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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 RABI ALAWWAL 10, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

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Millions ring in 2015 with fireworks, concerts and light showsHONG KONG: A huge display of fireworks lit up HongKong early today with brilliant bursts of color over VictoriaHarbor as the Chinese city rang in 2015 in spectacularstyle, launching the party for millions across Asia.

From New Delhi to Dubai, Johannesburg, New York andRio, millions around the world will celebrate when theclock ticks past midnight, ringing in 2015 with fireworksdisplays, concerts and light shows.

In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands of people crowd-ed the city’s promenades to watch the eight-minute

Continued on Page 13

SYDNEY: Fireworks explode over the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge during New Year’s Eve celebra-tions in Sydney, Australia, early today. — AP

RAMALLAH: President Mahmud Abbas yesterdaysigned a Palestinian request to join theInternational Criminal Court, seeking a newavenue for action against Israel after a failed UNresolution on ending the occupation. ThePalestinians hope ICC membership will pave theway for war crimes prosecutions against Israeli offi-cials for their actions in the occupied territories.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuswiftly hit back, saying the Palestinians have “moreto fear” than Israel from the Hague-based court. Hecited the Palestinian leadership’s links to Hamas,the militant group which Israel describes as a “ter-rorist organization” and which is part of a unitygovernment with Abbas’s Fatah movement. TheICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide,crimes against humanity and war crimes, andPalestinian plans to become a party to the courthave been strongly opposed by Israel and theUnited States.

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KUWAIT: The India government has decided to sus-pend the KD720 bank guarantee measure that wasimplemented for the welfare of the Indian domesticworkers coming to Kuwait, an Indian embassy pressrelease here said.

“After discussing this issue with Kuwaiti authori-ties, it has been agreed to suspend with effect from12 December 2014 taking any bank guaranteesfrom sponsors in Kuwait, while keeping in abeyancethe attestation of employment contracts of Indianfemale domestic workers,” the press release said.

Indian and Kuwaiti sides are constantly engagedin finding a long-term resolution of this issue. Indiaimplemented the KD 720 bank guarantee measurein September 2014.

India halts KD720 bank guarantee

Palestiniansturn to ICC

as UN bid fails

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: The public prosecution officer yester-day issued an arrest warrant for former MP,Mubarak Al-Duwailah to question him in a casefiled against him over allegedly slandering AbuDhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed BinZayed.

Notably, the foreign ministry sued Al-Duwaliah over a TV interview with him thatcontained slanderous remarks about SheikhBin Zayed. In addition, lawyer, MohammedAl-Sabti also filed another case against Al-Duwailah for accusing Sheikh Bin Zayed ofantagonizing Sunni Islam and having person-al feuds with certain groups. He added thatsuch accusations would jeopardize the state’snational interests and relations with otherbrotherly GCC states.

Maid-slaying lion owner released on bail

A court yesterday released the owner of alion that fatally injured a maid. The man wasreleased on a KD 500 bail pending furtherinvestigations. The suspect had kept a lion athis house and the lion bit a Filipina maidcausing her fatal injuries.

MSAL deports violators The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor

recently removed unauthorized donation col-lection vans from various areas around thecountry, said MSAL’s charity organizationsdepartment Manager, Dr Ahmed Al-Sane’noting that on spotting one of the vans inJaber Al-Ali area by an inspection team, thoseoperating it fled the scene. He said unautho-

rized expat donation collectors would bedeported.

Visa transfers, work permits Labor departments all over the country

are scheduled to resume receiving residencyvisa transfer and work permit transactionsSunday after a two-week halt to conduct theannual inventory.

In this regard, the Manpower PublicAuthority Director, Jamal Al-Doussary stressedthat work permits would be open for varioussectors in January. Al-Dousary added that agrace period that had been given to employ-ers to file absconding reports against laborthey sponsor would also end Sunday and thatthe department would cancel around 8,000vexatious reports. “Reviewing abscondingreports, the manpower authority received10,000 reports while MOI only received 2,000.This means that the rest of 8,000 reports weremalicious and only used by sponsors to intimi-date the laborers”, said Al-Doussary noted thatsponsors had been given a two-week graceperiod to either activate their reports or cancelthem. Further, Al-Doussay said that sponsorswould have to follow standard procedures offiling a report with the authority conditioningthat absconding period is no less than 90 daysthen would also have to report to MOI’s inves-tigations department.

Municipal bribery Kuwait Municipality Director Engineer

Ahmed Al-Subaih said that all the municipali-ty’s financial dossiers would be reviewed inorder to rule out any violation. “Employeesinvolved in or suspected of receiving briberywill be referred to prosecution”, he stressed.

Arrest warrant for

Duwailah issued

Woman’s body found

in Riggai apartment

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Police found the body of a woman in a flat inRiggai and the haris said he did not know that there was awoman inside the flat. Farwaniya prosecutor sent the bodyof the unknown woman to the coroner to identify her andthen identify her killer. Police searched the flat after ownerof the building reported to the police that a foul odor wascoming out of a flat rented by a citizen. Police are investi-gating the case.

Liquor destroyedThe committee formed by ministerial law 3218/2010

destroyed a large quantity of liquor. It destroyed 12,946bottles, plastic bottles and metal cans.

Fake detectivesA citizen told Dhaher police that some persons claiming

to be detectives stormed her house, beat her son anddestroyed the furniture.

Money stolenA citizen accused an unknown person of withdrawing

KD 60 from his bank account.

Drug overdoseA citizen reportedly died of drug overdose. He was

found dead inside his house. Drugs paraphernalia wasfound near the corpse.

Filipina arrestedA Filipina was placed under police custody while at

Mubarak hospital after attempting to abort herself result-ing in profuse bleeding. The attempt caused the death ofthe infant.

KUWAIT: Education and Higher EducationMinister Dr Bader Al-Essa said surveillance cam-eras show that the fire that broke in the treasuryon Sunday was a the cause of deliberate act ofcrime. Al-Essa said during a surprise tour of thefinancial sector that the video clip recorded bycameras is now with the prosecution and resultswill be known soon.

Minister Al-Essa denied that he received anycriminal report regarding the incident addingthat “at the moment no one is suspected, but thetruth will come out soon after the investigation.”

Al-Essa said the culprit wanted to hide some-thing or erase some proof in the office related tocertain suspicious tenders. The fire may be thecause of a deliberate attempt, but we cannotascertain it now,” he said. He said no cases havebeen sent to the prosecution by the tenders.

Al-Essa said the safety and security proce-dures at the ministry buildings have been tight-

ened following the incident, adding that the inci-dent has become an eye-opener for us regardingsecurity. He said the windows of oil sills can beopened easily and we are waiting for the investi-gation report. Meanwhile, the ministry will carryout financial inventory hoping to arrest the cul-prit.

Examination supervisorThe appeals court revoked a decision by the

education ministry to sack an examinationssupervisor who allegedly leaked French lan-guage question paper to two students in 12thgrade.

Ethiopians rob BangladeshiFour Ethiopians stormed the house of a

Bangladeshi and robbed him of KD 320. The vic-tim was surprised by the four in his room whobeat him up and then tied him before escaping

with money. The Bangladeshi went to Jleebpolice station and filed the complaint.

Citizens shotThree citizens working at Sabah Al-Ahmad

Reserve in Subiya area came under fire by indi-viduals driving 4WD vehicle without licenseplates. The citizens told Subbiya police about theincident. No injuries were reported.

Chinese firm hackedA hacker broke into the account of a Kuwaiti

establishment in a Chinese bank and withdrew$95,000. A Syrian expatriate who works in a com-pany and has an authorization from its owner,told Jahra police that he was conned by anunknown person who got into the establish-ment’s accounts in a Chinese bank and trans-ferred $95,000 in two payments. Police are inves-tigating.

Treasury fire caused by

act of crime: Al-Essa

Kuwaiti officials

meet on fighting

corruption

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior works hand-in-hand withthe nation’s Anti-Corruption Authority for the purpose ofrooting out corrupt practices that may be found withingovernment ministries and agencies and elsewhere in soci-ety, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister SheikhMohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah made thatstatement as he chaired a meeting yesterday attended bychief of the Authority Abdul-Rahman Al-Nimash and abevy of officials from the Ministry and the Authority, said apress statement issued by the Interior Ministry.

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid noted that it was theexpressed wish of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to fight rampant corruption inthe country that was the impetus behind forming recentlythe Anti-Corruption Authority, which the Minister said wasan essential tool to reach transparency and fairness in thework of the government.

“There is no room for anyone anymore to cover up actsof corruption or irregularity in government bodies as we allseek to exercise transparency for the betterment of thepeople and our nation,” the Minister said. He urged theAuthority to establish strong partnerships with these bod-ies in order to enhance its effectiveness. —KUNA

Anguish over ban on

New Year eve concerts

KUWAIT: For the sixth year in a row, New Year eve in Kuwait wascelebrated without any concerts honoring the view expressed byIslamists though they never oppose holding concerts on otheroccasions.

For the last six years, no production companies had applied toget the information ministry’s approval to hold concerts on newyear eves knowing that such requests would be rejected eventhough the applications fulfill all conditions.

In this regard, well-informed sources at the information ministrysaid that the ministry’s policy in rejecting requests on holding con-certs on new year eves has led to many companies and eventorganizers to move to other neighboring countries to hold con-certs for Kuwaitis. The policy is also affecting the tourism industryin the country where other GCC countries take an advantage overKuwait. The sources called for more transparency on the part of theministry to attract Kuwaitis wishing to attend concerts of iconicGCC and Arab singers.

The liquor bottles being destroyed.

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: As the country ushered in New Year, theexpats in Kuwait, who make up about 70 percentof the countryís population, remained in jitters asrumors about new deportation rules grippedcommunities in the country. For the last oneweek, the local media has been springing surpris-es on a daily basis with reports about new regula-tions or proposals by the government to harass,penalize and eventually deport expats. To makematters worse, rumors are float across socialmedia networks about the purported govern-ment moves to curtail the number of expat laborforce in Kuwait by bringing about new drasticmeasures.

One of the rumors that has unnerved people isabout the reported punishment of deportationfor parking a vehicle in a slot that is earmarked forthe handicapped. A KD10 was previously chargedfor this traffic offence. But now the violation willresult in towing away the vehicle along with con-fiscation of documents including driving license.

Major Naser Buslaib, Head of the SecurityMedia Department at the Ministry of Interiorexplained that the ministry applies the samemeasure on citizens as well and the news wasnothing but rumors. ìThe Traffic law set deporta-tion for expats for three serious offences, such asdrunk driving, crossing red light and overspeed-ing. This rules were issued many years ago.

Parking in the place of a disabled is not one ofthese violations and was not added to it. So if theexpat committed two serious traffic violations, hemay be ready for deportation after the third one,îhe told the Kuwait Times.

Ineffective measureAnother scary news about deporting expats

for barbecuing on seaside was published twodays ago in the local press. According to an offi-cial in the Kuwait Municipality who sought tostay anonymous said this is still a proposal andwas not applied yet. He thinks that such proposalis not effective and may even cause more prob-lems.

ìThe fine for barbecuing on beaches wasincreased from KD 5 up to KD 100. Yet peopledidnít stop this habit or refrain from barbecuing.This is due to the negligence of the municipalityinspectors who are not doing their job properly.So whatís the use of increasing the penalty if it isnot executed properly,î he asked. ìI even believethat this may cause more problems for inspectorswho go to implement this rule. The erring personcan even attack the officer in defiance if he thinksthat he will be deported eventually, ì he said.

The official also narrated the story behind theproposal. ìThe Director General of KuwaitMunicipality Ahmad Al-Subaih came with thisproposal after receiving a complaint from awoman who sustained burns from the burning

charcoal after she fell asleep on a beachside. Sheshowed medical reports to Al-Subaih statingthat she sustained charcoal burns due to barbe-cuing. After listening to her story, Al-Subaihdecided to propose the rule. But I believe if thefines are imposed rigorously, nobody woulddare to violate the rule,î he said.

No mistreatmentMeanwhile, Director of Public Relations and

Security Information Brig Adel Al-Hashashdenied that expats were being mistreated in cas-es of deportation saying that nobody was beingdeported without a proper crime punishableunder Kuwaiti law. He also denied any plan todeport expats on a selective basis during cele-brations of New Yearís eve.

There are orders to ensure security yearround especially in areas frequented by familiesfor entertainment, Hashash said in statementspublished by Al-Rai yesterday. He added thatpolicemen are working on protecting the coun-try and people against any violations.

Hashash said the Interior Ministry preparedan integrated plan to patrol different areas.Detectives will patrol all areas including farms,jakhoors, cafes and restaurants. He asked citi-zens and expats to cooperate with the instruc-tions of the police. The official said the govern-ment will apply the law on all without any dis-crimination during New Year celebrations.

Deportation rumors keep expats in jitters

MoI officials seek to allay fears

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK )hosted a special lunch buffet for all staff onthe occasion of the New Year in appreciationfor their commitment, initiative and unremit-ting efforts in serving the bank as well as its

clients and shareholders. Lunch buffets wereheld in NBK main head offices. NBK ExecutiveManagement congratulated the employeeson the occasion of the New Year and thankedthem for their efforts and excellence.

An annual tradition, the end of year lunchbuffets helps strengthen the NBK family andser ve as a token of appreciat ion for thestaff ’s professionalism, dedication and hardwork.

NBK hosts New Year lunch for staff

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received the chiefs of Kuwaiti diplomatic missionsabroad yesterday, in presence of Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs Mohammad Al-Roumi. During the meeting, they discussed the latest polit-ical developments on both regional and international arenas, planned diplomaticactivities and ways and means of developing relations with sisterly and friendlycountries. Senior ministry officials were also present in the meeting. —KUNA

LO C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Amir inquiresabout Saudi

King’s healthKUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday sent a cable toSaudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to inquire abouthis health condition. Two similar cables were sent byHH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh NawafA l - A h m a d A l -J a b e r A l - S a b a h a n d H H t h e Pr i m eMinister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Meanwhile, HH the Amir sent cables of condo-lences to the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, andto King of Malaysia Almu’tasimu Billahi MuhibbuddinTuanku Alhaj sir Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah IbniAlmarhum Sultan Badl ishah, on the crash of theMalaysian airliner aboard. Similar cables were sent byHH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince, and HH thePrime Minister. — KUNA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah

KUWAIT: The support by His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the Fifth National Heritage Festivalhas contributed a lot to the prominent sta-tus it has come to enjoy, said Minister ofInformation and Minister of State for YouthAffairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

The Festival proves how Kuwaitis andGulf people closely hold on to their rich her-itage, Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud said after atour in Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village, cit-ing the huge interaction by competitors andvisitors.

The Minister added that his visit to thevillage, also with Chairman of PublicAuthority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) SheikhAhmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and ahost of ministries’ officials, aimed at check-ing the final arrangements for the officiallaunch of the Festival on 9 January, as wellas following up current contests.

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud expressedadmiration for the distinguished prepara-

tions for the event, lauding efforts by theorganizer committee. He stressed how theVillage has come to constitute a heritageedifice that includes exhibitions for the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), aswell as other facilities. A chief characteristicof the festival is the wide participation byheritage lovers, both in Kuwait and the Gulf,he said.

He thanked Amiri Diwan AdvisorMohammed Daifallah Sharar, who accompa-nied him on the tour, and Deputy Head ofthe Competitions Committee Sheikh SabahFahad Al-Nasser Al-Sabah as well as allmembers of the Festival committees fortheir hard efforts to secure it success.

For his part, Advisor Sharar said HisHighness the Amir pays great attention tothe popular heritage, offering limitless sup-port to its lovers. Visitors are welcome to fol-low camel, horse, sheep, and hawk races,Sharar, Festival Supervisor, said. Cultural andartistic events will be held as part of thepopular heritage event.

He noted that the organizer committeeaims at developing the Festival into a forumfor the Kuwaiti and Gulf families and youth.

He lauded the role by the Ministry ofInformation and the Kuwaiti media for high-lighting the prominent event. — KUNA

Minister hails Amir’ssupport to Heritage Festival

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah during his tour at the heritage village.

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah speaks to officials during the tour.—KUNA photos

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud addressesthe press during the tour.

Amiri Diwan Advisor MohammedDaifallah Sharar

KUWAIT: Providing food security is amongst the chief pri-orities for the government and since the establishment ofthe Kuwait Supplies Company in 1972, ration cards playedan important role in providing high-quality goods to con-sumers with nominal prices.

On an annual basis, the State of Kuwait provides aroundKD 100,000 million, ($340 million), to cover citizens’ needsfor food and necessities. Through ration cards, heads ofhouseholds are entitled to rice, fresh and powdered milk,Lentil, oil, and sugar.

Baby food and milk, dates, frozen chicken, and otherfood necessities were added to the list to cover the citizens’need for supplies and a committee was established by thestate to look into the inclusion of more goods in the futureaccording to the needs of citizens.

Ration cards also went through different phases withthe recent step being the issuance of smart cards that aredigitally connected to the Ministry of Commerce andIndustry’s data-base to ensure and improve methods ofsupplies distribution throughout the 69 ration centers in allKuwaiti governorates.—KUNA

Ration cards:securing food forKuwaitis since 1972

L O C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Warm celebration Laid-off expats Water cutKUWAIT: Sunny and warm weather is expectedduring the New Year Day’s holiday and the week-end, while temperatures drop during the night, themeteorological depar tment at the GeneralDirectorate for Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The maxi-mum temperature during those three days isexpected to range between 25 and 26 C degrees,while the minimum temperature is expected toreach 7 to 8 C degrees. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor hasrecently laid off expatriate workers who had been inservice for 30 years in the ministry, well-informedsources said. They added that the laid-off workerswere given a six-months grace period, until June 30,2015 to arrange for retirement and collect theirindemnities. — Al-Anba

KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary for ConsumersAffairs at the Ministry of Electricity and WaterAbdallah Al-Hajiri said cutting power is not part ofthe ministry’s methods to collect dues from con-sumers. The ministry only resorts to cutting watersupply after the nonpaying consumer is sent a warn-ing notice and given a grace period, he added. Theministry collected KD 514 million as of last Tuesday,he further indicated. — Al-Watan

Photoo f t h e d a y

KUWAIT: Tables prepared for the New Year’s Eve celebration at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa. With laws that ban outdoor parties to celebrate the new year in Kuwait, hotels and restaurants have grown inrecent years to become the only public places where people can mark the beginning of the new year in a festive mood. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

In Brief

KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah during the exhibition’s inauguration. — KUNA

Exhibition key tosociety service: Minister

KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh SalmanAl-Sabah on Tuesday highlighted importance ofthe engineering design exhibition held at theFaculty of Engineering and Petroleum at KuwaitUniversity (KU).

The exhibition, one of methods enablingyouths to serve their society, is an opportunityfor Kuwaiti engineers to display their designingtalents in all fields which will contribute toachieving the development plan of the country,

Sheikh Salman, also Minister of State for YouthAffairs, said in a speech at the inauguration ofthe exhibition. He said the Ministry of Youth waskeen on supporting youth “because they are theleaders of development in future.”

Dr Hussein Al-Khayyat, Dean of the Faculty ofEngineering and Petroleum, said the two-dayexhibition would feature graduation projects ofmore than 250 students. These projects, headded, would include solutions to some prob-

lems in the society. Khayyat hoped the ideas andprojects of the students would be properly uti-lized to further improve engineering in thecountry.

Director of the center of EngineeringTraining and Graduates Center at the Faculty,Dr. Ammar Al-Sairafi, said the exhibition waspart of the graduation pre-perquisites. He saidengineering design was a compulsory subjecton all students. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The developments on the oilmarket do not augur well for oil produc-ers and exporters as there are no loom-ing signs for a near end to prices deterio-ration in 2015, a Kuwaiti oil expert said.

The technical factors do not upholdoil producer expectations that priceswould bounce back soon, Abdul-SameaBehbehani, Head of Al-Sharq forPetroleum Consulting Company, said in astatement.

The market is oversupplied and thedemand is stable, he said, adding that oilproducers particularly OPEC states areunable to address the situation amidfears that any output cut would harmtheir market shares. He also highlightedthe growing impact of the shale oil pro-duction, which has jumped to over fourmillion barrels a day, on the supplies and

prices. Behbehani ruled out the successof OPEC’s attempts to decrease prices topress shale oil industry hard and turn itinto loss making. This scenario isdoomed to failure as shale oil industry isgetting more adaptive to low prices par-ticularly with the non-stop developmentin the cracking technology and conse-quently the decline in production cost.He added that studies projected anincrease in the production of non-OPECstates by 1.35 million barrels a day in2015, against an expected growth indemand estimated at 900,000.

Behbehani suggested that thegeopolitical factors and the reactions ofsome countries which hardly hit by theprice slump such as Russia, Venezuelaand Iran may be the game-changer in2015. — KUNA

2015 bears no sign ofend to oil price

deterioration: Expert

7th Ring Roaddetour reopened

KUWAIT: The seventh Ring Road’s detour,located opposite of Abduallah Al-Mubarakresidential area, wasopened yesterdayevening, AssistantUndersecretary for RoadEngineering Affairs at theMinistry of Public Worksengineer Ahmad Al-Hassan announced.

He added in remarks toKUNA that closing thedetour at the 7th RingRoad was temporary inorder to take certain

measures related to calibration of expan-sion joints, being of high importance,

regarding that this ringroad is used by heavyvehicles.

The detour was con-structed in order to servethe people and meet theirneeds, besides safety con-cerns, Minister of PublicWorks and Minister ofElectricity and WaterAbdulaziz Al-Ibrahim saidat the reopening of thedetour. — KUNAAhmad Al-Hassan

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

New yearand friends

Local Spotlight

Ibelieve that New Year is the right time for celebrationwith your beloved ones . Loving ones can be your fam-ily members or friends. I do believe that true friends

will always be around you especially when you celebrateNew Year season.

As we grow older, our parents may depart us or maylive away from you. Similarly, our brothers and sisterscould also be away from us leading a busy life. Only ourloyal friends will be around to share the moments of joywith us . That is what friends are for.

They say a friend in need is a friend indeed. Realfriends are there with you not only during the times ofhappiness and joy. They are there for you to share yourfeelings on all occasions, be it happiness or sadness. Theyshare your pangs during the times of misfortunes andcheer with you in hours of happiness. They wish younothing but the best. Good friends are committed to sup-porting each other in good and bad times.

Sadly, true friends are seldom found these days. As wegrow older and become more selective, sober and wise,we will surely be left with less number of true friends.Your social circle could be wider when you work in a bigorganization or when you are active in society. Many willknow you because of your status in the society or posi-tion in official hierarchy. But how many would still beyour good friends once you leave your official positionand lead a retired life? Very few, I believe .

It is unfortunate that people maintain friendship look-ing at your social position or financial worth. Thosefriends are hypocrites who could belong to both genders.Once their goals are accomplished they would desertyou. They are not true friends.

That is why New Year gathering of friends may be abest way to renew our lasting bond of friendship, loveand commitment. This can be the right time to reiterateour commitment to each other and pray for the best forthe New Year. I have only a limited number of true friendsand I am very proud of all of them. I have chosen themwith my free will and they have been around me foryears. No doubt, I trust them with my life.

This year, I will not make a long list of resolutions for2015. I will not wish for making big money or possessinga yacht etc. I will make my list short and resolute. I wish tobe with my friends as long as I live . I wish to stay in touchwith them and share this journey of life with them until itends. Happy New Year!

LO C A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

While the allied countries are preoccupied with fight-ing Daesh, nobody is looking at the stage after theremoval of the Islamic State and things are still

unclear. The sheikhs of Sunni tribes who visited Washingtonrecently said they received American guarantees to form anorganized Sunni force, but the Americans did not give themany opinion on the status of Sunni governorates after theremoval of Daesh.

The council of Muslim scholars described the lauding ofthe Iranian military intervention in Iraq by some Americanofficials as a farce. They said in a statement that this matteris a rebellion against international law and the UnitedNations charter. They added that the lauding is a clear indi-cation on the breadth of cooperation and coordinationbetween the United States and Iran on the Iraq issue, apartfrom the American support for the crimes committed bymilitias such as kidnapping, killing, blackmail, displacementand burning houses.

American General James Terry said that US allies prom-ised to send 1,500 soldiers to Iraq to help train Iraqi and

Kurdish forces, and it seems that the US in coordination withIran is heading towards strengthening the three Iraqi enti-ties - Kurd, Sunni and Shiite - because the state of a strongIraq is over, and attention is now on shredding Iraq intothree entities.

What is the future of Iraq? And is it possible to find apolitical system that can unify Iraqis, as former prime minis-ter Iyad Allawi called for, especially that current politicians inIraq find it not in their interest for a unified Iraq to returnwith all its components and united social fabric? Iraqi politi-cians want their own personal, partisan or sectarian inter-ests at the expense of Iraq’s unity. Politicians, whether thosesupported by the United States or Iran, do not think aboutbringing back a unified Iraq as a system and the evidence isaccepting the idea of a National Guard for each entity withAmerican support. How can the name National Guard beused, while it has nothing to do with patriotism?

The Sunni areas have tribal military units that are underthe leadership of the tribe’s sheikh. The Shiite areas haveunits and Shiite militias, and each group is under the leader-

ship of one of the religious Shiite parties, and Iran partici-pates in supporting and training these militias. The samegoes for the Kurds. All what they think about is the supportof peshmerga forces to defend their areas, not the Iraqi ter-ritories.

Political leaders in Iraq have not agreed so far on thepolitical parties law because it calls for transparency anddisclosure of each party’s accounts, as corruption in Iraqcannot be curbed or be limited because most politicians areinvolved in it headed by former prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki and the Islamic Daawa party.

It is not in the interest of anyone in Iraq to create animos-ity between people and create sectarian and ethnic crisesfor them, so will political powers join efforts to rescue Iraqby creating conciliatory policies that serve the interest ofall? The experience of modern Iraq indicate that all attemptsto impose one party, one opinion and one leader failedbecause they did not take the interest of all sects of the Iraqipeople into consideration.

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Watan

Can Iraq stand united?kuwait digest

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa

EXPATRIATES

UPDATING DATA FINES

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net

Happy holidays fromthe land of peace

The way the city of Bethlehem, Palestinewas dressed and decorated dur ingChristmas celebrations asserts the city’s

uniqueness as the birthplace of Jesus Christand the place where the miracle of Jesus’ birthtook place.

Priests, Muslim guests and others were pres-ent at the Church of the Nativity to celebrateChristmas, in a scene that solidifies the land’sposition as a cradle for religions. Thousands ofpeople gathered at the Manger Square and cel-ebrated in a scene that sends a message toextremists whose hands are stained with theblood of innocent people. It is also a messageof solidarity with our brothers in humanity whofollow a religion that calls for mercy, and whoare supported byMuslims who callfor peace, toler-ance andrespec t . Thewhole worldmust join in theircalls with thoseof men, women,and chi ldrenwho prayed inBethlehem forpeace inPalestine, a landthat has alwaysbeen a place ofre l igious toler-ance, and wherepeople of differ-ent re l igionsl ived in peaceand harmony.

On this occasion, I call for people living inthat land to commit to its identity as a land ofpeace and love for all. Jews, Christians andMuslims have called that place home for manycenturies and had lived together in peace with-out denying each others’ religious rights. Thatland must eventually return as a place wherebelievers of all Abrahamic religions can live and

practice their rituals freely and safely.

Kuwait-Iraq tiesI raqi Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad

Bahrulolom descr ibed the recent v is i t ofKuwait ’s Fi rst Deput y Pr ime M inister andForeign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah to Iraq as ‘successful,’ and expressed ‘100percent optimism’ in improvement in bilateralrelations.

These statements, as well as his announce-ment that Iraq was proud of the ‘good results’that h is countr y ’s ta lks with Kuwait haveachieved, make us feel optimistic and supportscalls for opening more channels of cooperation,development and joint investment in oil and

other sec torbet ween thet wo neighbor-ing countr ies.F u r t h e r m o r e ,the fac t thatboth s idess igned agree -ments to regu-late mar i t imemovement in away that pro -tec ts mutualinterest, reflectsa large sense ofre s p o n s i b i l i t y,understandingand commit-ment to meet-ing the require-ments of the

international law. Meanwhile, the agreement toopen two Kuwaiti consulates in Erbil and Basrais also a positive step to boost investment,trade, and movement of persons and goods. Ihope that the high-level meeting of the jointcommittee scheduled to take place next yearaccording to the Iraqi ambassador, includesagreements on joint investment and coopera-tion in the oil field.

kuwait digest

The whole world must join intheir calls with those of men,

women, and children whoprayed in Bethlehem for peace

in Palestine, a land that hasalways been a place of religioustolerance, and where people of

different religions lived inpeace and harmony.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Saudi king admittedin hospital

Page 8

Two-year-old fatally shoots mother in USPage 9

TUNIS: Tunisian newly-elected President Beji Caid Essebsi (inset) arrives in his car for a handover ceremony with his predecessor Moncef Marzouki yesterday the Carthage presidential Palace in Tunis. —AFP

TUNIS: Anti-Islamist Beji Caid Essebsi, 88, was sworn in asTunisia’s first freely elected president yesterday, four yearsafter an uprising that triggered the Arab Spring. The elec-tion of Essebsi, a veteran of previous regimes, is seen as alandmark for the North African nation, where longtimedictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011.

Essebsi’s victory over outgoing president MoncefMarzouki capped Tunisia’s sometimes troubled transitionto democracy and has won praise from Western leaders.Essebsi told parliament after a swearing-in ceremony thathe would be “the president of all Tunisians” and “the guar-antor of national unity”.

“There is no future for Tunisia without consensusamong political parties and members of civil society,” hesaid. “There is no future for Tunisia without national recon-ciliation.” Essebsi also attended a handover ceremony atthe presidential palace where he was embraced by theoutgoing leader.

Marzouki, an exiled human rights activist during Ben

Ali’s rule, was elected president at the end of 2011 by aninterim assembly under a coalition deal with the then-rul-ing moderate Islamist movement Ennahda. Opponentshave accused Essebsi of seeking a return to the era of BenAli, who clung to power for 23 years, combining authori-tarian rule with a degree of prosperity and stability for hispeople.

During campaigning the new leader accused Marzoukiof representing the Islamists, whom he says have “ruined”the country since the revolution, and many votersappeared to be seeking a return to stability. Followingindependence from France in 1956, Essebsi became anadviser to the country’s founding father and first presi-dent, Habib Bourguiba, holding a number of key jobsunder him and then Ben Ali.

He later returned to the public stage as a supporter ofthe 2011 uprising and served as prime minister brieflyafter Ben Ali’s ouster while elections were organised forthe interim assembly.

Essebsi’s Nidaa Tounes movement, which won land-mark parliamentary elections in October, includes manymembers of Ben Ali’s old ruling party. Even so, the anti-Islamist lawyer has vowed a fresh start for Tunisia. Essebsitook 55.68 percent of the presidential vote in a December21 runoff against Marzouki-the first time Tunisians havefreely elected their head of state since independence in1956.

Parliament speaker Mohamed Ennaceur described theoath-taking ceremony as “an exceptional moment in histo-ry”. The revolution that began in Tunisia spread to manyparts of the Arab world, with mass protests in Egypt, Libya,Syria and Yemen.

In every country except Tunisia the revolution was fol-lowed by violent turmoil or, as in Syria’s case, a devastatingcivil war. Essebsi and the new government will face majorchallenges. Tunisia’s economy is struggling to recoverfrom the upheaval of the revolution and there is a growingthreat from militants long suppressed under Ben Ali.

Essebsi said it was his duty to address economic problems“to realize the promises of the revolution: dignity, employ-ment, health and regional equality.”

One of Essebsi’s first tasks will be to instruct his party toform a government with a prime minister able to com-mand a majority in parliament. His party failed to securean absolute majority in the October polls, winning 86 of217 seats. Ennahda, which came second, has not ruled outjoining a governing coalition. Tunisian newspapers urgedthe new leadership to uphold the dreams of the revolu-tion. “All the vicissitudes of history during the past 40years show the importance of respect for human rights,” LeTemps said.

It said there was “no question of backtracking onrespect for freedoms”. La Presse said Tunisia’s experienceshowed that “democracy is compatible with Arab-Muslimculture”. It added: “Now we must demonstrate that thisdemocracy can be turned into economic opportunity andprosperity.” — AFP

88-year-old Essebsi sworn in Tunisia presidentLandmark event marks four years after Arab Spring uprising

GAMBIA: A giant billboard of Gambia President Yahya Jammeh sits on an emptystreet in Banjul Gambia yesterday. — AP

BANJUL: Gambia’s iron-fisted ruler YahyaJammeh returned home overnight after afailed coup launched while he was outsidethe country, a military source said yesterday,as fears mounted of possible reprisals by hisregime. A group of heavily armed men ledby an army deserter attacked the presiden-tial palace in the capital Banjul before dawnon Tuesday, but were repelled by Jammeh’sforces. Forces loyal to Jammeh, who hasruled the small west African country for 20years, killed three suspects including thealleged ringleader identified as LaminSanneh, according to a military officer.

Jammeh, who had been on a private visitto Dubai since the weekend, went directlyto the presidential palace where he wasshown the damage caused by Tuesday’sattack and bodies of the slain assailants, thesource told AFP from Bissau. The 49-year-oldstrongman made no public comments buthis demeanour was stern and some men“appeared to be nervous”, the source said.“People were told to be vigilant.”

The source said there were fears thatJammeh, who himself seized power in acoup in 1994, may launch a purge. The coup

bid “has exposed some flaws in the militarysystem even though the attackers wererepelled. Some officers are certain to be sin-gled out.”

Major risk of repression Jammeh claims to have foiled a succes-

sion of coup plots and has come under firefor serious human rights abuses, includingrepression of the media and the disappear-ance of rivals.

A Dakar-based researcher, Gilles Yabi,warned of a “major risk of repressionextending beyond the military figuresinvolved in the coup attempt”. “There arefears the regime could take advantage ofthe situation by blaming people who hadnothing to do with it”. Jammeh, a formerhead of military police, has ruled the largelyrural nation of some 1.8 million people since1994, when he came to power in a coupthat toppled founding leader Sir DawdaJawara. The United States and Britain voicedconcern about the coup attempt in TheGambia, which left the Commonwealthgroup of nations in 2013 accusing Londonand Washington of lying about its humanrights situation.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for a probeof the failed coup as the Security Councilmet to discuss the turmoil. Ban also urgedthe government, security and defenceforces in Banjul to “act in full respect ofhuman rights.” Banjul, a small tropical citywhich lies on an island in a river leading tothe Atlantic Ocean, was tense but calm yes-terday, but there were many soldiers andpolice on the streets.

“Soldiers armed to teeth are stil lpatrolling the streets of Banjul. Some are onfoot and some are on board vehicles,” resi-dent Fatu Sall said. Public offices, banks andshops were open for business after closingon Tuesday while public television andradio, which went off air briefly after thecoup bid, were operating again. “Contrary torumors, there is peace and calm in the coun-try and people are advised to go about theirnormal businesses. We are praying for peaceand tranquility to continue,” state radio saidlate Tuesday, quoting a government state-ment. Ordinary people were reluctant tospeak out about the situation for fear ofreprisals by the formidable NationalIntelligence Agency. — AFP

Gambian president home after failed coup

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ailing KingAbdullah, 91, was admitted to hos-p i t a l ye s t e rd a y fo r “m e d i c a lchecks,” the royal court said. Theking, whose age and frequent hos-pitalization have raised concernsabout the future leadership of thekey oil producer, was admitted tothe King Abdulaziz Medical City inRiyadh, a court statement carriedby the off ic ial SPA news agenc ys a i d . A b d u l l a h’s h a l f - b ro t h e rSalman, 77, is next in line to thet h ro n e. H e w a s n a m e d c ro w nprince in June 2012 following thedeath of Prince Nayef bin AbdulAziz.

Salman has been representingthe k ing at most publ ic events,including the latest Gulf summit in

Q a t a r t h i s m o n t h , d u e t o t h emonarch’s ailing health. The king’sl a te s t h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n co m e s a sSaudi Arabia holds a high-profileposition in the US-led fight againstthe Islamic State group, which hasseized swathes of neighboring Iraqand Syria.

Saudi warplanes have joined incoal i t ion a i r s t r ikes against thej i h a d i s t s i n Sy r i a , a l t h o u g h t h eultra- conser vative Musl im k ing-dom has faced calls to do more tohalt the flow of funds and fightersto IS from among its own citizens.The king’s absence from the publicg a z e fo r s o m e t i m e l a s t ye a rprompted rumors on social medianetworks that his health was dete-riorating.

He underwent two operations inOctober 2011 and November 2012to correct “ligament slackening” inthe upper back. Since the death in1952 of King Abdul Aziz al-Saud,t h e fo u n d e r o f m o d e r n S a u d iArabia, the throne has systemati-cally passed from one of his sons toanother, brothers and half-broth-ers. But many of Abdul Aziz’s sonshave died or are aged. Abdullah’sformer Crown Princes Sultan andNayef died in 2011 and 2012 respec-tively. In March 2014, King Abdullahnamed his hal f -brother Pr inceMoqren as a second crown prince, inan unprecedented move that clearlyaimed at smoothing succession hur-dles. Moqren is the youngest ofAbdul Aziz’s sons. —AFP

Saudi king admitted to hospital for checks

BAGHDAD: A US soldier walks through a fence at the Taji base complex which hosts Iraqi and US troops and is located thirty kilometres north ofthe capital Baghdad. — AFP

For US soldiers, Iraq mission brings unexpected return

SANAA: A suicide bomber killed at least33 people in central Yemen yesterdaywhen he blew himself up at a culturalcentre where students were celebratingProphet Mohammad’s (PBUH) birthday,medical sources and a resident said.

They said at least 33 bodies, includ-ing women and children, had beentransferred to two hospitals in the cityof Ibb. The governor of Ibb province,controlled by the Shiite Muslim Houthigroup that dominates Yemen, wasreported to be among a number of peo-ple wounded in the attack, local resi-dents said.

In a text message, the state Sabanews agency cited the head of Ibb’spolice as saying three people had diedand 30 had been wounded. Residentsreported there was a second explosionoutside one of the two hospitals, al-Thawra. No details were immediatelyavailable or if there were casualties.

No one claimed responsibility for thesuicide bombing, but it resembles previ-ous attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda inthe Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), whichoperates in Yemen. AQAP regardsShiites, the sect of Islam to which theHouthis belong, as heretics. —Reuters

At least 33 killed in suicide bombing in central Yemen

Iran urges Bahrain to free jailed opposition chief

RIYADH: A handout picture released by the SPA on September 29 2013 showsSaudi’s King Abdullah at the Al-Salam royal palace.—AFP

TAJI BASE, Iraq: As Sergeant Michael Lair wentfrom base to base in 2011, moving Americangear to Kuwait ahead of the US withdrawal fromIraq, it seemed unlikely he would be returning.

The United States’ nearly nine-year war in thecountry was winding down, and the devastatingviolence that killed tens of thousands of Iraqisand thousands of American troops was at itslowest level in years. But three years later, Lair ison his third Iraq deployment, this time as part ofa mission to ready Iraqi soldiers for combatagainst the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group,which has overrun large parts of the country.

“I didn’t think we were coming back,” Lairsays, standing on a muddy road lined with sec-tions of concrete blast wall in the massive Tajibase complex north of Baghdad, an M4 assaultrifle held across his chest. “We would go upthrough Iraq to all the FOBs (forward operatingbases). We would load up all the equipment andtake it to the port in Kuwait... by road,” he says ofthe runup to the withdrawal.

“It was kind of a big stepping stone,” he says.“We’re taking our stuff with us-it’s a pretty goodsign.”

But when he deployed to Kuwait in June thisyear as IS drove south toward Baghdad, sweep-ing Iraqi forces aside, it became clear anothermission was likely. “I was just telling myself, hey,get ready to go, ‘cause I guarantee that we’re notjust gonna sit by and watch it happen,” he says.

‘A habit’ Lair also served in Afghanistan, and arriving

back in Iraq was ultimately a return to the life hehas known for years. “It was comfortable, asweird as I guess that sounds,” he says. “This is myfourth deployment, so this is what I’m used to. Idon’t know anything different.

“This has become a habit.” Lair is one ofabout 180 US military personnel now living atTaji, a number that is set to rise, says CaptainTyler Hitter.

The base is one of five sites where the USand its allies aim to train 5,000 military person-nel every six to eight weeks in “the bare mini-mum basics that are needed for counter-attack-ing,” says Major General Dana Pittard. The USspent billions training and equipping Iraqiforces, but that relationship was scaled backafter the 2011 withdrawal.

American soldiers say Iraq’s troops did notcarry out the subsequent training needed tomaintain their skills and that, combined withflawed leadership, helped lead to the IS deba-cle. Much of Taji has been in use by the Iraqiarmy since US troops departed, but it is still fullof signs of the past American presence, frombasketball goals to an empty can ofCopenhagen dip tobacco-a favorite of US sol-diers still sitting in an empty hanger.

Murals accompanied by unit nicknames cov-er a wall near rows of empty white housing

units, and the 1st Cavalry Division’s unit patchis painted on a water tower overlooking thebase.

‘Like starting over’ Staff Sergeant Marlon Daley, another soldier

at Taji, who has been sent to Iraq three times,including during the initial 2003 invasion, didnot expect to return after leaving in 2011. Hedescribes the IS takeover of Iraq’s second cityMosul, an area where he was twice deployed, as“pretty shocking”.

But “I wanted to come here,” he says. “Mostsoldiers, that’s what they want to do, is deployand make a difference.” Command SergeantMajor Robert Keith is now on his fifth missionto Iraq-a series that has spanned from 2003 to2011, and now 2014.

“I didn’t think I was gonna come back.Everything was shutting down, everybody waspushing back down into Kuwait,” Keith says of2011. Over the years, “I’ve seen a lot of progressand... a lot of changes,” and having that rolledback by IS is “frustrating,” he adds. It’s like “try-ing to reinvent the wheel, when you establishso much and we come back, it’s like startingover again,” he says.

But he is glad to be back nonetheless. “Ienjoy coming to Iraq, the people are awesomehere, the hospitality,” Keith says. “People call mecrazy when I say that.” —AFP

TEHRAN: Iran urged Bahrain yesterdayto free Shiite opposition leader Sheikh AliSalman who stands accused of seekingregime change by force in the Sunni-ruled Gulf state. “We are extremely wor-ried about his situation,” foreign ministryspokeswoman Marzieh Afkham toldreporters.

“We want him to be released,” she saidof Salman, head of the Shiite movementAl-Wefaq, which boycotted a parliamen-tary election in November having dis-missed it as a farce. “We believe that thesecurity measures Bahrain’s governmenthas adopted to solve its internal issuesare wrong,” Afkham added. Shiite Iran hasbeen accused of interfering in Bahrain’saffairs ever since its Sunni ruling familycrushed month-long protests led by Al-Wefaq in 2011 seeking an elected gov-ernment in the Shiite-majority kingdom.

Salman’s detention, which came onSunday two days after he was re-elected

as party leader, sparked fresh clashesbetween his supporters and police inShiite villages outside the capitalManama.

The prosecution said Monday that the49-year-old cleric had been charged with“promoting regime change by force,threats and illegal means and of insultingthe interior ministry publicly.”

Salman is also accused of incitingpeople to break the law and of “hatredtowards a segment of the people”. OnTuesday, officials said he would remain incustody for seven days.

Strategically located just across theGulf from Iran, Bahrain is home to the USNavy’s Fifth Fleet, and Britain announcedplans earlier this month to build a navalbase of its own there. But authoritieshave repeatedly rejected Al-Wefaq’sdemand for an elected prime minister toreplace the current government, which isdominated by the royal family. — AFP

Saudi beheads 83 people in 2014, the most in years

RIYADH: Saudi authorities beheaded aPakistani man yesterday convicted ofsmuggling “large quantities” of heroin,the kingdom’s state news agency report-ed, bringing the number of publiclyannounced executions to its highest lev-el in at least five years. An AssociatedPress tally of announcements from theofficial Saudi Press Agency shows 83people have been beheaded in SaudiArabia in 2014, including Wednesday’sexecution. Most were executed for drugsmuggling. Amnesty International saysSaudi Arabia has one of the highest exe-cution rates in the world. The group lists79 executions in Saudi Arabia in 2013and 2012, and 82 in 2011 and 2010. The

London based rights group says at least69 people were executed in 2009. Thecountries that carried out the most exe-cutions on record last year were Iran,Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the US, accordingto Amnesty International. Last year’s fig-ures do not include the thousands ofpeople put to death in China, where suchinformation is a state secret.

The kingdom follows a strict interpre-tation of Islamic law and applies the deathpenalty on a number of crimes, such asmurder and rape, as well as apostasy andwitchcraft. Saudi Arabia has come underparticular criticism from rights groups forexecutions carried out for non-fatalcrimes. —AP

Syria Kurds control 70%of besieged Kobani

BEIRUT: Kurdish forces have regainedcontrol of around 70 percent of theSyrian town of Kobani near the Turkishborder after pushing back Islamic Statefighters that have spent months besieg-ing it, a group monitoring the war saidyesterday.

Backed by US-led air strikes, Kurdishforces made significant advancesovernight on Tuesday after violent clash-es with Islamic State in the south of thetown, the British-based SyrianObservatory for Human Rights said.Known as Ayn Al-Arab in Arabic, thetown has became a symbol in the fightbetween the ultra hardline Islamic Stategroup and its enemies in Iraq and Syria.Hundreds of Islamic State fighterslaunched a sustained attack on the townmore than three months ago.

US-led forces have bombed IslamicState positions around the predominant-ly Kurdish town almost every day thismonth. The Observatory, which gathers

its information from sources in Syria, saidKurdish fighters now control southernand central parts of the town as well asmost of the west in an area stretching upto the border.

Rami Abdulrahman, who runs theObservatory, said Kobani was the onlyclear example of US-led forces cooperat-ing with fighters on the ground in Syriato push back Islamic State. “There are airstrikes every day, they have destroyedmany Islamic State bases in Kobani. Ifthere had been no air strikes then I thinkKobani would have been controlled byIslamic State by now,” he said. He addedKurdish forces were close to controllingall of the town, thanks to the overnightgains in strategic positions.

The United States says it wants totrain and equip “moderate” rebel groupsto fight Islamic State on the groundelsewhere in Syria but rebels say there ismuch uncer tainty surrounding theplans. — Reuters

SANAA: People walk under decorations erected ahead of the celebrations of the birth of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) , known in Arabic as “Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi” in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, yesterday.—AFP

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio: A mother accusedof abandoning a 14-month- oldMaryland boy on the front porch of astranger ’s home in central Ohio isscheduled for arraignment yesterdayon a child endangerment charge aspolice searching for the toddler warnhe may be dead. Columbus officerssearched Tuesday near a creek with adive team and hel icopter af terDainesha Stevens admitted she and a

male acquaintance left the boy,Cameron Beckford, on Friday nightbecause they could no longer care forhim. The area being searched on thecity’s far east side is more than 2 milesfrom the home where Stevens said sheleft the child.

I t is now considered a recover yeffort because of information obtainedby investigators, said Sgt. Rich Weiner,a Columbus police spokesman. Stevens

is scheduled for arraignment inFranklin County Municipal Court ontwo felonies, including tampering withevidence. She remains in custody, andonline court records listed no attorneyfor her. Stevens on Monday reportedthat Cameron’s 6-year-old sister hadbeen taken to an unknown location bya friend, and investigators determinedthe toddler was missing while ques-tioning the woman, police said.

The girl, Cheyenne, later was foundat a home on the city’s west side and isin good condition, authorities said. Shehas been turned over to Frank l inCounty Children Services.

Police said Stevens had legal cus-tody of both children. The man, whopolice aren’t identifying, was jailed onunrelated warrants. A missing-childalert said the toddler was wearing apuffy black coat, gray pants, black and

red boots and a gray elephant hat.Police say he’s black with brown eyesand a Mohawk hairstyle.

Police in Frederick, Maryland, saidthe father of the two children calledpolice on Sunday and reported thattheir mother had taken them to anunknown location in Columbus in mid-December. Based on the father’s con-cerns, missing- chi ld repor ts wereissued.— AP

Mom who says she left tot on porch faces charges

HAYDEN: People stand inside a Wal-Mart in Hayden, Idaho on Tuesday. A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reachedinto her purse at the northern Idaho Wal-Mart and her concealed gun fired, authorities said Tuesday.—AP

Two-year-old fatally shoots mother in US

‘Proliferation of guns leads to accidental shootings’

Low-profile US diplomat helped negotiate with Cuba

WASHINGTON: Just in time for the holi-days, a low-profile presidential aide invitedlong suffering Judy Gross into his WhiteHouse office to personally give her the giftshe’d been hoping for the past five years.Her husband, Alan Gross, was beingreleased from a Cuban prison and cominghome. The meeting was the culmination oftwo years of quiet negotiations with Cubanofficials. The man who helped handle thosenegotiations for President Barack Obamawas Ricardo Zuniga, an American diplomatborn in Honduras to a prominent politicalfamily.

The dealings involved much more thanjust Gross’ release from a 15-year sentence,but the re-establishment of diplomatic tiesbetween the United States and Cuba after ahalf-century of Cold War hostility. Obamatasked two aides with the challenge - BenRhodes, his long-running foreign policyadviser, and Zuniga, a foreign service offi-cer newly detailed to the White House’sNational Security Council as senior directorfor Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Dan Restrepo, who previously heldZuniga’s job, said he recommended theCuba expert to replace him in part becausehe knew that relations with the countrycould be an important part of Obama’s sec-ond-term agenda. Zuniga was serving atthe US Embassy in Brazil at the time, butpreviously had worked at the US InterestsSection in Havana and led the StateDepartment’s Office of Cuban Affairs.

“There’s nobody in government whobetter knew the mechanics, the policiesand politics of Cuba,” Restrepo said. “That’sa very complex set of interactions and laws.And how they interact and what is movableand not movable is not easy to figure out.”

Another important skill that Zunigabrought to the Cuba negotiations was hisfluent Spanish. He was born 44 years agoin the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, thegrandson of Ricardo Zuniga Augustinus, aconservative who ran unsuccessfully forpresident in 1981 and supported the mili-tary dictatorship of Oswaldo Lopez. Hemoved to the United States with hisAmerican mother as a boy and got adegree in foreign affairs and LatinAmerican studies from the University ofVirginia.

Restrepo said Zuniga is a no-nonsenseprofessional and, although they had talkedabout his Honduran roots in passing, henever mentioned his grandfather or anypersonal or family politics.

“That’s a testament to his professional-ism that I don’t know what his politics are,having worked very closely with him,”Restrepo said in a telephone interview.

Restrepo said Zuniga had another

important qualification for an issue thatneeded to be handled in utmost secrecy -discretion. “He’s not an attention-seekingkind of person,” said Restrepo, now a seniorfellow at the Center for American Progress.“Cuba policy development has often beennotable for how quickly it ends up in thenewspaper. That’s not something thatRicardo traffics in.”

Word of the Cuba negotiations did notleak over nearly two years of negotiationswith Cuban officials, in Canada and at theVatican at Pope Francis’ invitation, withRhodes and Zuniga personally keepingObama updated. Beyond the negotiationswith the small island country, Zuniga had awhole hemisphere of concerns to worryabout, including an influx of children com-ing over the border from Central Americaand other implications of Obama’s immi-gration policies.

When Obama made a historic phone callgoing over final negotiations with CubanPresident Raul Castro on Dec 16, Rhodesand Zuniga sat in front of the president onan Oval Office couch, listening with brief-ing books on their laps. A White Housephoto taken after Obama hung up showsZuniga being embraced by his boss,National Security Adviser Susan Rice.Zuniga and Rhodes spent the next day furi-ously preparing Obama’s remarks toannounce the thaw, then took a quietmoment to watch the televised speechfrom Rhodes’ West Wing office.

Obama’s announcement was an unex-pected news development during the holi-day season, with Gross flying home on thesecond day of Hanukkah. Even Judy Grosswas skeptical that a breakthrough had real-ly come in her husband’s case, whichObama had set as a requirement forimproving relations with the communistnation.

Gross family attorney Scott Gilbert waswith Judy Gross in Zuniga’s office in theEisenhower Executive Office Building onDec 12 when she learned a deal had beenreached. Zuniga told them Alan Grosswould be freed the following Wednesdayand invited them to come on the US gov-ernment flight to retrieve him.

“I think after the five years of this, Judywas still somewhat unbelieving even atthat meeting and also somewhat in shock,”Gilbert said in a telephone interview.

“My comment to Ricardo was he neededto get this done so that both he and Alancould go home for the holidays,” Gilbertadded. He said Zuniga also had spent a lotof time away from wife and two daughters.“He was extremely committed to trying toaccomplish this outcome and worked dayand night to get it done.” —AP

LOS ANGELES: A two-year-old in a shopping cartat a Walmart store shot and killed his motherwith a handgun taken from her purse, in the lat-est US shooting tragedy. The accident took placeTuesday in Hayden, Idaho, where the victim,Veronica Rutledge, was shopping with her chil-dren and other family members.

“Her son was seated in the shopping cart andaccessed the victim’s concealed weapon from herpurse and discharged it, striking the victim,”Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said in astatement. “Once on scene, deputies found a 29-year-old victim was deceased from an apparentgunshot wound.”

Idaho, a rugged and largely rural state, isamong the US states with the highest percent-age of Americans who own guns. Rutledge, whowas spending the holidays in the area, had a con-cealed weapons permit, the sheriff’s office con-firmed, allowing her to legally carry the gun.

Sheriff’s department lieutenant Stu Miller toldlocal television KHQ that in “instances like this,you know I’m a big proponent of a concealedweapon for your own safety. However, you haveto be responsible. Unfortunately, in this case, thatjust wasn’t.”

Walmart said it was “fully cooperating with

the Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies as theyinvestigate this matter.” KREM television reportedthat Rutledge was in the store with three otherchildren, which police did not immediately con-firm. Authorities sent psychologists to helpemployees needing assistance, it added. Thestore, which was evacuated, will be closed onWednesday.

300 million guns in the US Accidental shootings are not uncommon in

the United States given the proliferation of guns,but Tuesday’s accident was unusually tragic, andled to a torrent of online commentary under thehashtag #IdahoWalmart. “Enough is enoughdon’t you think? A 2year old killing with a gun?Seriously America?!” wrote one Twitter user, whileothers expressed concern for the plight of thenow-motherless toddler.

A leading anti-gun lobby group, the BradyCampaign to Prevent Gun Violence, estimatesthat there are some 300 million guns in theUnited States-one for almost every individual inthe nation. Much of the research about childrenand firearms has focused on the nearly 20,000minors who are killed or injured each year byguns in the United States.

In 2011, 2,703 young people, ages 0-19, werekilled by gunfire in the United States. There is,however, comparatively little information abouthow many youths are involved in accidentalshootings that lead to injury or loss of life.Meanwhile, an increasing number of US statesover the years have adopted laws allowing theirresidents to obtain concealed carry permits, likethe one that allowed Rutledge to take her hand-gun on her shopping errands. In December 2011,the US Government Accountability Office esti-mated there were about eight million concealedhandgun permits, but by June 2014, the numberhad grown to well over 11.1 million.

Florida is the US state that has issued the mostconcealed carry permits-1.28 million. The statewith the highest percentage of residents withconcealed carry permits is South Dakota, at 12percent.

Earlier this year, Americans were shaken byanother unintended fatal shooting by a child,when a nine-year-old girl learning to fire an Uzisubmachine gun at a shooting range accidentallykilled her instructor. In that incident last August,the girl was unable to control the weapon’s recoilas she fired it, and an errant bullet struck herinstructor in the head, killing him. —AFP

Two people use their cell phones in the driving rain as the motorcade carryingPresident Barack Obama passes en route to a luau at a friend’s house on Tuesday inWaialua, Hawaii during the Obama family vacation. —AP

8 killed in Canada ‘senseless mass murder’MONTREAL: A man with a lengthy criminalrecord killed six adults and two young childrenbefore taking his own life in Edmonton in whatthe police chief on Tuesday called the westernCanadian city’s worst mass murder. EdmontonPolice Chief Rod Knecht told a news conferencelate Tuesday night that there was no suggestionof gang involvement and said the motive for the“senseless mass murder” appears to have been“planned and deliberate” domestic violence.

“It’s terrible for the city,” Knecht said. “Thescene ... has been described as chaotic, horrific.Particularly when there’s children involved, ithas a tremendous impact on our folks.”

Knecht did not release the name of the sus-pect, but said the man was well-known topolice and had a criminal record dating back toSeptember 1987. Cindy Duong, 37, was fatallyshot in a home in south Edmonton on Monday,while two men and three women between theages of 25 and 50, and a girl and a boy - bothunder the age of 10 - were found dead a fewhours later at a home in the northeast.

The suspect was found dead by his ownhand in a restaurant in the Edmonton bedroomcommunity of Fort Saskatchewan on Tuesdaymorning. A police tactical team had surroundedthe area and reportedly smashed through thefront of the restaurant with a vehicle beforefinding the suspect dead. Duong’s body wasfound around 7 p.m. Monday when policeresponded to a report of a man entering thesouth-side home, opening fire and fleeing,Knecht said.

An hour and a half later, officers respondedto reports of a suicidal man at a northeast resi-dence in a quiet cul de sac, the same homewhere the suspect had been arrested inNovember 2012 and charged with domesticand sexual assault.

Family members reported in the call that theman was “depressed and over-emotional.”

When officers arrived, no one answered thedoor, Knecht said. They searched the exterior ofthe home but found nothing overtly suspiciousand did not go inside. “We can’t just arbitrarilygo into that residence,” explained the chief.Hours later police were contacted by a second

person and returned to the residence. Whenthey went inside, they found a scene of carnagewith seven bodies.

Neighbor Moe Assiff said he saw officerscome out and talk to a woman sitting with aman in a white car outside the house. “She justlet out a hysterical scream. It was eerie,” Assiffsaid. “She was screaming about her kids: ‘Mykids! The kids!,’ grabbing her hair and trying topull her hair out. The cops then ushered herdown the road into a police cruiser.” Outside therestaurant where the suspect’s body was found,police found a parked black SUV that they saywas seen near the location of the first shooting.Knecht said the suspect had a business interestin the restaurant, but would not say if he was

the owner. Investigators have determined the 9mm handgun used in the killings was a regis-tered weapon that had been stolen in Surrey,British Columbia, in 2006.

In Edmonton, a city of 878,000 people, massmurders are extremely rare. Knecht said thecase was the worst mass killing in the city sinceat least 1956, when six people were murdered.John Etter Clark, a provincial politician whoser ved as a member of the Legislat iveAssembly of Alberta for four years, killed hiswife, son, three daughters and an employee oftheir family farm before taking his own life in1956. Clark had been suffering from frequentnervous breakdowns in the years before thekillings. —AP

EDMONTON: Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht arrives to speak about multiple homi-cides that took place at different scenes over night in Edmonton, Alberta on Tuesday. Policehave confirmed the deaths of six adults and two young children in what Chief Ron Knechtcalled a “senseless mass murder.” —AP

Hawaii vacation reunites Obama and childhood pals

HONOLULU: Since returning to his child-hood home this month on vacation,President Barack Obama has spent a goodpart of most days cloistered with threepeople whose company puts him at ease.They’re not his wife and daughters, whocame with him, but a trio of pals whosefriendship dates back to Obama’s highschool days in Hawaii.

The three men - Mike Ramos, BobbyTitcomb and Greg Orme - are among thefew people still in Obama’s life who knewhim long before he was famous. Althoughtheir paths have long since diverged,they’ve made it a point to gather for fre-quent reunions, in one of Obama’s mostvisible links to the days when his life wasmuch simpler and his problems more mun-dane.

On this visit alone, Obama has spentmore than 22 hours with the group on thelush golf courses that dot the island ofOahu. When it rained, Obama and his palswent bowling, instead. And on Tuesday, inwhat’s become a yearly tradition, the menand their families gathered for a luau host-ed by Titcomb. With rain drizzling overOahu, Obama’s motorcade whisked Obama

across the island to Titcomb’s beachsidehome in Waialua, about an hour outside ofHonolulu on the North Shore.

Increasingly, the reunions have becomethe focal point of Obama’s family vacationsin his second term, as his teenage daugh-ters spend less and less time at theirfather’s side. Once content to join their par-ents for outings to the aquarium or to getshave ice, Sasha and Malia are now moreindependent. Since arriving more than aweek ago, Obama has been out in publicwith one of his daughters only once, briefly,during a hike.

What Obama and his companions talkabout during their many hours alone isanyone’s guess. But the foursome rarelygoes more than a few months withoutreconvening in one arrangement or anoth-er. In August, Obama kicked off his 53rdbirthday weekend golfing with the threefriends in suburban Maryland before head-ing to Camp David, the presidential retreatin the Catoctin Mountains.

All four were classmates at PunahouSchool in Honolulu, which Obama hasdescribed as “a prestigious prep school, anincubator for island elites.” —AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

ATHENS: Greece’s splintered political land-scape means small, often relatively new par-ties may determine whether the winner ofelections next month can cobble together alasting government and avoid a new financialcrisis. The Jan 25 vote marks a showdownbetween the conservative New Democracy

party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, whoimposed unpopular budget cuts underGreece’s international bailout deal, and theradical leftist Syriza of Alexis Tsipras, whowants to cancel austerity along with a chunkof Greek debt.

Syriza holds a lead over New Democracy

in opinion polls, although this has narrowedto only about three percentage points in therun-up to the election, called after parliamentfailed to elect a new Greek president thisweek. But neither may be able to form a gov-ernment alone, even with a 50 seat-bonusthat the constitution automatically awards tothe biggest party in the 300-seat chamber,leaving one or more of the smaller groups toshape the final outcome.

Dominated for decades by NewDemocracy and the Socialist PASOK party,Greek politics have been radically reshapedby the debt crisis that forced the country toaccept two bailouts worth Ä240 billion ($292billion) from the European Union and IMF. Inreturn they demanded harsh measures,which have deepened an anti-establishmentmood and anger against the old order. One ofthe parties most likely to hold the balance ofpower is To Potami (“The River”), a recently-created centrist group which has refused todefine itself as pro- or anti-bailout. The otheris PASOK, which was in Samaras’s outgoingcoalition despite taking an electoral thrashingin 2012, and is now expected to split.

“Small parties were on the sidelines in thepast but now will be the determining factor inthe coming election,” said a senior officialfrom the PASOK faction that is expected tobreak away in the coming days. Two smallanti-bailout parties, the Democratic Left andIndependent Greeks, are possible allies forSyriza. However, the Democratic Left is notexpected to win 3 percent of popular vote,

the minimum required to enter parliament,and may be absorbed by Syriza before theelection.

The right-wing Independent Greekswould make unusual allies for Syriza, withwhich they have little in common apart fromdislike of the bailout deal. Polls show a groupof parties jockeying for third place behindSyriza, which is now the main force on theGreek left, and New Democracy. They are thefar-right Golden Dawn, the KKE Communistparty, PASOK and To Potami. Golden Dawn,which has a swastika-like emblem, denies it isneo-Nazi or that it has been involved in vio-lent attacks. Nevertheless, all other Greekparties refuse to deal with it, while the KKEhas ruled itself out of any coalition alliance.That leaves To Potami in prime position tobecome kingmaker. Set up this year by aprominent TV journalist, the party made itsdebut in elections to the EuropeanParliament in May, when it came fifth with 6.6percent.

Taking FrightFinancial markets took fright on Monday

when Samaras was forced to call the election,worrying that Tspiras will win and tear up thebailout deal that saved Greece from bank-ruptcy. However, if Tsipras were to win but failto find a coalition partner, Greece could alsoface a political crisis. Political analyst JohnLoulis expected Syriza and To Potami to teamup. “Once Tsipras wins, the most stabilisingdevelopment will be to cooperate with

Potami, but both of them will keep denying ituntil the right moment,” he said.

Polls show 5 to 6 percent support for ToPotami, which insists it is firmly pro-euro andpro-reform but opposes certain austeritymeasures. It also wants Greece’s debt to besettled within a broader resolution of Europe’sproblems. Party leader Stavros Theodorakishas opened To Potami to a deal with either ofthe big parties, describing his natural allies asthe “reasonable” members of Syriza or “the lib-erals in New Democracy, not the neoliberals”.

The other player will be PASOK, whosesupport has shriveled from 42 percent of thevote just five years ago to 4 to 6 percent. Itsfuture is in doubt, with former Prime MinisterGeorge Papandreou expected to set up hisown party with some disgruntled PASOK law-makers. “Papandreou’s party is a huge ques-tion now,” said Costas Panagopoulos of ALCOpollsters, saying the new group could stealvotes from Syriza, PASOK and even NewDemocracy. Some analysts speculate thateither faction could prop up Syriza if it toneddown its anti-bailout stance.

“If Syriza moderates its program on keyissues like the economy and comes closer toour program, we can support a Syriza govern-ment without necessarily participating intheir government,” said the PASOK officialallied with Papandreou. “Parties that partici-pated in the government during the crisistook a huge risk - that’s why some of themshrank or disappeared. They become unpop-ular to their voters.” —Reuters

Small parties to play outsized role in Greek election

GALLIPOLI, Italy: Aid workers wait early yesterday near the Moldovan-flagged ship Blue Sky M in the port of this city in southeastern Italy. —AFP

MARINIVKA, Ukraine: LarissaPogorelka began the year look-ing forward to seeing her songraduate college and planningfor the future with cautious opti-mism. Now she will end 2014homeless, after her house wasdestroyed in the fighting thatswept through this region ofeast Ukraine, and counts herself

lucky just to be alive. “Nobodyever expected any of this to hap-pen,” the shopkeeper, 42, toldAFP. “My home has burnt downand I am living with my parents.What have I lived for? In one dayyou can just lose everything.”

Just a few kilometres from theRussian border, Marinivka inUkraine’s restive Donetsk region,used to be a pleasant, if poor

and totally unremarkable, ham-let of 600 inhabitants. Life wassometimes tough but it was atleast predictable and peoplehere had a sense of sleepy stabil-ity. That, though, has beenturned upside down as a conflictthat no one saw comingbetween Ukrainian troops andRussian-backed rebels turned

the village into a front line.Over the past eight months,

the strategic location hasswapped hands several timesbetween government forces andthe insurgents. Since the end ofthe summer it has been underseparatist control. As a handfulof local residents trudge throughthe snow and brave the icy windalong the main Seleverstova

street, no house they pass seemsto have escaped undamaged.Here a roof is missing, there afamily home is little more thancharred remains.

The two-storey school, oncethe pride of the community, isan empty shell pockmarked bygaping holes caused by tankshells. “You can see what a night-

marish year it has been for us,”said Valentina Fyodorova, point-ing to the shrapnel scars in thewall of her modest grocery store.“We were peaceful people.Things were good, but now theyare bad.”

‘It is Just Madness’ Although the situation has

been more or less calm here for

several months, people are stillstruggling to work out how theouster of former president ViktorYanukovych in February couldhave ended up with war comingto their doorsteps. “They are inshock. People cannot digestwhat horrors have happenedhere,” says Valentina’s husbandAlexander Fyodorov. “We werenot prepared for this.” Ukraineand the West blame Russia forartificially stirring the rebellionand even sending its own troopsover the border, while Moscowpaints the uprising in the east asa legitimate reaction to an illegalcoup in Kiev.

But for those caught up in theviolence, there is little reason-able explanation for what hashappened. “The only thing youcan put it down to is humaninsanity,” Fyodorov said. “To usehowitzer cannons to shoot atpeaceful houses - it is just mad-ness.” In the neighbouring vil-lage of Stepanivka, former trac-tor driver Vladimir Samolenkoglances at the burned-outwreckage of a Ukrainian tank ashe opens his front gate.

Inside his cramped livingroom, his wife Zinaida is boilingsome water for potatoes as theirgranddaughter Katya builds ahouse out of Lego bricks. “Beforethe war, we at least receivedpensions and wages,” saysSamolenko, 76. “It was possibleto live.” Now electricity is a con-stant problem and money is run-ning short after the centralauthorities in Kiev stopped mak-ing welfare payments to therebel-held areas. “We hope thatthe war won’t return but we feelthat it is not over yet,” he said. “Asfor the future, it is impossible tosay,” he sighed, tracing a largequestion mark in the air with hisfinger. —AFP

Little hope for future as east Ukraine ends nightmare year

Small village turned into frontline

LISICHANSK, Ukraine: A fighter from the Donbass Ukrainian volunteer battalion wearing aFather Frost (the equivalent of Santa Claus) hat stands near this eastern Ukrainian city in theLugansk region yesterday. —AFP

GALLIPOLI, Italy: Italy’s coastguard saidyesterday it had narrowly averted anotherhigh seas disaster by intercepting afreighter that was on a collision course withthe country’s rocky shoreline with morethan 900 Syrian refugees on board. In whatwas the second maritime drama of recentdays, officers revealed that the huge cargoship’s engine had been locked on with thesteering set on a direction that would haveled to it crashing ashore somewhere in thePuglia region on the “heel” of Italy.

The coastguard, already working flat outbecause of the Norman Atlantic ferry disas-ter, scrambled two helicopters overnightafter realising that the Moldovan-regis-tered Blue Sky M, was headed for disaster.Six coastguard officers boarded the vesseland, after some frantic moments on thebridge, were able to unlock the enginesand bring the boat under control just fivemiles from the coast. “It was a real raceagainst the clock,” coastguard spokesmanFilippo Marini said. “Unlocking the engineswas a difficult and delicate operation, butthey managed to do it.” In a tweet from itsofficial account, the coastguard said a “mas-sacre” had been avoided.

Distress Call The migrants on board, including a

heavily pregnant woman whose watersbroke during the drama, were taken to theport of Gallipoli as an inquest began intohow the alarming incident had occurred.Greece’s coastguard had on Tuesday after-noon received a distress call from someoneon board the Blue Sky M who reported thatit was being navigated by heavily armedmen. A navy frigate, a helicopter and twopatrol vessels were dispatched to interceptthe boat off the island of Corfu.

But after what now appears to havebeen a very cursory check, the vessel wasal lowed to continue its journey. Aspokesman for Greek port police told AFPat the t ime that an inspection hadrevealed “no (mechanical) problems andnothing suspicious on the boat.” Italianofficials suspect that the vessel was thenunder the control of people smugglerswho later jumped ship, as they frequentlydo in the knowledge that their humancargo will be picked up by navy or mer-chant ships. One man suspected ofinvolvement with the traff ickers wasarrested after the port arrived in Gallipoli.

Conflict and Poverty The drama came as Italy and Greece

were coping with the aftermath of theNorman Atlantic disaster, which has left atleast 13 people dead and dozens moreunaccounted for. The I tal ian- owned,Greek- operated ferr y was due to betowed Wednesday from waters offAlbania back to Italy. The cause of a killerblaze that erupted on the ferry on Sundayremains unknown and investigationsaimed at finding out what happened havebeen opened in Italy and Greece.

Survivors who waited up to 24 hours tobe rescued from the burning ship havehighlighted major shortcomings in thecrew ’s response to the emergenc y.Doubts over the accuracy of the passen-ger list have hampered attempts to estab-lish the true scale of the tragedy. Theprosecutor in charge of the Italian investi-gation has said he expects to find morebodies aboard the burnt-out ferry, whichwas carr ying an unknown number ofstowaways and more than 400 passengersand crew. —AFP

Disaster avoided as ship stopped off Italy

ROME: An expected decision by Italy’s presidentto step down next year would leave PrimeMinister Matteo Renzi facing one of his most del-icate political challenges. After dropping hints formonths, 89-year-old Giorgio Napolitano, waslikely to indicate in an end-of-year address yes-terday evening that he will leave his post earlynext year, although he may not name an exactdate. The Italian head of state holds wide butloosely defined powers, including appointingprime ministers, and can veto legislation as wellas using the office’s moral weight to influencethe political agenda.

If Renzi cannot steer an acceptable candidatethrough the complicated presidential electionprocess, it will raise doubts about his ability topush through economic reforms and plannedchanges to the constitution and electoral sys-tem. That would fuel speculation about early

elections, adding to the political uncertainty sur-rounding the euro zone.

Napolitano, a former communist respected inEurope and Washington, reluctantly agreed to asecond term last year after a deadlocked electionthreatened to leave Italy politically adrift, but saidhe would not serve the full seven years. Monthsof speculation about potential successors havethrown up names ranging from European CentralBank President Mario Draghi to current EconomyMinister Pier Carlo Padoan or Defence MinisterRoberta Pinotti.

Renzi, 39, appointed by Napolitano less than ayear ago as Italy’s youngest-ever prime ministersaid on Monday he was “absolutely certain” a suc-cessor could be elected. But the process is full ofhazards that could absorb valuable political ener-gy as Italy struggles to pull out of recession.Electing a president involves about 1,000 voters -

members of parliament and representatives fromthe regions. It allows for multiple rounds of votingby secret ballot, offering ample opportunity forrevenge to the many party enemies Renzi hasmade during his whirlwind months in charge.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, stillburning with resentment at Napolitano’s pre-sumed role in his tumultuous 2011 downfall, hasinsisted that an agreement on the president willbe needed for his support for wider constitu-tional reforms. But the experience of 2013, whenformer Prime Minister Romano Prodi was reject-ed by around 100 disgruntled lawmakers in hisown party, also underlines the danger fromwithin. That fiasco toppled the then-leader ofthe Democratic Party Pierluigi Bersani, who hadproposed Prodi, ultimately paving the way forRenzi to seize control of the party a few monthslater. —Reuters

Italy presidential choice poses problem for PM

ATHENS: A police officer places outside the Greek parliament an announce-ment of the parliament’s dissolution yesterday. —AFP

TIRANA: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (left) takes a selfie with ItalianPrime Minister Matteo Renzi after their meeting on Tuesday. —AFP

I N T E R N AT ION A L

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

KABUL: No one ever claimed responsibility after asuicide bomber rammed into the vehicle of celebrat-ed female parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai. Shewalked away from the wreckage after the Nov 16blast that killed three civilians and wounded 20.TheTaleban often take responsibility for suicide bomb-ings. They did so for one against the British embassythat killed six people days later. Barakzai, 42, saidAfghanistan’s spy agency had warned her beforeabout threats to her life from the insurgents. But aninvestigation into the attack on the outspokenwomen’s rights activist has led nowhere.

Barakzai has no shortage of potential enemies,including powerful warlords. “Our parliament is acollection of lords,” Barakzai once famously said.“Warlords, drug lords, crime lords.” Barakzai wasonly a few hundred metres from the Parliamentbuilding, her destination, when the suicide bomberrammed into her armoured car. A strong supporterof new President Ashraf Ghani, Barakzai had beentalked about as a candidate to join his government,perhaps as education or women’s affairs minister.Ghani has promised he will appoint four women tohis cabinet.

Barakzai, who rose to prominence when she ranunderground schools for girls when the Taleban

ruled the country, says both the previous Afghangovernment and its Western benefactors have failedto defend the hard-won rights of women. “For me,what they do to support women’s rights is just lipservice, nothing more than that,” says Barakzai, inter-viewed in hospital where she was recovering fromburns to the left side of her face and her left handfrom the attack.

Quotas for WomenThe US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan in 2001

to oust the Taleban, and stayed on, in part to build aWestern-style democracy, including legal safeguardsfor women. A quota was mandated for women inpublic offices, such as parliament and provincialcouncils. Earlier this year, however, conservative law-makers rolled back the quota for women in provin-cial councils to 20 per cent from 25 per cent.

Last Sunday marked the formal end to the inter-national combat mission in Afghanistan. And whileprogress has been made getting millions of girls inschool and putting women in positions of authority,it has had “frustratingly little impact on these powerdynamics,” the U.N.-backed Afghanistan Researchand Evaluation Unit said in a recent report. “Today,women’s rights are ... one of the feared losses shared

by Afghans and the world as international troopsprepare to withdraw completely.”

World Bank data show Afghanistan still lags farbehind even its impoverished neighbours in SouthAsia. Only 16 percent of Afghan females above theage of 15 were active in the labour force comparedwith 57 percent in Bangladesh and 27 percent inIndia. The fertility rate in Afghanistan is 7.2 births perwoman versus 3.1 for all of South Asia. Only 14 per-cent of births in Afghanistan are attended by askilled health worker compared with 36 percent inSouth Asia. The literacy rate for 15-24 year-oldwomen was 32 percent compared with 63 percent inneighbouring Pakistan.

University for GirlsBarakzai, a parliamentarian the past decade, has

campaigned against the practice of Afghan menmarrying multiple wives; her husband, who runs anoil company, took a second wife without consultingher. She stresses the need for long-term investmentin education to compete seriously for jobs instead ofaid programmes for “workshops or seminars”. “If yousee their projects, they are always the same.Empowering women by a seminar or workshop. Orembroidery, tailoring,” she laughs. “I am tired of these

things. “We need a university for girls,” she says, dueto the fact that many families will not send girls tomixed institutions.

Women’s activists have been lukewarm about a$216 million United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) program to support women’sadvancement. The five-year program, calledPromote, aims to help thousands of women gainbusiness and management skills and promotewomen’s rights groups. Noor Safi Gululai, one of thefew women in Afghanistan’s High Peace Council,which is in charge of the so-far fruitless effort to con-vince the Taleban to join peace talks, was critical ofsuch efforts. “I am afraid this money will also go inthe pockets of a few people,” Gululai told Reuters.“Rights will never be taught at conferences. I hopethe president will talk to USAID and have them usethe money to establish good schools and universi-ties.”

The US Embassy in Kabul said its new programwould encourage lasting change. “Promote will be along-term, sustained effort to help women obtainmore leadership positions in government and busi-ness,” an embassy statement said on Wednesday,adding that activities “will be designed by Afghanwomen, for Afghan women”. — Reuters

Afghan women fear oppression as mission ends

MIRPUR, Pakistan: In this photograph taken on Oct 25, 2014, 30-year-old Pakistani mother Ghazla Kauser holds her daughter Maryam as shegives an interview at her home in Mirpur. (Right) In this photo taken Oct 26, 2014, 26-year-old Pakistani mother Zara Bibi poses with a photo-graph of her son, who is in his father’s custody in Britain, at her residence. — AFP

MIRPUR , Pakistan: Pakistani police are investi-gating whether a jealous wife ordered the recentmurder of an elderly British man in Kashmir, in acase that spotlights polygamy among dualnationals in the region. Jumma Khan, 70, wasshot on the doorstep of his home in Mirpur, inPakistan-administered Kashmir, the ancestralhometown of much of Britain’s large Pakistanicommunity. Khan’s family claim the second ofhis three wives - who was in England at the time- arranged the October hit.

Senior police official Raja Azhar Iqbal toldAFP that Khan’s eldest son from his marriage tohis second wife, as well as two of the wife’sbrothers, have been arrested and bailed in con-nection with the killing. “We are investigatingthe case on two aspects, property and love jeal-ousy,” Iqbal said. “We have not reached any firmconclusions but it is likely that his third marriagecould be the reason for his death.”

Weddings, Rivalries Khan’s matrimonial career began when he

married his cousin Fatima Bibi in 1963, fatheringsix children, who live in Britain. In 1981 hedivorced her and married Zubaida Bibi, havingfour more children with her. Then, in May, hetook another wife - Asia Bibi, 40, from the garri-son city of Rawalpindi. It was at this point friendssay Khan began to fear for his safety.

Neighbours say Khan, who lived in the north-ern town of Wakefield in Britain, used to go tomosque for prayers five times a day when hewas in Kashmir, but after his latest marriage wasrarely seen outdoors. His younger brother HajiMohammad Ilyas, who arrived in Kashmir from

Britain after the murder, said Khan was a piousman with no obvious enemies in Pakistan.“When he returned to Britain after his third mar-riage, his relations with his second wife wors-ened. He quit his house in the UK and started liv-ing with a friend,” he told AFP.

Shakeel Hussain Jumma, 40, Khan’s son fromhis first marriage, said his father had developed“serious differences” with his second wife.“During a family function in Britain, peopleheard his second wife making veiled threats tohim,” Jumma said. Mohammad Imran, the eldestson from Khan’s second marriage who has beenbailed over the murder, vehemently denied hisside of the family had anything to do with thekilling. “We are innocent. We are not involved inthe murder of our father,” the 28-year-old toldAFP.

Plight Islam permits men to take up to four wives

and while polygamy is illegal in Britain, in prac-tice there is little the authorities can do to pre-vent people taking additional spouses in cere-monies overseas. It is not uncommon for elderly,well-off British Pakistani men to take additionalwives from Mirpur, with the promise of Britishnationality. According to lawyer MohammadYasin, who deals with such cases, the womenoften face a bleak future, with many husbandsnot returning to Pakistan after going back toEngland.

The husbands typically spend a few monthswith their new wives before abandoning them.In most cases they do not maintain contact and,in some, the wives give birth to children who

then do not see their fathers. Ghazla Kauser, 30is one such case. She married 37-year-oldChaudhry Amraz Khan four years ago. He spentthree months with his wife and then went backto England. Kauser was pregnant and gave birthto a baby girl named Mariam, now three yearsold. “She always asks about her father, but I havenothing to tell her. He has no contact with us,”said Kauser, tears rolling down her cheeks.

In a highly conservative Islamic society likePakistan, tongues wag about mothers withabsent husbands, and Kauser says she has had atough time. “I went to my in-laws in my hus-band’s home town, but they treated me badlyand kicked me out of the house,” she said.Another Kashmiri girl Zara Bibi, 26, says she mar-ried a British national in 2001, at the age of just13 - illegal in both countries. “My husband didnot meet the legal requirements for me to getBritish nationality, so they sent me back toPakistan, deceiving me that my mother was ill,”she said. “Now I cannot go back to England tosee my son. My son is now nine years old,” Bibitold AFP.

Mohammad Yasin, the lawyer, said the prob-lem extended to hundreds of women in theregion. The British High Commission inIslamabad said it was providing consular assis-tance to Khan’s family over the murder. But offi-cials said the “tragic” issue of wives abandonedby their husbands was beyond their remit. “It isdifficult to offer any practical assistance to thevictims since it often involves Pakistani nationalsin their own country and is therefore very mucha matter for the local authorities,” a spokes-woman said. — AFP

Murder spotlights polygamy among British Pakistanis

Many brides abandoned, face bleak future

KABUL: The last French troops in Afghanistanheld a ceremony in Kabul yesterday to markthe end of their deployment after NATO com-bat operations closed down and as a new“train and support” mission takes over. About150 French soldiers who had been helpingrun the military airport handed over responsi-bility to a Turkish unit which will operateunder the new NATO mission. NATO’s war inAfghanistan formally ended on Sunday,when the International Security AssistanceForce (ISAF) was replaced by the US-led fol-low-up mission “Resolute Support”.

France, which withdrew all its combattroops from the country two years ago, lost89 soldiers and saw 700 injured in the warsince 2001. The conflict against the Talebanstill rages across Afghanistan, and an estimat-ed 17,000 foreign soldiers will stay on to assistthe local police and army, who face a majorchallenge as the international military pres-ence declines.

“The threat is still present, insurgents con-tinue to be active, but what has been accom-plished in 13 years is considerable in terms ofgovernance, development, security,” saidGeneral Gratien Maire, second in commandof the French military. The soldiers couldleave with “the satisfaction of a duty welldone” he said. The foreign force next year willconsist of the 12,500-strong NATO mission,most of them US troops, and a US counter-terrorism operation outside the NATO remit,though final numbers remain unclear.

Rising Casualties The Taleban issued another statement

yesterday celebrating the end of NATO’s com-bat mission, adding that no peace talks couldhappen before all foreign troops leave.“Today, they are evacuating their invadingforces from Afghanistan while they are bitter-ly defeated by the just and pious Afghanresistance,” the group said. “The real solutionof the ongoing Afghan crisis is in the com-plete and unconditional withdrawal of all for-

eign forces from this country. “The presenceof foreign occupiers is main cause of instabili-ty and chaos.”

The Taleban, who ruled Afghanistan from1996 to 2001, have waged a resilient insur-gency against NATO and Afghan forces, withviolence now at record levels nationwide. TheUnited Nations said civilian casualties hit anew high this year with about 10,000 non-combatants killed or wounded - 75 percent ofthem by the Taleban. Insurgents launchedhigh-profile strikes in the capital during theclosing weeks of the ISAF era, targeting for-eign guest houses, diplomatic convoys, theFrench cultural centre and Afghan army bus-es.

The end of NATO’s combat missionbrought “the longest war in American histo-ry... to a responsible conclusion”, US PresidentBarack Obama said. Afghan officials and sen-ior US officers have been pushing Obama toextend US involvement. US troop numbersare set to halve within 12 months and fall toalmost nothing in two years. President AshrafGhani hopes to bring peace to Afghanistanafter decades of conflict, saying he is open totalks with any insurgent group.

Since 2001 billions of dollars of aid havebeen spent in Afghanistan on new schools,hospitals, roads and promoting women’srights. But corruption has been endemic andprogress limited, even in the cities. This year’spresidential election, which was meant to bethe keystone legacy of the developmenteffort, was marred by fraud and a prolongedstandoff between the two poll rivals thatfanned further unrest. At Kabul airport,French soldiers handed a flag to their Turkishsuccessors at an event attended by Afghanofficers who will eventually take over thefacility. A memorial in the shape of the EiffelTower commemorating the French war deadwas also unveiled. Afghan security forces willhold celebrations on Thursday marking thecomplete transfer of responsibility fromNATO. — AFP

French ceremonymarks end of

Afghan mission

KABUL: General Gratien Maire, second in command of the French militaryinspects the last French troops in Afghanistan during their end of NATO missionceremony at Kabul International Airport (KAIA) in Kabul yesterday.— AFP

DANGAM, Afghanistan: In this Dec 24, 2014 photo, an Afghan National Army soldierprays during an ongoing operation in this district of Kunar province. — AP

DANGAM, Afghanistan: The smoke from mortarand rocket attacks rises from the mountains ofDangam in the remote eastern border region ofAfghanistan as Taleban insurgents battle govern-ment forces in a bid to establish a permanentpresence now that the American soldiers wholed the fight here for more than a decade haveleft. Heavy fighting has been raging for almostthree weeks, with wave after wave of Taleban mil-itants assaulting this picturesque but poverty-stricken district of Kunar province just four kilo-meters from the border with Pakistan, officialsand residents said.

The US-led international effort to ridAfghanistan of the Taleban officially shifts from acombat to a training band support mission yester-day, with Afghan forces assuming full responsibili-ty for security nationwide on New Year’s Day. Aresidual force of 10,800 Americans and almost3,000 NATO soldiers will remain, under the bannerof a new mission called Resolute Support.

Over the last 18 months, US and NATO forceshave been closing their bases across the country,

taking their battlefield prowess, air support andmedical evacuation assets with them. The war ismeanwhile creeping into urban and residentialareas, putting ordinary people at greater risk.Civilian casualties look set to hit 10,000 in 2014,the highest yearly total of dead and woundedsince the UN began keeping records in 2008.More than 75 percent of the deaths and injuriesare caused by Taleban attacks, according to theU.N.

There are few places where Afghan forces havebeen tested as ferociously as in Dangam, a forest-ed valley where life has changed little for cen-turies. The fighting began when local residentsdecided they had had enough of the Taleban, whohad set up a “shadow” administration and wereattempting to take control of the valley, accordingto Gen. Mohammad Zaman Waziri, Afghan armycorps commander for eastern Afghanistan.

The Afghan army came to help, he said, andfighting has been going on ever since. Up to 550families have been forced from their homes, andmore than 40 houses have been destroyed, Kunar

governor Sheja-ul Mulk Jalala said. Tribal elder HajiMuzamel said another 800 families have beenpinned down by the fighting. “The terrorists havevery important goals in Dangam, such as estab-lishing permanent bases or transferring theirbases from the other side of the border, crushingthe local people’s uprising and of course creatingproblems for Afghan security forces,” said HasebSediqi, spokesman for the National SecurityDirectorate intelligence agency.

Officials said that since early December morethan 1,000 heavily armed insurgents have turnedup here, including members of the PakistaniTaleban, or TTP, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the groupresponsible for the attacks on the Indian city ofMumbai in 2008 in which more than 160 peoplewere killed. The TTP said it was behind the attackthis month on a school in Peshawar, in northernPakistan, in which more than 140 people werekilled, most of them children. It is not unusual forPakistani fighters - usually referred to by Afghanofficials as simply “foreigners” - to fight alongsidethe Afghan Taleban. — AP

Afghan mountain hamlet proving ground for army

WASHINGTON: Two Tunisian and three Yemenidetainees have been transferred from the US-run prison at Guantanamo Bay to Kazakhstan,the Pentagon said. The former Guantanamoinmates, who were flown on a US military air-craft, arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday at 11:15pm Washington time (0415 GMT), US officialssaid. Their transfer is part of President BarackObama’s push to close the controversial militaryprison, which was set up to detain terror sus-pects after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

“We are determined to responsibly reducethe detainee population and you can expectadditional transfers over the coming weeks,” anadministration official told AFP. The Pentagonsaid in a statement that the five men “wereunanimously approved for transfer” after a thor-ough review by a task force of several US gov-ernment agencies. The transfer of the fivedetainees leaves 127 inmates at the prison,located at a US naval base in southeast Cuba.

The number of detainees transferred out ofGuantanamo in 2014 is now at 28. Details ofwhat Kazakhstan had agreed to and what secu-rity steps the government might take related tothe former detainees remained unclear. The fiveinmates, who have never been tried in courtand who were cleared for transfer by authoritiesin 2010 or even earlier, have spent more than 11years at the Guantanamo prison, which humanrights groups have condemned as a “legal blackhole”. The facility is approaching its 13thanniversary, as the first detainees arrived on Jan11, 2002. Of the 127 inmates still held there, 59are cleared to be transferred to their homecountries or third countries. With the release ofthe two Tunisian detainees, there is only oneTunisian national still held at the prison. At onepoint, there were 12 Tunisian inmates at the jail.Yemeni detainees are the largest group atGuantanamo, with 80 inmates identified asYemeni nationals, of which 50 are consideredready to be transferred. But US authorities haveconcerns over security given the volatile situa-tion in Yemen.

The Pentagon identified the Tunisian nation-als transferred Tuesday as Adel Al-Hakeemy, andAbdullah bin Ali Al-Lufti, also known as Lofti binAli. Authorities had approved the repatriation ofAli in 2006. But a US federal judge in 2007blocked his transfer, saying he would likely facetorture and “irreparable harm” at the hands ofTunisian authorities. Ali, 49, has a pacemaker,suffers heart rhythm problems and takes bloodthinning medication. He has strongly denied

having any links to Al-Qaeda and insisted hehad travelled to Pakistan to buy medicine whenhe was arrested by authorities there after the9/11 attacks. His compatriot, Hakeemy, alsoknown as Hkiml, 49, had been described by USauthorities as a “veteran terrorist” who hadallegedly taken part in fighting in Bosnia andwas accused of links with an Algerian Islamistgroup. But he has maintained he was workingas a cook in Italy and had gone to Pakistan tofind a wife. He was arrested by Pakistani authori-ties near the Afghan border and held atGuantanamo for more than 12 years. Both heand his fellow Tunisian detainee had lived inItaly as immigrants.

The three Yemenis who were transferredwere identified as Asim Thabit Abdullah Al-Khalaqi, Muhammad Ali Husayn Khanayna andSabri Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Qurashi. Khalaqi,46, born in Saudi Arabia, had been suspected ofserving in Osama bin Laden’s Arab brigade.Arrested in Dec 2001in the company of a seniorAl-Qaeda figure, he has been behind bars atGuantanamo since Jan 17, 2002, among thefirst inmates to be sent to the prison atGuantanamo Bay.

The second Yemeni to be transferred out isMuhammad Ali Husayn Khanayna, 46, alsoknown as Muhammed Ali Hussein Khnenah,who has been held at the prison since June2002. He was arrested at the Pakistan-Afghanistan boder in December 2001. USauthorities alleged he was present at BinLaden’s hideout in the Tora Bora mountains andthat he had stayed at guesthouses known toserve Al-Qaeda extremists.

The third Yemeni detainee transferred wasSabri Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Qurashi, 44, whohad been suspected of membership in Al-Qaeda and undergoing instruction at one ofthe group’s training camps. He was arrested byPakistani authorities at a known Qaeda safehouse in February 2002 and was sent toGuantanamo in May of that year.

The transfers came just days after Obama’senvoy overseeing the release of Guantanamoinmates, Cliff Sloan, resigned from his post.Sloan had reportedly become frustrated at theslow pace of transfers, which have to beapproved by the Pentagon. OutgoingPentagon chief Chuck Hagel, who resigned inNovember, had reportedly come under pres-sure from the White House to move moreswiftly to approve proposed transfers ofdetainees. —AFP

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

BEIJING: A Chinese court will give theparents of a teenager wrongfully execut-ed for murder and rape 18 years agomore than two million yuan ($330,000)compensation, it said yesterday.Hugjiltu, who was convicted, sentencedand executed in 1996 at the age of 18,was exonerated earlier this month by acourt in Inner Mongolia, nine years afteranother person confessed to the crime,in a case that highlighted flaws in

China’s legal system.The court which cleared the teenager

on grounds of “insufficient evidence,”said in an online post that his parentswould receive 2,059,621.40 yuan in com-pensation yesterday. It did not explainhow the precise figure was reached.Acquittals in China’s Communist-con-trolled court system are extremely rare99.93 percent of defendants in criminalcases were found guilty last year,

according to official statistics.The use of force to extract confessions

remains widespread in the country anddefendants often do not have effectivedefence in criminal trials, leading to regu-lar miscarriages of justice. China hasoccasionally exonerated wrongfully exe-cuted convicts after others came forwardto confess their crimes, or in some casesbecause the supposed murder victimwas later found alive.

But the Communist Party is attempt-ing to reduce public anger over injusticesby lessening the influence of local offi-cials over some court cases, and revers-ing verdicts in some high-profile cases. AChinese man who was freed after sixyears on death row following a wrongfulmurder conviction is seeking $2.4 millionin compensation, state-run media saidlast week.

In Hugjiltu’s case, authorities interro-

gated the teenager for 48 hours, afterwhich he confessed to having raped andchoked the woman in the toilet of a tex-tile factory, the state-run China Dailynewspaper reported in November. Hewas executed 61 days after the woman’sdeath. Hugjiltu’s family tried for nearly adecade to prove his innocence, accordingto reports, and the inner MongoliaHigher People’s Court officially began aretrial in November. —AFP

China to give parents of executed man $330,000

GUANTANAMO, Cuba: In this March 1, 2002 file photo, a detainee is escortedto interrogation by US military guards at Camp X-Ray at the GuantanamoBay US naval base. —AP

SURABAYA, Indonesia: Soldiersacting as pall bearers yesterdaycarried coffins containing the firsttwo bodies from AirAsia FlightQZ8501 into Surabaya airport fromwhere the ill-fated plane departed,as sombre relatives gave their DNAto help identify loved ones. Thebodies were taken from an airforce plane to a military ambu-lance to be transported to a hospi-tal for examination and identifica-tion - but many exhausted familieswere left waiting for news as bad

weather hampered search efforts.Officials had hoped to recover

most of the bodies but rough con-ditions made it difficult for heli-copters to fly over the area in theJava Sea where several corpsesand debris from the ill-fated AirbusA320-200 were found a day earlier.In Indonesia’s second-biggest citySurabaya, where the plane haddeparted for Singapore early onSunday, drained and emotionalrelatives of the 162 people onboard gathered at a crisis centre tohand over documents and medicalrecords.

Among them was Hadi Widjaja,60, who was preparing a Muslimfuneral for his son Andreas and

daughter-in-law Enny Wahyuni. “Iam anxious to know if the rescuershave found their bodies. The presi-dent has said that they will do thebest they can to f ind them,”Widjaja told AFP. “But if they reallycannot find them, I will scatterflowers in the sea here as a way tosay goodbye.”

Police in Surabaya said they hadtaken DNA from 30 immediatefamily members to assist with theidentification of bodies, which isset to take place at a hospital in

Surabaya. Two of the recoveredbodies were being flown there onWednesday afternoon. Stormsdelayed the start of operationsyesterday and helicopters were lat-er forced to return to the base inPangkalan Bun, the town with thenearest airstrip to the crash site.

‘We Turned Back’ “For the safety reasons, we

turned back,” helicopter pilotTatang Onne Setiawan told AFP.“Besides the evacuation of thebodies, we also planned to searchfor bigger parts of the plane.” Boat-based teams were still trying tomake progress around the crashsite. A search and rescue official at

Pangkalan Bun, Sunarbowo Sandi,told reporters they had recovereda total of seven bodies. Accordingto search and rescue officials AFPspoke with, none of the victimsfound so far was wearing a lifejack-et.

Debris found so far from the air-craft, which crashed into the JavaSea southwest of the island ofBorneo during a storm, includedan exit door and several suitcases.“There were snacks, instant por-ridge, and three umbrellas,” com-

mander of the Bung Tomo warship,Colonel Yayan, told a local newschannel, referring to the 28 itemsthat had been retrieved. NationalSearch and Rescue Agency chiefBambang Soelistyo told reportersthe fuselage had not been found,denying repor ts that sonarimagery showed the aircraft onthe seabed.

During Tuesday’s searches, anair force plane had seen a “shad-ow” on the seabed believed to bethe missing plane, where all searchefforts were now being concen-trated, he said earlier. The hunt isnow on for the plane’s black boxes,which are key to determining thecause of the crash. “We have con-

cerns to secure the f l ightrecorders, believed to be withpar ts of the plane we haven’tfound,” said Soelistyo.

Britain’s Air AccidentsInvestigation Branch has sent aninvestigator carrying “specialisttechnical equipment” that canhelp to locate flight recorders.Accompanying Singaporeanexperts, the investigator is travel-ling to the site on an Indonesiannaval vessel, according to theBritish embassy in Jakarta. Beforetake-off the pilot of QZ8501 hadasked for permission to fly at ahigher altitude to avoid the storm,but his request was not approveddue to other planes above him onthe popular route, according toAirNav, Indonesia’s air traffic con-trol. In his last communication, thepilot said he wanted to changecourse to avoid the menacingstorm system. Then all contact waslost, about 40 minutes after theplane had taken off.

‘Unique Weather Conditions’ “There were some very unique

weather conditions and let’s waitfor the investigation to be con-cluded,” AirAsia’s boss TonyFernandes told repor ters onTuesday in Surabaya, after meet-ing with relatives. “This is a scarwith me for the rest of my life,” hesaid. The missing plane was oper-ated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit ofMalaysia-based AirAsia, which hadpreviously earned a solid safetyrecord. Of the 162 passengers andcrew on board Flight QZ8501, 155were Indonesian. President JokoWidodo also met the victims’ fami-lies in Surabaya on Tuesday andpromised “a massive search” effort,with priority given to recoveringbodies of the passengers andcrew.

The United States, Australia,Singapore, South Korea andMalaysia are among the countrieshelping in the search effort, whichcomes at the end of an awful yearfor Malaysian air travel. After thedisappearance of Flight MH370 inMarch, en route from from KualaLumpur to Beijing with 239 pas-sengers and crew, anotherMalaysia Airlines flight - MH17 -was shot down over Ukraine inJuly, killing all 298 on board. —AFP

First bodies from AirAsia plane arrive in Surabaya

Bad weather hampers recovery

SURABAYA: Indonesian soldiers carry coffins containing bodies of victims of AirAsia Flight 8501upon arrival at the Indonesian military air force base yesterday. —AFP

US transfers five Gitmo detainees to Kazakhstan

BEIJING: The second most senior official inChina’s strife-torn Xinjiang region has beentransferred, reports said yesterday, after thearea saw some of its worst violence indecades. Nur Bekri will be replaced as thearea’s vice Communist Party secretary byShohrat Zakir, the official Xinhua newsagency reported. Both men are Uighurs, thenine-million-strong Turkic-speaking andmostly Muslim ethnic minority whichcounts Xinjiang as its homeland.

Bekri will become deputy director of theNational Development and ReformCommission, China’s top economic planningagency, as well as head of the NationalEnergy Agency, Caixin magazine said. Sucha move would make him one of the mostpowerful ethnic minority members ofChina’s central government. Violence linkedto Xinjiang has intensified over the past year,with at least 200 people killed in a series ofclashes and increasingly sophisticatedattacks in the resource-rich region andbeyond it. Bekri was appointed to the partypost in 2003 and became head of theregional government in 2008, retaining hisjob even as unrest spiralled, including 2009riots between Uighurs and China’s ethnicmajority Han that left about 200 peopledead. Zakir is also likely to replace him as

head of the Xinjiang regional government.The top official in Xinjiang remains ZhangChunxian, who was appointed as regionalparty secretary in 2010 after his predecessorwas sacked in a move widely seen as a bid toallay public anger following the riots.

Beijing, which blames Xinjiang-relatedviolence on “religious extremists”, “sepa-ratists” and “terrorists”, has responded to thecurrent series of incidents by launching asevere crackdown in recent months, withhundreds of arrests and around 50 deathsentences handed down. The campaign hasextended to academics such as prominentUighur scholar Ilham Tohti, who inSeptember was sentenced to life in prisonfor “separatism”. Seven of Tohti’s studentshave been jailed on the same charge.

Rights groups have condemned the tar-geting of Tohti, a respected economist andmoderate who had long denounced therepression of Uighurs. They argue that harshpolice treatment of the minority as well asgovernment campaigns against religiouspractices such as the wearing of veils haveled to violence. China denies repression, say-ing it has brought badly needed modernisa-tion and economic development to the vastand landlocked region bordering CentralAsia. —AFP

Top official in Xinjiang transferred

SEOUL: The daughter of the chairman of KoreanAir Lines, whose outburst over the way she wasserved nuts in first class prompted widespread out-rage and ridicule, was in custody yesterday facingcharges of violating aviation safety. Heather Cho,40, former head of in-flight service, had demanded

the chief steward be removed from the flight atJohn F Kennedy airport in New York on Dec. 5 afteranother flight attendant in first class served hermacadamia nuts in a bag, not a dish. In what mediadubbed the “nut rage” incident, the Airbus A380,which had pushed back from its gate, returned for

the chief attendant to disembark, arriving in SouthKorea 11 minutes late. “The necessity for detentionis recognized as the case is grave and there hasbeen an attempt to systematically cover up chargesfrom the beginning,” Lee Kwang-woo, a judge atSeoul Western District Court, said in a text message.She can be held for up to 20 days before prosecu-tors bring charges.

The Transport Ministry had concluded that Choabused flight attendants and that airline officialsmay have tried to cover up the episode. Anotherairline official was detained over allegations thathe abetted perjury and obtained information onthe ministry’s probe to update Cho. The Cho family,one of South Korea’s most powerful, faced freshcriticism yesterday after media said her sister, alsoan executive with the airline, had sent a text mes-sage to Cho on Dec 17 saying: “I will surely takerevenge.”

Emily Cho apologized yesterday on Twitter: “Iam sorry beyond words for the content of my textmessage that was reported in today’s newspaper. Idon’t want to make any excuses. It is all my fault”.Korean Air had no comment and said that EmilyCho was not available to comment.

Flanked by prosecution officials after thecourt’s detention order late on Tuesday, HeatherCho said “sorry” several times, her head bowed.The Transport Ministry came under fire after reve-lations that some of its officials leaked informationto the company. Cho’s case aggravated resent-ment towards family-run conglomerates, stirredby their dominance of the economy and a widen-ing wealth gap. An official at the facility whereCho was being held said she would not receivespecial treatment. “Whoever comes here, whetherit is Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho)...they are treatedequally.” —Reuters

Korean Air boss’ daughter detained in ‘nut rage’ case

SEOUL: Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-Ah is surrounded by journalists at a court on Tuesdayafter her hearing to review an arrest warrant application on charges including violation ofthe aviation safety law, coercion and interference in the execution of duty. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

N E W STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Continued from Page 1

Abbas signed the request along with applications tojoin 20 other international conventions during a meet-ing broadcast live on Palestinian television. It came oneday after the UN Security Council rejected a resolutionon ending the Israeli occupation. The resolution wouldhave set a 12-month deadline for Israel to reach a finalpeace deal with the Palestinians, and called for a fullwithdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territo-ries by the end of 2017.

Israel hailed the rejection as a victory, saying it dealta blow to Palestinian efforts to diplomatically “embar-rass and isolate” the Jewish state. The Palestiniansdenounced as “outrageously shameful” the failure of thetext to win the necessary nine votes for passage.

French envoy summoned Council heavyweights China, France and Russia were

among eight countries voting in favour, while theUnited States and Australia voted against. Nigeria,which had been expected to support the resolution,was among five abstentions, which included Britain,Rwanda, Lithuania and South Korea.

Nigeria had assured the Palestinians it would supportthem, but abstained after lobbying efforts by Israel andWashington. Israel yesterday summoned the Frenchambassador, saying it was “disappointed and perplexed”by his country’s support for the UN resolution. The fail-

ure to win the nine votes necessary for adoption sparedWashington having to wield its veto, which would havecaused it embarrassment with key Arab allies.

But it was also a diplomatic blow for the Palestinians,who had counted on the symbolic victory of nine votes,even though the resolution would in all likelihood havebeen vetoed by the United States.

Speaking yesterday, Netanyahu extended his specialthanks to Nigeria and Rwanda. “This is what tipped thescales,” he said. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman saidthe resolution’s failure “should

teach the Palestinians that provocations andattempts to force Israel into unilateral processes will notachieve anything-quite the opposite.” But Russiadenounced the outcome of the UN vote as “a strategicerror.” Arab League chief Nabil Al-Arabi also expressedregret, criticizing the

African nations that abstained and pledging to con-tinue “intensive Arab diplomatic activity” in support ofthe Palestinian cause. The Palestinians reacted furiouslyto the vote. “The UN Security Council vote is outra-geously shameful,” said senior PLO official HananAshrawi. “Those countries that abstained demonstrateda lack of political will to hold Israel accountable and toact in accordance with the global rule of law and inter-national humanitarian law.” The Islamist movementHamas blamed Abbas for the setback, demanding he“make good” on threats to cut security cooperation withIsrael and join the ICC. — AFP

Palestinians turn to ICC as UN bid fails

Continued from Page 1

pyrotechnic display after a year which had seen busythoroughfares paralyzed by pro-democracy protests inthe final months of 2014.

“I think a more peaceful year would be good foreverybody,” said Louis Ho, 65. Students on one prome-

nade handed out free hugs. Earlier, Australia’s biggestcity kicked off the global New Year celebrations with amassive fireworks display that lit up Sydney Harbour,defying terrorist fears days after a deadly siege.

Tons of fireworks exploded over the harbor, watchedby a crowd estimated at more than one million, stream-ing across the sky in one of the world’s first major cele-

brations to ring in the new year. “We are celebratingthat we are a multicultural, harmonious community butwe will be thinking about what happened,” Lord MayorClover Moore said in reference to the drama when anIranian-born gunman with a history of violence andextremism took 17 hostages in a cafe. Two hostages andthe gunman died. In the aftermath of the siege, PrimeMinister Tony Abbott warned that “the terror threatremains high and... at this level, an attack is likely”. Butthe fireworks display went ahead without incident.

Remembrance for lost AirAsia flight In China, Beijing’s bid to stage the 2022 Winter

Olympics was to be the theme of celebrations. Concertpianist Lang Lang will be the star performer at anextravaganza at Olympic Park. The Chinese capital hasheld New Year countdowns at the historic Temple ofHeaven since 2011, but has moved the event to the siteof the 2008 summer games to raise the profile of itswinter Olympics bid.

In Taiwan the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 was atthe centre of celebrations, with performances by popsingers and a firework display at midnight expected toattract hundreds of thousands.

And in Japan, the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo broughtout stocks of lucky charms and set up large offertoryboxes as it prepared to welcome a huge wave of wor-shippers overnight. The huge shrine expects three mil-lion visitors in the first three days of the new year.Hundreds of revellers were due to gather around a pop-ular British-colonial era shopping arcade in central Delhito greet the New Year, braving unusually chilly weather.Pubs and eateries were festooned with fairy lights andbrightly colored balloons.

But in Malaysia, a sombre mood prevailed after thecrash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 carrying 162 people inIndonesia and flooding in the country’s northeast whichhas displaced almost 250,000 people.

Year-end countdown celebrations have been can-

celled, with many companies instead launchingfundraising campaigns for flood victims. In Indonesia,Surabaya was holding a candlelight vigil in the hoursleading up till midnight to remember the people on theplane which departed that city on Sunday. InAfghanistan, the last French troops in the country held aceremony in Kabul to mark the end of their deploymentafter NATO combat operations closed down as a new“train and support” mission takes over.

Hasselhoff in Berlin The end of another era will be remembered in Berlin

with “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff joining a hugeopen air concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate,where he famously sang for freedom after the BerlinWall fell 25 years ago. Dubai has promised to dazzleagain with a pyrotechnic and lights show at Burj Khalifa,the world’s tallest tower.

In Paris, the Champs-Elysees will be reserved forpedestrians to let them watch a visual spectacle pro-jected onto the Arc de Triomphe 15 minutes before thestart of the new year.

The ticking of the clock past midnight will be signifi-cant for Lithuania as it adopts the euro. Another Balticstate, Latvia, takes over the rotating presidency of theEuropean Union, putting it on the front line of negotia-tions with neighboring Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

In Spain, millions of revellers will descend onMadrid’s Puerta del Sol while in Barcelona a massivefireworks display will be held. London stages New Year’sEve fireworks along the Thames and Edinburgh will beholding its traditional Hogmanay street party.

Marking 2015 on Copacabana beach in Rio deJaneiro, more than two million people are expected toattend a huge fireworks show that will open celebra-tions marking 450 years since the founding of the city.And in New York about one million revellers are expect-ed to descend on Times Square to watch the New Year’sEve Ball Drop. — AFP

Sydney spectacular leads New Year celebrations

H0NG KONG: Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong early today. Just like previous years, the city's iconic skyline along Victoria Harbour will light up with an eight-minutepyrotechnic display, as tens of thousdands of partygoers will flock to the waterfront to celebrate. — AFP

By Robert Burns and Deb Riechman

Taking America off a permanentwar footing is proving harderthan President Barack Obama

may have suggested. US troops areback in I raq, the endgame inAfghanistan is requiring more troops -and perhaps more risks - than onceexpected and Obama is saddled witha worsening, high-stakes conflict inSyria. Last spring, Obama described tonewly minted Army officers at WestPoint how “the landscape haschanged” after a decade of war. He cit-ed then-dwindling conflicts in Iraqand Afghanistan. And he said Osamabin Laden, whose plotting from an Al-Qaeda sanctuary in Afghanistan gaverise to what became America’s longestwar, “is no more.” “You are the firstclass to graduate since 9/11 who maynot be sent into combat in Iraq orAfghanistan,” Obama declared to aburst of applause.

But once again the landscape haschanged. Once again the US isengaged in combat in Iraq - not bysoldiers on the ground but by pilots inthe sky. And the Pentagon is putting“boots on the ground” to retrain andadvise Iraqi soldiers how to fight anew menace: the Islamic State mili-tants who have their roots in the Iraqinsurgency that US troops foughtfrom 2003-2011. Once again there areworsening crises demanding US mili-tary intervention, including in Syria.Four months after his speech at theUS Military Academy, Obama author-ized American pilots, joined by Araballies, to begin bombing Islamic Statetargets in Syria with the aim of under-mining the group’s base and weaken-ing its grip in Iraq.

And once again the US is on a paththat could expand or prolong its mili-tary role in Afghanistan. The US com-bat role there ends Dec 31, butObama has authorized remaining UStroops to attack the Taleban if theypose a threat to US military personnelwho will continue training Afghansecurity forces for at least the nexttwo years.

At his final news conference of2014, Obama spoke just 18 words onAfghanistan, saying, “In less than twoweeks, after more than 13 years, ourcombat mission in Afghanistan will beover.”

As of Dec. 16, a total of 2,215 UStroops had died in Afghanistan and19,945 had been wounded. In Iraq,4,491 died and 32,244 wounded. Thewars produced far-reaching changesin how the military operates. Amongthe most significant: the frequent useof elite Special Operations forces,including the highly secretive NavySEALs and the Army Delta force. Thehigh pace of their counterterrorismoperations in both I raq andAfghanistan, and occasionally else-where in the Middle East, has giventhe president a more finely tuned toolof military power.

Shortly before the 2003 invasion ofIraq, Obama, an Illinois state senator,called it a “dumb war.” He warned ofunforeseen costs and consequences,arguing that President George W Bushwould be smarter to finish what hestarted in Afghanistan.

Obama’s promise to end the war inIraq was a key to winning the WhiteHouse in 2008. He delivered on thatpromise, but the war was not reallyover. Events conspired to pull Obamaback in. In January 2014 the IslamicState seized the Sunni city of Fallujah,scene of the bloodiest fighting of theU.S. war a decade earlier. The militaryexpanded their offensive in June,sweeping across much of northernIraq and capturing key cities, includ-ing Mosul. Whole divisions of the Iraqi

army folded, abandoning tanks andother American-supplied war equip-ment to the militants. That was notjust a boon to the militants. It was ablow to US prestige.

Suddenly, inexplicably, Baghdadseemed within the Islamic State’sreach. Two months later Obama gavethe go-ahead for US airstrikes in Iraq.He ruled out sending ground combatforces, but at some point next year hemay face yet another tough choice:whether to allow US military advisersto accompany Iraqi ground forces asthey launch major counteroffensives,including an expected push to retakeMosul. Up to now, US advisers havebeen coordinating with Iraqi forcesfrom a safer distance.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff, repeatedlyhas said he will recommend groundcombat troops if necessary. As Obama

approaches the end of his sixth yearin office he awaits Congress’ formalendorsement of his new war againstIslamic State. The administrationwants a legal basis for the war, knownas an authorization for use of militaryforce, rather than continuing to relyon congressional resolution grantedafter 9/11 to justify the invasion ofAfghanistan, wage war in Iraq andpursue al-Qaida elsewhere.

Obama has not shied away fromusing limited military force in otherplaces, such as Pakistan, Yemen andSomalia, when he decided that terror-ists there threatened the US Justweeks ago he authorized a US com-mando raid in Yemen to rescue a UScivilian held hostage by Al-Qaeda’saff i l iate there. The hostage, Luke

Somers, was shot just as the comman-dos arrived and died of his wounds inUS custody.

Obama insists he has kept his wordto end America’s big wars, the occu-pations and nation-building effortsthat began with such promise in bothAfghanistan and Iraq but ultimatelydefied US hopes for clear victories. Inhis speech Dec 15 at Fort Dix, NJ,Obama said 90 percent of the troopsthat were deployed to war zoneswhen he took office are now home.

“The time of deploying large num-bers of ground forces with big militaryfootprints to engage in nation-build-ing overseas - that’s coming to an end,”he said. “Going forward, our militarywill be leaner” but ready for “a range ofmissions.” This era of US wars began inAfghanistan. On Oct 7, 2001, less thana month after teams of terroristshijacked US airliners and flew them

into the World Trade Center in NewYork and the Pentagon, Americainvaded Afghanistan to root out Al-Qaeda and topple its host, theTaleban.

The war ’s architects, includingDefense Secretary Donald H.Rumsfeld, deliberately kept U.S. troopslevels low, hoping a new Washington-friendly Afghan government underHamid Karzai would quickly take con-trol and allow the U.S. to move on. InFebruary 2002 there were only 2,500American troops in Afghanistan.

In 2003 the US tried to move on. Itturned its attention to Iraq, launchingan invasion that swiftly toppledPresident Saddam Hussein but createda security vacuum and sectarian divi-sion. A deadly insurgency followed.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan theTaleban mounted a comeback no onein Washington seemed to see coming,turning the war there into the longestin American history. By the summer of2006, Rumsfeld got a whiff of Karzai’sconcern about the Taleban’s growingthreat. A reporter asked Karzai if hewas asking for more US troops. “Yes,much more,” Karzai replied. “And we’llkeep asking for more. And we will nev-er stop asking.” By the time Obamatook office in January 2009, the UShad 34,400 troops in Afghanistan,according to Pentagon records. Hetripled the total, to 100,000, in 2010 ina bid to turn the tide and defeat theTaleban. That aim was never achieved;the Taliban took a heavy pounding in2010-2011, but it remains a force to bereckoned with, in part because ofsanctuaries it enjoys across the borderin Pakistan. —AP

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A N A L Y S I STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

BAGHDAD: A US soldier patrols the Taji base complex which hosts Iraqi and US troops and is located thirty kilome-ters north of the capital Baghdad. —AFP

US off war footing at year’s end

The International Monetary Fund is under mount-ing pressure to cancel the debts of the three poorWest African countries hit hardest by Ebola, as

their economies stall under the fallout from the disease.The calls for a debt alleviation for Guinea, Liberia andSierra Leone are coming not only from anti-povertyorganizations.

In mid-December, a UN commission also urged seri-ous consideration for eliminating at least some of thedebts of the three countries. And the United States, theIMF’s largest shareholder, has taken a stand on the issueas well, exhorting the crisis lender to wipe out around afifth of the $480 million in debt owed it by the trio.

Such a move would free resources to restart eco-nomic activities in the countries where the disease hastaken more than 7,800 lives, US Treasury SecretaryJacob Lew said. Meeting in Australia in mid-November,the heads of the G20 group of leading economiesstepped up the pressure when they said that the IMF’spromise of $300 million to help fight the epidemicshould include debt alleviation.

The calls for the IMF, which lends money toeconomies most in need, but usually with attachedrequirements for reforms and financial discipline, havespurred the institution into intense reflection, and itcould come up with an initiative in January.

“Staff are looking at further options to provide sup-port to the Ebola-hit countries, through reform of anexisting facility,” a Fund spokesman told AFP.Traditionally bound to a narrow, orthodox mission offinancial support and loans to governments that itexpects to be repaid, the IMF in reality needs to expandits tools for aiding troubled economies.

After the earthquake disaster in Haiti of 2010, theFund did create a mechanism for dealing with naturalcatastrophes that hit its borrowers. That made way forthe IMF to eliminate $268 million that the Haitian gov-ernment owed to the fund.

But the mechanism is too restrictive to be applied tothe Ebola epidemic: it is limited to “devastating” naturaldisasters. According to advocates of the move, even ifthe loans come with zero interest rates, they constitutea constant burden that can financially strangle the gov-ernments of Ebola-hit countries.

“A broad criticism of using loans to help very poorcountries is that, formally, no matter how bad their situ-ation gets, they must repay every penny,” said DavidRoodman, an independent expert on economic devel-opment. Sierra Leone and Guinea both have had tomake loan repayments this year to the IMF despite theEbola crisis, according to Fund data.

The World Bank has understood the problem. It hasmobilized $500 million for the three countries in theform of grants “which never need to be repaid,” accord-ing to Bank spokesman Phil Hay.

Doing the same is proving more difficult for the IMF.“It’s like asking a banker to embrace not getting repaid-it goes against their nature,” said Roodman. The benefitsof a debt writeoff would not be small. “The importantthing about financing coming through debt relief isthat it

allows long-term investment on social infrastruc-ture” like strengthening health care systems, said EricLeCompte of anti-poverty group Jubilee USA. Indeed,the IMF has been accused of contributing to the weak-ening of the health care and disease prevention opera-tions in Western Africa through tough austerity policiesit required along with loans in the 1980s and 1990s.

That is the assessment of a recent study by threeBritish institutions.

“Policies advocated by the IMF have contributed tounderfunded, insufficiently staffed and poorly pre-pared health systems in the countries with Ebola out-breaks,” said Cambridge sociologist and lead studyauthor Alexander Kentikelenis. But the IMF categorical-ly rejected their conclusion. “Such claims are based on amisunderstanding, and, in some cases, a misrepresen-tation, of IMF policies,” a spokesman said. —AFP

By Jeremy Tordjman

Focus

IMF under pressure

to cancel debts of

Ebola-hit countries

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

LONDON: Brighton & Hove Albion have named former Newcastle Unitedboss Chris Hughton as their manager, the English Championship (secondtier) club said yesterday.

The 56-year-old replaced Sami Hyypia who quit last week following arun of one win in 18 games which has left Brighton 21st in the standings,one place above the relegation zone.

“Chris has an excellent record in coaching and manage-ment,” chairman Tony Bloom told the club website. “Chris isalso a manager who has a track record for developing talentat all levels from academy upwards and will embrace thework we’ve been doing at the club in this area in recent sea-

sons.” Hughton played most of his career as a full back forTottenham Hotspur and won 53 caps for Ireland. He led

Newcastle back into the Premier League in 2010 but wassacked the following season.

Hughton managed Birmingham City in 2011-12 beforemoving to Norwich City and leading them to 11th placein the Premier League in 2013. He left Norwich in Aprilwith the club 17th in the table and they were relegatedat the end of the campaign. —Reuters

Hughton to coach BrightonLONDON: Hull City boss Steve Bruce has ruled himself out of the runningfor the Newcastle United manager’s job should Alan Pardew complete hisexpected move to Crystal Palace. Bruce, who has been linked by Britishmedia with the Newcastle role, said he was flattered to be tipped for the jobbut was determined to stay at Hull and keep them in the Premier League.

“People know that I am from Newcastle, I was a Newcastle supporter as aboy and it has been regurgitated since I was a 22-year-old playing forNorwich and Gillingham,” Bruce told reporters yesterday. “It would bewrong for the speculation to keep carrying on for the club, for the support-ers, for the players. “I am determined to see this through and make sure westay in the Premier League and build on the good work we havedone in the last two and a half years. The chairman knows theway I feel and why would I want to leave now? It’s not right,and I hope people respect that.”

Pardew is expected to take up the vacant role at Palaceafter he was given permission by Newcastle to talk to theLondon club on Monday. Palace, who sacked manager NeilWarnock on Saturday, are currently involved in a relegationbattle while Newcastle are 10th in the PremierLeague.—Reuters

LONDON: Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has accepted a charge ofviolent conduct and been banned for four matches following an incidentin the Premier League match against Liverpool, the club said yesterday.“Swansea City has reluctantly accepted the charge issued by The FootballAssociation against Jonjo Shelvey for violent conduct following an incidentin Monday night’s Premier League defeat at Liverpool,” the club said in astatement. “While the club supports Shelvey’s statement that the incidentwas unintentional, it does not believe the outcome of an appeal wouldprove positive for the club or player.”

The charge came after the FA examined footage from the match inwhich Shelvey, a former Liverpool player, caught opponent Emre Can witha flailing arm. The incident was unseen by referee Andre Marriner. Shelveyhad said on Twitter that he did not intentionally elbow the Liverpool playerin the 4-1 defeat at Anfield and he was defended by his manager GarryMonk. Shelvey has been handed the customary three-match ban for vio-lent conduct and an additional match after receiving a red card earlier inthe season. The ban starts immediately and he will miss the New Year’s Dayfixture at Queen’s Park Rangers, the FA Cup third-round game at TranmereRovers and home Premier League matches against West Ham United andChelsea.—Reuters

Shelvey gets four-game ban

S P O RT S

Bruce rules out switch

NASHVILLE: Shea Weber scored twice to leadthe Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over theSt. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. GabrielBourque added a goal for Nashville, which haswon two of three.

Chris Butler and TJ Oshie scored for St.Louis, but the Blues lost for the fifth time in sixgames despite the return of No. 1 goalie BrianElliott.

Elliott was activated from the injured listearlier Tuesday after he missed 14 games dueto a lower-body injury. He made 44 saves.Weber’s short-handed goal 9:02 into the thirdperiod gave Nashville a 3-2 lead. His first-peri-od tally made it 1-0. He hadn’t scored sinceNov. 20 - a span of 16 games.

CANADIENS 2, PANTHERS 1Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored the only

goal in the shootout to lift Montreal overFlorida. Parenteau’s shot glanced off the gloveof Roberto Luongo and went into the net inthe third round of the tiebreaker.

Jonathan Huberdeau missed on the ensu-ing attempt, and Montreal improved to 5-1 inshootouts. The Canadiens have won four in arow - including three on the road - and sevenof eight. Montreal owns a three-game win-ning streak against the Panthers.

Brendan Gallagher scored in regulation forMontreal, and Dustin Tokarski had 36 saves inhis first start in 11 games. Nick Bjugstadscored Florida’s goal. Luongo stopped 33shots for the Panthers, who lost at home forthe first time in four games.

OILERS 3, KINGS 2David Perron’s shootout goal snapped

Edmonton’s nine-game losing streak in a vic-tory over defending Stanley Cup champion

Los Angeles.Matt Hendricks and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

scored in regulation for the Oilers (8-22-7),who won for just the second time in 22games. It was also just their second winagainst a Western Conference opponent (2-18-6). Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin hadgoals for the Kings (18-12-8), who lost for thesecond time in two nights and dropped theirfifth straight on the road.

CANUCKS 3, SHARKS 1Jannik Hansen scored in the second period,

immediately after leaving the penalty box for

an illegal hit to the head, and Vancouversnapped a four-game road losing streak bybeating San Jose.

Bo Horvat and Radim Vrbata also scored forthe Canucks, who have won their last threegames in San Jose. Ryan Miller stopped one oftwo penalty shots he faced and made 31saves in all to beat the Sharks for the seventhstraight time. Joe Thornton converted hispenalty shot, and Joe Pavelski missed for theSharks, who had two penalty shots for just thesecond time in franchise history. Alex Stalockmade 18 saves as San Jose lost its thirdstraight. —AP

Predators see off BluesNASHVILLE: Predators center Mike Fisher (12) collides with St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91), of Russia, in the third period of anNHL hockey game. —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Madison Bumgarnersat in the outfield alongside Jake Peavybefore Game 7 of the World Series andtold his teammate exactly what neededto happen: Tim Hudson would work afew innings and get the ball toBumgarner, who would hand it off to thebullpen to finish the championship.

Peavy quickly offered his own predic-tion that Bumgarner would end it him-self. That’s exactly what MadBum did, fol-lowing up a pair of World Series winswith a save at Kansas City to close outSan Francisco’s third title in five years andcap a brilliant postseason that made hima household name - or, at the very least,a household nickname. He is the 2014Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

“I was sitting in the outfield withMadison and he was asking me how Ithought this game was going to playout,” Peavy recalled this month. “I said tohim: ‘Madison, when you get the ball,you’re not coming out of the game.You’re the best guy we’ve got.’ ... He said,‘Man, that’s exactly what I hoped youwould say’ and exactly what he wanted.He just needed some confirmation,somebody to believe in him as well. Isaid, ‘Fight for that ball, man,’ and whathe did will go down in the ages as thebest ever.” The shaggy-haired left-handerwho takes as much pride in his pitchingand durability as he does his deep NorthCarolina roots, Bumgarner becameOctober’s biggest star for a San Franciscoclub that really needed one duringanother improbable World Series run.

Bumgarner finished first in a vote byUS editors and news directors. He beatout Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw -who won the National League Cy Youngand MVP. Retiring New York Yankees starDerek Jeter and golfer Rory McIlroy tiedfor third place. The award wasannounced Tuesday.

After months of the same questionsabout his well-tested left arm,Bumgarner made light of it all. He hadjust thrown 270 innings, including 21with two wins and a save in a WorldSeries that went the distance against thefellow wild-card Royals.

“I got a splinter in my finger the otherday. That was kind of painful,” Bumgarnerquipped, sounding perfectly serious.“Fortunately, it was on my right hand.”

Bruce Bochy’s 25-year-old workhorsehas earned the manager’s trust that hewill speak up if anything ever feels offwith his arm. Otherwise, he’s going tokeep getting the ball.

With that tricky cross-body, three-quarters delivery - resembling a slingshot - Bumgarner shows hitters the ballbriefly with an outstretched arm beforethat rapid release and suddenly it’s right

there leaving batters baffled.On two days’ rest in Game 7, that day

he sat with Peavy in Kansas City, hepitched five scoreless innings of relief ina 3-2 win. Only after that wouldBumgarner acknowledge he might needa mental and physical break at last aftertossing a record 52 2-3 postseasoninnings.

“You know what? I can’t lie to you any-more,” he said. “I’m a little tired now.”Pitching coach Dave Righetti beganfielding inquiries before the World Seriesbegan about whether Bumgarner hadthe chance to make three appearances.He knew it could happen, though it was-n’t exactly planned.

“You don’t realize when you’re in themiddle of the eye, ‘Wow, what this guy’sdoing is so special,’” Righetti said. “Thatreally hasn’t been done in years. ... Whenyou’ve got a healthy guy who’s on a roll,those are the kind of guys who changebig series and do special things.”

The Giants locked up Bumgarnerlong-term in April 2012 on a $35.56 mil-lion, six-year contract through 2017. Itcould keep him in orange and black evenlonger, given the $12 million options forthe 2018 and 2019 seasons. That almostseems like a bargain now givenBumgarner’s performance and star pow-er on baseball’s biggest stage.

Bumgarner was MVP of the WorldSeries and NL Championship Series,going 4-1 during the postseason follow-ing an 18-10 regular season.

From his four-hit, 10-strikeout gemthat got things started in an 8-0 wild-card win at Pittsburgh all the waythrough his brilliant relief outing inGame 7 of the World Series, Bumgarnerdazzled like never before. “He pitched adifferent game than we had seen fromhim earlier in the season,” Pirates manag-er Clint Hurdle recalled recently. “We hadwatched video and saw how muchsharper he had gotten as the seasonplayed out. In the wild-card game he hadcommand of all his pitches and lived onthe edges the entire outing. He also usedhis fastball up in the zone with deadlyaccuracy.”

Bumgarner made the rounds on thepost-Series appearance circuit, then tooka break to attend a rodeo. Despite theheavy workload, Bumgarner will beeager for spring training come February.

“Everything feels great and we’re look-ing to just keep a normal offseason and anormal routine,” Bumgarner said. It willhardly be normal given the attention andhype he is sure to generate after a spec-tacular 2014. “I just love the way he’s han-dled everything, all the attention,”Righetti said. “It looks like he’s stayed thesame.” —AP

Madison BumgarnerAthlete of the Year

KANSAS: In this Oct. 29, 2014, file photo, San Francisco Giants pitcher MadisonBumgarner throws during the fifth inning of Game 7 of baseball’s World Seriesagainst the Kansas City Royals. —AP

Western ConferencePacific Division

W L OTL GF GA PTS Anaheim 24 8 6 107 101 54 Vancouver 21 11 3 103 94 45 Los Angeles 18 12 8 103 94 44 San Jose 19 13 5 101 96 43 Calgary 20 15 3 110 100 43 Arizona 14 18 4 86 115 32 Edmonton 8 22 7 79 127 23

Central DivisionChicago 25 10 2 117 78 52 Nashville 24 9 3 106 78 51 St. Louis 22 12 3 108 93 47 Winnipeg 19 11 7 94 87 45 Minnesota 17 13 4 99 95 38 Dallas 16 14 5 102 118 37 Colorado 13 15 8 92 109 34

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

Montreal 24 11 2 100 86 50

Tampa Bay 23 11 4 122 99 50 Detroit 19 9 9 105 94 47 Toronto 20 14 3 124 111 43 Florida 16 9 9 80 88 41 Boston 19 15 3 98 99 41 Ottawa 15 14 7 97 99 37 Buffalo 14 20 3 75 123 31

Metropolitan DivisionPittsburgh 22 9 5 109 86 49 NY Islanders 24 11 1 112 101 49 Washington 18 11 7 105 94 43 NY Rangers 19 11 4 102 87 42 Philadelphia 14 16 6 100 109 34 Columbus 15 16 3 86 109 33 New Jersey 13 18 7 82 108 33 Carolina 10 22 4 72 98 24 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point inthe standings and are not included in the loss col-umn (L).

NHL results/standingsMontreal 2, Florida 1 (SO); Nashville 3, St. Louis 2; Edmonton 3, Los Angeles 2 (So); Vancouver 3, San Jose 1.

p15_Layout 1 12/31/14 7:13 PM Page 1

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

CAPE TOWN: South Africa will literally be tryingto make up for lost time when they take on theWest Indies in the third and final Test atNewlands tomorrow.

Although the West Indies put up an improvedperformance, South African captain HashimAmla stopped short of acknowledging their cre-dentials in his post-match comments after therain-hit second Test in Port Elizabeth ended in adraw.

Amla suggested that South Africa’s firstinnings total of 417 for eight could have beenbigger had his team not been trying to force thepace after most of the second day’s play waswashed out.

He also pointed out that the West Indianreply of 275 for nine was largely due to a thirdwicket partnership of 176 between KraiggBrathwaite and Marlon Samuels, who both hitcenturies. The next highest West Indian scorewas 22 by Devon Smith.

According to Amla, the South African bowlersperformed well on an unresponsive pitch in PortElizabeth. “I think on a different surface we mayhave picked up a lot more wickets a lot quicker.We did very well to take seven wickets in 35overs (on day four) so we have a lot of positivesto take into the next game,” he said.

Amla clearly felt that South Africa would havebeen favourites to win if the weather had not cutmore than half the playing time from the secondTest. The South African bowlers can expect morepace, bounce and possibly seam movement atNewlands. South Africa, who lead the series 1-0after an innings win in the first Test in Centurion,added uncapped off-spinner Simon Harmer totheir squad for Newlands.

“We would like to have the option of a sec-ond spinner,” said selection convener AndrewHudson. It would be unusual for South Africa toinclude two spin bowlers in the same team butHarmer, from the Eastern Cape Warriors fran-chise, is also a useful batsman.

If he plays he could possibly replace one ofthe seven specialist batsmen who played in PortElizabeth if he is not picked ahead of leg-spinnerImran Tahir, who took three wickets but wasexpensive at St George’s Park. The West Indieswill have to choose between bolstering a fragilebatting line-up or go in with the same bowlingline-up that played in Port Elizabeth.

After Centurion, they dropped batsmanJermaine Blackwood and picked all-rounderJason Holder. It led to an improved bowling per-formance but the lower order batsmen, includ-ing Holder, crumbled against the pace of MorneMorkel and spin of Tahir.

West Indian coach Stuart Williams said histeam was a “work in progress” and the playerswere looking forward to playing at Newlands inwhat is traditionally South African cricket’sbiggest occasion.

Teams:South Africa (likely, from): Hashim Amla

(captain), Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar, Faf duPlessis, AB de Villiers (wkt), Stiaan van Zyl, TembaBavuma, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, MorneMorkel, Imran Tahir, Simon Harmer.

West Indies (from): Denesh Ramdin (captain,wkt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Devon Smith, LeonJohnson, Marlon Samuels, ShivnarineChanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, JeromeTaylor, Sulieman Benn, Sheldon Cottrell, JasonHolder, Shannon Gabriel, Narsingh Deonarine,Kenroy Peters, Chadwick Walton (wkt).

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Paul Reiffel (AUS).TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL). Match referee:Ranjan Madugalle (SRI). —AFP

South Africa seek series win

PORT ELIZABETH: South Africa’s Imran Tahir celebrates a wicket during the fourth day of theirsecond cricket Test against West Indies in this file photo. —AP

PAKISTAN: This photograph taken on December 30, 2014, shows Pakistani al-rounder Shahid Afridi attends a local event in Karachi. If fan following was a yard-stick of greatness in cricket, Pakistan’s colorful all-rounder Shahid Afridi would prob-ably be ranked his countryís greatest ever player. —AFP

KARACHI: If fan following was a yard-stick of greatness in cricket, Pakistan’scolourful all-rounder Shahid Afridi wouldprobably be ranked his country’s great-est ever player.

Ever since he hit a 37-ball hundred inonly his second one-day international-against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 —Afridi has been a cult figure in Pakistan.

His announcement last week that hewas quitting one-day cricket after nextyear’s World Cup has left his millions offans pondering: who to watch after him?

No cricketer in Pakistan has had thepersona and the box office pull of thehyperactive, big-hitting Afridi, who filledstadiums throughout his career-andoften emptied them when he was out.

The fervor for watching him bat wassuch that when he was dismissed firstball by an unknown Zimbabwe bowler inPeshawar a few days after his worldrecord hundred, the crowd chanted: “Tryball, let Afridi bat again!”

Girls swooned for a glimpse of himand many wanted to marry him. In 2004two women came in bridal dress to aground and were only convinced toleave after meeting him face to face.

Afridi won hearts with his unortho-dox, buccaneering style-ignoring thecoaching manual to rely on swagger andraw talent.

It was an approach tailor-made for TVand Afridi’s career coincided with theexplosion of Pakistani media that fol-lowed General Pervez Musharraf’s liberal-isation of the sector in 2002.

Pakistani cricket writer and historianOsman Samiuddin said the exposuremeant Afridi’s popularity become virtual-ly unmatched, in any era.

“He has played in the right age forsure, when a booming electronic mediahas made him a bigger public presencethan previous stars such as Imran Khan,Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis,”Samiuddin told AFP. The Afridi effect canbe seen in any street game in Pakistan,where millions of children copy his style-trying to smash every other ball out ofthe park.

Afridi’s superstardom on the fieldmade him the face of Pakistan off it, andhis likeness is plastered across billboardsand TV ads everywhere in the country.

Even now, in the twilight of his career,Afridi advertises everything from sham-poo, banking and skin cream to chewing

gum, with a ubiquity surpassed perhapsonly by Sachin Tendulkar in India.

“Afridi may not always be the star per-former but he remains a star,” said KamilAhmed, who works for a top advertisingagency in Karachi. “His name can lift aproduct, especially those for young peo-ple, who are mad for him.”

Afridi, now 34, has had ups and downsin his career but his support reached newheights when he became captain in2010.

“I am lucky in the sense that peopleloved me more than anyone else,” Afriditold AFP. “It ’s a great blessing and Ialways wanted to play for my countryand for my fans.”

With age catching up and form slid-ing, Afridi’s fan following started todiminish two years ago. He was droppedfrom the one-day side for the tour ofIndia in December 2012 and then for theChampions Trophy a year later.

But in typical style, he won backhearts with a blistering 18-ball 34 againstIndia to help Pakistan reach the final ofthe Asia Cup in March.

Two sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin inthe last over against arch-rivals Indiasilenced the critics. “When Afridi wins agame in that manner it feels much morethan just an ordinary win,” saidSamiuddin, author of “ The UnquietOnes”, a new history of Pakistani cricket.

There are those who became exasper-ated with Afridi in recent years, seeing aplayer whose love for the spectacularoften came at the expense of his team-mates.

But Samiuddin says that for all hisoccasional failures, Afridi would beremembered as “a very very good limitedovers player, among the greatestPakistan has seen.

“He has changed the course of match-es with his bowling many times and doesso with his batting as well,” he said.Despite bagging 391 wickets in 389 ODIswith his brisk leg-spin, Afridi agrees fanslargely come to watch him bat.

“I know my contributions as a bowlercount for little. They want sixes flying allthe time from my bat and I always try todo that,” said Afridi, whose 342 sixes in389 matches is a world record.

Whatever his performance at nextyear’s World Cup, it will be a long timebefore cricket sees another performerquite like Shahid Afridi.—AFP

Afridi leaves vacuum for fans — and advertisers

NASHVILLE: Notre Dame’s Kyle Br indzakicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired togive the Fighting Irish an upset 31-28 winagainst Louisiana State in the Music City Bowlon Tuesday.

The day’s other bowl games were not asclose: Georgia running back Nick Chubb ledthe Bulldogs to a comfortable win againstLouisville in the Belk Bowl and Stanford over-whelmed Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl.Notre Dame (8-5) stopped a fake field goaljust short of the goal line at the end of thefirst half and blocked a 40-yard field goalattempt by Trent Domingue ear ly in thefourth quarter. The Fighting Irish got the ballwith 5:41 left and never gave it back, driving71 yards in 14 plays before Brindza finishedoff the win.

Coach Brian Kelly gave Malik Zaire his firstcareer start, but he also played senior Everett

Golson, using both quarterbacks on the win-ning drive. Louisiana State lost for the firstt ime this season to a team not f rom theSoutheastern Conference’s Western Division.Leonard Fournette ran for 143 yards and twotouchdowns, and also returned a kickoff 100yards for a score.

Georgia’s Chubb ran for a career-high 266yards and t wo touchdowns to lead theBulldogs past Louisville 37-14 in the BelkBowl. Chubb averaged 8 yards per carry andthe Bulldogs (10-3) piled up 301 yards rushingagainst the nation’s second-best run defense.

Georgia’s star ting quar terback HutsonMason threw for 149 yards and a touchdownbefore leaving with blurred vision in the sec-ond quarter with the Bulldogs ahead 20-7. Hewas replaced by Brice Ramsey, whose primaryduty was to hand the ball off to Chubb.

Georgia’s defense made four turnovers,

with Dominick Sanders recording two inter-ceptions. Quarterback Kyle Bolin made hisfirst career start for Louisville and finished 20of 40 for 301 yards with two interceptions andone touchdown. Brandon Radcliff ran for 91yards and a touchdown.

Stanford’s quarterback Kevin Hogan threwfor 189 yards and two touchdowns to lead theCardinal to a 45-21 victory over Maryland inthe Foster Farms Bowl.

Remound Wright ran for three short scoresas Stanford blew past the Terrapins with thekind of complete performance that had elud-ed them most of the season. The Cardinal out-gained Maryland 414 to 222 yards and lookedright at home at Levi’s Stadium, close to theStanford campus. I t was the most pointsscored in a bowl game in Stanford history.Maryland missed a chance for its first postsea-son win since 2010. —AP

SYDNEY: Australia may have sealed thefour-test series against India but the finalmatch in Sydney could prove the mostemotionally taxing for the hosts as theyreturn to the venue where Phillip Hugheswas fatally struck by a bouncer lastmonth.

Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon, ShaneWatson and David Warner were fieldingat the Sydney Cricket Ground whenHughes sustained the sickening blow tohis neck, never regaining consciousnessand eventually passing away three daysbefore his 26th birthday.

Australia coped well with the tragedyto take an unassailable 2-0 lead againstIndia and coach Darren Lehmann is in nodoubt that emotion will run high as theyreturn to Sydney for the fourth test start-ing on Tuesday.

“I’m sure it’s in the back of their mindsand everyone’s minds around Australia,”Lehmann said. “For us we’ve just got toget on with playing the game as best wecan.”I actually don’t know how they’llreact, we have to see how we react.

“We’ve got to have a couple days offnow and try to get through that over thenext few days.” Warner said Hughes’ pass-ing continued to impact his life. “It ’sgoing to be in the back of my mind everytime I play,”the hard-hitting opener said.

“Every time I sit at home and I’mthinking about nothing but that. We’vegot to keep pushing on. He’d want us todo that.” Apart from being in control oftheir emotions, Lehmann also wants histeam to improve their fielding, especiallycatching, in Sydney.

The butter-fingered hosts droppedboth Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane inIndia’s first innings in Melbourne, allow-ing them to post career-best scores in a262-run partnership.

“(The fielding was) shoddy at best.We’ve done a lot of work and I can’t com-plain about the work ethic from the lads,but the big one’s that cost us were thefirst innings,” Lehmann said. “It’s not vol-ume or practice, they’re very good atthat.It’s probably more confidence to behonest.”—Reuters

Notre Dame defeat LSU

NASHVILLE: Notre Dame wide receiver CJ Prosise (20) gets past LSU safety Jamal Adams (33) as Prosise scores a touchdown on a 50-yard run inthe second half of the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game. —AP

Australia brace foremotional Test

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S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

CONNECTICUT: Jim Mahoney parted with a tiny pieceof US Open history with hopes it could change PhilMickelson’s luck. It was a broken tee in a plastic bag. “Asouvenir that money can’t buy,” Mahoney said in a tele-phone interview from his home in Connecticut.

Mahoney brought the tee to the Deutsche BankChampionship, along with a letter explaining the cir-cumstances around it. This was the last tee Mickelsonused at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open. His drivesailed far to the left on the 18th hole, like so many of histee shots that Sunday, and caromed off a tent. From

there, Lefty made double bogey and finished one shotbehind.

The U.S. Open remains the only major keeping himfrom the career Grand Slam. Winged Foot haunts himmore than his other five runner-up finishes. “I was onthe tee at Winged Foot, me and a friend of mine,”Mahoney said. “Phil got out his driver and was bouncingthe ball off the face. Phil looked over to the 17th greenand there’s a scoreboard. I t showed that (Colin)Montgomerie had just double bogeyed the 18th. Hiswhole demeanor changed. But he hits this horrendousslice.”

Thousands of fans who had crowded around the teebox took off down the sides of the fairway. Mahoney

and his friend walked across the teeing ground.“We’re the only ones there. The marshals gave up,” he

said. “They were the last group to hit. And there’s Phil’stee.” Even after it was over, Mahoney’s said his friendstold him he should put the tee on a plaque. Instead, hestored it in a drawer. He wanted Mickelson to win thatday, as did half of New York. He roots for him at everymajor.

And that’s why he thought it might help to give itback. Mahoney approached Mickelson’s caddie duringthe pro-am at the Deutsche Bank Championship in

September. He simply handed him an envelope thatcontained the broken tee and the letter.

“I will trade the tee for a photo-op,” said the letter,addressed to Mickelson and Jim “Bones” MacKay. “Youcan make peace with it and win the Open in 2015. Goodluck.” MacKay was looking for Mahoney after the roundfor the photo. He never found him.

Moments like these give tournament golf its texture,stories that go beyond numbers on a scorecard and tro-phies on a mantle. Here are more from this year’s collec-tion of “Tales from the Tour.”

Rory McIlroy had a long day at The PlayersChampionship, and it wasn’t over when he signed hiscard. There was an interview with Sky Sports, PGA Tour

radio, Golf Channel, another radio station, the writersand then the PGA Tour’s website.

A large crowd behind a gated section began callingout to him as McIlroy walked away, wanting his auto-graph. McIlroy looked at the crowd, then at the club-house.

That’s when his caddie, J.P. Fitzpatrick, stepped in.“Those kids over there have followed you all day,” hetold McIlroy. “You need to sign for them.” McIlroyreached for the pen in his back pocket, walked over tothe kids and spent the next 15 minutes with them.

Monday at the PGA Championship was a time to getregistered, maybe hit a few putts but otherwise take iteasy during the busiest stretch of the year. Matt Kucharintended to do just that, and he pulled up a chair at apatio table to join Jim “Bones” MacKay, the caddie forPhil Mickelson.

MacKay pointed out that Kuchar was sitting in afamous chair. OK, it wasn’t the same chair. But it’s whereRocco Mediate was sitting at Valhalla during the 2000PGA Championship. Mediate was close to qualifying forthe Presidents Cup that year. The chair broke suddenlyand Mediate injured an already tender back. He with-drew from the final major. He didn’t make thePresidents Cup team.

That was before Kuchar joined the PGA Tour. He hadnever heard the story. Kuchar was running errands thatafternoon when he was stuck in traffic so long that hewound up with a sore back. Three days later, he with-drew from the PGA at Valhalla. Beware the chair.

Jordan Spieth describes her as the girl who keeps thefamily grounded, and the funniest member of theSpieth clan. That would be Ellie, his 14-year-old sisterwho was born with neurological challenges. And shewas part of the entourage at the Deutsche BankChampionship, watching big brother Jordan on the golfcourse while walking with her other brother, Steven,who plays basketball at Brown. She was talking to any-one who would listen about her big brothers and whatthey do.

The gallery was held back behind the seventh greenwhile players and their caddies got on carts to takethem to the next tee. Spieth spotted his little sister andwaved her over. Ellie ran to the cart and sat on her bigbrother’s lap as they drove off. She looked like the hap-piest person at TPC Boston. And so did Spieth. Britishhumor has no rival in golf.

At the annual caddie awards dinner at the HSBCChampions, a slide show presenting the year in golf wason the screen. Bubba Watson won the Masters. MartinKaymer won the U.S. Open. Andrew Cotter of the BBCwas the host for the dinner, and according to severalcaddies in attendance, Cotter mentioned how it wasn’tlong before one player took over the world of golf bywinning two majors. The dramatic commentary wasaccompanied by the next photo - Colin Montgomerie.

On Monday after the AT&T Pebble Beach NationalPro-Am, the course was filled with a few corporate part-ners and several members of the CBS Sports crew, main-ly the staff that never gets attention or publicity for theinvaluable work on the broadcast.

Jim Nantz treated this Monday like any other. He livesnot far from the 18th green. His wife, Courtney, was inthe final months of her pregnancy. Every morning, theytake as beautiful of a walk as there is in golf along thecoast at Pebble Beach to the par-3 seventh green,where they were married.

This walk took longer than usual. Each time Nantzpassed a group from the CBS crew, they wanted to hearhis commentary on their shots. Nantz delivered, as heoften does.

Patrick Rodgers of Stanford was honored at theMemorial with the Jack Nicklaus Award as college play-er of the year. That included a trip to Muirfield Villageand a presentation hosted by Nicklaus.

That was memorable on its own. Typical of Nicklaus,he stayed around after the presentation to talk withRodgers and the rest of the winners from the variousdivisions. Looking at Rodgers right in the eye, Nicklaussaid, “You ever need anything at all, just call me.”Nicklaus didn’t break the eye contact until Rodgers nod-ded back.—AP

A year in golf: Tales from the Tour

WINGED FOOT: This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2014 shows a tee used by golfer Phil Mickelson for his last tee shot at2006 US Open golf tournament at Winged Foot. Jim Mahoney, who collected the souvenir tee in 2006, approachedMickelson’s caddie during the pro-am at the Deutsche Bank Championship in September. He simply handed himan envelope that contained the broken tee and the letter. —AP

SINGAPORE: The Asian Cup heads to Australia forthe first time next month with the scars of a woe-ful 2014 World Cup for the continent and therecurring problems of match-fixing and swiftsackings leaving the tournament wide open.

Holders Japan are favorites to win a recordextending fifth continental title but dark cloudshang over their coach Javier Aguirre after hebecame embroiled in a Spanish match-fixing casedating back to his time as Real Zaragoza boss.

The Mexican has long denied any wrongdoingbut the negative attention has not helped confi-dence in Japan, where a mixed start and theexclusion of form players, like Gamba Osaka for-ward Takashi Usami, have raised questions abouthis suitability.

The pressure on Aguirre, though, is nothing likewhat Ange Postecoglou is under as the hosts wel-come Asia’s biggest tournament for the first timesince joining the confederation in 2006.

Australia, runners up to Japan in 2011, wononly one match in 2014, a friendly triumph overSaudi Arabia in September, with defensive lapsesin the young side a glaring issue as the coachstruggles to replace a golden generation whichqualified for three consecutive World Cups.

“Things haven’t been going well prior to thistournament, we have to be brutally honest. We’veprobably gone a little bit backwards,” formerAustralia goalkeeper Mark Bosnich told Reuters..

Postecoglou was in charge for the predictablethree World Cup defeats in Brazil, where theSocceroos, Japan, Iran and South Korea all fin-ished bottom of their groups as Asia failed to earna single victory for the first time since 1990. Hekept his job with the Asian showpiece in mind buta failure on home soil is sure to spell the end ofhis tenure.

MANAGERIAL CHANGESHis task is not helped by a tough Group A

including a showdown against South Korea, whoare now under the guidance of German UliStielike, one of 11 coaches appointed by the 16finalists last year as flagging teams eyed a freshstart.

Bahrain and Jordan have gone through a com-bined six managers since last year, while SaudiArabia and Iraq have loaned coaches from clubsides for the Jan. 9-31 tournament in a glaringexample of the short-sightedness in the region’sadministrations.

“The coach doesn’t have time to impose hisstyle on the team and quite often he will havevery little input into selecting the squad,” formerAustralia boss Pim Verbeek said of the constantchopping and changing. Carlos Queiroz is thelongest serving boss in the tournament but a lackof adequate warm-up matches leave his defensiveIran side short of quality action as they seek anattacking dimension in order to lift a fourth AsianCup.

While they look forward to a 13th Asian Cup,Palestine are taking part in their first after over-coming a raft of player access issues to qualify bywinning the Challenge Cup for emerging nations.

The West Asians will do well to get anythingfrom two former winners Iraq and Japan in GroupD, with Uzbekistan, UAE and Qatar more likely tobe tournament dark horses.—Reuters

Age old problemsleave Asian Cup

an open race

Panathinaikos,Galatasaray makewinning starts

BELGRADE: Six-time Euroleague winnersPanathinaikos started the competition’s secondgroup stage with an 83-76 home win over holdersMaccabi Tel Aviv while Galatasaray beat ZalgirisKaunas 78-69 in an empty arena on Tuesday.

The first round of the Top 16, featuring twogroups of eight teams, continues on Friday whenRed Star Belgrade entertain Real Madrid in thematch of the week and Fenerbahce are at home toCSKA Moscow in the other outstanding fixture.

Maccabi made a brighter start in Athens andseemed to be in control after carving out a 35-22lead in the latter stages of the first half, with thehome side unable to counter their fast breaks,which resulted in a barrage of spectacular slamdunks.

But Panathinaikos stormed back after theirMontenegrin coach Dusko Ivanovic threw 34-yearold playmaker Dimitris Diamantidis into the fray,blunting Maccabi’s offence in the fourth quarter.

“We were patient and played better defence inthe second half to beat a very good Maccabi side,” adelighted Ivanovic told Euroleague television.

Uruguayan centre Esteban Batista led the Greekoutfit with 16 points, Americans James Gist and AJSlaughter added 15 apiece and Diamantidis finishedwith 11 and seven assists.

Brian Randle and Nate Linhart netted 18 pointseach for Maccabi and their athletic centre Alex Tyusalso stood out with 14 and 11 rebounds.

Galatasaray also overturned a first-half deficit in amatch played behind closed doors with the Turkishside serving a three-game crowd ban after fan vio-lence led to the death of a Red Star Belgrade sup-porter before their match in November.

Against Zalgiris, playmaker Sinan Guler andSerbian forward Zoran Erceg scored 14 points eachfor Galatasaray, former NBA guard Carlos Arroyoadded 12 and centre Kerem Gonlum chipped in with10 and six rebounds in a fluid team effort.—Reuters

TURKEY: Zalgiris Kaunas’ Lithuanian center Robertas Javtokas (right) vies for the ball with Galatasaray’s Serbian center Zoran Erceg (LEFT) during a Euroleague Top 16 bas-ketball match. AFP

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S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

LONDON: Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck (center) celebrates with teammates in this file photo. —AP

SOUTHAMPTON: Arsenal will hope to beginthe new year by reclaiming the top-fourposition in the Premier League table that hastraditionally been theirs.

Arsene Wenger ’s side travel toSouthampton on New Year ’s Day in theknowledge that victory at St Mary’s will seethem leapfrog their hosts into theChampions League places.

But Southampton, who drew 1-1 withleaders Chelsea on Sunday, will be deter-mined to defend their position and Wengerhas admitted he had not foreseen 2014 end-ing with the south-coast club so high in thestandings.

That was mainly because RonaldKoeman, installed as manager during theclose season, had to make a series of buys toreplace a host of departed stars.

No fewer than f ive players who hadhelped f ire Southampton to a surpriseeighth-place finish left the club, but new-

comers Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle andDusan Tadic have all made instant impacts.

“He has done a remarkable job,” Wengersaid of former Netherlands star Koeman,who left Feyenoord to take over fromMauricio Pochettino. “He has done very welland bought very well. He gets them to playvery good football.

“They were the surprise because therewas a big exodus there at the end of the sea-son last year. They did very well, unexpect-edly, because they’ve benefited from thestability at the back and in midfield from lastyear. “They added Mane, Pelle and Tadic,who have done very well very quickly. That’swhy they are where they are.”

Arsenal recorded victories over fellowLondon clubs Queens Park Rangers and WestHam United over the festive period, but willtake on Southampton without the suspend-ed Olivier Giroud, who was sent off againstQPR. And with England striker Danny

Welbeck a doubt because of a groin prob-lem, little-used Germany forward LukasPodolski may get a rare run-out.

Podolski has been linked with a move toInter Milan once the January transfer win-dow opens, but Wenger has declared that anItalian exit is not an option for the WorldCup-winner.

“He is a player of Arsenal Football Cluband I want him to stay,” he said. “I hope thathe will still be an Arsenal player at the end ofJanuary. Inter? That is a joke. Inter is not seri-ous.”

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey remains side-lined by injury, but former Saints starletTheo Walcott could feature, although he isnot yet match f it fol lowing a lengthyabsence due to a serious knee injur y.“Walcott is involved because he was alreadyin the squad,” Wenger said. “Of course I judgehim a bit short on the competition front, buton the fitness front he is ready to play.”

Southampton have selection dilemmas oftheir own as defensive midfielder MorganSchneiderlin, a player thought to be onWenger’s radar, is suspended following hisdismissal in the Chelsea match for two book-able offences.

That will put the onus on Victor Wanyamato protect the defence and the Kenya inter-national believes that Southampton cannotexpect any of their opponents to underesti-mate them anymore.

“Now everyone knows what we can do,”said the former Celtic player, whose sidehave gone three league games withoutdefeat following a sticky patch in late -November and early-December. “At thebeginning, nobody gave us a chance. Wedeserved three points against Chelsea andwere unlucky. There was a foul before theygot their goal. “We are at home so we needto have the same spirit and hopefully we canget a good result.”—AFP

Arsenal, Southampton launch top-four tussle

LONDON: Everton’s bid to arrest an alarming run ofform has been hit by an injury to goalkeeper TimHoward ahead of today’s trip to Hull City in thePremier League.

Howard will be out for up to six weeks after damag-ing his calf in the 1-0 Boxing Day defeat by Stoke City,leaving Everton with only 24-year-old Joel Robles-whohas made only 11 top-flight starts-as back-up. Asidefrom the Spaniard, the only other goalkeepers onEverton’s books are 18-year-olds Jindrich Stanek andRussell Griffiths, and manager Roberto Martinez hashinted the club may be forced to bring in reinforce-ments.

“ That is something we are going to assess,”Martinez said. “Joel had his first start in the league andthat was a great way of him having an introduction.

“We’ve just found out about Tim so we’re going tomake a decision. We only have Russell and Jindrich, sowe need to assess that over the next few days.”

Christmas defeats against Stoke and NewcastleUnited have left Everton on a run of six defeats fromtheir last eight games in all competitions and with justone victory from their last seven league matches. Thevisit to Hull presents an opportunity to rectify that run,although Everton’s injury problems extend beyond thegoalkeeper position.

England defenders Phil Jagielka and John Stonesare expected to be missing with ankle injuries, whilefull-back Tony Hibbert is two weeks from match fit-ness.

Leon Osman, another potential defensive stand-in,has a split tendon in his foot, with no return date cur-rently scheduled, while midfielders Darron Gibson andSteven Pienaar also remain on the long-term injuredlist. There is even a doubt for Thursday over the fitnessof influential midfielder James McCarthy. “At themoment, we’re a little bit weak and we need to getstronger,” said Martinez.

“When you don’t get results, you are going to get alot of doubts and a lot of opinions from outside. Nowour focus has to be very narrow, on a positive perform-ance and result from the Hull game.”

Hull’s preparations for the match have been carriedout amid speculation surrounding their manager,Steve Bruce. Bruce has been linked with a move to takeover as manager of Newcastle United, with AlanPardew expected to be named Crystal Palace manager.

Bruce, who turned 54 yesterday, supportedNewcastle as a boy and has previously expressedregret at rejecting the chance to manage the club in2004. But his immediate priority is to lift his currentteam’s morale after their defeat at Leicester City onSunday.

The Tigers had ended a run of 10 matches without awin by beating Sunderland 3-1 on Boxing Day, butwere brought back down to earth at the KC Stadium asLeicester snatched a 1-0 victory.

“They are deflated,” said Bruce, whose side havewon only once at home this season. “If you get beatenand deserve to, then fine. But when you don’t deserveit, of course it leaves a bad taste.

“For all the good work at Sunderland, it has unrav-elled a bit. That is the way this league works and wehave to stay with it. We have a big game on Thursdayand we go again.”

Bruce will be without midfielders Tom Huddlestoneand Stephen Quinn, who are both suspended, butdefender James Chester will return, having served aone-match ban.

Andy Robertson could also return after sufferingwith a knee problem, but Mohamed Diame andMichael Dawson remain sidelined.—AFP

Everton facegoalkeeper

dilemma

LONDON: Eden Hazard is on course tobecoming one of the world’s top players,according to Chelsea team-mate FilipeLuis as the Blues travel to White HartLane today.

Jose Mourinho’s side will attempt torespond to Sunday’s 1-1 draw withSouthampton by claiming victory atTottenham Hotspur to guarantee theyretain their place at the head of thePremier League table.

And left-back Luis believes wingerHazard will be one of the key figures asthe Blues attempt to extend their 10-game unbeaten run against their Londonrivals.

The Brazil defender said: “Eden Hazardcan easily win a game for you and open aclosed defence, and he can be in the topthree in the world in the next few yearsbecause he has a lot of quality and ambi-tion to be there. “I am really happy to behis team-mate because he is one of thegreatest players I have played with.”

Chelsea remain three points cleardespite dropping points at St Mary’sStadium thanks to Manchester City’sunexpected failure to beat strugglingBurnley at home in a 2-2 draw. And Luisbelieves there were enough signs in theperformance at Southampton to suggestthe Blues can continue to fend off all

challengers during the second half of thecampaign. “We know that we lost twopoints in a difficult stadium but the teamdid really well in the second half, and ifwe play like we did in the second half wecan be in this situation until the end andkeep going at the top of the league,” hetold the club’s official website.

“It is going to be really difficultbecause when you are top, everybodywants to take you off there and play likeSouthampton did because they playedreally well, but we did enough to win thisgame. If we play like this, of course wecan win things. “We are still top of theleague and the first half of the season isover now.

“The second half of the competition isthe more difficult one and we have tokeep the level really high because weknow it is going to be really difficult, butwe are happy because it is not easybeing top of the league for the wholecompetition until now.

“We feel that if we keep playing in thesecond half [of the season] like we areplaying now we can be there at the topof the league at the end.”

Luis is being eased into his first sea-son in England and could make way forCesar Azpilicueta after starting atSouthampton while Oscar could return

in place of John Obi Mikel.Tottenham are beginning to find their

feet under new manager MauricioPochettino and Sunday’s scoreless drawwith Manchester United consolidatedtheir standing in seventh, two points offfourth place.

Pochettino’s side are keen to avengethe one-sided 3-0 defeat to Chelsea atStamford Bridge in early December andwinger Nacer Chadli is convinced theoutcome could be different this timearound.

Speaking to the club’s official website,the Belgium winger said: “ManchesterUnited was a difficult game. We showedpatience and we had some chances butwe have to be realistic also - United hadthe bigger chances in the first half andthey played well.

“In the end we did our best and wegot one point, but I think we put on agood performance. “I think we have a lotof confidence at this moment, we had agood draw on Sunday and we have beenwinning games as well. “No games areeasy but Newcastle beat Chelsea so whycan’t we beat them?” he added. “We haveto play our game and we’ll see how wego.” Kyle Walker is back in contention andwill challenge Vlad Chiriches for theright-back slot.—AFP

GLASGOW: Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths says his side need totake their chances as they aim to get back to winning waysagainst Partick Thistle in the Glasgow derby today.

After an eight-match winning run, the Hoops have failed torecord a victory in their past two matches following a defeatto Dundee United and Sunday’s frustrating goalless draw athome to bottom of the table Ross County. The Glasgow giantspassed up a host of chances in both matches and Griffiths isbacking the club’s strikers to find their form as they aim toremedy their failings against Thistle.

“We dominated the game and when we are dominant likethat we need to win,” Griffiths said of the draw with RossCounty. “They came here to frustrate us and did that, but wewill bounce back and will look forward to Partick Thistle away.“We can’t keep controlling games and not win them but weare back in training and looking forward to today.

“We were just unlucky on Saturday - Callum McGregor hadthe shot that came off the bar and John Guidetti was in theright place at the right time, but he just put the ball widewhen nine times out of 10 he would score, so hopefully onThursday we can put things right.

“It’s a Glasgow derby and Partick will be up for it and so willwe. We will take a massive travelling support and hopefully wecan get the right result.”

Elsewhere today, Dundee United host Dundee atTannadice in the Dundee derby. After a good start to theircampaign, newly-promoted Dundee have failed to record awin in the league since 1 November.

And despite losing the two previous matches againstUnited this season, Dundee manager Paul Hartley is hopingthe derby can act as the inspiration to kick start their seasonagain. “I don’t think you should need motivated for a gamelike this,” Hartley said. “It’s a derby with a full house and it’s onTV. It’s a game where you want to go and do well in.

“Sometimes the form goes out the window in derbygames. “It’s a match where the players are focused on doingwell in. “We know we let ourselves down on Saturday and Idon’t think there’s a better game for us now.”

Hamilton host a revitalised Motherwell in the Lanarkshirederby at New Douglas Park. After a poor start to the season,new manager Ian Baraclough has led Motherwell to two suc-cessive victories with the Fir Park side eager to avenge the 4-0thrashing they suffered at Hamilton’s hands back inSeptember. Bottom of the table Ross County welcomeInverness Caledonian Thistle to Victoria Park for the Highlandderby. Twenty-two points and seven positions separate thesides but County will take a boost from the point they pickedup at Celtic Park on Sunday.

Aberdeen have the chance to temporarily go top of thetable if they can defeat St Johnstone at Pittodrie before Celtickick-off against Partick Thistle in the evening match.—AFP

Celtic aim toget back to

winning ways

Chelsea to visit rivals Spurs

LONDON: Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (centre) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the EnglishPremier League soccer match in this file photo. —AP

S P O RT STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

English Premier LeagueStoke City v Man United 15:45 beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HDSouthampton v Arsenal 18:00beIN SPORTS 7 HDHull City v Everton 18:00beIN SPORTS 4 HDMan City v Sunderland 18:00beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HDAston Villa v Crystal 18:00beIN SPORTS 2 HDQPR v Swansea 18:00beIN SPORTS 6 HDNewcastle v Burnley 18:00beIN SPORTS 5 HDWest Ham v Bromwich 18:00beIN SPORTS 8 HDLiverpool v Leicester 18:00beIN SPORTS 4 HDTottenham v Chelsea 20:30beIN SPORTS 1 HDbeIN SPORTS 11 HD

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

LONDON: Manchester City’s David Silva (second left) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Burnley in this file photo. —AP

MANCHESTER: Manchester City midfielderSamir Nasri has warned rivals Chelsea that hisside have the experience to chase them downin the race for the Premier League title.

Manuel Pellegrini ’s City trail JoseMourinho’s league leaders by three points asthey prepare to host mid-table Sunderland onNew Year’s Day.

City won the title last season despite hav-ing trailed both Arsenal and Liverpool for longperiods during the campaign and Nasribelieves that knowhow gives City an advan-tage in the current title race. “Everyone isstronger,” said the Frenchman. “We get older,we get more mature and stronger mentally.“You learn to deal with different situations. Atthis club we’ve been through all the different

situations. We know how to deal with the pres-sure. “We know we are good at being secondand chasing someone. We’ve done it before.We know how to deal with every situation andwe are ready for it.”

City spurned a good opportunity to cutChelsea’s lead to one point on Sunday whenthey squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 withstruggling Burnley after the London club wereheld to a 1-1 draw at Southampton.

It also meant Pellegrini’s men missed outon the chance to register a club-record 10thsuccessive victory, but Nasri says the mainfocus now is on adding to their points total.

“We’re frustrated,” he said. “We were awareof the Chelsea result and it was a great chancefor us to be just one point behind.

“Nobody talks about that record of 10 con-secutive wins. That doesn’t matter. The mostimportant thing was to finish the year at homewith a win, with 45 points from the first half (ofthe season). “That would have been a goodthing, but we didn’t do it. All we want to do iswin. We couldn’t do that, so let’s be focused forSunderland.”

City striker Stevan Jovetic is expected to befit enough to start the match against GusPoyet’s team, having appeared as a substituteagainst Burnley.

James Milner has been used as a makeshiftstriker in the absence of Jovetic and SergioAguero and Edin Dezko, both of whom remainout through injury. Fernando is unavailableafter collecting his fifth yellow card of the sea-

son, meaning Frank Lampard could start inmidfield.

Meanwhile, Poyet has challenged JackRodwell to kick-start his flagging Sunderlandcareer by showing former club City what theyare missing. The one-time England midfielderhas failed to impress since a £10 million ($15.6million, 12.8 million euros) switch to theStadium of Light in August, making just 10league starts and scoring once.

Rodwell might have hoped to provePellegrini wrong for showing him the doorafter an unhappy two-year spell at the EtihadStadium.

But the former Everton player has strug-gled to make an impact in the northeast andhas managed just one substitute appearance

in the last five games. The 23-year-old failed toeven make the bench for the 0-0 stalemate atAston Villa on Sunday that kept Sunderlandfour points above the relegation zone.

But with midfielders Sebastian Larsson andLiam Bridcutt both injury doubts forThursday’s trip to Manchester, Rodwell hasbeen put on standby to face his old club.

“I need him,” said Sunderland coach Poyet.“I’m sure he’ll bounce back and probably havea great opportunity on Thursday with theinjuries in midfield.”

Larsson is struggling with ankle ligamentdamage, while Bridcutt suffered concussionafter clashing with Villa striker ChristianBenteke as Poyet’s side fought out their 11thdraw this season. —AFP

Nasri: City has title edge

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called onthe Football Association (FA) to ban players who dive inorder to rid the game of play acting to win free kicks orpenalties. Diving is once again a hot topic in the PremierLeague after three Chelsea players, Cesc Fabregas, DiegoCosta and Willian, were all booked for simulation thismonth. Chelsea defenders Gary Cahill and BranislavIvanovic have also recently been accused of diving byopposition managers with Blues boss Jose Mourinho coun-tering that there was an agenda against players at his club.

Wenger said the only way to solve the problem wouldbe for the FA to take retrospective action against playerswho have clearly dived.

“I’m against diving,” Wenger told reporters. “We shouldpunish it after the game. The problem will be to decidewhen it was obvious diving or not. That’s a big issue andsometimes it’s not obvious,” the Frenchman added.

“Punish only obvious cases but not mixed ones. “Youhave to suspend the players, I don’t know how long. Itdepends. I am not a specialist in this kind of thing.

“But the only way that the players will stop doing it, is ifthey feel they can get punished. Whether it is Arsenal, orManchester United, or Liverpool or Chelsea, it is for every-body the same.” The Arsenal manager was also quick to dis-miss speculation linking forward Lukas Podolski with amove to Inter Milan. The German has found himself largelyout of favour this season, having started only two matches,but Wenger was adamant that any move to Italy was notimminent. “That is a joke. Inter Milan are not serious.There’s only talk,” he said. Arsenal are currently fifth in thestandings, level on 33 points with fourth-placedSouthampton, who they face today. —Reuters

Wenger calls onFA to ban divers

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool midfielder JordanHenderson has paid tribute to managerBrendan Rodgers as his team leavebehind a rollercoaster 2014 with a NewYear’s Day home game against LeicesterCity.

After f inishing runners-up in thePremier League in May, Liverpool havestruggled to match that form in the cur-rent campaign, although a 4-1 victoryover Swansea City on Monday re-ignitedhopes of a top-four finish.

The result was also a relief for Rodgers,whose methods have come in for criticismduring Liverpool’s inconsistent start tothe season, but whose side have now lostonly once in seven league outings.

“The manager has been fantastic eversince he came to the club,” saidHenderson. “He’s working really hard forus on the training field to ensure that tac-tically we are better and improving all thetime. “It’s up to us as players to ensure weput that into practice on the pitch and we

definitely did that against Swansea. Wegot our just rewards for that.

“This season has been hard on every-one. We’ve gone from winning ever yweek to not winning as often. The manag-er has always been the same. He hasalways looked to improve things on thetraining field. “Now it ’s down to us asplayers to make sure we do that on matchdays. If we keep playing like that, we’ll getthat consistency and more good results.”

Henderson reflected the confidence inthe Anfield camp that, with the disap-pointment of missing out on last season’stitle behind them, another top-four finish,and Champions League football, is againwithin reach. “We had an amazing start tothe year and then the disappointment offalling just short in May,” said the Englandinternational.

“We’ve had a difficult start to this sea-son, but we just have to keep going andplaying like that. If we do that we’ll go inthe right direction and hopefully we can

finish the season well. “Of course we canfinish top-four. We’ve got quality playershere. You saw against Swansea that whenwe play well, we look a top, top side. Wejust need to be more consistent and makesure we do that every game.”

Liverpool will be without defenderMartin Skrtel, who earned a one-matchsuspension after his book ing in theSwansea victory.

Meanwhile, Rodgers spent Tuesdayawait ing word from the Footbal lAssociation as to whether they wouldpunish forward Raheem Sterling retro-spectively, after television pictures sug-gested he slapped Swansea defenderFederico Fernandez.

Steven Gerrard, rested againstSwansea, can expect a start against bot-tom club Leicester, while Mario Balotellimay have to be satisfied with a substituteplace once again.

Leicester wil l be without PaulKonchesky, who serves a one-match sus-

pension, while Andy King is still missingwith a thigh problem, but striker JamieVardy is available after a ban of his own.

Manager Nigel Pearson is still unableto give a return date for goalkeeperKasper Schmeichel, who is recoveringfrom an operation to repair a brokenmetatarsal.

“Kasper is at home at the moment andresting,” said Pearson, whose side movedto within three points of safety after win-ning 1-0 at Hull City on Sunday.

“The next time he will have consulta-tion, we will have a better idea of whatthe length of time he will be out. That willbe two or three weeks yet.

“We have a few bumps and bruises,but for the most part the biggest thingsfrom the last few games will be fatigue ifanything.

“The question is always, ‘Do you gowith a similar side and hope, or back yourjudgement, that they wil l be able toreproduce energy levels?’” —AFP

Tributes to Rodgers for Liverpool upturnLIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno (second left) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match in this file photo. —AP

16Afridi leaves

vacuum for fans —

and advertisers

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 201518

Arsenal,

Southampton

launch top-four

tussle

A year in golf: Tales from the Tour Page 17

PORTLAND: Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (left) is fouled from behind by Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry during overtime of an NBA basketball game. — AP

DENVER: Kobe Bryant had 23 points, 11assists and 11 rebounds for his 21st careertriple-double, and the Los Angeles Lakersheld off the Denver Nuggets 111-103 Tuesdaynight to end a three-game losing streak.Bryant shot 6 of 11 from the floor, giving him25,000 field goal attempts for his career. Theonly players who’ve attempted more shots inNBA history are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(28,307) and Karl Malone (26,210), accordingto STATS.

The Lakers star played nearly 32 minutesin his second game back. He missed threegames around Christmas because of overallsoreness.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and RonniePrice added a season-high 18.Ty Lawson andJusuf Nurkic both finished with 16 points forthe Nuggets, who have lost four of five.

HAWKS 109, CAVALIERS 101Paul Millsap took over for Atlanta in the

fourth quarter to help hold off a Clevelandcomeback, and the Hawks beat the Cavaliers,who were without LeBron James. James, cele-brating his 30th birthday, was held out with asore left knee.

The Hawks led by 17 points early in thesecond half but had to hold off a comebackby Cleveland, which got 35 points from KyrieIrving.

After a jam by Tristan Thompson cut theAtlanta lead to 93-90, Millsap scored Atlanta’snext eight points. Millsap led the Hawks with26 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

Jeff Teague had 23 points and 11 assists,and Kyle Korver sank five 3-pointers whilescoring 19 points. Thompson had 18 pointsand 13 rebounds for Cleveland. James’ statusis day to day.

GRIZZLIES 95, SPURS 87Mike Conley had 30 points and six assists,

and Marc Gasol added 17 points to helpMemphis defeat San Antonio. Conley con-nected on 10 of 13 from the field, and missedonly one of his five shots from outside the arcas the Grizzlies won their second straight andclaimed at least a tie with the Spurs in theseason series. Tayshaun Prince added 12points for Memphis. Marco Belinelli and CoryJoseph scored 18 apiece for the Spurs. SanAntonio went 5 of 22 from outside the arc.

WARRIORS 126, 76ERS 86Marreese Speights scored 23 points,

Stephen Curry added 13 points and nineassists, and Golden State beat Philadelphia.

Draymond Green had 10 points and 10rebounds and Leandro Barbosa scored 17 offthe bench for the Warriors, who won their10th straight home game to improve to anNBA-best 25-5.

Golden State led by as many as 47 in agame that was even more lopsided than thefinal score. Warriors coach Steve Kerr pulledhis starters early in the fourth quarter, only tosee his reserves add to the lead. Henry Simshad 19 points and seven rebounds forPhiladelphia. The 76ers (4-26) have droppedthree straight following back-to-back roadwins over Miami and Orlando.

MAVERICKS 114, WIZARDS 87Monta Ellis scored 20 points in 27 minutes,

and Dallas handed Washington its most lop-sided loss of the season. Nine of Ellis’ pointscame in the final 2:35 of the second quarter,when the Mavericks outscored the Wizards36-21 for a 63-45 halftime lead. He shot 8 of15 and finished with four steals without play-ing in the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks’ 10 straight wins overWashington represent their longest activewinning streak against any team. ChandlerParsons had 14 points, Dirk Nowitzki added13 despite shooting 2 for 8 from the field, andRajon Rondo had 11 points and five assists.Washington’s John Wall had 11 points andeight assists. Dallas, which forced 23turnovers, extended its winning streak tothree games and ended the Wizards’ three-game winning streak.

TRAIL BLAZERS 102, RAPTORS 97Damian Lillard had 26 points and nine

assists to help Portland rally past Toronto inovertime. LaMarcus Aldridge, who returnedafter missing three of the last four gamesbecause of an upper respiratory illness, had23 points and 13 rebounds for the TrailBlazers, who won their fourth straight.

The Blazers (26-7) rallied in the fourthquarter after trailing by 13 points, but AmirJohnson’s short jumper for the Raptors tiedthe game at 87 and sent it to overtime.

Portland took a 96-90 lead in the extraperiod on consecutive 3-pointers from Lillard,Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum.

Kyle Lowry finished with 24 points, andJames Johnson had 14 points and 11rebounds for his first double-double of theseason for Toronto (24-8).

PELICANS 110, SUNS 106Tyreke Evans scored 24 points, including

eight straight for New Orleans in the final 2minutes, and the Pelicans stopped Phoenix’swinning streak at six games.

Anthony Davis had 19 points with a sea-son-high 18 rebounds, and Jrue Holidayscored 17 of his 21 points in the second halffor New Orleans. Evans’ step-back jumperwith 49.9 seconds left, coupled with a latesteal by Dante Cunningham, helped thePelicans hang on.

The Pelicans made their last eight freethrows after hitting only 10 of their previous21 attempts. Goran Dragic led Phoenix with22 points, and Eric Bledsoe added 21.

NETS 96, BULLS 82Brook Lopez had a season-high 29 points,

Joe Johnson had 20 points and 11 rebounds,and Brooklyn snapped Chicago’s seven-gamewinning streak.

Lopez, playing his fifth game since return-ing from a lower back strain, started in placeof Kevin Garnett and was 13 for 21 from thefield. Johnson was 8 for 14. Mike Dunleavyled the Bulls with 23 points on 9-for-15 shoot-ing, including 5 of 9 on 3-pointers. JimmyButler, who averaged 26.4 points during thewinning streak, had just eight points. DerrickRose managed only four. Brooklyn had justone previous win this season against a teamwith a winning record.

PISTONS 109, MAGIC 86Jodie Meeks scored a season-high 34

points off the bench, shooting 9 for 11 on 3-pointers, and Andre Drummond added 17points and 22 rebounds to lead Detroit overOrlando.

Drummond, the NBA’s No. 2 rebounder, satout the final 14 minutes after coming withinthree rebounds of the league’s season high.The Pistons (8-23) have won three straight forthe first time since February last season.

Reserve guard D.J. Augustin had 11 pointsand 10 assists. Victor Oladipo led the Magic,who were also seeking a third straight win,with 16 points. Tobias Harris added 15 pointsand eight rebounds.

JAZZ 100, TIMBERWOLVES 94Gordon Hayward scored 11 of his 26

points in the final 4 minutes to rally Utah pastskidding Minnesota. Trey Burke set a careerhigh with 26 points and Derrick Favors had15. Before the game, the Jazz announced thatstarting guard Alec Burks will have shouldersurgery and miss the rest of the season.Shabazz Muhammad scored a career-best 30points, including a jumper that gave theTimberwolves a 92-84 lead with 4:22 to play.

Utah then mounted its comeback withHayward’s 3-pointer and a steal-and-dunksequence. Hayward capped the 11-0 run thatgave the Jazz their first lead of the fourthquarter with another steal and layup with1:38 remaining.

Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points but theTimberwolves have lost nine in a row - theirworst skid since dropping 11 consecutivegames in 2012. Meanwhile the Jazz have wonsix of eight, extending their best stretch ofthe season. —AP

Lakers stop Nuggets, Cavs stumble

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GBToronto 24 8 .750 - Brooklyn 15 16 .484 8.5Boston 10 18 .357 12NY Knicks 5 28 .15219.5 Philadelphia 4 26 .133 19

Central DivisionChicago 22 10 .688 - Cleveland 18 13 .581 3.5 Milwaukee 16 16 .500 6 Indiana 11 21 .344 11Detroit 8 23 .25813.5

Southeast DivisionAtlanta 23 8 .742 - Washington 22 9 .710 1 Miami 14 18 .438 9.5Orlando 13 22 .371 12Charlotte 10 22 .31313.5

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Portland 26 7 .788 - Oklahoma City 15 17 .46910.5 Denver 13 19 .40612.5 Utah 11 21 .34414.5 Minnesota 5 25 .16719.5

Pacific Division

Golden State 25 5 .833 - LA Clippers 21 11 .656 5 Phoenix 18 15 .545 8.5Sacramento 13 18 .41912.5 LA Lakers 10 22 .313 16

Southwest Division

Memphis 23 8 .742 - Houston 21 9 .700 1.5Dallas 23 10 .697 1 San Antonio 19 14 .576 5 New Orleans 16 15 .516 7

NBA results/standingsDetroit 109, Orlando 86; Atlanta 109, Cleveland 101; Brooklyn 96, Chicago 82; Memphis 95, San Antonio87; New Orleans 110, Phoenix 106; Dallas 114, Washington 87; LA Lakers 111, Denver 103; Utah 100,Minnesota 94; Portland 102, Toronto 97 (OT); Golden State 126, Philadelphia 86.

LONDON: Louis van Gaal has challengedhis Manchester United players to repli-cate their impressive home form on theroad ahead of a testing New Year’s Dayvisit to Stoke City.

Since losing at home to Swansea Cityon the opening day of the season, Unitedhave turned Old Trafford into a fortress,winning seven and drawing one of thesubsequent eight games on their hometurf. But they have won just twice ontheir travels-victories at Arsenal andSouthampton that the demanding VanGaal concedes were fortunate-and theDutchman is demanding an improve-ment in 2015.

“When I’m saying that every week weare improving, then we have to showthat against Stoke City,” said the Unitedmanager, whose side start the year inthird place in the table.

“We have to do it in an away match.We have to dominate in away matchesbecause we have won everything exceptSwansea City at home, the first match.

“In away matches, (we have beaten)only Arsenal and Southampton; then, wewere the lucky team. I have said that also.“We have to dominate in away matches,and I hear from (assistant coach) Ryan(Giggs) that Stoke City is a very difficultpitch. We have to show that in spite of itbeing very difficult at Stoke. Maybe wecan show that.”

From their long injury list, United have

defenders Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw andRafael da Silva back at full fitness,although winger Angel di Maria is stillout with a pelvic problem.

Midfielder Ander Herrera and wingerAdnan Januzaj, meanwhile, are edgingever closer to returns. “Herrera hastrained with us for the first time, but hedoes not have much rhythm,” Van Gaalsaid. “Januzaj has also trained for two ses-sions, but he was ill and you have torecover from illness.”

Meanwhile, Van Gaal has paid tributeto the backing his team have beenshown by the club’s supporters despitetheir slow start to the campaign.

“The fans are fantastic,” he said. “Wewere at a moment with 10 matches and13 points. That’s not good. In spite ofthat, the fans have supported us always,and in the right way.

“I want to thank the fans for that. Theyalways have belief in the players andtheir manager. I think the main reasonthat they have supported us is becauseof the fighting spirit of my team.

“We were not always ahead in match-es, but they have fought until the endand, a lot of times, with good success.”Stoke manager Mark Hughes knowsUnited better than most following hissuccessful playing days at Old Traffordand believes they made the right call byappointing Van Gaal as the successor toDavid Moyes.— AFP

Van Gaal wants happy away-days in 2015

BusinessTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Mainland’s colonization of Hong Kong economy

Page 23

As Lithuania joins euro, concern over emigration

Page 26Recession-hit Venezuela vows New Year reforms

Page 25Funds positive on UAE, Egypt stocks

Page 22

SINGAPORE: This general view of Marina Bay shows 5,000 red spheres (on the water) been added to the wishing white spheres to form a giant number ‘50’ on the bay yesterday to mark Singapore’s 50th anniversary in 2015.Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his New Year message released to the media yesterday that Singapore’s trade-sensitive economy grew at a slower-than-expected rate of 2.8 percent in 2014 as the city-state cut itsreliance on foreign workers. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration onTuesday bowed to months of growing pres-sure over a 40-year-old ban on exports ofmost domestic crude, taking two stepsexpected to unleash a wave of ultra-lightshale oil onto global markets. The Bureau ofIndustry and Security, or BIS, which regulatesexport controls, said it had granted permis-sion to “some” companies to sell lightly treat-ed condensate abroad. Condensate is a formof ultra-light crude. Some two dozen energycompanies had asked the agency for clarifica-tion on permissible exports earlier this year,but until Tuesday those requests had beenput on indefinite hold.

The BIS also released guidance in the formof frequently asked questions, or FAQs, toexplain what kind of oil was generally allowedunder the ban, the first effort by the adminis-tration to clarify an issue that has caused con-fusion and consternation in energy marketsfor more than a year. The two measures areclearest signs yet that the administration isready to allow more of the booming US shaleoil production to be sold overseas, where

drillers have said it can fetch a premium of$10 a barrel or more.

They follow a year of murky messages andwidespread uncertainty over what is or is notallowed under a trade restriction that criticssay is a relic of a bygone age, when oil wasseen as scarce after the 1970s Arab oil embar-go. A domestic drilling boom of the past sixyears has transformed the United States intoan energy powerhouse, boosting US produc-tion by more than 50 percent and reversingdecades of decline.

Output of very light oil has been especiallystrong, leading to a glut that threatens tooverwhelm domestic demand. The con-straints helped fuel bumper profits for refinerssuch as Valero Energy Corp and PBF EnergyInc, but angered drillers such as Hess Corpthat say they were selling at a discount. JamieWebster, the senior director of oil markets atresearch firm IHS, said the FAQ “takes theleash off of (the US Department of )Commerce” and signals it may take additionalaction on crude exports after several monthsof inaction. While likely to draw broad sup-

port from many quarters, the measures alsoopen the Obama administration to attack byenvironmentalists and Democrats who maysee it encouraging more hydraulic frackingand as a sop to big oil companies.

Steps to ClarifyHow the measures will affect flows of con-

densate is uncertain, particularly given thedramatic slump in global oil markets, whereprices have nearly halved since the summer.An administration official said that the oilmarket - not a “fairly arcane clarification” inguidelines - would ultimately determine howmuch oil is exported. That echoed the Obamaadministration’s policy on exports of liquefiednatural gas, or LNG, which are also now gen-erally allowed. The steps on Tuesday were“certainly not designed to add or detract fromwhat can be exported. We are trying to makethe boundary line clearer,” said the official.

In its FAQ, which the agency has beenworking on for most of this year, the BIS con-firmed or clarified a number of nuancedissues related to the rules, including:

• Confirmation that lease condensateprocessed through a distillation tower is con-sidered a petroleum product, and thereforecan be exported without constraint.

• Clarification of what constitutes “distilla-tion” for export, including the fact that pres-sure reduction alone, and flash drums withso-called heater-treaters or separators, wouldnot be sufficient to qualify oil for overseassales.

• A reminder that most petroleum productsmay be “exported to most of the world with-out a license,” a message seen by many ana-lysts as blessing the process of self-certifica-tion.

• And clarification that “a minimum amountof mixing” between exportable foreign crudeand restricted domestic crude may beallowed, a note likely making it easier to shipCanadian crude through US pipelines andports.

Frustration BuildingUncertainty about what kind of petroleum

can be shipped abroad has frustrated oil mar-

ket players since the BIS, an office of theCommerce Department, quietly gave permis-sion in 2013 to a small company, PeakerEnergy, to export minimally treated light oilcalled condensate. Last spring BIS gave per-mission to export treated condensate in pri-vate letters to two other companies, PioneerNatural Resources Co and Enterprise ProductsPartners LP.

The private nature of the communicationsbetween the government and the three ener-gy companies left a wide range of otherdrillers in the dark about investing in expen-sive infrastructure to process condensate. Onecompany, Australia’s BHP, said last month itwould press ahead with exports without hav-ing received a formal approval from the BIS,but other energy companies have been reluc-tant to follow suit without further guidance.Domestic pressure has also grown. Severallawmakers in the House of Representativesand Senate have said that unless energy com-panies can export oil to Asia and Europe, thedrilling boom will eventually choke on its ownoutput. — Reuters

US opens door to oil exportsMove to unleash wave of ultra-light shale onto global markets

KUWAIT: Traders are seen at the Kuwait Stock Exchange in Kuwait City yesterday. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Stock markets in the energy-richGulf states dived in the fourth quarter due tothe slump in oil prices after posting stronggains in the first nine months of 2014. All theseven bourses ended the October toDecember period in the red amid a wave ofpanic sell-offs after oil lost about 50 percentof its value because of weak demand, a glut inproduction and a strong US dollar. In thefourth quarter, the Saudi stock marketslumped 23.2 percent, Dubai dived 23 per-cent, Oman dropped 15.2 percent and Kuwaitby 14.3 percent. Abu Dhabi dipped 11.2 per-cent, Qatar lost 10.5 percent and Bahrain was3.4 percent down.

But by the end of 2014, four markets -Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain - postedannual gains while the Saudi, Kuwaiti andOmani bourses recorded dips. Oil incomemakes up around 90 percent of revenues ofmost of the Gulf states which are forecast tolose half of their oil revenues, which stood at$729 billion in 2013. “The fall in the fourthquarter was a direct result to the sharp dropin oil prices,” said Humoud Al-Sabah, senior

analyst at Kuwait Financial Center (Markaz).“Most of the Gulf bourses ended the firstthree quarters with strong gains but shedmost of it due to the impact of oil prices,”Sabah told AFP.

He said Gulf shares performed well in thefirst three quarters despite turbulent geopo-litical developments especially the expansionof Islamist State jihadists in Iraq and Syria andthe start of the US-led air campaign againstthem. The capitalisation of the seven bourses,however, rose by around $70 billion to $1.04trillion at the end of 2014 from $970 billion ayear ago. But they shed around $131 billionfrom their value on September 30.

Dubai Most Volatile The Saudi Tadawul All-Shares Index (TASI),

the largest bourse in the region, closed theyear down 2.4 percent at 8,333.30 points afterrepeatedly dipping below the 8,000-pointmark. During the year, TASI had surged byover 30 percent but was pulled down mainlyby the leading petrochemicals sector, whichdived 33.7 percent in the fourth quarter. The

drop came despite the kingdom issuing ahighly expansionary budget for 2015 butwhich projected a deficit of around $39 bil-lion.

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Index, whichhas increased steadily for the past three years,was the most volatile in 2014, surging byabout 60 percent in the year before losingmost of the gains in the fourth quarter. TheDFM Index ended the year up 12 percent at3,774.00 points after dipping below the 2013close in December. Its neighbouring AbuDhabi Securities Exchange also relinquishedmost of the year’s gains but ended 2014 up5.6 percent on 4,528.93 points.

Qatar Exchange, the second largest in theGulf, emerged as the top gainer with 18.4 per-cent on 12,285.78, after surging close to the14,000-point mark on several occasions.Kuwait Stock Exchange was the biggest loser,dropping 13.4 percent to 6,535.72 points.Muscat Securities Market ended 2014 down7.2 percent at 6,343.22 points, while the tinyBahrain bourse finished the year up a healthy14.2 percent at 1,426.57 points. — AFP

Oil price slump erases Gulf stocks 2014 gains

Kuwait biggest loser

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.442Indian Rupees 4.622Pakistani Rupees 2.923Srilankan Rupees 2.222Nepali Rupees 2.888Singapore Dollar 222.800Hongkong Dollar 37.842Bangladesh Taka 3.755Philippine Peso 6.570Thai Baht 8.927Irani Riyal transfer 61.555Irani Riyal cash 121.740

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 78.338Qatari Riyal 80.706Omani Riyal 763.320Bahraini Dinar 780.260UAE Dirham 80.003

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 44.000Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.985Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.371Tunisian Dinar 158.730Jordanian Dinar 414.580Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.971Syrian Lira 2.094Morocco Dirham 33.143

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 293.650Euro 359.430Sterling Pound 458.830Canadian dollar 253.580Turkish lira 126.580Swiss Franc 298.730Australian Dollar 240.210US Dollar Buying 292.450

GOLD20 gram 238.10010 gram 121.740

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007648 0.008648British Pound 0.451441 0.460441Czech Korune 0.004893 0.016893Danish Krone 0.043874 0.048874Euro 0.351227 0.359227Norwegian Krone 0.035509 0.040709Romanian Leu 0.084229 0.084229Slovakia 0.008600 0.018600Swedish Krona 0.033898 0.038898Swiss Franc 0.290089 0.300289Turkish Lira 0.124870 0.131870

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.232307 0.243807New Zealand Dollar 0.223702 0.233202

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.247936 0.256436US Dollars 0.289550 0.294250US Dollars Mint 0.290050 0.294250

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003440 0.004040Chinese Yuan 0.046134 0.049634Hong Kong Dollar 0.035776 0.038526Indian Rupee 0.004387 0.004788Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002377 0.002557Kenyan Shilling 0.003277 0.003277Korean Won 0.000260 0.000275Malaysian Ringgit 0.080545 0.086545Nepalese Rupee 0.003001 0.003171Pakistan Rupee 0.002765 0.003045

Philippine Peso 0.006487 0.006767Sierra Leone 0.000065 0.000071Singapore Dollar 0.219033 0.225033South African Rand 0.019355 0.027855Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001882 0.002462Taiwan 0.009156 0.009336Thai Baht 0.008608 0.009158

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.772453 0.780453Egyptian Pound 0.039542 0.042642Iranian Riyal 0.000081 0.000083Iraqi Dinar 0.000195 0.000255Jordanian Dinar 0.410110 0.417610Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000145 0.000245Moroccan Dirhams 0.023945 0.047945Nigerian Naira 0.001193 0.001826Omani Riyal 0.756706 0.762386Qatar Riyal 0.079948 0.081161Saudi Riyal 0.077670 0.078370Syrian Pound 0.001741 0.001961Tunisian Dinar 0.154429 0.162429Turkish Lira 0.124870 0.131870UAE Dirhams 0.078969 0.080118Yemeni Riyal 0.001326 0.001406

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 231.71 228.71Canadian Dollar 256.71 257.71Swiss Franc 302.93 300.93Euro 362.08 363.08US Dollar 293.55 296.55Sterling Pound 461.65 464.65Japanese Yen 2.49 2.51Bangladesh Taka 3.761 4.031Indian Rupee 4.636 4.936Sri Lankan Rupee 2.220 2.655Nepali Rupee 2.893 3.428Pakistani Rupee 2.918 2.790UAE Dirhams 79.77 80.23Bahraini Dinar 779.11 781.18Egyptian Pound 40.93 41.53Jordanian Dinar 417.10 422.75Omani Riyal 761.26 768.56Qatari Riyal 80.83 81.38Saudi Riyal 78.19 78.59

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 291.750Canadian Dollar 260.085Sterling Pound 456.630Euro 366.500Swiss Frank 303.035Bahrain Dinar 775.760UAE Dirhams 79.330Qatari Riyals 80.935Saudi Riyals 77.975Jordanian Dinar 411.660Egyptian Pound 40.707Sri Lankan Rupees 2.225Indian Rupees 4.716Pakistani Rupees 2.867Bangladesh Taka 3.759Philippines Pesso 6.481Cyprus pound 715.865Japanese Yen 3.480

Syrian Pound 2.710Nepalese Rupees 3.945Malaysian Ringgit 87.645Chinese Yuan Renminbi 48.035Thai Bhat 9.885Turkish Lira 131.225

Al Mulla Exchange

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 293.000Euro 360.650Pound Sterlng 459.800Canadian Dollar 254.850Indian Rupee 4.615Egyptian Pound 40.965Sri Lankan Rupee 2.220Bangladesh Taka 3.740Philippines Peso 6.555Pakistan Rupee 2.914Bahraini Dinar 780.250UAE Dirham 79.850Saudi Riyal 78.300*Rates are subject to change

B U S I N E S S

Newsi n b r i e f

Turkey unit of KFH secures $350m loan

DUBAI: The Turkish subsidiary of Kuwait FinanceHouse (KFH) has secured a $350 million syndicatedIslamic loan, Kuwait’s largest lender said yesterday.The dual-currency murabaha transaction for KuveytTurk was arranged in two tranches, one maturingafter two years for $300 million, and the otherincluding one- and two-year terms for a combinedtotal of Ä40 million ($48.63 million), KFH said in astatement. Murabaha is a common cost-plus salearrangement in Islamic finance. ABC Islamic Bank,the Islamic unit of Bahrain-based Arab BankingCorporation, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, BarwaBank, Emirates NBD Capital, the Saudi Arabian sub-sidiary of Emirates NBD, Noor Bank and QatarIslamic Bank were the initial mandated leadarrangers and bookrunners to the deal, KFH said.The participating banks were Boubyan Bank,Kuwait International Bank, Saudi British Bank, AhliUnited Bank, United Arab Bank and Commerzbank.

Bank Muscat sells brokerage business

DUBAI: Bank Muscat, Oman’s largest lender,has sold its brokerage business to Gulf BaaderCapital Markets, a brokerage firm based in thesultanate, the lender said. The decision to sellthe business was due to the bank’s review of“strategic alternatives and operational priori-ties”, it said in a statement on Tuesday. BankMuscat did not give a figure for the value ofthe sale. The bank’s brokerage unit will stopoperating on Feb. 10, with customers beingnotified of the transition process during thetransfer of the unit to Gulf Baader. BankMuscat said in June it was considering a saleof the unit as one of several options for thebusiness. The lender does not break out thefinancial performance of the brokerage busi-ness in its annual reports. The division pro-vides stock broking services to foreign anddomestic clients, including emerging marketinstitutional investors, according to its web-site. According to stock exchange data, BankMuscat’s brokerage had the third biggestshare of Oman securities trading last yearwith 10.6 percent. The total value of securitiestrading in 2013 was 239.1 million rials ($623million). Gulf Baader Capital Markets managesassets of more than $140 million and haslead-managed several initial public offers,according to its website.

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates and Egypt appear the mostattractive among major Middle Eastern stock markets in anera of low oil prices, the latest Reuters survey of regional assetmanagers suggests. The plunge of oil and equity prices overthe last several months has stunned managers, and they maytherefore invest their 2015 equity allocations to the regiononly gradually. “I think the next three months will witness await-and-see approach by most fund managers, as they waitto see stability in the equity markets after the wild swings ofDecember,” said Mohammed Ali Yasin, managing director atAbu Dhabi’s NBAD Securities. A key question, he said, is “if thepredictions of more stable oil prices in the range of $65-$75materialise - that will be a major defining factor for theirinvestment strategy over the rest of 2015.”

However, the Reuters survey of 15 leading Middle Eastinvestment professionals, conducted over the past 10 days,shows the markets’ tumble has not turned funds away fromregional stocks in general. Forty-seven percent expect to raiseoverall equity allocations in the next three months against 20percent who anticipate reducing them. Many fund managersnote that the markets’ slide - Saudi Arabia is down 24 percentfrom its September peak - has greatly improved valuations,reducing or eliminating big premiums to other emerging mar-kets.

The big difference shown by the latest survey is that fundshave become much more selective about which stock marketsthey plan to buy in coming months. On balance they are stillwary of Saudi Arabia, for example; 40 percent expect to lowertheir equity allocations there and 33 percent to increase them.That is because petrochemical stocks are heavily weighted inthe Saudi market and they remain vulnerable to further falls inoil prices, which would reduce the advantage that Saudi com-panies enjoy over foreign rivals due to cheap feedstock.

“With oil prices expected to remain low and the petchemsector weight big in the index, next year will be very interest-ing when it comes to stock picking,” said Bader Al Ghanim,head of asset management at Kuwait’s Global InvestmentHouse. Fund managers are also cautious about Qatar, wherepetrochemical firms such as Industries Qatar are heavilyweighted, and Kuwait, which has one of the richest govern-ments in the region but where bureaucracy and political ten-sions have made it hard for authorities to spend money effec-tively to offset poor global economic conditions.

UAE, EgyptBut towards the UAE and Egypt, managers are consider-

ably more optimistic. Forty-seven percent expect to raise

overall equity allocations to the UAE in the next threemonths and 20 percent anticipate reducing them. Thereare two major reasons. Partly because of the contributionof Dubai, economic growth depends less on oil in the UAEthan it does in the other wealthy Gulf states. Also, oil andpetrochemical firms are weighted only lightly in the AbuDhabi and Dubai stock markets, which are instead domi-nated by banks and real estate firms. If cheap oil strength-ens the global economy, that could conceivably helpDubai real estate stocks by increasing the amount of mon-ey flowing into Dubai property from India, Europe andelsewhere.

Egypt looks like the other big beneficiary of cheap oil,since it is a net energy importer. Low oil prices mightcause Gulf governments to become a little less generous intheir foreign aid to Egypt - but not enough to offset the

major benefit to its external balance and state finances. Athird of managers expect to raise their Egyptian equityallocations and only 7 percent to reduce them. Turkey mayalso benefit from cheap oil, though that is partly offset byworries about capital outflows from emerging markets dueto expected rises in U.S. interest rates next year. Twentypercent of fund managers expect to raise their equity allo-cations to Turkey, and only 7 percent to cut them.

The latest sur vey also shows managers becomingincreasingly bearish on Middle East fixed income as thestart of the cycle of US interest rate hikes approaches; Gulfcentral banks would probably hike soon after the UnitedStates because of their currency pegs to the dollar. Sevenpercent expect to raise their fixed income allocations and27 percent to cut them. That is the biggest bearish balancefor fixed income since April. — Reuters

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has tak-en all necessary measures to ensure providingcustomers with the best services during theNew Year holiday throughout NBK call center,mobile banking (Android, BlackBerry, iPhoneand iPad), online and ATM services.

All NBK branches will be closed startingfrom today, January 1, 2015 and will resumework on Sunday, January 4, 2015. NBK’s ATMNetwork, NBK call center 1801801, NBK onlinebanking, NBK mobile banking and nbk.com will

be available 24 hours and ready to serve cus-tomers.

For customers outside Kuwait, NBK contin-ues to enjoy the widest banking presence withmore than 170 branches worldwide. NBK’s inter-national presence spans many of the world’sleading financial centers including London,Paris, Geneva, New York and Singapore, as wellas China (Shanghai). Meanwhile, regional cover-age extends to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt,Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey.

Funds positive on

UAE, Egypt stocks

Asset managers cautious on Kuwait

KUWAIT: A trader follows market movements at the Kuwait Stock Exchange in Kuwait City yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

NBK mobile banking, ATM, online

services available during holiday

KUWAIT: Credit growth fell to its slowestpace since 1Q13 on a weak October,though the pace for 2014 is expected to behealthy. Growth slowed to 5.4 percent year-on-year (y/y) on a KD 244 million netdecline in lending during the month. Mostof the weakness came from credit to invest-ment companies, loans for the purchase ofsecurities and credit to the real estate sec-tor. Deposits were relatively unchanged onthe month, helping to further ease moneysupply growth. Meanwhile, interest ratesremained stable.

Household debt (personal facilities ex-securities) was up by KD 77 million, withgrowth accelerating slightly to 13.1 percenty/y. Adjusted for the Family Fund settle-ments, actual household debt growth isestimated to have been stronger, reflectingits resilience this year despite expectationsof cooling off. As usual, most of the growthin household debt has been in installmentloans, which are used primarily to finance

home purchases. Installment loan growthreached 15.5 percent y/y in October.

Credit to non-bank financials saw a rela-tively large drop of KD 112 million followinga gain last month. The sector, whichincludes investment companies, has beendeleveraging since 2009.The sector hasseen credit shrink by 14.9 percent y/y. As aresult, the share of loans to non-bank finan-cials has declined to 4.6 percent of totalcredit. This compares to a pre-2009 high of13 percent. Its current share is the lowest inover 20 years and further decline is likely.

All remaining credit dropped by KD 209million, eroding last month’s healthy gain.Most of the decline was in lending for thepurchase of securities and the real estatesector. Growth in all remaining credit fellsharply to 3.8 percent y/y. Securities lend-ing was down by KD 174 million and realestate credit was off by KD 88 million. Whilethese two sectors accounted for most ofthe weakness, growth in credit to “produc-

tive sectors” (i.e. excluding real estate andsecurities) also fell to 5.8 percent y/y.

Private deposits were little changed onthe month, helping money supply (M2)growth to ease further in October to 2.5percent y/y. Most of this weaknessappeared in foreign currency deposits,which declined by KD 642 million thus far in2014.The bulk of this decline took placeduring the last five months. In October,there was a large movement from site andforeign currency deposits towards KD timedeposits, which rose by KD 477 million.

Average customer deposit rates on dinartime deposits were mostly unchanged. Theaverage rates on the 1-month, 3-month,and 12-month time deposits changed by 1to 3basis points (bps) to 0.62 percent, 0.81percent, 1.23 percent. The 9-month timedeposit rate remained unchanged at 1.01percent. KD interbank rates eased on themonth, with the 1-month KIBOR offer rateshaving off 2bps to 1.11 percent.

Credit growth seen healthy

despite weak October

B U S I N E S S

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

SHANGHAI: China’s stock market is set to finish2014 as the second-best performer in the worldafter soaring almost 50 percent in a borrowing-fuelled, government-backed rally following fouryears in the doldrums. The benchmark ShanghaiComposite Index had surged 49.61 percent by theclose on Tuesday, the penultimate trading day ofthe year, putting it behind only Argentina amongglobal markets, according to figures from the WallStreet Journal’s Market Data Center. By contrast, inrecent years it has slumped even as other boursesaround the world gained, losing more than 35 per-cent between 2010 and 2013.

This year’s transformation came despite weaken-ing momentum in the world’s second largest econ-omy, where growth hit a five-year low of 7.3 per-cent in the third quarter and the slowdown is seenpersisting in 2015. “This rally runs contrary tomacro-economic fundamentals,” said BOCInternational analyst Shen Jun. “It’s driven by finan-cial leverage and encouraged by government poli-cies.” The leap was triggered by an interest rate cutin November and powered by liquidity, with aboom in margin trading - investors using borrowedfunds to trade stocks with only a small portion ofmoney put down as deposit - after authorities loos-ened controls on the practice.

A long-awaited move to link trading on theShanghai and Hong Kong exchanges in Novemberalso raised expectations for a flood of incomingcapital. In December the market broke above thekey 3,000-point level - and also recorded its biggestsingle-day decline in more than five years, of 5.43percent. It closed Tuesday at 3,165.82. A survey offive major domestic brokerages showed most

expect the Shanghai index to carry on rising in2015 and peak between 3,500 and 3,600 points,although they expect it to fall back to 3,200 to3,300 by year-end.

Earlier this year the government sought to talkup the market, with China’s official Xinhua newsagency publishing nine articles in four days inAugust highlighting low stock valuations and theneed to reinvigorate the market to “revitalise” the

domestic economy and deepen economic reforms.

‘Heat has Built Up’ Authorities are looking to use the stock market

to funnel funds to cash-hungry companies, espe-cially private firms that often have difficulties secur-ing loans as state banks prefer to lend to state-owned enterprises, according to analysts. The gov-ernment wants to turn the exchange “into a financ-

ing platform to breathe life into China’s economy”,said Central China Securities strategist Zhang Gang.

Officials also realise that rising stock markets arepopular, with most investors being individualsrather than big institutional players, while a down-turn in the domestic property market has height-ened stocks’ appeal. “The heat has built up in themarket and that’s what the policymakers want tosee,” said Shen of BOC International. But the abruptturnaround in market sentiment now has regula-tors warning of risk, and some analysts questionhow long the rally can be sustained, while Xinhuahas reversed its previous stance. “Beware of themad bull stopping on the way for a rest and weighthe risks lurking behind the rapid rise of A-shares,” itsaid in a commentary this month, referring tostocks denominated in Chinese yuan and traded onthe mainland.

December’s one-day correction came afterauthorities tightened the use of corporate bonds ascollateral for short-term financing - a move thatcould curb investors’ ability to trade on margin -and moved to inspect brokerages’ fast-expandingmargin trading business for irregularities. But retailinvestors could stay for the ride for fear they willmiss out on further gains, analysts said. For 2015,Haitong Securities forecasts the Shanghai index willpeak at around 3,500 before easing gradually toend the year at the 3,200 level, and its analystZhang Qi told AFP: “It may be that an advancingmarket will bring in more funds.” Experts say theyexpect greater volatility in the coming year. UBSSecurities strategist Chen Li wrote in a researchreport: “Fasten your seat belts for a bumpy roadahead.” — AFP

China stock market goes from bear to bull

QINGDAO, China: Stock investors talk to each other as they check share prices at a security firm yester-day in eastern China’s Shandong province. — AFP

HONG KONG: When Xi Jinping wanted to deliver apolitical message to Hong Kong as protestersdemanding free elections were threatening to taketo the streets, he summoned the tycoons who dom-inate the city’s economy. The words from theChinese leader at the Sept 22 meeting in Beijingwere uncompromising but not surprising. He wouldnot entertain any demand for full universal suffragein Hong Kong, according to two people whoattended.

Just six days later, pro-democracy activists madegood on their threat, unleashing more than twomonths of street demonstrations. But while Xi’smessage that day in the Great Hall of the Peoplefailed to deter the protesters, in speaking directly tothe city’s business and professional elite he wasshowing where Beijing believes real power in HongKong resides.

And it is here, in the city’s business sector, thatChina is inexorably tightening its grip on the formerBritish colony. Even as Beijing struggles to tameHong Kong politically, Chinese companies are con-suming ever bigger chunks of the city’s key sectorsincluding real estate, finance, power, constructionand the stock market. Many of these industries havefor decades been dominated by the business titanswho attended the meeting with Xi. Men like Li Ka-shing, Asia’s richest man, casino and hospitality bil-lionaire Lui Che-woo and palm oil magnate RobertKuok. Now they are witnessing a mainland businessinvasion of the city.

One of the most telling signs of change is thespace mainland Chinese companies lease in Centraldistrict, the heart of Hong Kong’s financial centre.These firms now account for over 50 percent of newleases signed for offices there, according to aSeptember report from Hong Kong-based broker-age CLSA. That’s up from 20 percent in 2012, thereport said. The trend is the same in all major busi-ness districts. Mainland occupancy of 25 key GradeA office buildings, or prime office space, in the dis-tricts of Central, Admiralty, Sheung Wan and WanChai increased from 13 percent in 2008 to 21 per-cent earlier this year, according to commercial realestate services firm CBRE.

“We do expect more mainland financial firmsmoving into Hong Kong,” said Simon Smith, seniordirector of research and consultancy at real estateservices provider Savills Plc in Hong Kong. “They likelandmark properties, high-profile buildings. Theyoften like naming rights if it’s available.”

‘Price is Not an Issue’The office directory at Hong Kong’s 88-floor

International Finance Centre has a growing numberof mainland companies on the list. Among them isChina Development Bank International HoldingsLtd, which held its opening ceremony in 2011 andserves as the offshore investment firm of ChinaDevelopment Bank, the country’s biggest policylender. “If you go to the International FinanceCentre now and compare it to five years ago, it’svery easy to see that there are many more Chineseenterprises represented,” property analyst NicoleWong, an author of the CLSA report, told Reuters.

In a market accustomed to stratospheric landprices, state-owned Chinese developers this yearstunned long-established local property giants withwinning bids exceeding auction forecasts by up to20 percent. Of the six available plots sold since themiddle of last year in Kai Tak district, one of HongKong’s largest developments of residential andcommercial complexes, two went to ChinaOverseas Land & Investment (COLI) and one to PolyProperty Group.

“Price is not an issue for them,” said a former sen-ior executive of a Hong Kong-listed developer whowas responsible for bidding at land auctions beforehe left the company in June. “That’s why theyoffered prices that surprised everyone.” Aspokesperson for Poly said the company had nocomment. COLI did not respond to questions sentby email.

While it was predictable business ties wouldexpand after the 1997 handover, Beijing has madeit clear that economic integration is central to rein-forcing its sovereignty over Hong Kong, which isruled under the one country, two systems modelthat affords the city’s 7.2 million residents broadpersonal freedoms. Part of Beijing’s vision is to drawHong Kong into a Pearl River Delta mega-economy

that would also include the giant southern Chinesecities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou just across theborder.

In 2011, a chapter was dedicated to Hong Kongfor the first time in China’s five-year blueprint fornational economic development. The 12th Five-Yearplan, covering the years from 2011 to 2015, lays outhow Beijing wants to connect Hong Kong with thePearl River Delta’s increasingly prosperous middleclass consumers.

‘It Will be Like New York’Under the plan, Hong Kong would be a leader

for the region in shipping, trade, services and distri-bution. In finance, Hong Kong would serve as anoffshore market for the mainland currency, the ren-minbi. New transport links from Hong Kong nowunder construction, including a high speed rail toGuangzhou and a bridge across the Pearl RiverDelta to the mainland city of Zhuhai near Macau,would allow the rapid movement of commutersand visitors.

“It will be like New York where you have peopleworking in Manhattan and living on Long Island orin New Jersey and commuting in to work every day,”said Hong Kong entrepreneur Allan Zeman, whodeveloped the Lan Kwai Fong pub and restaurantarea popular with expatriates. “People who can’t

have a home here (in Hong Kong) will live inShenzhen and be able to come here in 10 minutes.”

The mainland’s construction behemoths, includ-ing state-owned China State ConstructionInternational Holdings Ltd, are also grabbing mar-ket share. Hong Kong’s permanent secretary forDevelopment (Works), Wai Chi-sing, said in an inter-view that while mainland firms accounted for lessthan 15 percent of public works contracts by valuein the mid 1990s, they now accounted for morethan a third. While mainland Chinese companies arerapidly expanding into Hong Kong, Western bank-ing and financial institutions still have a strong pres-ence in the city. Global bank HSBC Holdings Plc, forinstance, employed more than 28,000 people inHong Kong at the end of 2013.

For Beijing, growing economic clout has notbeen mirrored by increased popular support.Frustrated by Hong Kong residents’ lack of identifi-cation with the mainland 17 years after the han-dover, China has at times resorted to covert meansto bolster its control. Earlier this month, for instance,Reuters reported that retired Hong Kong policemenwere part of a mainland-led surveillance operationto tail leading pro-democracy figures in the city.

Although the street protests ultimately peteredout, at their height they drew tens of thousands,presenting Xi Jinping with his most serious popularchallenge since he took power two years ago. Whilethe protesters have demanded full universal suf-frage, the mainland authorities insist that only ahandful of Beijing-vetted candidates can stand inthe next elections for the city’s political leader in2017. Hong Kong’s current chief executive, LeungChun-ying, got the backing of Xi and Premier LiKeqiang during a visit to Beijing last Friday, accord-ing to reports in China’s state-run media.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said in anemail response that economic integration with themainland has been mutually beneficial, citing thegrowing number of mainland companies listed onthe Hong Kong stock exchange and the city’s role asthe largest offshore renminbi centre. The HongKong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing did notrespond to questions from Reuters.

Not Always AmicableRather than foster understanding, growing eco-

nomic integration has at times raised tensions. Onesource of friction is the real estate market wherewealthy mainland Chinese have bought up proper-ty in Hong Kong, helping to push up home pricesthat are already out of reach for many of the city’sresidents. “One might have assumed that the inflowof mainland money and companies and peoplehere, and the favorable economic policies of themainland should have increased emotional integra-tion rather than just economic integration but ithasn’t,” said David Zweig, chair professor of socialscience at Hong Kong University of Science andTechnology. “For the rich people here, the heart hasfollowed the dollar but for the middle class and forstudents it hasn’t.”

That’s been evident, at times, on the streets ofHong Kong. While the growing influx of mainland

tourists has been good news for the city’s retailers -the number of Chinese visitors catapulted from 28million in 2011 to 40.7 million last year - interactionsbetween mainlanders and Hong Kong residents arenot always amicable. In one incident that madeheadlines earlier this year, locals got into a scufflewith a mainland couple who had allowed their tod-dler to urinate in the street.

“Hong Kong without the mainlanders would bea very small city,” says Allan Zeman, explaining thebusiness elite’s attitude to the growth in tourism.“Ocean Park and Disney without the mainlanderswould be nowhere. They’d be losing money.” Zemandeveloped Ocean Park, one of the city’s mainamusement parks. When Xi met the delegation oftycoons and professionals on the eve of the demon-strations, he gave no indication he was worried,according to one delegation member who gaveReuters an account of the Chinese leader’s remarks.Instead, Xi appeared to signal that the city’s trou-bles were relatively minor compared to other prob-lems in his in-tray.

Before commenting on Hong Kong, Xi gavesome of the richest men on earth a tour of China’sforeign policy challenges. He told the tycoons thatChina was now a major force in the world and mostof his attention would be focused on ties with big-ger nations including the U.S. and Russia, the dele-gate said. When he eventually turned to HongKong, Xi said Beijing had no intention of alteringany of its policies and urged the tycoons to supportthe city’s chief executive. He also said the HongKong economy was falling behind those ofSingapore, Taiwan and South Korea. Li Ka-shing, LuiChe-woo and Robert Kuok, three of the tycoonswho were part of the delegation that met Xi, didnot respond to questions from Reuters.—Reuters

HONG KONG: Workers sweep after police cleared barricades and tents on a main road in the occu-pied areas in the Causeway Bay district in this Dec 15, 2014 photo. — AP

Mainland’s colonization

of Hong Kong economyChinese companies consume big chunks of key sectors

BEIJING: China’s central bank said yesterdayit will keep implementing prudent mone-tary policy next year and use various mone-tary tools to maintain adequate liquidityand reasonable growth in credit and socialfinancing. “(The central bank) will continueto implement prudent monetary policy andkeep policy continuous and steady,” CentralBank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said in hisNew Year’s address on the central bank’swebsite. The People’s Bank of China will paymore attention to fine tune policies whennecessary, Zhou said.

In a separate statement summarising itsfourth-quarter monetary policy committeemeeting, the central bank said it would pushahead with interest rate and yuan exchangerate reforms. It also noted that China’s eco-nomic growth remained within a reasonablerange. The central bank unexpectedly cutinterest rates for the first time in two years

on Nov 21, while the economic planningagency has been approving more infrastruc-ture projects to help spur growth.

The government is expected toannounce more stimulus, such as cuttingbank reserve ratios or interest rates, to wardoff a sharper growth slowdown that couldfuel job losses and debt defaults. Activity inChina’s factory sector shrank for the firsttime in seven months in December, a pri-vate business survey showed onWednesday, highlighting the urgencybehind a series of surprise easing moves byBeijing in the past two months.

The final HSBC/Markit PurchasingManagers’ Index (PMI) for December camein at 49.6, just below the 50.0 level that sep-arates growth from contraction. The numberwas slightly higher than a preliminary “flash”reading of 49.5 but down from the final 50.0in November. — Reuters

China to maintain monetary

policy, steady credit growth

ZOUPING, China: A worker puts a LED light on a showcase at a factory in eastern China’sShandong province yesterday. — AFP

SHANGHAI: The merger of China’s top twotrain makers will create a “world-leading” railsupplier to compete with foreign players,they said, as enthusiastic investors sent theirshare prices surging yesterday. State-ownedfirms China CNR Corp and CSR Corp willunite into a single huge conglomerate, pre-venting in-fighting between the two asChina vies for lucrative rail contracts over-seas against industr y giants such asGermany ’s Siemens and Bombardier ofCanada, analysts said.

In Hong Kong, CNR shares soared 45.17percent to HK$11.12 while CSR surged 32.32percent to HK$10.44 in a half-day of tradingbefore the New Year holiday. In Shanghaiboth firms rose by the market’s daily 10 per-cent limit by midday, with CNR reaching 7.10yuan and CSR 6.38 yuan. Shares of the com-panies had been suspended for two monthspending formal announcement of the merg-er, which was flagged by Chinese media inOctober.

“Through the merger, CSR and CNR pro-pose to build jointly a brand-new, multina-tional world-leading supplier of high-endequipment and systems solutions with rollingstock at its core,” the companies said in a jointstatement. “ The merger is expected toimprove efficiency in the use of resources,effectively reduce operating costs and realisethe internationalisation strategy, thereby pro-moting competition globally,” it said.

CNR gained recognition in October bysecuring a deal to supply metro trains to theUS city of Boston. Separately, CSR was part ofa consortium that won a $3.75 billion high-speed railway contract from Mexico in earlyNovember, but the deal was cancelled shortlyafterwards amid questions over the legality ofthe bidding process. CSR is also known for a2011 scandal in which one of its high-speed

trains crashed near the Chinese city ofWenzhou, killing 40 people and sparking aninvestigation that found evidence of briberyin railway construction.

Fast Track The merger still requires approval by

shareholders and government agencies, thestatement said. In the all-share deal, CSR willissue new stock to existing CNR shareholdersto absorb the other company. The newly-merged entity will be called CRRC Corp., itsaid. The firms actually share the same origin,a rail vehicle manufacturer spun off from theformer railway ministry in 2000 and split intotwo. Analysts said the new company couldpotentially undercut rivals on prices bybecoming more efficient, while avoiding theoriginal firms being rivals for the same dealsas in the past.

“The merger will now give China an edgefor overseas contracts without them compet-ing against each other,” BOC Internationalanalyst Shen Jun said. But he added mergingthe two firms’ operations could take sometime. “They won’t necessarily have an edgeover others in terms of technology or produc-tion in the short term because it will still takea long time for the two companies to com-bine their technology and personnel,” Shensaid.

The two firms control the market for high-speed rail in China, each producing trainscapable of travelling up to 380 km per hour,the official Xinhua news agency said.Together they also account for 80 percent ofgoods trains and the majority of subwaytrains. China’s high-speed rail network is thelargest in the world with more than 11,000km of track in service during 2013, with thetotal expected to reach 16,000 km by 2020,according to official media. — AFP

China rail firms look

abroad with merger

LONDON: Chinese and US stocks headed thelist of 2014 top performers while markets else-where ended the year on a wary note asanother sharp drop in oil and worries aboutGreece’s future served as an excuse to takeprofits. The US dollar lost a little of the recentgains that have made it the year’s star majorcurrency yesterday, but European bonds yieldsscored all-time lows following a shockinglysharp fall in Spanish inflation on Tuesday.

European stocks wrapped up the year 3.5

percent higher overall with some strikingexceptions, such as near 30 percent losses fordebt-strained Greece and Portugal. The stand-out global equity performer has been China,where the CSI300 index ended 2014 withgains of nearly 50 percent after two final block-buster months when hopes grew of more poli-cy stimulus and foreigners won wider access toChinese stocks.

Yesterday featured hefty gains for China’sbiggest train makers, China CNR and CSR Corp

, after they confirmed a $26 billion merger.“China stocks have done really well this yearand the dollar move has also been very inter-esting,” said Alvin Tan, an FX strategist atSociete Generale in London. “It barely movedagainst the other major currencies in the firstof the year and all the big gains came in thesecond half.”

Among the scraps of news in Europe, twopolls in Greece published late on Tuesdayshowed the anti-bailout party Syriza’s lead

over the ruling conservatives had narrowed.Reports that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah hadbeen admitted to hospital for tests sent stocksthere tumbling, with another oil price falladding to downward pressure. Trade else-where was thinned by holidays in Japan,Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines,while many markets in Europe were eithershut or finishing early for New Year festivities.

Europe’s government bond markets werealready closed after another year when a glob-al flood of cheap money has helped takeItalian and Spanish borrowing costs to recordlows and given ultra-safe German debt itsstrongest year in six.

Buy Dollars, Wear DiamondsThe dollar was on track to end 2014 up 12

percent against a basket of major currencies,its best performance since 2005, and anticipat-ed US interest rate hikes may strengthen itsappeal in the new year. It eased against thesafe haven yen as US trading began to stand at119.64 from Tuesday’s peak of 120.69, whilestock futures pointed to small gains for a WallStreet which has jumped 13 percent and hitrepeated record highs this year.

The euro, undermined by bets that theEuropean Central Bank will have to start buy-ing government bonds to avert deflation, wasstuck at $1.2154 having touched a 29-monthtrough of $1.2123. ECB policymaker PeterPraet told a German newspaper, “If my assess-ment is that there is a need for further accom-modation, and if I were willing to cut rates ifthat had been possible, then I should not beparalysed by the fact that the only option is tobuy sovereign bonds.”

Having already halved this year, crudeprices slumped another $1.70 to near $56 abarrel as weak Chinese manufacturing dataand demand concerns outweighed supply dis-ruptions in Libya. Copper, of which China is thebiggest consumer, looked set to post itsbiggest annual decline in three years at 14 per-cent, while traditional safe-haven gold hov-ered at $1,200 an ounce to end the year rough-ly where it started. Emerging market stocksand bonds were on track for their secondstraight year in the red, especially Russia. Therouble was down 4 percent on the day as a 43percent plunge since January left it headingfor its weakest year since Russia defaulted in1998. — Reuters

B U S I N E S S

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

China stocks, dollar and debt stars of 2014

MUMBAI: An Indian office-goer walks outside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) watchingshare prices on a digital broadcast on its facade yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: Oil dropped below $56 a barrel yesterdayand was heading for its biggest annual decline since2008, pressured by weakening demand and a sup-ply glut prompted by the US shale boom andOPEC’s refusal to cut output. Global benchmarkBrent crude has fallen 49.5 percent in 2014 asdemand growth slowed, the United States expand-ed output and OPEC, dropping its strategy of trim-ming supply to keep oil around $100 a barrel, choseinstead to defend market share.

Yesterday, prices came under further pressurefrom a survey showing China’s factory sector shrankfor the first time in seven months in December - abearish indication on the strength of oil demand inthe world’s second-largest consumer. “Here we areon the very last session of the year and Brent is mak-ing new lows, again,” said Tony Machacek, an oil bro-ker at Jefferies Bache in London. “There’s no reasonto see why the downtrend should not continue.”

Brent was down $1.91 at $55.99 by 1212 GMT,after dropping as low as $55.93, its lowest since May2009. US crude was down $1.11 at $53.01. Theannual decline for Brent is set to be the biggestsince 2008, when demand crumbled in response tothe financial crisis. Prices were, eventually, propped

up by OPEC’s last formal decision to cut production.In contrast, OPEC at a Nov 27 meeting this yeardecided against a cutback to defend its marketshare against shale oil and other competing supplysources, despite its own forecasts of a growing sur-plus in 2015.

Turmoil in Libya has effectively led to a drop inOPEC supply in December to a six-month low, aReuters survey showed on Tuesday, although fore-casts still point to a large excess supply next year.Later on Wednesday, traders will focus on the latestUS government report on oil inventories to see if itconfirms the unexpected increase in stockpilesreported on Tuesday by industry group theAmerican Petroleum Institute. US crude inventoriesrose by 760,000 barrels last week, the API said, com-pared with analysts’ expectations for a decrease ofaround 100,000 barrels. The Obama administrationon Tuesday bowed to months of growing pressureover a 40-year-old ban on exports of most domesticcrude, taking two steps expected to increase theflow of ultra-light oil, or condensate, onto the globalmarket. “We expect a gradual, but slow increase ofstabilized condensate exports over the next year,”analysts at JBC Energy said in a report. — Reuters

Oil falls below $56

LONDON: Gold edged down on higher sharesyesterday, but was poised to end 2014 steadyaround $1,200 an ounce as the impact of astrong dollar was offset by demand frominvestors worried about tensions in Russia andpolitical uncertainty in Greece. Bullion was ontrack for a 0.5 percent fall this year after a turbu-lent 2013, when prices fell by a third after 12years of gains. Spot gold was down 0.3 percentat $1,196.90 an ounce by 1257 GMT. On Tuesday,it climbed to a near two-week high of $1,209.90as concerns over tension between Russia and theWest weakened the dollar and stock markets.

Prices have been relatively less volatile in2014 compared with last year’s 28 percent slideand $500 trading range. Despite falling to a 4-1/2-year-low in November, gold has traded in a$260 range for the year. Gold’s main driver in2014 has been a buoyant dollar, which waspoised to post its biggest yearly gain since 2005,and anticipated US interest rate hikes maystrengthen its appeal in the coming year. Higherrates weigh on non-interest-bearing bullion.

Yesterday, the dollar was unchanged, whileEuropean stocks rose, keeping most regionalindexes on track to end a tumultuous year withmodest gains after a late rebound. “Consideringthe strong dollar performance in 2014, gold’sdownside this year has been a little bit protectedby international political events that haveattracted some safe-haven buying, especially inthe first half,” ABN Amro commodity strategistGeorgette Boele said. “But a new drop in goldprices driven by a stronger dollar and higher U.S.interest rate expectations is likely in 2015, whenwe see prices average $1,000 an ounce.”

Investors continued to run down gold hold-ings in 2014, with the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR GoldTrust, falling by 140 tonnes to six-year lows of710.81 tonnes. Redemptions, however, weremuch smaller than in 2013, when the fund saw arecord outflow of 460 tonnes, or 39 percent, toaround 850 tonnes. Physical demand for goldwas boosted by the holiday season and upcom-ing Lunar New Year celebrations in China, whengold is bought for good fortune and to be givenas gifts, traders said.

Silver fell 1.7 percent to $15.99 an ounce andwas on track for a 17-percent annual decline andplatinum, down 0.7 percent at $1,205.10 anounce, was also headed for a yearly fall. With a 13

percent jump, palladium was the best performeramong precious metals this year, mostly on sup-ply concerns from top producer Russia. Priceswere unchanged at $800.50 an ounce. — Reuters

Dollar racks

up strong year

LONDON: The dollar was set to end 2014 witha gain of more than 12 percent against a bas-ket of major currencies yesterday, its strongestyear in almost a decade and, according to mostmajor banks, just a prelude to a further risenext year. Yearend adjustments to market posi-tions helped the yen and the euro in thin tradeover the Christmas holidays, but the euro isexpected to fall below $1.20 in the first quarter.The dollar index, which measures its valueagainst a basket of six major currencies, laststood unchanged at 89.920. This year, though,the dollar should see its largest gain since itclimbed nearly 13 percent in 2005, and onlythe third year in 30 when it has gained morethan 10 percent.

The contrast between the US FederalReserve’s path towards raising interest ratesnext year and looser monetary policies in theeuro zone and Japan was the driving forcebehind the dollar index’s rise to its highest inmore than 8 1/2 years on Tuesday. “The USeconomy has outperformed on a relative basisall the other major economies and that’sprompted the market to increase expectationsthat the Fed will raise rates some times in themiddle of next year,” said Lee Hardman, a cur-rency economist at Bank of Tokyo-MitsubishiUFJ in London. “The monetary policy diver-gence between the Fed and the other majorcentral banks will likely widen, so that makesthe stronger dollar case even more compellingnext year.” However, the dollar has come a longway in a hurry. It is not clear whether furthergains in the first half of next year might put theFed off raising rates. Also, turbulence may growin developing markets, especially China.Political turmoil could again threaten Greece’spresence in the euro, adding to concern overgrowth and the balance of the global financialsystem. —Reuters

Gold ends 2014 flat

B U S I N E S S

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

NEW YORK: Revelers ringing in of the new year needto watch out for the next day ’s hangover. Andinvestors may experience a similar feeling early in2015 after a two-year run that has propelled USstocks up by nearly 50 percent. Headed into the lasttrading day of 2014, the S&P 500 has gained nearly13 percent on the year, shaking off concerns aboutvaluations thanks to improved economic growth anda very accommodative US Federal Reserve. Add individends and the advance is 15 percent.

However, the S&P 500’s forward price-to-earningsmultiple - based on 2015 earnings expectations - is atabout 17 now, exceeding the 15-year average ofabout 15. It means that a pick-up in profits growthmay be essential if the market is to continue to addto its historic gains. And yet Wall Street analysts’ esti-mates for S&P 500 earnings growth for coming quar-ters are languishing in the mid-single digits.

With the Fed ready to begin raising interest ratesfor the first time in a decade, and the strong dollarproviding a headwind for companies with overseasoperations, a lot will depend on whether the recentstrong growth in domestic demand can drive corpo-rate profits higher than those estimates. Whetherconsumers and companies benefit enough from low-er oil prices to more than offset the effects of theslide on the energy sector is also critical.

“Multiples almost always go down when the Fedraises rates - you’re going to have to depend on earn-ings,” said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at

Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, which has$345 billion in assets under management. The S&P500’s forward price-to-earnings ratio sat at about 13times at the beginning of 2013; it is now closer to 17,according to Thomson Reuters data.

Since 1940, such a level is associated with S&Preturns (excluding dividends) of about 5 percent overa 12-month period, according to data from Citigroup.The high valuation concerns are starting to havesome impact on trading. Stocks have been noticeablymore volatile in the last few months; the CBOEVolatility Index, or VIX, has averaged 15.4 over thepast 12 weeks, compared with 12.6 at the end ofAugust.

Share BuybacksIf the Fed tightens, the higher rates will not only

raise financing costs generally but would also be adeterrent to borrowing to do the share buybacks thathave helped to propel earnings per share growth andstock prices gains in the past few years. With suchartificial support crumbling, corporate America willhave to rely much more on demand from domesticcustomers to drive earnings growth. Europe isexpected to grow at just above 1 percent in 2015,according to Reuters data, Russia has been slammedby oil’s decline, and China and other major emergingmarkets are struggling with weak demand as well.

Switching to more of a reliance on sales growthrather than the Fed’s cheap money may not be an

easy transition. Fourth-quarter estimates haveplunged in recent weeks, largely in the energy sectoras crude oil prices have cratered. Annual growth isnow expected to come in at 4.3 percent for the S&P500 in the fourth quarter, down from a forecast of11.1 percent growth on only Oct 1.

Citigroup’s chief equity strategist TobiasLevkovich, in a note on Tuesday, said estimate cuts inthe next few weeks, when companies typically warnif they expect to report disappointing results, couldlead to some reversals and volatility, as “some of thelate 2014 S&P 500 gains appear to have been bor-rowed from 2015’s returns,” he wrote.

In perhaps a sign of things to come in the energysector, Civeo Corp, which builds temporary housingfor oilfield workers, said revenue could fall by one-third due to falling crude prices, and cut its workforceand suspended its dividend. The company’s shareslost almost 53 percent Tuesday. Earnings expecta-tions for S&P 500 companies for the first half of nextyear aren’t that encouraging: First- and second-quar-ter earnings growth estimates currently stand at 5.3percent and 5.9 percent, respectively.

“If you don’t feel that you have the earnings windat your back, and you don’t have the monetary policywind at your back, why pay more than the pricespeople have paid in many cases since 2000 forstocks?” said Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist atJonesTrading in Greenwich, Connecticut. That said,earnings expectations coming into 2014 turned out

to be far too pessimistic: On Dec 31, 2013, the fore-cast was for per-share earnings of $120.89 on the S&P500. With fourth-quarter earnings season approach-ing, actual and expected earnings were $126.50 pershare, according to Reuters data.

So far in the fourth quarter, expectations have fall-en largely due to the energy industry’s woes, but sec-tors that could benefit from lower fuel costs, particu-larly the consumer discretionary sector - whichincludes many retailers - have not seen an attendantpickup in expectations. That sector is currently fore-cast to grow 8 percent for the quarter, down from13.9 percent estimated on Oct 1.

Despite the caution, few are calling for a bear mar-ket given the U.S. economy’s acceleration. An earlyDecember Reuters poll of Wall Street strategists fore-cast the S&P 500 hitting 2200 at the end of 2015.After December’s big gains, that suggests just a smallrally amid a year of short-term advances and retreats.That said, it’s not as if 2014 didn’t have its roughspots, either, and yet the year is ending with a flour-ish.

“In the spring of 2014 the market went nowherefor three months. In the summer through the fall themarket went nowhere, and the market at its bottomin October was unchanged for the year,” said DanGreenhaus, chief strategist at BTIG LLC in New York.“The question is whether the general environment issupportive of higher stock prices, and the answer isstill yes.” — Reuters

After 2014 party, US investors may face hangover

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference at Miraflores presidential palace on Tuesday. — AFP

CARACAS: President Nicolas Maduro vowed onTuesday to reform Venezuela’s Byzantine currencycontrols in early 2015 as part of a six-month plan toshake Venezuela out of recession, but foes accusedhim of incompetence and inaction. After sitting onGDP data all year, the Central Bank announced thatOPEC member Venezuela had entered recession, withthe economy contracting in each of the first threequarters: by 4.8, 4.9 and 2.3 percent, respectively.Confirming Venezuela as the region’s worst-perform-ing major economy this year, the bank also said 12-month inflation reached 63.6 percent in November,the highest rate in the Americas.

Maduro, 52, who won election last year to replacehis socialist mentor Hugo Chavez, blamed politicalopponents for damaging the oil-dependent econo-my with months of street protests earlier this year.Maduro vowed to head up a six-month plan to turnaround the economy in 2015 by reducing inflation-inducing liquidity, boosting international reserves,cutting unnecessary costs, and reforming the three-tier foreign exchange system.

“We are going to perfect the currency system,” hetold a news conference, without giving much furtherdetail on that or the other measures. “2015 will be ayear of economic recovery ... great economic transfor-mation.” Opponents quickly slammed Maduro’s com-ments as devoid of detail and real solutions for the ail-ing economy. “Yet again, no announcements. Hedoesn’t know what to do,” opposition leader HenriqueCapriles fumed. “Today makes clear to all Venezuelansthat with Nicolas we will not escape the chaos.”Venezuela, whose last recession was from 2009-2010,has been handicapped by the plunge in oil prices.Venezuelan crude, which provides 96 percent of hardcurrency revenues, has halved from mid-year to $46per barrel.

‘Economic War’Venezuela’s central bank had not published infla-

tion data since August. The figures released onTuesday put September inflation at 4.8 percent,October 5.0 percent and November 4.7 percent, com-pared with the same months of 2013. The bank saidopposition demonstrations during the year had dis-rupted both distribution and production, causing aninflationary spike and the GDP decline. The demon-strations sparked Venezuela’s worst political violencein a decade. Forty-three people, including protesters,security officials and Maduro backers, died.

Chavez-era welfare policies have long been popu-lar among Venezuela’s poor, and the bank said socialindicators were all improving despite the poor GDPdata. It said extreme poverty was down to 5.4 percentof households in 2014, half the level before Chavezcame to power, while unemployment fell to 5.9 per-cent. “Despite the protests and economic war during2014, Venezuela’s economic indicators haveimproved,” Maduro said. “This economic war, this fallin the oil prices, is a great opportunity for economicchange. 2015 is the year of opportunity, for greatchange in the economic model.”

Many analysts have been recommending a unifi-cation of Venezuela’s currency controls and a rise ingasoline prices that are the cheapest in the world. ButMaduro has balked at such measures so far, perhapswary of a social backlash prior to a crucial vote for anew parliament next year. Russ Dallen, head bond

trader at investment bank Caracas Capital Markets,said he counted Maduro using the phrase “economicwar” 63 times during Tuesday’s news conference. “Thespeech was long on excuses and short on adjust-ments,” he said. “If Maduro had a million dollars foreach of his excuses, Venezuela’s economic problemswould be solved.”

The central bank said Venezuela’s balance of pay-

ments posted a surplus of $6.8 billion by the end ofthe third quarter, with a current account surplus of$899 million, and the capital account showing adeficit of $568 million. Venezuelan exports, of whichoil accounts for more than 90 percent, fell 14.2 per-cent to $19 billion in the third quarter, while importswere down slightly, by 1.4 percent, to $12.2 billion inthe same period. — Reuters

DANVILLE, Kentucky: Tripp Foy’s sing-songchant rang out like a sentimental oldie fordie-hard farmers clinging to the old way ofselling tobacco, as a small procession of buy-ers shadowed him down long rows of red-dish-brown leaf piled in bales. Farmers whohave spent their lives tending the aromaticcrop in their fields find comfort in Foy’s rat-a-tat style, part of an auction system that’s beenall but snuffed out by another way of sellingtobacco after years of declining smokingrates. “It’s kind of in our blood,” said tobaccofarmer Walter Browning. “But I’m about bledout.”

This tobacco-belt tradition, once as mucha part of Kentucky’s fabric as bourbon orhorse racing, is fading away - and it’s takingthe maestros like Foy with it. “The chant of anauctioneer can sound as good as a song,” saidFoy, 63, who has spent four decades auction-ing tobacco in Kentucky - the nation’s topburley producer. “You can walk down a rowand you can almost dance to the tune of thesale.”

Years ago, multiple auctioneers plied theirtrade in each of the state’s biggest burleymarkets as sales seasons typically stretchedfrom late autumn until March. The competi-tion for top auctioneers was fierce as ware-house operators looked for any edge to pullin more business from farmers. Now, mostburley is sold under contracts between farm-ers and tobacco companies. Contractingsprung up a decade ago after the demise of afederal program of price supports and pro-duction quotas that guaranteed minimumprices for most of the 20th century.

The new system cut out warehouse oper-ators as middle men. Tobacco companies typ-ically don’t disclose how much contract leafthey purchase or for how much to avoid tip-ping their hand to competitors. Excess worldburley tobacco supplies and lower demandare driving down prices, said University ofKentucky agricultural economist Will Snell.Last year’s crop averaged $2.06 per pound.Quality leaf sold under contract is still fetch-ing prices in the $1.90s to $2 a pound thisseason, he said. But selling non-contract bur-ley, especially lower-quality leaf, is “going tobe a struggle,” he said.

Droves of farmers got out of tobacco as USsmoking rates declined. The number of UStobacco farms dropped from 124,270 in 1992to 16,234 during the last federal crop censusin 2007. Burley, once a $1 billion crop inKentucky, now generates about $300 millionfor the state’s remaining growers.

Despite the setbacks, a handful of auc-tion markets have stubbornly hung on.Supporters say they provide a necessaryalternative for tobacco farmers unable orunwilling to sign contracts or unhappy withprices offered by the companies at contractreceiving stations. About 400,000 pounds oftobacco were available last month on theopening sales day at the Danville ware-house, where Foy presided as auctioneer.Jerry Rankin, the warehouse operator, planstwice-weekly auctions for larger supplies of

non-contract leaf. Rankin bought up some ofthe burley when bidding by leaf dealers wastoo low. Rankin bought it on speculation,hoping to sell it to tobacco companies ordealers. He expects all the leaf to wind up incigarettes.

Demand, Prices Depressed Total output in burley-production states is

forecast at 211 million pounds this year, withKentucky accounting for an expected 161million pounds. Some Kentucky farmersfound out in the spring they had beendropped from production contracts, afterbuying tobacco plants and preparing ground,Rankin said. They went ahead with the crop,putting millions more pounds of leaf in theauction system at a time when demand andprices are depressed.

“These growers grew it in good faith anddid a good job doing it, and they’re spinningtheir wheels,” Rankin said. “Some of them aregoing to go under.” Other than Foy’s familiarchant, little else resembled opening daysfrom the era when every bit of leaf wentthrough the auction system. Grim-facedgrowers watched their burley sell for paltryamounts - generally $1.25 or $1.30 a pound.“It’s a sad day,” said farmer Leland Turner. “Inever thought I’d see the time when tobaccowould be so cheap.”

Prices improved slightly in follow-up salesat the Danville warehouse, to an average of$1.35 to $1.44 per pound, Rankin said. Butthat’s not nearly enough to cover expensesfor the crop, unless farmers and their familiesdid all the work themselves. Years ago, theauctions signaled the promise of money fil-tering through small towns and big citiesalike. For farmers, it was the anticipation of abig pay day. If early prices were good enough,the payoff came right before Christmas.Bankers and merchants kept tabs on howhigh the bidding went.

There was no festive mood as this year’ssales opened at the Danville warehouse. Anag credit lending agency supplied doughnutsfor the few dozen people on hand. Rankingave a short speech, thanking the farmers fortheir business. For some of the growers look-ing on, the end of the line was coming intofocus. Browning said he already decided thisyear’s crop would be his last. He has a factoryjob and used his tobacco income to pay prop-erty taxes, but he wasn’t sure he would getenough to cover the bill this year. “You spenda lot of time on it for what little I get,” he said.“Instead of going on vacations with my wife,I’m hauling tobacco.”

Foy’s own schedule has slowed consider-ably. Years ago, he presided over tobaccosales for nine months out of the year acrossthe eastern US. Now, he auctions tobaccoonly at a handful of warehouses in Kentucky.He estimates only a couple of auctioneersbesides him remain. “I don’t know that I’m thelast of the breed,” he said. “But unless theindustry changes, the ones that are tobaccoauctioneers now, when we’re all dead andgone, there won’t be any more.” — AP

Recession-hit Venezuela

vows New Year reforms

Foes scoff at Maduro • Inflation tops 63%

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: The Obama adminis-tration has opened a new front in the global battlefor oil market share, effectively clearing the way forthe shipment of as much as a million barrels perday of ultra-light US crude to the rest of the world.The Department of Commerce on Tuesday ended ayear-long silence on a contentious, four-decadeban on oil exports, saying it had begun approving abacklog of requests to sell processed light oilabroad. It also issued a long-awaited documentoutlining exactly what kinds of oil other would-beexporters can ship.

The administration’s first serious effort to clarifyan issue that has caused confusion and consterna-tion in energy markets for more than a year will like-ly please domestic oil drillers, foreign trade partnersand some Republicans who have urged Obama toloosen the export ban, which they see as an outdat-ed holdover from the 1970s Arab oil embargo. Thelatest measures were wrapped in regulatory jargonand couched by some as a basic clarification ofexisting rules, but analysts said the message wasunambiguous: a green light for any company will-ing and able to process their light condensatecrude through a distillation tower, a simple piece ofoilfield kit.

“In practice this long-awaited move can openup the floodgates to substantial increases inexports by end 2015,” Ed Morse, global head ofcommodities research at Citigroup in New York saidin a research note. The action comes at a criticaljuncture for the global oil market. World prices havehalved to less than $60 a barrel since the summeras top exporter Saudi Arabia, once a staunchdefender of $100 oil, refused to cut production inthe face of surging US shale output and temperedglobal demand.

By opening the door to US crude exports, theadministration is offering a bit of relief to somedomestic drillers that have said that they are forcedto sell their shale oil at a discount of as much as $15a barrel versus global markets as fast-rising domes-tic supplies overwhelm local demand. But theimpending swell of U.S. petroleum into global mar-kets may intensify what many analysts say is a piv-otal oil market war, with Saudi Arabia and theOrganization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) unwilling to yield ground. Now they willface even greater competition beyond US shores.

If they can boost selling prices by even a dollaror two, oil producers in places such as the EagleFord of Texas will be better able to withstand the

slump in oil markets. Morse said US condensateexports could rise from 200,000 bpd to as much as1 million bpd by the end of next year. “This has aninteresting impact on the current confrontationbetween Saudi Arabia and shale,” he said. Amongthose most at risk from the US shale exports isNigeria, which pumps similarly light, sweet oil. TheOPEC member has already lost the US market toshale, with its exports falling from more than 1 mil-lion barrels per day to next to nothing; now it willface US competition in Europe and Asia, too.

Just the FAQSThe Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which

regulates US export controls, has come under enor-mous scrutiny over the past year because of grow-ing pressure to clarify confusing regulations onexporting crude. While untreated crude oil is gener-ally banned from being exported, refined fuels suchas gasoline and diesel can be freely sold abroad.The question that has bedeviled US producers ishow the rules apply to “processed condensate,”ultra-light oil that has been heated through a verybasic refining unit.

On Tuesday, the BIS said it had given permis-sion to “some” companies to ship treated light oilbut did not give details about what it hadapproved. Two energy companies, driller PioneerNatural Resources and mid-stream firm EnterpriseProducts Partners , have been regularly exportingprocessed condensate since the summer afterreceiving a private permit from the BIS. But sever-al dozen other companies that also raced to filesimilar requests were left waiting, with no timelinefor action.

The agency also released its first ever writtenguidance on the rules themselves in the form of fre-quently asked questions (FAQs), clarifying a series ofdetailed questions that had clouded efforts tomove forward with substantial exports. The docu-ment gives “considerable discretion” that couldallow for rising export volumes in the future, meas-ures that could narrow the price gap between U.S.benchmark WTI crude and global marker Brent,said Kevin Book, managing director at ClearViewEnergy Partners LLC. On Tuesday, the Brent/WTIspread narrowed by more than 50 cents to around$3.70 a barrel. In its guidelines, the BIS said thatmost goods can be shipped abroad “without alicense” - a reminder that some analysts read asencouraging shippers to “self-classify” their conden-sate, as Reuters reported earlier.—AFP

US opening of oil export tap

widens global market battle

US tobacco auctions

all but snuffed out

DANVILLE, Kentucky: In this Nov 18, 2014, photo, auctioneer Tripp Foy (right) handsa tobacco purchase ticket to a buyer at an auction. — AP

B U S I N E S S

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

FRANKFURT: The rise of populist parties acrossEurope should act as a wake-up call for governmentsto finally get their economies in order, a top EuropeanCentral Bank official said yesterday. “The rise of pop-ulism should be a wake-up call,” the ECB’s chief econo-mist Peter Praet told the financial daily Boersen-Zeitung in a wide-ranging interview. “The govern-ments have to give priority to difficult political deci-sions and follow through with the much-neededreforms.”

Praet’s comments came as Greece is preparing forsnap elections with a far-left anti-austerity party Syrizaleading opinion polls. Syriza pledges to reverseAthens’ reform commitments and even eventuallytake Greece out of the eurozone. “Populist parties insome countries promise quick solutions - but theyoffer only recipes for disaster,” Praet warned. “Nobody

should be under the illusion that you only need toreturn to the old system and everything will be better,”he argued.

Countries had signed up to the single currencybecause the old system of constant devaluation wasnot working. “What is needed now is to make themuch needed structural adjustments. A devaluationpolicy doesn’t solve structural problems,” Praet said.There were institutional flaws in Europe which had tobe resolved, the economist argued. “We have a mone-tary union with a very strong central bank - but theother institutions have been too weak,” he said.

Ready to Act During the long years of crisis, the ECB has been

seen as the only European institution capable ofaction and has repeatedly had to charge to the euro-

zone’s rescue. “In the past we have had the unfortu-nate situation in which the ECB was seen as ‘the onlygame in town’. But I think this is changing,” Praet said.“In France, the government for the first time is takingreal political risks to improve the labour market. InItaly there is also significant progress at least in policyintentions,” he said. “The authorities have recognisedthat muddle-through will not make it. But what isimportant now is implementation. Now is themoment of truth: there is a need for concrete results.Monetary policy alone will not solve our structuralproblems,” Praet insisted.

After a raft of different measures last year to stimu-late the eurozone’s moribund economy, the ECB iswidely expected to take more action again early in2015, this time in the form of “quantitative easing” orQE - the large-scale purchase of sovereign bonds.

Praet confirmed that such measures were being con-sidered. “We have always emphasised that there aretwo contingencies for further action: first, our meas-ures taken so far have not been enough to have theintended effect... and second, the inflation outlookitself has deteriorated since we decided on the meas-ures we took in the past. Now we have a little bit ofboth,” he said.

There are many critics of QE - not least the mightyGerman central bank or Bundesbank - who see it as alicence to print money to get governments out ofdebt, which the ECB is strictly forbidden from doingunder its statutes. Nevertheless, most observersbelieve the question is not “if” but “when” such a pro-gram will be announced, possibly as early as the ECB’sfirst policy meeting of the year on Jan 22 or the subse-quent meeting on March 5. — AFP

ECB warns against rise of populism in Europe

VILNIUS, Lithuania: When Antanas Zubaviciusturns the light on in his run-down house, it’s theonly light for miles. He is the last man inDumbliuneliai, a once busy farmers’ village inLithuania that has gradually been abandoned as itsresidents emigrated in search of better jobs. “I’m notgoing anywhere. This is my land,” the 60-year-oldsays, waving at the abandoned, shuttered housesaround him. “When I am gone this village is gonetoo”.

As Lithuania prepares to adopt the euro on Jan1, it is hoping that membership in the EuropeanUnion’s official currency will bring a rise in invest-ment and trade. But the Baltic country’s increasingintegration with richer European countries is alsohaving a pernicious side-effect: a wave of emigra-tion that is emptying towns and causing workershortages. Emigration has been on the rise since2004, when this country of 3 million people joinedthe EU, whose membership guarantees freedom ofmovement.

During the 2008-2011 financial crisis, more than80,000 people - almost 3 percent of the population- left every year, mainly to Germany, Britain and oth-er richer economies to earn salaries many timeshigher. Experts forecast that trend to continue, oreven increase. In the field of construction, businessowners complain it is impossible to keep hold ofworkers, even with massive annual wage increasesof 10 to 20 percent. The problem is not confined torural villages. Most shopping malls, restaurants andbusinesses in once busy urban areas are increasing-ly short of labor.

“There’s simply no more skilled people left here,”says Arvydas Avulis, CEO of Hanner, a leading realestate investor and developer that specializes inhigh-rise construction. A quick look at wage figuresshows why. A manual worker in Lithuania canexpect to earn Ä1.80 ($2.20) an hour compared withÄ4.30 ($5.24) in Spain and Ä8.60 ($10.50) in Ireland,according to the EU statistics agency.

In the more skilled sectors like computing, medi-cine or the services industry, where Lithuania’s edu-cational system produces highly qualified gradu-ates, wage differences are even greater. Euro mem-bership is expected to help Lithuania’s economy,even though the currency bloc is struggling togrow. Having the same currency as 18 other richereconomies will facilitate commerce and reduceinvestment risks for foreigners. The central bankestimates the government’s borrowing rate woulddrop by almost 1 percentage point, which would fil-ter down to the private sector.

Bloc’s Poorest Member The problem is that Lithuania is the bloc’s poor-

est member and even though its economy is grow-ing at a stronger pace than most EU countries, it hasa long way to develop before it can hope to offerwages on a par with other EU states. Unsurprisingly,

most Lithuanians are in favor of joining the euro, asit will cement the country’s ties with the West andkeep those richer labor markets open to them. In aNov 26 survey by Berent Research Baltic, 53 percentof respondents said they back euro membership,up from 47 percent in September. Some 39 wereopposed, down from 49 percent. A total of 1,002people were interviewed for the poll, which had amargin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Skeptics worry about the euro’s recent problemswith government debt and economic stagnation.Pranciskus Sliuzas, a journalist and anti-euroactivist, describes joining the euro as “one of themost stupid things of all time.” He laments the factthat Lithuania is giving up some national powers,such as the ability to determine its interest rates orbudget deficit. For others, such economic argu-ments are of secondary concern to issues likenational security - in particular the fear of anincreasingly aggressive Russia. Along with neigh-bors Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania was occupied by

the Soviet Union for almost five decades.“I think it would be a good thing to get closer to

the rest of Europe as the only other option is tobecome friends with (Russian President Vladimir)Putin,” said Janina Gailiene, a retired primary schoolteacher in Vilnius. For all the potential economicand security benefits, that means business leaderslike Avulis will continue to struggle with a shortageof workers as Lithuania’s economy integrates fur-ther with the West.

One solution businesses are lobbying for is tofacilitate immigration from countries that haveeven lower wages - Ukraine, Belarus and evenChina. There has been little progress by the govern-ment on that front, however. Sarmite Mikulioniene,sociology professor at Mykolas Romeris University,warns that in time, worker shortages will hurt theeconomy, threatening the gains made in the firstplace by joining the EU and euro. “There will simplybe no one left to do simple jobs here in 10 or 15years,” she said. — AP

TBILISI: Russia’s economic turmoil has sentshock waves across former Soviet republics asthe ruble’s collapse pushes the crisis into theregion with strong ties to Moscow, analystssaid. Under the pressure of falling oil prices andWestern sanctions over the Ukraine conflict,the ruble this year plunged by 40 percentagainst the dollar and the euro, pulling the cur-rencies of many ex-Soviet countries to the bot-tom. “Russia is dragging ex-Soviet countriesinto an economic crisis,” said Igor Nikolayev, thedirector of the FBK Strategic Analysis Institute.“Their trade with Russia and remittances bymigrants working in Russia shrink as the rubleweakens.”

Besides the economic fallout, the impact ofthe Russian crisis on its ex-Soviet neighbours islikely to have a geopolitical dimension as well.On Jan 1, the Russia-led Eurasian CustomsUnion which also includes Belarus, Kazakhstanand Armenia is to morph into the EurasianEconomic Union (EEU). But the fate of the proj-ect - championed by President Vladimir Putinto reassert Moscow’s influence over its Soviet-era vassals - now looks uncertain, saidNikolayev. Belarusssian President AlexanderLukashenko has already demanded that tradebetween the EEU countries be carried out indollars instead of national currencies. “TheEurasian Union is exposed to a very big risk”because of the Russia crisis, said Kazakh leaderNursultan Nazarbayev.

‘A Very Sad Picture’ Moscow’s closest allies in the post-Soviet

era, the Customs Union member countrieswere the first to feel the aftershocks of Russia’sshaken economy, which shrank in Novemberfor the first time since October 2009.Lukashenko has admitted Belarus - witharound 40 percent of its exports bound forRussia - has been hit hard by Moscow’s trou-bles. In December, Belarussians rushed to con-vert their savings to dollars and euros, fearingdevaluation of their currency, which has so farfallen more than 13 percent against the green-back. The panic forced the country’s centralbank to introduce a 30-percent tax on all for-eign currency purchases and raise interest ratesto encourage citizens to keep their money inthe bank. Energy-rich Kazakhstan faces anuphill battle to protect the national industry asexports to the Customs Union countries fell thisyear by more than 12 percent and the domesticmarket was flooded with cheap Russian goodsas the ruble collapsed.

Russia’s economic crisis “poses the risk ofdeclining demand for our exports and subse-quently of an economic slowdown,”Kazakhstan’s Finance Minister Bakhyt Sultanovsaid last week. The Central Asian nation hadalready devalued its currency, the tenge, by 19percent in February and allocated $15 billionfor infrastructure projects over three years fromits sovereign wealth fund. In Armenia, “theRussian economic crisis translates into shrink-ing exports to Russia and falling dollar remit-tances by migrant workers”, economy analystAshot Aramyan told AFP.

According to the impoverished country’s

central bank, dollar remittances from Russia fellin October by around 19 percent year-on-yearand its dram currency has lost more than 11percent against the dollar this year. Armenia’s2014 economic growth projection has reviseddown to 3.3 percent from 4.1 percent. “Oureconomy is tied to Russia. There are 1,200Russian-owned enterprises in Armenia thatcontrol strategic sectors - energy, railroad, com-munications,” Aramyan said. “Developments inRussia’s economy shape the economic situationin Armenia.”

Manvel Gasparyan, who owns a shoe facto-ry that used to export up to 90 percent of itsproduction to Russia, said he was forced to cutby five the volume of his Russia exports. “InRussia, the prices of our goods are rising as aresult of the ruble’s devaluation, while people’sincomes are shrinking. The demand fell dra-matically. A very sad picture.”

Severe BlowKyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - the ex-Soviet

states in Central Asia with large numbers ofmigrant workers in Russia - have also been buf-feted. Since January, the Kyrgyz som has lostmore than 17 percent to the dollar, andTajikistan’s somon nearly 14 percent, accordingto official data. “As a result of Russia’s crisis,Kyrgyzstan has lost up to 70 percent of dollarremittances by migrant workers,” independentanalyst Aleksey Krasin told AFP.

“The (Russian) crisis could deal a severeblow to our economy,” Kyrgyzstan’s centralbank governor, Toktogul Abdygulov, told jour-nalists this month. He added that the bank,with its scarce foreign currency reserves, “can’tkeep the som afloat for long”. After the ruble’scollapse, “the Tajik migrant workers can’t affordto send money to their families in Tajikistan.We will be forced to return to our country,”Karomat Sharipov, the leader of the TajikMigrant Workers Movement in Moscow, toldthe openrussia.org website last week.

However, with their huge oil and naturalgas resources, the economies of Azerbaijanand Turkmenistan have so far withstood thepressures of a weak ruble and continue toexpand. Poorer Moldova and Georgia - thepro-Western ex-Soviet republics which haveworked hard to reduce their dependence onMoscow and signed this year free-trade agree-ments with the European Union - have suf-fered some side effects from Russia’s economicdistress.

In both countries shrinking dollar remit-tances from Russia were “just an additional fac-tor behind the economic setback in 2014.Internal factors played a primary role,” RomanGotsiridze, the president of Tbilisi-basedEconomic Development Centre, told AFP. TheGeorgian lari has weakened by nearly nine per-cent this year against the dollar, “mainly due tothe widening current account deficit and limit-ed foreign direct investments,” Gotsiridze said.In Moldova, the central bank has deliberatelydevalued the national currency, the leu, by 20percent “to stimulate exports to the EuropeanUnion,” Moldovan economic analyst RomanChirca said. — AFP

As Lithuania joins euro,

concern over emigration

Busy farmer’s village a ghost town now

VILNIUS: Bank staff fill a cash machine with euros on Tuesday as preparations continue for the currency swap-over. — AP

Ex-Soviet republics hit by

Russian economic crisis

MOSCOW: A file picture taken on Dec 16, 2014 shows a woman speaking on her mobilephone in front of a screen displaying Sberbank’s - the largest state-owned bank in Russia -share quotations. Russia’s economic woes have sent shockwaves across the former Sovietspace, analysts said, as the ruble’s collapse turns into a full-blown economic crisis. — AFP

KILOLIRWE, DR Congo: Better known for warand bloodshed, the lush hills of easternDemocratic Republic of Congo are also home toa surprising, successful craft that has surviveddecades of violence: cheesemaking. Though notpart of the traditional diet, the cheese - a mild-tasting hard variety with a yellowish-brown rind- has managed to win favour across the nation.

But the way up has not been easy. “The his-tory of cheesemaking goes hand in hand withthe land disputes” and conflicts that have shak-en the Masisi territory for more than eightdecades, said Fidel Bafilemba, a researcher withEnough Project, a non-governmental organisa-tion working in the region. Variously confiscat-ed, pillaged, destroyed then reclaimed andpressed back into production, the rudimentaryfarms today provide a living for many locals - ina country where more than 70 percent livebelow the poverty line.

At first glance, Masisi, in the south of volatileNorth Kivu province, looks like a land of plentywhose verdant landscape hints little at its trou-bled past. In the 1930s, the “Banyarwanda”, eth-nic Hutus and Tutsis from tiny, populous neigh-bouring Rwanda, starting challenging thenative Hunde community in their search forspace. By the 1970s, the Tutsis, who controltoday’s cheesemaking, were winning, at theexpense of native Hundes. Further ethnic andpolitical conflicts exploded in 1993 into mas-sacres that claimed thousands of lives.

The village of Kilolirwe, at 2,000 m in altitudeand 50 km - or two and a half hours by car -from the North Kivu capital of Goma, is still pic-ture-postcard with small wooden farms dottingmountain paths. Cows - both African Ndamaand Zebi varieties and European Friesians andBrown Swiss cows - graze languidly on steeppastures bordered by eucalyptus trees andneatly cultivated fields.

European OddityTypical is Ernest Kakwiki. After his morning

milking - by hand - he and some 15 other farm-ers cart the liquid from their cows to the dairy of

Innocent Ntwalabakiga, where it is poured intoa huge old tub. All sport the cowboy-like hattypical of Tutsis. Ntwalabakiga already has awood fire heating up water, which, with whey,will be added to convert the milk into cheese.His production chief, James Hakizi, has no mod-ern equipment and total confidence about hissavoir-faire. I only have to plunge my arm intothe mixture “to know if the temperature isready” and conditions right to form curds, sepa-rate them from the whey and set the milk intomoulds, he said.

Final ripening takes about three weeksbefore the pressed, one-kilogram rounds areready for market. Producers sell the Kivu orMasisi, as it is called, for about $3 a cheese.Goma shops charge a little more, at $4-5, whileacross the country in the capital Kinshasa itcosts three or four times that amount - a luxuryprice for most Congolese. Farmer Kakwiki gotinvolved in 1971, tending the region’s abundantcows as a 13-year-old. At the time, he said, “milkwas only for drinking, at home with the family.”

Cheese was a “foreign” oddity, brought in byEuropeans and produced at three Italian-ownedlocal farms. But all three left when late dictatorMobutu Sese Seko seized power in 1965 andconfiscated foreign enterprises, said Kakwiki.Kilolirwe locals started producing cheese them-selves between 1975 and 1980, he recalled,with help from a Catholic Belgian missionary,Father Roger Carbonez, who had founded anagricultural school named Lushebere shortlyafter independence in 1960. Kakwiki took to thecraft, prospered and came to own 35 cows.

But worse was to come: between 1996 and2003, the east was the scene of two major warsthat ravaged Kivu and saw the Tutsis flee toRwanda. Despite the presence of 20,000 UNpeacekeepers, a host of armed local and foreigngroups are still active in the region. Like manyfarms, Lushebere was looted and its 2,000 cowskilled. Father Benjamin Barumi, the treasurer atthe Goma diocese, said Father Carbonez, backin Belgium for his final years, died of shockwhen he heard the news.—AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s government will scrap itsgasoline subsidy from Jan 1 to free up morefunds to boost the slowing economy, a seniorminister said yesterday. The prices of gasolineand diesel in Southeast Asia’s biggest economywill float following the market price and will bereviewed monthly, Chief Economic MinisterSofyan Djalil said. Djalil said he hoped the movewould help accustom Indonesians to price fluc-tuations after decades of being insulated byhefty fuel subsidies.

In January, the price of gasoline will fall inline with declining global oil prices to 7,600rupiah (61 cents) a litre, from 8,500 rupiah.Diesel will also be lowered to 7,250 rupiah, from7,500 rupiah a litre. The government also fixedits diesel subsidy at 1,000 rupiah a litre for 2015.“Diesel fuel is still subsidised because it is usedfor economic activities and the governmentdeems it necessary to subsidise it,” Djalil toldreporters.

Previous subsidy cuts have sparked violent

protests and stone-throwing youths clashedwith police in Makassar, a protest hotspot onSulawesi island, when the new governmenthiked fuel prices by more than 30 percent inNovember. Scrapping fuel subsidies is seen asan urgently needed move to boost an econo-my that is expanding at its slowest pace in fiveyears, with growth slipping to 5.01 percent on-year in the third quarter. In the past the pay-outs had gobbled up 20 percent of the statebudget. — AFP

Indonesia scraps gasoline subsidy

Quiet craft of cheesemaking

in war-torn east DR Congo

t e c h n o l o g yTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

NAIROBI: Kenya’s technology rush gavehope that new ideas would help millions ofAfricans use their mobile phones to circum-vent poor infrastructure but local start-upsare failing to draw major investors or createprofits.

Lack of talent, problems in attaining seedcapital and ideas that cannot be sold to amass market or easily monetized have so farheld back hundreds of Kenyan start ups.

Many were drawn to the tech sector bythe Kenyan government’s push for a “digitalfuture”, plentiful Western donor funding andforeign media coverage about “Africa’sSilicon Savannah”.

“From co-founders of Facebook to thebiggest tech funds you can find in SiliconValley, they’ve all been here to look and theyhave all gone home shaking their heads,”said Nikolai Barnwell, a Nairobi-based direc-tor of 88mph, a tech seed fund.

His fund, which has seeded almost 20companies in east Africa’s biggest economy,is taking a break from investing in Kenyanstart-ups to focus on Nigeria where hebelieves the tech ecosystem is more profit-focused and there is less “fluff”.

At least 70 percent of start-ups in Kenyaare “not earning enough to maintain busi-ness and living expenses for a small team,”according to a recent “DigitalEntrepreneurship” survey by GSMA, a globalassociation of mobile operators. It’s surveycontacted more than 230 start-ups acrossKenya.

Major exceptions include WananchiGroup, one of east Africa’s biggest cable andinternet-based phone companies, which isvalued at over $100 million. Another is CraftSilicon, a software firm believed to be worthtens of millions.

Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telecoms firm,is a model of how technology can be used tofinancially include millions of people withmobile telephones but without access to tra-ditional infrastructure such as the banks thatare available to the wealthy or those living incities.

Safaricom in 2007 pioneered its M-Pesamobile money transfer technology, nowused across Africa, Asia and Europe. Itproved that money can be made from peo-ple who earn a few dollars a day. It generat-ed revenues worth 27 billion shillings ($300

million) in the last financial year.But similar ideas to harness that econom-

ic power have been elusive. Safaricom’schief executive, Bob Collymore, has urgedentrepreneurs to innovate to solve Africa’sinherent problems: access to water, health-care and education. “There’s no shortage ofinnovation, there’s just a shortage of usefulinnovation that meets need,” he said in arecent GE Look Ahead interview.

“NO ROADMAP”With mobile phone use nearing 80 per-

cent, cheap data and soaring smartphoneuptake, Kenya provides one of sub-SaharanAfrica’s most appealing environments fortech entrepreneurs.

Kenyan farmers receive updates on thelatest crop prices via text messages, whilecoffee-sipping urbanites can shop and hailtaxis through smartphone apps. Yet criticssay only a small percentage of Kenya’s 44million people use these services. Forced toplay catch up on development issues, engi-neers hope Africa can jump to the front ofthe technology revolution.

But Barnwell said talent tends to move

into real estate or banking, sectors whichoffer huge rewards with less risk, particularlysince many African investors have littleunderstanding of technology. “Tech is veryrisky and there are so many other low lyingfruit for investment, why take the risk withtech,” said Dorothy Gordon director generalof the Kofi Annan centre of technologyexcellence in Accra, Ghana.

Jeremy Gordon, founder of Nairobi-based Echo Mobile, said recruiting is toughand tech start-ups spend a large amount ofcapital on engineering talent.

“Equity is less attractive to engineers inKenya when weighed against salary, which isnot surprising given the nature of the start-up space, availability of funding, and theKenyan economy,” he said.

Mark Kaigwa, founder of Nairobi-basedtech consultancy Nendo, said Kenyantechies broadly focus on the business-to-consumer market that grabs headlines eventhough most of the profitable start-ups serv-ice the business-to-business segment.

“You have a swarm of developers whoare looking at business-to-consumer appsbut with no roadmap,” said Kaigwa. Shortage

of investment, a perennial African problem,is another impediment. Early seed capitalprovided by the likes of 88mph and a hand-ful of other funds is scarce. And with interestrates on Kenyan loans often topping 20 per-cent, bank debt is expensive.

It is a familiar problem to Echo Mobile’sGordon, who is seeking to raise up to $1 mil-lion for his cloud-based mass messagingplatform that is used in eight countries,including Sierra Leone, where IBM is con-ducting Ebola-related community researchthrough it.

Rather than pitching to Kenya’s businesselite, Echo Mobile is currently holding talkswith U.S. investors. “East Africa hasn’t seenhuge tech acquisitions or other types ofexits, the events that make early stageinvestments truly pay off,” Gordon said.

But there is hope. African economiescontinue to expand rapidly, Safaricom haslaunched super-fast 4G internet and 19million Kenyans are expected to ownsmartphones by end of 2017. “We will getanother chance. People will come backwhen real money is ready to be made,” saidBarnwell. —Reuters

Kenya’s technology push leaves investors cold

NEW YORK: In this Dec. 29, 2014, file photo, new recruits wear bands overtheir badges in honor of deceased officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liuduring a New York Police Academy graduation ceremony at Madison SquareGarden in New York. The NYPD is sending its top brass to an in-house“Twitter school” as part of an effort to soften the NYPD’s image and engagewith the people they serve. —AP

SEOUL: South Korea’s two top tech-nology firms, Samsung Electronicsand LG Electronics , have a historyof bitter rivalry, but their latest spatover a handful of washing machineshas prompted a barrage of publicmockery.

“This is all so petty and juvenile,”a reader on online portal Naver saidof the dispute, which began inSeptember when Samsung accusedLG executives of damaging itswashing machines at stores inGermany ahead of an industryevent. LG agreed to pay for what itcalled accidental damage to fourmachines following mediation byGerman authorities, but couldn’tresist taking a pot shot at its rival’sbuild quality.

Samsung railed against those“slanderous claims” and filed a for-mal complaint at home, triggering araid of LG offices by Seoul prosecu-tors on Friday and a travel ban onLG’s head of household appliances.“This is a mudslinging match,” saidPark Ju-gun, head of corporatewatchdog CEO Score.

“Both Samsung and LG will havea hard time getting the public tounderstand why things have goneon this way, and there is not a singlething for either party to gain fromthis.” That bemusement, punctuatedby a collective snicker, found a voiceonline. “If all that has been said istrue, then this is nothing but a pettydispute you’d expect from streetcorner shops and not global com-panies,” said a reader on the Nateportal.

On the streets, too, the com-ments were scathing. “This incidentshows the problem with the corpo-rate culture in South Korean con-

glomerates,” said Lee Hyeon-woo,an office worker in Seoul. “The men-tality of these companies is not‘We’re number one’ but ‘We musttake down rival X’.” The cross-townrivals compete on several fronts,

especially televisions and homeappliances, and have a history offeuding.

They have quarrelled publiclyover whose refrigerator could hold

more, and who had a bigger shareof the domestic air conditioningmarket, and current and formerworkers say they routinely spy oneach other at trade shows.

Samsung declined further com-

ment. LG said it has been cooperat-ing with prosecutors, who wouldnot disclose details of the investiga-tion.

Neither company appears ready

to let the matter drop. LG has filedits own complaint with prosecutorsaccusing Samsung employees ofdeliberately concealing and tam-pering with evidence.

Their energy would be better

spent responding to the challengefrom Chinese competitors, saidanother exasperated commenter onNaver. “What are you peopledoing?” the person asked.—Reuters

Scorn greets LG, Samsung’s storm in a washing drum

SEOUL: The logo of South Korea’s LG Group is seen in front of the company’s headquarters inSeoul on December 26, 2014. South Korean prosecutors raided the headquarters of LGElectronics in a probe into the destruction of rival Samsung’s washing machines at stores inGermany, company officials said. —AFP

NYPD seeks to engage with ‘Twitter school,’ blog

DUBAI: The market has seen a number of TVsthat are more affordable and better proofed forthe future through innovative technologies.But, buyers beware: the choices are fewer thanthey seem. Whether you like it or not, roomsize, personal taste and even the walls in yourhome will beef up or pare down your options.To cut the confusion, Samsung Gulf TV divisionhas laid out some patented, professional adviceon how to ensure that your next TV is the rightTV.

A common trap for consumers is size.Buyers with small spaces often load on biggerscreens than they need, or budge their seatscloser to the screen to save space. No matterthe cutting-edge density of your TV’s resolu-tion, if you sit too close, the images on thescreen will appear pixelated, cutting into yourenjoyment and causing you to lose out on yourhigh-resolution TV. To get the best bang foryour buck, the experts at Samsung advocatefor a normal viewing distance of four meters.They also encourage you to think against theadage that bigger is better. If you’re workingwith a small room, stick to a set of 48” or smallerfor the most detailed image and comfortableview.

When you have more space in play,Samsung recommends the following methodsto determine their ideal screen size. Afterarranging your furniture exactly where youwant it, whip out your measuring tape and findyour optimal viewing distance, the distancebetween the viewer and the TV. Multiply thisby 12.5, and get the best screen size for yourhome.

A major innovation to come out of 2014 isthe curved TV, and it has created a new ques-tion for consumers. As a manufacturer of bothcurved and flat-panel TVs, Samsung leaves thisto a matter of taste. On flat-panel TVs, the view-ing angles are as high as 178 degrees, making itpossible for viewers to enjoy high picture quali-ty from almost any angle in the room.Alternatively, the Samsung Curved UHD TV’spanoramic curvature is designed to create themost immersive experience in viewing from anormal watching distance, putting the viewerright inside the show. Not only does the curveoffer a more equal viewing angle across theentire screen, but it also contributes to a highercontrast ratio and significantly less reflections.

When it comes to positioning your set, con-sumers should keep bezel, curve and the wallsof their home in mind, the experts say. A thin-ner bezel gives a cleaner feel to the television,which allows viewers to focus on content with-out the distraction of the frame. This is especial-ly important if you plan to mount your TV.According to one manager, “A mounted TVwith a small bezel can look like a floating frameagainst a wall.”

While many curved TVs cannot be mount-ed, the Samsung Curved UHD TV comes withSamsung Wall-mounts and compatibilityoptions with general VSA Wall-mounts.Samsung’s flat-panel UHD TV is equally versa-tile. No matter which set you choose, a finalrule of thumb is to keep its back to windows,lamps and other light sources. If you’ve paid apremium for a quality TV, there’s no point inruining it all with a rookie mistake.

The numbers to know when choosing a TV

NEW YORK: As city officials work to soften theNew York Police Department’s image andchange how officers engage with citizensthrough reforms and training, part of the effortis happening online.

The nation’s largest police department,once a slow adopter of social media, has creat-ed a blog and punched up Facebook use. Andthere are now 101 Twitter accounts depart-ment-wide after top brass were sent to an in-house “Twitter school.”

“We’ve given the commanding officers thetools, the guidelines and the training, and mostimportantly ... the responsibility to do thework,” said Zachary Tumin, the department’sdeputy commissioner for strategic initiatives.“Twitter is part of that work and part of thosebridges we seek to build and reinforce.” Afterthe Dec. 20 shooting death of two patrolmenby a man who vowed online to kill “pigs,” NYPDofficers sent out and received dozens of mes-sages of support for the slain officers.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and PoliceCommissioner William Bratton are trying torebrand the NYPD to counter criticism that ittramples on civil rights. The crime-fighting tac-tic known as stop-and-frisk is being reformed.Officers are undergoing three days of trainingon use of force and how to communicate withthe public after the chokehold death of EricGarner on July 17, and police in severalprecincts are trying out body cameras.

New York had largely eschewed theInternet until recently, while other, smallerdepartments embraced it. Boston used Twitterto rebut rumors and spread updates after theBoston Marathon bombings. The Denverdepartment has more than 20,000 likes onFacebook since joining in 2012. Toronto’spolice have more than 300 accounts, and offi-cers must attend three days of training. InDalton, Georgia, the department’s blog tellsreaders about emergencies and other newsand provides information on police - includingpraise and suspensions.

In the past year, the NYPD’s public relationsunit developed a blog. Bratton has his ownTwitter account. And the department hasexpanded from one main account,@NYPDNews, to 101 covering every precinctand some special commands. Officers areencouraged to send out helpful, pithy mes-sages and respond directly to the communitiesthey serve.

“We want those voices out there,” Tuminsaid. The department also has sent its com-manders to a “school” taught by in-housesocial media experts who encourage humorand helpfulness and discourage releasinginvestigative details or starting arguments.

“Don’t engage in a Twitter war with some-one. You won’t ever win,” one trainer said. “I caninvestigate and arrest someone. I just can’t fig-ure out what to say in this tiny little box,” onecaptain said. “I’m going to have to call mydaughter and have her come help me.”

During one hourslong tutorial at John JayCriminal College this month, about a dozencommanding officers learned to set up han-dles and view messages, and were taught thedifference between direct messages and regu-lar messages. Trainers used as an example theonline demise of former U.S. CongressmanAnthony Weiner, who accidentally sent out asexually explicit photo meant for private use.Commanding officers also sent out their firsttweets. “The 63 Precinct is now officially onTwitter. Looking forward to sharing with theresidents of our great community !!! #Brooklyn”The precinct links to a copy of the city’s officialsocial media policy, and now has 308 follow-ers. The department has produced a 34-page“Twitter handbook” to help officers managethe Wild West of the Internet, where even well-meaning messages can be undone by legionsonline.

Earlier this year, @NYPDnews invited peo-ple to post feel-good photos posing with NewYork’s finest with the hashtag #myNYPD.Instead, they found themselves awash in hun-dreds of images of baton-wielding cops arrest-ing protesters, pulling suspects by the hair,unleashing pepper spray and taking down abloodied 84-year-old man for jaywalking.

The NYPD community affairs chief sent outa message following the grand jury decisionnot to indict an officer in Garner’s death thatread: “The #NYPD is committed to rebuildingpublic trust. #Wehearyou” The effort waspanned because Garner’s last words were “Ican’t breathe.”

And a commander in Harlem remarked onhis private account about a woman who fellonto the subway tracks and died: “Let me guess,driver’s fault right?” he wrote. Online activistslambasted him, and he apologized andremoved the link.

There have been some successes, too. Animage last winter of an NYPD officer givingboots a homeless man became national news.When a subway train derailed last spring, oneprecinct shared traffic information and alternateroutes until the problem was resolved. AndCommunity Affairs Chief Joanne Jaffe tweeted aphoto of a handwritten note left by a passer-bythat was tacked to the entrance of 1 Police Plaza:“It takes courage and discipline to do your dutyin times like these. Thank you for serving andprotecting these citizens with respect. Have ablessed day.” —AP

BEIJING: Internet giant Google’s unwillingness toobey Chinese law is to blame for the shutdown of itshugely popular email service, state-run media saidTuesday after the last easy way to access Gmail wasapparently blocked.

“China welcomes the company to do business onthe prerequisite that it obeys Chinese law; howeverGoogle values more its reluctance to be restricted byChinese law, resulting in conflict,” the Global Timessaid in an editorial. Gmail, the world’s biggest emailservice, has been largely inaccessible from withinChina since the run-up to the 25th anniversary in June

of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democra-cy demonstrators. Users could access the service byusing third-party mail applications, rather than thewebpage. But Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of Beijing-based Danwei which tracks Chinese media and theInternet, said those ways of connecting were alsobarred in recent days. Some access seemed to berestored on Tuesday afternoon, with some users say-ing they could download messages. Google’s ownTransparency Report showed a slight uptick in trafficcompared with the past two days, although theamount of users accessing Gmail from China was still a

fraction of what it was before the block. China oper-ates the world’s most extensive and sophisticatedInternet censorship system, known as the “GreatFirewall”. Foreign websites such as Facebook, Twitterand YouTube are routinely blocked and content thatthe ruling Communist Party deems offensive is oftenquickly deleted.

Google withdrew from China in 2010 after a falloutwith Beijing over censorship issues. “The issue at heartis to what extent Google is willing to obey Chineselaw, on which China’s attitude is steadfast,” said theGlobal Times, which is close to the Communist Party.

Access problems could be “caused by the Chinaside, by Google itself or a combination of the two”, itadded. A company spokesman told AFP on Mondaythat internal checks found “nothing wrong on ourend”. If China did block Gmail, the Global Times said, it“must have been prompted by newly emerged securi-ty reasons” and users should “accept the reality”.

“We only need to have faith that China has its ownlogic in terms of Internet policy and it is made andruns in accordance with the country’s fundamentalinterests,” it added. Nonetheless it acknowledged: “Wedon’t want to be shut off, as it obviously doesn’t serve

our own interests.” But it may serve the interests ofChinese businesses. There was a surge in new sign-upsfor a rival e-mail service run by Netease, according tonews website ChinaByte. Netease saw new users at arate three to four times normal in the past few days,ChinaByte reported, citing company officials. Foreignministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was“not aware” of the blocking of Gmail when askedabout the issue at a regular press conference Monday.“I would like to stress that China always welcomes andsupports foreign investors’ legal business operationsin China,” she said. —AFP

Chinese paper blames Google over Gmail blocking

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

WASHINGTON: New episodes in the nation’s long-run-ning political drama over health care are coming via yournews feed in 2015. The fate of President Barack Obama’shealth care law again hangs in the balance as theSupreme Court weighs another legal challenge to theprogram, now covering millions of people. And aRepublican-led Congress prepares for more votes torepeal the Affordable Care Act, ignoring threatenedvetoes by the president. Five things to know about healthcare in the year ahead:

The main eventThe biggest health care news of 2015 probably won’t

come from Congress or the White House, but theSupreme Court. The court has agreed to hear another law-suit that goes to the heart of Obama’s strategy for provid-ing health insurance to people who can’t get coveragethrough their jobs. The case will be argued early in March,with a decision expected late in June.

The plaintiffs contend that the law as written onlyallows the government to subsidize coverage in statesthat have set up their own their own health insurancemarkets, or exchanges. With Washington currently run-ning the markets in 37 states, much of the law’s coverageexpansion could unravel if the Supreme Court agrees. Itwould be a moment of truth for the law’s opponents andits supporters alike.

Does anybody have a plan B?If the Supreme Court rules against Obama, both sides

would need a fallback plan, and quickly. Opponents of thehealth care law would face the prospect of more than 4million people losing federal subsidies that cover about75 percent of their premiums. Most of those consumerswould wind up uninsured again, and presumably nonetoo happy. The president would have to contemplategoing hat-in-hand to the Republican leadership ofCongress to ask for fixes to his signature legislation, possi-bly opening up other contentious issues in the law.Republican governors and state legislators would have achoice, too. They could establish insurance exchanges, orwatch many of their constituents lose coverage.

Repeal-a-thonWith the Senate and the House both under Republican

leadership, expect dozens more congressional votes torepeal “Obamacare,” whether in whole or in part. It’s notclear that full repeal can get through the Senate, whereDemocrats retain sufficient strength to block legislationby using procedural maneuvers.

But some provisions of the law are also unpopular withsignificant numbers of Democrats, and bills to roll thoseback may emerge from Congress. Examples: a require-ment that 30 hours per week counts as fulltime employ-ment, a tax on medical device manufacturers, and aMedicare cost control board.

Thought health care was complicated? Try taxesObama’s health care law uses the income tax system to

deliver carrots and sticks. The subsidies that have madepremiums affordable for millions are distributed as taxcredits. And the penalties imposed on those who ignorethe law’s mandate to get health insurance are collected asadditional taxes.

In 2015, the law’s connection to the tax system willbecome clearer for most people. All taxpayers will have toreport on their 2014 tax return whether or not they hadinsurance. Those who got subsidies will have to show they

got the right amount. If they received too much, theirrefunds will get dinged. Those who remained uninsuredwill either have to pay the taxman, or show that they qual-ify for an exemption. Tax preparation companies areexpecting lots of new business.

How many covered, anyway?At last count, about 6.7 million people got private cov-

erage through the insurance exchanges in 2014. Another9.7 million got on Medicaid, the insurance program forlow-income people, expanded under the law by morethan half the states. Some of those people would haveswitched from other coverage.

Still, the number of uninsured Americans has droppedsignificantly - by more than 10 million people as of mid-2014. While the economic recovery doubtless con-tributed, Obama’s law does seem to be delivering on acore promise. — AP

5 things to know: Obama

health law again in play

WASHINGTON: In this Nov 12, 2014 file photo, the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insur-ance, is displayed on a laptop screen, in Portland, Ore. — AP

DAKAR/KOIDU, SIERRA LEONE: Ebola is wrecking years ofhealth and education work in Sierra Leone and Liberia fol-lowing their civil wars, forcing many charity groups to sus-pend operations or re-direct them to fighting the epidem-ic. More than a decade of peace and quickening economicgrowth had raised hopes that the nations could finallyreduce their dependency on foreign aid and budgetarysupport; now Ebola has undermined those achievements,charity workers and officials say. “The impact of Ebola willtake us completely back to it being a basket case,” saidRocco Falconer, CEO of educational charity PlantingPromise in Sierra Leone. “The impact on some activitieshave been simply catastrophic.”

The two countries worst hit by Ebola have struggled torecover from the wars that raged through the 1990s untilearly in the 21st century, killing and maiming tens of thou-sands, and devastating already poor infrastructure. InSierra Leone, aid made up one-fifth of economic output in2010, according to officials, though this had been shrink-ing as growth accelerated thanks to a boom in the coun-try’s commodities exports. Britain and the European Unionare the main donors with funds directed to health, educa-tion and social assistance.

But Planting Promise’s experience typifies the problemsof non-government organizations (NGOs) since Ebola hitWest Africa, infecting more than 20,000 people and killingnearly 8,000. It had spent six years in Sierra Leone develop-ing farms and using the profits to fund local schools. Theproject had just become self-financing for the first timewhen the outbreak was detected in March.

After that, things fell apart. Planting Promise was forcedto withdraw its expatriate staff in June and the followingmonth it closed its five primary schools where nearly 1,000pupils had studied. It has also shut down its food process-ing factory. Though sales have dived, it continues to payabout 120 staff, eating into its reserves. This has forced thegroup to return “cap in hand” to donors to ask for moremoney, Falconer said.

The highly contagious disease has brought normalactivity to a near halt in the two countries. Governmentshave issued strict quarantine orders on communities,restricted people’s movement and closed schools. Theyhave also banned gatherings, communal work and mar-kets. Paul Saquee, the chairman of the council of chiefs inSierra Leone’s eastern Kono region, said disruption to thelong-term agricultural development projects of one NGO

would have knock-on effects. “It means the work they weredoing before suffers and next year we will have less foodsupply,” he told Reuters.

Rethinking strategyIn Liberia, the epidemic dashed President Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf’s hopes of shifting the focus of aid to investment.“Now Ebola is here and all of those efforts have beenbrought to a standstill. We could be starting from scratchagain,” said Jennah Scott, director of the LiberiaPhilanthropy Secretariat, a government agency. “That isvery heartbreaking.” The World Bank and other donorshave pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. ButScott is concerned that money will go mostly to UnitedNations agencies and large NGOs, rather than local organi-zations.

“We need to get more support to local NGOs becausethey are the ones who stay in Liberia,” said Scott, whoseorganization channels around $20 million in aid a year intoLiberia. The WaterAid organization, which works toimprove access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation serv-ices in developing countries, had to suspend plans to drill100 boreholes in Sierra Leone and provide services to four

villages in Liberia. Apollos Nwafor, WaterAid’s West Africaadvocacy manager, said the countries hit by Ebola sufferedfrom broken health systems and food insecurity as well asa lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

WaterAid was now lobbying donors to step up fundingin these areas. “Ebola has become a hydra-headed crisis,”Nwafor said. OneVillage Partners, a rural developmentagency, started seven years ago with post-war reconstruc-tion in villages in eastern Sierra Leone. It has since movedinto other activities such as micro-loans for small business.

Since the Ebola outbreak, it has used its knowledge andrelationship with villagers to educate them about Ebola,even though this was not its area of expertise. The groupsuspended its programs in July and laid off some staff.Now its activities include delivering soap and working withcommunities to stop the spread of the disease.

While the virus has set the clock back on years of prom-ising aid initiatives, the immediate work of showing localpeople how to avoid becoming infected is vitally impor-tant. “Everywhere we looked, there was just wholesaledenial and a lot of misinformation going around aboutEbola,” said Chad McCordic, Community Project Managerat OneVillage Partners. — Reuters

UN sees ‘limited’

impact of

Bangladesh’s

Sundarbans oil spill

DHAKA: United Nations experts said yesterdaythey found “limited immediate impact” on theecosystem of the world’s largest mangrove forest inBangladesh after a major oil spill early inDecember. Local forestry officials raised the alarmwhen hundreds of thousands of liters of furnace oilwere spilt into the forest’s vast network of riversand canals after a tanker sank following a collisionwith another cargo vessel. They warned of a “cata-strophic” impact from the spill, fearing harm to rareIrrawaddy and Ganges dolphins and to endan-gered species including Bengal tigers.

But a UN team sent last week to assess the dam-age ruled out any major fallout from the spill, say-ing the damage to the 10,000 square kilometer(3,850 square mile) wildlife sanctuary was not asbad as feared. “There seems to be limited immedi-ate environmental impact to the mangrove andaquatic ecosystems,” said Emilia Wahlstrom, theleader of the 25-member UN team, as she revealeda summary of its findings.

“The main shorelines — 40 kilometers (25 miles)up and downstream-of the site show varyingdegree of pollution. (But) we could not observe anyvisible impact on the mangrove forest floor,” sheadded. She said timely “tides” in the rivers “actuallyminimized the penetration of oil into the ecosys-tem. Much of the oil has been washed out alongthe Poshur and Shela rivers,” she added. Wahlstrompraised the local communities’ manual clean-up, inwhich hundreds of villagers scooped up oil usingsponges, pots and pans.

The team saw some impact of the spillage onthe mangrove seedlings but also observed newgrowth already, she said. Bangladesh’s forestdepartment said two rare otters and several birdsdied in the spill, while the carcass of an Irrawaddydolphin was found several days after the accident.But Wahlstrom said the damage was not signifi-cant. “When it comes to wildlife, we see limitedmortality and we find some visible oiling and again,limited,” she said adding local villagers mopped upsome 20 percent of an estimated 350,000 litres ofoil which were spilt. However she said the accidentwas “a wake-up call” for the government and rec-ommended a ban on the movement of vesselsthrough the Sundarbans, which is a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site.—AFP

Ebola wrecks years of aid work in worst-hit countries

Epidemic has set back promising aid initiatives

HONG KONG: Hong Kong culled thousands of chickens yester-day after the potentially deadly H7N9 bird flu virus was discov-ered in poultry imported from China, days after a woman wasadmitted to hospital with the disease. Authorities found thevirus in samples taken from 120 chickens imported from thenearby Chinese city of Huizhou and slaughtered nearly 19,000birds, including 11,800 chickens.

“The rapid testing showed... that this batch of chickens car-ries the H7N9 virus,” the city’s health minister Ko Wing-man saidyesterday. Televised images showed authorities culling yester-day morning, with health officials in white hazmat suits dump-ing chickens into green plastic bins. The bins were then pumpedwith carbon dioxide to kill the birds, a spokeswoman for thecity’s agriculture department told AFP.

The carcasses were sent to landfills for disposal after theoperation was completed at around 5:30 pm. Poultry importsfrom the mainland have been banned for three weeks. A 68-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with the virus onDecember 25 after returning to Hong Kong from the neighbor-

ing southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, although it has not beenconfirmed how she contracted the disease.

She remains in critical condition. In response to the newcase-the city’s first since early 2014 — Hong Kong announced itwas raising its response level in hospitals to “serious” from “alert”,with extra precautions implemented from Sunday. Ten peoplehad previously been diagnosed with H7N9 in Hong Kong,including three who died. All had contracted the virus in main-land China, according to Hong Kong’s Centre for HealthProtection. The H7N9 outbreak emerged on the mainland inFebruary 2013. Hong Kong last conducted a mass cull inJanuary, slaughtering 20,000 chickens after the virus was foundin poultry imported from the neighboring southern Chineseprovince of Guangdong. A four-month ban on live poultryimports from mainland China was imposed at the time to guardagainst the disease. South Korea has culled millions of chickensthis year in an attempt to stem the spread of bird flu. Japan thisweek ordered 37,000 chickens culled after the third bird flu out-break there in less than a month. — AFP

SYDNEY: Most Australian states and territories are setto ban commercial sunbeds from today, in a crackdownon artificial tanning in a country that has one of thehighest rates of skin cancer in the world. The ban-whichcomes into force in the states of New South Wales,Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and inthe Australian Capital Territory today-will make Australiathe second nation after Brazil to impose such a restric-tion, campaigners said.

Western Australia has said it would also implement aban, though it has yet to announce a start date. Thereare no commercial solariums in the only other part ofAustralia-the hot and humid Northern Territory. CancerCouncil Australia welcomed the ban, which it has longpushed for, adding that it would help to reduce rates ofskin cancer, which affects two out of three Australiansby age 70.

“Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancerin the world,” advocacy director Paul Grogan said in astatement to AFP. “Solariums expose users to extremelyhighly levels of UV (ultraviolet) radiation, greatlyincreasing their risk of melanoma and other skin can-cers.” Australia is sometimes referred to as the sunburntcountry, where beaches are thronged with bathersbasking under blue skies and the rates of melanoma, apotentially fatal form of skin cancer, are the highest inthe world.

The sunburnt country Public health campaigners have long pushed to pro-

mote awareness of the dangers of exposure to the sun,urging people to wear sunscreen, hats and sunglasses.They have also warned that tanning on a sunbed is notsafe. “Queensland already has the highest rate of skincancer in the world and there is no question there’s adirect link between regular sunbed use and the inci-dence of malignant melanoma,” the state’s interimHealth Minister Mark McArdle told AustralianAssociated Press. The incidence of skin cancers inAustralia is two to three times the rates in Canada, the

United States and Britain, the Cancer Council said.More than 2000 Australians died from skin cancer in

2011, the majority from melanoma, which is caused byharmful ultraviolet light from the sun, the counciladded. Australia’s proximity to Antarctica, where there isa hole in the ozone layer which normally filters out UVrays, also increases the risk. Previous research suggestedthat the use of sunbeds by people aged 18 to 39increases their risk of developing melanoma, the mostcommon form of cancer among young Australians, byan average of 41 percent.

The ban was supported by a majority of Australians,the council said, in a recent survey of 6,300 people, whilefewer adults and youths said they had used a solarium inthe past year. About one percent of adults and 0.3 per-cent of youths used a sunbed, the data showed, downfrom 2.2 percent and 1.2 percent a decade ago. SeveralEuropean countries and American states have alsobanned the use of sunbeds by minors, according toresearch published in the journal Nature. — AFP

Australia bans commercial

sunbeds over cancer fears

Hong Kong culls 19,000

birds amid avian flu alert

Hong Kong: A worker prepares bins during a chickencull in Hong Kong yesterday, after the deadly H7N9virus was discovered in poultry imported from China.— AFP photos

Hong Kong: A truck is used to take away bags of deadchickens after they were culled in Hong Kong after thedeadly H7N9 virus was discovered in poultry importedfrom China.

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Human feces map

finds homeless

in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: Jennifer Wong has found a wayto track the homeless and determine where helpis needed: mapping where people defecate on thestreets of San Francisco. Wong, a Web developer,used a city database to create the interactivemaps, which she dubbed “(Human) Wasteland.”They dramatically illustrate the problem of home-lessness in a city of sharp divides between richand poor.

Wong’s maps won a competition at work. Shedonated some of her winnings to a project thatprovides mobile toilets and showers to the home-less. The maps are based on the database of com-plaints about human feces and urine phoned in tothe city’s Department of Public Works in 2013. Onthe maps, the complaints are depicted with tinyimages of what look like unwrapped chocolateHershey’s kisses.

From June-November 2014, more than 5,000complaints were phoned in, most of them in theTenderloin, the downtown neighborhood of thehomeless, shelters and cheap hotels. But themaps, published on Wong’s website , also show aconcentration of poop in much of northeasternSan Francisco and in the onetime hippie enclaveof Haight-Ashbury. The maps prompted sometongue-in-cheek humor about human excrement.But they also started a conversation about theneed for affordable housing in the increasinglyexpensive Bay Area, as well as for toilets, laundryfacilities and showers for the homeless.

“There’s not much choice other than the streetwhen a homeless person needs a bathroom,” saidWong. “It’s pretty clear where the need is.” She saidher curiosity was initially piqued when shelearned that the city tracks feces and urine com-plaints. She found the complaints in theDepartment of Public Works online database asshe was working on a neighborhood trackingproject for a subsidiary of the real estate companyZillow. “I grew up in the Bay Area,” Wong said. “SanFrancisco has a reputation as a city that offers lotsof services for the homeless. But I realized there’sso much more we should be doing, like providingtoilets.” Advocates for the homeless believe thenumber of people on the street will increase ashousing prices climb. The official homeless countin San Francisco is 7,500, although serviceproviders believe it is closer to 10,000.

City ‘pit stop’As human waste complaints rose, the

Department of Public Works launched a pilot pro-gram called the Tenderloin Pit Stop in the summerto deliver and collect portable toilets for thehomeless every day. Complaints in the area havedropped, and the city is considering expandingthe operation to other areas, according to spokes-woman Rachel Gordon.

Wong, meanwhile, donated some of the win-nings from her project to an innovative projectcalled Lava Mae - a slight twist on “wash me” inSpanish - that recently began providing toiletsand showers on wheels. Lava Mae was launchedby philanthropist and former marketing executiveDoniece Sandoval, who obtained a decommis-sioned city bus and outfitted it with two privateunits with a shower, changing area and toilet. Thebus parks outside different homeless facilitiesthree times a week, and is hooked up to firehydrants, with water feeding into a propane-fueled heater.

Lava Mae hopes to put three more buses onthe street in 2015. “To have a bit of privacy and getclean can make a big difference in people’s lives,”Lava Mae manager Leah Filler said. The bus is a hitwith the homeless. “People don’t realize how nothaving access to things like showers and toiletscan make our lives so much harder,” said a happyJeremy Runcon, 36, at the Youth With a Missionhomeless facility in the Tenderloin. “How can any-one get a job when they smell?”— Reuters

WASHINGTON: The first 50-state report on the latest sign-up season under President Barack Obama’s health care lawshows that more than 4 million people selected plans forthe first time or re-enrolled. The administration called it “anencouraging start.” More than 3.4 million people enrolledusing HealthCare.gov as of Dec 15, and more than 600,000people selected plans in the state-run marketplaces,according to a Health and Human Services Departmentreport released Tuesday. The figures are generally up todate through Dec 13.

About half of those enrolling are first-timers and half arereturning customers, suggesting there are about 2 millionAmericans new to the program. The figures look good forthe administration meeting its goal of 9.1 million customerssigned up and paying premiums in 2015, independentexperts said. But they predicted the program won’t meetanother target: the 13 million enrollments in 2015 forecastby the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.”It wouldtake a massive surge in enrollment over the next six weeks”to reach 13 million, said

Larry Levitt of the nonpartisan Kaiser FamilyFoundation. Other experts believe that for the program tobe sustainable it would have to exceed the goal set by theadministration. “I really think they need to get to 13 millionthis year to have a sustainable program, not this low-ballestimate that nobody takes seriously,” said Washington-based health care consultant Robert Laszewski. “We don’tknow how many of these people are going to pay. And wedon’t know how many of the existing people are going tore-enroll.”

Young adults still aren’t flocking to the program, whichcould increase costs down the road. About 24 percent ofthe enrollees are 18 to 34 years old, an age group neededto offset the costs of older, sicker enrollees and keep premi-ums from rising. That’s about the same proportion of youngpeople signing up in the first three months of last enroll-ment season. Laszewski and other independent experts saythat should be closer to 40 percent to help keep premiumsdown.

Technical problemsThe report includes figures for 14 state marketplaces

including Washington, DC, and the 37 states usingHealthCare.gov. It doesn’t include people who are beingautomatically re-enrolled in health plans because that re-enrollment process happened on the federal marketplaceDec 16-18. The numbers are significantly larger than dur-ing the f irst month of enrollment last year, whenHealthCare.gov was plagued with technical problems.Then, the nationwide sign-up total after the first monthwas 106,000. This year, open enrollment runs through Feb15. People enrolling by that date will get coverage start-ing March 1. Current customers can still make plan

changes through Feb 15. “Interest in the Marketplace hasbeen strong during the first month of open enrollment,”Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwellsaid in a statement. “We still have a ways to go and a lotof work to do before Feb 15, but this is an encouragingstart.” The administration noted that about 87 percent ofpeople who selected health plans throughHealthCare.gov will get financial assistance. The healthcare law provides taxpayer-subsidized private insuranceto people who don’t have access to coverage throughtheir jobs. — AP

India to check

on toilet use

in ‘real time’

NEW DELHI: India’s government yesterday announceda nationwide scheme to check whether people areusing toilets as part of a cleanliness drive championedby Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since October thegovernment has provided 503,142 new householdlatrines. But experts say most of these end up beingused as storerooms since many people consider toiletsunhygienic and prefer to squat in the open, believing itmore sanitary to defecate far from home.

Sanitary inspectors will go door-to-door to “checkand verify the use of toilets” with mobile phones, tabletsor iPads and upload the results onto a website in “realtime”, a government press release said. “Earlier, the mon-itoring was done only about the construction of toilets,but now the actual use of toilets will be ascertained,” itsaid.

Modi announced the cleanliness drive in hisIndependence Day speech in August, pledging a toilet inevery household by 2019. UNICEF estimates that almost594 million people-or nearly 50 percent of India’s popu-lation-defecate in the open, with the situation worst indirt-poor rural areas. Lack of toilets and other sanitationproblems costs India nearly $54 billion annually throughillnesses such as diarrhoea and lower productivity, a2012 World Bank study found. The latest governmentmonitoring program is aimed at motivating people touse the toilet. “Sanitation is a mindset issue. (The aim isto) create demand by triggering behavior change,” thegovernment statement said. — AFP

Report prompts mixed

view of health care sign-ups

WASHINGTON: In this July 28, 2014 file photo, Health and US Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell speaks atthe Treasury Department. — AP

LONDON: A British nurse who contracted Ebola in WestAfrica is being treated with the blood plasma of someonewho survived the virus and an experimental anti-viral drug,the doctor supervising her care said yesterday. PaulineCafferkey, who had been volunteering at a British-builttreatment centre in Sierra Leone, is being treated at theRoyal Free hospital in London, which has the only isolationward in Britain equipped for Ebola sufferers. DoctorMichael Jacobs said she was sitting up, reading and talkingto medics from inside her isolation tent but warned thatthe Ebola virus was unpredictable and that her healthcould get worse.

“We’ve decided to treat her with two things, the first ofwhich is convalescent plasma,” Jacobs told reporters. “Thesecond thing that we’ve given her is an experimentalantiviral drug.” The plasma was taken from the blood of apatient successfully treated in Europe and chosen from ashared European stockpile as the most appropriate forCafferkey. The antibodies it contains should help her fightthe virus, Jacobs explained.

The experimental drug is not ZMapp, the drug used totreat fellow British volunteer nurse William Pooley, whorecovered from Ebola, because “there is none in the worldat the moment”, Jacobs said. “There is no specific treatmentfor Ebola that has been proven to work,” he emphasized.Cafferkey is the first person to test positive for Ebola inBritain and the second to be treated for the virus in thecountry after Pooley, who has since returned to SierraLeone. Cafferkey expressed concern about her tempera-ture to airport officials when she returned to London fromSierra Leone via Casablanca in Morocco on Sunday.

Her temperature was taken at London HeathrowAirport but did not raise alarms and she was cleared totake a connecting flight home to Glasgow. She was even-tually diagnosed with Ebola on Monday and flown from aGlasgow hospital to London on a military plane.

Treatment went ‘very smoothly’ “Ebola runs a very variable course and the next few days

are going to be very critical,” Jacobs said. “Things may getworse; we hope that the treatment will make her better,” hesaid, adding that Cafferkey was in the very early stages ofthe virus and the situation would be clearer in a week’stime. He said the medical team looking after her had dis-cussed treatment options with her. She has also been incommunication with her family through an intercom,though they can see one another.

“She’s as well as we can hope for at this stage of the ill-ness,” said Jacobs. “She’s had the treatment, it’s gone verysmoothly, no side-effects at all.” The British government’schief medical officer Sally Davies told ITV television thatthere would be a review of airport screening procedureseven though Cafferkey “had no symptoms” at Heathrow.“Her temperature was within the acceptable range,” shesaid. A doctor who travelled back to London with Cafferkeyhad complained of “shambolic” screening procedures inBritain.

Meanwhile two patients who recently returned toBritain from west Africa tested negative for Ebola. The twohad been tested separately at hospitals in Aberdeen inScotland and Cornwall in southwest England. The patientswere unconnected to Cafferkey. — AFP

Ebola-hit UK nurse treated with

survivor’s plasma, trial drug

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Iwish everyone ahappy New Year andmay Almighty Allah

bring peace and joy toall poets, writers, litera-ture, journalists,singers, politicians,artists, and all readersof Jagoran Magazinesand all dearest friendsin Kuwait andBangladesh in comingNew Year 2015

May Allah bless youall with best wishesand prosperity in life.With best regards from

Abdur Rahim, poet and writers and General SecretaryPorbabashi Sahtya Porishad, Chief adviser BarisalDivision Expatriate’s welfare council in Kuwait.

New Year Greetings

All photos submitted for What’s Onshould be minimum 200dpi.Articles must be in plain text andshould include name and phonenumbers. Articles and photos thatfail to meet these requirements willnot be published.

Please send them tonews@kuwaittimes.net

What’s On - Submission Guidelines

Association of IndianProfessionals (AIP), Kuwaitorganized a grand function on

December 28, 2014 at the IndianCommunity Senior School, Salmiya, inorder to felicitate the meritoriousIndian students of Class XII. Out of atotal of 178 awardees, more than 120of them along with their parentsattended the function. Awardees wereselected based on the CBSE examina-tion results declared for the academicyear 2013 - 2014, from all IndianSchools in Kuwait which are affiliatedto the CBSE, India. Along with gold/sil-ver medals and certificates, cashawards were also distributed amongthe gold and silver medalists. Bronzemedals and certificates were dis-

persed among those awardees whoscored an aggregate of 90 percent orabove. Indian Ambassador Sunil Jainwas the chief guest whereas AbhayChaturvedi on behalf of KuldeepSingh Lamba (a prominent business-man), S K Wadhawan (ManagingPartner and CEO of Samara Group), FM Bashir Ahmed (Principal of IndiaInternational School, Mangaf ) andAshok Angural (Regional Director ofTCIL) were the guests of honor.

The event was organized as twosessions; ‘Meet Your Seniors’ programwhich was followed by the secondsession of AIP Meritorious Awards dis-tribution. ‘Meet Your Seniors’ programwas conducted by Dr T S Srikumar.Seventeen senior students who are

currently pursuing their higher educa-tion either in Kuwait, US, Canada, UK,UAE or in India were present to sharetheir academic, social and culturalexperiences of their current careerspan in their respective institutions.This program provided an excellentopportunity for junior students andtheir parents to interact with the sen-ior students and rendered very usefulinformation about careers and institu-tion options.

AIP General Secretary UmeshSharma welcomed the guests and theaudience. He highlighted that the AIPAwards have now become the symbolof excellence. Sharma extended hisappreciation and thanked all princi-pals of Indian schools in Kuwait who

provided official information whichfacilitated the final selection of meri-torious awardees. A colorful souvenirwhich included awardees’ photo-graphs and depicting AIP’s vision andmission was released by the chiefguest.

Sunil Jain, while sharing some ofhis past memorable studentshipexperiences, appreciated the efforts ofAIP for promoting Indian studentsthrough motivation, exposure andcareer guidance programs. He specifi-cally mentioned that although, meri-torious students in Kuwait are usuallyseparately honored on different com-munity and on school level basis, AIPaward function is the one and onlyevent where meritorious Indian stu-

dents from all Indian schools inKuwait are jointly honored at a singleoccasion. The Ambassador congratu-lated the awardees and advised allstudents to pursue their career oftheir own choice. His gracious pres-ence from the beginning to the end ofthe award distribution ceremonyreflected his interest and sinceritytowards the academic wellbeing ofIndian students in Kuwait.

Fahaheel Al-Watanieh IndianPrivate School-FAIPS (DPS) wasadjudged as the winner of ‘AIP BestAcademic Performance Award’ forclass XII of year 2013-14, and IndiaInternational School as the runnersup. Best performing schools wereselected on the weighted average

method. Rolling trophies and memen-tos were presented to these schoolsby the ambassador.

Sunil Jain, Chaturvedi, Wadhawan,Ahmad, Angural, Sharma, Sajeev KPeter, Umesh Shahani, and JagdishJoshi distributed cash awards, rollingtrophies, mementos, medals and cer-tificates. Joanne Claris John, ShaikMathar, Swithin Roy Suresh, SnehaSridharan, Juliana Mariam George,Neil Emmanuel L, Ayesha Nadir, YashDhananjay Thakkar, SukanyaSubramaniyan, and Shruti Sridharanchored the awards distribution cer-emony. Sangeeta Joshi and ShilpaSajeev managed awards distributionflawlessly. Vote of thanks was present-ed by Umesh Sharma.

AIP honors meritorious students

Gulf Bank closes during

New Year Holiday

Gulf Bank’s Head Office and all branches will close onThursday, 1st January 2015 in celebration of theNew Year, and will commence normal working

hours on Sunday, 4th January 2015. During the holiday,customers will continue to have round-the-clock access totheir accounts through the Bank’s mobile banking service.Numerous transactions including transfers and paymentscan be made using the mobile banking application whichis available on iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.

Customers also have 24 hour access to the CustomersContact Center on 1805805 and the Gulf Bank website,www.e-gulfbank.com

Gulf Bank’s management and staff take this opportunityto wish everyone a Prosperous 2015.

Indian Embassy

As a special gesture, the Embassy will function onThursday, 1 January 2015 to render Consular, Labour, Visaand Attestation services for the benefit of all.

However, the Embassy shall remain closed on Friday, 2January 2015 and Saturday, 3 January 2015 on account ofMilad-un-Nabi (Birthday of Prophet Mohammed). Sunday,4 January 2015 will be as usual a regular working day in theEmbassy. Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy andProsperous New Year 2015.

The students of the Indian CommunitySchool Kuwait Amman Branch per-formed par excellence and bagged

overall championship trophies in severalcategories at the recently concluded MegaArts Fest conducted at ICSK Senior branch.The Mega Arts Fest was conducted on 20th

and 21st of December and featured severalarts competitions for all the categories. Theparticipants were from Class K.G. to XII. Thestudents of ICSK Amman performed thebest and bagged the overall trophies forthe categories 2, 3 and 4.

Master Misbah Zeus Arakkal of Class I C

won the ‘Kalaprathiba’ title in category Iand Master Kevin Baiju Parakal of Class IVB won the ‘Kalaprathiba’ title in category II.Miss Afrah Rafi of Class VII G and MissAshifa Sayed Furkhan Ali won the‘Kalathilakam’ title in the Category III andIV respectively. This proud accomplishment

is the result of the hard work and dedica-tion of the participants of Amman branchwith the guidance, motivation and supportof the Principal, teachers and parents. It isundeniably a glorious moment for ICSKAmman as this is their second consecutiveachievement at the Mega Arts Fest.

Amman branch students excel in ICSK mega arts fest

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Royal Jordanian’s Regional Director in Kuwait Mohammad Attari hosted a dinner party on the occasion of the end of mission of Qatar Airways’ Regional Director in Kuwait Mohammad Al-Jumairi. FadiHejazeen, the new regional director of Qatar Airways, was also welcomed during the event. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

The Sudanese Community in Kuwait hosted a farewell ceremony for outgoing Sudanese Ambassador Yahya Abduljaleel Mahmoud and his wife. Former Sudanese President Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab, andseveral ambassadors of African countries in Kuwait attended the event. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Ambassadors and diplomats in Kuwait attended a farewell ceremony held recently in honor of the outgoing Sudanese ambassador Yahya Abduljaleel Mahmoud. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

03:00 The Turn Of The Screw04:30 My Family: Christmas 200805:00 Woolly & Tig05:05 Show Me Show Me05:30 Gigglebiz05:45 Boogie Beebies06:00 Nina And The Neurons: InThe Lab06:15 Woolly & Tig06:20 Show Me Show Me06:45 Gigglebiz07:00 Boogie Beebies07:15 The Weakest Link08:00 Edinburgh Military Tattoo201009:00 Eastenders09:30 Michael McIntyre’s ComedyRoadshow: Xmas 201110:20 My Family: Christmas 200810:50 The Weakest Link11:35 The Lady Vanishes13:10 Eastenders13:40 Edinburgh Military Tattoo201014:40 Michael McIntyre’s ComedyRoadshow: Xmas 201115:35 The Lady Vanishes17:10 Eastenders17:40 Call The Midwife18:30 Call The Midwife19:25 Call The Midwife20:15 Call The Midwife21:10 Call The Midwife22:00 Call The Midwife22:55 Sherlock

21:50 Street Outlaws22:40 The Fighters23:30 Airplane Repo

T V PR O G R A M STHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

03:45 Homes Under The Hammer04:35 Homes Under The Hammer05:25 Homes Under The Hammer06:15 Homes Under The Hammer07:10 Homes Under The Hammer08:00 Bargain Hunt08:45 Bargain Hunt09:30 Bargain Hunt10:15 Bargain Hunt11:00 Bargain Hunt11:45 Bargain Hunt12:30 Bargain Hunt13:15 Bargain Hunt14:00 Bargain Hunt14:45 Bargain Hunt15:30 Bargain Hunt16:15 Bargain Hunt17:00 Bargain Hunt17:45 Bargain Hunt18:30 Bargain Hunt19:15 Marbella Mansions20:00 Food Glorious Food20:45 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill21:10 Bargain Hunt22:00 Bargain Hunt22:45 Bargain Hunt23:30 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia23:55 Marbella Mansions

03:15 Container Wars03:40 Dukes Of Haggle04:05 How It’s Made04:30 How It’s Made05:00 Treehouse Masters06:00 Wheeler Dealers06:50 Robson’s New ExtremeFishing Challenge07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 Storage Hunters08:55 Container Wars09:20 Dukes Of Haggle09:45 How It’s Made10:10 How It’s Made10:35 Troy11:25 Magic Of Science11:50 Magic Of Science12:15 Close-Up Kings13:05 Storage Hunters13:30 Container Wars13:55 Dukes Of Haggle14:20 Siberian Cut15:10 Car Chasers16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How It’s Made17:15 How It’s Made17:40 Treehouse Masters18:30 Airplane Repo19:20 Street Outlaws20:10 The Liquidator20:35 Dukes Of Haggle21:00 Airplane Repo

THOR- THE DARK WORLD ON OSN MOVIES FESTIVAL HD

Ninja- Shadow Of A Tear OSN ACTION HD

03:10 The Hive03:20 Art Attack03:45 Art Attack04:10 Jungle Junction04:20 Jungle Junction04:35 Jungle Junction04:45 Jungle Junction05:00 Art Attack05:25 Art Attack05:50 Mouk06:00 Dog With A Blog06:25 Liv And Maddie06:50 So Random07:15 I Didn’t Do It07:40 Jessie08:05 Austin & Ally08:30 Disney Sing-Along08:55 Disney Sing-Along09:20 Disney Sing-Along09:45 Disney Sing-Along10:10 Liv And Maddie10:35 Frenemies12:15 Austin & Ally12:40 Jessie13:05 I Didn’t Do It13:30 So Random13:55 Disney Sing-Along14:20 Disney Sing-Along14:55 Disney Sing-Along15:20 Disney Sing-Along15:45 Liv And Maddie16:10 Austin & Ally16:35 Gravity Falls17:00 I Didn’t Do It17:25 Jessie17:50 Prank Stars18:15 Dog With A Blog18:40 Good Luck Charlie19:05 Liv And Maddie19:30 Liv And Maddie19:55 Austin & Ally20:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place20:45 Suite Life On Deck21:10 Hannah Montana21:35 That’s So Raven22:00 Suite Life On Deck22:25 A.N.T. Farm22:50 Shake It Up23:10 Wolfblood23:35 Wolfblood

03:15 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills03:40 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills04:10 E!ES05:05 E!ES06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians06:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill10:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 House Of DVF12:05 E! News13:05 Extreme Close-Up13:35 THS14:30 Style Star15:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons16:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons17:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons18:00 E! News19:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons20:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons21:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons22:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons23:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons

07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives08:15 Chopped09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics09:30 Chopped Canada10:20 Recipes That Rock10:45 All You Can Meat11:10 Roadtrip With G. Garvin11:35 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook12:00 Chopped12:50 Siba’s Table13:15 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco13:40 Mystery Diners14:05 Guy’s Grocery Games14:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:45 Amazing Wedding Cakes16:35 Chopped17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco17:50 Guy’s Big Bite18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:40 Siba’s Table19:05 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook19:30 Mystery Diners19:55 Burger Land20:20 Guy’s Grocery Games21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes22:00 Amazing Wedding Cakes22:50 Siba’s Table23:15 Siba’s Table23:40 Burger Land

03:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin03:25 Charly’s Cake Angels03:50 Amazing Wedding Cakes04:40 All You Can Meat05:05 Roadtrip With G. Garvin05:30 Reza’s African Kitchen05:50 Siba’s Table06:10 Sweet Genius07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin07:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin

03:25 Derren Brown: The Great ArtRobbery04:50 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs05:15 Four Weddings UK06:10 The Chase07:05 Holiday Heaven On Earth07:30 Derren Brown: The Great ArtRobbery08:50 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs09:20 Breathless10:15 Four Weddings UK11:10 Emmerdale11:35 Emmerdale12:00 Coronation Street12:30 The Hungry Sailors13:25 The Chase14:20 Holiday Heaven On Earth14:45 Four Weddings UK15:35 The Jonathan Ross Show16:30 Tricked17:25 Big Star’s Little Star18:20 The Chase19:10 Coronation Street19:35 The Jonathan Ross Show20:30 Tricked21:25 Big Star’s Little Star22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:15 Emmerdale23:45 Four Weddings UK

03:00 Diggers03:30 Diggers04:00 Doomsday Preppers05:00 Beyond Magic with DMC06:00 Naked Science07:00 The Truth Behind08:00 Cosmos: A SpacetimeOdyssey09:00 The Known Universe10:00 Mega Factories: Supercars11:00 Ancient Megastructures12:00 Ape Man13:00 Pirate Patrol14:00 Predator CSI15:00 My Dog Ate What?16:00 Light At The Edge of TheWorld17:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai18:00 Hard Time19:00 My Dog Ate What?20:00 Light At The Edge of TheWorld21:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai22:00 Hard Time23:00 Ancient Megastructures

03:00 Raising Hope03:30 About A Boy04:00 New Girl04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 My Boys06:00 Til Death06:30 My Name Is Earl07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 New Girl

08:30 My Boys09:00 Raising Hope09:30 Melissa & Joey10:00 Baby Daddy10:30 My Name Is Earl11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 Til Death12:30 New Girl13:00 My Boys13:30 My Name Is Earl14:00 About A Boy14:30 Melissa & Joey15:00 Baby Daddy15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 Community16:30 Til Death17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 The Neighbors18:30 How I Met Your Mother19:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine19:30 Young & Hungry20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 Community22:00 Family Guy23:00 The Big C23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

03:00 Supernatural04:00 Switched At Birth05:00 Marvel’s Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.06:00 Rake07:00 Helix08:00 C.S.I.09:00 Switched At Birth10:00 Warehouse 1311:00 Marvel’s Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 C.S.I.15:00 Rake16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 C.S.I.19:00 Switched At Birth20:00 The Flash21:00 Warehouse 1322:00 24: Live Another Day23:00 Supernatural

03:00 Grimm04:00 The Leftovers05:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 2410:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:00 Burn Notice13:00 Franklin & Bash14:00 2415:00 Live Good Morning America17:00 Burn Notice18:00 Franklin & Bash19:00 2420:00 Burn Notice21:00 Franklin & Bash22:00 Grimm23:00 The Leftovers

04:00 Shark Week06:00 Hellboy: Sword Of Storms08:00 Darkman10:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear12:00 Avengers Confidential: BlackWidow & Punisher14:00 Bad Company16:00 Darkman18:00 Age Of Heroes20:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear21:45 Iron Man

04:00 Hellboy: Sword Of Storms-06:00 Darkman-PG1508:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear10:00 Avengers Confidential: BlackWidow & Punisher-PG1512:00 Bad Company-PG15

14:00 Darkman-PG1516:00 Age Of Heroes-PG1518:00 Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear19:45 Iron Man-PG1522:00 Guns, Girls And Gambling-18

03:45 Big Trouble-PG1505:30 Good Morning, Vietnam-PG1508:00 Maid In Manhattan-PG10:00 Run For Your Wife-PG1512:00 In A World...-PG1514:00 Along Came Polly-PG1516:00 Maid In Manhattan-PG18:00 RV-PG20:00 Seeking A Friend For TheEnd Of The World-PG1522:00 The Big Wedding-PG15OSN MOVIES DRAMA HD03:00 Playing For Keeps-PG1505:00 Love And Honor-PG1507:00 Hope Springs-PG1509:00 The Runway-PG1511:00 Love And Honor-PG1513:00 Playing For Keeps-PG1515:00 Scents And Sensibility-PG1517:00 The Runway-PG1519:00 I, Anna-PG1521:00 To The Wonder-PG1523:00 The Bling Ring-18

03:30 Searching For Sugar Man-PG1505:00 Centre Place-PG1507:00 The Glass Man-PG1509:00 Sense And Sensibility-PG11:30 Centre Place-PG1513:00 Hyde Park On Hudson-PG1515:00 The Last Harbor-PG1517:00 Sense And Sensibility-PG19:30 Robot & Frank-PG1521:00 The French Minister-PG1523:30 Little Miss Sunshine-18OSN MOVIES HD04:45 Planes-PG06:30 Man Of Steel-PG1509:00 Chasing Mavericks-PG1511:00 Thor: The Dark World-PG1513:00 Iron Man & Hulk: HeroesUnited-PG15:00 Admission-PG1517:00 Chasing Mavericks-PG1519:00 Celeste And Jesse Forever-PG1521:00 Anchorman 2: The LegendContinues-PG1523:00 The Wolf Of Wall Street-R

04:30 Barbie As The IslandPrincess06:00 Everyone’s Hero08:00 The Apple & The Worm10:00 Dudley Do Right11:30 Pacific Pirates13:00 Krazzy Planet14:30 Ploddy Police Car16:00 Astro Boy18:00 Dudley Do Right20:00 Barbie As Rapunzel22:00 Ploddy Police Car23:15 Astro Boy

04:06 Alex Cross-PG1506:00 Stolen-PG1508:00 Badges Of Fury-PG1510:00 Vantage Point-PG1512:00 R.I.P.D.-PG1514:00 The Music Never Stopped-PG1516:00 Badges Of Fury-PG1517:45 Life Of Pi-PG20:00 Grown Ups 2-PG1522:00 Limitless-PG15

03:00 Live NBC Nightly News03:30 ABC World News With DavidMuir04:00 Live MSNBC All In With ChrisHayes05:00 Live MSNBC The RachelMaddow Show06:00 Live MSNBC The Last WordW/ Lawrence O’Donnell07:00 NBC Nightly News07:30 ABC World News With David

Muir07:57 NBC Nightly News08:18 ABC World News With DavidMuir08:39 Live ABC Nightline09:06 MSNBC The RachelMaddow Show10:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/Lawrence O’Donnell11:00 Live ABC World News Now11:30 Live ABC World News Now12:00 Live NBC Early Today12:30 Live ABC America ThisMorning13:00 Live ABC America ThisMorning13:30 Live ABC America ThisMorning14:00 Live ABC America ThisMorning14:30 MSNBC First Look15:00 Live NBC Today Show18:57 MSNBC Hardball W/ ChrisMatthews19:38 MSNBC The RachelMaddow Show20:19 MSNBC The Last Word W/Lawrence O’Donnell21:00 Live MSNBC Ronan FarrowDaily22:00 Live MSNBC The ReidReport23:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle

03:00 NFL Gameday04:30 Currie Cup Final Highlights

07:30 NFL Gameday08:00 European Senior TourHighlights13:30 NFL Gameday14:00 Super League FinalHighlights17:00 European Senior TourHighlights21:00 Trans World Sport22:00 Live PDC World DartsChampionship

03:00 Live NHL07:00 PDC World DartsChampionship11:00 Trans World Sport12:00 Snooker UK Championship18:00 WWE Bottomline19:00 WWE NXT20:00 WWE Main Event23:00 Super Rugby Final Highlights23:30 Currie Cup Final Highlights

00:00 According To Jim00:30 Castle01:30 Grey's Anatomy02:30 According To Jim03:00 The Walking Dead04:00 The Walking Dead05:00 According To Jim05:30 Melissa & Joey

05:55 Melissa & Joey06:30 The Walking Dead07:30 Dirt08:30 Castle09:30 According To Jim10:00 Grey's Anatomy11:00 According To Jim11:30 The Walking Dead12:30 The Walking Dead13:30 According To Jim14:00 Melissa & Joey14:30 Melissa & Joey15:00 The Walking Dead16:00 Dirt17:00 Grey's Anatomy18:00 Desperate Housewives19:00 MasterChef Australia20:00 Switched At Birth

01:50 The Outfit03:35 The Treasure Of TheSierra Madre-PG05:40 TCM Presents UnderThe...-U07:00 Across The WideMissouri-FAM08:20 The Band Wagon-FAM10:10 Ziegfeld Follies-FAM12:00 Anchors Aweigh-FAM14:20 Light In The Piazza-PG16:00 Mogambo-PG

ClassifiedsTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Kuwait

Fajr: 05:17

Shorook 06:42

Duhr: 11:50

Asr: 14:41

Maghrib: 17:00

Isha: 18:22

Prayer timings

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION

Automated enquiry about theCivil ID card is

1889988

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(01/01/2015 TO 07/01/2015)

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 1/1/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeBBC 043 Dhaka 00:05KAC 502 Beirut 00:05JAI 574 Mumbai 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:25JZR 267 Beirut 00:30JZR 539 Cairo 00:40KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 00:40THY 772 Istanbul 00:45FDB 069 Dubai 00:55QTR 1084 Doha 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:05KAC 546 Alexandria 01:10SAI 441 Lahore 01:30PGT 858 Istanbul 01:35ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45MSC 403 Sohag 02:30GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30UAE 853 Dubai 02:35JZR 553 Alexandria 02:45JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 02:50FDB 067 Dubai 02:55ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10MSR 612 Cairo 03:10KKK 6507 Istanbul 03:20OMA 643 Muscat 03:25QTR 1076 Doha 03:45MSC 401 Alexandria 04:05JZR 503 Luxor 05:25THY 770 Istanbul 05:35DHX 170 Bahrain 05:40BAW 157 London 06:40JZR 563 Sohag 06:45KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 07:10TAR 327 Tunis 07:45FDB 053 Dubai 07:45QTR 1086 Doha 07:50IRA 673 Ahwaz 07:50SVA 512 Riyadh 07:55IRA 667 Esfahan 08:10KAC 352 Kochi 08:10KAC 302 Mumbai 08:20KAC 206 Islamabad 08:25KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:30UAE 855 Dubai 08:40KAC 362 Colombo 08:45ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20FDB 055 Dubai 09:40QTR 1070 Doha 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 11:00IZG 4161 Mashhad 11:10RBG 553 Alexandria 11:15MSC 405 Sohag 11:25JZR 165 Dubai 11:30JZR 561 Sohag 11:45TBZ 5483 Mashhad 11:50MEA 404 Beirut 11:55SYR 341 Damascus 12:00UAE 871 Dubai 12:50JZR 241 Amman 12:55QTR 8646 Doha 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00MIX 9090 Sharjah 13:00KAC 382 Delhi 13:45KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:05AGY 680 Alexandria 14:15THY 766 Istanbul 14:20KNE 472 Jeddah 14:25

SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30FDB 057 Dubai 14:30MPH 951 Amsterdam 14:35KAC 538 Sohag 14:50RJD 135 Abu Dhabi 14:55KNE 470 Jeddah 14:55GFA 221 Bahrain 15:00OMA 645 Muscat 15:00KAC 788 Jeddah 15:10KAC 284 Dhaka 15:15JZR 175 Dubai 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:45UAE 857 Dubai 15:45FDB 051 Dubai 16:00KNE 460 Riyadh 16:00JZR 779 Jeddah 16:10JZR 535 Cairo 16:10NIA 251 Alexandria 16:15KAC 562 Amman 16:20JZR 257 Beirut 16:30QTR 1072 Doha 16:40RJA 640 Amman 16:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 777 Jeddah 17:55UAL 982 IAD 17:55UAE 875 Dubai 18:00JZR 177 Dubai 18:20KAC 118 New York 18:30AFG 415 Kabul 18:30ABY 121 Sharjah 18:40FDB 063 Dubai 18:40KAC 786 Jeddah 18:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:50KAC 618 Doha 19:15KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15AXB 393 Kozhikode 19:15KAC 542 Cairo 19:25KAC 674 Dubai 19:25GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30KAC 176 Geneva/Frankfurt 19:45KAC 104 London 19:55KAC 614 Bahrain 20:00KAC 742 Dammam 20:00JAI 572 Mumbai 20:00MSR 618 Alexandria 20:05JZR 189 Dubai 20:15OMA 647 Muscat 20:20FDB 061 Dubai 20:20ABY 123 Sharjah 20:35DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:50ALK 229 Colombo 21:10MEA 402 Beirut 21:20ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30FDB 073 Dubai 21:35UAE 859 Dubai 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45QTR 1074 Doha 21:55KNE 480 Taif 22:00JZR 135 Bahrain 22:05KLM 417 Amsterdam 22:15ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15FDB 059 Dubai 22:30AIC 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:30UAL 981 Bahrain 23:10JZR 185 Dubai 23:15AGY 684 Sohag 23:20THY 764 Istanbul 23:35PIA 205 Lahore 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45

Departure Flights on Thursday 1/1/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05JZR 562 Sohag 00:05FDB 072 Dubai 00:45JAI 573 Mumbai 01:10BBC 044 Dhaka 01:35KLM 411 Amsterdam 01:55KAC 283 Dhaka 02:25SAI 442 Lahore 02:30ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45THY 773 Istanbul 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 03:25MSC 404 Sohag 03:30KAC 381 Delhi 03:40UAE 854 Dubai 03:50FDB 068 Dubai 03:55ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:10KKK 6508 Istanbul 04:10OMA 644 Muscat 04:25QTR 1085 Doha 04:30MSC 406 Sohag 05:05JZR 560 Sohag 05:10QTR 1077 Doha 05:15THY 765 Istanbul 05:40FDB 070 Dubai 06:30JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 06:35JZR 164 Dubai 06:55RJA 643 Amman 07:05GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15JZR 240 Amman 07:15THY 771 Istanbul 07:30KAC 537 Sohag 08:20FDB 054 Dubai 08:25TAR 327 Dubai/Tunis 08:35BAW 156 London 08:45IRA 672 Ahwaz 08:50QTR 1087 Doha 08:50SVA 513 Riyadh 08:55JZR 256 Beirut 09:05IRA 668 Mashhad 09:10JZR 534 Cairo 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:25KAC 671 Dubai 09:25ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 101 London/New York 09:50UAE 856 Dubai 09:55ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:20KAC 561 Amman 10:25JZR 778 Jeddah 10:30FDB 056 Dubai 10:35JZR 174 Dubai 10:45QTR 1071 Doha 11:00KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:15GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25RBG 554 Alexandria 11:55KAC 541 Cairo 12:05IZG 4162 Mashhad 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:20MSC 402 Alexandria 12:25UAE 874 Dubai 12:30TBZ 5484 Mashhad 12:50MEA 405 Beirut 12:55SYR 342 Damascus 13:00KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:45MSR 611 Cairo 14:00UAE 872 Dubai 14:15QTR 8647 Doha 14:25

MIX 308 Sharjah 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KAC 617 Doha 15:00QTR 1079 Doha 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:10AGY 685 Sohag 15:15THY 767 Istanbul 15:20KNE 473 Jeddah 15:20JZR 188 Dubai 15:40GFA 222 Bahrain 15:45KNE 471 Jeddah 15:50KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50SVA 505 Jeddah 16:00OMA 646 Muscat 16:00MPH 951 Dubai/SIN 16:05RJD 136 Abu Dhabi 16:05KAC 501 Beirut 16:15ABY 128 Sharjah 16:25KAC 613 Bahrain 16:35KNE 481 Taif 16:50KAC 741 Dammam 17:00FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:05NIA 252 Alexandria 17:15QTR 1073 Doha 17:40UAE 858 Dubai 17:45JZR 538 Cairo 17:45ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:50RJA 641 Amman 17:55SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:50JZR 134 Bahrain 19:10UAL 982 Bahrain 19:15ABY 122 Sharjah 19:20AFG 415 Jeddah 19:30UAE 876 Dubai 19:40QTR 1081 Doha 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:55AXB 393 Kozhikode 20:15GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15KAC 361 Colombo 20:50KAC 343 Chennai 20:55JAI 571 Mumbai 21:00MSR 619 Alexandria 21:05JZR 554 Alexandria 21:05KAC 331 Trivandrum 21:10ABY 124 Sharjah 21:15KAC 351 Kochi 21:15FDB 062 Dubai 21:20OMA 648 Muscat 21:20DLH 636 Dammam 21:35DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50ALK 230 Colombo 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 301 Mumbai 22:15MEA 403 Beirut 22:20FDB 074 Dubai 22:30GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30UAE 860 Dubai 22:50KNE 461 Riyadh 22:50KAC 205 Islamabad 22:55ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00QTR 1075 Doha 23:05KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 23:15KAC 543 Cairo 23:20KAC 415 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 23:25KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:30FDB 060 Dubai 23:55

SHARQIA-1VICE 12:45 PMVICE 2:45 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 4:45 PMINTO THE WOODS 6:30 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 9:00 PMVICE 10:45 PMVICE 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:30 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 3:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 5:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 7:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 10:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-3LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 11:30 AMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 1:15 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 3:00 PMUNBROKEN 4:45 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 7:30 PMUNBROKEN 9:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1UNBROKEN 12:15 PMANNIE 3:00 PMINTO THE WOODS 5:30 PMUNBROKEN 8:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 10:45 PMUNBROKEN 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-2LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 12:45 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 2:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 4:15 PMVICE 6:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 8:15 PMVICE 10:00 PMVICE 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-3THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:30 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 4:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 6:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 10:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:45 AM

FANAR-1UNBROKEN 11:45 AMUNBROKEN 2:30 PMUNBROKEN 5:30 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 8:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 10:00 PMUNBROKEN 11:45 PM

FANAR-2VICE 12:45 PMVICE 2:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:45 PMVICE 6:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:45 PMVICE 10:45 PMVICE 1:00 AM

FANAR-3INTO THE WOODS 1:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 3:45 PMINTO THE WOODS 5:30 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 8:00 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 10:30 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:45 AM

FANAR-4THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 3:00 PM

THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 5:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 7:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 9:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:05 AM

FANAR-5LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 12:00 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 1:45 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 3:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 5:15 PMP.K -HINDI 7:00 PMP.K -HINDI 9:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:30 AM

MARINA-1VICE 12:30 PMINTO THE WOODS 2:45 PMVICE 5:30 PMINTO THE WOODS 7:45 PMVICE 10:15 PMVICE 12:15 AM

MARINA-2THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:30 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:45 PM

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 6:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 10:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:45 AM

MARINA-3LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 11:45 AMUNBROKEN 1:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 4:15 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 6:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 8:00 PMUNBROKEN 9:45 PMUNBROKEN 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1INTO THE WOODS 1:00 PMINTO THE WOODS 3:30 PMINTO THE WOODS 6:00 PMINTO THE WOODS 8:30 PMINTO THE WOODS 11:00 PM

AVENUES-2090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 2:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 4:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 6:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 8:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 10:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:15 AM

AVENUES-3UNBROKEN 11:45 AMUNBROKEN 2:45 PMUNBROKEN 5:45 PMUNBROKEN 8:45 PMUNBROKEN 11:45 PM

AVENUES-4NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:30 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 3:45 PMSpecial Show “NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THETOMB” 4:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 6:00 PMSpecial Show “LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST” 6:00 PMSpecial Show “VICE “ 6:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 8:15 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 10:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:45 AM

AVENUES-5VICE 12:00 PMUNBROKEN 2:00 PMVICE 4:45 PM

UNBROKEN 6:45 PMPERSONAL DVD 7:00 PMSpecial Show “UNBROKEN “ 6:45 PMVICE 9:30 PMSpecial Show “VICE “ 9:30 PMUNBROKEN 11:30 PM

AVENUES-6VICE 1:15 PMVICE 3:15 PMVICE 5:15 PMVICE 7:15 PMVICE 9:15 PMVICE 11:15 PMVICE 1:15 AM

AVENUES-7PADDINGTON 1:00 PMLAGGIES 3:00 PMPADDINGTON 5:00 PMLAGGIES 7:00 PMLAGGIES 9:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 11:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 1:00 AM

AVENUES-8P.K -HINDI 1:30 PMANNIE 4:15 PMANNIE 6:45 PMP.K -HINDI 9:15 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 12:15 AM

AVENUES-9LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 11:30 AMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 1:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 3:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 5:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 7:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 9:30 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 11:30 PM

AVENUES-10NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 2:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 6:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 9:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:15 PM

AVENUES-11THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 2:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 5:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 7:15 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 9:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:45 PM

360º- 1VICE 12:15 PMVICE 2:15 PMVICE 4:15 PMVICE 6:15 PMVICE 8:15 PMVICE 10:15 PMVICE 12:15 AM

360º- 2090 (Kuwaiti Film) 1:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 3:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 5:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 7:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 9:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 11:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 1:15 AM

360º- 3INTO THE WOODS 11:45 AMINTO THE WOODS 2:15 PMINTO THE WOODS 5:00 PMINTO THE WOODS 7:30 PMINTO THE WOODS 10:00 PM

INTO THE WOODS 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.1LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 11:45 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:45 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 4:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 5:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 8:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 10:15 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2VICE 11:30 AMVICE 1:30 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 3:30 PMVICE 5:15 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 7:15 PMDigital (2D) 9:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 11:00 PMVICE 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: ECRET OF THE TOMB 12:00 PMUNBROKEN 2:00 PMUNBROKEN 4:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: ERET OF THE TOMB 7:30 PMUNBROKEN 9:30 PMUNBROKEN 2:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4LAGGIES 11:30 AMLAGGIES 1:15 PMANNIE 3:15 PMLAGGIES 6:00 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 7:45 PMLAGGIES 10:00 PMTHE WATER DIVINER 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-1LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 11:45 AMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 1:30 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 3:45 PMLEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST-3D 5:45 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 7:30 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 9:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-2UNBROKEN 12:45 PMINTO THE WOODS 3:30 PMP.K -HINDI 6:15 PMUNBROKEN 6:15 PMUNBROKEN 9:00 PMUNBROKEN 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-3090 (Kuwaiti Film) 11:30 AM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 1:15 PMVICE 3:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 5:00 PMPADDINGTON 6:45 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 8:45 PMVICE 10:30 PMVICE 12:30 AM

PLAZALEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 4:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 4:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 5:45 PMCOUSINS- MALAYALAM 8:00 PMTHU+FRI+SAT+MONVICE 8:00 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 10:45 PM

LAILAINTO THE WOODS 3:30 PMUNBROKEN 6:00 PMTHE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 8:45 PM090 (Kuwaiti Film) 11:00 PM

112

CHANGE OF NAME

ACCOMMODATION

SITUATION WANTED

Periyasamy Kamu, son ofKamu bearing an IndianPassport No. F3327466having an address 8.3.14,Bhagyavathi Amman KovilSt, Sithayankottai, DindigulDt, Tamilnadu 624708 hadembraced Islam andchanged the name asMohammed Ali Jinna. (C 4895)1-1-2015

I, Esmaiyel MohammedAbdul Shakur Kadiri, holderof Indian Passport No.J2020718, hereby changemy name to Abdul ShakurSayed. Address: 10 703 ValiGab Rd., Kadiri Anantapur,AP. (C 4894)29-12-2014

I am Shivaji Jaivant Rajput,Indian national, PassportNumber G6775517, perma-nent address house no.1126, Muslim Wada,Industrial Road, Bicholim,Goa, hereby changing myname to Shiva Jaiwant

Sharing accommodationavailable in Abbassiya witha Keralite family nearHighway center, fully fur-nished, separate bathroom,couples or working ladies.Contact: 66130689. (C 4896)1-1-2015

An MBA, LLB job aspirantwith 13 years of experiencein banking, insurance, con-struction, constructionmaterials sales and pur-chase management as sen-ior manager is looking for asenior managerial posi-tions. Contact: 97341053.(C 4897)1-1-2015

Rajput, (C 4893)27-12-2014

I, Utukuru Rama Gubbaiah,holder of Indian PassportNo. J2020031 herebychanged changed my nameto Utukuru Rama SubbaReddy. UpparapalliKonduru Penagalur,Kadapa, A.P. (C 4891)

You should find your timing almost perfect to do just about anything thatyour heart desires. Those around you should find you very natural and vital.Communicating and getting your message across to others is an important factor in yourlife just now. This is a really super time to be in the company of other people, personallyand perhaps in a work situation. Your ability to manage and direct others puts you in agood situation to assume the responsibility for a special job. Someone in authority maybe calling on you to make use of your talents. A truly sustained effort, along with yourhand and eye coordination, makes just about any task run well. This is a great day for get-ting things accomplished. Emotions are existent but well within your control.

You may find that there are some sensual needs that require additionalattention, either your own or those of another. It’s essential that you feel in total controlof most situations in your life at this time. You will want to be the leader of your ownband, in the literal sense-perhaps even the star performer. This could all lead to someinteresting encounters in healing and investing and possibly the mysterious aspects oflife and death. After looking at some of your circumstances a little closer, you mayobserve the need to resort to some reorganization, being a little more conservative in theprocess. This should all work out for the positive. Your tendency to be a little morereserved is valuable just now. Love and appreciation surround you tonight.

To feel cared for and needed is a comforting thing and to not feel this couldcause you uneasiness. You will find that the relationships you hold closest

are more important now. Being alone and lonely is just not your cup of tea just now-youneed people around you to help reinforce the feeling of caring and sharing. You couldeasily find yourself looking for something in the romance department today, or at leastfinding enjoyment from friends. Your brilliant ideas can inspire others. Feelings and move-ment are appreciated. You could find a great deal of satisfaction from just getting out andabout and walking or exercising. Your ability to communicate with others may be verystrong at this time. Now is a most positive time.

There is time this morning to enjoy the sunrise and a good breakfast. This isgoing to be a busy day. There is so much energy around you now, it cannot help but rub offon you. If you do not start a new project now-you will probably plan one. You enjoy solving ariddle, playing a word game or learning something new. When you choose a friend or a part-ner, you choose with your head as well as your heart. This makes for secure and loving rela-tionships. Considering that your friends or family members will usually follow your lead,make your steps count. You are surrounded by some of your favorite people today. Plansomething special to show them how much you care. Perhaps you will decide to have animpromptu party at your place.

This is a really happy time. You place value on that which is principled andforthright and have a particular dislike for things that are secret, intense or private. You maybe helping someone today who had many difficulties. With your help, dramatically positivesituations can develop. You may enjoy teaching others how to release emotional stress.People listen when you talk, because of your persuasiveness and eloquent way with words.Self-expression works well for you just now, lending itself to your ideas and thoughts. This isthe day that you can get a special project off the ground. You have been involved in charitygroups before, but now you seem to have the need to jump in with both feet. Special inter-est groups enhance your place in the community.

Anything uncommon or extraordinary will be what captures your interest.You may have always been interested in flying model airplanes but never actually did it.This is your day of opportunity to do some flying-or something similar. Allowing your cre-ative and intuitive nature to awaken will be rewarding in many ways. New solutions tolong-held problems may be but one of the benefits. Something very inventive may alsosurface. Allowing variety into your life is certainly a way to shake up the old routine.Change is inevitable, but in your case, it may be necessary for self-preservation. You donot allow yourself or your interests to stagnate or loose touch with what is happening inyour world. Enjoy shopping this afternoon.

Being calm, cool and collected may take a lot of effort from you today asyour energies may seem a bit high strung. Some of the circumstances that you find your-self in seem to create a great deal of competition. You are challenged by your ownexpectations yet you achieve more than you thought possible at this time. This maymean some athletic contest or possibly an art showing is in the works. Rest at home thisevening helps you to renew your energy and focus on your next goal. You may find your-self reading about the latest techniques or styles of other competitive people.Friendships and family members come to you via phone calls and you enjoy the commu-nications. Learning new things and communicating them to others delights you.

Your independence will be showing today and you will find value in any-thing that is new, unusual or different. Your routine is beginning to wear a little thin andmay have you looking for ways to change some things in your life. You want anythingthat is different for a change. Others should enjoy your company and you theirs-both insocial and work situations. A superior could be coming to you to ask that you take on theresponsibility for a particular job next week. You may be flattered but should give thissome thought before you say yes too quickly. Some sort of compromise may be in order.You may find it easy to reflect and understand your own situation, just how you feelabout yourself. This is a most pleasant day.

You see a need to make some changes in some of the old habit patternsthat have remained for such a long time. Variety can be the spice of life and

may be essential to your progress and growth. Becoming complacent is conducive tostaying in one place too long. Accruing new information and expanding your way ofdoing things will be like a breath of fresh air-once you become acclimated to the changesyou make. It’s a really good time to get in touch with your inner self and really understandhow you feel about who you are and what type of future changes you will want to bemaking. Your ideas are accepted and supported by loved ones. Change may be easier tohandle than you had previously thought possible.

A greater regard for things of value and even the idea of value itself is theorder of the day. You may find yourself gaining materially, as it is a time when materialthings have a great deal of importance for you. You may find an interest in antiques orsome type of art work as a hobby. Whatever you choose, it should appreciate in value overthe years. One of your friends has a use for your talent and this may mean that you takeout a contract to paint a picture or refinish a piece of furniture, etc. All of this should workout to your advantage. Your more reserved qualities are present and serve you very well.This is a very profitable time.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 772

ACROSS1. An operating system that is on a disk.4. Encrusted with sugar or syrup.11. A sock with a separation for the big toe.15. Old World vine with lobed evergreen leavesand black berrylike fruits.16. The Japanese art of folding paper intoshapes representing objects (e.g., flowers orbirds).17. (computer science) A graphic symbol (usual-ly a simple picture) that denotes a program or acommand or a data file or a concept in a graphi-cal user interface.18. Norman leader in the First Crusade whoplayed an important role in the capture ofJerusalem (1078-1112).20. (in baseball) The batter's attempt to get onbase.22. Elk or moose.23. A very poisonous metallic element that hasthree allotropic forms.25. New Guinea echidnas.26. Lacking in rigor or strictness.28. A member of an agricultural people insoutheastern India.30. Of or related to a musical scale.33. A unit of information equal to one million(1,048,576) bytes.34. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agricultureand patron of scribes and schools.38. (heraldry) Of or relating to heraldry orheraldic arms.41. A room or establishment where alcoholicdrinks are served over a counter.42. An orange-brown antelope of southeastAfrica.45. Eurasian perennial bulbous herbs.50. A drug (trade names Calan and Isoptin) usedas an oral or parenteral calcium blocker in casesof hypertension or congestive heart failure orangina or migraine.51. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting(especially in cases of drug overdose or poison-ing).52. Wearing or provided with clothing.54. Showing self-interest and shrewdness indealing with others.55. An associate degree in nursing.57. A river in north central Switzerland that runsnortheast into the Rhine.59. A silvery ductile metallic element found pri-marily in bauxite.60. A constitutional monarchy on the westernpart of the islands of Samoa in the South Pacific.63. A soft white precious univalent metallic ele-ment having the highest electrical and thermalconductivity of any metal.64. An interest followed with exaggerated zeal.66. Title for a civil or military leader (especially inTurkey).67. A state-chartered savings bank owned by itsdepositors and managed by a board of trustees.74. Derived from, or resembling, tan or tannin.76. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which thepilot is talked down by ground control usingprecision approach radar.77. A graphical record of electric currents associ-ated with muscle contractions.78. Annual and biennial herbs of Mediterraneanto central Asia.80. A barrier constructed to contain the flow orwater or to keep out the sea.81. Time for Earth to make a complete rotationon its axis.82. An island northwest of Wales.83. A loose sleeveless outer garment made fromaba cloth.

DOWN1. Evergreen tree of eastern Asia and Philippineshaving large leathery leaves and small green-white flowers in compact cymes.2. Rounded like an egg.3. Make synchronous and adjust in time or man-ner.4. A pirate along the Barbary coast.5. A unit of surface area equal to 100 squaremeters.6. A quantity of no importance.7. 1/10 gram.8. A state in midwestern United States.9. To fix or set securely or deeply.10. One species.11. Old master of the Venetian school (1490-1576).12. Harsh or corrosive in tone.13. A city in western Germany on the RhineRiver.14. Any tree or shrub of the genus Inga havingpinnate leaves and showy usually white flowers.19. A large stringed instrument.21. A bachelor's degree in theology.24. (computer science) A standardized languagefor the descriptive markup of documents.27. Being one more than ninety.29. The blood group whose red cells carry boththe A and B antigens.31. A disease of infants and young children.32. A leisurely walk (usually in some publicplace).35. A promontory in northern Morocco oppositethe Rock of Gibraltar.36. A member of an agricultural people ofsouthern India.37. The bivalent radical UO2 which forms saltswith acids.39. A public promotion of some product or serv-ice.40. An informal term for a father.43. With no effort to conceal.44. Of or relating to or near the sacrum.46. The United Nations agency concerned withcivil aviation.47. Low stingless nettle of Central and SouthAmerica having velvety brownish-greentoothed leaves and clusters of small green flow-ers.48. A radioactive element of the actinide series.49. A narcotic that is considered a hard drug.53. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.56. A compartment in front of a motor vehiclewhere driver sits.58. Noisy quarrel.61. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of theOld World.62. Having many worn or threadbare spots inthe nap.65. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.68. The act of scanning.69. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous goodhealth.70. Wading birds of warm regions having longslender down-curved bills.71. Sheet glass cut in shapes for windows ordoors.72. Someone who works (or provides workers)during a strike.73. God of love and erotic desire.75. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity equalto 10 decibels.79. 1/1000 gram.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

34s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

You might like to pretend that your responsibilities do not exist. You wantto go out and do some socializing, but the reality of the situation is probably going toinsist that you take care of business and forget your buddies for the time being. Later thisafternoon you make time for play. You love comfort and the interaction of friends. Youmay even find a friend’s inquiries to be flattering and caring instead of meddlesome orprying. This afternoon you may cook up one of your specialties that you know your friendscannot resist. Harmony and balance with lots of enthusiasm creates warmth. You enjoy lis-tening to others and their variety of conversations.

Modern thinking comes naturally to you. Use that inventive and innovativethinking of yours to create answers and thereby, you find many followers; per-

haps you write or lead in some community organization. You can dispense with all that isunsound or superficial at this time and consider a new personal project. Your earning poweris in an upward motion and you will find an opportunity to fund a special project soon-per-haps community oriented. This could be a positive move on your part and will increase yourstanding in the community. Spending quality time with loved ones takes priority all day.Share your goals and dreams with your loved ones. A big fun party is coming up soon.

inf or m at ionTHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

INTERNATIONALCALLS

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Cameroon 00237

Canada 001

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36L I F E S T Y L ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

M u s i c & M o v i e s

When Bhutan’s top director Tshering Wangyel fin-ishes a film, he and his staff take to theHimalayan countryside for months at a time

armed with a projector, tent, screen and tickets. Moviemaking in the isolated kingdom is strenuous business.Not only do you have to teach yourself the filmmakingbasics, but you must lug a makeshift cinema from villageto village to reach Bhutan’s movie-loving population.Despite the lack of infrastructure, Bhutan’s 25-year-oldindustry is thriving, with audiences in one of the mostremote countries on earth flocking to homegrownmovies that blend Bollywood with traditional Buddhistteachings.

“Currently, it takes us a year to cover the country forscreenings. I used to do it myself all the time, now I sendmy staff,” Wangyel told AFP in the capital Thimphu. “Lastyear, my boys took a car, a screen, a tent, a projector,tickets - they went from district to district, setting up amakeshift cinema in each venue or using school audito-riums.” Many of the industry’s directors and actors alsohave to juggle their passion for cinema with day jobs assoldiers, monks, even politicians.

Wangyel began his career in government, but the avidBollywood fan, who grew up in a country where Indianmusicals were a staple, always had movies on his mind. “Iwas living this mundane 9-to-5 life when I decided tomake my first film: a love triangle about two college kidsfalling for the same girl,” Wangyel said. Three of hisfriends acted in the 1999 production and contributed$5,000 each towards the shoestring budget. Wangyel,then an official in the ministry of agriculture, wrote thescreenplay and handled the camera, sound and lighting.

He also made Bhutan’s first musical number, lifting the

melody from a popular Indian film and convincing hiscousins to serve as backup dancers. He released the flick,“Rawa” (Hope), in Thimphu’s only cinema, the crumbling,rat-infested Lugar, currently under renovation. By thetime he made his second, he realised that while produc-tion was a challenge, distribution was an ordeal, requiringfilmmakers to carry generators, fuel and screening equip-ment from village to village. Forty movies later, he saysdistribution continues to be a slog, handicapping theindustry’s growth. The long wait for screenings has alsofuelled a thriving piracy industry, with impatient audi-ences eager to watch illegal copies of the Dzongkha-lan-guage films. Despite these challenges, however, theindustry has expanded substantially, with annual outputjumping from three films a decade ago to 15 films thisyear.

Bollywood influence Each year, it attracts new entrants like aspiring direc-

tor Killey Tshering, who turned a friend’s bungalow into afilm set and secured funds from a cousin, all to make hisdebut venture, “Nga Dha Choe” (You and Me).“Filmmaking in Bhutan is a community enterprise-friendslend their houses, relatives give you money, everyonehelps out on set,” Tshering, 27, told AFP on the sidelinesof his shoot. The popularity of local films has seen fansgive the boot to Bollywood productions, which are rarelyshown these days in Bhutan’s handful of cinemas afterdominating screens for decades. However, the influenceof the Mumbai-based industry on its Bhutanese counter-part is unmistakable.

Although a small number of Bhutanese films, includ-ing 1999’s “The Cup”, directed by a Tibetan Buddhist

lama, have found critical and commercial success over-seas, viewers at home prefer movies with a dose of songand dance. “If a film is too artistic or realistic, it won’twork. Our audiences like a formula - it must includesongs, dances, humor and tears,” Wangyel said.

Critics blame Bhutan’s isolation, which only allowedaccess to television in 1999, and its limited exposure toworld cinema for the formulaic but commercially suc-cessful productions. “The sad part is we say we are soproud of our culture but then you look at our films, it’slike we have picked up a broken piece of mirror fromBollywood’s vanity case,” said independent filmmakerTashi Gyeltshen.

But with movies based on Buddhist legends andactors usually dressed in traditional clothing-the wrap-around “gho” for men and fitted ankle-length “kira” forwomen-Bhutanese cultural identity lies at their heart.Plotlines often portray a clash between tradition andmodernity, with conservatism getting the last word ascharacters hold forth on the importance of prayer andbackground chants urge viewers to be good Buddhists.Gyeltshen, whose short film “The Red Door” screened atthe Rotterdam film festival this year, told AFP the relent-less push to promote tradition while imitatingBollywood formula risked creating “a cultural desert” forfuture generations. “We are wallowing in past glory...weare not creating anything in terms of leaving a legacy,”Gyeltshen said. “Everyone in Bhutan talks about thepreservation of culture - but if you don’t create, whatwill you preserve?” —AFP

Mountains, makeshift cinemas: Bhutan’s battle to make movies

A Bhutanese film crew converses during the shooting of a film scene inThimphu. —AFP phtos

Bhutanese independent filmmaker, Tashi GyeltshenWangyel gestures as he speaks during an interviewwith AFP.

Bhutanese film goers gather ahead of a screening outside a cinema inThimphu.

Bhutanese make up artist brushes an actresses.

From playing a struggling folkmusician to an ambitious heatingoil entrepreneur, actor Oscar Isaac

is all about the hustle. After his break-out in 2013’s “Inside Llewyn Davis,”Isaac’s profile is on the rise with roles inthe upcoming “Star Wars” and “X-Men”films. Isaac, 35, spoke to Reuters aboutthe notion of ambition in his latest film“A Most Violent Year” and those pesky“Star Wars” questions.

Q: Did Abel Morales’ ambitions in “AMost Violent Year” resonate with yourown?

A: These tales of ambition are fasci-nating, and the rise to power, whatpower means. For me, I’ve never beeninterested in that, although ultimatelyit’d be great to find a story and be ableto make it and to some extent, you doneed a sense of power to be able tohave that happen. But what I’m tryingto do is not be so goal-orientated, Abelis very goal-orientated. For me, it’s lessabout a goal and more about a state ofmind.

Q: Is there an aspect of “selling out”as you become more successful in yourown career, and take on bigger roles?

A: Between my Llewyn Davis and

Abel Morales, the people tend toadmire Abel a lot more, and it’s verytelling that they pick the person who’sambitious, goal-orientated, hyper capi-talist. I think there’s been a shift. I’m in“Star Wars” and going to be in “X-Men,” Ibelieve people can say that I’ve soldout, but I think there’s a different feel-ing nowadays about ‘hey man, you’vegot to hustle.’ This country is based onthe hustle, hustle for your dollar, what-ever you’ve got to do, and you giveprops to the person that hustles themost. There is a sense of whatever youcan get away with, more power to you.

Q: How are you planning to dodge“Star Wars” questions for a year? Areyou allowed to drop any tidbits to satis-fy curiosity?

A: No permission to satisfy curiosity.We finished shooting (in November),and there’s a trailer out already so that’sjust a testament to JJ (Abrams, thedirector) and how much he loves whatwe’ve made. And it’s also how much heloves the fans, that after three weeksbeing done shooting, he releases a trail-er and it’s so representative of what themovie’s going to be, which actually hasan intimacy, a vitality to it. —Reuters

Oscar Isaac on the hustle of acting and ‘Star Wars’

In this image released by A24 Films, Jessica Chastain, left, and Oscar Isaacappear in a scene from “A Most Violent Year. —AP

Many Hollywood executivesprobably want to forget that2014 ever happened. The stu-

dios overstuffed the summer multiplexeswith sequels-yet another “Spider-Man,”“X-Men,” “Planet of the Apes” and“Transformers”-which resulted in audi-ence malaise at the box office (5% downfrom last year). The indies might havebeen better in terms of quality, but notitle caught fire the way they used to,such as when sleepers like 2006’s “LittleMiss Sunshine” grossed $60 million. Andthe latest fad in filmmaking-crowdfund-ing-turned out to be a bust with therelease of two high-profile Kickstarterprojects (“Wish I Was Here” and “VeronicaMars”) that barely registered with audi-ences. If Hollywood wants the moviebusiness to thrive against unprecedent-ed competition (TV, video games, etc),the industry needs to do better, especial-ly when it comes to original storytelling.Here are the 13 most disappointing filmsI saw in 2014.

13. “Magic in theMoonlight”

Domestic boxoffice: $10.5 mil-

lion Woody Allen’s

49th time in thedirector’s chairresulted in his mostlackluster film since2001’s “The Curseof the JadeScorpion.” Thescript, which hadColin Firth investigating the practices ofa phony clairvoyant (Emma Stone), feltforced even by Allen’s standards, and hedid his film no favors by casting romanticleads who are 28 years apart in real life.

12. “Big Eyes”Box office: $4.4 million (still in release)

This biopic about painter MargaretKeane was hyped as a return to TimBurton’s ‘90s prime (think “Ed Wood”),and bloggers were predicting it couldfinally win Amy Adams her Oscar. But“Big Eyes” is so bland, it doesn’t even feellike a Tim Burton movie. The story col-lapses under an over-the-top perform-ance from Christoph Waltz, who playsdishonest husband Walter Keane like he’schanneling a Quentin Tarantino villain.

11. “Jersey Boys”Box office: $47.0 million

Hollywood has been trying to getthis Four Seasons musical on thebigscreen for almost a decade, but Clint

Eastwood’s adaptationwas pitchy. He shouldhave cast movie starsin the lead roles-ratherthan banking on thestage actors like JohnLloyd Young, who wonthe Tony for playingFrankie Valli. Anotherproblem: Eastwooddownplayed “Jersey’s”musical-theater ele-ments. These arewords I never thoughtI’d write, but I wonderwhat Rob Marshall would have donewith the production.

10. “A Million Ways to Die in theWest”

Box office: $43.2 millionHow do you make people forget

you bombed as host of the Oscars? Youdirect a movie that is even less witty

than the lyrics to “We SawYour Boobs.” SethMacFarlane’s parody ofWesterns-an idea as time-ly as its 1882 setting-squandered all themovie-making capital heearned from “Ted,” whichgrossed $219 milliondomestically.

9. “Grace of Monaco”Box office: N/A

The Cannes FilmFestival kicked off withthis biopic starring Nicole

Kidman as Grace Kelly. But the screenlegend’s extraordinary life story some-how felt small compared to all thebackstage bickering between directorOlivier Dahan (“La Vie en Rose”) and USdistributor Harvey Weinstein, whocouldn’t agree on a final cut of themovie. Dahan’s version, which playedat Cannes, was tedious. As a result,“Grace of Monaco” has yetto open in the UnitedStates, and it probably nev-er will.

8. “Deliver Us From Evil”Box office: $30.6 million

Jerry Bruckheimer pro-duced this horror movie thatwas in development for yearsand underwent numerousscript revisions. Eric Bana(who needs better material)plays a New York cop fightingdemons, but he couldn’tbring this dreck to life.

7. “Men, Women& Children”

Box office: $705,908It’s hard to believe

that the same JasonReitman who directed“Up in the Air” and“Juno” is responsiblefor this stilted medita-tion on how technolo-gy disconnects usfrom each other. Toldin “Crash”-likevignettes, the moviespeaks down to the

Facebook generation rather than illu-minating any new truths. And it earnsthe dubious title of the lowest-gross-ing movie of Adam Sandler’s career.

6. “Wish I Was Here” Box office: $3.6 million

Zach Braff took to Kickstarter to askhis fans to chip in $3 million so hecould make a follow-up to “GardenState” on his own terms. But this indul-gent, meanderingcomedy about a thirtysomething dad expe-riencing a midlife cri-sis is proof most film-makers need studiosupervision.Somebody shouldhave reigned Braff in,especially during the“Ally McBeal”-likemontages of him in aspace suit.

5. “Veronica Mars” Box office: $3.3 million

This was another Kickstarter projectthat went off the rails. Director RobThomas collected $5.7 million from91,585 loyalists to finance a moviebased on his cult TV series that was can-celled by the CW in 2007, but the fin-ished product-shot so darkly, it was

often hard to tellwhat was hap-pening-playedlike an insidejoke. “VeronicaMars” made the“Sex and theCity” movie looklike “Casablanca.”

4. “Sex Tape”Box office:

$38.5 millionThe idea of

this R-ratedcomedy was

basically ripped from a “Mad AboutYou” episode, where Paul and JamieBuchman accidentally returned a sextape to the video store and racearound town to retrieve it. In the2014 bigscreen version, the marriedcouple (played by Cameron Diaz andJason Segel) upload their dirty videoon the cloud by mistake, and visittheir friend’s homes to delete it fromtheir iPads.

3. “Inherent Vice”Box office: $967,000 (opens wide in

January)Paul Thomas Anderson, like J.D.

Salinger in the later stages of his writ-ing career, has abandoned narrative.Instead, we’re left with beautifullyshot scenes that feel like wanderingin the dark, vaguely connected by atrippy performance from JoaquinPhoenix. I don’t know what “InherentVice,” based on the Thomas Pynchonnovel, is trying to say, but I do wishthe director of “Magnolia,” “Boogie

Nights” and “ThereWill Be Blood” wouldreturn to telling sto-ries with a beginningand an end.

2. “Transcendence”Box office: $23 mil-

lionThe least satisfy-

ing studio project of2014 stars Johnny

Depp as an artificial intelligence sci-entist who gets swallowed into acomputer (allowing him to collect areported $20 million paycheck forvery little screen time). The script,which was once featured on the BlackList, is incoherent in the hands offirst-time director Wally Pfister(Christopher Nolan’s longtime cine-matographer). “Transcendence,”which bombed at the box office, isthis year’s “47 Ronin,” only not asentertaining.

1.”Lost River”Box office: N/A

Ryan Gosling’s directorial debutpremiered to the biggest jeers atCannes, which prompted Warner Bros.to slate it for only a day-and-date lim-ited US theatrical release. The bleakdrama set in the future felt endless (atonly 105 minutes) and plotless. But“Lost River” committed the worstcrime of all by taking Gosling out ofthe leading man business, where histalents are most needed. —Reuters

The 13 most disappointing movies of 2014

37L I F E S T Y L ETHURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

F e a t u r e s

We’ve all gone through ups and downswith our skin. We sometimes realisethat we are exhausted and overwork-

ing ourselves by noticing the changes in ourskin and overall appearance. That’s when youknow you are definitely overwhelmed. Havingenough sleep and drinking enough water areessential to having good energy levels, and

which can affect your wellbeing in the future. Ever noticed your eyes being puffy first thing

in the morning, or at the end of the day? This isdefinitely a sign of exhaustion. First thing youcan do about this is figure out a way to organ-ise your time and day better. We all need some“me time” every now and then. Pampering your-self is never something you should feel guiltyabout, if you love yourself you can love others.If you’re healthy and well, you can take care ofothers. Always start with yourself! (Since this isthe beginning of a new year, add this to yourlist of resolutions!)

How to reduce under eye puffinessThe easiest way to get rid of under eye puffi-

ness is water. Drinking more water will not onlyget rid of the toxins in your body, but it will alsoreduce the swelling by hydrating your body. 8-10 glasses of water a day is considered a goodamount of water to drink daily.

Cold spoons: Grab two spoons and let themchill in the fridge for about 10 minutes, thenplace them on your eyes for a few minutes tillthe spoons get warm. This will relief the puffi-ness as well as tighten the skin around youreyes for a more fresh and awake look.

Tea Bags: Green or plain black tea bags bothdo well for puffy eyes. They also relief the red-ness and are anti-irritant. You can do this bysoaking tea bags in hot water for 10-15 minutesthen lay down and place them on your eyes.You can do this a few times a day. ( Also worksfor any eye infections)

Cucumbers: We’re used to seeing those atspas, but you should also try these at home. Cutup some chilled cucumbers to help you tightenthe skin around your eye and reduce inflamma-tion, place them over your eyes for 10-15 min-utes, you can also do this several times a day.

Cold Water: After a sleepless night, splashyour face with ice cold water throughout theday. You can also crush up some ice and put itin a plastic bag, wrap it in a washcloth or toweland place it on your eyes to reduce swelling byconstricting your blood vessels.

Salt Water: Now, a few of you might feel hes-itant trying this, because you can simply burnyour eye, but it really isn’t that scary! Salt watergets rid of fluid retention (this is when fluid isabsorbed in your tissues, causing swelling),which means less puffiness. All you have to dois, mix half a teaspoon of salt in warm water.Soak cotton balls with the salt water and placethem on your eyes (closed of course!).

Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is known its many pur-poses in the beauty world. I’ve even used it toreduce any burns from tanning. The Vitamin Eand antioxidants also reduces wrinkles and finelines. Use aloe vera gel under your eyes to makethe swelling go away, make sure it doesn’t gointo your eyes.

Strawberries: Look smoother and youngerwith strawberries! The acid in the strawberrieshelps you get healthier skin too! This is also funto do, because I usually do this and end up eat-ing the strawberries! Put some strawberries in

the fridge for about 30 minutes, then cut theminto thick pieces or have them whole and placethem on your eyes for as long as you want.They smell and feel good so doing this dailyisn’t harmful either.

At the end of the day, all of these remediescan improve your appearance for a day or two,however, taking care of yourself and actuallylistening to your body is what will improve youroverall health in the far future. I am probablythe worst person to type about this because Itoo sometimes exhaust myself till I don’t evenlook like the same person! But, no one will takecare of you other than yourself, and beinghealthy is the most important thing in life. Wesometimes take advantage of the fact that weare healthy and well, forgetting about thosewho are less fortunate. So, let’s make it a priori-ty this new year to put us first, if not, alwaysmake time for ourselves.

Seven tips to reduce eye puffiness

Marsala top color of the new year

Let’s hear it for Marsala, the wine-influenced, red-kissed colorof 2015, as chosen by Pantone. “Hardy, robust, satisfying, ful-filling. At the same time there’s a certain glamour that’s

attached to this color,” offered Leatrice Eiseman, executive direc-tor of the Pantone Color Institute. Pantone’s yearly picks can her-ald a marked presence of a color in fashion, beauty, housewares,home and industrial design and consumer packaging, thoughsome years the influence is stronger than others.

The 2014 color of the year from the forecasters and industryconsultants was Radiant Orchid, a deep tropical purple. The yearbefore that it was Emerald green. Tangerine Tango had legs in2012. The idea, Eiseman explained in a recent interview, is not tochoose a color that will necessarily “overtake the world.” InMarsala’s case, she said, the shade is complex but grounding -brown-red with blue undertones for a dark blush effect.

Eiseman and her team travel the world to observe color atplay. For Marsala, they see an accent wall in a living room or office,a swipe of eye shadow mixed with bronze for a metallic look, athrow pillow, the exterior of a car or a bit of jewelry evoking the1950s.

There’s a natural earthiness to the shade, announcedThursday, a full-bodiness like the cooking wine it is named for,without overpowering. “It really does embody a certain amountof confidence and stability,” Eiseman said.

The hue isn’t a risky one, whether in a nail polish, a frock on arunway or a pattern of stripes in a men’s tie or florals for tableplacemats or bedding. Eiseman noted the versatile shade wasamong colors Pantone flagged as spring/summer trends for 2015earlier this year, as evidenced on the runways of Herve Leger byMax Azria, Dennis Basso and Creatures of the Wind, among otherdesigners. As they did with Radiant Orchid, the cosmetics giantSephora plans a limited-edition collection of beauty productsbased on Pantone and its latest pick, Eiseman said. Marsala hasbeen widely used in lipstick and hair color for years. One of thecolor’s strengths, she said, is the ease in combining it with gray,black, beige and other neutrals. “It’s a color that you can mix withwhat you already own,” Eiseman said. “You can add just a touch ofit. That’s the intent and purpose. It is not the color that swallowsthe world.” —AP

Color bleed be damned. There’s a red lip-stick for everybody nowadays. Youknow how celebrity beauty guru Ted

Gibson found that out? “My mother has justnow been wearing red lipstick since I turnedher on to it over the last two years. Before, shethought red meant you were kind of easy,” helaughed. Red no longer evokes sexpot alone,and it doesn’t have to lead to severe chap-ping. Shades of red can be had in balms,glosses, creamy mattes or a combination ofcare and color? or CC as they say in the beau-ty biz.

If you’re unsure of shade, swipe a bit onthe inside of one arm the next time you’re in astore, then step outside into natural light for abetter idea of how it will look. And if you’retraumatized by lip color seeping into linesand crevasses beyond where it’s supposed tobe, use a primer underneath or a lip liner as abarrier. Apply concealer around the outsideof the mouth for extra protection againstbleed.

“What’s great right now is that there aresome really creamy dense highly pigmentedred lipsticks that are fantastic for people whoreally want to go for that power pout look.There are also sheer reds for those of us whodon’t feel so comfortable or who may feel likea clown with a big red mouth,” said AlexandraParnass, beauty director at Harper’s Bazaar.

And there’s no better time than the holi-days to get creative with red for the lips, thetwo agreed, noting how well the color goeswith holiday gold and urging a breaking oftraditional skin complexion rules. Go for whatfeels and looks right on you alone. Even bet-ter, pick up a tube or two as a gift or stockingstuffer. Some suggestions from Gibson,Parnass and others:

Burt’s beesParnass raved about the natural Burt’s tint-

ed balm in Red Dahlia. “It is absolutely one ofmy favorite products in the world,” she said. “Itis just the perfect sheer red. I have given it tohundreds of friends and everybody who triesit loves it.” To beef up the color, use a linerunderneath. But the best part of wearing italone: “You don’t even need a mirror to put iton. It is the easiest red lip color of all time.”

Giorgio Armani rouge ecstasyThere are 36 shades of red here across the

spectrum. They, too, tout lip care like a balmand color hold for every day. Parnass likes No.400. “It is just that perfect classic red. If youasked someone to create a red that suitseverybody this would be it,” she said. “And it isthe farthest thing from drying, yet it’s a verypigmented red that just looks beautiful.

Ted Gibson ChariceFor a touch of orangey undertone, Gibson

picked his own line in a shade he callsCharice. The selling point: it’s rich but opaqueand will stay put. Reds, he said, are no longerjust for “Hitchcock blondes,” meaning all theplatinum-haired stars in Alfred Hitchcockmovies.

“There was a time that darker-skinnedwomen wouldn’t necessarily wear redbecause they were a little afraid of it,” he said.Not anymore? Lupita Nyong’o got her red onrecently against a white outfit at the GlamourAwards.

Nars lip pencilsGibson also recommends these for lining

and all-over color in matte and gloss. As forthe rest of the face when red is under consid-eration, all bets are off for hair style, Gibsonsaid. No longer does red require a dramaticHollywood updo. He does urge restraint forthe eyes if a bold red is used on the lip.

And there are no age restrictions for whowears red. “What’s funny is you’re seeing girlsin their early 20s who are wearing lipstick.Girls are wearing a little more lip color, a littlemore of a stain to the lip. You have to have alittle bit more confidence to wear that,” hesaid. “The girl who wears red is independent,very self-assertive and certain about who she

is. And she’s not afraid to show that.”

Scarlett JohanssonThe Dolce & Gabbana brand ambassador

is a fan of red. Her fave is the company’s Devilin the Classic Cream Lipstick line. “This red lip-stick is the perfect shade,” she said through aspokesman. “Not too orange and not tooblue. It’s bright and bold without being loud.It feels iconic, like the sleek, gold case itcomes in.”

Prabal GurungThe designer is a longtime fan of the red

lip. As a boy in Nepal, he told W magazine, herecalls watching his mom apply the shade.Then along came Paloma Picasso in ads witha red kisser beaming from magazines. Now,Gurung has a cosmetics capsule collection forMAC that includes red for the lips in threeshades? With glosses.

“The colors we created are great whenapplied lightly for day or darkened and dram-atized with a gloss on top for the evening,” hetold The Associated Press. “The lipstick inCarmine Rouge is definitely a favorite. I love ared lip? It’s such a powerful statement. Itexudes confidence and makes for a boldlook.” —AP

How to Get Party-Ready Red Lips

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

l if e s t y l eF e a t u r e s

See Cuba before it changes. Check out the World Expo inMilan. And if you’re heading to New York City to see theview from 1 World Trade Center’s observatory (scheduled

to open late spring), take the subway to Queens and see if youcan figure out why it topped Lonely Planet’s “best in the US”destinations for 2015. Several major anniversaries will bemarked by a variety of events, including 70 years since the endof World War II, the 60th anniversary of the opening ofDisneyland and 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit NewOrleans.

EuropeThe Milan Expo opens in May for six months and is expected

to draw 20 million visitors. The Expo is the modern incarnationof the old World’s Fairs that thrilled 19th- and 20th-centuryguests with new products and technology. The theme of theMilan Expo is food and nutrition, and dozens of countries willbe participating. The US will be doing its part by sending sixauthentic food trucks to Italy featuring regional American andethnic fusion menus. Milan’s famous opera house, La Scala, nor-mally closed in the summer, will host performances daily duringthe Expo.

Elsewhere in Europe: Jan 1 marks the day Lithuania officiallyadopts the euro as its currency. Pilsen, in the Czech Republic -home to pilsner-style drink and a Gothic cathedral - and Mons,Belgium, known for history ranging from World War I back to

the ancient Romans, have been named 2015 European Capitalsof Culture. And Norway made a number of “where to go in2015” lists, thanks to its connection to Disney’s blockbuster“Frozen” film.

AnniversariesSingapore celebrates its golden Jubilee - 50 years since inde-

pendence from Great Britain. Vietnam celebrates 70 years sinceindependence from France and 50 years since the first US com-bat troops arrived at Da Nang, which some historians saymarked the start of the Vietnam War - even though Americanshad been sent to the country in prior years.

A number of US museums and historic sites will be hostingexhibits and events to mark 150 years since the assassination ofAbraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War. The new yearalso marks 70 years since the end of World War II, both thedefeat of Nazi Germany and the atomic bombing of Japan thatended the war in Asia. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are planningmemorial services on the August anniversaries of the bomb-ings, along with numerous arts projects and peace-themedevents throughout the year.

In New Orleans, Aug 29 is 10 years since the devastation ofHurricane Katrina. “Come see the new New Orleans” is a mantrain the tourist industry there for showcasing trendy emergingneighborhoods and a vibrant restaurant scene. South Dakotaexpects crowds for the 50th Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

in September and the 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August.

CubaThe news that the US intends to normalize relations with

Cuba could lead to a rush of travelers hoping to experience theisland before it loses its frozen-in-time culture to an onslaughtof US chain stores, hotels and tourists. But don’t pack your bagsjust yet: For the near future, the only way you can legally visitCuba as an American citizen is to take a “people to people” cul-tural exchange tour licensed by the US government. The toursare expensive and itineraries are limited.

New York CityTwo big openings take place in the Big Apple in 2015: the

observatory at 1 World Trade in late spring and the newWhitney Museum of American Art in May in Manhattan’sMeatpacking District near the High Line and the Hudson River.The city also got a Christmas gift from Lonely Planet, whichnamed the borough of Queens as “best in the US” destination.Manhattan has been giving ground to trendy Brooklyn inrecent years, but the elevation of Queens as the next big thingwas a bit of a surprise. Not that New Yorkers and tourists alikedon’t love Queens attractions like the 1964 World’s Fairgrounds, the hipster beach scene in the

Rockaways, Chinatown in Flushing, the Asian and LatinAmerican ethnic mix in Jackson Heights and the emerging

industrial-chic ambience of Long Island City. But the borough isnot quite on tourist radars yet - though the Lonely Planet pro-nouncement may change that.

Theme parksUniversal Studios Hollywood debuts two new attractions in

2015: Springfield, an immersive area opening in spring sur-rounding The Simpsons Ride, and Fast & Furious_Supercharged,a thrill ride opening in summer based on the film series.

Disneyland opens “Frozen Fun” in January in Anaheim,California, with a sing-along, “Olaf’s Snow Fest,” and meet-and-greets with Anna and Elsa, among other attractions. TheCalifornia theme park also celebrates its 60th anniversary thisyear, with celebration details to be revealed at the end ofJanuary. Disney World near Orlando, Florida, has several 2015openings, including a new Italian restaurant, Trattoria al Forno;an Africa Marketplace at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; and at thenew Disney Springs complex, three restaurants, STK, MorimotoAsia and The Boathouse. — AP

In this Sunday, Sept 7, 2014photo, 1 World TradeCenter towers above thelower Manhattan skyline inNew York. — AP photos

Tourists relax at the HotelNational, overlookingMorro Castle in Havana,Cuba.

Destinations for 2015: Milan, Cuba, Queens and more

In this file photo, Phill Randall of Custer, S.D., carries the American Flag duringthe Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup near Custer, S.D.

A plate of duck confit with rice and citrus gastrique is displayed at HerbsaintRestaurant in New Orleans.

In this file photo, food is displayed on a table during the groundbreaking cere-mony of the US Pavilion Expo 2015, in Pero, Italy.

Photo shows the living room of writer Solvej Schou and her fiance’s century-oldCraftsman rental house.

By Solvej schou

My love of 100-year-old California Craftsmanbungalows - those low-slung, early 20thcentury Arts and Crafts-era homes known

for their clean, horizontal lines and sturdy wood-work - runs long and deep. I grew up in one inHollywood, outfitted with dark, wooden, built-incabinets and exposed beams, and my family livesin one in South Pasadena, northeast of downtownLos Angeles, with a swooping Japanese-style roof.My fiancÈ, Dave, and I rent a small, century-oldCraftsman house here in Pasadena’s landmark dis-trict Bungalow Heaven, home to more than 1,000historic bungalows, most of them Craftsmans.

Why do I appreciate them? One word: unique-ness. Each traditional Craftsman house is different,with its own personality (in our rental, the toilet isin a separate room from the bathroom sink andbathtub) and an emphasis on natural materials andcolors, from slate gray to clay brown. Architecturaltwists such as sleeping porches, wide-openentrances, and pillars made out of stone were builtas a minimalist reaction against industrial designand as an ode to warmer weather and (then) fresh-er air. Decorating a Craftsman is also a labor of love.

“The whole Craftsman movement was aboutrediscovering handmade things,” says SueMossman, executive director of the preservationnon-profit Pasadena Heritage. “There’s a natural‘form follows function’ approach. Everything has apurpose to it as well as a beauty.”

Traditional CraftsmanGustav Stickley, who started making Arts and

Crafts-style furniture and accessories in the late19th century, has long represented the pinnacle ofCraftsman design. Antique Stickley hand-finished,solid-wood armchairs, tables and couches, definedby a sleek vertical-lined “mission” style, can runupwards of $5,500 today. Mossman, who lives in atraditional Craftsman and says she owns a coupleof “fine Stickley pieces,” views the furniture, likeCraftsmans themselves, as having lasting appeal.

“In the 1980s and ‘90s, the value of theseantique pieces went through the roof,” she says. “Ithas dropped off since then, but the value of origi-nal pieces is still very high.” Since Dave and I, likemany, can’t afford the prized brand, we searchedfor much less pricey, though not necessarily hand-made, furniture and decorations for our place.There are strong connections between theCraftsman and midcentury modern movementswhen it comes to simple functionalism, saysMossman. My Craftsman rental is a mixture ofboth.

We found a modestly priced, tan 1963 LaneAcclaim walnut wood coffee table with dovetailedges at an antique store to fit in with the earthyCraftsman color scheme in our living room. Our

faux-Craftsman, geometric mica glass, wood andmetal living room table lamp we snagged on salefor $150 at retailer Lamps Plus to perch on top of aWildon Home mission-style, espresso-hued endtable for not much more.

Glass vasesBought at a nearby sofa store, our couch is

made out of chocolate-brown wood and tweed, amidcentury modern reproduction called “TheDraper.” Our vintage living room rug is a ‘60sstriped blend of warm orange, green, pink andwhite. We also picked up glass vases, Arts andCrafts-style wooden frames and dinnerware fromflea markets and online through Etsy and eBay. Callit Craftsman flair with a dash of “Mad Men” thrownin. “Even if it’s a reproduction, people who appreci-ate the character of their house will be able to pickthings that suit that same personality,” notesMossman.

Inspiration especially came in the form of a tripto the custom-furnished, three-story GambleHouse, Pasadena’s premier example of CaliforniaCraftsman architecture. It was designed by thearchitectural firm Greene & Greene in 1908 as aroomy winter home for David and Mary Gamble, ofProcter & Gamble. Inside, we stood surrounded bycurved stairway banisters, smooth surfaces, andwooden pegs all made out of soft mahogany, teak,oak, maple and cedar.

“Craftsman style has a casual but clean simplici-ty to it that can be dressed up or dressed down,”notes Alvin Huang, an architect and University ofSouthern California School of Architecture assis-tant professor.

Afterward, in the gift shop, Dave and I bought aclay tile, similar to those in the Gamble House, dec-orated with a light yellow and white frog. It sits onour end table, next to the lamp, with moreCraftsman-worthy knickknacks to come. — AP

Living in and decorating a100-year-old Craftsman

A home in the “Bungalow Heaven” district in Pasadena, Calif. Photo shows a reproduction Craftsman stylelamp, clay tile and mission style end table.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

l if e s t y l eF e a t u r e s

Put on your yellow underwear, toss your potatoes underthe bed and grab your suitcase for a walk around theblock: as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve in

Latin America. From the northern deserts of Mexico to thesouthern glaciers of Patagonia, the region has a host of color-ful New Year’s traditions and superstitions, some of themholdovers from colonial times, some homegrown and someblending cultures and customs in Latin Americans’ uniquestyle.

In many countries, revelers ring in the new year by walkingaround the neighborhood with a suitcase, a ritual that ismeant to guarantee a year of journeys. “In 2012, I ran aroundcarrying my suitcases and I ended up traveling to Europe. I didthe same in 2013 and I went to Argentina. So I’m definitelydoing it again this year,” said Carla Romero, a communicationsspecialist in the Ecuadoran capital Quito.

Other Latin Americans sweep the floor or clean house toget rid of bad vibes. In Mexico, the custom includes washingthe doorstep. In much of the region, revelers eat 12 grapes,cramming one in with each toll of the clock at midnight-a ritu-al inherited from Spain. The grapes must be divided into sixred and six white, according to some keepers of the tradition.“In my family, we put them in little packets so everyone canmake their wishes,” said Tatiana Ariza, a Colombian housewife.

The wishes must be kept strictly secret “or they won’t cometrue,” she added. In Cuba, which had to give up on grapes dur-ing a period of severe shortages, people throw buckets ofwater out their windows to wash away evil-a ritual also fol-lowed in Uruguay, which like the communist island usuallyhas hot weather this time of year. Other people put money intheir shoes or tie three Chinese coins together with a red rib-bon to ensure a prosperous year.

For New Year’s decor, many place stalks of wheat, a symbolof prosperity, alongside images of angels or the Virgin Mary.“Changing seasons requires rites. From Central America toPatagonia, these rites to mark the end of the year are inheritedfrom pagan traditions, from Ancient Rome, from theEgyptians, combined with indigenous American traditionsand African culture,” said Fabian Sanabria, head of theColombian Institute of Anthropology and History.

Though the rise of secularism has weakened the hold of rit-ual on people’s lives, the uncertainties of today’s world haveleft more individuals from all social classes grasping for thecomfort of superstition. “It’s the zenith of astrologers andhoroscopes,” Sanabria told AFP.

Pink undies for love After noticing the abundance of New Year’s traditions,

Colombian entrepreneur Santiago Delgado decided to roundup seven of them in an “Omen Box,” which he sells for $13. Thebox includes materials to carry out regional rituals, plus a copyof Psalm 91, a biblical passage traditionally read on New Year’sDay. He has sold some 2,000 of them this month. Other ingre-dients are easily found at the supermarket, from lentils to putin your pocket to potatoes to place under the bed.

“I usually have three potatoes: one I peel completely, one Ipeel a little bit and another one I leave the skin on,” said Victor

Carreno, a Colombian shopkeeper. “I put them under the bedand at midnight I grab one at random. If I grab the one withthe whole skin everything will go well for me. But if I grab thepeeled one I’m going to have a tough year.” In Peru, womenshoppers snap up New Year’s underwear in yellow, a colorassociated with happiness and friendship.

In Uruguay and Argentina, the preferred color is pink,which is supposed to bring luck in love. In Colombia, manywomen choose red, the color of passion. The first bath of theyear is another key rite. In the Colombian capital Bogota, herbsellers at the Paloquemao market offer bitter- and sweet-smelling bundles to make a purifying bath. Others use cham-pagne. Douse your body in bubbly and let it dry for a year fullof happiness and success, they say. — AFP

With colored undies, potatoes, LatAm readies for 2015

A sign advertising New Year’s rituals is seen at a stand of Paloquemao market inBogota, Colombia, on December 30, 2014. — AFP photos

Decorated wheat ears, used for New Year’s rituals, are displayed for sale at astand of Paloquemao market.

A vendor sells incense and decorations of wheat ears, used for New Year’s ritu-als.

People buy bundles of bitter and sweet herbs for purification baths.

A man sells grapes, used in New Year’s rituals.View of bottles for purification baths, used for New Year’srituals.

A girl holds wheat ears, used for New Year’s rituals. A woman sells crafts made with wheat ears.

Italian-Venezuelan 27-year-old Orne Gil, owner of ‘NowhereLand Tattoo Studio,’ tattoos Egyptian-American 30-year-oldZayn Amer, a teacher based in Iraq.

A cyclist buys a bouquet of yellow flowers.

New Year festival, any of the social, cultural, and religiousobservances worldwide that celebrate the beginning ofthe new year. Such festivals are among the oldest and

the most universally observed.The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from

about 2000 bce in Mesopotamia, where in Babylonia the newyear (Akitu) began with the new moon after the spring equinox(mid-March) and in Assyria with the new moon nearest theautumn equinox (mid-September). For the Egyptians,Phoenicians, and Persians the year began with the autumnequinox (September 21), and for the early Greeks it began withthe winter solstice (December 21). On the Roman republicancalendar the year began on March 1, but after 153 bce the offi-cial date was January 1, which was continued in the Julian cal-endar of 46 bce.

In early medieval times most of Christian Europe regardedMarch 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the beginning ofthe new year, although New Year’s Day was observed onDecember 25 in Anglo-Saxon England. William the Conquerordecreed that the year begin on January 1, but England laterjoined the rest of Christendom and adopted March 25. TheGregorian calendar, adopted in 1582 by the Roman CatholicChurch, restored January 1 as New Year’s Day, and mostEuropean countries gradually followed suit: Scotland, in 1660;Germany and Denmark, about 1700; England, in 1752; andRussia, in 1918.

Those religions and cultures using a lunar calendar havecontinued to observe the beginning of the year on days otherthan January 1. In the Jewish religious calendar, for example,

the year begins on Rosh Hashana, the first day of the month ofTishri, which falls between September 6 and October 5. TheMuslim calendar normally has 354 days in each year, with thenew year beginning with the month of Muharram.

Symbolic foods The Chinese New Year is celebrated officially for a month

beginning in late January or early February. Other Asian cul-tures celebrate the day at various times of the year. In southernIndia the Tamil celebrate the new year at the winter solstice;Tibetans observe the day in February; and in Thailand the day iscelebrated in March or April. The Japanese have a three-day cel-ebration January 1-3.

Many of the customs of New Year festivals note the passingof time with both regret and anticipation. The baby as a symbolof the new year dates to the ancient Greeks, with an old manrepresenting the year that has passed. The Romans derived thename for the month of January from their god Janus, who hadtwo faces, one looking backward and the other forward. Thepractice of making resolutions to rid oneself of bad habits andto adopt better ones also dates to ancient times.

In the West, particularly in English-speaking countries, thenostalgic Scottish ballad “Auld Lang Syne,” revised by the poetRobert Burns, is often sung on New Year’s Eve.

Symbolic foods are often part of the festivities. ManyEuropeans, for example, eat cabbage or other greens to ensureprosperity in the coming year, while people in the AmericanSouth favor black-eyed peas for good luck. Throughout Asiaspecial foods such as dumplings, noodles, and rice cakes are

eaten, and elaborate dishes feature ingredients whose namesor appearance symbolize long life, happiness, wealth, and goodfortune.

Because of the belief that what a person does on the firstday of the year foretells what he will do for the remainder of theyear, gatherings of friends and relatives have long been signifi-cant. The first guest to cross the threshold, or “first foot,” is signif-icant and may bring good luck if of the right physical type,which varies with location.

Public gatherings, as in Times Square in New York City or inTrafalgar Square in London, draw large crowds, and the count-down to the dropping of an electronic ball in Times Square tosignify the exact moment at which the new year begins is tele-vised worldwide. The first Rose Bowl Game was played inPasadena, Calif, on Jan 1, 1902, and college football games havecome to dominate American television on New Year’s Day. TheTournament of Roses parade, featuring floats constructed oflive flowers, and the Mummers’ Parade in Philadelphia are pop-ular New Year’s Day events.

Many people mark the new year with religious observances,as, for example, on Rosh Hashana. Buddhist monks are present-ed with gifts on the day, and Hindus make oblations to thegods. In Japan visits are sometimes made to Shint? shrines oftutelary deities or to Buddhist temples. Chinese make offeringsto gods of the hearth and wealth and to ancestors.

— www.britannica.com

New Year celebrations

This photo taken on December 30, 2014 shows guides in a Chinese park posing with balloons that read ‘Happy 2015’, to give out new year wishes to tourists at the park in Yangzhou, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. — AP/AFP photos

39With colored undies,

potatoes, LatAm readies for 2015

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

Indian students form numbers representing the year 2015 during a function to welcome the New Year at a school in Ahmadabad, India.

Workers plant flowers and trim the garden around New Year decorations at a public park in downtown Hanoi.

This photo taken on December 30, 2014 shows a college student with paintings of asheep on their hands to welcome the new year, and to mark the coming “Year of theSheep”, in Liaocheng, in eastern China’s Shandong province.

Thousands of biodegradable balloons are released by members of the Sao Paulo’s com-mercial association at Patio do Colegio, the site of this Brazilian city’s foundation in 1554.

A sea lion paints a Chinese character for “sheep” in calligraphy as part of a New Year’s Dayattraction at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo. Theevent, marking the forthcoming Chinese lunar calendar “Year of the Sheep”, is part of theaquarium’s New Year’s attractions until February 1. The actually 2015 lunar new year willbegin on February 19.

A woman hangs a paper bearing her New Year wishes to a tree in Seoul, South Korea.