Yarmouk mayor Gulf markets Two-speed labor is a man surge on system in Qatar with a mission6 stronger38 oil for World43 Cup

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Local Spotlight Filipina eaten alive

By Muna Al-Fuzai keeping wild animals as pets, such as snakes. These people are not unstable or mentally ill. Why would someone have such kinds of animals in a house where they can attack other members including children? What is the fun in this? The same applies to those who have the sick hobby of [email protected] having guns in house and so many incidents have hap- pened because kids may not be aware of the threat to them. ast week, we were all shocked by the news on Kuwait The law is clear about importing animals, and yet there Times’ front page about the Filipina domestic worker are some who smuggle these kinds of animals into the Lwho died in Kuwait after she was attacked by her country and keep them as pets because they have the employer’s pet lion. She was taken to hospital in a serious power of wasta and the system allows them to do so. Law condition after she was attacked by the lion that escaped no. 17 of the year 1987 prohibits the import of wild ani- from its cage, but was discharged. Reports said an investi- mals including carnivores, as well as reptiles and monkeys. gation is still undergoing. The woman is dead now, but No one can claim to be naÔve about the law. We all know this should not be the end of the tragedy. that falcons, dogs and cats have passports that allow them A poor woman came from a distance seeking a better to enter Kuwait after undergoing medical tests and veteri- life for her family, but lost her life in the worst kind of nary quarantines to ensure they are safe and not carriers of death because someone’s hobby is to keep wild animals in any disease. I can’t imagine that lions or snakes are holders the house and not even in cages! So the fact is that she of passports of such nature! was eaten alive or whether she died in the hospital or else- Meanwhile, the General Department of Investigation where doesn’t change anything. has issued a decision to put behind bars the keeper of the The lion is a wild animal, and it can never be seen as a lion for 10 days following the death of the Filipina house- pet and it can never be compared to dogs or cats or birds. maid in his house in Doha. He is charged with negligence. KUWAIT: Fresh veggies growing at the Secret Garden in These kinds of animals belong to the zoo and must be There are many speculations surrounding this case. So far, Baghdad Park in Salmiya. The park is a popular communi- caged and supervised because they can be a threat to the authorities are looking into the matter. We have lost a ty project aiming to promote gardening, healthy eating humans. It seems not many people believe this, because it human, but I hope real enforcement occurs against such and outdoor spaces in Kuwait. is becoming noticeable in the region that more people are people and puts them in jail.

In my view The lost rules

By Talal Al-Ghannam

[email protected]

ood morning my dear readers. In this article I will paper, eat breakfast, drink tea and coffee and once they You are puzzled by that and try to justify that the driver shift back to the lost rules and regulations that are finish, they need to stretch, and after stretching, they behind you is to blame according to the law. But as long Gimposed in Kuwait but unfortunately not imple- would feel drowsy, and they end up telling you come as the wasta is there, you are to blame whatever you had mented, or somehow implemented on those less fortu- back tomorrow. done. You leave the officer’s room to the investigator to nate or those without vitamin W or the so-called “wasta”. I am not saying this happens at all the labor ministry’s file a complaint, and you are told to wait outside. You wait In Kuwait, we have the best rules in the world pertinent branches, but there are departments including at the for two to three hours and end up being told the same to traffic, labor, domestic helpers, sanitation, food, agri- Behbehani Complex where the labor ministry has an phrase: No case, you are wrong (habibi fi wasta, don’t you culture, education, corruption and so on. Many foreigners office which I describe as “The Day of Judgement”. Too see that). whom I have met on my previous trips envy Kuwait for many people jam-packed over one another, smelly odors Lastly, you want to get a driving license and get reject- the so many fantastic and strict rules, but they say unfor- coming from some representatives (mandoubs), arro- ed because you didn’t meet the criteria set by the interior tunately the decisions or those who take the decisions gance by some female workers with sometimes humilia- ministry. You go searching for a wasta and finally you find are absent. tions of the expats, and when you wait in line at 11 o’clock a Kuwaiti or an Asian tea boy working there who will assist Talking about “wasta”, which means an intervention and reach the window at noon, the employee tells with you to get it without going through the dilemma of the by someone to do a favor to another, it sounds great. cold blood to come back tomorrow (yalla khalas). needed documents, while hundreds of people who are However, when the wasta is done for someone while You come back the next day and wait in line and end really in need of it cannot afford to pay the tea boy or find eviscerating somebody else’s rights, in this case it is up being told that the employee’s wife delivered today a wasta. unlawful and unfavorable. There have been many cases and he went to the hospital to see his wife - take your doc- In all countries of the world, it is easy to get a driving where wasta played a great role in taking someone’s uments and have him sign them at the hospital because license without needing any help. It is your right to com- right while being entitled to it, all because of the other he is in a good mood now, hurry up! However, with wasta, mute to and fro from work. In order for expats to go to person having wasta in the police station, labor ministry, you would be sitting at home and your documents will work and return, decent transportation means must be interior ministry or anywhere else. I can agree that wasta arrive at your doorstep along with a kiss, tistahil (you supplied in order to lure them to use public transporta- is preferable when you have a right to something and it is deserve it). tion rather than leaving them stranded on the road under taking a longer time than expected. In this case, it is OK to Another case where wasta is obviously seen is at the the burning sun in the summer or the frigid cold in the have someone rush it for you, unless it is haram (unlaw- police station. You get hit from behind by a youngster winter. Where is the social role of the co-operative soci- ful). who does not have a driving license and then go to the eties in this regard? Where is the money we invest in these Another hectic issue is to think to go to the labor min- police station to file a report. You are told to sit outside co-operative societies? Don’t the expats deserve decent istry, which I can describe like going to nowhere. Work and the kid and his father along with the wasta are inside bus stops? Can the officials of the public transportation actually starts at 7:30 am and once you enter you must with the officer. Your turn comes, and you go in and sud- companies tolerate being under the blazing sun for even abide by the rules and regulations by waiting for the denly the blame is thrown on you. (Why didn’t you leave a minute? If they can, then I am wrong. energetic employees until they finish reading the news- enough space between your car and the car behind you?) Until the next article, Insha Allah! Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

Conspiracy Theories

Don’t pin the niqab on religion

for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in dressed - many of the women would have their faces By Badrya Darwish Makkah, shocked many people when he appeared on a covered. And some of them only showed their eyes. So popular show on Dubai-based Saudi MBC TV with Dr it has nothing to do with religion because most schol- Badria Al-Bishr accompanied by his wife, who was ars say that women can show their hands, feet and unveiled. She was wearing an abaya and hijab (hair face. And this is what we do when we are praying or cir- covering), but no niqab. cumambulating the Kaaba. [email protected] This is highly unusual in Saudi Arabia where most The conclusion is that everyone is entitled to wear women wear niqabs in public. Ghamedi came to prove what they like. If a woman loves the niqab and she a point that the niqab is not a must in the Islamic reli- wants to wear it for the sake of niqab or for other cul- read an article by our colleague Muna Al-Fuzai, who gion, unlike what most religious groups in the Arabian tural reasons or doesn’t want to be known when she wrote a very articulate and well thought out piece Peninsula claim. Of course I can imagine the attacks walks in the street or be in disguise, that’s her business. on the niqab (the veil covering the face). Actually, I that followed on social media against him and his wife. But don’t pin it on religion. Muna was very courageous to touch on this subject So many nasty comments overloaded his social media Because I’ve heard many weird stories about women because this is a highly controversial issue which has channels and flew over the Internet and on Twitter, suspecting someone wearing a niqab going into the both religious and traditional aspects. Usually these WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc, etc. women’s public bathrooms in a mall, and the lady issues are very sensitive and I try to avoid writing about Back to the issue of niqab, I still remember the late Al didn’t seem like a woman and was taking photos with them. Not from lack of knowledge or opinion, but to Azhar Grand Imam Mohammad Sayyid Tantawi, who her mobile but pretending to be just standing and avoid unnecessary trouble on my doorstep from while visiting a university in Cairo, entered into a dis- playing on the phone. Another friend told me recently extreme religious groups who are too many nowadays. pute with a female student over her niqab and told her that she performed umrah and came to Madinah and Coincidentally, in the same week in which Muna it was not a must in our religion but merely a tradition. saw a lady shouting at the entrance to a guard that she wrote, a Saudi religious scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Qassem If you go back to the tribes in Arabia before Islam, saw a man disguised in a niqab and praying in the Al-Ghamedi, who used to be a head of the Committee we can see some resemblance of how the women women’s section.

4-5 n kits.indd 2 knowledge,” explained. Blacklock lots ofnewandexciting flowers their to extend managed to useandintroduce thestudents to such asroses andhydrangeas butwe also space oftime. short results inavery all levels andenablethemto deliver stunning to butby teach herability students at pertise with Judith’sknowledge anddesign floral ex Fleur said: “We were allimpressed notjust get themostfrom alimited palette. andhow andconstructions tousing structures look at newtrends throughout Europe, suchas as themore experienced peoplewanted to day, students focused design oncontemporary volved andguests. Onthefirst 60participants hold master classes. Herrecent workshop in- growing localflower businessandschool, to years.for overedge floristry thirty passion for flowers, great design andcutting- travelled peoplewithher theglobeinspiring walk from Nichols. Shehas Harrods andHarvey of London, Englandandonlyafew minutes’ corners Knightsbridge, oneofthemostselect add itto theirdesigns.” from Holland,to I’m import sure many willnow cheaperthanflowersfact and readily available blend together better. isin And asgreenery age makestheflowers, colours and textures all aboutitbecausefolithey might- bethinking space. Idon’t ifIsucceeded know butIthink expensive andwithouttheaddedelement of colour, form andtexture -beautifulbutalways ratherindividual beauty thansimplyamassof leaves withtheirflowers to show offtheir together. Iencouraged themto usefoliage inadesignhow itreally everything doesbring end ofthetwo workshops theyunderstood weren’t too withtheideabutby thrilled the with foliage aswell asflowers. At firstthey them that there really isafuture inworking IthinkI’vegreenery beenableto convince sandy soil. Butalthoughtheyhave to import grows littlegreenery our rainy very inthe UK, foliage orleaves –obvious really, asunlike learnt to create floral design withoutany for the perfect day.”for theperfect what Iaimto achieve inmy creation offlowers that ismemorable andtimeless, andthisis Blacklock. world“My is creating something that theywant lasts,”get married beauty says tionally elaborate andtheatrical. people “When case floral designs andin Kuwait canbe excep Weddings are thepremiere event to show “We usedalltheKuwaiti favourite flowers, Managingpartner, Alnasiri, Maryam Lily She was invited to Kuwait by Lilyfleura runsaprestigious flowerBlacklock schoolin realised that inKuwait“I quickly theyhave - - - Muhammad Alshubar, Sara AlFailkawi, Al-Tameemi, Seham NajlaaAlKharafiSamarahBen and Ali. Nouri AlAli, NahlaAlMahmood, Afaq AlShatti, Monira AlTarrah, DalalAlQattan, Fatema AlKhaldi, Eanass ousif, RehamNasserAlBader, Sara Ashraf, Fatemah AlKandari, NadineAl-Bahar, Najwa Al Bisher, Fatima Abdulaziz Maha AlSuwaidi, M.Alkhuzam, Luluwa Maryam Al-Hamad,participants Mullay HanadiEssa teaching amasterat theJumeirah classinfloralJudith Blacklock art Hotel, Kuwait in November with

Top Tips from Judith Blacklock J ing andcounting!” once you reach five stops everyone notic i.e. 5,7,9. ing roses shouldtheyuseanoddnumber most frequently askedquestionswas ifus- translucent –theywon’t last. you squeeze thebaseorifpetalsare Don’t Do day. Don’t design blend thetexture andcolours ofyour your floral arrangement structure, and Do of thestem before placingincleanwater. always suggestremoving thebottom 10% your flowers once themhome.you bring I Don’t Do top day. upwithwater every dislike airconditioning andyou needto deep water -justkeepaddingmore every gorgeous flowers butprefer shallow to flower. above thetipsofleaves theolder with theflower head. The longerthestem those that have thegreen leaves level from yourso whenselecting chose florist continue to grow once theyhave beencut some ofhertop tips: Hydrangea and Tulips were amongthemostpopularflowers andtheseare just udith saidinherrecent Eastshefound intheMiddle Roses, experience working

My answer My isnotnecessarily as Choose tulipscarefully - Tulips andleavesUse greenery Water your flowers daily. Flowers

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of - or gold. and limewithsilver orpastels with silver choose hotstrong colours liketurquoise and green orfor feel acontemporary table –withseasonalcolours ofred, gold light themandtheywilllastmuchlonger. alwayssimilarly cutthewickbefore you moreof hoursandtheywillburn slowly, orpreferablythe fridge freezer for acouple to stop itwobbling. tack orsimilaronthebottom ofthebauble with water andaddyour flowers. Put blu- eachother.they support Fill thebaubles them together inalow glassbowl sothat container for afew stems offlowers.Mass ‘neck’ opening... Baublesare theperfect Do Do Do Don’t Do: beautiful. the height ofthestems andtheywilllook whichto onethat use, ishalf know select you want to place liliesinavase anddon’t water for 30minutes. be revived by immersingtheheadunder the flowersIf wiltslightly theycanoften are more likelyto lastthaniftheyare soft. the flowersIf feel firm tothe touchthey hydrangeaselecting gently feel thehead. For Festive season:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER19,2014

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Buy ‘soft’ hydrangea - When Local 5 - 12/14/14 7:45PM Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Man with a mission

Mayor oversees transformation of Yarmouk into model area

By Nawara Fattahova

armouk is an ideal neighborhood with well-developed facilities, and the cred- Yit for this goes to its mayor. Abdulaziz Al-Mishari is the man behind transforming Yarmouk from just another cookie-cutter Kuwaiti residential area to a model locality endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Mishari, who has been mayor since 2008, formed a council responsible for vari- ous projects to improve the area, the most important of which is the recycling eco-park. “Two years ago the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research wanted to set up an envi- ronmental project, so we suggested turning Yarmouk public park into an eco-park, Abdulaziz Al-Mishari financed by Ooredoo. The artworks were sport equipment and Internet service, which made by the artist Bader Nasser, and the also attracted visitors from other areas. Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and PAAAFR took care of the landscaping works,” Fish Resources (PAAAFR) also executed part added Mishari. of it,” he told Kuwait Times. And that wasn’t all. “Yarmouk Co-op pro- Further beautification and cleanups were vided a security guard in two locations - on held in the area. “We laid artificial turf in most Bin Baz Street during two peak periods from streets of Yarmouk, financed by Yarmouk Co- 7:00 am to 7:30 am and from 1:30 pm to 2:00 op, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Houmoud Al-Jaber Al- pm, while the other guard is near Yarmouk Sabah and Ahli United Bank. A walking path High School in the same periods to help was developed with lighting, children’s and organize traffic. Furthermore, the co-op is Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 also painting power generators in the area. We also erected a beautiful clock tower and a wall on the edge of the area,” Mishari said.

Request to Visitors “I call upon the residents of Yarmouk and all visitors to kindly preserve the park and refrain from damaging it and keep it tidy, as it’s the best place in area. Unfortunately, PAAAFR removed security guards from all public parks in Kuwait, so the Yarmouk Co-op provided a security guard who is available from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm,” Mishari noted. The mayor is cooperating with the Municipality, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Electricity and Water. “I go on tours in the area to check if there are prob- lems or violations such as illegal banners in the streets, uncollected garbage, abandoned vehicles and so on. I also check the water consumption by maids cleaning the cars or pavements, and for those wasting water, I place a letter from the MEW with my stamp

calling to save water,” he explained. “I formed the council to develop the area, and it includes the police station, polyclinic, schools and community devel- opment center. The council deals with all complaints by the residents, in addition to organizing various activities and campaigns such as a walkathon, a CAN campaign that includes symposiums for teachers to raise awareness of colon cancer, an anti-smoking campaign and others,” stressed Mishari.

New Service Within two weeks, a new service will be added to the Yarmouk polyclinic. “Patients will be able to book their appointment online and even choose the doctor and the hour they like,” he said. Mishari appealed to the minister of social affairs and labor to approve establishing a fund for the residents of Yarmouk to collect donations that will be used to develop the area and finance its projects, which was suggest- ed by WHO. He also called upon the officials at PAAAFR to find alterna- tive solutions for getting rid of stray dogs than killing them with poison-laced meat. “Many residents complain that dogs escape from the Friday Market and they cross the road and enter their houses. We hope they find better ways of catch- ing these dogs,” concluded Mishari. — Photos By Josph Shagra Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 8 KFH sells prime properties in auction

By Nawara Fattahova properties as the real-estate market is this is why we are selling the properties “The competition in the local market is stable and has recovered,” he told at an auction which is open to the pub- high. The supply is increasing with the KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) Kuwait Times. lic, although we have received offers huge number of newly-built proper- held an auction on Wednesday and The official did not agree that the from some investors and clients who ties, which should decrease demand, yesterday to sell 70 properties, includ- prices of properties will drop or that were interested in buying these prop- so prices may drop. Also, the drop in oil ing commercial, residential and invest- the market currently suffers from reces- erties directly. But we preferred to give price along with the drop in gold price ment buildings in various areas around sion. “We sold 48 properties in the first the opportunity for more people to will affect the price of properties,” he Kuwait. The bank has valued these day, and the attendance was to the participate or have a chance to buy explained. properties at KD 105 million. maximum, even more than we expect- property. Also, it’s not true that the He speculated that the bank’s fears According to an official of the KFH ed. Also, all these properties are locat- properties were sold below the market of a price drop led them to sell the who preferred to remain anonymous, ed in strategic locations and generate price, as we evaluated them before the properties now. “This bank is not the the reason for holding this auction is to high monthly income, as most are auction and accordingly set the open- only one holding an auction - a popu- sell properties included in a portfolio occupied 100 percent,” he added. ing price for each property,” the KFH lar businesswoman will soon be hold- due to the expiry of this five-year port- He denied KFH is facing financial official said. ing an auction of about 100 of her folio. “This portfolio was for a limited problems, which could be the reason Hussein Offtada, sales manager at a properties in Fahaheel. But not many period and the investors agreed selling behind selling these properties. “We real estate company, expected that the people are buying property,” stressed it as it’s a good opportunity for selling follow transparency in our work and price of properties in Kuwait may drop. Offtada. No taxes, no salary cuts, no reduction in benefits: Govt Nod to pilgrimage, transport bills

By B Izzak and Agencies million bpd by 2020. He said the new Civil Aviation. It also details the roles and refinery project and several exploration powers of the higher committee to moni- KUWAIT: State Minister for Cabinet and production projects, especially in tor travel agencies’ abidance by laws and Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah heavy oil, will continue as planned and regulations to guarantee the success of Al-Sabah said yesterday that the govern- there will be no delays. the spiritual journeys. The bill penalizes ment has no plans to impose taxes or cut During the debate, MPs raised the row the unlicensed organizing of hajj and wages and reduce benefits for Kuwaiti with Saudi Arabia that led to halting pro- umrah trips with imprisonment of no employees. “The government has not duction in the offshore Khafji oilfield more than one year and a fine of not less NEW YORK: Kuwait Diplomatic Attache Lolwa Al- asked any side to study the possibility of jointly shared by Kuwait and Saudi than KD 5,000 and no more than KD Rasheed. —KUNA imposing taxes. Taxation is one of the Arabia. The oil minister said that they 50,000 or one of the two penalties. most important sources of revenues in have been informed by the Saudi side The Assembly also approved a revised the world but not here in Kuwait. We that the reasons for the halt were techni- piece of legislation creating a public Kuwait doubles CERF have not even thought about it,” the minister told the National Assembly dur- annual share to $1m ing a debate on the consequences of the decline in oil prices. NEW YORK: From the firm belief of Kuwait of the importance of the The minister insisted that the govern- Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), it doubled its annual share ment has no plans to cut wages or from $500,000 to one million dollars at the annual CERF high-level confer- reduce benefits in the foreseeable future, ence held here late on Wednesday. At the ECOSOC Chamber, Kuwait’s but added that the government will Diplomatic Attache Lolwa Al-Rasheed stressed that the contribution study cutting the spending of certain comes for the purpose of strengthening its cooperation with the fund, government agencies by 20-25 percent. coupled with its desire to support the multilateral humanitarian response He did not name them. Head of the and meet the emergency needs, as well as recognizing the pivotal role of Budgets Committee MP Adnan the UN, its specialized agencies and funds in the area of humanitarian Abdulsamad said the government sug- assistance and emergency relief. gested to cut public spending from KD During her speech, Rasheed recalled the statement of HH the Amir 23.2 billion this year to KD 19 billion in Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during the UN’s celebration for the coming fiscal year 2015/2016. his international humanitarian efforts, when he announced doubling the Abdulsamad said that under the new amount of Kuwait’s voluntary annual fixed contributions to CERF. budget, salaries and benefits will not be Therefore, she said, Kuwait pledges to contribute the amount of one mil- touched and the same applies to strate- lion dollars to CERF for the year 2015. gic projects. He also reaffirmed that the Kuwait is following intently the preparations currently being undertak- budget does not include any proposals en by the United Nations for the World Humanitarian Summit, which will to increase the prices of petrol and elec- convene in 2016 in Istanbul, she added. In this regard, “we wish to confirm tricity. our support and our active participation in the regional consultations lead- Planning Minister Hind Al-Subaih also KUWAIT: Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair looks on as he attends a parliament ing to the summit, namely, the Middle East and North Africa regional con- confirmed that important projects will session at the National Assembly yesterday. sultations to be held in Amman in March 2015,” she said. not be affected. She said that the five- —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Furthermore, Kuwait reiterated its emphasis on the speedy delivery of year plan includes 29 mega projects, life-saving emergency relief, which reduces the severity of hardship and some of which will be implemented in cal, adding that strong relations with authority for roads and land transport in risks facing affected populations and is of vital importance for their early partnership with the private sector. Riyadh are capable of overcoming any the first deliberation. The responsibility of recovery, as well as rebuilding their lives expeditiously, Rasheed said. The During the session, officials from Kuwait problem. At the end of the debate, the supervising and controlling public trans- Kuwaiti delegation extended its gratitude to Secretary General Ban Ki- Petroleum Corp (KPC) explained the main Assembly passed a number of recom- port in the country, including roads and moon, Undersecretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie causes that led to the massive slide in oil mendations including the call to employ utilities, should rest with a competent Amos for their outstanding work in convening such event. Rasheed also prices and its impact on Kuwait’s crude more Kuwaitis in the oil sector. authority, according to an explanatory stressed that the world witnessed an unprecedented increase in conflicts industry. memorandum. The authority’s board of and natural catastrophes. Therefore, she said, “it is incumbent upon us to Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair said Kuwait Bills approved directors should consist of 11 members, strengthen and reactivate the efforts of international partnership to produces around 2.8 million barrels per The assembly later approved a draft including representatives from the min- ensure early relief”. Ban said the depth and severity of humanitarian crises day and its impact on the global oil mar- law on hajj (pilgrimage) and umrah istries of public works, electricity and is rising due to the effects of climate change, urbanization, population ket is not huge and cannot decide the (minor pilgrimage) to regulate the sector. water, communications, Municipality and growth and competition for resources. He noted that CERF started in 2006, prices of oil. KPC chief executive officer The bill stipulates that the higher com- General Department of Traffic, according where some 30 million people were in need of aid, and now that number Nezar Al-Adasani said Kuwait will contin- mittee for hajj and umrah should include to the revised bill. Also other qualified sci- is more than 100 million. This year alone, CERF funding has supported ue with its oil projects in various fields representatives of the ministries of awqaf entific and technical members from the people in crisis in 44 countries, from Iraq and Myanmar to Ukraine and with the aim to raise production to 3.5 and Islamic affairs, interior, foreign affairs, private sector are to be selected as board Guatemala, he noted. —KUNA million bpd in 2015-2016 and then to 4.0 Municipality and Directorate General of members. Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Air ambulance initiative in Kuwait to save lives

KUWAIT: The air ambulance initiative, estab- the support and blessing of the government lished by former servicemen, security veter- and the Health Ministry, the company was ans, and firefighters, will have a crucial impact able to purchase two helicopters and an air- on health services in Kuwait, providing a craft, Foudiri indicated, noting that the air- chance to save more lives, said a Kuwaiti offi- craft will be used to carry injured individuals cial yesterday. Speaking to KUNA, retired air in Kuwait and also send people in need of commodore and chairman of the board of Al- treatment to nearby medical facilities in the Safwa security and defense systems’ compa- region and abroad. ny Ali Al-Foudiri said that the air ambulance Foudiri said that the staff, in charge of fly- initiative will help save lives of people in ing the aircraft and providing medical treat- Kuwait regardless of their location. ment, is now on a training course in the US to The air ambulance initiative will enable enhance their abilities and skills. A facility for medics to fly anywhere in the country to aid ground control, maintenance, and training is individuals in need of immediate medical currently under construction, said Foudiri, attention, said the official, adding that prob- adding that the company, in coordination lems like traffic jams, which usually hinder the with government’s rescue entities, will focus efforts of ground vehicles will decimate with on mutual efforts to serve the people and the presence of helicopters and aircraft. With help save lives. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Aerial view dated March 14, 1991 shows burning oil wells damaged by retreating Iraqi soldiers at Ahmadi oil field in southern Kuwait. — AFP UN defers Iraq’s war reparations to Kuwait Final payment worth $4.6 billion

GENEVA: The United Nations Gulf War com- standing compensation in full and in a timely pensation fund agreed yesterday to defer manner”, Kraft said. Iraq’s requirement to deposit five percent of Khaled Ahmed Al-Mudhaf, chairman of its oil revenues for a year due to its budgetary Kuwait compensation authority, led the state’s difficulties, a senior UN official said. Major delegation. Iraq’s delegation was headed by Bloody fight at powers on the fund’s ruling body took the Mohammad Bidan, a senior foreign ministry decision by consensus as Iraq’s economy is official. Iraq has been paying funds regularly being battered by both low oil prices and war into the Geneva-based fund overseeing com- board meeting with Islamic State militants. “The Governing pensation for looting and damage inflicted Council adopted a decision agreeing to a during Saddam Hussein’s seven-month occu- postponement of Iraq’s requirement to pation of Kuwait, which was ended by a multi- By Hanan Al-Saadoun IS members jailed deposit five percent of oil proceeds until 1 national military operation. KUWAIT: Criminal court sentenced an January, 2016,” Leah Kraft, legal officer of the But with its economy set to shrink for the KUWAIT: A bloody fight took place yesterday alleged Islamic State member to 10 years in UN Compensation Commission (UNCC), told first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion top- between members of the board of Ardiya jail. The charges included recruitment and Reuters. pled Saddam and ended more than a decade Cooperative Society over the distribution of insulting HH the Amir. Two other suspects Speaking after the closed-door session in of sanctions, Iraq can ill afford to divert a large posts among them. The fight ended in exten- were sentenced to four years because of links Geneva, she added: “The Council expressed chunk of the 2015 budget to make that last sive injuries to six persons. Ambulances and to Daesh. its solidarity with Iraq and wanted to be as payment due next year. The last, and largest, police were present in force to control mat- helpful as possible.” Iraq this week requested outstanding compensation claim for $4.6 bil- ters as the fight broke out inside the adminis- a one-year deferral of a $4.6 billion repara- lion is from Kuwait for damage to its oil facili- tration’s offices. Members were supposed to tions payment for destroying Kuwait’s oil ties. More than 700 Kuwaiti oil wells were set distribute posts and agree on its mechanism facilities during its 1990-91 occupation. Earlier on fire by Iraqi troops retreating from the US- following elections that took place recently. yesterday, state news agency KUNA reported led operation Desert Storm to recapture it in The fight broke out when a member prevent- that Kuwait said it accepted the Iraqi request Jan 1991. Some burned for 10 months. Nearly ed the meeting from taking place, then eight related to reparations imposed by the UN all of Iraq’s $52.4 billion reparations bill has of his friends stormed the meeting room and Security Council over its invasion. The UNCC’s been paid, with more than a million claimants attempted to attack another member, who Governing Council emphasised to Iraq’s dele- - individuals, companies and governments - was to be elected president, using knives and gation “the importance of paying the out- receiving compensation. — Reuters sticks. The rest of the members sided with the member who was attacked. Kuwait portrays oil experience in Egypt

CAIRO: Kuwait’s experience of successfully part in the “Kuwaiti week” along with sever- coping with rapid developments in the oil al other Kuwaiti departments and authori- industry has been relayed to Egypt via an ties. Ahmad Abduljabbar, a representative exhibition held here titled “Kuwait in Egypt”. of the society, affirmed that many Egyptians Hussein Al-Sarraf, a public relations coordi- who visited the fair are aware of the associa- Man killed in blaze nator at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Oil, told tion’s contributions for aiding people in An Asian was killed after a fire broke out in KUNA at end of the event that Kuwait as an need at times of crises and catastrophes a Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh flat at dawn yesterday. oil producing and exporting country has across the globe. Kuwaiti Ambassador Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Ardhiya fire centers made strides in face of rapid changes and Salem Al-Zamanan said the event signaled dispatched their teams to area and evacuat- ed the building. Some people were trapped, developments in oil industries worldwide depth of the historic Kuwaiti-Egyptian ties, while a person who threw himself from with the aim of meeting local and interna- noting necessity of continuing cooperation above sustained fractures. Six other residents tional demand. at various level to cement further the bilat- are critical, while three firemen were injured. Kuwait Red Crescent Society also took eral cordial relationship. — KUNA They were all taken to hospital. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Abbas supports Kurds press Obama reignites more talks on offensive political debate UN 11bid against12 jihadists over15 Cuba

ABUJA: Soldiers accused of refusing to fight in the country’s northeastern Islamic uprising appear before a court martial in Abuja, Nigeria. On Wednesday, the court-mar- tial sentenced 54 soldiers to death for mutiny, assault, cowardice and refusing to fight Islamic extremists, connected to the soldiers’ refusal to deploy to recapture three towns seized by Nigeria’s home-grown Boko Haram in August, according to the charge sheet. —AP ‘Boko Haram’ kidnaps 185 in Nigeria Militants kill 32 after mass abduction

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Boko Haram has kidnapped at Cameroon, where the military claimed to have killed elled several hundred kilometres in the opposite the military has faced in challenging the rebels, with least 185 people, including women and children, in 116 insurgents while repelling a Wednesday attack on direction to connect with the main road that leads to soldiers on the ground claiming they have been used northeast Nigeria, the latest mass abduction in a an army base in the border town of Amchide. the state capital. Mukhtar Buba, a resident who fled to as cannon fodder in battles against militants armed region where the military has repeatedly struggled to Maiduguri, also confirmed that women and children with rocket propelled grenades and heavy artillery. protect civilians, officials and witnesses said yesterday. ‘Wives and daughters’ abducted were taken. “After killing our youths, the insurgents Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and top oil produc- The attack, conducted on Sunday by well-armed A convoy of gunmen stormed Gumsuri in Borno have taken away our wives and daughters,” he said. er and reports of troops sent to fight without basic Islamist extremists in the town of Gumsuri, also killed state on Sunday, throwing petrol bombs into build- The military and police were not immediately communication equipment have sparked outrage. 32 people. It recalled the April kidnappings in Chibok, ings and leaving much of the village destroyed, two available to comment. Witnesses said the hostages “The oath of office taken by... soldiers is not a where more than 200 girls were taken from a school. local officials and a witness said. The officials, who put were carted away on trucks towards the Sambisa licence to commit suicide,” said Femi Falana, defense President Goodluck Jonathan, who is standing for the death toll at 32, said the local government estab- Forest, a notorious rebel stronghold, where the lawyer for the mutineers, who described the verdict as reelection in February 14 polls, had pledged that the lished the number of those abducted by contacting Chibok girls were also reportedly taken before being an outrage. Top military brass insist gains are being Chibok attack would mark the beginning of the end of families, ward heads and clerics. divided into smaller groups. made, but there have few signs of progress and terrorism in Nigeria, but violence has escalated since. A vigilante leader based in the Borno state capital Nigeria is under intense pressure to contain the unrest The Islamists have a carried out a series of abductions Maiduguri, Usman Kakani, told AFP that fighters who Military questioned before February polls. this year, boosting their supply of child fighters, were in Gumsuri during the attack provided a figure Vigilantes, who have the military’s backing, had porters and young women who have reportedly been of 191 abducted, including women, girls and boys. defended Gumsuri against waves of previous Islamist Cross border violence used as sex slaves. Gumsuri is roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) south of attacks but were ultimately overpowered on Sunday, The defense ministry in Cameroon’s capital Boko Haram has not claimed the Gumsuri attack, Maiduguri and falls on the road that leads to Chibok. local officials said. The military has left much of the Yaounde said Wednesday’s raid in Amchide was car- but multiple sources in the village blamed the extrem- Details of the Gumsuri attack took four days to front-line fighting to vigilantes and hunters who have ried out by several hundred Islamists who ambushed ists whose five-year uprising has killed more than emerge because the mobile phone network in the inferior weapons and almost no training. a column of military vehicles with explosives and 13,000 people and forced more than 1.5 million others region has completely collapsed and many roads are An army court martial on Wednesday sentenced simultaneously attacked the army base. Cameroonian from their homes. impassable. 54 soldiers to death for mutiny after they refused to troops retaliated instantly, the ministry said, killing Northeast Nigeria has been the epicentre of the Those who fled the village said it was too danger- deploy for an operation against Boko Haram, blaming 116 insurgents while one soldier has been confirmed conflict, but unrest has also spread into neighbouring ous to head directly to Maiduguri. Instead, they trav- a lack of weapons. The case underscored the struggles dead and another was missing. —AFP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 As easy targets thin, Syria air strikes by US allies fall Allied forces carried out only 2 air strikes in Dec

WASHINGTON/DUBAI: As US fighter jets pound Islamic October and just 14 in November. State targets in Syria, Washington’s coalition allies appear The only two strikes by Washington’s allies this month increasingly absent from the air war. targeted an electronic warfare garrison near the city of Although President Barack Obama’s administration Raqqa on Dec 7, a US official said. announced the Syrian air strikes three months ago as a joint campaign by Washington and its Arab allies, nearly 97 More capability percent of the strikes in December have been carried out The drop in air strikes by coalition partners in Syria by the United States alone, according to US military data underscores the contrast with the campaign in Iraq. Across provided to Reuters. the border, the United States has allies with highly trained The data shows that US allies have carried out just two and equipped air forces, including Britain, France, Canada air strikes in Syria in the first half of December, compared and Australia. They see the air campaign in Iraq on far more with 62 by the United States. That accentuates a shift that solid legal ground, since they are there at the invitation of began shortly after the start of the campaign in late Baghdad. Syria, on the other hand, is considered off-limits September, when US allies carried out 38 percent of the by many allies, particularly those in Europe, because of the ALEPPO: A man carries a young girl who was injured in a strikes. The percentage quickly dropped to around 8 per- Syrian government’s public opposition to the US-led air reported barrel-bomb attack by government forces in cent in October and 9 percent in November, according to strikes. Kallaseh district in the northern city of Aleppo. — AFP Reuters calculations based on the data. “It’s legal issues. It’s concerns that our European part- US officials are keen to prevent the coalition from fray- ners and others have about where Syria is going,” one US ing over concerns about the air campaign’s direction. official said. “So the reality is, even though we say the prob- UN seeks $8.4bn to help Some allies have long worried the air strikes might unin- lem knows no border, by definition there’s a distinction.” tentionally bolster Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad by The United States intensified its campaign in Syria in Victims of Syria war striking a common enemy, sources said. Others in the October, carrying out 233 strikes, as the battle over the region are also saying privately that the US-led campaign Kurdish border town of Kobani became a focal point. It car- BERLIN: The UN appealed yesterday for $8.4 billion to pro- against Sunni extremists needs to do more to help Sunni ried out another 146 in November. vide emergency aid and longer-term help to nearly 18 million Muslims. In total, the United States carried out 488 air strikes in people in Syria and across the region hit by the drawn-out However, officials in the United States and the region Syria through Dec. 15, according to US military data. conflict. insist that political tensions simmering within the coalition Making the strikes harder, the Islamic State is operating For the first time, the United Nations’ appeal includes had nothing to do with dwindling coalition strikes. “It’s a less out in the open and increasingly establishing itself “in funding for life-saving food, shelter and other humanitarian question of targets. From a military perspective, the coop- or near civilian-use facilities,” one US official said. aid as well as development support, as the bloody war in Syria heads towards a fifth year. UN agencies said at its eration is extensive and deep,” said a source familiar with A diplomat in the Gulf described the allies’ role as large- launch in Berlin that $2.9 billion (2.4 billion euros) was need- Gulf strategy in the coalition. ly symbolic, given the scale and complexity of US opera- ed to help 12.2 million people inside Syria in 2015. Two factors are at play: a decline in the overall pace of tions. “There are targets and all involved know the US is A further $5.5 billion is eyed for Syrians who have sought strikes and fewer easier-to-hit fixed Islamic State targets more efficient at hitting them. Now is not the time for an refuge in neighboring countries and more than a million peo- after nearly three months of bombings, US officials and ‘oops’ moment,” the diplomat said, speaking on condition ple in host communities, it said. The Berlin appeal for Syria is Gulf sources say. Such fixed targets were initially bombed of anonymity. slightly higher than an indicative amount announced in by Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates Lieutenant General James Terry, who leads the coalition Geneva earlier this month, which did not include funding while the United States has from the start focused on more effort against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, told needs of neighboring countries. The UN is planning for up to difficult ones, using precision-guided munitions to avoid reporters that the strikes had hurt the Islamic State. But the 4.3 million refugees in countries neighboring Syria by the end civilian casualties. view from the ground is mixed. Assad said this month the of 2015, it added. “For those that think that this is a lot of “There are simply less (fixed) targets,” said a US official, US-led campaign had made no difference and Islamic State money, I don’t remember any bailout of any medium-sized bank that has cost less than this,” UN High Commissioner for speaking on condition of anonymity. “From our point of supporters in Syria say the air strikes have helped the Refugees Antonio Guterres told reporters. view, that’s a good thing. It means that the strikes are hav- group win support among residents and recruit fighters. He warned that refugees and people displaced inside ing an impact.” Even within the US-led coalition in Syria there is con- Syria had exhausted their savings and that host countries Just under half of the 65 non-US coalition air strikes in cern that the strikes against the Islamic State have were at “breaking point”. United Nations humanitarian chief Syria tallied until 3 a.m. on Dec. 15 took place in the first helped Assad by allowing his forces to step up air attacks Valerie Amos said Syria had slumped from a middle income nine days of the air campaign in late September, according on other rebel groups, some of whom are sympathetic to country to struggling with widespread poverty. —AFP to US military data. US allies carried out 20 air strikes in Washington. — Reuters Palestinian leader supports more talks on UN bid

RAMALLAH: Palestinian leader Mahmoud door on further negotiations on the issue, Abbas said yesterday he supports further nego- including with the United States. The US, as a tiations over a draft resolution on ending Israel’s permanent council member, often has vetoed occupation of Palestinian lands that was submit- measures targeting Israel. As Abbas spoke in the ted to the UN Security Council for a possible West bank city of Ramallah, thousands of mem- vote. The Palestinians have been pressing for bers of his Fatah party demonstrated against some sort of action in the UN’s most powerful him in the Gaza Strip. body. Council member Jordan sponsored the The protesters were supporters of resolution Wednesday, after a day of talks Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah strongman among Arab states. The resolution calls for in Gaza whom Abbas fired in a power struggle. Israeli forces to be withdrawn by the end of They carried pro-Dahlan posters and lambasted 2017 from territories captured during the 1967 Abbas for alleged corruption and supposed ser- War. vility in the face of the continuing Israeli occupa- The resolution “comes in the context of our tion of the West Bank. political battle to liberate the land and end the The rally was approved by Gaza’s militant occupation of the Palestinian state,” Abbas told Hamas group - a rival of Fatah - in an apparent a Palestinian leadership meeting. “We will con- effort to keep up the pressure on Abbas in the tinue in our consultations with the brothers and coastal territory. Also yesterday, Latin Patriarch friends through deliberations, which will take Fouad Twal, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas speaks, in front of a poster showing place in the United Nations,” he added. Holy Land, condemned violence on both sides Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock mosque in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site Earlier, Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his annual in Islam, during a meeting with Palestinian leaders yesterday in the West Bank city of Mansour said the resolution does not close the Christmas message. — AP Ramallah. — AFP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Yemen’s parliament approves new Cabinet

SANAA: Yemen’s parliament yesterday approved nation’s main power brokers since they overran a new government with a comfortable majority the capital. The Houthis surrounded the Defense following months of violence and political wran- Ministry and packed nearby streets on Tuesday, gling. The 301-seat chamber’s vote came two preventing the minister from reaching his office. A days after loyalists of ousted president Ali day earlier, the minister had evicted the rebels Abdullah Saleh derailed a vote of confidence on from around the ministry for preventing his chief the government during a raucous session. of staff from entering. The legislature did not release a tally, but more Wrangling over the makeup of the new gov- than 200 lawmakers were present and the vote, ernment, as well as the Houthis’ military expan- by show of hands, suggested a large majority sion around the capital and in other strategic approved the 36-member government led by provinces, has driven Yemen deeper into tur- Khaled Bahah. moil. Parliament’s approval of the new government Saleh and his loyalists, who form the majority should help ease tensions, but it’s unlikely to in parliament, have called on the government to resolve the power struggle between President explicitly denounce UN sanctions against the for- Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Shiite rebels, mer leader and two top Houthi leaders. Bahah’s known as Houthis, who seized control of the capi- government has vowed to respect the sanctions. tal Sanaa in September and are allied with Saleh Last month, the UN Security Council approved an loyalists. The Houthis had pressed Hadi to form a asset freeze and a global travel ban on Saleh, the new government that would give them more say rebel group’s military commander Abd Al-Khaliq in the country’s political affairs. Widely thought to Al-Houthi, and the Houthis’ second-in-command, be aided by Iran, the Houthis have become the Abdullah Yahya Al-Hakim. — AP MOSUL: An Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter fires at Islamic-State (IS) militant positions, from his position on the top of Mount Zardak, a strategic point taken 3 days ago, about 25 kilome- ters east of Mosul. — AFP Kurds press northern Iraq offensive against jihadists Forces take militants in heart of ‘caliphate’

ARBIL: Kurdish forces backed by foreign jets of the main goals of the offensive. pressed an ambitious operation against the The operation aims to disrupt IS supply lines Islamic State group in northern Iraq yesterday, and further isolate Mosul, around which the taking on the jihadists in the heart of their jihadists have been building berms and trenches “caliphate”. in recent weeks. After mass bombing by aircraft of the US-led IS has also cut the mobile phone network in coalition paved the way for ground troops the city and imposed tougher restrictions on the Wednesday, Iraq’s Kurdish peshmerga retook sev- population’s movements, sparking accusations eral villages and closed in on the Sinjar area. they are seeking to use civilians as human shields It was the capture of Sinjar by IS in early in the event of an attack. The jihadists have suf- August, and the risk of genocide against its largely fered a string of recent setbacks in Iraq, but the Yazidi minority population, that was one of the front lines have been more static in Syria. reasons US President Barack Obama put forward The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SANAA: Yemeni Prime Ministr Khaled Bahah speaks to the press after a voting session of par- for launching the air war against the jihadists. Wednesday it had learnt that a mass grave was liament to gain support for the policies of the newly appointed government in Sanaa yester- Fresh strikes were conducted yesterday north of uncovered with the the bodies of 230 people day. The new government of Bahah won a confidence vote in Yemen’s House of Tall Afar, one of the first areas to fall to IS fighters from the Shaitat tribe which rose up against IS in Representatives with a comfortable majority following months of unrest. — AFP in early June, Anwar Brahim, a senior officer with the summer in the Deir Ezzor area. the Kurds’ asayesh intelligence services, said. The bodies were discovered by relatives as “At around 7:00 am (0400 GMT), there were they returned to their villages from months of dis- coalition strikes on Nahyat al-Ayadhiya,” Brahim placement after agreeing to respect an IS- Iraq PM drops lawsuits told AFP. “A large deployment of peshmerga is imposed curfew. ready to close in on Sinjar.” Kurdish forces used heavy artillery to pound IS Second siege against journalists positions in the area but officials said the fighting The 60-nation US-led coalition against IS, was less intense than on Wednesday. The US mili- which also carried out five air strikes in Syria this BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al- Islamic State group’s summer onslaught. The tary command supervising the coalition air cam- week, is not cooperating with the Syrian regime. Abadi yesterday ordered the withdrawal of all Sunni extremist group captured much of paign said Wednesday that 61 air strikes had been The administrations in Baghdad and in government lawsuits against journalists and northern and western Iraq after routing securi- carried out in Iraq since Monday. autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, however, have media outlets, marking a departure from his ty forces loyal to Al-Maliki’s Shiite-led govern- That was some of the heaviest bombardment received strong support from Western govern- predecessor Nouri Al-Maliki, who was widely ment. Under al-Maliki, several journalists who since the jihadist onslaught on the Sinjar area and ments, in the form of weapons, aid and thousands accused of using state institutions to target his had been critical of the government faced towards Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region of military advisers. political enemies. The move reflects Al-Abadi’s arrest warrants and lawsuits. Al-Maliki, whose prompted the first US air raids four months ago. Kurdish leaders said one of the objectives of “keenness to ensure freedom of rule alienated the Sunni and Kurdish minori- The US military said “45 strikes were conduct- Wednesday’s offensive was to “break the siege on expression...and his desire that the media have ties, has been widely blamed for the current ed in support of the peshmerga and Iraqi security Mount Sinjar”, which was the scene in August of a big role in building the country,” a govern- crisis. At least 14 people were killed and dozens forces operating in the region”. Footage released one of the conflict’s most dramatic episodes. ment statement said, without providing details wounded in separate attacks. In the northeast- by the Kurdish government showed the charred IS killed hundreds of residents, abducted and on ongoing cases. It went on to urge all media ern suburb of Husseiniyah, a car bomb went off carcasses of IS vehicles destroyed by air strikes enslaved hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, and organizations to practice “responsible” journal- near shops and restaurants, killing seven peo- and the jihadists’ black flag still flying over aban- forced tens of thousands to seek refuge on Mount ism. The Head of the Iraqi Journalists’ Union, ple and wounding 18, police said. doned positions. Sinjar. Civilians remained besieged there for days Mouyyad Al-Lami, hailed the decree, saying it Another bomb went off near a market in in the searing summer heat with little to eat or would help create a “safe environment for Youssifiyah, just south of Baghdad, killing four Dozens killed drink before a breach in the siege allowed them journalism in Iraq.” people and wounding 11, a police officer said. The peshmerga said they recaptured eight vil- to flee. Yazidi fighting units that were formed in Al-Abadi, who assumed office in A bombing near car repair shops in the north- lages and killed around 80 IS fighters in the initial the wake of the August attack have struggled to September, has promised reforms following ern Baghdad suburbs killed three people and phase of the two-pronged offensive, launched control land in the Sinjar area and retreated to the the eight-year rule of Al-Maliki, who was widely wounded 10, another officer said. Two med- from Rabia on the Syria border and Zumar on the mountain in September. A few thousand people seen as monopolizing power. Al-Abadi recently ical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All shores of Mosul dam lake. Brahim, who is the are still atop Mount Sinjar in what Yazidi leaders retired a number of military officers and has officials spoke on condition of anonymity Kurdish intelligence chief for the Zumar area, said have called a “second siege”. Some are residents moved to root out corruption in the security because they were not authorized to speak to six Kurdish troops were killed and 31 wounded in of the mountain but most are fighters, from vari- forces following their collapse in the face of the media. —AP the first day of fighting. Sinjar, between the Syria ous regional Kurdish groups or recently-formed border and Iraq’s IS-held second city Mosul, is one Yazidi militias. — AFP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 13 Kenya legislators exchange blows over security laws Kenya jails four men for killing Scottish geologist

NAIROBI: A Kenyan court yesterday sentenced four men to 40 years in jail each after finding them guilty of killing a prominent Scottish gemstone expert in August 2009. A crowd armed with clubs, spears, bows and arrows attacked and killed the geologist, Campbell Bridges, dur- ing a dispute over mining in a national park in the town of Voi, 170km (110 miles) north of the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Bridges, a 71-year-old internationally- renowned gemmologist who had settled in Kenya in 1974, owned several gemstone mines in the Voi area. He was attacked as he drove his pick-up truck with his son and four other Kenyans. The accused, Mohamed Dadi Kokone 42, Alfred Makoko Njuruka 58, Samwel Machala 49 and James NAIROBI: Kenya lawmakers leave the building during a break yesterday in Nairobi after debating on the Chacha 56, had denied the charges in 2009 and were all controversial new security legislation that would crack down on terror suspects and curtail journalists’ free- out on bail except Kokone who failed to raise the cash doms if they’re deemed to “undermine” investigations. —AFP bond. “The accused acted unlawfully even if the deceased was rightly a trespasser, they had no right to take matters NAIROBI: Kenyan legislators yesterday fired warning shots in another part of the tors say if enacted the new laws will into their own hands. This type of jungle law has no place exchanged blows forcing parliament to capital where pro-opposition youths had infringe on civil liberties reminiscent of anywhere in a civilised society,” Judge Moureen Odero, adjourn the debate on proposed blocked the road. President Uhuru the autocratic regimes of Kenya’s first said as she delivered her ruling. changes to security laws which the gov- Kenyatta has urged parliament to pass two presidents; President Odero said witnesses had told the court during trial ernment says will help fight terrorism the proposed changes saying they will Jomo Kenyatta- the father of Kenya’s that tension had been brewing between the Bridges and but which critics say are meant to silence strengthen security following a series of current president- and Daniel Arap Moi. local small-scale miners who accused the geologist of dissent by curtailing civil liberties. terrorist attacks blamed on the Somali Among the changes government has trespassing into their land. Opposition legislators threw the papers Islamic extremist group al-Shabab. proposed in the security laws is a fine of “The locals who wanted to get a foothold into the min- on the floor and chaos erupted in which Nine western governments, including $56,000 or a three-year jail-term or both government supporters hit and tore the the United States and Britain have urged on journalists whose stories are deemed ing industry viewed the deceased as an outsider who had clothes of opposition senator Johnston Kenyan legislators to respect human to undermine terror investigations, a been given a license to exploit the mineral wealth on Muthama, who was seated in the public rights while enacting the proposed similar fine for media which publish pic- their land,” Odero said. gallery. The ruckus was broadcast on changes. tures of terror victims without the per- Bridges is credited with discovering the green tsavorite national television. The laws have been opposed by the mission of the police. The new laws also gemstone in the late 1960s in the bushland on the border There was a heavy police presence in media, human rights groups and the propose to give the president powers to with neighboring Tanzania, according to the New York-based the city center which was increased fol- main opposition coalition which say they fire and hire the police chief and intelli- International Coloured Gemstone Association. —Reuters lowing the fracas in parliament. Police will restrict freedoms. Opposition legisla- gence chief. —AP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 14 EU leaders seek long-term strategy to deal with Russia EU court says British visa rule illegal

Crisis talks resume for Dutch coalition partners

THE HAGUE: Crisis talks aimed at salvaging Zijlstra told reporters without giving details a cost-cutting Dutch health reform package of a possible way out of the crisis. Dutch and staving off the possible collapse of the media reported that Deputy Prime Minister country’s 2-year-old ruling coalition Lodewijk Asscher of the Labor Party visited entered a third day yesterday. one of the three senators who voted down The future of Prime Minister Mark the health reforms before joining Rutte in Rutte’s two-party coalition was hanging in his office for further talks. the balance amid private discussions aimed Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders’ at rescuing health care reforms intended to Freedom Party leads polls. Prosecutors in shave 1 billion euros ($1.25 billion) off gov- The Hague announced yesterday they plan ernment spending. The package was reject- to press hate speech charges against ed Tuesday partly because of the votes of Wilders for remarks including a chant at a three senators from the Labor Party, a jun- postelection rally in which he asked his ior coalition partner. The Cabinet, made up supporters whether they wanted more or of Rutte’s pro-free market Liberal Party and fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. center-left Labor, is an uneasy alliance The announcement marked the second because of ideological differences, but time Wilders has faced charges linked to BRUSSELS: British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) speaks with Danish Prime both parties have slumped in the polls his anti-immigrant and anti-Islam rhetoric. Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt during a meeting ahead of the European Union since taking office in 2012 and wouldn’t rel- He was acquitted of similar charges in summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. —AFP ish new elections early next year. 2011. In a written statement, Wilders said One senior government lawmaker he “said what millions of people think and BRUSSELS: European Union leaders gathered in supreme court told Britain yesterday that it could sounded optimistic a solution could be believe” and added that authorities Brussels yesterday seeking common ground on a no longer require entry visas in advance for non- brokered. “There is certainly progress,” “should concentrate on prosecuting jihadis long-term strategy to deal with an unfriendly but EU citizens who are family members of EU citi- Liberal Party parliamentary leader Halbe instead of me.” —AP economically wounded Russia. zens and hold a residence permit from another Summit host Donald Tusk, the new president member state. Ruling in the case of Helena of the leaders’ European Council, said it was vital Patricia McCarthy Rodriguez, a Colombian mar- for stability on the bloc’s eastern borders to start ried to a Briton living in Spain, the Court of a discussion about how to handle a relationship Justice said EU rules did not allow London to that some warn risks becoming a new Cold War. insist on her applying in advance for an entry visa “The situation is really dramatic and very dynam- before she travelled from their home in Marbella ic and of course ... demands immediate reac- to Britain. tions,” said Tusk, who was until earlier this year Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokesman prime minister of Poland and a strong supporter said the government disagreed with the ruling. of Ukraine in its confrontation with Moscow. He said it would await a ruling on the issue from He noted the tightening of economic sanc- the British High Court before deciding how to tions earlier in the day against investments in respond. Cameron’s government, which faces an Crimea, the Black Sea region annexed from election in May, has made obtaining greater Ukraine in March by Russian President Vladimir national control of migration from the rest of the Putin. “But for sure,” Tusk told reporters as he EU a key objective. Cameron wants to review arrived to chair his first EU summit, “We will not Britain’s relations with the EU before a member- find a long-term solution for Ukraine without an ship referendum he has promised to hold in adequate and consistent, both tough and 2017, provided he wins the May poll. Cameron responsible, strategy towards Russia.” Some will meet his fellow EU leaders at a summit in hawks among Moscow’s former satellites in east- Brussels later yesterday. ern Europe have expressed concern that fear of The anti-EU UK Independence Party, which is provoking Putin and worries about the effect of expected to poll well in May, said the ruling Russian training ship Smonly leaves Saint-Nazaire harbor yesterday. Some 400 Russia’s financial crisis on other European showed Cameron’s pledge to control British bor- Russian sailors training to operate the controversial Mistral-class warship built economies could prompt EU powers to ease ders was “naive or dishonest”. UKIP said resident sanctions or pull back from political and eco- permits in other EU states were subject to abuse, by France for Russia left the country today as Paris agonizes over whether to nomic support for Kiev. making Britain’s visa system necessary. The court deliver the high-tech vessel. — AFP But diplomats have said leaders, who will dis- reviewed the case at the request of British judges cuss Russia and Ukraine over dinner, have no to whom the family had complained that a consensus on either rolling back sanctions that requirement for Helena McCarthy to travel to the UK police in child abuse inquiry will last until summer or in imposing new ones. British consulate in Madrid every six months to Tusk, who will open the summit with a renew a visa breached an EU directive granting investigating possible murders request to endorse a new EU investment plan to free movement across the bloc for EU citizens stimulate growth, said the cash-strapped bloc and their families. LONDON: Police looking into accusations that pow- politicians, public officials, clergy and other high-pro- should step up its help for Ukraine. In a statement, the court said that Britain’s erful figures at the heart of the British establishment file figures would examine possible murders. “Today we should send a strong signal on our concern at levels of identity fraud did not give it were involved in child sex abuse in the 1970s and One lawmaker has told Reuters at least 10 current readiness to further support Ukraine also finan- the right to impose automatic requirements on 1980s said yesterday they were investigating allega- or former politicians might have been involved in cially as we have done politically,” said Tusk, who individuals like McCarthy, where there was no tions that three boys had been murdered. They said child abuse. Britain promised an over-arching public diplomats believe may play a more vocal role in suggestion of fraud or her marriage being a places where abuse was alleged to have taken place inquiry into allegations of nationwide historical child pushing EU leaders on foreign policy than his sham. “National authorities are required to rec- included military establishments and at Dolphin abuse earlier this year but the investigation has been consensus-focused Belgian predecessor Herman ognize, for the purposes of entry into their terri- Square, a central London block of flats close to parlia- dogged by controversy. Van Rompuy. “For me, it’s clear that a modern, tory without a visa, a residence card issued ... by ment. “These are unique and complex investigations” Two chairmen appointed to head the process stable, independent Ukraine must be the foun- another member state, unless doubt is cast on Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner have quit because of their links to establishment fig- dation of this new strategy,” he added of the the authenticity of that card and the correctness Steve Rodhouse told reporters. Detectives first ures who have come in for criticism, and some vic- prospect of a longer-term stance toward of the data appearing on it,” the Court of Justice announced last month that their investigation into tims and other participants have said they have lost Moscow. Meanwhile, the European Union’s said. —Reuters accusations of historical paedophile rings involving faith in the inquiry. —Reuters International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Obama reignites political debate over Cuba

Cuban embargo politics does not matter much among young Cuban-Americans

WASHINGTON: The surprising move by President Barack Obama to restore US ties with Cuba reignit- ed long-simmering political passions over the fate of the island nation, reinforcing yet another differ- ence between Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and several Republicans eyeing bids for the White House. Yet even in Florida, the nation’s most essential swing state, those distinctions may not matter as much as they once did amid an increasingly diverse electorate of Hispanic voters and younger Cuban- Americans, many of whom do not share the same fervor to depose Cuba’s Castro brothers as their par- ents and grandparents. “If you’re a third-generation Cuban, in your mid-30s, went to college here ... things that define your worldview are not Cuban embargo politics,” said Steve Schale, a Florida- based Democratic strategist who led Obama’s state effort in 2012. Among potential Republican presidential candi- dates, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio led the attack Wednesday on Obama’s plans to ease of economic and travel restrictions on Cuba, to open an embassy in Havana and to review the communist nation’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Rubio and others called the decision an appeasement of the Castro regime and criticized the release of Cuban spies as part of the deal. “When America is unwilling to advocate for indi- vidual liberty and freedom of political expression 90 miles from our shores, it represents a terrible set- back for the hopes of all oppressed people around the globe,” said Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles. Former Florida Gov Jeb Bush, who announced plans this week to “actively explore” running for president and recently reaffirmed his support for the US trade embargo against Cuba, said Obama’s decision HAVANA: This picture released by Estudios Revolucion shows freed Cuban prisoners Ramon Labanino (left), Antonio Guerrero (second undermined efforts to create a free and Democratic left), and Geraldo Gonzalez (right) with Fernando Gonzalez (second —right), who was freed on Wednesday in Havana upon their return Cuba. He accused Obama of effectively rewarding from the United States. — AFP dictators “with a disastrous human rights record.” with 64 percent a decade ago. During the same She said the best way to change Cuba “is to expose changes in Florida, it is still home to about 70 per- Internal changes time period, the share of Cubans who support its people to the values, information and material cent of the nation’s 2 million Cuban-Americans. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Cuba had not Democrats has doubled from 22 percent to 44 per- comforts of the outside world.” Clinton had previ- Former Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, who fled Cuba as made enough internal changes to warrant the US cent. ously called the embargo a failure, writing in her a teenager and became the nation’s first Cuban- policy shift, and Texas Sen Ted Cruz said the Obama Clinton, the leading candidate for the most recent memoir it gives the Castro regime “a American senator, predicted the issue would ener- administration was “being played by brutal dicta- Democratic nomination should she run again, foil to blame for Cuba’s economic woes.” gize the Cuban-American community - even the tors whose only goal is maintaining power.” backed Obama’s policy in a statement late A potential Democratic presidential rival, more recent generations who grew up in Florida. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, the Wednesday, saying that “despite good intentions, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, echoed those “She better hope that they execute this properly,” GOP’s presidential nominee in 2008 and a possible our decades-long policy of isolation has only views, saying via Twitter on Wednesday it was Martinez said of Clinton, “or she’ll be sorry that she candidate in 2016, respectively, suggested Obama’s strengthened the Castro regime’s grip on power.” “time to reset our Cuba policy.” Despite the took that position.” — AP actions could affect relations with Iran and were a harbinger of a more “damaging chapter to America’s national security” to come. Such strident opposition to any deal with the World leaders hail US-Cuba Castro regime fits with decades of Republican pol- itics and efforts to build a loyal following among Cuban exiles in South Florida. But there were announcement on restoring ties some breaks with the hard line taken by most in the party. The US Chamber of Commerce, an WASHINGTON: World leaders welcomed the decades has failed to advance our interests and cafe in Havana’s historic city center. But Cuban- important lobby that usually backs Republican groundbreaking news that the United States instead we will begin to normalize relations Americans in Miami, a hotbed of angry opposi- candidates for office, said the steps would help and Cuba are moving to restore diplomatic rela- between our two countries,” Obama said. He tion to the Castro regime, expressed dismay. “free enterprise to flourish.” The American Farm tions and bury one of the last vestiges of the said he would urge Congress to lift the trade Obama and President Raul Castro praised Bureau Federation, another loyal GOP group, also Cold War after more than 50 years of hostility. embargo, imposed in 1960, while using his pres- the help given by Pope Francis, the supported Obama’s actions. Celebrations broke out on the streets of Havana idential authority to advance diplomatic and first Latin American pontiff, and the Catholic Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who flew Wednesday as people living on a pittance per travel links. “We are all Americans,” Obama Church in brokering better relations between from Cuba with Alan Gross, an American held in day in the communist-run island savored the declared, breaking into Spanish. The White the long-time enemies. In response, the Vatican Cuba for five years who was released Wednesday, prospect of an end to the crippling US trade House portrayed the US move as a bid to said the pope warmly congratulated both gov- said, “The policy we’ve had in the last 50 years has embargo and perhaps a brighter future. From reassert US leadership in the Western ernments for overcoming “the difficulties which done more to keep the Castros in power.” China to Chile, plaudits rang out. South Hemisphere. Later, Obama even raised the pos- have marked their recent history.” Support for that policy helped Ronald Reagan American leaders holding a trade meeting in sibility-something utterly unthinkable until now- Canada was also praised for hosting secret during the 1980s and propelled George HW Bush Argentina interrupted their session and broke of his visiting the island not far from the coast of talks between the sides. to victories in Florida in 1988 and 1992. In 2000, into euphoric applause. The gush of praise for Florida. Cuba was ground zero of the Cuban mis- George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in Florida follow- ing a 36-day recount in a race that pivoted in part the shock announcement in Washington and sile crisis of 1962 that brought a nervous world ‘Outdated approach’ on outrage over the Elian Gonzalez custody battle. Havana-it emerged that secret talks have been to the verge of nuclear war between the United The breakthrough came after Havana But Obama won Florida in both of his cam- underway for a year and a half-featured a States and the Soviet Union. released jailed US contractor Alan Gross and a paigns, helped in part by shifting demographics in plethora of terms like “turning point” and “his- Cuban who spied for Washington and had been the state and an influx of Puerto Ricans in central toric day.” In making the announcement, Vatican intervention held for 20 years-one of the most important US Florida. The president also made inroads with President Barack Obama said decades of trying The European Union, which is also moving agents in Cuba. Cuban Americans, with exit polls in 2012 showing to isolate Cuba and oust the communist regime to normalize ties with Cuba, hailed the break- Havana also agreed to release dozens of Obama winning nearly half of the Cuban-American had failed, and it was time to turn the page. The through as a “historical turning point.” “Today political prisoners, a senior US official said. vote, the most by any Democratic presidential can- US embassy in Havana has been shuttered since another Wall has started to fall,” said EU foreign The United States in turn freed three Cuban didate. A Pew Research Center analysis of 2013 sur- 1961, two years after rebels led by Fidel Castro affairs head Federica Mogherini. In Havana, spies, and Obama said he had instructed the US vey data found that less than half of registered ousted President Fulgencio Batista. Cubans were jubilant. “I have goosebumps all State Department to re-examine its designation Cuban-American voters lean Republican, compared “We will end an outdated approach that for over,” said Ernesto Perez, 52, who works at a of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. —AFP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 NYC subway extension likely to alter Manhattan neighborhood

NEW YORK: Work crews are scrambling underneath New York City to finish the city’s first major new subway stop in 25 years, a fast-track project intended to revi- talize a long-neglected slice of Manhattan. The city’s transit authority has been work- ing for seven years on the $2.4 billion extension of the Number 7 subway line, once known mainly for transporting fans to BOSTON: The John Joseph Moakley US Federal New York Mets baseball games and the US Courthouse is viewed yesterday in Boston Massachusetts. Open tennis tournament. Now the line will Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of carrying out the deadly extend far west to 11th Avenue in 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, was due to attend a Manhattan, a run-down neighborhood court hearing yesterday, in his first public appearance in long known as Hell’s Kitchen that is home 17 months, before his trial begins in January. — AFP to a major bus station and tunnel entrances to New Jersey. Like most big infrastructure projects in Marathon bombing US cities, the extension has suffered some delays, but it has moved along far faster suspect due in court than a Second Avenue subway that is still under construction after more than 80 BOSTON: Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev years of planning. The project was sped NEW YORK: The city’s transit authority has been working for seven years on has not been seen in public since he was arraigned on 30 federal along by former Mayor Michael the $2.4 billion extension of the Number 7 subway line, once known mainly for charges in July 2013, when he still bore signs of the bloody stand- Bloomberg, who came up with a novel transporting fans to New York Mets baseball games and the US Open tennis off with police that led to his capture and the death of his older financing structure that allowed the proj- tournament. brother, Tamerlan. Yesterday, he’s due to show his face again in ect to avoid the time-consuming process Yards station is expected to see 200,000 three decades.” court. of seeking federal funding but has drawn daily riders by 2025, according to MTA pro- Charles Brecher of the Citizens Budget Dzhokhar, 21, still had visible injuries at the appearance 1 1/2 some critics who contend it leaves local jections, on a system that sees 5.8 million Commission, a civic organization that has years ago from a shootout with police several days after the April taxpayers on the hook for decades. riders each day. By way of comparison, the not taken a stand on the financing, said it 15, 2013, bombings. His left arm was in a cast and his face was Problems with a fire alarm and security busiest station, Times Square, today sees will be long time before the Hudson Yards swollen. He appeared to have a jaw injury. Three people were system have pushed completion until April 197,696 daily riders. buildings are valuable enough to pay off killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs explod- 2015, said Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for the the city-backed bonds. ed near the finish line of the marathon. Tsarnaev, who has plead- Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs Speed at a price “In the short run, the city has had to ed not guilty, faces the possibility of the death penalty if he is the city’s subways, buses and some com- The speed comes at a cost to the city. subsidize it,” said Brecher, CBC’s consulting convicted. Security was tight in and around the federal court- muter rail. Previous delays were blamed on Bloomberg pushed through an innovative director of research. To extend the line, the house in Boston for yesterday’s final pretrial conference, which mechanical failures of two inclined eleva- financing scheme that leap-frogged feder- MTA bored a 1.5 mile (2.4 kilometer) tunnel his lawyers said he would attend. It is the last scheduled court tors to carry passengers to street level. al rules that can slow the development of from West 26th Street and 11th Avenue to hearing before jury selection begins on Jan. 5. The trial is expect- “It’s a very, very important subway transit projects, but means it has no finan- Times Square, said Michael Horodniceanu, ed to last several months. Seating a jury alone could take several extension. It’s going to be huge,” said cial support from Washington. “The only the MTA’s head of capital construction. The weeks to a month. On Thursday, prosecutors and defense attor- Kenneth T. Jackson, who teaches history way this was done is that the City of New station itself will occupy a 1,212-foot (369 neys are expected to discuss the jury selection process with the and social sciences at Columbia University York had the vision and took the initiative meter) cavern. judge. Both sides have submitted questions they want the judge and editor of The Encyclopedia of New to finance it rather than to wait for the US “If you take the Empire State Building to ask potential jurors, who will be selected from a pool of at least York City. The new station is intended to Department of Transportation processes, and put it on its side, it would probably fill 1,200 people. A defense motion to move the trial out of Boston be the linchpin of the Hudson Yards devel- which would mean a terminal death,” that,” Horodniceanu said. also is still pending. — AP opment, with more than a dozen skyscrap- NYU’s Moss said. The new station could transform its ers, a cultural center and parks replacing a Critics said bypassing those federal hur- neighborhood by drawing in new resi- neighborhood once dominated by run- dles also meant missing federal aid. The dents and businesses in the way a decision Russian Mistral down industrial buildings. city’s offer of steep property tax breaks to a century ago to bury a surface rail line that Key to the project’s success is its route, Hudson Yards real estate developers left a left a sooty trail north from Grand Central sailors through the city’s busiest transit hubs of greater burden for taxpayers, they said. Terminal changed that stretch of Grand Central and Times Square, opening “For city taxpayers, it’s a horrendous deal,” Manhattan, observers said. leave France up the far west side to the entire mass tran- said James Parrott, chief economist of the That street, Park Avenue, is now syn- sit system, said Mitchell Moss, professor of Fiscal Policy Institute, a non-profit research onymous with luxury. “This is the equiva- urban planning at New York University. It organization that opposed the financing lent,” NYU’s Moss said. “We’re taking an SAINT-NAZAIRE, France: Some 400 Russian sailors will also serve as an entry point to the pop- plan. “It’s costing city taxpayers money area that people avoided, and making it an training to operate the controversial Mistral-class war- ular High Line elevated park. The Hudson now, and will cost them for the next two or area that people want to go to.” — Reuters ship built by France for Russia left the country yester- day as Paris agonizes over whether to deliver the high- tech vessel. In blue uniform and matching berets, the Colombia’s government sailors began to board the training ship Smolny, which will take them home from the western French port of Saint-Nazaire. rebuffs rebel truce Last month, French President Francois Hollande pushed back “until further notice” the delivery of the first of the two warships. The first assault ship-which BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombia’s government has rebuffed a uni- would continue to fulfill his constitutional duty to protect and can carry 16 helicopters, four landing crafts, 13 tanks, lateral truce declared by the country’s largest rebel group, saying guarantee the safety of all Colombians. Nevertheless, Santos said conditions demanded by the guerrillas’ are unacceptable until a he “values” the rebels’ gesture as a way to begin de-escalating a 450 soldiers and a hospital-was supposed to be deliv- peace deal is reached. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of conflict that still claims hundreds of civilian lives every year and is ered in November, according to the original deal Colombia on Wednesday said they would lay down their weapons fueled by the smuggling of cocaine and other criminal activity. It’s signed in 2011. for an unlimited period to bolster peace talks that have been held unclear where the government’s response leaves the cease-fire, But as the crisis in Ukraine deepened amid accusa- in Cuba for the past two years. But Latin America’s oldest and which is set to take effect midnight tomorrow. Although the FARC tions of Russian meddling in the east of the country, strongest insurgency also said it would call off the cease-fire if their have declared temporary cease-fires before, around Christmas and Paris came under tremendous pressure from its allies to units were attacked by Colombia’s U.S.-backed military - a condi- elections, this would be the first time they’ve offered to indefinitely delay the delivery of the warships. tion that appears to have doomed the gesture given the govern- lay down their weapons nationwide since the 1980s. Hollande faces a serious dilemma over the Mistrals. ment’s longstanding refusal to enter a bilateral truce out of fear it The gesture comes as both sides struggle to recommit them- France, already struggling economically, could be would give the rebels an opportunity to re-arm. selves to talks that were almost derailed following the capture liable for hefty fines if it breaches the 1.2-billion-euro Those concerns were again apparent Thursday when last month of an army general - the highest-ranking officer ever ($1.5-billion) contract. President Juan Manuel Santos said he couldn’t accept the rebels’ held by the FARC. Santos briefly suspended negotiations but the But it would also risk the wrath of its allies around demand the truce be verified by several Latin American nations crisis was quickly overcome after the FARC freed the general two the world if it were to deliver the hot-button technolo- and the international Red Cross. Such outside verification would weeks later. The two sides already have reached agreements on gy to Russia at a time when Moscow is in the diplomat- have to wait until a deal to end a half century of hostilities is agrarian reform, political participation for the FARC and how to ic deep-freeze over the Ukraine unrest. — AFP reached, he said in a statement. Santos, a defense minister in the jointly combat illicit drugs in what was long the world’s largest hawkish government of former President Alvaro Uribe, also said he cocaine producer. —AP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Pakistan court grants bail to Mumbai attacks mastermind New Delhi urges Islamabad to appeal bail

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court yesterday openly in the country. Pakistan is on a weak wicket.” Pakistan has granted bail to the alleged mastermind of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed also leads a long been accused of playing a “double the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, lawyers high-profile existence despite a $10 million game” with militants, supporting groups it said, a move likely to further inflame tensions US government bounty offered for his cap- thinks it can use for its own strategic ends. with India. ture, regularly appearing on TV and address- Many Pakistanis regard the struggle against The 60-hour siege on India’s economic ing large public gatherings of his followers. what they see as India’s “occupation” of capital left 166 people dead and was blamed Kashmir as a just fight, and are prepared to on the banned Pakistani militant group Traumatic attacks tolerate groups engaged in it. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Relations between the As well as Mumbai, LeT is also accused of two nuclear-armed rivals worsened dramati- involvement in militancy in Kashmir, the dis- ‘Unfortunate’ cally after the carnage, in which 10 gunmen puted Himalayan region that is the source of India said yesterday it expects Islamabad attacked luxury hotels, a popular cafe, a train much of Pakistan and India’s friction. Seven to appeal a Pakistani court’s decision to grant station and a Jewish centre. Zaki-ur-Rehman Pakistani suspects have been charged with bail to the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Lakhvi, accused of masterminding events, planning and financing the attacks but the terror attacks in Mumbai, calling the ruling ISLAMABAD: Pakistani nursing staff and Christians light was granted bail by a judge in the capital failure to advance their trials has been a “unfortunate”. candles for the children and teachers killed in an attack by Islamabad. “We had moved a bail application major obstacle to normalizing ties with India. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is accused of Taleban militants on an army-run school in Peshawar, at a with the Islamabad anti-terror court on Delhi has accused Islamabad of prevari- planning the 60-hour siege on India’s eco- church in Islamabad yesterday. — AFP December 10, today the judge granted bail cating over the trials, while Pakistan has nomic capital that left 166 people dead and to my client after hearing arguments from claimed India failed to hand over crucial evi- was blamed on the banned Pakistani militant both sides,” Lakhvi’s lawyer Rizwan Abbasi dence. The sole surviving gunman from group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Indian Home Some Pakistan militants said. Prosecutor Mohammad Chaudhry Mumbai, Pakistani-born Mohammed Ajmal Minister Rajnath Singh said the decision to Azhar confirmed the court had granted bail. Kasab, was hanged in India in 2012. grant bail was “very unfortunate”. deplore school attack, The court’s decision comes a day after The attacks traumatized India, exposing “India has given enough evidence amid national outrage Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed the antiquated weapons and methods of the (against Lakhvi). We expect the Pakistan gov- to crack down on terror groups in Pakistan, local police force and revealing crucial gaps ernment to appeal at the earliest,” he told after Taliban gunmen massacred 148 people in the country’s defenses. journalists in Delhi. The pace of prosecutions PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: As Pakistanis unite in grief over the at a school. They also derailed a nascent peace has been a major irritant in already strained killings of 132 schoolchildren by the Pakistani Taleban, several Sharif on Wednesday announced that a process between nuclear-armed India and relations between the two nuclear-armed other militant groups have been quick to condemn the car- six-year moratorium on the death penalty Pakistan. In the wake of the Peshawar mas- rivals. As well as Lakhvi, Pakistan has had nage too. Most such groups have slaughtered civilians them- would be lifted for those convicted of terror sacre on Tuesday, Sharif said Pakistan would another four Mumbai terror suspects in its selves, but the wave of outrage following the school attack is offences. The horror of the Mumbai carnage not distinguish between “good Taliban and custody since the attacks. New Delhi has threatening the relative freedom they enjoy in Pakistan. played out on live television around the bad Taliban” as it seeks to crush the scourge long said there is evidence that “official The country is home to a range of armed militant groups. world, as commandos battled the heavily- of homegrown Islamist militancy. But skepti- agencies” in Pakistan were involved in plot- Some, like the Pakistani Taliban, fight against the state. armed gunmen, who arrived by sea on the cism will remain, particularly in India. Analyst ting the attack. Islamabad denies the charge, Others have cosier ties with the authorities who use them evening of November 26. Pervez Hoodbhoy said Thursday’s develop- but LeT’s charitable arm Jamaat-ud-Dawa against India and to jostle for influence in Afghanistan. It took the authorities three days to ment would hurt ties with India. (JuD), seen as a front for the militant group, Whether Islamabad moves against all of them equally will regain full control of the city and New Delhi “After the Peshawar massacre there was operates openly in the country. Singh also show whether the school massacre has finally spurred author- has long said there is evidence that “official an outpouring of sympathy for Pakistan from defended his government’s decision to ities to tackle militancy seriously, said Senator Afrasiab agencies” in Pakistan were involved in plot- many countries, including India. But this will express public solidarity with Pakistan after a ting the attack. pass soon,” he said. deadly attack on a shool in Peshawar. “Our Khattak. Islamabad denies the charge but LeT’s “By selectively attacking the ‘bad’ terror- prime minister did whatever was right after “They are all terrorists and the state has to clearly oppose charitable arm Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), seen ists in Waziristan, while protecting those who the Peshawar attack,” Singh told reporters them in all shapes and colours,” he said. “So far they have not as a front for the militant group, operates have committed atrocities in other countries, yesterday. — AFP done so.” The Afghan Taleban, a group Pakistani jihadists look up to, were the first of the Sunni Islamist armed groups to denounce the school attack as unIslamic, despite often killing civilians themselves. An Afghan Taleban suicide bomber killed India launches biggest more than 50 people at a volleyball match last month. Some Pakistani Taliban, including powerful splinter group Jamaat- ul-Ahrar, quickly sided with their Afghan patrons. “Like them, we condemn the attack on the school and ever rocket into space killing of innocent children,” said spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan. The group earlier claimed responsibility for an attack BANGALORE: India successfully launched its Somnath, director of the mission. “The pow- that killed more than 50 people last month at a border cross- biggest ever rocket yesterday carrying an erful launch vehicle has come to shape, ing to India. Other condemnation came from sectarian or anti- unmanned capsule which could one day which will change our destiny... (by) placing Indian groups that are nominally banned in Pakistan but oper- send astronauts into space, as the country heavier spacecraft into communications ate openly, sometimes under different names. ramps up its ambitious space program. The orbits.” The rocket was carrying an Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of supporting the rocket, designed to carry heavier communi- unmanned crew capsule which ISRO said Afghan Taleban to try to maintain its influence in the region. cation and other satellites into higher orbit, successfully separated from the rocket and Pakistan says Afghanistan is doing the same with the Pakistani blasted off from Sriharikota in the southeast splashed down in the Bay of Bengal off Taleban in return. An Islamabad-based analyst said the state of Andhra Pradesh in a test mission India’s east coast 20 minutes after liftoff. Afghan Taleban’s condemnation could be intended to protect costing nearly $25 million. The Indian-made capsule is designed to its Pakistan bases. “This was a very significant day in the his- carry up to three astronauts into space. ISRO “Any group that still wants to maintain a working relation- tory of (the) Indian space program,” Indian officials said the crew capsule would be ship with the Pakistani establishment has to denounce this Space Research Organization (ISRO) chair- “recovered” from the sea and ferried back to attack,” he said. “They must distance themselves from man K S Radhakrishnan said from mission Sriharikota by Friday for further studies. control as fellow scientists clapped and India’s manned spaceflight program has (Pakistani Taleban leader Mullah) Fazlullah and the outrage cheered. ISRO scientists have been riding seen multiple stops and starts in recent around him.” Another banned Pakistani group said it stood high since an Indian spacecraft successfully years, and ISRO says the crew capsule project alongside the military in response to the attack. reached Mars in September on a shoe-string would take at least another seven years to “We strongly condemn the attacks on schoolchildren in budget, winning Asia’s race to the Red Planet reach the point where an astronaut could be Peshawar and believe that there is no religious, ethical or any and sparking an outpouring of national put into space. other social reason for this cruel act,” said Ghulam Rasool pride. Although India has successfully Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi CHENNAI: The GSLV MK-III rocket as it is Shah, a deputy for Malik Ishaq, leader of the sectarian group launched lighter satellites in recent years, it hailed the test mission as “yet another tri- transported to a second launch pad at Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. “We stand with the Pakistan army and has struggled to match the heavier loads umph of (the) brilliance and hard work of our The Satish Dhawan Space Centre on political leadership in this critical situation.” The group was that other countries increasingly want sent scientists” in a post on Twitter. Sriharikota Island, some 80kms north of responsible for twin blasts in the city of Quetta last year that up. The new rocket, weighing 630 tons and Radhakrishnan said the next step Chennai late on Wednesday. — AFP killed around 180 people, mostly civilians from a Shiite Muslim capable of carrying a payload of 4 tons, is a would be to develop a more power ethnic group. Authorities were accused of inaction in boost for India’s attempts to grab a greater indigenous engine, reducing India’s Mk-III. “Our own cryogenic engine, which response to those attacks, leading victims’ families to stage a slice of the $300-billion global space market. reliance on those built in Europe, for the is at development stage, will be used in sit-in alongside the bodies of the dead on a main road for sev- “India, you have a new launch vehicle rocket, which is officially named the powering the advanced heavy rockets in eral days in protest. — Reuters with you. We have made it again,” said S Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle the next two years,” he said. — AFP International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Shame in China as villagers vote to expel boy with HIV Plight of 8-year boy sparks online soul-searching

BEIJING: The plight of an eight-year-old was diagnosed. Kunkun sneaked into a schools, hospitals, workplaces and other Chinese boy with HIV, reportedly ordered specially-convened meeting held earlier establishments across the country, a factor to leave his village by 200 petitioners, this month by villagers to discuss how that experts say hampers efforts to diag- sparked intense online soul-searching yes- they would banish him, the report added. nose and treat it. terday in a country where discrimination Knowledge of HIV/AIDS in worse in against sufferers remains rife. The boy’s ‘Ignorance and panic’ poor, rural areas, such as the community guardian, his grandfather, was among High ranking officials from the town- Kunkun is from, experts say. Attempts by those in southwestern Sichuan province ship government said “legally speaking” authorities to educate these populations who signed an agreement to expel the the boy could not be expelled, and that he about discrimination often fail, a cam- SUINING: People cooling off in a waterpark in Suining, child to “protect villagers’ health”, the has the same rights as other villagers, the paigner who would only give his surname southwest China’s Sichuan province. Meteorological depart- Global Times reported. newspaper said. “Officials plan to visit the as Tang told AFP. ments issued an orange alert for high temperature as a heat The newspaper, which has close ties to village and speak with the villagers”, it “The publicity campaign is not strong wave embraces Sichuan province, with temperature of most the ruling Communist Party, said the boy added, while the People’s Daily website enough to reach the rural areas and vil- area topped 37 , local media reported. — AFP contracted the virus from his mother. The said “ideological work” would be carried lages and that’s why there is more discrim- case has highlighted the stigma attached out in the village. It was unclear late ination there,” said Tang, a community Australian police conduct to the disease in China, where many suf- Thursday whether Kunkun was still in his coordinator at the Kunming office of AIDS ferers face widespread discrimination. village. advocacy group Aizhixing. “Personally I counter-terrorism raids Previous reports said the boy-who was The case has sparked much debate on don’t think such situations would exist in given the pseudonym Kunkun by Chinese China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo, where it cities,” Tang added. “People in rural areas SYDNEY: Australian police late yesterday searched several media-was refused admission to local was the most widely-discussed topic early know little about civil rights and they have properties across Sydney, reportedly as part of a ongoing schools and villagers would avoid contact yesterday, with many asking how people a poor sense of the disease. “We will con- counter-terrorism investigation but not related to the deadly with him. could be so cold-hearted towards the tinue using our network to speak out, cafe siege earlier this week, officials said. New South Wales “Nobody plays (with me), I play alone,” child. “Why was he ruthlessly neglected, it meanwhile we hope the government police said the raids were unconnected to the 16-hour Kunkun said, according to a report is so unfair to him,” said a post by one could do more as well.” standoff at a Sydney cafe on Monday that left the lone Wednesday on the website of the People’s user. “This is because the Chinese popula- The Nanjing-based anti-discrimination gunman, self-styled Islamic cleric Man Haron Monis, and two Daily newspaper. The website also said tion cannot get enough education, caus- NGO Justice for All wrote a letter to party hostages dead, but would not provide further details about Kunkun was referred to as a “time bomb” ing ignorance and panic,” said another. chiefs in Sichuan calling on them to pun- the operation. “The (Australian Federal Police) and New South in the petition. Figures released earlier this month by ish school chiefs and local officials for their Wales police can confirm that they are conducting search war- “The villagers sympathize with him, he China’s National Health and Family “Cultural Revolution style”, a reference to rants today in Sydney as part of an ongoing operation,” a is innocent, and only a small child. But his Planning Commission showed that a total the Mao Zedong-inspired public denunci- spokeswoman told AFP. AIDS is too scary for us,” Wang Yishu, party of 497,000 people in China have been ations of “foes”. “We cannot imagine how “As this activity remains ongoing and to ensure the safety chief of Shufangya village, told the web- diagnosed with HIV/AIDS since the coun- Kunkun will grow up and look back on the and security of the operation and members involved, it is not site. The Global Times said the boy’s moth- try’s first case in 1985. China has a popula- experience of childhood,” said a draft of appropriate to provide further details at this time.” The er left the family in 2006, while his father tion of 1.36 billion. Discrimination against the letter, which was emailed to AFP yes- spokeswoman could also not confirm local media reports that “lost contact” after Kunkun’s condition those with the virus remains an issue at terday.— AFP one of the homes raided had also been searched by police during large-scale counter-terrorism raids across the country in September. Australia raised its terror threat level in Heavy snow in Japan September on growing concern about militants returning from fighting in Iraq and Syria. On Monday, a 25-year-old man was arrested as part of ongoing investigations into plans for an attack on Australian kills 5, disrupts travel soil, the federal police said. A 22-year-old already facing a charge of preparing for a terrorist act was also charged with TOKYO: At least five people have died funding terrorism. —AFP in heavy snow that has blanketed swathes of Japan, reports said yesterday, with more than two metres (6ft 7ins) China probes policeman lying in some places and more forecast. over wrongful Two elderly women were killed on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, execution of teen Kyodo News reported, with one hit by a snow-plough and another buried when BEIJING: Chinese authorities are investigating a senior police- a warehouse collapsed under the man in the Inner Mongolia region for his role in the wrongful weight of fallen snow. Two men, mean- execution in 1996 of a teenager, who was exonerated this week while, died in traffic accidents on snow- for the rape and murder of a woman, state media said yester- bound roads, one in Hokkaido and the day. Thousands of people have in recent days urged the gov- other in Hiroshima further south, police ernment to investigate and punish the officials responsible for said. Another man, 68, was discovered the wrongful conviction of the young man, Huugjilt. On dead outside his home in Niigata on the Monday, a retrial by an Inner Mongolian court found that main island of Honshu, police said, with Huugjilt, then 18, was wrongly convicted of raping and killing a reports saying he had fallen from the woman. The Xinhua state news agency said prosecutors were garage roof while removing snow. investigating the deputy director of the Hohhot Public Security There was also widespread disrup- Bureau, Feng Zhiming, on suspicion of “crimes committed in tion to travel, with around 100 domestic duty”. Feng, who led the task force investigating Huugjilt, was flights cancelled, adding to the 450 that not available for comment. Another man confessed to the mur- der in 2005, but a retrial was not conducted until this year, the were grounded on Wednesday, includ- official Xinhua news agency reported. China has embarked on ing some international routes, officials legal reforms, including reducing the use of the death penalty, and media said. Reports said the bullet train network was also struggling to as public discontent mounts over wrongful punishment. NAGOYA: Commuters walk toward their office on a snow covered sidewalk in stick to its timetables. The decision to exonerate Huugjilt on Monday was the most Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, central Japan yesterday as heavy snow hit wide The mountain town of Tsunan in talked-about topic on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, areas of Japan. — AFP with 84,000 comments. Niigata prefecture, near the Sea of Japan While wrongful executions have often stirred outrage, capi- (East Sea) coast, was smothered in 204 winds of up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) of Hokkaido was bringing much of the tal punishment itself has wide support from the public. Anti- centimetres of snow, with parts of an hour, which is causing tidal surges misery, and warned there was more to death penalty campaigners say China uses the death penalty far Hokkaido getting as much as 70 cen- and sparking warnings to stay away come. Parts of northern Honshu could more often than other countries. The government does not timetres in 24 hours, the Japan from the water’s edge. expect up to 80 centimetres of snow release the number of executions it carries out, deeming it a Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The Forecasters said a powerful low by breakfast time on Friday, the JMA state secret. — Reuters snow is accompanied by strong gusting pressure system off the eastern coast said. — AFP end shoppers.—AP Santa Claustoattractyear- Christmas trees,lightsand been decoratedwith dominated Malaysiahave Shopping mallsinMuslim- Malaysia Wednesday. tions atashoppingmallin in frontofChristmasdecora- Muslim womenposeforselfie

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 www.kuwaittimes.net Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Italian actress Virna Lisi dead at 78

talian actress Virna Lisi, who played opposite Hollywood stars including Frank Sinatra in the 1960s Iand later established herself an acclaimed character actress, has died at the age of 78. Italian media quoted her son as saying that Lisi had passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, a month after being diagnosed Philippine crime lord with an incurable illness. Born in Ancona in 1936, she was an established cine- ma and theatre actress before Hollywood producers enjoys jailhouse rock looking for a new Marilyn Monroe came rime lord “Herbert C” was enjoying chart success. In one of many clips about calling in the mid- national fame and growing iTunes his career posted on YouTube and other 1960s.With Jack Csuccess after reinventing himself as social media, Colanggo appears at a Lemmon she made a lovelorn balladeer from inside the concert in the Bilibid gymnasium where “How to Murder Your Philippines’ biggest jail-until police cut he accepts an Ivory “platinum” record Wife” in 1965 and fol- In this file picture taken on May 23, 1994 US film short his career. Herbert Colanggo lost his award for selling 15,000 albums. He also lowed up by starring director Quentin Tarantino poses with the Golden recording studio and other bribe-induced celebrates being voted “best new male alongside Tony Curtis in Palm he was awarded for his film “Pulp Fiction”, musical privileges after a raid on the recording artist” by a group of entertain- “Not with my Wife, You next to Italian actress Virna Lisi who was named secret prison villas kept by 20 of the ment journalists this year, an accolade Don’t” and with Sinatra best actress for her part in the French movie “La nation’s most notorious robbery, kidnap- that garnered mainstream media cover- in “Assault on a Queen” ping and drug kingpins. The Philippines’ age. “I’ve always dreamt of becoming a Reine Margot” at the 47th Cannes International the following year. Film Festival in Cannes. — AFP photos prisons have long had a reputation for recording artist,” Colanggo, who por- Reluctant to be graft, but Monday’s raid shocked the trays himself on Facebook as a newly restricted to love-inter- festival in 1966. After taking nation with the justice secretary express- devout and repentant Catholic, told est roles based on her a break from acting in the ing outrage that Colanggo and the others local broadcaster ABS-CBN in a recent looks, she turned down early 1970s, Lisi successfully were “living like kings”. The raid at jailhouse interview. “I was raised well. I the sexy part taken by reinvented herself as a char- Manila’s Bilibid prison uncovered high- am a victim who lost his way.” acter actress with a broad powered weapons, methamphetamines, Colanggo’s album can be bought for Jane Fonda in Roger range. Her portrayal of blow-up sex dolls, a jacuzzi, a strip bar $3.99 from Apple’s iTunes store, and is Vadim’s “Barbarella” where prostitutes were brought in-and also available on the streaming music (1968) and moved back Catherine de’ Medici in “La Colanggo’s fully equipped music studio. service Spotify. AFP contacted Ivory on to Europe after only Reine Margot” (1994) saw her “We are very angry because they continue Thursday to ask about its relationship three years of a seven- pick up both a French Cesar to live lives of luxury,” Dante Jimenez, with Colanggo, but a staffer who year contract with and the best actress award at chairman of the watchdog group answered the phone said the person in Paramount studios. Cannes. She also worked Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, charge of his career was on leave and While in Hollywood, she extensively in television and told AFP. “It’s like they just transferred unavailable for comment. maintained a parallel made the last of her nearly 80 from one mansion to another.” In the album’s lead single, which like career in European cine- films, “Il Piu Bel Giorno Della Colanggo entered Bilibid in 2009 his other songs are posted on YouTube, ma, notably playing a A picture taken on May A picture taken on Mia Vita,” in 2002. She is sur- after a near decade-long reign as the Colanggo sings in a raspy baritone of lead role in “The Birds, 20, 1985 in Cannes shows September 27, 1969 vived by her son Corrado leader of a feared bank robbery gang. the pain of not being able to profess his the Bees and the Italian actress Virna Lisi shows Italian actress Pesci and three grandchil- “His gang was so bold and daring that love to a woman. The song’s music Italians,” which shared arriving for the Palmares Virna Lisi during the dren. Her husband of 53 their presence alone literally swept the video was filmed in his prison studio, the top prize, the Palme ceremony of Cannes film shooting of the film years, the architect Franco vaults of all banks in all urban areas with him wearing lipstick and thick d’Or, at the Cannes film festival. “Le temps des loups”. Pesci, died in 2013. — AFP nationwide,” former Bilibid prison head make-up that fails to hide acne scars. Venancio Tesoro said in a post on his Colanggo, in a long-sleeved Bart blog. Police say one of his gang’s bank Simpson shirt and auburn-tinted shades, heists on the outskirts of Manila left 10 sits on a bar stool while singing, backed Bon Iver frontman people dead, making it one of the coun- up by a full band like a lounge singer. try’s bloodiest robberies. Colanggo was sentenced to 12 to 14 years in jail. Special privileges to curate new festival Bilibid is infamous for overcrowding and Bureau of Corrections’ director the brutal conditions-it was built to Ferdinand Bucayu insisted on Thursday he frontman of Bon Iver, who won critical acclaim Grammys. Eaux Claires comes amid a surge in the num- accommodate 8,900 inmates but cur- he had not known about Colanggo’s for his emotionally resonant indie folk rock, has ber of US summer music festivals, which increasingly rently houses more than 23,000. music career or special privileges, and Tannounced a festival that promises to throw a spot- have become vital dates on musicians’ calendars. —AFP Colanggo, though, was able to quickly pointed the finger at corrupt prison offi- light on new music. Justin Vernon announced the inau- buy his way into the privileged world of cials. “I have nothing to do with what gural festival to take place on July 17-18 in his hometown the prison’s top criminal kingpins, some was happening,” Bucayu told AFP in a of Eau Claire in the Upper Midwestern state of Wisconsin, of whom have previously even been phone interview. “We need more com- known for its scenic landscape of forest, rivers and lakes. caught leaving the jail for short periods petent and trustworthy prison guards.” “After several years of touring and playing music festivals of time. Jimenez, the head of the crime watch- of all different types around the world, I wanted to put dog, scoffed at Bucayu’s professions of together an event that would honor what we love about A star is born ignorance. this place,” he said in a statement. With lots of time on his hands, “That’s crazy. And (if true) it only The singer-songwriter said that the festival-to be Colanggo decided to pursue his long- shows how rotten the system is, that called “Eaux Claires” in a play on his hometown’s original held ambition of becoming a music star, the leadership can be compartmental- French name, which means “clear water”-would be within and rebranded himself “Herbert C”. He ized and not know what is happening,” had a music studio built inside his prison he said. “Everyone needs to be replaced view of the Chippewa River and have one of the “most villa and recorded a 10-song album of and there should be a separate island diverse and special festival lineups of the year.” Vernon- syrupy love songs called “Kinabukasan”, to keep prisoners like these.” For the then struggling with illness, relationship troubles and a which means “Future”. Colanggo, who is time being, Colanggo and the other lackluster career-locked himself in a cabin in Wisconsin believed to be in his late 30s, was picked crime lords have been removed from for three months in 2007 to write Bon Iver’s debut album, up by one of the Philippines’ big music Bilibid and taken to a high-security “For Emma, Forever Ago.” File photo, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver poses with the labels, Ivory Music and Video, and his facility of the justice department’s The independent album gradually won acclaim for the Best Alternative Music Album “Bon Iver” award and first album, released this year, was a investigation unit. —AFP emotional power of songs such as “Skinny Love.” Bon the Best New Artist award at the 54th Grammy Iver’s self-titled follow-up album in 2012 won two Awards in Los Angeles, California. — AFP Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Sony cancels parody film as NKorea suspected over hack

ony Pictures abruptly canceled planning to see the film. In a message writ- Wednesday the release of the come- ten in broken English, the group said a “bit- Sdy which has angered North Korea ter fate” awaited any who attend the film. and triggered chilling threats from hackers, “Soon all the world will see what an awful reportedly suspected to be ordered by movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has Pyongyang. The Hollywood studio made. The world will be full of fear,” the announced the decision after the majority statement warned. of US theater chains said they would not It added: “Remember the 11th of screen “The Interview” about a fictional September 2001. We recommend you to plot to assassinate North Korean dictator keep yourself distant from the places at Kim Jong-Un. that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d “In light of the decision by the majority better leave.)” North Korea has denied of our (theater) exhibitors not to show the involvement in the brazen November 24 film ‘The Interview,’ we have decided not cyber-attack, which some expert said could to move forward with the planned possibly have been carried out by disgrun- December 25 theatrical release,” it said in a tled workers or by supporters of North statement. Korea furious over the movie. “We respect and understand our part- ners’ decision and, of course, completely NKorea behind hack attack? share their paramount interest in the safety But US media including CNN reported of employees and theater-goers,” it added. Wednesday that investigators now believe Regal, AMC and Carmike theaters were that North Korea is behind the massive among US chains who had said they would hack. Representatives for several agencies not show the madcap movie, as was including the FBI declined to comment on Canada’s Cineplex Entertainment. A sched- the reports. “Of the characters who are out uled premiere this week in New York was there, the most likely suspect is North also canceled. Korea,” James Lewis, a former State Skittishness about attending the movie Department official, told reporters in followed threats by the so-called GOP Washington. The US State Department (Guardians of Peace) hacking group, which meanwhile sought to distance itself from invoked the September 11, 2001 attacks in the film, while defending the right to free Indian Bollywood director Rajkumar Hirani, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra (second left), actors Anushka an ominous warning to any movie-goers expression. —AP Sharma and Aamir Khan attend the launch of the official mobile game for their upcoming Hindi film ‘PK’ in Mumbai. — AFP Secret of year’s ‘biggest’ Bollywood film is its plot t’s the most anticipated Bollywood film of the year along railway tracks, nude except for a vintage radio set and no one knows what it’s about. “PK” opened in covering his genitals. A trailer shows Khan in a ghagra, a IIndian cinemas yesterday with audiences still in the traditional long skirt worn by women. dark about the film’s storyline or why its naive and Trade analysts said curiosity about its storyline and unworldly protagonist with pointy ears never blinks. the low-key marketing campaign would help “PK” at the Trailers and publicity stills released in the past few weeks box office. “Christmas vacations haven’t started, but have sparked a guessing game about the plot, with its advance bookings have already picked up and almost all green-eyed hero said to be an alien or an autistic savant. theatres, at least in Mumbai, are running full,” said one The film’s makers have laughed off speculation that analyst, Amod Mehra. In this December 11, 2014 file photo, security is seen outside The Theatre “PK” is inspired by the 1994 Oscar-winning film, “Forrest Hirani’s track record as one of India’s most successful at Ace Hotel before the premiere of the film “The Interview” in Los Gump”, whose slow-witted narrator becomes a Vietnam directors and top billing for Khan, one of its biggest stars, Angeles, California. — AFP war hero, cross-country runner and a successful busi- do not hurt. The last time Hirani made a film, coinciden- nessman. “You don’t want to reveal your film and ruin tally also starring Khan, the result was Indian cinema’s the viewing experience,” director Rajkumar Hirani told biggest hit for four years. His 2009 film, “3 Idiots,” a heart- Reuters in an interview. warming tale about college life, was only upstaged last Film students to play role “We are trying to shake some pre-conceived notions, year, first by “Chennai Express” and then by “Dhoom 3”. trying to look at things differently.” Trailers for the film “PK” is assured of good box office and its makers are feature the protagonist saying he doesn’t know his eyeing another record on Friday, when fans finally discover in Academy Awards show name, although people call him ‘PK’, similar to the Hindi what it is about. In October, “Happy New Year” set an open- term for a drunk, a conclusion drawn from his antics. His ing-day record for a film in India, ringing up ticket sales of s many as six aspiring film- lips are stained red from chewing betel nut. One contro- more than 440 million rupees ($7 million) on Oct 24, the makers will appear in next versial poster showed leading man Aamir Khan walking day after Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. — Reuters Ayear’s Academy Awards cere- mony, and Channing Tatum will help them get there. Oscar produc- ers said Wednesday they’re bring- ing back the Team Oscar program Singer J Cole ousts Swift that invites young filmmakers to play a role in the awards show. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron say from top of Billboard 200 Tatum will once again serve as merican hip hop artist J Cole bumped pop one album unit and 1,500 online streams equals one spokesman for Team Oscar and singer Taylor Swift from the top of the US album unit. help choose its members. ABillboard 200 on Wednesday, pushing her into Carrie Underwood’s “Greatest Hits: Decade #1” The actor posted a video on second place. Cole’s “2014 Forest Hill Drive” album entered the chart at No. 4 with 103,000 units, followed YouTube inviting students to sub- sold 354,000 full copies, 109,000 songs and was by veteran rockers AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust,” who round- mit a 60-second video through the streamed more than 16 million times. Under Billboard’s ed out the top five after slumping from third place last film academy’s Facebook page to new formula, that totals 375,000 units in its debut week. Singer K Michelle was the only other new entry In this Nov 11, 2014 file photo, audition. American citizens ages 18 week. to the chart, placing sixth with her album “Anybody actor Channing Tatum attends a to 30 are eligible, and submissions Swift’s “1989” album, which includes the triple Wanna Buy a Heart?” with 87,000 units. special screening of “Foxcatcher,” are due Jan 12. The winning artists Grammy nominated song “Shake It Off,” sold 324,000 In the digital songs chart, Swift retained the No. 1 hosted by the Cinema Society with will be flown to Los Angeles to par- units, while a cappella group Pentatonix dropped to spot with “Blank Space” with 249,000 downloads, while Details and Brooks Brothers, at The ticipate in Oscar week activities and third place with its holiday album “That’s Christmas to Irish Grammy-nominated musician Hozier climbed Museum of Modern Art in New appear on the Oscar ceremony as Me,” with 218,000 units. In the new chart formula from third to second place this week with “Take Me to York. — AP trophy carriers. — AP unveiled by Billboard two weeks ago, 10 songs equal Church” selling 202,000 downloads. — Reuters Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Chinese high rollers send pigeon prices soaring

s the price flew skywards, an audience of middle-aged Chinese men erupted into cheers before the auctioneer Aslammed his hammer down at a record-breaking two million yuan — $320,000. The object of the frenzied bidding-a grey and white racing pigeon-responded with a gentle cooing, its beady red eye scanning the smoke-filled auction room.

A member of “Iron Eagle” pigeon race checking the mark printed on the wing of a racing pigeon after the “Iron Eagle” pigeon race. Drawing on an age-old tradition, racing birds have become a plaything for rich entrepreneurs in China. “Two decades ago, 400,000 (yuan) was considered a sky-high price. Prices are going up around 10 percent every year,” declared Zhou Zhuanhong, who presided over the auction in Beijing last month with boom- A pigeon at a pigeon auction in Beijing. ing tones. But the sale was not entirely what it seemed. The Lars Vercammen, a 25-year-old breeder from Belgium. Su, the buyer-pharmaceutical baron Guo Weicheng-was bidding for his club owner, denied the allegations. own bird, even though he had to pay the club holding the auc- tion a 40 percent commission. Nonetheless dozens of deals Star Wars including several worth over $100,000 were genuine transac- Twice a year the club holds an “Iron Eagle” series of four tions, according to those watching the sale, where high-rollers races with hefty entry fees and total prize money equivalent to with chain-smoking entourages tucked birds in cardboard box- more than $2.4 million. A day before each contest, hundreds of es under their dining tables. feathered competitors were loaded into cages and driven 500 “The prices here are like nowhere else,” said Ulrik Lejre kilometers away from Beijing, green identification rings around Larsen, a Danish breeder who is one of many Europeans profit- their scaly red ankles. Six hours after their release, a tense ing from pigeon enthusiasts in China. “It’s crazy,” said another silence hung over the club’s lawn, broken only by owners and foreign breeder at his side.Racing pigeons have a sense of direc- tion that science cannot fully explain but allows them to find their way home over hundreds of kilometres, and have been raised in China for more than 1,000 years, often used as military messengers. While good breeding cannot guarantee success, the descendents of champions especially Belgian pigeons-raise the highest prices. Chinese businessman Gao Fuxin set an all time record for a racing pigeon last year, paying 310,000 euros ($400,000) for a Belgian former champion named Bolt, after the This picture shows members of a team of “Iron Eagle” superstar Olympic sprinter. But in a sign of increasing scrutiny pigeon race watching a pigeon which finished the “Iron of the trade by Chinese authorities, the bird was held up at cus- Eagle” pigeon race back to pigeon house at a pigeon club toms and Gao handed a 10 percent tax bill. Bolt was freed after in Beijing. — AFP photos the Belgian embassy intervened, industry insiders told AFP, and is now said to have retired to stud in Beijing. Gao declined an interview request.

‘Perfect for gambling’ China has hundreds of pigeon associations, and working- class breeders in Beijing still send their birds into the sky with whistles attached, sounding a high-pitched whine as they fly A trophy for pigeon race. over winding alleys. But the last decade has seen a takeoff of luxury clubs and racing leagues for a new breed of big-spend- trainers munching on peanuts as they waited for their pigeons ing enthusiasts-and allegations of illegal betting on races. The to return. Suddenly the first grey bird dropped out of the sky Pioneer Club in Beijing’s western suburbs is among the most and on to its loft, the winning time flashing onto an electronic exclusive. Its clubhouse is adorned with classical Greek display board. Overall victory in the series went to a pigeon columns and on event days its carefully manicured lawns are known only as 04010, owned by pharmaceutical entrepreneur surrounded by Mercedes and Audis. The creatures themselves Guo, whose wealth is estimated at $1.3 billion by Forbes maga- are kept in heated houses where full-time attendants calibrate zine. A month later the top birds were compulsorily auctioned every aspect of their diet and lifestyle to produce maximum off under the “Iron Eagle” competition rules, with loudspeak- speed. They are taken out on regular test runs-which can be a ers blasting the theme from ‘Star Wars’ to herald each high- hazard in polluted Beijing. A man preparing to registering his racing pigeons. priced sale, and buyers indifferent to the edicts of an official “When they hit the smog, its like a wall. Some of them will austerity campaign. Guo-who cuts a distinctive figure with a get lost,” said Stuart Chu, a Taiwanese breeder who has lost sev- “because they want honour. It gives them face,” he added. shaven head and black and white suit-repeatedly raised a pad- eral pricey birds in the murky air. Top-end owners are “usually Others suggest more impure motives for the trade. Around a dle to ensure he kept his pigeon, despite the punishingly people who raised pigeons in their youth, and now they have dozen industry insiders-who all asked to remain anonymous expensive commission. “It’s about face. I’m crazy. I haven’t achieved success in their careers they want to do it again”, said because gambling is illegal in mainland China-told AFP that made any money,” he said, before a chauffeur ushered him Su Quanlin, the Pioneer club’s founder. betting on races was widespread. “A pigeon race is perfect for into a grey Rolls-Royce. — AFP His clients are willing to pay such high prices for the birds gambling. Because you can never predict who will win,” said

Food FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

e get it. The allure of canned cran- Vanilla-chai: Before adding the water, berry sauce goes well beyond con- bring it to a boil and steep 3 chai teabags in it for homemade Wvenience. There’s something about for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and com- the ridges on the side, about the way it jiggles bine the tea with the remaining ingredients on the plate, about the way it slides down as well as half a vanilla bean, split and your throat. We get it. So you should, too. On scraped, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon black Cranberry this day of giving thanks (and indulgence), pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinna- embrace canned cranberry sauce. But that mon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. shouldn’t preclude you from offering up an alternative, too. After all, we are celebrating a bountiful harvest. The beauty of homemade cranberry sauce is that it’s so easy to make it so good. It’s also incredibly versatile. The clas- sic technique involves nothing more than Sauce simmering the whole berries on the stovetop with a whole mess of sugar. Given a few min- Caramelized onion: Chop 2 large yel- fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar and 1/4 utes, those cranberries soon burst and bubble low onions and cook slowly for 15 to 20 teaspoon salt. Combine everything in a and thicken into a deliciously thick tangy- minutes in a splash of oil until well food processor - along with a selection sweet sauce. But did you know cranberries browned and sweet. Stir in 2 tablespoons below - and pulse until well chopped. also shine in raw sauces? Though these really balsamic vinegar, then add to the master Serve cold. are more of a relish or salsa, they are just as recipe above. delicious. Raw cranberry sauces are great with Melba: Add a 10-ounce bag of thawed the usual turkey and sides, but also can do Merlot: Replace the water in the mas- frozen peaches and 6 ounces fresh rasp- double duty as a starter served with tortilla ter recipe with merlot wine and add the berries. chips or spooned over a cream cheese or zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon. warm brie and paired with slices of baguette. Smoky chipotle: Add 1 minced chipo- To help get you going, we’ve collected 10 Meat-date: Reduce the sugar to 3/4 tle pepper and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce fresh ways with homemade cranberry sauce - cup, then stir in 3/4 cup chopped dried from a can of chipotles in adobo, 1 tea- five cooked and five raw. dates. Stir in 3/4 cup crumbled spoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked cooked meat just before serving. paprika and 2 cloves garlic. 5 ways with cooked cranberry sauce Start with a 12-ounce bag of fresh cranber- Maple-miso: Use maple Ruby citrus: Add the zest of 1 orange, ries, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 syrup in place of the sugar in the 1 lemon and 1 lime. After processing, stir cup water. Combine in a medium saucepan master recipe and add 2 table- in 1 cup chopped segments of ruby red with your chosen flavorings below. Bring to a spoons sweet white miso paste. grapefruit. simmer over medium-high and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries pop and the Four ways with fresh Herbed: Add 3 tablespoons each of mixtures becomes thick and saucy. Cool to cranberry sauce chopped fresh chives, tarragon, basil, room temperature. Start with a 12-ounce bag of parsley and cilantro. — AP Food FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

Dressing up a simple hash for BrunchChristmas

ure, you could do pancakes or muffins, just as you Lemon zest, to serve have so many years before. But maybe this year you Chopped fresh chives, to serve Sshould consider stepping up your Christmas brunch Caviar (optional) offerings. Maybe this year you should consider a baked hash made from sweet potatoes and Yukon golds topped with Preparation smoked salmon, poached eggs and - to be a little decadent - Heat the oven to 400 F. Coat a 3- to 4-quart casserole caviar. dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, grate the sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes. Alternatively, use the medium grating disc on a food processor to shred the potatoes. Either way, grasp the shredded potatoes a handful at a time to squeeze and discard as much liquid as possible, returning the pota- toes to the bowl. To the potatoes, add the onion-butter mix- ture, roasted red pepper, capers, thyme and a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown. Tip Top the hash with slices of smoked salmon and either dollops of sour cream or poached eggs, if using. Grate fresh lemon zest over the top, then sprinkle with black pepper Nutrition information per serving and chopped chives. Top with caviar, if desired. — AP (not including optional sour cream or poached eggs): 310 calories; 110 calories from fat (35 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 20 g protein; 290 mg sodium.

Despite how extravagant it sounds, this savory brunch item actually is simple to assemble. You also can bake it the day before, then reheat it in a 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. All you need to do Christmas morning is top the hash with poached eggs and smoked salmon. And you’ll be glad you did.

SWEET POTATO AND SALMON HASH BAKE

Ingredients 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalt- ed butter 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes 1 cup diced roasted red peppers 2 tablespoons roughly chopped capers 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme Kosher salt and ground black pepper 8 ounces smoked salmon Sour cream or 8 poached eggs (optional) Travel FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

5 free things toBrussels see and do in

The city of Brussels, which the famous Belgian cartoon character Tintin roamed as an intrepid reporter, has plenty on offer for any inquisitive mind. And the Belgian capital is making it easier for tourists. It is planning to make more of its center a no-go area for cars, opening up more medieval and 19th century streets for carefree strolling and biking. Enough of the city’s attractions are free to fill the best part of two vacation days. Travel FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

GRAND PLACE ations from various crafts and industries, occupy Don’t let your jaw drop when you start out at the many of Baroque buildings surrounding the very center of the old town. The world may have square, including one for Belgium’s beer brewers. other stunning city squares - Venice’s St. Mark’s Square comes to mind - but count Brussels’ Grand GALERIE DE LA REINE/DU ROI Place among the best. Stand on the gleaming A block from the Grand Place is the exquisite cobblestones, look any which direction and a Galerie de la Reine/du Roi, a 19th-century jewel of hallowed halls with glass ceilings, apartments lin- ing the upper floors and loads of luxury bou- tiques and chocolate shops laid out along a mag- nificent quarter-mile. Chocoholics have Marcolini, Neuhaus, Mary and Corne within smelling dis- tance. The list also includes Godiva, a Belgian brand that’s become ubiquitous in the United States. Gaze left, right, front and back amid the chocolatiers and you realize what it must have been like for Charlie in Roald Dahl’s “Chocolate Factory.” Of course you’ll have to pay to indulge in a taste, but smells and sights are free. Some of the shops look like museums, with pralines exhib- ited liked prized possessions behind glass.

JUSTICE PALACE Stroll past painter Pieter Breughel’s old haunts in the Marolles district and go up in a glass elevator to come face to face with Brussels’ humongous, super-eclectic Justice Palace. If ever the “Assassin’s Creed” video game needs a 19th cen- tury setting for its hero to climb into and up and over, this is it: columns, marble and statues galore, and, for good measure, so much renova- tion scaffolding that has been there so long, it is in need of renovation too. Court cases, from terror trials to petty theft, are still held there on week- days. Warning: Don’t lose your way!

ARMY MUSEUM Considering Brussels’ often rainy weather, it’s good to have indoor sightseeing options, and another great one is the Army Museum in the Cinquantenaire Park close to the European Union headquarters. It is one of the few big museums where entry is free, and its collection of planes, parked on the ground or suspended from the ceil- ing, leaves kids in awe. With the centennial of World War I in full flow, military history is at the center of attention again. Note that the perma- nent collection is free, not the special exhibits.

THE ATOMIUM The 1950s look brand-new again now that Brussels’s best-known monument, the Atomium, has been renovated and turned into a gleaming symbol of the city. There is a fee to enter, but the best views are from outside where it costs noth- great piece of architecture will stand out. The ing to behold the 102-meter (335-foot) monu- 15th-century City Hall is Gothic art at its most ele- ment with nine giant balls depicting an iron crys- gant. And if its beauty doesn’t fully move you, try tal. The structure was meant to symbolize the figuring out why the white spire doesn’t rise from power of atomic science and the quest for a bet- the middle of the building. Legend has it the ter future when Brussels hosted the World’s Fair architect threw himself from the tower to his in 1958. In 2014, it just looks like one of the death when he realized it was off-center, but it’s strangest buildings around. Still, it is a must-see in likely that various construction issues led to the Brussels and it is surrounded by a scenic park that asymmetry. Guilds, which are professional associ- leads to the royal palace. — AP Features FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

File photo shows a view of the Egyptian Theatre on Main Street on the second day of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah.

Gift Guide Presents for movie lovers that go beyond the box set

This photo provided by Hasbro shows a Transformer toy from “Age of Extinction.”

This photo proved by Warner Bros Home Entertainment shows a box set, the 10-disc “Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection.” Features FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

hen shopping for the movie lover on your list, why not Wthink outside the box (set)? While DVD or Blu-Ray box sets can still make great gifts, here are some other things to consider for your favorite cinephile this season. Commemorative books: The next best thing to a motion picture might be a collection of still pictures inside one of these new image-filled film books: With an introduction by Martin Scorsese, “Cecil B. DeMille: The Art of the Hollywood Epic” tells the history of film through DeMille’s work. Peek behind the scenes with set shots, film stills and personal recollections by one of the authors, DeMille’s grand- daughter, Cecilia DeMille Presley. New Zealand-based Weta celebrates its 20th anniversary with a two-volume hard- cover set. “Weta Digital: 20 Years of Imagination on Screen” explores the spe- A box set, the 10-disc cial-effects company’s digital work in films “Stanley Kubrick: The such as “Avatar,” “The Lord of the Rings” Masterpiece Collection.” and “The Hobbit.” “Weta Workshop: Celebrating 20 Years of Creativity” show- cases costumes, creatures and other cre- ations by the company’s conceptual design and manufacturing studio. Projector gadget: Turn your cell- phone into a mobile movie house with the simple-yet-genius Smartphone Projector. Made of cardboard and glass, this affordable gadget requires no outside power source to magnify and project a smartphone screen. Fun stuff: Kids of all ages love toys. If fans of “Transformers,” superheroes or “Star Wars” movies are on your list, con- sider wrapping up Optimus Prime, an Iron Man figurine or a miniature Millennium Falcon for their bookcase or toy box. Superhero fans might also appreciate the happy nostalgia of adult-sized Underoos. Do Sundance: If you want to go big, This file photo released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey as Francis This photo provided by Hasbro go for a trip to the Sundance Film Festival Underwood, left, and Robin Wright as Clair Underwood in a shows the Captain America in January. Held in picturesque Park City, scene from Netflix’s series, “House of Cards.” shield as a toy. —AP photos Utah, the 10-day event is open to the pub- lic, with celebrity sightings, screenings and filmmaker meet-and-greets in a fes- This photo tive, snowy atmosphere. Festival passes This photo provided by and packages can be pricey, but last- provided by Hasbro shows minute, individual screening tickets can courtesy of Cecil the Darth Vader be had for $15 to $20 each. The Sundance B. De Mille toy from the film, Institute also sponsors various free activi- Archives, shows “Star Wars.” ties during the independent film show- filmmaker, Cecil case. B. De Mille. Goodie bag: It’s easy to make a sweet gift for a film fan: Fill a popcorn tub with classic movie candy and top it with tickets for the local cineplex. Streams come true: Give hundreds of movies for $7.99 a month by springing for a Netflix membership. Easiest gift ever. Inside the box: If it must be a box set, consider the 10-disc “Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection.” It includes a hardcover book of film archive photos, two new documentaries about Kubrick, and eight of his films: “Lolita,” “Dr Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal Jacket” and “Eyes Wide Shut”. — AP Features FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Right at Home: Too much stuff?

he holiday catalogues and gift guides are starting to pour in, full of Twonderful stuff to wrap for friends This holiday, consider gifts and family. But what about those who don’t really want more stuff? Small space to use - and use up dwellers don’t have room for much. Seniors may not either, or may just not want the burden of more things at this For some, the best presents are experi- stage in life. Instead, think about giving ences, including classes, lessons, gym something your recipient can use, and use memberships, vacations, event tickets, up. massages, charitable donations, and music or magazine subscriptions. This photo provided by Overstock.com shows DIY Mozzarella Some consumable-gift options: Cheesemaking and Homemade Butter Kits. — AP photos Food and drink, of course; unusual kits Humanaut, a branding agency in are creative options. Overstock’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee, runs a site called Farmers Market department has make- UnstuffGifts.com that lets you find gifts your-own mozzarella, tofu, hard cider or based on the recipient’s interests. For butter kits. For a culinary vegan, consider example, a hipster might like a distillery a box of sprouting seeds, with varieties of tour. Adventure buffs might enjoy a day of lentils, mung beans, adzuki and green indoor sky jumping. A hiking enthusiast peas. could appreciate a state park pass. You might make homemade vanilla “The spirit of giving is a wonderful tra- extract to give in small, vintage-style bot- dition. But the truth is, most of us simply tles. Or consider giving a week or two’s don’t need more stuff,” says David worth of surprise treats: Create a stack of Littlejohn, Humanaut’s creative director. little nesting boxes filled with favorite “We created Unstuff so that people sweet and savory snacks. could give thoughtful gifts with a clear Does a friend or family member love a conscience, knowing their gift will be particular shampoo? Put together a gift appreciated, used and never contribute to bag with a bottle; enhance it, perhaps, the planet’s growing amount of trash and This photo provided by with a gift certificate from a blow bar, or a waste.” Do you have a skill or talent? Overstock.com shows a Candle shows Essential Oils and a Forever candle. new hairbrush. Or gather a basketful of Know-how makes a great gift, says Jeff Do It Yourself 1-Gallon seasonally scented body products like Milchen, co-founder of the American Hard Cider Recipe Buche de Noel cleanser and eggnog- Independent Business Alliance. Ingredient Kit. scented soap. A photo calendar with pic- He suggests giving away your expertise tures of the recipient’s family, favorite in, say, web design, pet training, first aid, places or other personalized content photography or a craft. Neat freaks might makes a year-long gift. offer closet organization or cleaning serv- ProsperityCandle.com offers the ices. Tech-savvy teens might give several Forever candle, made by -and providing a hours’ worth of their digital skills to more living wage to - women artisans in devel- senior relatives. No worries about size, oping countries, and when you’ve burned breakage or where to store it; now that’s a yours down you can return it for a free gift you can use. — AP refill. Fragrances include vanilla bean and peppercorn, amber and orchid, and red- wood and patchouli.

This photo provided by Overstock.com shows The Sprout House Organic Mixed Sprouting Seeds in a bowl.

A Forever candle that is hand made by Prosperity’s corps of women artisans, who are able to earn a living wage and build a brighter future for their families. Leisure FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

4. A cry of praise or adoration (to God). 5. Roman poet remembered for his elegiac verses on love (43 BC - AD 17). CROSSWORD759 6. (meaning literally `born') Used to indicate the maiden or family name of a married woman. 7. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail. 8. A language group of the Hokan family. 9. Any of numerous low-growing cushion-forming plants of the genus Draba having rosette-forming leaves and terminal racemes of small flowers with scapose or leafy stems. 10. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members. 11. Hit hard. 12. Type genus of the Anatidae. 13. An ancient Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile opposite Cairo. 14. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829). 21. A science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement. 23. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread. 25. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska. 27. How long something has existed. 28. Chevrotain somewhat larger than the kanchil. 31. King of the Huns. 32. Someone who leads a wandering unsettled life. 33. On a ship, train, plane or other vehicle. 35. One of four children born at the same time from the same pregnancy. 36. A French abbot. 38. (informal) Of the highest quality. 41. A blemish made by dirt. 43. The cry made by sheep. 46. The sodium salt of amobarbital that is used as a barbiturate. 47. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus. 50. Mild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adults. ACROSS 53. The second or lower part of a duet (especially a piano duet). ACROSS1. Counting the number of white and red blood cells and the number of 54. Straggling shrub with narrow leaves and conspicuous red flowers in dense globu- platelets in 1 cubic millimeter of blood. lar racemes. 4. The fruit of a variety of winter melon vine. 55. A gutter in a roof. 12. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 56. An artificial language for international use that rejects rejects all existing words 15. (Irish) The sea personified. and is based instead on an abstract analysis of ideas. 16. Be central or dominant. 57. Half the width of an em. 17. Horny projecting mouth of a bird. 60. A Pacific island north of Australia. 18. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma. 61. An informal word (abstracted from words with this ending) for some unidentified 19. An earth color containing ferric oxides. branch of knowledge. 20. Affect with wonder. 63. Jordan's port. 22. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his 65. Amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain. voyages. 67. The female reproductive cell. 24. Relating to the abomasum (the fourth compartment of the stomach of rumi- 68. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism. Yesterday’s Solution nants). 69. The biblical name for ancient Syria. 26. A formal expression of praise. 72. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring in the air. 29. Lake in northwestern Russia near the border with Finland. 73. A protocol developed for the internet to get data from one network device to 30. A member of the Semitic speaking people of northern Ethiopia. another. 34. Jordan's port. 77. The square of a body of any size of type. 37. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel. 39. (dialect) A short straight stick of wood. 40. A Bantu language spoken in southern Zaire. 42. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits. Yesterday’s Solution 44. An adherent of any branch of Taoism. 45. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret. 48. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. 49. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious. 51. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice. 52. A youth subculture that began in London in the early 1960s. 58. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. 59. An opening that allows the passage of liquids or grain v 1. 62. English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative tech- nique (1857-1924). 64. Italian architect (1508-1580). 66. Remote city of Kazakhstan that (ostensibly for security reasons) was made the capital in 1998. 70. Greek god of light. 71. Italian chemist noted for work on polymers (1903-1979). 74. A unit of electrical power in an AC circuit equal to the power dissipated when 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere. 75. Tall evergreen of Japan and China yielding valuable soft wood. 76. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling). 78. A benevolent aspect of Devi. 79. United States baseball player (born in 1931). 80. Any plant of the genus Amorpha having odd-pinnate leaves and purplish spicate flowers. 81. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

DOWN 1. A fastener (as a buckle or hook) that is used to hold two things together. 2. Soviet chief of secret police under Joseph Stalin. 3. United States writer (1871-1900). Challenging Maze Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution TV listings FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 21:50 Paul O’grady For The Love 18:00 Witches Of East End 08:15 Chopped Of Dogs 19:00 24 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back 22:20 Coronation Street 20:00 Castle To Basics 22:50 Emmerdale 21:00 Witches Of East End 09:30 Chopped Canada 23:45 The Jonathan Ross Show 22:00 Grimm 00:20 Street Outlaws 10:20 Recipes That Rock 00:40 The Hungry Sailors 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon 23:00 Boardwalk Empire 01:10 The Fighters 10:45 All You Can Meat 01:30 Brendan’s Magical Mystery Stewart 02:00 Fast N’ Loud 11:10 Roadtrip With G. Garvin Tour 01:00 The Colbert Report 02:50 Storage Hunters 11:35 Grandma’s Secret 02:00 Emmerdale 01:30 Family Guy 03:15 Container Wars Cookbook 02:55 Coronation Street 02:00 It’s Always Sunny In 03:40 Garage Gold 12:00 Chopped 03:25 Tricked Philadelphia 00:00 The Baytown Outlaws 04:05 How It’s Made 02:00 Bro’ 12:50 Siba’s Table 04:20 Big Star’s Little Star 02:30 Mixology 04:30 How It’s Made 00:00 Adventure Wanted 04:00 Drop Zone 13:15 Jenny Morris Cooks The 05:15 Four Weddings UK 03:00 The Neighbors 05:00 Treehouse Masters 06:10 The Chase 01:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 03:30 Last Man Standing 06:00 Badges Of Fury Riviera 06:00 Wheeler Dealers 07:05 Brendan’s Magical Mystery 02:00 Predator CSI 04:00 Growing Up Fisher 07:45 Iron Man 3 13:40 Mystery Diners 06:50 Extreme Fishing Tour 03:00 Situation Critical 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring 10:00 Police Story 07:40 Fast N’ Loud 14:05 Guy’s Grocery Games 07:30 Tricked 04:00 Light At The Edge Of The Jimmy Fallon 12:00 Bad Company 08:30 Storage Hunters 14:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 08:25 Big Star’s Little Star World 05:30 Better Off Ted 14:00 Badges Of Fury 08:55 Container Wars 15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 09:20 The Jonathan Ross Show 05:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai 06:00 Til Death 15:45 The Scorpion King 09:20 Garage Gold 15:45 Amazing Wedding Cakes 10:15 Four Weddings UK 06:00 Hard Time 06:30 My Name Is Earl 17:30 Iron Man 3 09:45 How It’s Made 16:35 Chopped 11:10 Emmerdale 07:00 Ancient Megastructures 07:00 Late Night With Seth 19:45 Bad Company 10:10 How It’s Made 17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks The 12:00 Coronation Street 08:00 Adventure Wanted Meyers 21:45 The Peacemaker 10:35 Airplane Repo Riviera 12:30 The Hungry Sailors 09:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 08:00 Growing Up Fisher 23:45 White House Down 11:25 Street Outlaws 17:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:25 The Chase 10:00 Predator CSI 08:30 Better Off Ted 12:15 Surviving The Cut 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:20 Brendan’s Magical Mystery 09:00 The Neighbors 13:05 Storage Hunters 11:00 Knights Of Mayhem 18:40 Siba’s Table Tour 12:00 Battleground Brothers 09:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 13:30 Container Wars 19:05 Grandma’s Secret 14:45 Four Weddings UK 10:00 Young & Hungry 13:55 Garage Gold 13:00 Armageddon Outfitters Cookbook 15:35 Tales From Northumberland 10:30 My Name Is Earl 14:20 Robson Green’s Extreme 14:00 Megacities 19:30 Mystery Diners With Robson Green 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring 00:00 Bro’-PG15 Fishing Challenge 15:00 Mega Factories: Supercars 16:30 Andrew Lloyd Webber Jimmy Fallon 02:00 Drop Zone-PG15 15:10 Wheeler Dealers 19:55 Burger Land 16:00 Engineering Connections Special: 40 Years... 12:00 Til Death 04:00 Badges Of Fury-PG15 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 20:20 Guy’s Grocery Games 17:00 Live Free Or Die 18:00 Paul O’grady For The Love 12:30 Growing Up Fisher 05:45 Iron Man 3-PG15 16:50 How It’s Made 21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes 18:00 Ape Man Of Dogs 13:00 Better Off Ted 08:00 Police Story-PG15 17:15 How It’s Made 22:00 BBQ Crawl 19:00 Mega Factories: Supercars 18:20 The Jonathan Ross Show 13:30 My Name Is Earl 10:00 Bad Company-PG15 17:40 Treehouse Masters 22:25 BBQ Crawl 19:10 Coronation Street 20:00 Engineering Connections 14:00 Last Man Standing 12:00 Badges Of Fury-PG15 18:30 Fast N’ Loud 22:50 Pizza Cuz 19:35 Tales From Northumberland 21:00 Live Free Or Die 14:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 13:45 The Scorpion King-PG15 19:20 Philly Throttle 23:15 Pizza Cuz With Robson Green 22:00 Ape Man 15:00 Young & Hungry 15:30 Iron Man 3-PG15 20:10 Container Wars 23:40 Burger Land 20:30 Andrew Lloyd Webber 23:00 Knights Of Mayhem 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 17:45 Bad Company-PG15 20:35 Garage Gold Special: 40 Years... Stewart 19:45 The Peacemaker-PG15 21:00 Fast N’ Loud 16:00 The Colbert Report 21:45 White House Down-PG15 21:50 Philly Throttle 16:30 Til Death 22:40 Highway To Sell 17:00 Late Night With Seth 23:30 Fast N’ Loud Meyers 18:00 The Neighbors 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 00:00 21 & Over-18 19:30 Young & Hungry 02:00 Old Stock-PG15 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring 04:00 Warm Bodies-PG15 06:00 The Addams Family-PG 00:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Addams Family Values-PG The Hamptons 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon 10:00 Shrek The Third-FAM 00:55 Extreme Close-Up Stewart 12:00 Undercover Brother-PG15 01:25 Keeping Up With The 21:30 The Colbert Report 14:00 What About Bob?-PG Kardashians 22:00 Married 16:00 Dumb And Dumberer: 02:20 E! News 22:30 Last Man Standing When Harry Met Lloyd-PG15 03:15 Giuliana & Bill 23:00 Mixology 18:00 Friends With Kids-PG15 04:10 E! Investigates 23:30 Late Night With Seth 20:00 Life Happens-PG15 05:05 THS Meyers 22:00 Blue Like Jazz-PG15 06:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 06:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 07:50 Style Star 00:00 Suits 08:20 E! News 02:00 Survivor: San Juan Del Sur 01:00 Stuck In Love-PG15 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 03:00 Supernatural 03:00 The Tall Man-PG15 10:15 E!ES 04:00 Switched At Birth 05:00 Five Thirteen-PG15 11:10 THS 05:00 The Flash 07:00 Oh Christmas Tree-PG 12:05 E! News 06:00 Suits 09:00 The Letter-PG15 13:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 07:00 Sleepy Hollow 11:00 Five Thirteen-PG15 13:35 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 08:00 C.S.I. 13:00 Nobody Walks-PG15 14:05 Fashion Bloggers 09:00 Switched At Birth 15:00 The Trouble With Bliss- 14:30 Fashion Bloggers 10:00 The Flash PG15 15:00 House Of DVF 12:00 Emmerdale 17:00 The Letter-PG15 16:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Celeste And Jesse Forever- The Hamptons 14:00 C.S.I. PG15 17:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take 15:00 Suits 21:00 The Immigrant-PG15 The Hamptons 16:00 Emmerdale 23:00 American Hustle-PG15 18:00 E! News 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Live From E! 18:00 C.S.I. 19:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On 19:00 Switched At Birth 20:00 Giuliana & Bill 20:00 Grey’s Anatomy 21:00 Fashion Bloggers 21:00 Devious Maids 21:30 Fashion Bloggers 22:00 American Horror Story: 22:00 E! News Freak Show 01:00 The Squid & The Whale-R 23:00 Live From E! 23:00 Supernatural 02:30 Snow Falling On Cedars 23:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 05:00 Deadly Spa-PG15 07:00 Darling Companion-PG15 09:00 Tales Of The Night-PG 10:30 Searching For Sugar Man 12:30 Snow Falling On Cedars 15:00 Spiderwick Chronicles-PG 00:05 Chopped 00:00 Witches Of East End 17:00 Tales Of The Night-PG 00:55 Amazing Wedding Cakes 01:00 Good Morning America 18:30 Son Of Rambow-PG 01:45 Amazing Wedding Cakes 03:00 Grimm 20:30 I, Anna-PG15 02:35 Siba’s Table 04:00 Boardwalk Empire 22:30 Flesh And Bone-PG15 05:00 Good Morning America 03:00 Siba’s Table 07:00 Emmerdale 03:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:50 Amazing Wedding Cakes 09:00 24 04:40 All You Can Meat 10:00 Emmerdale 05:05 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 05:30 Reza’s African Kitchen 12:00 Castle 05:50 Siba’s Table 13:00 Witches Of East End 01:00 Breakout-PG15 06:10 Sweet Genius 14:00 24 02:45 The Mortal Instruments: City 07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 15:00 Live Good Morning America Of Bones-PG15 07:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin THE EXPENDABLES 2 ON OSN MOVIES PREMIERE 17:00 Castle 05:00 Red Sky-PG15 TV listings FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

07:00 The Words-PG15 18:00 Oblivion-PG15 10:30 NFL 17:00 According To Jim 07:00 Storage Wars: New York 09:00 Turbo-PG 20:15 Runner Runner-PG15 15:30 Golfing World 19:30 Fit For Fashion 07:30 Counting Cars 11:00 47 Ronin-PG15 22:00 Lockout-PG15 16:30 NFL Gameday 20:30 The Listener 08:00 Counting Cars 13:00 All Is Lost-PG15 17:00 World Match Racing Tour 21:30 Happy Endings 08:30 Counting Cars 15:00 One Direction: This Is Us- 18:00 Golfing World 21:55 Happy Endings 09:00 American Restoration PG 19:00 WWE Superstars 00:00 Last Orders-PG 22:30 Melissa & Joey 09:30 Pawn Stars UK 17:00 Turbo-PG 20:00 WWE Smackdown! 01:45 Scary Movie 4 22:55 Melissa & Joey 10:00 Storage Wars: New York 19:00 The Hot Flashes-PG15 03:00 World Match Racing Tour 22:00 NFL Gameday 03:15 John Carter 23:30 According To Jim 10:30 Counting Cars 21:00 Labor Day-PG15 04:00 Snooker UK Championship 22:45 Live Top 14 05:30 Welcome To The Sticks-PG 11:00 Pawn Stars 23:00 Zero Dark Thirty-18 07:00 Golfing World 07:30 Shanghai Knights 11:30 Pawn Stars 08:00 PDC World Darts 09:30 Toy Story 3-FAM 12:00 Storage Wars Championship 11:15 Last Action Hero 12:30 Storage Wars 13:00 Golfing World 13:30 Tears Of The Sun 13:00 Counting Cars 14:00 Live F1 H20 Powerboat 15:45 Last Orders-PG 13:30 Counting Cars 17:45 The Prince Of Tides 01:35 The Prodigal-PG 14:00 Duck Dynasty World Champs 03:25 Dark Victory-PG 01:00 Jelly T 15:30 NFL Gameday 00:30 Story of the World Cup 1992 20:00 One Day-PG 15:00 Ice Road Truckers 02:45 Everyone’s Hero 22:00 Miracle 05:10 A Day At The Races-FAM 16:00 Counting Cars 16:00 ICC Cricket 360 02:00 Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 07:00 Viva Las Vegas-FAM 04:30 Barbie Of Swan Lake 16:30 Volvo Ocean Race ODI Highlights 16:30 Counting Cars 06:00 Ben 10: Race Against Time 08:25 Gone With The Wind-PG 17:00 Counting Cars Highlights 03:00 Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 12:00 Mildred Pierce-PG 08:00 Wizards And Giants 17:00 NHL ODI Highlights 17:30 Counting Cars 10:00 See Spot Run 13:50 The Women-PG 18:00 Pawn Stars 19:00 Golfing World 04:00 Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 16:00 The Wonderful World Of 11:45 Arthur’s Missing Pal 20:00 European Senior Tour ODI Highlights 18:30 Pawn Stars 13:00 Everyone’s Hero The...-FAM 19:00 Duck Dynasty Highlights 05:00 Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 18:05 Son Of Lassie-FAM 14:30 Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. 21:00 European Senior Tour ODI Highlights 20:00 Counting Cars Hare 00:00 According To Jim 19:45 The Prize-PG 20:30 Counting Cars Highlights 06:00 Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 00:30 Castle 22:00 Rogue Cop-PG 16:00 Princess And The Pea 22:00 Live PDC World Darts ODI Highlights 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 18:00 See Spot Run 01:30 Grey’s Anatomy 23:35 All The Fine Young 22:00 Pawn Stars Championship 07:00 ICC Cricket 360 02:30 Army Wives Cannibals-PG 20:00 Escape From Planet Earth 07:30 Story of the World Cup 1992 22:30 Pawn Stars 22:00 Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. 03:30 MasterChef Australia 23:00 American Pickers 09:00 LG ICC Awards 2014 04:30 Private Practice Hare 10:00 ICC Cricket 360 TLC HD 23:30 Princess And The Pea 05:30 According To Jim 00:45 Oprah: Where Are They 10:30 Big Bash League T20 05:55 According To Jim 00:00 WWE Main Event Highlights Now? 01:00 Golfing World 06:30 No Ordinary Family 01:35 Oprah’s Next Chapter 11:30 Live Big Bash League T20 07:30 The Walking Dead 02:00 NHL 15:00 ICC Cricket 360 02:25 I Didn’t Know I Was 08:30 Castle 00:00 Ice Road Truckers 04:00 NFL Gameday 15:30 Story of the World Cup 1992 Pregnant 00:00 Austenland-PG15 09:30 According To Jim 01:00 Duck Dynasty 04:30 Trans world Sport 17:00 ICC Cricket World Cup Tales 02:50 Body Bizarre 01:45 The Expendables 2-PG15 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy 02:00 Counting Cars 05:30 This is PGA Tour 17:30 Big Bash League T20 03:40 Long Island Medium 03:45 Battle Of The Year-PG15 11:00 Army Wives 02:30 Counting Cars 06:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 04:05 Say Yes To The Dress 05:45 Despicable Me 2-PG 12:00 MasterChef Australia 03:00 Ice Road Truckers 07:00 NFL Gameday 18:30 Big Bash League T20 04:30 Say Yes To The Dress 07:45 The Host-PG15 13:00 Private Practice 04:00 Storage Wars 07:30 Trans world Sport 22:00 ICC Cricket 360 05:00 Toddlers & Tiaras 10:00 21-PG15 14:00 According To Jim 04:30 Storage Wars 08:30 Golfing World 22:30 LG ICC Awards 2014 06:00 Something Borrowed, 12:15 The Expendables 2-PG15 14:30 According To Jim 05:00 Pawn Stars 09:30 ICC Cricket 360 23:30 Big Bash League T20 Something New 14:00 The Croods-PG 15:00 No Ordinary Family 05:30 Pawn Stars 10:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 06:25 Cake Boss 15:45 The Host-PG15 Highlights 16:00 The Walking Dead 06:00 Duck Dynasty 06:50 Cake Boss

IRON MAN 3 ON OSN MOVIES ACTION Stars FRIDAY, DECEEMBER 19, 2014

Aries (March 21-April 19) COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22) Afghanistan 0093 Lithuania 00370 Perhaps if you are not in a work position you are in some volun- Albania 00355 Luxembourg 00352 teer program this sunday. You may have some serious or contemplative You will flourish this sunday by pursuing your ideals and most deep- Algeria 00213 Macau 00853 moments as you make special plans to complete an important goal. This mon- seated dreams of how life could be. This evening a new adventure magazine has Andorra 00376 Macedonia 00389 day is a good time to work on a project of a large or complicated manner. You your attention. It may be a perfect time this monday to be assertive and to move for- Angola 00244 Madagascar 00261 might enjoy stepping back to see what others have to offer–observing. ward in your career decisions. This should be a wonderful time to be with others and Anguilla 001264 Majorca 0034 Perseverance this tuesday is crucial to your own sense of accomplishment– to work together. This tuesday there is something to learn as well as something to Antiga 001268 Malawi 00265 you will be glad you finished what you set out to accomplish. A superior may teach. Expect some new and fresh approaches in your habit patterns. Nighttime Argentina 0054 Malaysia 0060 seek you out this wednesday as just the right person for a particular job. This hours seem to be made for having fun. This wednesday is a vital day with lots of Armenia 00374 Maldives 00960 is a good day for making decisions, carrying out plans and communicating to energy and action. You may feel focused and even a bit radiant. This afternoon pres- Australia 0061 Mali 00223 others just where you stand. Your ability to truly understand and have a han- ents a great opportunity to keep your promise to a family member. Early to bed this Austria 0043 Malta 00356 dle on things of a conceptual and spiritual nature certainly won’t hurt your evening will help to balance your energies. This thursday in the workplace may Bahamas 001242 Marshall Islands 00692 popularity in a social situation this thursday. open up several opportunities for you to involve yourself with some highly ambi- Bahrain 00973 Martinique 00596 tious projects. The accent is on charisma at this time. Bangladesh 00880 Mauritania 00222 Barbados 001246 Mauritius 00230 Belarus 00375 Mayotte 00269 Belgium 0032 Mexico 0052 Belize 00501 Micronesia 00691 Taurus (April 20-May 20) Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Benin 00229 Moldova 00373 Bermuda 001441 Monaco 00377 This sunday you enjoy taking care of others as much as you Bhutan 00975 Mongolia 00976 enjoy having someone care for you. You are esteemed for your ability to Generally, this sunday is a fruitful period for real-estate invest- Bolivia 00591 Montserrat 001664 make common sense decisions that concern others. You just somehow know ments, if you do not bite off more than you can chew. Knowledge and commu- Bosnia 00387 Morocco 00212 what the community wants and needs. Many projects come to your attention nicating take care of an instinctive need. Anything that gets accomplished this Botswana 00267 Mozambique 00258 this monday–recognition is easy to find. Your ideas gain a great deal of atten- monday will probably be due to the fact that you took the initiative to get the Brazil 0055 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 tion. Finding yourself on the same wavelength with others is most wel- ball rolling. This tuesday could be a time of challenge from a career standpoint. Brunei 00673 Namibia 00264 comed. Something may spell out your need to reorganize and be more con- Your primary goal will be to do things that make you proud of yourself and the Bulgaria 00359 Nepal 00977 servative this tuesday. Later on, you may find your friends calling on your tal- way that you get things done. Organization will probably be the number one Burkina 00226 Netherlands 0031 ent in some special way. This should all work out well. You may find enjoy- key. There is an opportunity this wednesday to escort visitors to your company Burundi 00257 Netherlands Antilles 00599 ment in probing your inner workings or some good solid gossip this wednes- or school with the hopes of widening your scope of real estate or political Cambodia 00855 New Caledonia 00687 day. You find value in your darker, more secretive areas and don’t mind work- opportunities. This thursday is a good time to lead the way in a particular proj- Cameroon 00237 New Zealand 0064 ing through some sensitive problems. ect. Your originality is at a high–you are ready to apply those creative ideas to Canada 001 Nicaragua 00505 the work in front of you now. Cape Verde 00238 Nigar 00227 Cayman Islands 001345 Nigeria 00234 Central African 00236 Niue 00683 Chad 00235 Norfolk Island 00672 Chile 0056 N. Ireland (UK) 0044 Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) China 0086 North Korea 00850 Colombia 0057 Norway 0047 You may find it very easy to enjoy and value your own life circum- A friend or associate may come to you this sunday for help in Comoros 00269 Oman 00968 stances this sunday. Optimism is easy to find this monday. This is a fine time to try working through some issues that are very private and personal. You present Congo 00242 Pakistan 0092 out some new ideas or engage in some new business dealings or investments. It a most positive and upbeat side this monday while you lecture or speak to Cook Islands 00682 Palau 00680 is common sense, not just information that counts this tuesday. Your taste in art young people that need to hear what you have to say. Fun and upbeat activity Costa Rica 00506 Panama 00507 and appreciation of the artist is keen. You may not want to purchase too many that helps you to teach will prove successful. You are happy to be with others Croatia 00385 Papua New Guinea 00675 things just now but you will enjoy having a list of items that you would like to this tuesday and to have work. On top of your regular job, you may be sought Cuba 0053 Paraguay 00595 eventually add to your possession as investments and conversation pieces for after as just the person for a particular job. You are ready to dive in and Cyprus 00357 Peru 0051 your home. This wednesday afternoon is yours to do with as you please and most accomplish what you can. This wednesday you may decide to do some techni- Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Philippines 0063 of your free time is spent in catching up with unfinished business. You gain pro- cal or scientific work that may have been previously neglected. This could Czech Republic 00420 Poland 0048 found insights this thursday–you want to improve the world. Be very clear in all include a hobby as well as subjects that are work related. You will find that Denmark 0045 Portugal 00351 things you do and say. Also, make sure you have complete information before pleasant surroundings in the workplace or at home make for good vibrations Diego Garcia 00246 Puerto Rico 001787 gambling with an investment. You should enjoy great success and attention this thursday. You could be in the limelight, especially with superiors or in Djibouti 00253 Qatar 00974 through your profession this friday. relation to your work. Dominica 001767 Romania 0040 Dominican Republic 001809 Russian Federation 007 Ecuador 00593 Rwanda 00250 Egypt 0020 Saint Helena 00290 El Salvador 00503 Saint Kitts 001869 Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) England (UK) 0044 Saint Lucia 001758 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Saint Pierre 00508 Eritrea 00291 Saint Vincent 001784 You may find it a bit hard to organize or persist this sunday. This sunday afternoon you enjoy dressing up to attend some Estonia 00372 Samoa US 00684 Some chaos may be present this morning, but your patience will see things special celebration party. Perhaps it’s a wedding shower, baby shower, sports victory party or a welcome party for a new member or neighbor in Ethiopia 00251 Samoa West 00685 through to a positive end. Communication and successful leadership qualities Falkland Islands 00500 San Marino 00378 are in your favor this monday. You are able to handle most any situation. You your community. You are quite talented at figuring things out by digging beneath the surface and getting at what is beneath and behind a situa- Faroe Islands 00298 Sao Tone 00239 want adventure, freedom and to go where no one has gone. This tuesday could Fiji 00679 Saudi Arabia 00966 be a good time for designing, planning, creating the best advertisement or toy, tion. This talent is what could have a friend or associate coming to you for help this monday. This tuesday is a positive day to sign contracts, con- Finland 00358 Scotland (UK) 0044 etc. You may have a conversation with an older person or someone in authority France 0033 Senegal 00221 and learn about past interests that could fit in with new invention develop- clude business deals or make future plans. The things that will pique your interest and stir your heartstrings are adventures that take you completely French Guiana 00594 Seychelles 00284 ments. This wednesday is perfect for you to receive recognition. Peers and French Polynesia 00689 Sierra Leone 00232 superiors give you credit for your hard work. An outgoing and very expressive out of your realm of thinking. This wednesday is for practical matters. Your energy and optimism go together in helping you to grasp the overall pic- Gabon 00241 Singapore 0065 cycle of experience has begun this thursday. You may have a mad desire to do Gambia 00220 Slovakia 00421 nothing but communicate and exchange ideas. ture. Your needs are very strong this thursday and you feel the needs of others, as well. Georgia 00995 Slovenia 00386 Germany 0049 Solomon Islands 00677 Ghana 00233 Somalia 00252 Gibraltar 00350 South Africa 0027 Greece 0030 South Korea 0082 Leo (July 23-August 22) Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Greenland 00299 Spain 0034 Grenada 001473 Sri Lanka 0094 Guadeloupe 00590 Sudan 00249 Think of things that make you laugh and share those feelings Fondness and appreciation for the past and for your roots in life take on greater meaning and importance this sunday. Making your home sit- Guam 001671 Suriname 00597 with others this sunday. Perhaps when you saw the antics of small children was Guatemala 00502 Swaziland 00268 when you laughed the hardest. Perhaps a charity or a volunteer position is uation pleasant and attractive plays a part. You could be feeling an urgency to Sweden 0046 have more control over your life this monday. You may find yourself with a Guinea 00224 where you place the importance of your time. Consider a drive to see the holi- Guyana 00592 Switzerland 0041 day lights. This monday is a perfect time for new ideas, a breakthrough in think- greater interest or experience in healing and investing–and of course, the great Syria 00963 mysteriousness of life and death. There are new concepts that you are aware of Haiti 00509 ing, a novel approach. Everything seems to work together to bring out your Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Serbia 00381 more unique and unusual qualities. You have a natural sense for communicat- this tuesday and you may find yourself talking about them with co-workers. It is Taiwan 00886 an excellent time to solicit the help of others. This wednesday is a good time to Honduras 00504 ing with others, especially those younger than yourself. This tuesday you may Hong Kong 00852 Tanzania 00255 be asked to branch out a bit and show off your skills for another department, foster a sense of togetherness and team play during group work activity. Thailand 0066 Mentally, you are very perceptive, with sharp ideas and clear thoughts. This Hungary 0036 business or trade fair. Work objectives are very important to you this wednes- Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Toga 00228 day. Discipline may be where your concentration is focused. Beating others in thursday should be an excellent time to make decisions and to take care of any Tonga 00676 mental task. Great practical job-related thoughts and ideas will be yours. When Iceland 00354 the heat of competition and taking on a leadership role may mean more to you India 0091 Tokelau 00690 this thursday. Second best just isn’t good enough. you concentrate you can accomplish quite a lot, particularly this friday. Trinidad 001868 Indian Ocean 00873 Tunisia 00216 Indonesia 0062 Turkey 0090 Iran 0098 Tuvalu 00688 Iraq 00964 Uganda 00256 Ireland 00353 Ukraine 00380 Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) Italy 0039 United Arab Emirates 00976 Ivory Coast 00225 United Kingdom 0044 This sunday is a great day with lots of energy and ambition. A fresh, invigorating quality blows into your life this sunday Jamaica 001876 Uruguay 00598 New projects are upbeat and interesting and old projects have a way of ending morning. This would be an ideal time for surrounding yourself with friends and Japan 0081 USA 001 successfully. You may enjoy a sense of creating your own opportunities. You family. You know just what to do this monday and can act without haste and Jordan 00962 Uzbekistan 00998 may find yourself in the mood for some rather deep and penetrating conversa- emotion. You are called on to make use of your natural abilities and common Kazakhstan 007 Vanuatu 00678 tions or thoughts this monday. Expect some real insight. Procuring and sharing sense. Welcome all new ideas this tuesday. You should take every opportunity to Kenya 00254 Venezuela 00582 information assume more emotional significance for you just now. This tuesday get outside and enjoy the natural world as well. Work will seem easier and your Kiribati 00686 Vietnam 0084 you may feel that all your hard work this year has been worth the effort. Doubts creative side will become more expressive. This wednesday you just seem to Kuwait 00965 Virgin Islands UK 001284 are no longer part of your daily thinking. You may also find new methods of want to talk, talk, and talk, as your mind should be quite clear and natural. Ideas Kyrgyzstan 00996 Virgin Islands US 001340 working that will help simplify the process. This wednesday you will realize that are flowing and come with ease. Taking care of business is most likely your num- Laos 00856 Wales (UK) 0044 a hobby you have perfected recently may be turning into a very profitable ber one priority. In the evening, you will dance. You may have some heavy Latvia 00371 Yemen 00967 enterprise. In the workplace this thursday, conference calls and other means of responsibility thus thursday. However, this is a good time for you to show off Lebanon 00961 Yugoslavia 00381 communication that will help you be part of some decision making action have your capabilities. You must be very sensible regarding personal decisions about Liberia 00231 Zambia 00260 positive results. finances this friday. Libya 00218 Zimbabwe 00263 Health FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 EU court says obesity can be disability

LUXEMBOURG: The European Union’s highest court ruled yes- terday that obesity can be considered a “disability” if it hinders an overweight person’s performance at work. The European Court of Justice had been asked by a Danish court to consider the case of a child minder in Denmark who said he was fired four years ago because he is obese. The employee, Karsten Kaltoft, filed a suit to obtain damages and interest from the municipality of Billund which employed him in the job, claiming he was the victim of discrimination. “I’m both glad and relieved that there has been a ruling that... clearly points in our direction,” Kaltoft, who lost his job in 2010 and is now working as a lorry driver, told AFP. “I was able to do my job like everybody else,” he added. Those who claimed it would make employers more reluctant to hire overweight people were wrong, he said. “If you have the quali- ties and qualifications an employer needs, I don’t think they- when they are hiring you-look at how easy you are to fire,” he said. The Danish court asked the Luxembourg court whether EU law itself prohibits discrimination on grounds of obesity and FREETOWN: In this Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 file photo, a healthcare worker dons protective gear before entering an Ebola whether obesity can be considered a disability. treatment center in the west of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Dr. Brima Kargbo, Sierra Leone’s chief medical officer, con- The EU court ruled that “no general principle of EU law pro- firmed yesterday, that Dr. Victor Willoughby died earlier in the day after being tested positive for Ebola. —AP hibits, in itself, the discrimination on grounds of obesity”. But it said the “condition falls within the concept of ‘disability’ where... it hinders the full and effective participation of the per- Sierra Leone’s leading son concerned in professional life on an equal basis with other workers”. The EU court said however it was up to the Danish court to “determine whether Kaltoft’s obesity falls within the defi- doctor dies of Ebola nition of disability”.

‘A great victory’ FREETOWN: Sierra Leone’s leading doctor His death brings to 12 the number of on Wednesday, adding that the increase in Danish trade union FOA, which was acting on behalf of died of Ebola yestersday, hours after the Sierra Leone doctors to have contracted the cases in Sierra Leone appeared to have Kaltoft, described the ruling as “a great victory”. arrival in the country of an experimental virus. Eleven have died. In all, 142 health slowed. Kargbo said Willoughby’s death was The town of Billund “has said all along that Karsten Kaltoft’s drug that could have been used to treat him, workers have been infected with the disease the most tragic to hit the country since the obesity could never constitute a disability because it was self- the chief medical officer said. in the West African country and 109 have passing, in July, of its only virologist and inflicted. The European Court of Justice flatly rejects this argu- Victor Willoughby was diagnosed with died, according to World Health Ebola specialist, Dr Shek Humar Khan. ment,” the union said in a statement. Ebola last week after he treated a man with Organization (WHO) figures. “We all looked up to Dr Willoughby and Lawyer Jacob Sand, who represented Kaltoft, said the court’s organ-related problems. The patient, a senior Sierra Leone, neighbouring Guinea and would consult him on many issues relating decision protected a “vulnerable group of workers” but admitted banker, was later diagnosed with Ebola and Liberia are at the heart of the world’s worst to our medical profession,” Kargbo said. that obesity could still be grounds for dismissal in cases where has since died. recorded outbreak of Ebola. Rates of infec- Ebola centres in Sierra Leone over- the employee is unable to perform the job they were hired to do. The drug, ZMab, was transported in tion are rising fastest in Sierra Leone, which flowed on Wednesday as health workers “A person who is dismissed if they are not competent, capable frozen form on a Brussels Airlines flight that now accounts for more than half of the combed the streets of the capital Freetown and available for the position has not been subjected to discrimi- arrived overnight. But before it could thaw, 18,603 confirmed cases of the virus. for patients, after the government nation because it is only reasonable and factual to dismiss such a Willoughby’s condition deteriorated, said The overall death toll from the epidemic launched a major operation to contain the person,” he told AFP. —AFP chief medical officer Brima Kargbo. has risen to 6,915 as of Dec. 14, the WHO said epidemic. — Reuters FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

Swiss CB introduces Gulf markets surge as oil rebounds; Kuwait soars negative interest rate PAGE 38 Page 39

KUWAIT: Traders follow the market’s movements at the Kuwait Stock Exchange yesterday. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 38) Naimi says oil price slide ‘temporary’ Oil jumps 3% to $63; market will return to balance: UAE

DUBAI: Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi sees the cur- quota as well as Saudi Arabia’s in the global oil market said the continuing slide in the price of oil is a political tions, will by no means agree to scale back on its rent slide of oil prices as temporary and said he has not changed for several years, which is at the level plot, the ministry’s news agency Shana reported late share in the oil market,” Zangeneh said. remains optimistic about the future of the industry, of 30 million barrels per day for OPEC... while the pro- on Wednesday. “The prolongation of the downward “We have to make efforts to overcome the sanc- state news agency SPA yesterday quoted him as say- duction of others from outside OPEC is continuously trend of the oil price in world markets is a political tions by resistance and force,” the minister said. Iran ing. “I am optimistic about the future. What we are rising,” he told SPA. conspiracy going to extremes,” Shana cited exports around 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil. facing now and what the world is facing is a tempo- “In a situation like this, it is difficult, if not impossi- Zangeneh as saying. It has said it would will double its oil exports within rary situation and will pass,” he told SPA. ble, for the kingdom or for OPEC to take any action He said that the fall in the price, which dipped this two months if sanctions against it were lifted. “The global economy, especially the emerging that would reduce its market share and increase the week to its lowest since May 2009 at $58.50 a barrel, But signs that lower prices are threatening future economies will return to sustainable growth, and shares of others, at a time when it is difficult to control down almost 50 percent since June, initially stemmed production have given some traders pause. Oil prices therefore the demand for oil will also grow,” he said, prices,” he said. “We would lose on both market share from oversupply in markets. were volatile on Wednesday, briefly spiking as much speaking in Arabic. The Organization of the and price.” Naimi said OPEC sought cooperation last Last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as 6 percent as players rushed to close short posi- Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided month from other oil producers outside the produc- accused unnamed countries of plotting to bring tions, before falling back. US crude for January deliv- against reducing production at a meeting last month, ing group but “those efforts were not successful”. down crude prices and said the recent price slump ery, which expires after Friday’s settlement, was up resisting calls from some members for a cut. The drop in oil prices will not last for long and the was not based solely on economic factors. Oil prices $1.83 at $58.30 a barrel. “It looks like investors favor Brent crude jumped 3 percent to above $63 a bar- oil market will return to balance, UAE Oil Minister were trading then below $66 a barrel. On Thursday, support around $60 a barrel,” said Daniel Ang, an rel yesterday, extending a rebound from five-year Suhail Bin Mohammed Al-Mazroui was quoted by Brent crude edged above $61 a barrel, after sharply investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, lows this week as oil’s six-month price rout forced official news agency WAM yesterday as saying. lower prices forced companies to cut upstream adding that lower investment in production could be more energy firms to cut investments in new produc- “Experience has taught us this, and everybody must investments around the world. felt in the market as early as the second quarter of tion. Oil this week slumped as low as $58.50 and has shoulder their responsibilities to reach market bal- While some countries such as Iran and Venezuela 2015. Chevron Corp has put a plan to drill for oil in the almost halved since June as fast-growing US shale ance,” he said. “The UAE is continuing with its invest- have urged an output cut to support prices, the Beaufort Sea in Canada’s Arctic on indefinite hold, output overwhelms demand, with losses accelerating ments in the oil and gas industry... we have a bal- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries while Marathon Oil cut its capital expenditure for next after producer group OPEC decided not to cut output anced and long-term policy,” he told WAM. “The cur- (OPEC) decided against reducing production at a year by about 20 percent. at its meeting last month. rent crude price is not permanent.” meeting last month. The decision sent prices plung- Canadian oil producers also deepened cuts in Naimi said it was difficult for Saudi Arabia and ing further. 2015 spending, as Husky Energy, MEG Energy and OPEC to reduce output, affecting their market share, Political plot “In that meeting, I noted that Iran, whose oil Penn West Petroleum joined those hacking back capi- at a time when prices cannot be controlled. “OPEC’s Meanwhile, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh exports have declined in recent years due to sanc- tal budgets. —Reuters Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Gulf markets surge as oil News in brief

rebounds; Kuwait soars Shareholders back EZW buy, says DP World DUBAI: Shareholders of DP World have approved buy- MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS ing Economic Zones World from its majority shareholder and also backed the port operator’s delisting from the DUBAI: Stock markets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Sebastien Henin, head of asset management at The National London Stock Exchange, the Dubai-based company said Emirates soared yesterday after the price of oil rebounded and Investor in Abu Dhabi, said of Gulf markets’ rally. the Riyadh government eased investors’ fears by saying it “Local equity markets had been hurt unnecessarily in the yesterday. The assent was granted at a meeting yester- would continue spending heavily on economic development. few previous sessions.” Kuwait’s bourse added 1.9 percent day, with the proposals received near-unanimous sup- Saudi Arabia’s bourse was up 8.7 percent two hours into its yesterday and Oman jumped 3.7 percent. Qatar’s bourse was port from independent shareholders, DP World said in a session. All traded stocks posted gains and some, such as closed for a national holiday. Dubai’s equities benchmark end- London bourse filing. DP World last month said it would Advanced Petrochemical Co, were up 10 percent, the bourse’s ed 13.0 percent higher as all traded stocks rose; some surged pay $2.6 billion to Dubai World for its EZW logistics infra- daily limit for price moves. by their daily 15 percent limits, including heavyweight devel- structure firm and would delist from the London bourse The main fear of Gulf investors as bourses have tumbled in oper Emaar Properties . Trading volume reached its highest due to thin trading volumes. Dubai World owns 80.45 recent weeks has been that cheap oil would cause govern- since July, a positive technical factor. percent of DP World. ments to cut back spending. But Saudi Arabian Finance Shares in construction firm Drake and Scull rose 15 percent Minister Ibrahim Alassaf said on Wednesday that his govern- after it said its board would consider buying back up to 10 Dubai’s Drake and Scull ment would continue spending strongly on development percent of the company’s shares at a meeting on Dec. 22. mulls share buyback projects and social benefits in its 2015 budget, expected to be The announcement, and buy-back activity by Abu Dhabi’s DUBAI: The board of Dubai contractor Drake and announced on Monday. Waha Capital and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank on Scull will consider buying back up to 10 percent of UAE, Kuwaiti and Qatari officials have made similar state- Wednesday under existing programs, were signs that UAE the company’s shares at a meeting on Dec 22, the ments in recent days. Meanwhile, the price of Brent crude for companies think their share prices are now too cheap. Abu company said yesterday. Drake and Scull, whose February delivery jumped 2.5 percent and approached $63 Dhabi’s index surged 6.7 percent in a broad rally. Aldar shares have plunged 42 percent since the end of per barrel. “It’s a combination of stronger oil and US equity Properties, the emirate’s largest listed developer, rose its 15 October as part of a panic sell-off in the Gulf trig- markets as well as news from Saudi Arabia yesterday,” said percent daily limit. — Reuters gered by falling oil prices, provided no other details of the potential buyback. Two other companies from the United Arab Emirates, investment firm Waha Capital and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, used their existing share buyback programs on Wednesday, they said in separate bourse statements.

Egyptian pound steady on official market CAIRO: The Egyptian pound was unchanged at a central bank dollar sale yesterday and stronger on the unofficial market after the government established a fourth week- ly dollar auction. The bank offered $40 million and said it had sold $38.2 million at a cut-off price of 7.1401 pounds to the dollar, a rate unchanged from its sales on Wednesday and Monday. The rates at which banks are allowed to trade dollars are determined by the results of central bank sales, giving the bank effective control over official exchange rates. In the unofficial market, the pound was trading at about 7.78 to the dollar on Thursday, stronger than Wednesday’s rate of 7.70 to the dollar. The price of dollars on the unofficial market had HEART: An Afghan worker dyes thread at a carpet manufacturer in Herat. Some 42,500 women and their families are involved been largely steady since the government announced in the project which aims to provide a means of subsistence and potentially lead to international market access for silk produc- last week that it would hold a weekly Sunday auction in ers in the country. — AFP addition to the sales it already holds on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. China ends near decade of rising Iraq crude oil orders

SINGAPORE: Chinese oil firms will keep the amount of tons (566,387 barrels per day), compared with the same China’s imports slow crude they buy from Iraq unchanged in 2015 for the first period of 2014, Reuters data showed. In contrast, China Another factor behind slowing demand for Iraqi oil is time in almost a decade, as the need for imports falls and imported just 1 million tons of oil from Iraq in 2006. that China’s own import needs are not rising as fast. concerns over the quality of the oil persist, five sources China’s crude imports are expected to post a rise of with knowledge of the situation said. The varying quality End of long rise 400,000 barrels per day in 2015, compared with 500,000 of Basra Light, Iraq’s key export grade, has been a concern Four Chinese firms with annual oil contracts with Iraq’s bpd this year, said Amrita Sen of Energy Aspects. for buyers, while demand growth in China has also been State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) will keep 2015 “Regarding crude imports, it will be a function of SPR slowing allowing oil firms to cherry pick purchases from purchases steady for the first time since 2006, the sources (strategic petroleum reserves) and commercial inventory global suppliers. with knowledge of the firms trading strategies said. fills,” Sen said, rather than one of meeting direct con- Oil prices have fallen more than 40 percent since June Unipec, the trading arm of Asia’s largest refiner Sinopec , sumer demand. as a supply glut clashes with cooling demand, putting pro- will lift about 10 million barrels a month, and Sinochem up The actual amount of crude Iraq delivers to China ducers under pressure as consumers have more choice at to 6 million barrels, according to sources. next year may also be determined by factors outside the lower costs. CNOOC, Zhenhua Oil and Chinaoil, the trading arm of order book. This year, Iraq was unable to deliver full con- “There is a lot of competition to supply,” IHS consultant PetroChina , will each have about 2 million barrels per tractual supply due to technical and security problems: Victor Shum said. “China has a lot to choose from.” A drive month, the sources said. These volumes do not include Chinese buyers signed deals to double Iraqi crude by China, the world’s top energy consumer, to secure oil equity shares from production sharing contracts held by imports in 2014 but Iraq only managed to supply a quar- for its fast-growing economy has seen its imports from Chinese firms in Iraq. ter more. Iraq soar. The OPEC producer has become China’s fifth- SOMO, PetroChina, CNOOC and Sinochem did not Despite this, China is expected to increase crude largest oil supplier behind Saudi Arabia, Angola, Russia respond to emails requesting comment, while Sinopec imports from the world’s fastest-growing oil exporter in and Oman. declined to comment. Iraq will give a higher discount for the long run. “Beyond next year, Iraq has the potential China’s crude imports from Iraq rose in the first ten heavy crudes it exports from its port of Basra over quality to provide sustained incremental supply far into the months of the year by nearly a quarter to 23.49 million issues, sources have previously said. future,” IHS’ Shum said. — Reuters Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Swiss CB introduces negative interest rate

GENEVA: Switzerland’s central bank announced yesterday it was introducing negative interest rates to stop the franc getting any stronger, after the Russian ruble crisis sent investors pouring their investments into the safe haven currency. The Swiss National Bank will impose a rate of -0.25 percent on certain bank deposits on January 22, with the aim of pushing the target range of Switzerland’s benchmark interest rate into negative territory. “The Swiss franc has been experiencing renewed upward pressure vis-‡-vis the euro in the last few days,” said Thomas Jordan, chairman of the SNB governing board. “Rapidly mounting uncertainty on the financial markets has substantially increased demand for safe investments. The worsening of the crisis in Russia was a major contributory factor in this develop- ment.” The ruble crashed to historic lows this week of 80 to the dollar and 100 to the euro, as the energy-export dependent economy was hit by a rout in oil prices. It has prompted Russians to rush to exchange their savings and make a run on stores to dump the devaluing national currency ahead of expected price hikes. MOSCOW: A live broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a TV screen at a restaurant in Moscow yester- With the safe haven Swiss currency in demand, the SNB was day as Putin speaks during his annual press conference. — AFP forced to take action to protect the country’s vital export sector. The negative interest rate will be imposed on so-called sight deposits, funds which can be accessed immediately, but only apply to balances Putin promises economic above a certain threshold. The SNB said the aim of the rate change was to take the three- month Libor rate, which Switzerland uses to determine interest rates recovery to worried Russia on mortgages and savings accounts, into negative territory. The tar- get range for Libor-the name for the franc’s three-month London interbank offered rate-is now between -0.75 percent and 0.25 per- Ruble rallies in early trading on CB support cent, compared to its previous level of between 0.0 and 0.25 percent. “This measure will lead to a further decline in the interest earned MOSCOW: President Putin yesterday attempted to assuage fears through a “crisis” and conceded that there was no coherent plan on Swiss-franc investments, making them less attractive, and thereby of economic collapse and promised rapid recovery as he faced on how to tackle it if oil prices do not rebound. “I guess we found easing the upward pressure on the Swiss franc,” Jordan said. He reit- hundreds of journalists during the worst financial crisis of his rule. ourselves in a perfect storm, and I guess it’s not an accident. erated the central bank’s “utmost determination” to keep to an Speaking at his annual press-conference, the Russian leader said Because in some way we prepared this storm ourselves,” he said exchange-rate floor of 1.20 francs to the euro-a move that effectively that the economic downturn will last two years at the most and in an interview conducted Monday, before the record ruble low imposes a limit on how strong the Swiss currency can get. he promised to support the poorest segment of the population. on Tuesday. “We are issuing ad hoc reactions, the situation is so “Without the minimum exchange rate, price stability in “Under the most unfavorable world conditions, such a situa- unpredictable that we cannot be ready for future changes,” he Switzerland would be seriously compromised,” Jordan said. He tion can last two years,” Putin said days after the Russian ruble fell admitted. Several observers have said that the record slump of repeated that the SNB was “prepared to purchase foreign currency in to record lows, following a 60 percent dive in value since the the ruble is due not only to the global decrease of oil prices on unlimited quantities and to take further measures, if required”. beginning of the year. He added that efforts by the central bank which Russia depends, and Russia’s financial isolation due to and government-including a record hike of the key interest rate Western sanctions over Ukraine, but also to the perceived lack of ‘Battle of measures’ with ECB and spending billions to stabilize the ruble-have been “absolutely strategy by the leadership during the crisis. Analysts had been expecting negative rates even before the reasonable and in the right direction” though they could have Putin’s ratings so far remain sky-high, hitting 80 percent for Russian crisis, because of the increasing risks of deflation in come quicker. “It goes without saying that a way out of this situa- months after the controversial annexation of the Crimea peninsula Switzerland and in anticipation of further stimulus measures by the tion is inevitable,” he said, promising to “focus attention on help- from Ukraine in March. However, it is unclear how much support European Central Bank. “What happens from here will depend in part ing people who need it most.” for him-built on years of growing oil revenues and relative prosper- on how the Russian crisis develops,” said Jonathan Loynes, chief The Russian president had remained silent earlier this week on ity, as well the total dominance of the well-oiled state media European economist with Capital Economics. But he added: “We have the issue of the ruble’s crash, which took it to historic lows of 80 machine-will ebb once people see their purchasing power erode. been warning for some time that the commencement of quantitative to the dollar and 100 to the euro, leading Russians to rush to The state statistics agency said Wednesday that real wages have easing by the ECB would put further upward pressure on the franc exchange their savings and make a run on stores to dump the declined in the first 11 months of the year for the first time in years. and hence force the SNB into more action.” devaluing national currency ahead of expected price hikes. The Both the economy ministry and the central bank have warned of With the ECB governing council meeting next on January 22, he ruble rallied in early trading yesterday ahead of the news confer- recession next year, with the latter saying the contraction could be said it was likely the SNB would soon have to follow up the rate cut ence. The central bank earlier this week spent $2 billion on sup- up to 4.8 percent at current oil prices, with a recovery not expected porting the currency and the finance ministry promised to spend until 2017. Western sanctions over Moscow’s interference in east- with further currency intervention. up to $7 billion more. The marathon press conference, held in a ern Ukraine, where the conflict between pro-Russian separatists Laurent Bakhtiari, market analyst at IG Bank, said the rate cut was trade centre in central Moscow, saw Putin face hundreds of jour- and Kiev’s forces has killed over 4,700, are meanwhile expected to the start of a “long-awaited battle of measures” between the SNB and nalists from all over Russia. Over 1,200 had signed up to attend, only get harsher. The White House this week said that President ECB. “The SNB played the first move very well. From now on, the SNB according to the Kremlin. Barack Obama plans to sign a bill imposing a fresh round of meas- will constantly have to be one step ahead of the ECB if they want to ures. Amid mounting pressure, Russian officials have begun to call defend the 1.20 minimum rate,” he said. Since setting the minimum ‘Perfect storm’ on the population to accept the economic woes as the cost for exchange rate in September 2011, the bank has intervened whenever Economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev told Vedomosti daily in an annexation of Crimea and restoration of Russia as a great geopoliti- necessary to protect it by buying up euros.—AFP interview published yesterday that Russia’s economy was going cal power similar to the Soviet Union.—AFP Switzerland cuts growth forecast

ZURICH: Switzerland yesterday cut its growth that even European powerhouse Germany was forecast for 2015 as a recovery in the euro-zone expecting to post only muted growth. turns out to be more sluggish than earlier The agency said that as long as the gradual thought. The national statistics agency said it still euro-zone recovery continues, Swiss growth expects Swiss output to expand by 1.8 percent prospects for the two years to come “remain rela- this year. But the State Secretariat for Economic tively favorable”, with output growth forecasted Affairs, or SECO said growth for 2015 would be at to reach 2.4 percent in 2016. At the same time, 2.1 percent rather than the previously forecasted SECO warned that the economic outlook could 2.4 percent. still cast a shadow over Swiss growth prospects. “In the euro-zone, ... the economic recovery Political complications following a Swiss pop- has been more difficult than hoped for during ular vote in February to curb immigration from the year coming to an end, and growth perspec- EU countries, which has soured ties with TOKYO: Pedestrians pass before a share prices board in Tokyo yesterday. Japan’s share prices tives remain moderate,” SECO said in a state- Switzerland’s main trading partner, might also rose 428.11 points to close at 17,247.84 points at the morning session of the Tokyo Stock ment. It raised concern over the debt and deficit “compromise the expected improvement in the exchange, boosted by a rally on Wall Street and a weaker yen after the US Federal Reserve problems plaguing France and Italy and noted Swiss outlook”, it said. — AFP indicated interest rates would be hiked by mid-2015. — AFP Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 India PM moves in to speed up $300bn worth projects Modi takes direct control of project monitoring body

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken direct PMO official said a bureaucrat who had worked closely with Modi control of a project-monitoring body to fast-track investments when he was chief minister of Gujarat state will head the monitor- worth almost $300 billion and revive manufacturing in the coun- ing group. The senior officer is among a few trusted civil servants try, two officials with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. with whom the PMO thrashes out key decisions, often at the Pro-business Modi has faced criticism in recent weeks that his expense of ministerial authority. ambition to spur investment and re-energize the economy has yet Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up the PMG last to be realized, more than six months after he won elections with year to prod ministers and bureaucrats sitting on files, a tendency the strongest mandate in three decades. that came to be known as “policy paralysis” and was blamed for Industrial output contracted in October in its worst perform- growth of less than 5 percent for two straight years. Since its ance in three years, jarring with a much-publicized “Make in India” inception, the PMG has facilitated 197 stalled projects worth about campaign Modi has championed to make the country a manufac- $110 billion. South Korean steel maker POSCO is one of many turing powerhouse. By taking over the Project Monitoring Group companies to have approached the PMG. POSCO has waited nine ATHENS: Pensioners gather outside the Labour ministry in (PMG), which was previously in the Cabinet Secretariat, Modi could years to get approvals to set up a $12 billion steel plant, which Athens yesterday during a rally against pensions cuts. The help firms planning coal, power, steel and infrastructure projects would be India’s biggest foreign direct investment. race was on in Greece yesterday to forestall early elections, cut through a maze of up to 180 clearances. “The fact that the Tata Power and Adani Power are other top companies awaiting and a possible blow to fiscal reforms, hours after parliament prime minister’s office (PMO) will be directly overseeing all the clearances. “Business confidence has certainly improved in the last failed to elect a new president. — AFP project clearances will impart a greater degree of efficiency and six to seven months, but this confidence now needs to get trans- also ensure that clearances are fast tracked at every level,” said one lated in the project delivery, kick-starting the investment cycle and of the officials, declining to be identified ahead of a public boosting consumer demand,” said Sunil Kanoria, president-elect After Juncker, announcement. “The PMO’s stamp will make a big difference.” A of industry body ASSOCHAM. — Reuters Luxembourg seeks tax gurus’ help

BRUSSELS: When Jean-Claude Juncker was voted out after two decades running Luxembourg, his victorious rivals were eager not to alienate tax gurus who had helped him make their tiny state rich. Indeed, so close are some to the new government that Ernst & Young’s local boss helped negotiate the coalition deal that saw Xavier Bettel succeed Juncker as prime minister a year ago. Recent uproar over leaked documents showing how Luxembourg helped global companies avoid tax has clouded Juncker’s first weeks as the EU’s chief executive and Bettel has promised things will change. Yet links between the country’s leaders and global tax con- sultancies may be closer than ever. Both parties deny any talk of impropriety and their cooperation seems to worry few of Luxembourg’s 240,000 voters. Alain Kinsch of E&Y told a local newspaper last year while he was acting as a coalition negotiator for Bettel’s liberal party that others from the Big Four accounting firms had no need to play such a public political role to have access to ministers: “If I really wanted to wield any influence, trust me, I wouldn’t have chosen this route. I would have kept behind the scenes and would have been able to wield influence differently.” Kinsch and E&Y declined comment for this article.

“Conflict of interest” In a rare sound of local dissent on the matter another person involved in those talks said: “To me, there was a clear conflict of inter- est. It was very obvious the text that was proposed on tax matters was written by (tax accountants).” Juncker himself has condemned one proposal in the program for a new tax break as too generous to big business. The person involved in the talks also criticized a clause say- ing the state should retain consultants to advise on administrative reform. BIESHEIM: An employee checks an aluminum roll at the Constellium factory in Biesheim, eastern France. — AFP But a spokesman for Bettel, a 41-year-old lawyer who was mayor of the city of Luxembourg until becoming premier last December, said Kinsch played a legitimate, and limited, role. “We don’t see a con- flict of interest,” the spokesman said. “He was there as a party mem- UK car production seen flat in 2014 ber and his expertise was wanted during the negotiations. However, he did not dictate policy.” LONDON: British car production will remain flat in 2014, an have flattened UK car production, but the industry remains in a Another tax consultant involved in drawing up the coalition deal industry body said yesterday, as a drop in exports due to weak strong position with growth expected to return next year,” also defended politicians taking business advice. “Luxembourg’s gov- foreign demand saw output fall in November. Overall production SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said in a statement. ernment listens to industry experts, just as governments do world- fell year-on-year by 0.2 percent last month to 137,347 cars. The SMMT still believes production levels will rise year-on- wide,” former E&Y CFO Norbert Becker told Reuters. “But what they Exports, which account for around four in five of all British-built year from 2015 reaching an all-time high of over 2 million by decide is then completely up to them. models made, were down 6 percent, whereas domestic demand 2017, beating the previous record set in 1972. “When the steel crisis came in the 1970s, they had to see how they rose by nearly a third. Export demand has been weak in 2014 with only a fragile would feed their people,” he noted. The country now makes a quarter November’s drop, the fourth month in a row that output has economic recovery in mainland Europe and car sales plunging in of its national income from finance, compared to an EU average of failed to match last year’s equivalent figures, leaves British car Russia, Britain’s second-biggest non-EU export market in 2013. under five percent - though it remains proud of a steel industry that production down 0.3 percent in the first eleven months of the Model changes have also impacted with Japanese carmaker can still make beams for New York’s new One World Trade Center and year. Honda, which built one in 10 of Britain’s cars last year, saying in the ball tips of two in five of every ballpoint pen on the planet. The trend prompted the Society of Motor Manufacturers and the autumn that output fell as it switched from its 2014 Civic Profiting from a sovereignty given to it in the 19th century to Traders (SMMT) to say production would not meet an industry hatchback and CR-V Sports utility vehicles to new 2015 versions. defuse rival French and German claims on its territory, Luxembourg forecast of 1.59 million for 2014, leaving output roughly Strong demand in Britain, however, has helped bolster the attracted foreign banks seeking a lightly regulated EU home for off- unchanged from the 1.5 million cars built last year. The SMMT wider European industry with domestic sales expected to shore Eurodollar funds from the 1960s onward. had said last month the forecast was unlikely to be achieved. reach their highest level in a decade this year, boosted by “In other countries, things that weren’t expressly allowed were for- “Model changes and economic uncertainty in export markets cheap credit. — Reuters bidden,” said Nicolas Mackel, who runs Luxembourg for Finance, a public-private partnership promoting the industry.—Reuters Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Oil price and euro fall spur German business confidence

BERLIN: German business confidence rose after increasing for the first time this year in again in December, the Ifo economic institute November. said yesterday, as the prospects for Europe’s Analysts were encouraged by the improved biggest economy grew sunnier. Auspicious fac- Ifo index following a positive turnaround in tors including the tumbling price of oil and the November from long months of decline. weak euro sent the Ifo institute’s closely “German business confidence confirmed the watched business climate index up to 105.5 decent rebound of the economy in the final points this month from 104.7 points in quarter of the year,” said Carsten Brzeski of ING- November, the think tank said. Diba bank in Frankfurt. He said that the worst “The outlook for the months ahead contin- crises threatening the economy-the Ukraine ued to brighten,” Ifo chief Hans-Werner Sinn conflict and euro-zone weakness-had eased of said in a statement. “Dropping oil prices and a late. But Brzeski said “complacency” undermin- falling euro exchange rate are seasonal gifts to ing a drive for new economic reforms, Russia’s the German economy.” Ifo calculates its head- economic woes and Germany’s over-reliance on line index on the basis of companies’ assess- exports all posed risks. ments of current business and the outlook for Heinrich Bayer, a Postbank analyst, said the the next six months. Ifo report indicated that German domestic The sub-index measuring current business demand “would stay on course for growth while held steady at 110.0 points compared to last the pressures and insecurities weighing on month, while the outlook sub-index climbed exports are losing relevance”. Christian Schulz of 1.3 points to 101.1 points. The data came on Berenberg Bank said the survey “heralds the the back of a survey released Tuesday show- end of the economic rough patch”. “Resilient ing a sharp rise in investor sentiment in export expectations, a strong competitive posi- BEIJING: People leave Yashow Market in Beijing yesterday. Foreign investment into China Germany. The widely watched investor confi- tion, receding uncertainty over Russia’s action in accelerated in November, government data showed, despite a worsening slowdown in the dence index calculated by the ZEW economic Ukraine and cheap oil boost the outlook for world’s second-largest economy and concerns over business risks. — AFP institute jumped by 23.4 points in December, Germany’s industrial backbone,” he said.—AFP Gold rises 2% Some market winners emerge as Fed takes from Obama’s move on Cuba patient stance US unveils plans to ease trade, commerce rules NEW YORK: A tiny mutual fund based in of the fund shares themselves, leading gains on the day. Royal Caribbean rose 6.6 LONDON: Gold climbed more than 2 percent yesterday Miami, a clutch of cruise line operators and some funds to trade at a discount to their percent to a record, Norwegian Cruise Line after the Federal Reserve said it would take a patient a Canadian natural resources company underlying assets and others that are in Holdings gained 4.6 percent to end just rank among the early winners in the high demand to trade at a premium. shy of a record high and Carnival Corp approach toward raising interest rates, lifting stock mar- Obama administration’s surprise move on gained 3.5 percent to finish the day at its kets and commodities while dampening the dollar. Fed Wednesday to thaw relations with Cuba. Beating the market highest since early 2011. Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed was unlikely to hike rates After more than five decades of frosty Still, several of Herzfeld’s holdings were Other top fund holdings include Latin for “at least a couple of meetings”, meaning April of next relations and US-imposed economic outperforming the wider market on American soft drink distributor Cola-Cola year at the earliest. Rising US interest rates increase the embargoes, President Barack Obama Wednesday. Its largest stake is Panamanian Femsa, up 2.4 percent; shipping and opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing assets unveiled plans to relax some aspects of airline Copa Holdings SA, accounting for agribusiness concern Seaboard Corp, up such as gold, and also lift the dollar, in which the metal is commerce and transportation between around 8.5 percent of fund assets. Shares 3.2 percent; and US home builder Lennar priced. The dollar fell against a basket of currencies yes- the two countries. An outright end to the of the airline, which flies into Havana from Corp, up 4.3 percent. terday. longstanding trade embargo, however, is its Bogota hub in Colombia were up 5.4 US agricultural exporters stand to Spot gold was up 1.8 percent at $1,209.46 an ounce not in the cards for now. percent. benefit as more traditional trade financ- by 1043 GMT. On Wednesday, it fell as far as $1,183.73, its While the Cuban economy is small, with By comparison, the broad S&P 500 ing is being made available to customers lowest since Dec 1. A break of stops above $1,200 an gross domestic product of roughly $70 bil- index was up just over 1 percent. MasTec in Cuba, who have previously had to pay ounce sparked a rally in gold in early European trade, lion, according to the World Bank, compa- Inc, a US-based construction services com- cash in advance, said Jorge Dominguez, said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS, sending rable to that of Hawaii, investors neverthe- pany, is the No 2 holding accounting for a professor at Harvard University. prices to a peak of $1,212.80 an ounce. “The Fed left less scrambled to capitalize on the new 6.3 percent of fund assets and was up 7.3 Providers of telecommunication services themselves lots of room going forward, depending on dynamic between Washington and percent. The fund also holds shares of sev- and building materials for residential the (economic) figures,” he said. US February gold was up Havana. eral cruise line operators that could benefit construction also will be allowed to sell 1.3 percent to $1,209.90 an ounce. Other precious metals In particular, they quickly zeroed in on from increased tourism, and all saw big into the country.—Reuters also advanced, with spot silver up 3.2 percent to $16.19 one fund: the Herzfeld Caribbean Basin an ounce. Fund. Shares of the $34 million closed-end European stocks rose 1.9 percent and euro zone bond fund, which trades on Nasdaq under the yields fell after the Fed altered a pledge to keep rates ticker “CUBA,” soared by as much as 47 near zero for a “considerable time”, but struck a more percent to a seven-year high after reports cautious tone than many had expected as the United of the breakthrough early on Wednesday. States mulls its next rate rise. “The Fed did a good job By the close of trading it had gained 28.9 yesterday of slowly distancing themselves from the ‘con- percent on the day. siderable’ forward guidance, without upsetting local Its holdings include around 60 securi- equity markets,” Dutch bank ING said in a note. ties that fund manager Thomas Herzfeld On the currency market, the dollar index was down believes would benefit from an eventual 0.2 percent after the Fed statement, while the Swiss franc end to the US economic embargo against hit its lowest against the dollar in more than two years Cuba. Volume topped 24 million shares, by after the Swiss National Bank said it would introduce far a record amount of trading for the fund negative interest rates. Gains in gold are likely to be limit- and the day’s total by early afternoon was ed, however, as expectations remain that rates will rise the equivalent of nearly 50 percent of the next year. Economists at Wall Street’s biggest banks are cumulative volume the fund has experi- still convinced the Fed will lift rates by next June. enced since its listing in 1994. “With the prospect of rate rises next year and com- That excessive demand pushed the modities on the whole somewhat out of favor, the upside fund’s price to gain far more than most of is also limited,” Marex Spectron said in a note. Among the stocks it holds. That is because, unlike other precious metals, spot platinum was up 2.2 percent open-ended funds, closed-end funds have MIAMI: A supporter of President Obama, Abel Dominguez (left) holds a sign as he is at $1,212.60 an ounce, while spot palladium was up 1.8 a fixed number of shares. As a result, their photographed by news photographers in the Little Havana area of Miami on percent at $789.63 an ounce. — Reuters value reflects both the underlying assets as Wednesday. Dominguez said he was thankful for the announcement by the Obama well as the supply-and-demand dynamics administration that could pave way for a major shift in US policy toward Cuba. — AP Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 42

WADA decides against China’s Sun Yang appeal PARIS: The World Anti-Doping agency said Ben Nichols told AFP in a statement. stimulant trimetazidine. state media. Wednesday that it will not appeal against a “WADA has written to CHINADA howev- Sun completed the unannounced ban Trimetazidine is currently banned in three month ban imposed against China’s er, raising its concern over the delayed pub- on August 17 and in September, he starred competition, but from January 1 will be controversial double Olympic swimming lic reporting of the case,” the spokesman with three gold medals at the Asian Games downgraded and effectively no longer con- champion Sun Yang but will warn China added. Nichols said no other comment on in Incheon, South Korea. sidered a banned stimulant. over the case. the Sun case would be made. The WADA The case raised new suspicions about Despite being a national hero, Sun has WADA had considered action after Sun code says violations must be publicly China’s doping stance. Australia barred Sun had several brushes with authority that has failed a doping test in May and was banned reported within 20 days and that decisions from training at one establishment. But given him a wild child reputation. for three months by the Chinese federation have to be sent to WADA in the same time- Chinese officials insisted they handled the He had a public falling out with a coach but it was only announced in November period. The China Anti-Doping Agency case properly. Sun, 22, said after the test who said that a relationship with an airline after Sun had won more titles at the Asian (CHINADA) said it had been too busy with was announced that he was “shocked and flight attendant was distracting him from Games. other cases to announce Sun’s suspension, depressed” over his positive test, which he swimming. “WADA has reviewed the full case file for despite his high profile. maintains was an accident. Sun was banned from swimming for six the Chinese swimmer Sun Yang and has The 1,500 metres world record-holder He told his doping hearing that he did months and briefly jailed after he was decided not to appeal the decision by the received his suspension in July but it was not know the substance was banned, and found to be driving without a licence. He Chinese Swimming Federation to impose a backdated to May, when he tested positive that he took it as part of prescription med- was caught after his Porsche was hit by a three month sanction,” WADA spokesman at China’s national championships for the ication for heart palpitations, according to bus. —AFP Guenot banned for doping violations PARIS: Steeve Guenot, who won wrestling gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was banned for a year by the French anti- doping agency (AFLD) yesterday for missing doping controls. The 29-year-old six-time French national champion, who also won bronze in the 66kg category at the 2012 London Games, firstly failed to give details of his whereabouts, which resulted in a warning. The former security guard on the Paris regional transport network was also absent from his house for two early morning out-of-competition tests when he should have been present. The sanctions will end on July 30, 2015. Guenot, who has never tested positive for doping, will not appeal the decision the French Wrestling Federation (FFL) said. He will miss the inaugural European Games in Baku in June, which could hamper his bid for a ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games, but will compete in the world championships in Las Vegas in September, the first stage in the qualification process BEIJING: A file picture taken on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, shows Steeve Guenot of France celebrating on for Rio. the podium with his gold medal after winning the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games men’s 66 kg Greco-Roman “Steeve is the first victim of these breaches and deserves wrestling event. French wrestling federation (FFL) announced yesterday that Steeve Guenot was suspended appropriate help in the coming months not to turn his sanc- for a year by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) for an infraction of the doping rules. —AFP tion into a double punishment,” the FFL said in a statement. The FFL had pleaded “administrative negligence” and pointed out that Guenot, France’s first Olympic wrestling Gay’s former coach champion, had been “regularly tested since Beijing”. —AFP Bolt against changes to banned for eight years athletics programme KINGSTON: Six-times Olympic champion Usain Bolt said COLORADO SPRINGS: Jon Drummond, for- former world champion’s ban was reduced Gibson as a last resort in his efforts to train on Wednesday reports suggesting the 200 metres is mer coach of US sprinter Tyson Gay, has from two years to one by USADA due to and compete without pain. among five athletics events at risk of being cut from the been banned for eight years after arbitrators Gay’s cooperation, which included informa- The arbitrators found that Drummond Olympic programme is “ridiculous” and must not happen. ruled he possessed, trafficked and adminis- tion that contributed to the agency’s case failed to intervene sufficiently when Gibson Bolt was responding to an article from Australia’s tered banned drugs to an athlete he against Drummond. showed him and Gay cremes labeled Fairfax Media which said the event he has won at the last coached. US sprinter Marshevet Hooker and “Testosterone/DHEA,” “HGH” and two Summer Olympics is one of five key disciplines at risk. The US Anti-Doping Agency on Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste, “Progesterone Creme” which were later sent “Normally I’m not a controversial person, but I think Wednesday announced the ban is to begin both of whom worked with Drummond, also to the athlete in Oregon. on December 17. The ban prohibits the 46- provided information. Drummond, who earned the nickname that’s just stupid. Personally, track and field is the high- year-old former sprinter from coaching, Drummond, who won an Olympic ‘Clown Prince of the Track’ during his athlet- light of the Olympics every edition, that’s not even a ques- training or advising athletes and participat- 4x100m relay gold at the 2000 Sydney ics career, argued he advised Gay not to use tion,” the Jamaican sprinter told Reuters. ing or coaching at any event sanctioned by Games and was part of the elite John Smith the cremes, but the coach nevertheless “So when you’re going to try to take events away from USA Track and Field or the sport’s global stable that included former 100m world removed the labels and took them to the track and field event, it is just ridiculous and I don’t governing body the International record holder Maurice Greene and Europe at the athlete’s request, and Gay think the IAAF should stand for that at all.” Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Trinidadian ace sprinter Ato Boldon, had used some of the products in July of 2012. The International Olympic Committee voted last week “Coaches have an inherent responsibility denied involvement in Gay’s positive drug to approve a wide-ranging package of reforms that could to protect athletes - not to take advantage of test. Coach must be ‘watchdog’ radically change the face of the amateur sporting world, them - but to ensure that they receive the But the panel of independent arbitrators Although both coach and athlete had but it did not mention specific sports and events. support, training and advice they need to found that Drummond was instrumental in concerns about the cremes, Drummond tes- The world governing body for athletics said earlier this win fairly and in accordance with the rules,” connecting Gay with a chiropractor named tified that he didn’t believe they contained week that no credence should be given to “unfounded USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said in a Clayton Gibson who provided Gay with the banned substances. speculation” regarding possible changes to the athletics statement. DHEA that resulted in Gay’s positive test. “I didn’t know,” he said. “And so I didn’t Drummond was Gay’s coach when the The panel ruled that Drummond “failed process it to even, like, think about it.” programme at the Olympic Games. athlete was suspended in June 2013 after to act in the manner expected of a coach of However, the arbitrators found that “While the Olympic agenda 2020 recommendations testing positive for a banned anabolic athletes in the Olympic movement.” Drummond knew Gay had used the cremes were passed at last week’s session, no details or specific steroid in two out-of-competition tests. Based on testimony from parties when, as a US Olympic team relay coach in proposals have yet been made by the IOC as to how they As part of his punishment, Gay also involved, the arbitrators were satisfied that 2012 he put Gay on the 4x100m relay team will be implemented,” the International Association of returned the silver medal he received for the Drummond, who learned of Gibson from at the London Games, where the Americans Athletics Federation said in a statement. —Reuters 4x100m relay at the London Olympics. The Hooker, recommended that Gay consult won silver. —AFP Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 43 Qatar: Building team to spring surprise in 2022

DOHA: It’s a cold, hard fact of football: story, the little guy trying to punch above their only to field a team of Qataris but to also have something Doha lacks, “because of the league, Countries with tiny populations don’t general- weight story, and I think people will get “seven, eight, nine, 10” Aspire-trained recruits empty stadiums,” Bravo said. The 2016 Rio ly beat big ones with deep wells of talented behind it.” Qatar qualifies automatically as from Football Dreams playing for other Olympics and 2018 World Cup in Russia, if players. So how embarrassing might the score host. It could be the only Middle East repre- nations. Aspire’s facilities rival those of Qatar qualifies, will also be opportunities to be when Qatar - smallest host in World Cup sentative if its neighbors stumble in qualifying, Europe’s best clubs. Under a giant dome, it hone players for 2022. history, with just 282,750 citizens - plays the as in 2010, when no team from the region has a full-sized indoor pitch with an exhorta- opening game of its 2022 tournament went to South Africa. A strong host perform- tion from Pele on one wall: “Success is no Amazing against, for example, titans Brazil or Germany? ance can make a World Cup memorable: accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learn- While the pool of native Qataris is tiny - French victory at home in 1998 and South ing, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of roughly only 4,000 boys are born here each At best 5-0? At worst 10-0, even 30-0? Korea’s wild ride to the semis of the 2002 tour- what you are doing or learning to do.” year - Bravo says Aspire scouts see nearly all “Impossible, impossible,” said Ivan Bravo, nament it co-hosted with Japan. Outside, generously watered grass pitch- youngsters so no potential talent slips the former Real Madrid administrator working es resist the desert heat. Recordings of bird- through. Motivating them, however, can be to prevent such a loss from party-pooping Pressure is on song piped in over loudspeakers give the challenging: Thanks to the nation’s oil-and- over the Middle East’s first World Cup. “They “The players know what an opportunity place an “Alice in Wonderland” feel. gas wealth, Qataris are the world’s second- will be ready to have a very good team, a this is,” Hassan al-Thawadi, Qatar’s chief Raul has an office here, watching the acad- richest people per capita and - unlike slum competitive team.” Given Qatar’s small size World Cup organizer, told the AP. “I’m sure emy’s youngsters play and handing out tro- kids in Brazil or Africa - don’t need football as and lack of football pedigree, Bravo’s bravura they won’t disappoint.” Aspire is a source of phies at competitions it organizes with an escape. “You’re in a country where even would sound like folly if not for one game- such confidence. It trains local kids and others Chelsea, Barcelona and other teams flown attendance to training can be difficult,” Bravo changer: money. The oil-and-gas rich nation unearthed by a mammoth international over to give Qatar’s young players the experi- said, before adding: “There’s a bit of a misper- that pokes into the Persian Gulf has mounds scouting program - dubbed “Football ence and game-time they will need on the ception about everybody in Qatar: They’re of it. Funneled into the state-of-the-art Aspire Dreams” - that screens hundreds of thou- world stage in eight years. Bora Milutinovic, wealthy kids, they are wearing Rolexes and training academy that Bravo oversees in sands of teenagers from 16 countries in who coached the United States, Mexico, driving SUVs. It’s not the case. A lot of our kids Doha, Qatar’s showcase capital, the wealth is Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The reach and Nigeria, Costa Rica and China at World Cups, is come from more humble or medium-income helping to make the embryonic nucleus of size of that talent-search and Qatar’s history often seen around the place, too, working as situations.” A breakthrough came in October what will be the 2022 home team more formi- of recruiting overseas athletes to represent it an adviser. Young Qatari players have been when Qatar’s under-19 team beat China, dable than population numbers would sug- internationally led to suspicions it could natu- embedded with professional teams in Spain, Myanmar and finally North Korea to become gest. ralize foreign footballers in bulk for the World Monaco, Austria and a club Qatar bought in Asian champions, qualifying them for the “It’s thrilling,” Bravo said in an Associated Cup, although Bravo insisted that isn’t the Belgium to immerse them “in a professional under-20s World Cup next year in New Press interview. “There’s always an underdog plan. He said Qatar’s ambition for 2022 is not football environment 24 hours a day,” which is Zealand. —AP Two-speed labor system in Qatar for 2022 World Cup

DOHA: Men crammed together, dozens to a housed there and that other blocks in the “Thanks for highlighting our plight to gic coughs and sniffles from working in dust room, on bunk beds so close they can reach compound which the AP didn’t visit had simi- some Mowasalat management,” another and sand, skin itches from sweating, and the over and shake hands. Qatar, on paper at larly crowded rooms. driver wrote by email to the AP. “Since you aches, pains, sprains and scrapes of manual least, has rules that forbid such uncomfort- raised the mat(t)er they have slightly decon- labor. able conditions for its massive workforce of Facilities gested the common room. Still it is no decent World Cup workers are also covered by migrant laborers. Yet this is how the govern- Yet a 2005 ministerial decree said workers way for workers to live but it’s a step for- special regulations which lay out their “right ment-owned transport company, which the should not be housed more than four to a ward.” to be treated in a manner that ensures at all Gulf nation will use to ferry visitors around room or be made to sleep in bunks. In its Qatar’s World Cup organizers are trying to times their wellbeing, health, safety and the 2022 World Cup, has housed some of its company brochure, Mowasalat speaks of limit the reputational damage of labor abus- security” and detail how contractors must workers. “excellent housing facilities” for employees. es by treating their own workers better than ethically recruit, promptly pay, and decently As Qatar employs legions of migrants to But even a standard dormitory room the AP the norm. Officials for the Supreme house them. build stadiums and other works for the foot- saw slept six, also on bunks. Drivers said the Committee putting together the World Cup ball showcase, widespread labor abuses docu- Improvements mented by Amnesty International, Human The Supreme Committee’s power to Rights Watch and other critics have blackened award tournament-related contracts also its name and $160 billion preparations. gives it leverage to force improvements. “I Hundreds of worker deaths, many appar- have had to make the phone call several ently from cardiac arrests, have also fueled times to contractors to say ‘Sorry mate, we’ve concerns that laborers are being overworked been to your camp. We don’t think you’re in desert conditions and shoddily treated. treating your people the way we want any- Reporting this April on a fact-finding mission, one on our sites to be treated, so you’re out the UN’s special adviser on migrants’ rights, of the running, I can’t work with you,’” said Francois Crepeau, cited “anecdotal evidence Tamim el-Abed, project manager of Lusail that too many of these mostly young men Stadium earmarked for the 2022 opening return home in a coffin.” game and final. Problems, The Associated Press found, “They scrabble around trying to pull aren’t limited to the construction sector. together a superficial Band-Aid response. We Accommodation for drivers of buses and of see through that,” he said. “Sometimes they Qatar’s distinctive turquoise taxis is a walled- do a genuine turn-around and they improve off compound in the bleak industrial zone of their facilities.” “It’s about culture change,” he Doha, the capital. Dust-covered cadavers of said. However, to critics, singling out World burned-out buses and broken taxis aban- Cup workers for better treatment smacks of doned on surrounding wasteland make the double standards. They want deeper, across- luxury malls and gleaming towers of central the-board reforms for all. Doha seem far away. DOHA: Stadium builders from Southeast Asia collect food from their free can- Even at the stadium builders’ facility, not all The compound walls and flag over the teen after a day’s work in Doha, Qatar. —AP are treated equally. A Kenyan security guard main gate bear the name Mowasalat. The there complained to the AP that six sleep in his transporter plans to have 7,000 taxis on the close living is physically and morally wearing, gave the AP a tour of housing for stadium small room, on bunks. Supreme Committee roads by the World Cup. with rest difficult and quarrels easy. builders from Southeast Asia. They sleep officials said the man isn’t directly employed In one dormitory block, in what drivers Mowasalat did not reply to emailed ques- three to a room, some with en-suite bath- by them but by a subcontractor. said was meant to be a recreation room for tions. But it did appear to thin out numbers rooms, and on their own beds, not bunks, “Putting in place a two-tier labor system, table tennis and other pastimes, the AP saw in the supposed “recreation” rooms after the with curtains for additional privacy. They which is what they are talking about, is not two dozen bunk beds in three tight lines. AP showed a photo of the cramped condi- even have a pool. In the free canteen, work- much of a legacy,” said Nicholas McGeehan, a The arrangements were apparently meant tions to Mowasalat executives. Drivers subse- ers heaped their plates with rice, flatbreads Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch. to be only temporary, but drivers said they quently reached by phone said some of them and curries. “I don’t think it’s something that we should had lived like this for months. Without lockers, were moved to other rooms. In his consulting room with the sign “WE accept,” McGeehan said. “It’s OK to protect they hung clothes and towels from bed One said he was transferred from a room ARE HERE FOR YOU” on one wall, the camp’s World Cup workers but it’s not OK to protect, frames. In a corner, one man gave another a with 43 drivers, where he spent two months, jovial doctor said the workers’ health prob- what, transport workers? Taxi drivers? Cleaners? shave. Drivers said around 30 of them were to another with 16, still on bunks. lems are generally no more serious than aller- Do they not deserve the same?” —AP Sports44 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Dan Carter to play for Racing Metro in blockbuster deal PARIS: All Black great Dan Carter said the sheer quality of the players in France’s Top-14 was a key reason in him joining Racing Metro, as he was unveiled in a video conference in Paris yesterday. But money was undoubtedly a factor too as the blockbuster deal to lure the 32-year-old New Zealand fly-half to France is reported to be worth up to 1.6 million euros (2 million dollars) per season, which would make him the best-paid player in the world. “I am delighted to announce that I have signed a three year contract with French club Racing Metro,” said Carter, who will join the Parisians after next year’s World Cup. “Some of the very best players in the world are in France,” Carter stressed. He went on to heap praise on Racing Metro’s impressive wealth of talent, which includes such as Irishman Jonathan Sexton, Mike Phillips of Wales and young French pair Brice Dulin and Teddy Thomas, and also the vision of Racing’s super wealthy owner Jacky Lorenzetti, who was just as delighted as the player himself. “Carter will be the best-paid player at Racing but also the least expensive because of the economic benefits,” explained Lorenzetti, a real estate magnate worth more than 500 million euros. The player preferred to focus on other details of the deal. “It is a very exciting time to be living back in France again and also playing French rugby,” said Carter, who ruptured an Achilles ten- don after five games for Perpignan in 2008-2009 in his previous short stint in France. Injuries have made Carter a bit-part player for New Zealand, even if national handler Steve Hansen insists he is his first choice fly-half. But the move to France means he would no longer be eligi- ble for national team duty. “It is always tough knowing that you will no longer be playing for the All Blacks, but going to play in the top 14 is a very exciting competition,” said Carter. “The simple reason I chose Racing Metro is because I will be NEWARK: Craig Anderson #41 of the Ottawa Senators makes the third period save against the New Jersey Devils playing rugby at the very highest level and I will be playing in at the Prudential Center on Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey. The Senators shutout the Devils 2-0. —AFP the European championship and the Top 14 is something that I am really looking forward to,” he said.

Fears over fitness Dallas Stars blank Canucks 2-0 Fears over his physical fitness were brushed aside as Carter insisted he has what it takes to deliver for Racing Metro. “I am confident that my body will be good for 2015, and I am behind Lehtonen’s 27 saves really excited to be playing in a brand new arena in Paris. “I want to play at the highest level and hopefully win some trophies with the club. My body is good even if it has been a VANCOUVER: Kari Lehtonen made 27 Canucks had a number of chances to Carl Soderberg, who set up the win- frustrating year with a few injuries and niggles,” said Carter, who saves for his second shutout this season score with the man advantage, but ner with a cross-crease pass in front of will stay with the Crusaders until September next year. and the 29th of his career as the Dallas couldn’t find a way to beat Lehtonen. Wild defenseman Marco Scandella, He has played 102 Tests for New Zealand, scoring a world Stars defeated Vancouver 2-0 on Linden Vey had another chance on a scored early for the Bruins along with record 1,457 points, and was named the world player of the year Wednesday night to extend the Canucks’ one-timer with just more than six min- Patrice Bergeron. Jason Pominville tied in 2005 and 2012. He was a member of the All Blacks teams in losing streak to five games. utes to go but hit it at Lehtonen. the game in the third period, and Kyle 2003 and 2007 that failed to make the final and was part of the Colton Sceviour and Antoine Roussel, Lack had to make a couple of big Brodziak also had a goal for the Wild, but victorious 2011 New Zealand squad but missed the knockout into an empty net, scored for the Stars. saves to keep his team in it as the period Niklas Backstrom was beaten in the net stages with a groin injury, later admitting he did not feel he Eddie Lack stopped 27 shots for wound down, including a breakaway for the second straight night. He deserved his winner’s medal. —AFP Vancouver. Lack started for the first time shot from Curtis McKenzie, which Lack stopped 22 shots. Niklas Svedberg made since Dec. 7 in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan stopped with his pads. 35 saves for the Bruins in just his second Miller, who gave up five goals on 23 shots Vancouver pulled its goalie with 1:35 start in 11 games. He relieved Tuukka in a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on left as it piled on the pressure, but Rask, who lost in a shootout on Tuesday Saturday. Roussel scored into the empty net with at Nashville. The Wild dropped to 12-2-2 Lehtonen has four wins this month 26 seconds to go. Unlike Saturday’s against the Bruins. but came in with a 3.10 goals-against game when the Canucks found them- average on the season. Sceviour opened selves down 3-0 after just 6:46, they Senators 2, Devils 0 the scoring at 2:53 of the second period came out stronger Wednesday. Radim Craig Anderson made 34 saves, and when his backhand shot deflected off Vrbata had the first chance, forcing Kyle Turris scored two goals as Ottawa the back of Lack’s glove and into the net. Lehtonen to make a glove save just 36 blanked New Jersey. Anderson earned Jannik Hansen had a great chance for seconds into the game before Hansen his third shutout of the season and 29th Vancouver seconds earlier, stripping hit the side of the net a few moments in his NHL career. He had struggled Jyrki Jokipakka at the Dallas blue line later. recently, going 2-6-2 in his previous 10 before Lehtonen stopped him with a Lack was largely left alone through- starts. New Senators coach Dave glove save. out the first period as the Stars managed Cameron improved to 2-1-1 since he Dallas increased its pressure through- only five shots, but Tyler Seguin hit the replaced the fired Paul MacLean.The out the second, forcing Lack to make 11 crossbar before Jamie Benn had a good Devils, whose losing streak was extend- saves, while Vancouver could only look from the slot on a shot the Canucks’ ed to five games, went 0 for 5 on the muster four shots - including a clear goalie snagged with his glove. power play - stymied by Anderson breakaway by Alexandre Burrows that throughout. Turris gave the Senators a 1- WELLINGTON: A file photo taken on July 30, 2011, shows Lehtonen denied. Boston 3, Minnesota 2 (OT) 0 lead with a power-play goal 2:47 in on Dan Carter of New Zealand kicking a conversion during The Canucks came out stronger in the Loui Eriksson’s goal 1:30 into over- Ottawa’s first shot of the game. Turris their Tri-Nations rugby union match against South third period, with Chris Tanev aiming a time gave Boston a 3-2 win over was off balance as he deflected Erik Africa in Wellington. All Black great Dan Carter will leave one-timer at Lehtonen just more than six Minnesota on Wednesday night, only Karlsson’s point shot past Cory Schneider New Zealand rugby after next year’s World Cup to play minutes in. the second victory for the Bruins in eight for his first goal in 11 games. He added for French Top 14 club Racing Metro, the New Zealand Dallas’ John Klingberg took a tripping games and the fourth loss for the Wild in an empty-net goal in the final second of Rugby Union (NZRU) said yesterday. — AFP penalty 8:26 into the third period. The the past six. the game. —Agencies Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 45 Smith defies India with third unbeaten knock

BRISBANE: Steve Smith again proved the elusive wicket for India as the new captain fashioned an Australian fight- back on day two of the second Test yes- terday. CENTURION: South African batsman and Captain Smith, who was not dismissed by Hashim Amla plays a shot during the 2nd day of the first India in last week’s Adelaide Test win test match between South Africa and the West Indies at with scores of 162 and 52, continued to Supersport Park in Centurion yesterday. —AFP be the bane of the tourists with another defiant knock. He has scored 279 so far Amla double-ton in the series. His intuitive stroke-mak- ing was again a delight and he danced puts SA in control down the wicket to club spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for two sixes over PRETORIA: Hashim Amla fashioned a third double-ton for long-on in one over. South Africa and Stiaan van Zyl clobbered an unbeaten centu- At the close, with a fierce electrical ry on debut against West Indies as they declared on 552 for storm about to break, Australia were five at tea on day two of the first test yesterday. The tourists were spared a tough 20-minute spell in the middle following 221 for four in reply to India’s 408 with the South African declaration when the umpires decided to Smith unbeaten on 65 and Mitchell take an early interval as rain began to fall before their innings Marsh on seven. had started. The day has so far belonged to Amla and Van Zyl, “It’s not about Steve Smith or any BRISBANE: Australian batsman Steven Smith, left, reaches his bat out to who are on opposite ends of spectrum in terms of test experi- names that we want to take out here, ence but can be equally pleased with their efforts in helping make his ground as the ball is returned to India’s MS Dhoni during play on it’s going to be a couple of wickets that day two of the second cricket test in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday. —AP South Africa to their massive total. we want to take tomorrow morning,” Amla showed all of his famous powers of concentration Ashwin said of India’s chances. after Wednesday’s horror day in the middle so I batted really well and felt and stamina to bat for almost eight hours in compiling 208 “I think we are in front of the game field in sweltering conditions. disappointed to have given my wicket from 371 balls before he holed out to long-on off the bowling “Yesterday was a pretty tough slog away,” Ashwin said. of left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn as the hosts tried to up the at this point of time. Our 400 is enough tempo. The impressive Van Zyl, long tipped as an internation- if we can get a couple of wickets tomor- out in the heat,” Hazlewood said. “It Dhoni cracked 33 off 53 balls with al cricketer, grabbed his moment by smashing 15 boundaries row morning then we’re right in front.” wasn’t much cooler today but we all four fours before he fell to the to end the innings on 101 not out from 130 balls. He is the The Australians lost the wickets of came out well and bowled to our Hazlewood-Haddin combination. fifth South African to score a test hundred on debut, but his David Warner (29), Shane Watson (25), plans and picked up the last six wick- Hazlewood was far and away total is far short of the record set by Jacques Rudolph of 222 Chris Rogers (55) and Shaun Marsh (32) ets for about where we wanted them.” Australia’s best bowler with five for 68, not out against Bangladesh in 2003. in the final two sessions. Haddin equalled the Australian record while left-armer Mitchell Starc contin- Shaun Marsh, recalled as a replace- of six dismissals in an innings held by ued to struggle with his line and First ball Wally Grout, Ian Healy and Rod Marsh length and went wicketless for 83 The 27-year-old Van Zyl was nearly out first ball though as ment for injured skipper Michael Clarke, with two more catches on the second runs. he tickled a leg-side delivery from Benn that fell just short of had registered six ducks in his previous the leg slip. He was then dropped on two by Kraigg 15 Test innings but Thursday looked to morning. Hazlewood struck early enticing an Brathwaite in the same position off Benn again but after that have overcome his series of poor starts. The Australians began the day well edge off Rahane for 81 with a late he grew in confidence with every run scored. He had a big let-off on 32 when with two wickets before Dhoni and outswinger. The only other wicket to fall in another dominant day for Ajinkya Rahane put down a sitter at leg Ashwin regained the initiative with a Smith pulled off a magnificent South Africa was AB de Villiers, for 152, when he became a first gully off Varun Aaron in the 45th over. belligerent seventh-wicket stand. sprawling catch at second slip to dis- victim in the test for the luckless Benn when a thick outside But he was out two overs later, The pair put on 57 in equal time miss Rohit Sharma for 32 off Watson in edge was caught by Jermaine Blackwood at point. His dis- caught by Ashwin in the slips off before Ashwin became Hazlewood’s the 92nd over. missal ended a record fourth-wicket stand in tests for South fourth wicket, playing away from his Starc, whose body language was Africa of 308, the partnership with Amla digging the side out Umesh Yadav on the same score. of trouble on the first morning when the hosts lost three quick Rogers missed a chance to post a body and edging chest-high to labelled “soft” by Test great Shane wickets to slip to 57-3. West Indies’ bowling attack toiled with- much-needed big innings after a run of Watson at slip for 35. Warne during his TV commentary on out their main attacking weapon Kemar Roach, who is unlikely failures when he was out in the over “I thought I batted at my best, after Wednesday, again proved ineffec- to feature again in the test. —Reuters before tea. The 37-year-old left-hander a long time I got a chance to bat in the tive. —AFP dabbled at Yadav and gave a leg-side catch to keeper M.S. Dhoni. SCOREBOARD It was a good middle session for SCOREBOARD India, who removed the dangerous CENTURION, South Africa: Tea scores on the second day Warner in the ninth over. BRISBANE, Australia: Scoreboard at the close on the second day of the second Test of the first Test between South Africa and the West Indies Warner, who scored twin centuries between Australia and India at the Gabba yesterday: at SuperSport Park yesterday. in the Adelaide series opener, attempt- South Africa, first innings (overnight 340-3) India 1st innings (311 for 4 overnight) Bowling: Johnson 21-4-81-0, Hazlewood A. Petersen c Smith b Roach 27 ed to pull Yadav only for the ball to M. Vijay c Haddin b Lyon 144 23.2-6-68-5, Starc 17-1-83-0 (2w), M. Marsh D. Elgar c Samuels b Cottrell 28 come off the top of his bat and pop up S. Dhawan c Haddin b M. Marsh 24 6-1-14-1, Lyon 25.4-2-105-3, Watson 14.4- F. du Plessis c Ramdin b Roach 0 for Ashwin to take a comfortable catch C. Pujara c Haddin b Hazlewood 18 6-39-1, Warner 1-0-9-0 (1nb), Smith 1-0-4-0 H. Amla c Taylor b Benn 208 running back from slip. V. Kohli c Haddin b Hazlewood 19 Australia 1st innings A. de Villiers c Blackwood b Benn 152 Watson looked at ease before losing A. Rahane c Haddin b Hazlewood 81 C. Rogers c Dhoni b Yadav 55 S. van Zyl not out 101 concentration on 25 and finding R. Sharma c Smith b Watson 32 D. Warner c Ashwin b Yadav 29 Q. de Kock not out 18 Shikhar Dhawan in the deep, giving off- M. Dhoni c Haddin b Hazlewood 33 S. Watson c Dhawan b Ashwin 25 Extras (b8, lb6, nb2, w2) 18 R. Ashwin c Watson b Hazlewood 35 spinner Ashwin his first wicket. S. Smith not out 65 Total (5 wkts dec, 122 overs) 552 U. Yadav c Rogers b Lyon 9 S. Marsh c Ashwin b Yadav 32 Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Petersen), 2-57 (Elgar), 3-57 (Du V. Aaron c sub (Labuschagne) b Lyon 4 Plessis), 4-365 (De Villiers), 5-520 (Amla) Australian record I. Sharma not out 1 M. Marsh not out 7 Bowling: Taylor 26.1-5-108-0, Cottrell 28-1-124-1 (2nb, Debutant Josh Hazlewood captured Extras (b4, lb1, w2, nb1) 8 Extras (lb1, w3, nb4) 8 1w), Roach 15.5-4-52-2 (1w), Benn 46-7-148-2, Samuels 20- five wickets and Brad Haddin equalled Total (all out, 109.4 overs) 408 Total (4 wickets; 52 overs) 221 0-89-0, Brathwaite 1-0-2-0, Blackwood 3.2-0-15-0 a wicketkeeping record as Australia Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Dhawan), 2-100 Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Warner), 2-98 To bat: V. Philander, D. Steyn, K. Abbott, M. Morkel dismissed India for 408 at lunch. (Pujara), 3-137 (Kohli), 4-261 (Vijay), 5-321 (Watson), 3-121 (Rogers), 4-208 (S. Marsh) West Indies: D. Ramdin, K. Brathwaite, D. Smith, L. Paceman Hazlewood led the way (Rahane), 6-328 (Sharma), 7-385 (Ashwin), Bowling: I. Sharma 9-0-47-0 (3nb, 1w), Johnson, M. Samuels, S. Chanderpaul, J. Blackwood, K. with three scalps on the second morn- 8-394 (Dhoni), 9-407 (Aaron), 10-408 Aaron 12-1-59-0 (1nb), Yadav 13-2-48-3 Roach, J. Taylor, S. Benn, S. Cottrell. (Yadav) (2w), Ashwin 18-3-66-1. ing as the Australians bounced back Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 Grizzlies beat Spurs in triple overtime

SAN ANTONIO: Marc Gasol scored 26 points, including a banked-in 3-pointer as regulation expired, and Memphis out- lasted San Antonio in triple overtime after blowing a 23-point lead. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 21 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ sixth straight victory. Vince Carter added a season- high 18 points for Memphis (21-4). Danny Green scored 25 points, and Tim Duncan had 23 points and 16 rebounds for San Antonio. His jumper rattled in to force the third OT, but he finished just 5 for 15 on free throws. Manu Ginobili added 21 points, but shot an airball on a 3-pointer in the final seconds for the Spurs. San Antonio made a season-high 17 3-pointers but was 13 for 27 on free throws, including 5 for 15 by Duncan. Duncan hit a fallaway, high-arcing jumper that bounded on the rim three times before dropping in to tie the game at 111 at the close of the second overtime.

ATLANTA 127, CLEVELAND 98 Shelvin Mack scored a career-high 24 points and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-98 Wednesday night for their 11th victory in 12 games. Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc. Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season.The Hawks, playing without leading scorer Jeff Teague, avenged a 127-94 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 15, when the Cavaliers made their first 11 shots from 3-point range. LeBron James scored 21 points but didn’t play in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers have lost three of four since winning eight straight. Al Horford scored 20 points for Atlanta, which had seven players in dou- ble figures and shot 64.5 percent from the field. LOS ANGELES: Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, left, puts up a shot as Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan defends RAPTORS 105, NETS 89 during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 102-100. — AP Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists, Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto used a big SUNS 111, HORNETS 106 fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn. Amir Johnson and Patrick Reserve guard Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points, Goran NBA results/standings Patterson each scored 13 in the first meeting between the Dragic had 20 and Phoenix snapped a six-game losing streak teams since Brooklyn’s one-point win in Game 7 of the first with a victory over struggling Charlotte. Thomas was 7 of 13 round of the playoffs last May. Patterson and Lou Williams from the field and had two key free throws in the final minute Phoenix 111, Charlotte 106; Atlanta 127, Cleveland 98; Boston each scored eight points in the fourth as Toronto outscored as the Suns erased an early 17-point deficit. 109, Orlando 92; Dallas 117, Detroit 106; Utah 105, Miami 87; the Nets 29-16, taking advantage of six Brooklyn turnovers. Dragic, who missed the last two games with a back injury, Toronto 105, Brooklyn 89; Memphis 117, San Antonio 116 (OT); Mason Plumlee had a career-high 23 points for the Nets, who played 38 minutes and shot 8 of 17. Gerald Green had 16 Portland 104, Milwaukee 97; La Clippers 102, Indiana 100; made only five of 13 field goal attempts and five of 13 free points off the bench and Eric Bledsoe chipped in with 15 for Houston 115, Denver 111 (OT). throws in the fourth. Toronto, which leads the Eastern the Suns. Al Jefferson had 28 points and 10 rebounds for Conference at 20-6, reached 20 wins before Christmas for the Charlotte. Kemba Walker scored 27 points before going cold in Eastern Conference first time in its 20-year history. the final three minutes. The Hornets have lost four straight, Atlantic Division and they fell to 1-11 against Western Conference teams. W L PCT GB ROCKETS 115, NUGGETS 111, OT Toronto 20 6 .769 - James Harden scored 41 points, including eight in over- CELTICS 109, MAGIC 92 Brooklyn 10 14 .417 9 time, and Houston beat Denver after Arron Afflalo tied the Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds Boston 9 14 .391 9.5 game on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation. to lead balanced scoring that carried Boston past Orlando. NY Knicks 5 22 .185 15.5 Patrick Beverley sealed Houston’s seventh win in eight games Brandon Bass scored 18 points, and Jeff Green and Jared Philadelphia 2 22 .083 17 by hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.8 seconds. Sullinger each finished with 16. Kelly Olynyk added 15 points Central Division Harden had a big game at the line, too, hitting 18 of 21. for the Celtics, who won their second in a row after a three- Chicago 15 9 .625 - Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds game losing streak. Nikola Vucevic had 18 points with 13 Cleveland 14 10 .583 1 despite a strained right knee that had him questionable for rebounds, and Tobias Harris scored 17 for the Magic, who have Milwaukee 13 13 .500 3 the game. Wilson Chandler had 23 points and Ty Lawson lost four of five. Indiana 8 18 .308 8 dished out 16 assists for the struggling Nuggets, who have Detroit 5 21 .192 11 dropped seven of eight. TRAIL BLAZERS 104, BUCKS 97 Southeast Division LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Washington 18 6 .750 - MAVERICKS 117, PISTONS 106 Portland pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Milwaukee Atlanta 18 7 .720 0.5 Chandler Parsons scored a season-high 32 points and with both teams reeling from injuries to key players. Damian Miami 12 14 .462 7 Monta Ellis added 25 as Dallas beat Detroit. Parsons fell two Lillard added 29 points and seven assists for the Blazers, who Orlando 10 18 .357 10 points short of a career high as he helped the Mavericks win a lost starting center Robin Lopez to a broken hand on Monday. Charlotte 6 19 .240 12.5 second road game in two nights. Dirk Nowitzki contributed 18 Thomas Robinson, who started in Lopez’s absence, sparked Western Conference points and 10 rebounds, including seven points to help stem a Portland with 15 points and 16 rebounds, both season highs. Northwest Division late Detroit rally. Andre Drummond had 19 points and 24 Portland has won three straight and eight of 10. Brandon Portland 20 6 .769 - rebounds, but couldn’t help the Pistons end an 11-game los- Knight had 24 points for the Bucks, who were without Jabari Oklahoma City 12 13 .480 7.5 ing streak at home. Detroit’s last win at the Palace came on Parker. The heralded rookie will miss the rest of the season after Denver 10 15 .400 9.5 Nov. 7 against Milwaukee. tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Utah 7 19 .269 13 the third quarter of Milwaukee’s victory Monday over Phoenix. Minnesota 5 19 .208 14 JAZZ 105, HEAT 87 Pacific Division Gordon Hayward scored 29 points, Enes Kanter added 18 CLIPPERS 102, PACERS 100 Golden State 21 3 .875 - and Utah overcame 42 points from Dwyane Wade to beat Blake Griffin had 31 points and 16 rebounds, and DeAndre LA Clippers 18 7 .720 3.5 Miami. Alec Burks scored 12, Derrick Favors added 11 and Jordan added 23 rebounds and 15 points in Los Angeles’ vic- Phoenix 13 14 .481 9.5 Dante Exum had 10 for Utah, which won for just the second tory over Indiana. Chris Paul had 20 points and nine assists, Sacramento 11 14 .440 10.5 time in its last 14 games. Those two wins have come against helping the two-time defending Pacific Division champions LA Lakers 8 17 .320 13.5 last year’s NBA finalists, San Antonio and now the Heat - who win for the 11th time in 13 games. The Pacers, who snapped Southwest Division are simply reeling at home. Wade shot 12 of 19 for Miami, an eight-game losing streak with their rout of the Lakers at Memphis 21 4 .840 - which has lost seven of its last eight home games and has home Monday night, dropped their seventh straight road Houston 19 5 .792 1.5 dropped four straight on its floor for the first time since 2011. game. David West and reserve C.J. Miles each had 17 points as Dallas 19 8 .704 3 The Heat trailed by 17 in the first quarter and never recov- seven players scored in double figures. Miles missed a poten- San Antonio 17 9 .654 4.5 ered. tial game-winning 3-pointer at the final horn. — AP New Orleans 12 12 .500 8.5 Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

Unimpressive PSG reach League Cup last eight

PARIS: French champions Paris Saint Germain ended a run worried him. “Why do I have to always explain my team’s Edinson Cavani in the starting line-up, players their hosts of two defeats with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over sec- problems?” said the former France coach. “I was satisfied could only dream about buying. However, they were held ond tier AC Ajaccio to reach the French League Cup quar- with the second-half performance and at no stage was I at bay by a resilient Ajaccio outfit until Cavani finally ter-finals on Wednesday. worried. You only worry if you are 1-0 down with 10 sec- equalised nine minutes into the second half after being set PSG, who had lost to Barcelona in their Champions onds remaining. up by Lucas. Ivorian defender Serge Aurier added a second League group match last week and then in the league to “We are going through a difficult spell and at those with a header from a corner 10 minutes from time, and the Guingamp at the weekend, went behind early on to a times nothing makes you smile.” The Paris side may have last eight place was ensured when Jean-Christophe penalty by captain Johan Cavalli. A tense PSG coach been missing key players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic but they Bahebeck slotted home four minutes later with Lucas once Laurent Blanc said, however, that going behind had not still had players of the experience of David Luiz and again the creator. —AFP Dortmund stay in bottom three after Wolves draw BERLIN: Ailing German giants Borussia Dortmund remain in the Bundesliga’s relegation places after twice throwing away the lead in a 2-2 draw with second-placed VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday. The draw leaves defending champions Bayern Munich 11 points clear at the top of the table. A piece of sloppy defending five minutes from time ultimately cost Dortmund the three points when Wolfsburg’ Brazil defender Naldo head- ed home having been left unmarked at a corner. “That was an intensive game against a very good opponent, Wolfsburg are a top team,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. “We played well and that was okay for today.” Despite reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Juventus, Dortmund have the worst record in the Bundesliga with nine defeats in their first 16 matches and are 16th in the table. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s early goal for Dortmund was can- celled out by a Kevin de Bruyne free-kick in the first-half. Ciro Immobile restored Dortmund’s lead with a stunning strike 14 minutes from time before Naldo rescued a point for Wolves. “That shouldn’t have happened,” admitted Klopp when he saw a replay of Wolfsburg’s late equaliser when renowned header Naldo was allowed to roam unmarked in the area. LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Harry Kane (R) scores their third goal during the English League Cup “But that’s the way things are for us at the moment and now we go quarter-final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at White Hart Lane in London on on.” Ten-man Werder Bremen, who host Dortmund on Saturday, remain rooted to the bottom of the table after their 4-1 defeat at Borussia Wednesday. —AFP Moenchengladbach, who move up to third. Striker Max Kruse and defender Oscar Wendt put Gladbach 2-0 up at the break before Bremen’s dead-ball specialist Zlatko Junuzovic smashed home a second-half free- Spurs thump Newcastle, kick. But Bremen had Luca Caldirola sent off with an hour gone for a sec- ond bookable offence before Christoph Kramer and Swedish striker Branimir Hrgota added Gladbach’s goals. Liverpool make semis Bayer Leverkusen drop to fourth on goal difference despite Stefan Kiessling’s goal giving them a 1-0 win at Hoffenheim. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier rescued his side with two goals in LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur strolled into on Saturday. mess of corner, presented Bentaleb with the added time to seal a stunning 4-4 draw at home to Hertha Berlin. Hertha the League Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 rout of Sterling, who wasted chances as Liverpool chance to hook home from four metres. were 4-2 up with 90 minutes played before Meier struck to take his tally to Premier League rivals Newcastle United on slumped to defeat against Manchester United Chadli doubled the lead with a measured a Bundesliga best 12 goals. Schalke are up to fifth after a 2-1 come-back Wednesday and Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling on Sunday, looked a sharp-eyed goal-getter effort from 25 metres, Kane netted with a win at Paderborn. On Tuesday, Bayern beat Freiburg 2-0, Netherlands netted a sharply-taken double in a 3-1 win as he produced a clinical display that will lift slightly scuffed finish and Soldado added his winger Arjen Robben scoring his 100th goal for the German champions. over Bournemouth. the pressure on his manager Brendan name to the scoresheet when he pounced on Only a superb display from Freiburg goalkeeper Roman Burki kept the Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane Rodgers. a loose ball with 20 minutes to play. scoreline respectable as Bayern fired in 31 shots on goal-a Bundesliga and Roberto Soldado were on target for Spurs Tottenham had lost their last two home At Bournemouth, the hosts’ hopes of an record this season. against Newcastle who conceded four times clashes with Newcastle, but the threat of a upset were scuppered by their own profligacy Goals by Robben and Thomas Mueller sealed Bayern’s win ahead of for the second match in succession after they third was eased when a blunder from visiting against eight-times winners Liverpool, who their final match of the year at Mainz today. Victory came at a price with were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal in north London keeper Jak Alnwick, who made a complete were far more clinical. defender Mehdi Benatia ruled out with a groin strain. Striker Robert A glaring early miss from the hosts’ Callum Lewandowski, midfielder Xabi Alonso and Jerome Boateng are all doubts Wilson was punished on 20 minutes when as well, having taken knocks during the game. —AFP Real, Spain dominate Sterling headed the visitors ahead from close range. Liverpool, who had won only two of 10 European club scene matches since they last played in the League PARIS: If, after years of unbridled success, 2014 was brutally disappointing for Spain on the Cup and spurned six good chances against international stage, it was a glorious year for the country at club level. A thrilling title race in La United on Sunday, seemed to have rediscov- Liga, home to the world’s best player Cristiano Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi, made ered their scoring touch when Lazar Markovic it the envy of the rest of the continent, while Spain took a clean sweep of the European tro- doubled the lead seven minutes later. phies and Real Madrid are in line to cap it all by becoming club world champions. The Serbian wide player, who has been More than anyone else, it was a year to remember for Real, who finally won the European labelled one of Rodgers’ transfer mistakes Cup for an unprecedented 10th time, ending a 12-year obsession with ‘La Decima’. after failing to break into the side following a After years of frustration since Zinedine Zidane’s stunning volley in Glasgow secured their 20 million-pound ($31.2 million) move from ninth European Cup in 2002, and more than a billion euros spent in the transfer market by Benfica in the close season, walloped home a president Florentino Perez, Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat city rivals Atletico 4-1 after extra time in rebound from the edge of the area. a pulsating final in Lisbon in May. Sterling finished precisely when through It was so nearly a nightmare for Los Blancos, with only a stoppage-time equaliser by on goal six minutes after the break, before MARRAKECH: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, center, Sergio Ramos keeping their hopes alive before they ran away with the game in extra time Dan Gosling grabbed a consolation when his and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, right, practice shot beat keeper Brad Jones, who should once Gareth Bale had put them ahead. during a training session at the Club World Cup soccer “This squad is full of young players, talent and desire. This can be the start of a great cycle,” have done better. Chelsea and Sheffield United had booked tournament in Marrakech, Morocco, yesterday. Real coach Ancelotti ominously declared later, having matched former Liverpool manager Bob Madrid will play against San Lorenzo during their final Paisley’s achievement of winning three European Cups. —AFP spots in the semi-finals after winning their last-eight ties on Tuesday. — Reuters game in Marrakech on Tuesday, Dec 20. —AP FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 FRIDAY, www.kuwaittimes.net

GrizzliesGrizzlies beatbeat SpursSpurs inin tripletriple overtimeovertime

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SAN ANTONIO: Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter, left, drives around San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw, of France, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, in San Antonio. Memphis won 117-116 in triple overtime. — AP