Lou Reed left a fortune of over $30 million when he died. Rob-ert Got-

terer, the former manager of the ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ hitmaker

- who died of liver disease last October aged 71 - was appointed to oversee the star’s estate in November and

reported to Manhattan Surrogate’s Court last week that he has so far collected $20,379,169 in “money and other property”. The huge sum doesn’t include the gifts left by the former Velvet Underground singer to his family, nor does it include life insurance or retirement accounts. According to the New York Post newspaper, the funds are likely to be from Lou’s copyright and publishing interests as, in his will, he directed his long-time associate to treat them as his own. According to the will, the rocker’s wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson, will receive $15 million from the money collected by Gotterer and his sister, Margaret Reed Weiner, will receive $5 million. At the court hearing, the manager - who started working for Lou until 1970 - asked for him and a co-executor to be awarded $220,000 in fees. The ‘Perfect Day’ hitmaker’s attorney James Purdy filed documents stating executors will submit a full inventory of his client’s assets by January 2015. In his will, Lou left his $7?million New York penthouse apartment, $1.5?million Hamptons holiday home and personal property-including jewelry, clothing, art, cars, boats and his touring company, Sister Ray Enterprises-to his wife, and gave $500,000 to his sister to care for their elderly mother.

Lady Gaga and Judas Priest could collaborate. The ‘Applause’ hitmaker has been discussing working with the veteran metal band on a new sin-gle and the band’s singer Rob Halford seems keen on working together

in the future. He told the Huffington Post: “I’ve been a huge fan of Gaga since she first burst on the scene. I just love every-thing that lady represents. First and foremost, her voice is extraordinary. I love her voice. She’s an ac-complished musician, she plays piano really well, she’s just a great song-writer. And she’s a beacon of hope for a lot of people in the world.” The ‘Break-ing the Law’ rocker met Gaga for the first time when he was a guest at a concert in San Diego, California - and now the pair are making plans to hit the studio together. He said: “[Meeting her] was a real moment come true. We didn’t really have much time to talk. She’s busy. I’m busy, but we’ve agreed to get together at some point and just hang out and maybe do something. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I love her to death.” Gaga has previously spoken about her love of metal music and recently hung out with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.

Delevingne became‘kleptomaniac’ on JohnHardy set

Cara Delevingne turned into a “kleptomaniac” on the set of her John Hardy photoshoot. The 21-year-old model was in Bali over the weekend filming an exotic ad campaign for the sustainable

brand, which prides itself on its handmade pieces, and was so enam-ored with the beautiful clothes and accessories that she tried to take them all home with her. She joked during an interview with WWD: “I kept trying to steal things. I almost turned into a bit of a kleptomaniac, to be honest. I fell in love with this coil bracelet that wraps all around your arm. ”I tried to cement it to my arm. Or, I kept saying, ‘I can’t get this ring off, it’s too tight....It’s mine.’ “ Cara was amazed by the local craftsmen’s talent when she visited the workshop during the course of the three-day shoot and now thinks jewelry-making would be an excellent back-up career. She said: “Meeting all the actual people who make the jewelry and seeing how happy they are... I want to live there. I was like, ‘Can you hire me, please?’ ”I did jewelry-making in school, but I was very bad. [Here], you can feel the love in [the jewelry] and you feel like someone has actually put their heart into it.” The model of the moment was shot by Sebastian Faena alongside Giorgio Armani pin-up Simon Nessman, with make-up by Tom Pecheux, hair by Bob Recine and styling by Sarajane Hoare. The results will be unveiled in October and mark the first time in three years John Hardy have opted for a ma-jor advertising campaign. David Lipman, the brand’s creative director, commented: “Cara has the spirit of a girl from the Sixties and a girl from today. It’s not just a face. Cara is beyond a model. There is something bigger than that.” Dolly Parton claims her voice is “not fake”. The 68-year-old

singer has spoken out after claims she mimed during her Glastonbury performance on Sunday night and insists she did

sing live at the event at Worthy Farm in South East England. She told The Sun newspaper: “My body is fake, my hair’s fake but what is real is my voice and my heart.” Newsreader Kay Burley took to Twitter after Dolly’s set to suggest the ‘9 to 5’ singer was miming. She tweeted: “Oh, Dolly is miming. How disappointing.” The comment was re-tweeted hundreds of times and fans including comedian Stephen Fry jumped to her defence, claiming it was a “HD live processor issue”. A spokesman for Dolly also slammed the comments about her miming. They told The Sun: “It’s ridiculous to suggest Dolly was miming. She’s been performing for more than 60 years - she doesn’t need to. ”This should not overshadow what was truly a great gig and accomplished performance. Dolly adored every single moment.” Meanwhile, Dolly - who performed her energetic set in front of more than 200,000 ador-ing fans clad in a white suit covered in rhinestones - had received a surprise award prior to her set. She was presented with a congratula-tory plaque by Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis and her manager Danny Nozell in honor of selling 100 million albums worldwide.

Ken Marino joins comedy heist film

Ken Marino has been added to the cast of a new comedy heist film. The ‘Wanderlust’ actor has signed on to star alongside Zach Galifianakis,

Owen Wilson and Kristen Wiig in the untitled project formerly known as ‘Loomis Fargo’, Deadline reports. The movie follows a simple armored car guard, played by Galifianakis, who takes the fall for a $20 million heist and goes on the run from the police while tracking double-crossers Steve (Owen), Kelly (Wiig) and the gang of criminals who betrayed him, as they spend their loot on a leading a luxurious lifestyle. Marino - who will star in the upcoming sitcom ‘Marry Me’ - will take on the role of rich and uptight neighbor Doug Jeffcoat, who disapproves of Steve and his pals degrading his wealthy neighborhood. Kate McKin-non has also joined the cast and will play Galifianakis’ ball-busting fiancé, while her ‘Saturday Night Live’ colleague Leslie Jones will play the detective on the thieves’ trail. Meanwhile, It’s Always Sunny in Phila-delphia’s Mary Elizabeth Ellis will play Steve’s cunning and gold-digging wife Michelle with Devin Ratray and Ross Kimball set to portray his loyal henchmen Runny and Eric. It was reported last week that ‘Hor-rible Bosses’ star Jason Sudeikis was also in talks to join the upcoming comedy, which will be directed by Jared Hess, although it’s unclear what role he would take on. The comedy heist is scheduled for release on August 14 2015.

Lou Reed

Cara Delevingne

Ken Marino

Keri Russell

Susan Sarandon

Lady Gaga

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Lou Reed left

30 million

Dolly Parton:My voice is not fake

Dolly Parton

Halle Berry

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Halle Berry: TV is better than filmHalle Berry thinks TV is now better than film. The 47-year-old actress - who has children Nahla, six, with ex-boyfriend Ga-

briel Aubry, and eight-month-old Maceo with husband Olivier Martinez - was unimpressed with the movie scripts she was receiving and had no desire to return to work until she was approached to appear in sci-fi drama series ‘Extant’. She

told Entertainment Weekly: “I was being offered parts that I felt like I had done before. They weren’t exciting enough for me to leave my family for four months. I realized some of the best writing especially for women, was on television. “The minute I started to read [’Extant’], I couldn’t put it down. I thought, ‘Wow. This is different.’ It’s innovative.” The highly-anticipated minise-ries sees Halle play infertile astronaut Molly Woods who returns from a year-long solo space mission pregnant, and the bru-nette beauty was attracted to the character because of her “complicated” life. She added: “Molly is a strong female character, which I really love to play. Molly is a complicated woman with a complicated family “Who is a woman who goes away to space for a year and leaves her husband, first of all? Who is a woman who comes back pregnant and tries to handle it somehow on her own? That just felt like a complication that I wanted to be a part of.”

L I F E S T Y L E

Levine wasn’t paid for ‘Begin Again’Adam Levine claims he wasn’t paid for his film debut in the comedy ‘Begin

Again’. The Maroon 5 frontman plays musician Dave Kohl in the film - which also stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo - and has claimed he

chose to do the movie for the experience and not the pay cheque. He told USA Today: “I did this movie for no money. I’m very lucky that I’m in that position. ‘I want to have good experiences. I don’t want to do a bunch of that I hate. I want to treat [acting] completely differently because I have the very fortunate luxury of not having to think of this in terms of money.” Adam, 35, has earned enough money from his band and stint as a coach on the American version of ‘The Voice’ that he can afford the luxury of working for free. He is also set to return to ‘The Voice’ for the NBC show’s seventh series starting in September, the same month Maroon 5 release their fifth studio album. Meanwhile, Adam, is engaged to model Behati Prinsloo and the pair plan to marry on July 19 in Mexico. He previously admitted he “lost his equilibrium” when he proposed to the brunette beauty and ended up “on both knees” to pop the question. Talking about his fiancee, he said: “She’s incredible and that alone makes me the luckiest person in the world.”

37G o s s i p

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

Bruce Springsteen will debut a short film on his website July 9. A poster of the film

“Hunter of Invisible Game” ap-peared on the singer’s website Monday. The film is a collabora-tion with Thom Zimny, who has worked with the Boss in the past. No more details were provided. A representative for Springsteen didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking more information. Zimny has directed, produced and edited a number of live Springsteen concert videos.

The three-times married star - who recently ended her two-year relationship with Casper Smart - believes she has got “smarter” about the choices she makes in her personal life and says her new

outlook on life is reflected in new album ‘A.K.A.’. She said: “I believe in love more than ever, but I think I’ve gotten a little bit smarter about it. “I like to think I’ve grown up a little bit, and I think all that is reflected on the album. You hear that, you hear a stronger Jennifer maybe than you have in the past.” The 44-year-old superstar credits her five-year-old twins Max and Emme - whose father is her third husband Marc Anthony - with giving her the motivation to keep working hard as she wants to give them the best life possible. She explained to the New York Daily News newspaper’s Confidenti@l column: “I want to give them the best life. You want them to have everything, you want them to grow up and have everything better than you had it. “Learn more than you did and not make the mistakes you did. You just want everything to be perfect for them, so they definitely motivate me to be better—yes, in my job—but a better person.”

Munn works outto fight OCD

Olivia Munn works out every morning to “combat” obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ actress finds the daily sessions with a personal trainer help ease the symptoms of the anxiety disor-

der - which sees sufferers experience obsessive thoughts and often indulge in repetitive behaviors - though she is unsure how they keep her calm. She said: “To combat my OCD, a trainer helps me work out every day 6 am. I don’t know what he does, but it helps. We talked over the weekend.” The 33-year-old actress also admitted she never brushes her hair and isn’t faithful to using any particular product on it. She said: “I’m Chinese so I have thick hair, which I don’t brush, and use different products. I love vintage shopping.” And despite her slender frame, Olivia insists she never diets and is always happy to indulge in her favorite foods. She said: “I don’t diet. I eat plenty. Lunch was chicken marsala, miso soup, spare ribs. I send up Korean and Indian room service.” The actress will next be seen in supernatural thriller ‘Deliver Us From Evil’, which is based on a true story and she found it helpful having the person her character is based on set with her. She told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six col-umn: “The film’s based on a true New York story. I play the real cop’s supportive wife. They’re now divorced. But she was on set with me and led me through how it all was.”

Manganiello named hottest bachelor

Joe Manganiello has been named People’s Hottest Bachelor. The ‘True Blood’ hunk triumphed over the likes of Jared Leto, Liam Hems-worth, Sam Smith and Britain’s Prince Harry to take the publication’s

title, and in an accompanying interview he admitted he is “at his best” when not single. He said: “I’m at my best when I have someone to wake up next to.” The 37-year-old actor credits his Italian background for his “passionate” nature. He said: “I am part Sicilian. I am passionate. I am a hot-blooded person. If you don’t like spicy, then maybe I’m not for you.” And the ‘Magic Mike’ star believes it takes time to properly fall in love. He explained: “I think the crazy love that you fall into in the beginning turns into ‘like’ and ‘need.’ Chris Rock told me that! “He’s like, ‘Kid, you wanna get married? Listen, there’s love, and you can feel love the first night, but that’s not what it is. It’s, ‘I like you and I need you.’ “ Joe also admitted he loves playing a werewolf on ‘True Blood’ because he is so attracted to the smell of a woman. He said: “I’m big into smell. It’s funny I got cast as a werewolf. There’s something about the smell on that part of a woman’s neck where it meets the jaw, ahhhh! It’s heaven.” August 14 2015.

The Who

Joe Manganiello

Ella Henderson

Nick Cannon

Bruce Springsteen

Jennifer Lopez

Olivia Munn

Springsteen to debut short film on website July 9Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are taking

The Who on the road for a series of shows in the UK celebrating the band’s 50th anniver-

sary. Daltrey referred to the tour as the start of the Who’s “long goodbye” during a news conference Monday at Ronnie Scott’s jazz bar in London. “Well, it just has to be really,” the 70-year-old Daltrey said. “We can’t go on touring forever, but we don’t know how long we will go on touring. It’s an open-ended kind of thing. But it will have a finality to it. We’ll stop touring, I’m sure, before we stop playing as a band. It’s just like Eric Clapton’s just said: It’s the grind of the road, it’s incredibly tough on the body this age. The singing is free; you pay us for the bloody traveling. “The Who Hits 50 tour will be a retrospective of the band’s career, including best-known hits such as “Who Are You,” “Pinball Wizard,” and “Baba O’Riley.” It is set to begin Nov. 30 in Glasgow, Scotland, and wind up in London on Dec 17. Tickets go on sale Friday in the UK. Monday’s news doesn’t necessarily mean Townshend and Daltrey are backing away from the band. Townshend said he’s written three new songs and hopes to record them with Daltrey. “I thought I must send them to Rog. ... Happily he likes them,” the 69-year-old Townshend said. The Who hasn’t issued new music since 2006’s “Endless Wire,” its first release in 24 years.

The Who plans 50th anniversary tour, new music

Lopez ‘still believes’ in love

Cannon doesn’t want famous kids

Nick Cannon doesn’t want his children to be famous. The ‘America’s Got Talent’ host insists he and wife Mariah Carey feel they should share pictures of three-year-old Moroccan

and Monroe on their social media accounts because the twins have “fans”, but he doesn’t want them to pursue showbiz careers of their own. He said: “I actually don’t want them to be in the business, but I understand that people have fallen in love with them and [they have] fans and stuff.” However, Nick and Mariah are releasing a children’s book, ‘Roc and Roe’s 12 Days of Christmas’, which features the youngsters as their main characters and the ‘Wild ‘N Out’ star is delighted to see his kids “come to life” in print. He said: “They’re like the new Raggedy Ann and Andy, the adventures of Roc ‘n’ Roe,’ to see my kids come to life in a story book and all this other stuff.” In 2012, the 33-year-old star was diagnosed with autoimmune disease lupus and has learned the best way to fight bouts of chronic fatigue is to stay as busy as possible. He explained in an interview with E! News: “So my concept is, the more that I go and the more that I push and I stay on that regimen [in the gym, eating right], it kinda keeps me going so my body doesn’t get the opportunity to kinda be like, ‘Oh, I’m tired.’ “

Ella Henderson: MY boyfriend is ‘so supportive’

Ella Henderson claims her new boyfriend is “so supportive” of her career. The ‘Ghost’ singer, who has been dating Matt Harvey, who lives in her hometown of Grimsby in Lincolnshire, East England,

since January, is happier than ever, particularly as she wasn’t looking for love when she met the engineer. She told the Daily Mirror news-paper: “I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s been one of the happiest points in my life. “He’s so supportive of me and it’s going great right now. My man and my family are the things that bring something dif-ferent to my life and keep me grounded. “This year I wanted to focus on myself and my career, so finding a relationship was unexpected. It’s just like this bonus thing that makes me so happy.” The 18-year-old singer - who shot to fame after appearing on ‘The X Factor’ in 2012 - admits her career success is “surreal” for Matt, but she credits her rela-tionship with her first proper boyfriend for keeping her down to earth. She said: “It must be surreal for my boyfriend to see the situation I’m in now. Him and family must think, ‘Oh, how can we make her happy?’ She’s got everything she ever dreamed of. But it’s the normal things, like sitting at home watching a film with him that can make you the happiest at times. “It’s that normality - you can’t beat it. Without them I wouldn’t be the grounded girl that I am and I plan on staying that way.” Ella releases her debut album ‘Chapter One’ in September and has had plenty of advice from Simon Cowell, who signed her to his Syco record label. She said: “When I sat down at first with Simon Cow-ell he said, ‘Whether this takes three months or three years, it doesn’t matter. This has got to feel right.’ So I waited until I felt ready. I didn’t want to do anything half-hearted.”—Bang Showbiz

Adam Levine

L I F E S T Y L E

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

l if e s t y l eF e a t u r e s

The great moments in World Cup history loom large in thememories of football fans everywhere, but in Terry Lee’sstudio, they measure about the size of a thimble. The

British artist, who lives in Brazil, has recreated the most famousand infamous scenes of the sport’s greatest showcase with tinyplastic figures from classic table football game Subbuteo.

A mini-Bobby Moore proudly holds the World Cup trophy asthe England skipper’s teammates hoists him on their shouldersat Wembley in 1966. Then Moore embraces a tiny shirtless Pelein Mexico in 1970. Turning toward more recent moments,Uruguay’s explosive Luis Suarez celebrates scoring againstEngland in Brazil last week. Then he bites Italian GiorgioChiellini’s shoulder. Zinedine Zidane headbutts MarcoMaterazzi, Paul Gascoigne cries after being booked and DavidBeckham stares into the middle distance as he is sent offagainst Argentina.

All are iconic moments from World Cups down the decadesnow immortalized as figures standing barely four centimeters(1.6 inches) high-save for Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa,the superstar of his country’s current campaign in Brazil, who ismore than twice as big.

From ‘scorpion’ to Suarez Each stems from Lee’s nostalgia for Subbuteo, a table foot-

ball game that was wildly popular when today’s 30- and 40-somethings were youngsters. “I’ve always loved football. I’vealways had a passion for art but it never seemed to materializeinto a career,” said Lee, a 31-year-old who moved to Brazil earlierthis year. “I feel very blessed that I can combine two great pas-sions of mine.” It all started with eccentric former Colombiagoalkeeper Rene Higuita denying England a goal with his leg-endary “Scorpion Kick”-not in a World Cup game, but in afriendly at Wembley in 1995.

Lee happened to be rummaging through some oldSubbuteo pieces at the time. “The eureka moment came when Ihad amassed a lot of broken Subbuteo figures and wanted torecycle them. This is when I created the Rene Higuita ‘ScorpionKick,’” he told AFP. “It was instantly a hit online and I realized thisis what I should be creating-unique Subbuteo figures of iconic

players.” His focus soon turned to World Cup scenes. Footballand art, plus a heavy dash of nostalgia, can prove irresistible.The figures are sold online for about $20 a piece to clientsworldwide. “Naturally, people aged 30 plus have heard ofSubbuteo. It brings back great memories. I have many clientswho tell me they buy my figures to get their children interest-ed,” Lee said. Each takes a day or two to complete and is hand-painted “using some very, very fine-hair brushes” in what is nowa full-time job.

“There is a lot of sculpting, cutting, sanding and gluing toachieve the individuality in each figure,” Lee said. “I will never be

a millionaire with this but I feel very blessed that I have foundthe perfect work for myself.”

Art as football Lee’s current World Cup production line has kept him busy.

“The (Robin) Van Persie header (for Holland against Spain) isvery popular. I am always looking for iconic moments and theWorld Cup always delivers,” he said. Suarez’s highs and lows,Daniel Sturridge’s goal celebration for England against Italy,Lionel Messi and Neymar hitting the target-myriad top namesare available. Drawn by his passion for football, Lee recently

moved with his Brazilian wife and their young son from Britainto a small town four hours west of Rio de Janeiro. “I alwayswanted to live in Brazil. Their footballing culture drew me here,”he told AFP. Notwithstanding the social problems around thisyear’s World Cup-the target of street protests by Braziliansangry over the record $11 billion budget-it is “an amazingevent,” he said. “But with it comes the expense. When there is alot of poverty in a host nation, it is very understandable thatpeople would rather see the billions spent on making the coun-try a safer, healthier place for its citizens,” he said. — AFP

Mini-art meets mini-football in World Cup fan’s works

The same turquoise waters that lure tourists to Caribbeandestinations slosh around Belize’s island chain. But tinyBelize has a major advantage in reeling in the holidaymakers

- spectacular Maya ruins tucked away in lush jungle. The nation ishome to more prehistoric buildings than modern-day ones,according to its Institute of Archaeology.

That ancient appeal draws in backpackers eager for adventureas well as divers ready to gawk at its bustling reefs or plunge intoits famed Blue Hole. Belize has all the ingredients for a surf andturf vacation - at least for those who don’t mind the odd giantcockroach or neon green frog that may invade their jungledwellings.

Caves, skeletons and a swimEvidence of human sacrifice in Maya times litters the floors of

the Actun Tunichil Muknal caves, where the skeletons are weldedin place by limestone sediment. Mayan pottery is also frozen intime there, with archeologists opting to leave most artifacts asthey were centuries ago. To get to the caves, visitors are led downa gentle jungle trail that includes several river crossings. Next,comes an invigorating swim across a frigid pool of water at thecave’s mouth (which is patrolled by a resident vine snake). Waterwinds throughout the cave, and visitors have to squeeze throughimpossible-looking openings before being rewarded with thearchaeological trove. But don’t expect to plaster social media withphotos documenting the adventure. Clumsy tourists - includingone who left a camera-sized hole in the skull of a sacrificed child -led to a ban on cameras at the site.

Pyramid in the jungleJust a fraction of Caracol, a once powerful Maya city state, has

been unearthed by archaeologists. Once home to 150,000 inhabi-tants (nearly twice the population of Belize’s current industrialcenter, Belize City), the site was lost until a logger stumbled uponit in the 1930s while in search of mahogany. Nearly a century later,90 percent of it still belongs to the jungle. Shards of ancient pot-tery are scattered around the complex, which includes astronomi-cal buildings, ball courts, palaces and a 141-foot-tall pyramid thatremains the tallest man-made structure in Belize. The gutturalintonations of howler monkeys and the eerie screech of the yel-low-tailed bird provide the soundtrack for those wanderingthrough the massive archaeological site.

Stone woman and El CastilloThis complex of ruins got its Maya name, Xunantunich - mean-

ing “Stone Woman” - from a sun-soaked apparition said to hauntthe site. The city was built up over millennia and its history issketched out neatly at the newly opened visitor’s center. At thesite itself, the main attraction is the ruin known as “El Castillo,”which towers above the jungle. Four elaborate stucco friezesdepicting Maya gods once hugged each side of the building. Nowjust two remain, and they’re both covered up by fiberglass copiesto preserve the originals. Despite its lofty appearance and elabo-rate decorations, the Castillo likely served as an administrativehub, not a temple, according to the visitor’s center.

Palace, ball court and place of the ticksEven from its perch high up on a hill, Cahal Pech lives in the

shadow of its more impressive neighbors, Caracol, Xunantunichand Tikal. Cahal Pech - which unflatteringly means “Place of theTicks” in Yucatec and Mopan Mayan - sits on the outskirts of SanIgnacio, a popular base for those exploring Maya ruins. Under thecover of an encroaching jungle, visitors can get a glimpse of howthe upper crust lived in Maya times through the site’s palace struc-tures. The site is also home to a nice example of a Maya ball court.

Barrier reef and blue holeCaye Caulker is a sandy strip of land surrounded by a bounty of

sea life. The more laid-back alternative to San Pedro (immortalizedby the 1987 Madonna hit “La Isla Bonita”), provides a base for thethriftier tourist looking to explore Belize’s nearby barrier reef. Theisland is crowded with tour companies that ferry visitors to reefhot spots, such as the intimidating Shark Ray Alley. Nurse sharksand sting rays were originally drawn to the area by fishermencleaning their catch, but now it’s tour boats that chum the waters.The fish expectantly clamor around any boat that arrives. Otherunderwater highlights include an enormous logger turtle that isblind in one eye that hovers around a conch fishermen’s boat, anda rainbow of tropical fish. Eerie night snorkeling affords an oppor-tunity to watch the fish scurry to find a home among the reefbefore darkness falls. When things do turn truly nocturnal,snorkelers armed with underwater LEDs have the opportunity tospot squid, octopus, lobster and crabs. Scuba divers can also catcha ride to Belize’s iconic Blue Hole, an underwater sinkhole that’s1,000 feet wide and 412 feet deep.

Iguana projectIguana scurry all over San Ignacio thanks in part to the efforts

of the Iguana Project, which hatches and releases the critterswhose eggs are regularly gobbled up by predators in the wild. Aguided tour of the facility where they’re kept allows tourists to getup-close-and-personal with the scaly beasts. Among the high-lights is the iguana nursery, where willing participants can be cov-ered in a brood of four- to six-month-old bright green iguanas.Belizeans are prohibited from keeping the lizards as pets, butIguana Project guide Jorge Lopez says locals will eat green igua-nas for dinner. And he insists they taste like chicken. The projectworks to boost the lizard’s population by releasing 100 to 150iguanas a year. — AP

Photo shows what’s left of the towering Maya city now known as Caracol.

Photo shows visitors in downtown Caye Caulker, Belize.

Photo shows vacationers relaxing at Caye Caulker, Belize.

This undated image provided by The Belize Tourist Board shows an aerial view of theGreat Blue Hole, a popular diving site that is part of Belize’s barrier reef.

A modern copy of an ancientfrieze on the structure

known as El — Castilloa atthe archeological site of

Xunantunich.

Jungle ruins and sea lifeawait in tiny Belize

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

l if e s t y l eM u s i c & M o v i e s

Ateenager from suburban Chicago who sang an achingJason Robert Brown song and another from Georgiawho chose to sing “Raise the Roof” - and almost did so -

have won top honors at the National High School MusicalTheater Awards. Atlanta resident Jai’Len Josey was namedbest actress and Jonah Rawitz, from the Chicago suburb ofBuffalo Grove, got the best-actor crown Monday night at thesixth annual “Glee”-like competition, nicknamed the JimmyAwards after theater owner James Nederlander.

“I can’t emphasize enough how humbled I am to be withinthis crowd of such amazing actors and individuals. I’ve madeso many amazing friends. I feel like I’m part of a family,” saidRawitz. He also thanked him family, especially his mother, whohe said taught him to be honest and “how to believe everyword that I’m saying.” Josey, who is going into her junior yearat Tri-Cities High School, said it was “a dream come true.” Eachwill receive a $10,000 scholarship award, capping a months-long winnowing process that began with 60,000 studentsfrom 1,500 schools and ended at the Minskoff Theatre, thelong-term home of “The Lion King,” which doesn’t perform onMondays.

The 56 teens who made it to New York this year - 28 girlsand 28 boys - got a five-day theatrical boot camp at New YorkUniversity’s Tisch School of the Arts, complete with scram-bling to learn an opening and closing group number, per-forming their medley numbers, advice on their solo songs,plus a field trip to watch “Kinky Boots.”

Judges were Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis, RachelHoffman from casting company Telsey + Company, Tony-nom-inated producer Arielle Tepper Madover, casting specialist TaraRubin, Nick Scandalios from the Nederlander Organization,choreographer Sergio Trujillo and NYU’s Kent Gash. ComposerStephen Schwartz offered pointers to the teens on Friday.

Rawitz sang from “In the Heights” as Usnavi in the ensemblenumber and then “If I Didn’t Believe in You” from Brown’s “TheLast Five Years” as a solo. Josey sang Effie Melody White’s “And IAm Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dreamgirls” and thenbelted out a “Raise the Roof” from Andrew Lippa’s “The WildParty.”

The host was Ryan McCartan, who co-stars in “Liv &Maddie” on the Disney Channel and “Royal Pains” on USA. Hewas proof of how far a Jimmy can go: McCartan in 2011 hewon the competition. Others who have found fame includeEva Noblezada, who was a runner-up in 2013 and now playsthe lead role of Kim in the London revival of “Miss Saigon.”

Overlapping of rolesThe shows represented on Monday ranged from “Annie Get

Your Gun” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” to “Singin’ in the Rain”and “Into the Woods.” There was a fair amount of overlappingof roles, with two Jean Valjeans from “Les Miserables,” twoDrowsy Chaperones and two Aldolphos from “The DrowsyChaperone,” two Usnavis from “In the Heights” and threeShreks from “Shrek,” all thrown on stage to duke it out togeth-er. A young lady playing Annie Oakley from “Annie Get YourGun” cradles a rifle and another playing the Tin Man held anaxe.

The four runners-up, who each receive $2,500, were:Mekahi Lee from Charlotte, North Carolina; Matthew Richardsfrom Logan, Utah; Brooke Solan from Las Vegas; and SophiaTzougros from Madison, Wisconsin. Andy Karl, from theBroadway musical “Rocky,” stopped by and the whole casthelped him sing “Keep on Standing.”— AP

‘Glee’-type music contest crowns winners in NYC

Nominees for the National High School Musical Awards perform during the opening number at the 2011 NationalHigh School Musical Theater Awards at The Minksoff Theatre.

They can cash out any time they want,but why would they ever leave? TheEagles’ “History of the Eagles” tour,

which launched in July 2013, has grossedmore than $145 million in one year.Performing for over 1.1 million fans duringthe past 12 months, the band’s tour followsthe release last year of their documentary ofthe same name. Eagles Manager, Irving Azoff,said in a statement: “More than a millionworldwide fans attending Eagles concerts thepast twelve months is a testament to theband’s ongoing legacy, stature and songsthat not only stand the test time, but havebecome anthems for several generations. Theband is releasing this touring data informa-tion so that those who follow the concertindustry have accurate year over year per-spective and not arbitrarily bifurcate thehighly attended summer concert season assome charts do.”

The “History of the Eagles” 2014 Europeantour wraps up July 2 in Lucca, Italy and con-tinues with a series of US dates beginningMonday, Aug 25. The late summer/fall legincludes dates at New York City’s Madison

Square Garden and shows in Los Angeles andLas Vegas, among others. The 2015 leg of thetour kicks off in February for concerts acrossAustralia and New Zealand.

Launched July 6, 2013 in Louisville, Ky, the“History of the Eagles” has included 87 shows.The $145 million in sales, while large, is notunprecedented for legacy rock bands. In themid-2000s, the Rolling Stones “Licks” tourscored $300 million, according to BusinessInsider. The Eagles have sold more than 120million albums worldwide, earning five No. 1US singles and six Grammy Awards. “TheirGreatest Hits 1971-1975” is the best-sellingalbum of all time, exceeding sales of 29 mil-lion units. The band’s “Hotel California” and“Their Greatest Hits Volume 2” have sold morethan 16 and 11 million albums, respectively.The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & RollHall of Fame in 1998. — Reuters

The similarities between “Earth to Echo” and “E.T.” aremore than striking. But reviews are mixed on whether itis an inspired updating of the Spielberg classic, or a

cheap knockoff. The family fun movie, out in time forAmerica’s 4th of July holiday weekend, recounts a group ofchildren’s adventures when they find a cute-looking alienstranded on Earth and help it to return home, unbeknownstto their parents. It even includes heavy use of bicycles,although not silhouetted against the moon as in the iconicimage from Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film.

“There is an alien and there are kids, who take him home,and bikes of course,” said writer Henry Gayden, who made thefilm-out Wednesday-with first-time feature director DaveGreen. “That’s what we really were going after and wereinspired by,” he said in an interview, openly acknowledgingthe influences of films the 30-something filmmakers grew upwatching. One element that could not possibly be from 1982is the relentless use of online social media, Google Maps andother technological video tricks that set it firmly in the onlineage.

The film is made in the “found footage” style-or rather, likea home movie put together by one of the three main boy pro-tagonists after a spectacular all-night adventure. From thatpoint of view, it resembles another Spielberg production:2011’s “Super Eigh” by director J.J. Abrams, while other clearinspirations include 1985’s “The Goonies.” Teenage schoolboyand budding filmmaker Tuck, with his pals Alex and Munch,live in a Nevada neighborhood condemned to demolition tomake way for a freeway or so they think.

Their curiosity is sparked when odd signals appear on cell-phones, prompting them to set off on their bikes for one lastadventure together, the night before they are due to say theirfarewells. The signals lead them out into the desert, wherethey find the owl-like alien they dub Echo, who has been leftstranded on planet Earth and who needs their help to find hisway home.

Undeniable influences While most of the movie is filmed in shaky handcam style,

there are some spectacular visual effects, notably when theadventurers are about to be hit head-on by a big rig truck, andfor the earth-moving finale. Director Green cited early TimBurton movies and “Ghostbusters” as other influences on hisfilmmaking. “They were movies that took you on a bit of aride. Those were the movies I grew up watching and loving.

It’s a tone that we love that I felt had kind of gone awayrecently,” he told AFP. The movie’s budget ended up aroundthe relatively modest $10 million mark.

“Studios are probably attracted to what could pose itself tobe a lean budget with a film,” Green said. Reviews have beenmostly positive, but included some barbs. Industry journalVariety refers to its “disappointingly one-dimensionalapproach to story and character” and the “occasionally nause-ating handheld camerawork.”

The Hollywood Reporter said the film “flaunts its obviousinfluences with all the fresh novelty of an app update.”“Everything regarding this sci-fi adventure, right down to themovie poster, is blatant regarding its intentions: It clearly seesitself as E.T. for the Y2K set,” it added. But acknowledging theirresistible appeal of the alien with glowing neon-blue eyesthat speaks in “cute” electronic chirps, The Hollywood Reportersaid “sometimes even the most shameless of knockoffs can’tbe denied.”— AFP

‘E.T.’ return for onlineage in ‘Earth to Echo’

The Eagles tour grosses$145 million in one year

Philippines President Benigno Aquino yesterday defended acontroversial decision he made to withhold a top awardfrom one of the country’s accomplished film stars because

of a drug conviction. Last month’s snub against multi-award-win-ning actress Nora Aunor sparked a nationwide furore with millions

of fans insisting no one deserved a “national artist” prize morethan the 61-year-old fondly nicknamed the “Superstar.”

“Ms Nora Aunor has been convicted for drugs and was pun-ished for it.... By making her a national artist are we putting out theright message?” Aquino told a news conference aired on nationaltelevision. “I respect her and I recognize her body of work. But ourmessage of zero tolerance against drugs takes priority.” The Orderof National Artist award, issued by presidential proclamation, rec-ognizes a person’s significant contributions to the development ofPhilippine arts and letters.

The honor includes a cash prize, monthly pension for life and astate funeral when the awardee dies. Reacting to the snub, Aunoron Sunday said she was hurt by Aquino’s action but overwhelmedby the public support. “The Filipino masses ... have conferred thehighest honor on me, by declaring me the people’s national artistin their hearts,” she said.

Six awardees were announced last month, taking the total tojust 66, including six in the film industry, since it was created in1972. From humble beginnings Aunor-born Nora Villamayor-burstonto the entertainment scene in the 1960s as a singer with a pow-erful, soulful voice. She also starred in movies where her petite,dusky looks broke stereotypes of fair-skinned leading ladies pat-terned after Hollywood.

Aunor has won several “Best Actress” awards at local and inter-national film festivals. Last year she took home the “Best Actress”trophy at the annual Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for herpowerful portrayal of a midwife in the locally produced “ThyWomb”. But her personal life has suffered several setbacks includ-ing an arrest in the United States for illegal drug possession, andties to various scandal-plagued Filipino politicians. In 1972 shecampaigned for Ferdinand Marcos who later ruled as a dictator,and she also endorsed the presidential candidacies of fellowmovie star Joseph Estrada in 1998 and Gloria Arroyo in 2004.Current president Aquino has been at odds with all three. — AFP

Aquino defends Philippineactress snub over drugs

(From second left) Actors Mia RoseFrampton, Rich Williams, Sarah Baker,Filmmaker Ben Falcone, actress SusanSarandon, actor Mark Duplass, filmmak-er Melissa McCarthy, actor Nat Faxon,executive producer Chris Henchy, pro-ducer Kevin J Messick and TobyEmmerich, President and COO, New LineCinema, attend the ‘Tammy’ Los Angelespremiere at TCL Chinese Theatre onJune 30, 2014 in Hollywood, California.(Inset) Will Ferrell poses on arrival forthe premiere of the film ‘Tammy’. —AFP

This file photo taken on March 18, 2013 shows Philippineactress Nora Aunor posing with the Best Actress Award atthe 7th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. — AFP

The Eagles

39‘Glee’-type music contest crowns winners in NYC

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

A Pakistani vendor arranges prayer beads which worshippers buy for Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. — AP

Galloping with the vigour of strong and simple brushstrokes, the horses painted by late Chinese master XuBeihong inspired his countrymen in wartime-and now to

pay huge sums to treasure them. Xu, who died in 1953, createdhorses that pulsed with beauty and bravery just as China wasknuckling under Japanese occupation in the 1930s and 1940s,imbuing them with realism learned at the prestigious EcoleNationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His works havesoared in desirability at the same time as his country’s leaders pur-sue a national renaissance and strike an aggressive posture in ter-ritorial disputes with Japan. “He created his horses mainly duringthe War of Resistance (against Japan) and put all of his emotioninto his paintings,” his son Xu Qingping told AFP. “Horses are verybeautiful, loyal, courageous and they always lead the charge tovictory. I believe this is why Chinese people love his paintings.”

Having studied animal anatomy in Paris, Xu “came up with aspecial technique, using free brushstrokes, very few lines and onlyink”, he said. Among Xu’s hundreds of horses, the most sought-after are those racing ahead, hooves in the air. Those command-ing the highest prices-upwards of $1 million-are shown chest for-ward, head tossed to the side. “The horses have expressive poses.Some are standing, some are galloping, or drinking water by theriver,” said Carmen Ip, a specialist in Chinese art for auction houseSotheby’s. “Under Xu’s strong brush strokes, they are muscular,lean and full of energy. He uses different shades of ink againstwhite paper, creating light and shadow effect.”

French influences Collectors also value the artwork for the inscriptions that Xu

wrote on their foil edge. They often contained a poem, such asthose from the celebrated Tang dynasty (618-907) poet Du Fu,encouraging people not to give up, Ip said. “This is especiallymeaningful during a time of political instability in China,” she said.“He was not only a great artist, he was also a passionate patriot.”Several museums in China are dedicated to Xu, who became a

father figure of Chinese painting and chaired the CentralAcademy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing.

An exhibition currently on in the Chinese capital, A Master andHis Masters, displays 60 of his pictures along with 60 French worksthat influenced him. The effects are most visible in his representa-tions of the human body, an essential aspect of his training inParis, said Philippe Cinquini, the show’s curator. Chinese artistshad virtually stopped depicting the body by the 19th century,whereas the tradition had been developing in the West for 500years. “Xu Beihong played a key role in returning the human bodyto Chinese painting,” he said.

Fifth top artist In recent years several Chinese painters have surpassed tradi-

tional Western superstars at international auctions. Three Chineseartists were among the global top five for the total value of worksauctioned in 2011, according to world art database Artprice,including Zhang Daqian in first place. Xu was fifth, just behindPablo Picasso. His most expensive work, Cultivation on thePeaceful Land, fetched $42.2 million including buyer’s premium inBeijing that year.

Purchased almost entirely by Chinese, Xu’s works “do well intimes of fluctuation”, said Artprice chairman and founder ThierryEhrmann. But copying is rife in China, and they are among themost replicated paintings, with various owners claiming to have10,000 of his pieces in total, according to his son-far more than hisauthenticated actual production of 3,000. It can present risks forhis buyers. A painting of a nude attributed to him, The Body ofMiss Jiang Biwei, sold for more than $11 million in Beijing fouryears ago, only for scandal to erupt when a group of artistsrevealed that one of them had painted the image during a class atCAFA — 30 years after Xu’s death. — AFP

Chinese race for artist Xu Beihong’s heroic horses

Photo shows a man looking at a Chinese painting named ‘Six Galloping Horses’ during an art exhibit by Xu Beihong at amuseum in Beijing. — AFP photos

This picture taken on June 30, 2014 shows Thai Muslim women offering prayers as they gather at the central mosque at thestart of the month of Ramadan in Thailand’s restive southern province of Pattani.

This picture taken on June 30, 2014 shows Chinese Muslims reading the Quran at a mosque in Tancheng, in eastern China’sShandong province, at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

Kashmiri Muslims pray at the Shah-I-Hamdaan shrine during Ramadan in Srinagar yesterday. Across the Muslim world, thefaithful fast from dawn to dusk, and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex during that time as they strive tobe more pious and charitable. — AFP photos

Indian workers dry vermicelli, used to make a traditional sweet dish popular during the fasting month of Ramadan, inAllahabad yesterday.