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SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 JAMADA ALAWWAL 29, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net ‘Kuwaitis for Saudi women New gadgets Valiant Palace Jerusalem’ day renew push hope to hush imperil showcases rich for right Mumbai’s Chelsea’s heritage,2 culture to drive7 honking28 title20 bid No women prosecutors Max 35º Min 18º to be hired anytime soon High Tide 11:48 Judiciary chief cites cultural, religious restrictions Low Tide 05:46 & 18:03 40 PAGES NO: 16120 150 FILS KUWAIT: Supreme Judiciary Council Chairman Faisal Al- Mershed said yesterday that women will not be Obama offers assurances to allies employed as legal researchers “this year and for a limited period of time,” pending assessment of their performance in the public prosecution department. The chief justice, in RIYADH: From the heart of Europe to the expanse of a statement regarding employment of female legal Saudi Arabia’s desert, US President Barack Obama’s weeklong overseas trip amounted to a reassurance researchers eligible to serve as prosecution attorneys, tour for stalwart, but sometimes skeptical, American indicated that the council has taken into consideration allies. At a time when Obama is grappling with crises the profession’s condi- and conflict in both Europe and the Middle East, the tions, traditions and cus- four-country swing also served as a reminder that toms. even those longtime partners still need some person- This decision does not al attention from the president. imply belittling the poten- Europe is a crucial linchpin in Obama’s efforts to tials and talents of women rally the international community in opposition to and is strictly based on Russia’s incursion in Ukraine, but the continent’s lead- considerations of conven- ers have concerns about the impact tougher Western ience, he stressed. The sanctions on Moscow could have on their own econo- Kuwaiti constitution stipu- my. Saudi Arabia has a hand in nearly every Middle lates, in its second provi- East crisis consuming White House attention, includ- sion, that Islamic sharia is ing the Syrian civil war, nuclear negotiations with Iran a main source of legisla- and peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, tion, Mershed said, noting Faisal Al-Mershed but has grown anxious about Obama’s positioning in that the judicial laws do the region. not include a clear text that prohibits women’s employment Obama departed for Washington yesterday with in the judiciary or public prosecution. much left unresolved on each of those matters. Still, Moreover, Islamic jurisprudence schools differ on officials said the president had made progress during assigning women to such leading and key posts. his pilgrimage to Saudi King Abdullah’s desert oasis, Although customs and traditions have stood against as well as in his hours of conversations with European women’s employment as judges, the council last year leaders. The president’s advisers were particularly opted to allow them to serve as judges, Mershed bullish about his meeting in the Netherlands with explained. Incidentally, the Justice Ministry published allies from the Group of Seven leading industrial advertisements in newspapers last week seeking only nations, which agreed to indefinitely suspend Russia men to apply for prosecutors’ jobs, a move that drew the from the larger Group of Eight. ire of some MPs. — KUNA “There’s been a lot of movement in the last several days that suggest that Europe has been stirred to action by the events in Ukraine, and I think the presi- Kuwait transfers dent felt a degree of unity in that G7 meeting, in the EU session at NATO, and then with the individual lead- top Brotherhood ers that he met with,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser. member to Egypt Obama’s stops in the Netherlands and Belgium were scheduled long before Russia’s provocations in CAIRO: Egyptian airport officials yesterday said a Ukraine but ended up being a well-timed opportunity Brotherhood leader arrested in Kuwait at Cairo’s for the president to discuss the crisis personally with behest was extradited to Egypt for prosecution. Europe’s leaders. As Obama sought pledges that Mohammed El-Qabouti is wanted for trial on suspi- Europe would cooperate if tougher economic sanc- cion he incited violence against authorities last tions on Russia become necessary, he also recommit- summer. The handover of Qabouti is the first ted American support for NATO, the trans-Atlantic mil- RIYADH: US President Barack Obama presents Dr Maha Al-Muneef, founder and executive director of the reported case of Cairo’s Gulf allies arresting and itary alliance. National Family Safety Program, with the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award extraditing members of the Brotherhood to Egypt. Continued on Page 13 yesterday. — AFP Authorities reported his arrest in Kuwait earlier this month. — AP Power cuts in 3 areas By A Saleh

KUWAIT: A daily 5-hour electricity cut is scheduled in Ardiya, Daiya and Mubarakiya until Thursday in order to carry out scheduled maintenance operations at second- ary transformers across the Farwaniya and Asima (Capital) governorates, the Ministry of Electricity and Water announced. Areas affected by the cut, from 7:00 am to noon, include blocks 1, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 of Ardiya, in addition to block 5 of Daiya where the Iraqi embassy is located, and some parts of Mubarakiya.

KUWAIT: Environment Public Authority (EPA) staff arrange candles to mark Earth Earthquake SOUTH CHINA SEA: A China Coast Guard ship and a Philippine supply boat Hour yesterday. — KUNA engage in a standoff as the Philippine boat attempts to reach the Second Lights go off for rattles jittery Thomas Shoal yesterday. — AFP global Earth Hour Los Angeles Philippines supply ship LOS ANGELES: A shallow 5.1-magnitude earthquake SINGAPORE: Lights went off in thou- towns from New Zealand to New York are rocked the Los Angeles area Friday causing power evades China blockade sands of cities and towns across the world taking part at 8.30 pm local time. cuts, gas leaks and bursting water mains, and stop- yesterday for the annual Earth Hour cam- Hong Kong’s stunning waterfront sky- ping rides at Disneyland. While no injuries were SOUTH CHINA SEA: A Philippine re-sup- troops. “They were able to pass through. paign, which is aiming to raise money via line was unrecognisable yesterday reported, objects fell from shelves and furniture top- ply ship evaded a Chinese coastguard The Chinese coastguard vessel and the the Internet for local environmental proj- evening, with the city’s tallest skyscraper, pled over, according to photos posted on social blockade in the South China Sea yester- mission is a success,” Cherryl Tindog, a ects. The Singapore-based campaign by the International Commerce Centre, media, while TV pictures showed a car flipped over by day to reach Filipino soldiers based on a spokeswoman for the military’s western conservation group WWF was boosted by stripped of the vast light show usually a rockslide. The quake, which hit at 9:10 pm (0410 GMT remote reef claimed by both countries, command, told AFP. “We have successful- Hollywood star power, with “The Amazing wrapped around its 118 storeys. Blazing yesterday), was the biggest in the Los Angeles area for the military said. The dramatic, two-hour ly re-supplied and rotated the troops.” An Spider-Man 2” stars Andrew Garfield, neon signs advertising some of the six years, since a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck stand-off witnessed by the AFP was the AFP reporter and photographer recorded Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx leading cere- world’s largest brands were shut off, leav- nearby Chino Hills in 2008. Friday’s quake came after latest in a rapid-fire series of escalations the two-hour confrontation above calm monies at the city-state’s Marina Bay dis- ing the view of the heavily vertical south- one measuring 4.4 earlier this month. in a dispute between the two countries turquoise waters while on board a trict. ern Chinese city peppered only with tiny The quake’s epicenter was near La Habra, about 35 over their competing claims to waters Philippine military plane that circled Comic-book hero Spider-Man is this lights from buildings’ interiors. In the km southeast of downtown Los Angeles, and could be and islands close to Philippine landmass. above the area throughout. year’s “ambassador” for Earth Hour in Indian capital of New Delhi, lights were felt across the LA metropolitan area, including in Yesterday’s incident took place at Second Four Chinese vessels had encircled which 150 countries including Kuwait are turned off at major landmarks, including Hollywood. Disneyland shut down rides as a precau- Thomas Shoal, where a small number of Second Thomas Shoal as the Philippine taking part, according to organisers. The the India Gate. tion, according to NBC4 television. A Disneyland Filipino soldiers are stationed on a Navy vessel approached, according to the AFP event was launched in Sydney in 2007. Earth Hour partnered with payments spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. vessel that was grounded there in 1999 reporter. Two of the vessels, with a The Australian city’s Opera House and giant PayPal to allow donors to contribute Car alarms were reported to have been set off in some to assert the Philippines’ sovereignty. “Chinese Coast Guard” written on the Harbour Bridge were among the first to specific projects from Russia and India areas by the five-mile-deep quake, which was initially The Philippine military said the ship, a hulls, then chased the Philippine boat landmarks around the world to dim their to Canada and Indonesia, using Asian registered as 5.3 magnitude but later revised down. fishing vessel with soldiers on board, and tried to block it from reaching the lights for 60 minutes during yesterday’s fundraising site Crowdonomic. Continued on Page 13 completed its mission to deliver fresh shoal. event. An estimated 7,000 cities and Continued on Page 13 supplies to the navy ship and rotate the Continued on Page 13 SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 LOCAL

(From left) Lulwa Al-Mulla, President of the Women Cultural Social Society, Rima Kuwaiti photographer Faisal Al-Busairi (right) is showing the images from Palestine Abdulaziz Al-Mulla, Chairman of The Kuwaitis for Khalidi, Ambassador Tahboub and Abdulaziz Al-Mulla are pictured during the event. to the Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub and his spouse Rima Khalidi Jerusalem Committee, is seen opening the event held —Photos by Joseph Al-Shagra (centre) during the Open Day. to show Palestine’s heritage and culture. ‘A Day of Kuwaitis for Jerusalem’ showcases rich heritage, culture Carnival aims to foster relations, bring people together

By Velina Nacheva

KUWAIT: An open day dedicated to the rich Palestinian heritage gathered Palestinians, Kuwaitis and residents of Kuwait with the dual aim to show the youth a glimpse of Palestinian culture and to raise awareness about the Palestinian issue. According to the organizers of the Open Day, The Kuwaitis for Jerusalem Committee (KJC), the purpose of the event is to foster relations between Kuwaitis and Palestinians and to remind the young genera- tions of Palestinian culture. The Open Day was held on the premises of the Women Cultural Social Society in Khaldiya on Friday. Rami Tahboub, Palestinian ambassador to Kuwait, was in attendance at the event. He told Kuwait Times that such an event helps build bridges between the people from Palestine and Kuwait. This is the second such function organized by the committee that the ambassa- dor has attended in the past two years. He stressed that the committee is very active in Ambassador Tahboub and Rima Khalidi are pictured during the event. Waleed Al-Sibawi entertains the audience at the event with Palestinian songs. supporting Palestine in general and Jerusalem committee was to introduce young people to had a taste of Palestine’s rich culinary heritage, explained that when Palestinians are forced Al-Mulla, the committee was established to in particular. “I really appreciate what they do the rich Palestinian culture. sampling special traditional Palestinian dishes. out of their homes and everything is support projects in the fields of healthcare, as Kuwaiti people and what the activists (vol- Some of the popular picks at the cuisine booth destroyed, people like him feel great empathy. education and others. unteers in the committee) are doing for Palestine in focus were munsaf (big round bread with grilled “You feel you could have done something. You Stressing that he had been privileged to vis- Palestine. This is something valuable for us. It The annual family open day organized joint- chicken and nuts), grapevine and Palestinian become part of them and you want to make a it Palestine twice, Mulla said that the commit- also reflects the nature of the relations ly by Kuwait Graduates Society and the Women olive oil, zaatar and olives. A bazaar display difference,” he said. tee works with Palestinian NGOs on the between Kuwait and Palestine, and the Kuwaiti Cultural Social Society featured a 3D movie showed the country’s traditional clothes, Khadija Madani, the driving force behind ground. “We make sure that the money is spent people and the Palestinian people.” called “A Tour in Jerusalem”, showing the Al- scarves and various souvenirs. the event and a volunteer in the committee, in the right way. We also go to see the projects Taking the point further, he stressed that Aqsa mosque and an exhibition by Kuwaiti A Kuwaiti collector also had a display of explained that the event is put together to that we support,” he said, adding that visiting such an event is very important to strengthen photographer Faisal Al-Busairi. The Palestinian items that can no longer be found today, such introduce the Palestinian culture to the young Palestine is not easy. “Israelis don’t make it easy the relations between Palestine and Kuwait. “It Heritage Band performed a traditional folklore as rotary telephones, radios, vintage Coca Cola generation. for Arabs to visit Palestine. They try to isolate should be a very good example for other Arab dance known as dabke. Waleed Al-Sibawi glass bottles and many others. Palestine from the Arabs.” people in establishing such committees for entertained attendees with traditional The series of images captured by the lens of The Committee Previously, the committee has supported supporting Palestine. This is really needed in Palestinian songs. A Kuwaiti band also Kuwaiti photographer Busairi were on view, The Kuwaitis for Jerusalem Committee, the Palestinian Children Rescue Fund in Beit this very crucial time that the Palestinian cause enchanted the audience with contemporary depicting what he calls “the unfiltered reality in made up of volunteers, was founded in 2000 Jala and a program currently providing schol- is passing through, especially in Jerusalem folklore music and dance. Palestine”. “My pictures are unfiltered. It is how I during the second intifada, but its roots go arships to 27 students. The committee also where there is continuous aggression by Israeli The carnival also featured folklore activities see things,” Busairi said, pointing at a few of his back to the first intifada in 1987. The commit- supported the renovation of a house for the settlers.” Lulwa Al-Mulla, President of the and entertainment for children, a talk by Dr images. Asked about his experience in tee supports many charity initiatives in elderly in Abu Dis village as well as projects for Women Cultural Social Society, explained that Sulaiman Busita and Palestinian stories narrat- Palestine, he said, “The Palestinian people are Palestine where it finances various projects. protecting the rights of disabled children in the aim of the annual carnival organized by the ed by a storyteller. In addition, all attendees resilient in everything that happens.” He According to Committee Chairman Abdulaziz Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The Palestinian Heritage Band is pictured performing a traditional folklore Ambassador Tahboub stopped to greet vendors at the event showcasing various items and food from Palestine. dance known as dabke. Woman injured in police shooting

KUWAIT: Following a recent shooting when a denied shooting the woman and justified his examination of the bullet showed that it was a 9 police officer from the royal family and another escape on the drugs the police found in the mm caliber one like those used by the police policeman chased two people who were beat- vehicle. and that the patrol policeman confessed that it ing a woman inside their vehicle from Salmiya to The husband also stressed that it was the was the police officer (the royal family member) Al-Ghous street in Mubarak Al-Kabeer where chasing police force that fired the bullet that hit who shot at the escaping vehicle and accidental- one of them allegedly shot the woman in the his wife in the head, sending her to the ICU in a ly injured the woman. Both the officer and the head, the woman’s husband and his companion critical condition. policeman are in police custody for further who were arrested over charges of shooting her However, Al-Rai daily learned that initial investigations. Qatar’s ‘Halal’ carnival turns into tourist attraction

DOHA: Kuwaiti participants in “Halal Hal Qatar” major tourist attraction. Mazad” and Al-Izab: the latter is a display of a cattle festival has praised organizers of the activ- The festival includes displays of handcraft group of barns each containing different species ity that brings to life some aspects of the popu- products, traditional food, pictures, popular of livestock, where visitors can examine closely. lar Gulf heritage and past lifestyle. games, classic and popular songs. Also in the carnival, traditional old Qatari houses The carnival, organized by the Cultural Village Top winner is granted 100,000 riyal, second- are presented to show how Qataris were living in Foundation (Katara), re-plays some pictures of rank winner gets 50,000 riyals, the third 30,000 the old times. Also there is the traditional mar- the ancestors’ ways of living, customs and tradi- riyals, fourth 15,000 riyals and the last 10,000 ket, which is containing the rest tents where the tions. riyals. The carnival features “Al-Mazaiyn,” “Al- aromatic Arabic coffee is served. — KUNA Jumaan Al-Sahloul, a Kuwaiti herder, said he is taking part in the festival with intention of enhancing the Gulf popular heritage, noting that it has increasingly drawn participants from various Gulf countries. Al-Sahloul is a contester in “Al-Mazaiyn,” a show of beauty for goats and sheep, where a prize is given to five winners. Hamad Al-Enaz, a Kuwaiti competing in “Al- Mazaiyn,” auctioning livestock, indicated some of the animals have been traded at very prices-a head may cost as high as KD 50,000 . Marzouq Al-Sewagh, also a competitor in the beauty contest, said the activity depicts the KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait opened a pavilion at the 360 Mall as part of desert life in the old times. “The festival pre- its ongoing cultural campaign ‘Ya Zain Turathna’. The pavilion is set up to represent a serves the popular heritage and boosts the live- ‘miniature neighborhood’ of old Kuwait and contains several aspects that reflect stock wealth. Kuwaiti old customs and traditions. A live show of popular Kuwaiti games and songs His fellow citizen, Mohammad Bin Qurash Al- are featured at the pavilion, said Amani Al-Waraa, the CBK’s Assistant General Ajmi, said diverse activities and products dis- Manager of the Advertisement and Public Relations Department. played at the festival ground have rendered it a DOHA: Kuwaiti participants in “Halal Hal Qatar” cattle festival. LOCAL SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Panel votes on children allowance hikes today High cost to national budget By A Saleh attend the meeting, a step that some of ond parliament session to discuss the them seem confident will happen, housing issue to follow up with develop- KUWAIT: The parliament’s financial com- according to the sources. The parliament ments on the issue since the first one was mittee will discuss proposals to increase is set to vote on the proposal referred by held in December, Kandari told Al-Jarida the children allowance this morning with the financial committee during Tuesday’s daily. Also yesterday, head of the parlia- Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh and session. ment’s human resources committee MP Public Institution for Social Security rep- Committee chairman MP Faisal Al- Yaqoub Al-Sane said that a work team resentatives. The two sides will discuss Shaya had told Al-Rai daily on Friday that was formed to prepare a draft law which proposals which the government rejects the proposal to increase the allowance to unifies payrolls in the public sector. The in general due to their high cost to the KD 75 for up to 5 children was probably law would ‘achieve justice’ by giving simi- national budget. A memorandum that the most ‘budget-friendly’ in the long lar salaries to employees with the same the government sent previously to the term despite being the costliest of pro- job classifications at all state depart- committee says that a proposal to posals on the panel’s table. Al-Rai also ments, and it is expected to be ready in increase the monthly allowance from KD quoted MP Hamdan Al-Azmi, who criti- time to be debated in parliament before 50 to KD 75 for up to 3 children will cost cized the government for refusing pro- the end of the current term, Sane told Al- KD 149 million annually, while a similar posals to increase the children’s Watan daily. proposal for up to 4 children will cost KD allowances under the pretext of its high 177 million per year. costs “despite spending KD 88 million on KAC Hierarchy Meanwhile, the cost of a proposal to hosting the 2-day Arab summit according Kuwait Airways is expected to see increase the allowance for up to 5 chil- to recent reports”. Azmi made another ‘major appointments’ in the upcoming dren reaches KD 195 million, while anoth- statement yesterday in which he few days after at least 25 employees er proposal to increase the allowance to slammed the ‘weak executive authority’, received notice from management that KD 65 for seven children will cost KD 127 as well as its lack of long-term strategic they will be referred to retirement. The million per year. But some committee planning, failure to diversify sources of new appointments come after the board members plan to vote on proposals that income and attempts to collect taxes decided to eliminate the ‘chief executive increase the allowance to a minimum of instead of boosting investment spending. officer’ position, according to sources. KD 75 per child, “whether the govern- The sources added that Kamel Al- ment approves it or not”, according to Financing crisis Awadhi, Chairman of the Operational sources. “The government was given suf- In other news, the parliament’s hous- Safety Office, will be appointed as ficient time to present alternatives but ing committee meets today with Minister Assistant Managing Director for did not provide any,” said the sources of Housing Affairs Yasser Abul in order to Operational Safety and Security. who spoke on the condition of anonymi- discuss statements he made earlier about Meanwhile, Sharifa Al-Ibrahim, the acting ty. a ‘financing crisis’ that the government CEO, will be appointed as Assistant The committee postponed discussion faces in implementing housing projects. Managing Director for Financial and Sharjah Capital of Islamic of the same issue last week when minis- Committee chairman Faisal Al-Kandari Administrative Affairs, while Ezzat Al- ter Saleh could not attend due to the criticized the minister’s statements, Aryan, the Ground Services Directorate Culture celebrations open government’s preparations for the Arab telling Al-Qabas yesterday that the cur- Manager, will be appointed as Assistant Summit. There is concern within the pan- rent capital of the Saving and Credit Managing Director for Commercial Affairs. el that the government could use a simi- Bank’s which finances housing loans has Also, Abdullah Al-Sharhan, the SHARJAH: Under the patronage of ments for the reception of the emirate’s Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin guests, who will be accommodated in lar tactic to avoid discussing the issue reached KD 3 billion. Engineering Directorate Manager, will be Mohammad Al-Qassemi, the Sharjah Sharjah’s leading hotels. today. Yet panel members can still pass The committee will also discuss with appointed as Assistant Managing Director Capital of Islamic Culture 2014 celebra- More than 500 journalists, broadcast- the draft laws if the minister does not the minister a proposal to allocate a sec- for Engineering and Maintenance. tions kick off today featuring dignitaries, ers and media executives from around media personalities and artists from all the world, along with local media repre- over the world. sentatives, will report on the ground- The guests will be at hand to attend breaking oratorio which will have its pre- 25,265 certificates for bedoons the premiere of the region’s biggest ever miere show today at the new Open Al theatrical spectacular, ‘Clusters of Light’, Majaz amphitheatre. which tells the story of Prophet An event to unveil the memorial for KUWAIT: Death and birth certificates issued period, in addition to 1,268 death certifi- ities. The ministry adheres to the resolution Mohammad (PBUH) from his birth to his the Sharjah Capital of Islamic Culture for illegal residents (bedoons) reached cates. In the first 100 days of the year 2014, stipulating usage of the term “non-Kuwaiti” death and clarifies the true essence of opens the celebrations this evening, fol- 25,265 between early 2011 and March 19, a up to 828 birth certificates and 26 death in the nationality category, instead of “illegal Islam. lowed by the official opening of Al Majaz Ministry of Health official said yesterday. documents were issued. Issuance of these resident.” The ministry is issuing the docu- The Higher Organizing Committee amphitheatre and the premier of the Salman Al-Haifi, the MoH’s assistant documents is in line with the Cabinet ments in coordination with the Central and the Executive Committee for ‘Clusters of Light’ musical. The four sub- undersecretary, said 23,997 birth certificates Resolution 409/2011 that provides these res- System for the Remedy of Status of Illegal Sharjah’s Islamic Culture Capital 2014 cel- sequent performances will be held on were issued for this segment during this idents with a package of privileges and facil- Residents. — KUNA ebrations have completed all arrange- March 31, April 1, 3, and 4.

KUWAIT: Health minister, Dr Ali Al-Obaidi yesterday launched a walkathon held at the Green Island as a fes- tivity commemorating the World Kidney Day. The walkathon was held under the title ‘Let’s Fight Kidney Diseases Together!” Kuwait donates $2m to UNRWA AMMAN: State of Kuwait has granted a $2 million donation to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNR- Food producers WA) as part of the annual support from it the organiza- tion. told to reduce This support aims to provide aid to the Palestinian people, alleviate their suffering and meet their needs, salt soon and it came in compliance with instructions by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- KUWAIT: The state is looking into the option of Sabah, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Dr. Hamad Saleh reducing salt from food products produced locally as Al-Duaij said in a statement. part of efforts to prevent high blood pressure in The Kuwaiti ambassador handed the donation to Kuwait. UNRWA relations coordinator Maria Mohammadi, at The Ministry of Health hopes for a regulation that their meeting yesterday at the headquarters of the makes it mandatory for local food producers to Kuwaiti Embassy in Amman. reduce sodium from items like nuts, pickles, potato Kuwaiti contributions to UNRWA aim to support the chips, etc as well as salt and fat from cheese, said Dr international relief and development organization and Nawal Al-Hamad, the Food Department Manager at help UNRWA fulfill its responsibilities towards refugees, the ministry. he said, stressing that Kuwait has never hesitateed to “Awareness alone about the importance of reduc- lend a hand of help to the Palestinian people. ing salt is not enough... and a legislation that makes For her part, Mohammadi expressed in a statement it mandatory for food producers to reduce salt from appreciation of the international organization to the their products is necessary to protect consumers’ State of Kuwait’s leadership, government and people health,” Hamad told Al-Jarida daily yesterday. The for the generous support to UNRWA. nutrition specialist also called for changing the con- The UNRWA is very grateful for the annual contribu- cept of subsidization in Kuwait “which is the only tion from the State of Kuwait, especially since Kuwait country in the world that provides 17 food items at was and still the leader among Arab countries in sup- subsidized prices”. port of the Organization, she added. “In return, Kuwait spends millions of dinars for She pointed to the generous contribution made by treatment of chronic diseases,” she warned, adding His Highness the Amir to the organization in 2009 that 80 percent of those patients suffer diabetes, during the Gaza crisis-worth $34 million and the $15 heart diseases, cancer and other illnesses “that can million support given in 2013 for Palestinian refugees be avoided through healthy diets”. in Syria. Kuwait renewed its support this year with Earlier this year, the MoH announced cooperation the same value $15 million for Palestinian refugees with the Kuwait Flour Mills Company to reduce salt in who are suffering from repercussions of the Syrian bread that the company produces by 20 percent. crisis. —KUNA SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 LOCAL

kuwait digest My son wants to get married. I In my view Summit and told him I have no objections, Kuwait’s solidarity but don’t have children!!! conferences

By Mustafa Al-Sarraf rabs, because of the Palestine occupation, were in solidarity in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and formed a force Athat confronted the Western Zionist colonization, By Labeed Abdal and resolution 242 was issued despite the dominance of imperialist countries (America, France, Britain) in the UN RAISING KIDS’ ALLOWANCE Security Council. But with great regret, as the Palestinian TO HIT COFFERS: GOVT issue was a reason to unify the Arab nation, it was also the reason for fragmenting it. Zionism and Western imperialism worked on diluting that decision by spread- ing differences in the Arab nation by siding with the [email protected] Zionist occupier from the middle of the ‘60s and the arrival of the new conservatives under the umbrella of uwait has recently hosted several regional and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that international conferences which, if we put aside is influential in both the Republican and Democratic par- Kthe traffic problems they usually create, come to ties. point out the important humanitarian role that the They were generous with money and arms with Israel, state plays and which the Kuwaiti leadership, govern- surpassing all Arab countries combined. They sold techni- ment and people fully understand. Kuwait hosted two cally inferior weapons to Arab countries to fight each oth- conferences to gather donations for the Syrian people er after splitting them and categorized them as moder- in coordination with the United Nations. These humani- ate, which means that they succumbed to the Western tarian conferences aimed to help millions of Syrian influence and rogue countries referring those who refugees confirms Kuwait’s pivotal role in achieving opposed Israeli occupation. Then the Palestinian issue Al-Anbaa peace and stopping armed struggles. took a backseat in the Arab summits’ agendas from being The gathering of Arab and Gulf nations in Kuwait the central issue that all Arabs were behind to becoming last week at the invitation of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah the issue of the Palestinian people alone. Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah reflects His Highness’ desire to end Four decades elapsed while Arabs are in disarray and conflicts in the Arab World and achieve convergence weak while running after the illusion of peace with Israel kuwait digest to solve the Arab issue peacefully, and gave concessions one after the other that only added to their weakness Who said we have a govt? We cannot deny that large and fragmentation, especially after Egypt veered away from Arab consensus during the Sadat era, and that led parts of the Arab world have to most Arab countries succumbing to the Zionist influ- By Abdullatif Al-Duaij ence. Yet, when the Zionists were kicked out of Lebanon been affected by public revolu- in 2000, and the resistance prevented its occupation a he majority of those who believe that they are the outlines of the dream of turning Kuwait into a second time in 2006, it revived the Arab nation which good observers of the local scene and have financial hub that are often mentioned in the gov- tions against dictatorships that agreed upon the importance of the resistance instead of Tgained enough experience and knowledge of ernment’s speech, there are no serious efforts to suppressed the people’s will regular armies that are not armed at equal bases with situations ongoing locally believe that the govern- draw the policies and take the political, economic Israeli enemy, so the only thing left for Arab countries is ment and parliament are harmonious. Or that the and social programs required to put Kuwait in that and freedom of speech. to restore their solidarity in order to regain their will and government ‘controls’ the current parliament, does direction. impose respect upon imperialist countries. whatever it wants with it and passes through it laws The government does not even have a specific This is so that it owns the independence of its decision and projects required for its policies. program that leads its way and draws the maps for that helps realize positive results en route to ending in running its affairs, preserve its wealth and direct it But the reality is completely different, because the road it should take. Cabinets in Kuwait are often pending issues. towards real development programs instead of being there is a huge difference between the disappear- formed to adopt the same programs and plans of We cannot deny that large parts of the Arab world extorted by Western countries that are enemies to the ance of the opposition and between loyalty or com- their predecessors. Since the 1960’s, cabinets and have been affected by public revolutions against dicta- Arab nation as their deeds and conspiracies have become plete harmony. The current parliament lacks ‘politi- ministers adopted the same plans and programs of torships that suppressed the people’s will and freedom of speech. The Egyptian people’s revolution which oust- as clear as the sun. So the Kuwait summit and making the cal’ opposition against the government. It also lacks previous cabinets. ed a dictator regime and then a president after both Palestinian cause the central issue will restore the Arab complete loyalty from a majority that supports the We do have a Cabinet, but we do not have a gov- unity towards one issue and with that restore Arab unity violated public rights set an example for the entire government and allows it to force its vision on the ernment, and that is where the problem lies. The world. and makes us get rid of the dissipation that was imposed parliament. closest Cabinet that can be called a government was We definitely hope that Kuwait hosts successful Gulf, on us by Zionism and Western imperialism by stirring dis- And this is for a simple reason that is supposed to the one formed in the 1974 parliament’s term. It last- Arab and international conferences and manages to putes with military coups, sectarian strife and by brutal be obvious to whoever monitors the situation of the ed for only four years, after which the great back- reconcile relations between conflicting countries in power, as they take advantage of our weakness and splits. government here — the government itself lacks har- wards movement came to wipe out everything it had order to achieve peace for their people. The Internet The decisions of this conference will not succeed with- mony among its members. To put it more clearly, the achieved during its term. and social networks provide a platform for people to out serious work and with conviction that we must solve government does not have an actual program that The lack of uproar from the opposition does not express their opinion freely, which has proven critical to our problems and adopt the principal that what was tak- all Cabinet members agree upon and work together mean that the government and parliament share the public revolutions and events in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, en by force will only be restored by force, whether moral to realize it. same political and economic visions, as anyone who Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and others. We hope that Arab or armed resistance if needed, and there is no aspect oth- Not only does the government lack a clear pro- has been following up with both of their actions nations find a similar platform in Kuwait for the better er than that of resistance instead of giving up and give gram, but also a clear approach. While we do have notices that they lack political vision. —Al-Qabas future of the Arab people. concessions under the illusion of peace.

in my view How much are Arabs worth?

By Ali Ibrahim nswering the question, “How much is the Arab region my. These historians argue that Germany’s economic power worth?” points us to statistics from the World Bank which would have allowed it to dominate its neighbors without the Asuggest that the Arab region’s combined GDP is $2.5 tril- need to fire a single bullet. However, the convictions at the time lion. This figure reflects the volume of economic activity of Arab were different and the view was that it was the number of troops societies, whose entire population is estimated at approximately and weapons and control you had on the ground that really 362 million. Half of this GDP comes from Gulf Cooperation determined how much power you had. As a result, Germany Council (GCC) countries, who boast some of the region’s entered a destructive war which it lost along with its allies and strongest economies. In fact, some GCC countries enjoy some of emerged bankrupt with unprecedented inflation rates. This post- the highest average per capita income levels in the world. World War I state of affairs led to the eruption of World War II, Based on these figures, the Arab world-whose collective GDP which eventually produced a European order based on econom- has jumped sharply in the past ten years-has outdone Southeast ic and commercial cooperation that proved beneficial for all. The Asia, whose 11 countries have a collective GDP of approximately presence of a vital economy that created a broad, educated mid- 2 trillion dollars. (At one point these countries were known as the dle class and built institutions instrumental to the development “Asian tigers” due to the rapid economic growth they experi- of the political sphere was key to the establishment and expan- enced.) The Arab world’s transformation is mainly due to the sion of the Western democracies. large increase in oil prices and oil export proceeds. The Arab region has not been unaware of the significance These figures reflect the Arab region’s huge economic power. that development holds for occupying a position on the global Nevertheless, it is very much less than many industrial economies map. This is evidenced by Kuwait’s hosting the first Arab such as Spain whose GDP is over $1.3 trillion and Germany whose Economic Summit in 2010 that tried to push forward the prioriti- GDP exceeds that of the entire Arab region by $1 trillion. At the zation of economic cooperation and building a joint economic end of the day, these are just figures and do not represent the full system as the way forward for progress-before 2011 brought the truth since economic activity is, after all, a human one: with both Arab Spring revolutions and their aftermath to the region. quantifiable and unquantifiable aspects. Some of the latter A large part of what happened-what the International include soft power elements such as a country’s cultural and civi- Monetary Fund describes as the “Arab countries in transition”-was lizational contributions. Even in economics there are some activi- rooted in economic concerns primarily, as well as political ties which are not amenable to statistics. demands, and was caused by failures to achieve comprehensive In recent decades, a country’s strength has been measured development-a particular cause of public anger. Moreover, a mainly through the volume of its economic and commercial large part of the current fluid state of affairs and the turmoil and exchanges with the world and its ability to fulfil its population’s violence of the “transitional phases” in these countries is due to a aspirations more so than its military power. This is a truth that has failure in building proper institutions for the protection and always been present in history but many have not given it the development of society. importance it deserves. According to some historians, Germany, In short, the Arab region is worth more than the statistics sug- which enthusiastically entered into World War I motivated by a gest-if it chooses the appropriate way for development in order national desire for hegemony, did not need to do so since at the to activate its latent economic and social capabilities. And it is this time it boasted Europe’s most advanced and developed econo- that will lay the firm foundation for political development.

kuwait digest ‘Suckers’ of public funds

By Dr Mohammad A Al-Mowatei here are “suckers” of public funds exactly like bats. They the country by their deviated escalation, because they are on include members of parliament, politicians, writers and media one side and the country’s interest is on the other, and they are Tactivists. There are also brokers and middlemen, and their role the majority, with regret. is to play the mercenaries for the corrupted influential, who are We do not deny that the country is under corruption in many many. Those bats are carrying out one certain mission, which aspects that led to its backwardness, and its living in the circle of emanates from the idea of receiving money before the mission is continued corrosion, which harmed most of its establishments done and after that. They practice political witticism, as well as extensively. Yet the most dangerous thing is role the public funds media noise and illegal collusion, and exchange wrong information bats are playing, who must eat from every project and share in and false clouds. every budget and steal from every contract, otherwise they will These types of bats aim at spoiling every project and destroying play their destructive role for every project in the country, or by every initiative and dismantling any achievement and obstructing their political witticism in criticizing every achievement or their any steps towards success, once through doubting projects’ feasibili- media noise to destroy every attempt for success, as long as they ties, another by pre-accusations of initiatives and a third by personal do not get the lion’s share in any of that. attacks - even some of them reach the point of fighting success and They succeeded in spreading the culture of their illegal meth- achievement, because they do not have any role in making it. ods, and many used them with good intentions or those hired to Or because their extortion failed in making them benefit do so. People were unaware that these bats do not care about the financially from it, or because the influential who hired them did people, and think that is limited to them. We must shed the light in not reach their goal of monopolizing projects or feeding on dark spaces and corners, so that those bats do not find a place to them, they employ money, efforts, media and politics to destroy build their nests in. —Al-Qabas LOCAL SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Call to lower Internet charges in Gulf region Affordable services will boost e-services

DUBAI: A key organisation that pro- ing the lead at $28 billion followed by packages and home broadband con- motes digital skills and cyber safety in Saudi Arabia at $4.8 billion. Qatar and nections also command a higher the Gulf, has called for Internet the UAE take third and fourth place price in the GCC when compared with charges to be reduced in the region with a total spending of $3 billion and the US and the UK. to encourage a higher take-up of $2.7 billion, respectively. “The GCC government must smart services. ICDL GCC Foundation But ICDL also pointed out that proactively work on long-term strate- said lower prices were important to governments should take effective gic objectives to establish public pri- broaden the adoption of Smart measures to bring down the high vate partnerships that will eventually Government services, launched data service rates to make them more help to bring down telecommunica- recently in a number of GCC states. affordable for all Internet users. tion rates in the region. Better coordi- “Lower Internet charges will According to a recent study conduct- nation and collaboration between undoubtedly promote the subscrip- ed by the ICDL GCC Foundation, the government and Internet service tion of data packages by the masses, rates for data service in the GCC are providers will also help in bridging which is highly important for Smart still high in comparison to other this gap,” said Jamil Ezzo, director and e-Services to reach out to each countries and diverse among each general of ICDL GCC Foundation. and every member of society,” the other as well. He added: “The governments of organisation said in a statement. According to the study, the rates the GCC have launched Smart and e- ICDL has lauded the efforts under- of monthly mobile internet data for Services for the benefits of its people taken by regional governments 1GB in Saudi Arabia starts from AED and visitors. However, high telecom- toward building an integrated digital 23.5, AED 47.7 in Oman, AED 63.3 in munication rates acts as a major system, which is accompanied with Qatar, and AED 100 in the UAE. The obstacle for people to access to these the aim to boost the Smart mobile data packages in Kuwait start services. There is a greater need for Government’s e- and m-Services. It at AED 104.03/month for 6 GB while it affordable telecom services so that said regional governments have reg- is AED 195.35/month in Bahrain for an people from all walks of life can have istered their highest levels of ICT unlimited data. The foundations easier access to the Internet.” investment in 2013, with Kuwait tak- added that services for mobile data — Arabian Business Kuwait hosts ANOC meetings

KUWAIT: The Association of ing the functionality of ANOC in improving the capabilities and role National Olympic Committees serving national Olympic commit- of Olympic bodies around the (ANOC), headed by its President tees and athletes around the world, world, he noted. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, International Relations Commission Berraf hailed the commitment of started its meetings in Kuwait yes- member and Algerian Olympic Sheikh Ahmad since the Kuwaiti terday attended by several interna- Committee chief Mustapha Berraf sports official began assuming his tional sports officials, including IOC said. The official, who is also the responsibilities in April 2012, and Thomas Bach. Senior Vice President of the his role in developing ANOC and in The body, which aims to build a Association of the National Olympic carrying out pledges he made after bridge of communication between Committees of Africa (ANOCA), said being voted in at the general national Olympic federations and that the International Relations assembly. the International Olympic Committee is one of the most The meeting was crucial and Committee (IOC) among other important as it forms a link necessary, he added, as it “helped global organisations and provides between the committee and inter- us think about our position on the solutions that serve the needs of national sports and non-sports future of ANOC and its role in athletes around the world, held sev- organisations. spreading Olympic values and prin- eral sub-committee meetings yes- The meeting discussed means to ciples and serving the interests of terday. improve ANOC’s relations with national Olympic federations.” These included the International UNESCO, UNICEF, the IOC and other Reiterating these notions, head Relations Committee, the Finance international sports federations. of the Spanish Olympic Committee and Audit Commission and the The commission is committed to Alejandro Blanco stressed the Marketing and New Sources of searching for an appropriate importance of these meetings for Finance. The meetings, hosted by groundwork for partnerships and the future of ANOC and its role in Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) constructive cooperation with spreading these values in the serv- which Sheikh Ahmad also heads, these organisations in order to ice of national Olympic bodies, are of crucial importance to improv- achieve its interests aimed at sports and athletes. — KUNA SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 LOCAL Man ‘kidnaps’ neighbor’s son to ‘teach him a lesson’ Woman causes accident after breakup KUWAIT: A man reported to police to that his tionship. However, the two sides reconciled after a house in the area. The man said that the sus- car was stolen with his toddler inside, only to the man said that the experience made him real- pects also stole his cell phone before escaping. discover later that his neighbor had taken it from ize how much his girlfriend loved him. According Detective used the license plate number of the outside his house “to teach him a lesson”. The to the police report, the incident took place at the suspects’ car which the victim provided to identi- Kuwaiti man told Sulaibikhat police officers that Fahaheel Highway Friday morning when the man fy its owner. The Saudi man was arrested and put he left his three-year-old son inside his car for was driving an SUV and was hit from behind, under questioning, during which he admitted three minutes after turning the engine on for which caused the vehicle to lose balance, turn the crime and gave information of his two heating, but found out after he came out of the over twice and then crash into a firefighter’s car accomplices. The bedoon men were soon arrest- house that his car was missing. Detectives soon who was on his way to work. The firefighter made ed and referred with the first suspect to the pub- found the car parked under a tree near the man’s an emergency call before helping the man out of lic prosecution. house. They could not find the boy inside it, his vehicle. He saw the female driver standing however. Minutes later, officers at the scene outside her car crying, thinking she was suffering Fatal crash were approached by a man who said that the a nervous breakdown after causing the accident. A man died and another was critically wound- vehicle belonged to his neighbor, and that his The man was taken to Adan Hospital in an ed after their car was involved in an accident on Salmi Highway Friday morning. Police and para- NBK marks Earth Hour medics rushed to the scene in response to an emergency call reporting that a vehicle lost bal- ance and overturned. The Saudi driver was pro- NBK turns off lights nounced dead at the scene, while his companion was rushed to Jahra Hospital and admitted in the intensive care unit in a critical condition. Criminal to mark Earth Hour investigators transported the body to the forensic department after examining the scene. KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Investigations went underway to determine the will turn off its lights tomorrow to mark circumstances behind the case. Earth Hour. Earth Hour is a global event designed to raise consciousness on the Attempted murder importance of environmental protection Fintas police are looking to summon an area and energy efficiency and the need to man for questioning in attempted murder take action on global warming. charges pressed by his ex-wife. The Kuwaiti NBK will support the awareness cam- woman told local police that her ex-husband paign by switching off all non-essential tried to run her over outside a co-operative socie- lighting at its head office around Kuwait ty branch in the area. She said that the Kuwaiti for a period of one hour between 8:30 pm man saw her by coincidence after she had just fin- to 9:30 pm. ished shopping. A case was filed for investiga- “NBK was the first bank in Kuwait to KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a pickup vehicle behind the vegetable market in Kabed, said secu- tions. promote an environment awareness pro- rity sources noting that Kabed firemen rushed to the scene and managed to control the fire to gram that included conservation and pro- find out afterwards that the vehicle had been reported stolen. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun Two deaths tection of our environment. We are glad A middle-aged man was found dead in to participate as a way to raise awareness neighbor’s son is safe inside his house and play- ambulance and was soon discharged after he got Khaitan for reasons that remain under investiga- about the importance of conservation Abdul Mohsen Al-Rushaid ing with his kids. his minor injuries treated. He and the female tions. Police and paramedics headed to an apart- and the damage caused by global warm- The man explained to police that he became driver were taken to Riqqa police station where a ment in the area in response to an emergency call ing,” said Abdul Mohsen Al-Rushaid, NBK mental protection in Kuwait including angry when he came out of his house and found case was filed. It was revealed that the two are made at 7:00 am on Friday. The 49-year-old Indian Public Relations Manager. beach clean ups, water and electricity that his neighbor had left his toddler alone in romantically involved, and had a dispute during man was pronounced dead in his bedroom NBK supports a variety of activities and conservation awareness campaigns, the car with the engine running. At that point, a private meeting before the incident took place. before criminal investigators were called. The initiatives to encourage greater aware- under the ‘Think Twice’ program and he decided to take the car and make his neigh- The girl drove behind the man after he left her, body was in rigor mortis which suggest that the ness of energy conservation and environ- paper recycling. bor believe that his son was kidnapped so that and hit his car accidently during the chase. The man died hours before his death was discovered. he can be taught a lesson. Police escorted the man did not press charges, and instead decided The body was taken for an autopsy to determine Kuwaiti delegation visits Morocco man to the police station with his neighbor’s to keep his relationship after saying that the inci- the cause and time of death. son. They called his neighbor who came over, dent made him understand how much the girl In another incident, a man died from a cardiac TETOUAN, Morocco: A delegation of Kuwait’s indicating that the private sector is allowed to took his son and decided against pressing loved him and did not wish to break up with her. arrest he suffered while having dinner inside a Municipality, headed by Nayif Badr Al-Sour, has have a stake in some public enterprises. charges after seemingly learning his lesson. restaurant on Gulf Road Thursday night. An visited headquarters of municipal authority in Tetouan is one of Morocco’s top tourist cities Police filed cases of police annoyance and filing Rapists caught ambulance arrived at the scene in response to an Tetouan. with diverse panoramic sightings, However, it a false report against the two men, nevertheless, Andalus detectives arrested three men who emergency call made at 10:30 pm. Paramedics Ahmad Abu Khabza, the head of ‘Al-Jamaa Al- lacks entertainment cities, thus investors have an and referred them for further questioning. kidnapped a man in Riggae and raped him in the performed CPR in a bid to revive the 42-year-old Hadariyah’ in the city, said in a statement during opportunity to launch business in this particular Jahra desert. The Filipino man had told local Egyptian man’s pulse, but their attempts failed. the offices’ tour that the authority supervisies sector, he added. Road accident police that the suspects lured him to their car They pronounced the man dead from circulatory municipal affairs, utilities and other public servic- The local municipal authorities maintain the A man was involved in an accident after his car after he walked out of a restaurant after work. collapse before calling criminal investigators. The es in the city. city historic heritage. Its ancient fortress of seven was hit by his girlfriend who was chasing him They drove to a remote location in Jahra, raped body was taken to the forensic department and a The head of the diwan, Mohammad Al-Khlouf, gates had been built to protect it against after he told her that he wanted to end their rela- him at gunpoint and then dropped him off near case was filed. said all municipal services are available in the city, invaders. —KUNA Society examines Kuwait’s key environmental sites KUWAIT: A team of Kuwaiti Environment is little attention paid to them, they desert,” as she put it, referring to abun- Protection Society is examining key envi- could be classified as tourist sites, said dant natural and wildlife potentials that ronmental sites to study wild, animal and the department director, Jenan exist in it. botanic wealth as well as geological and Bahzad, in a statement yesterday. Bahzad said this lush reserve, with topographic nature of these locations. Jal Al-Zor is one of the potentially beaches stretching for 16 kms, has The continuing field examination of most important tourist locations in turned into an ideal habitat for settled these locations by a team from the Kuwait, with a location 150 meters or migrating birds as well as various society programs’ department has above sea level. It is a lucrative place for species of animals, namely deer and shown that some wildlife spots in the scientists and photographers. Sheikh foxen. It also hosts diverse trees, shrubs country are rich in living creatures, as Sabah Al-Ahmad Reserve is a distinctive and plants. Other features of the reserve compared to such places in other feature of the region. The fenced 320- is the 25-m-deep Umm Al-Rumum regional countries, and although there sq-km reserve “contains treasures of the Wadi. —KUNA Kuwait supports UN resolution on accountability for Syrian violations

GENEVA: Kuwait voted on Friday in favor of a UN Human Rights promptly allow, and all other parties to the conflict not hinder, rap- Council resolution stressing the need to ensure that all those id, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for United Nations responsible for violations of international humanitarian law or humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, includ- abuses of human rights in Syria to be held accountable. ing across conflict lines and across borders, in order to ensure that Kuwait supported this resolution through its membership of humanitarian assistance reaches people in need through the most the UN Human Rights Council during the discussions and the direct routes. preparation of this resolution. Another 31 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 11 Financial support abstained and four rejected, namely Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and The resolution urges the international community, including all Ghana. donors, to provide urgent financial support to enable the host The resolution reaffirms that, in the context of an inclusive and countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian credible dialogue, the Syrian people should determine the process refugees, while emphasizing the principle of burden-sharing. and mechanisms to achieve justice, reconciliation, truth and The resolution welcomes the report of the commission of accountability for gross violations and abuses of international law, inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and decides to extend the as well as preparations and effective remedies for victims, taking mandate of the commission of inquiry through to the 28th session into account the relevance of referrals to the appropriate interna- of the Human Rights Council, and requests the commission to tional criminal justice mechanism under appropriate circum- present a written report on the situation of human rights in the stances. Syrian Arab Republic during an interactive dialogue at the twenty- The resolution demands that the Syrian authorities meet their seventh and the 28 sessions of the Council and to provide an oral responsibility to protect the Syrian population. update to the Council during an interactive dialogue at the 26th At the same time, the resolution strongly condemns the use of session. chemical weapons and all indiscriminate methods of warfare in It demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the the Syrian Arab Republic, which is prohibited under international commission of inquiry, including by granting it immediate, full and law, amounts to a serious crime and has a devastating impact on unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic. civilians, and in this regard calls upon the Syrian authorities to At the same time the resolution calls upon all groups in the accelerate the complete and irreversible destruction of their chem- Syrian Arab Republic to refrain from retaliation and violence, ical weapons programme and the removal of its chemical including sexual violence and torture, and urges all parties to the weapons in accordance with their obligations under the conflict to prevent violations of international humanitarian law Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and human rights violations and abuses. Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons. It strongly condemns the continued gross, systematic and widespread violations of human rights and all violations of interna- Negotiated solution tional humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities and affiliated The resolution expresses its support for the efforts of the Joint militias, including those involving aerial bombardment of civilian Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of areas, in particular the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs, ballistic Arab States to find a negotiated political solution to the Syrian cri- missiles and cluster bombs, and other actions that may amount to sis, and urges those countries with influence over the Syrian par- war crimes or crimes against humanity. ties to take all measures to encourage the parties to negotiate con- The resolution expresses grave concern at the spread of structively and on the basis of the call made in the Geneva com- extremism and extremist groups, and strongly condemns all munique for the formation of a transitional governing body. human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian The resolution strongly condemns the intentional denial of law in the Syrian Arab Republic. humanitarian assistance to civilians, from whatever quarter, noting It strongly condemns all violations and abuses committed especially the responsibilities of the Government of the Syrian against children, and urges all parties to comply with their obliga- Arab Republic in this regard, and deplores the deteriorating tions under international law and demands that all parties demili- humanitarian situation. tarize medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities, avoid The resolution also strongly condemns the use by the Syrian establishing military positions in populated areas and desist from authorities of starvation of civilians as a method of combat, and attacks directed against civilian objects. further condemns the besiegement of civilians. The resolution strongly condemns all violence against persons Further strongly condemns all acts of violence directed against belonging to religious or ethnic groups, and calls upon all parties humanitarian actors, and demands that the Syrian authorities to fully respect international law.—KUNA SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Mudslide death toll World Trade Center stunts trigger security concerns mounts; 90 missing

Page 8 Page 9 Saudi women renew push for right to drive Obama urged to use female agent as driver in Saudi DUBAI: In the six months since Saudi wheel or not,” she wrote. activists renewed calls to defy the king- Activists say allowing women to drive dom’s ban on female drivers, small numbers will have a domino effect for civil rights in of women have gotten behind the wheel Saudi Arabia, where a strict interpretation of almost daily in what has become the coun- Islam known as Wahhabism is effectively try’s longest such campaign. Organizers are the law of the land. Women must get per- calling on more women to join in on mission from a male relative - usually a hus- Saturday, when President Barack Obama band or father, but lacking those, a brother visits Riyadh. The activists say their long- or son - to travel, get married, enroll in high- term goal is not just to win Saudi females er education or undergo certain surgical the freedom to drive, but to clear a path for procedures. “And this is what scares people: broader democratic reforms. That women will be out of the total control This week, 70 members of the US of men,” Al-Sada said. Though there is no Congress signed a bipartisan letter to law on the books that explicitly bars women Obama urging him to raise critical human from driving, the Interior Ministry, which rights cases in Saudi Arabia and meet with oversees the traffic police in Saudi Arabia, female activists. So far the White House only will not issue driver’s licenses to women. So announced plans for Obama to meet King far, the ministry has warned that violators Abdullah and US Embassy staff. Amnesty will be dealt with firmly. Police have also pri- International urged the president to go vately told the campaigners not to speak to even further and select a female Secret the media, warned them not to drive and Service agent as his driver while in Saudi followed some around for days. Arabia - a move that is highly unlikely, since Women caught driving have been Obama is coming to the kingdom for the forced to sign pledges not to do it again. If first time since 2009 to repair strained rela- they are caught again, they are pressured tions between the US and its Arab ally. to sign another pledge. A male relative is Since Oct 26, the first day of the renewed called to pick them up from a police sta- campaign, more than 100 women have got- tion or on the side of the road. The men are ten behind the wheel, said Eman Al-Nafjan, then made to sign pledges they will not let an organizer. So far, the government the women drive. In one case, a woman’s appears unwilling to launch a crackdown. car was confiscated and has not been While it is still uncommon to see women returned to her since January. In another, driving in Saudi Arabia, they have been writer and schoolteacher Tariq al-Mubarak RIYADH: Aziza Yousef drives a car yesterday as part of a campaign to defy Saudi Arabiaís ban on women driving. — AP sending videos and photos of themselves was detained for several days and interro- behind the wheel to the campaign’s organ- gated when police found out that the izers, who then upload the footage to mobile phone number used by organizers YouTube almost daily. “It’s very hard to was registered under his name. strategize in a place where political activism Still, the government response is more has no history,” Al-Nafjan said. “So our strat- muted than in the past. During the first egy is to keep marching on and to see if major protest, in 1990, around 50 women people join or not.” drove. They were jailed for a day, had their Naseema Al-Sada has driven in the east- passports confiscated and lost their jobs. ern region of Qatif. She said public attitudes Their male relatives were also barred from have changed in the past six months, as evi- traveling for six months. Then in June denced by the way the campaign is openly 2011, about 40 women got behind the talked about in the Saudi media. “Women’s wheel in a protest sparked when a woman rights are no longer a taboo subject,” she was arrested after posting a video of her- said. In an opinion piece this week pub- self driving. One woman was later arrested lished by the Saudi-based Arab News web- and sentenced to 10 lashes. The king over- site, columnist Sabria Jawhar wrote that turned the sentence. Madeha Al-Ajroush, Saudi society either accepts or is indifferent who was part of the first driving campaign to women getting behind the wheel now. “If more than two decades ago, said she Oct 26 has taught us anything, the driving wants Obama to address human rights ban is a government position. I have said while in Saudi Arabia. “We’re not oil; we’re many times in this column that I and most also people,” Al-Ajroush said. “The humani- of the women I know want the right to ty of Saudi Arabia needs to be looked at drive whether we actually get behind the seriously.”— AP Disquiet over Erdogan’s pharaonic megaprojects

ISTANBUL: Osman Erkov’s farm sits pretty in a pharaonic visions “crazy projects”. seaside village near Istanbul, but soon it will Environmentalists are alarmed about the make way for one of Turkey’s many new building boom, which also includes a new megaprojects, billed the “world’s biggest air- highway that will link the new airport to a third port”. “Look how beautiful it is, this landscape,” bridge over the Bosphorus. said the dairy farmer, looking across the Black The plan will destroy more than 7,500 Sea village of Yenikoy on the rural fringes of hectares of forest. “Here you have Istanbul’s the sprawling megacity of over 15 million peo- last forest area and the water catchment area ple. “Well, all that will disappear,” he said, gaz- that supplies the city,” said Hakan Ganimgil of ing at the future site of Istanbul’s third airport, the Association for the Defense of the one of many grand projects of Prime Minister Northern Forest, who dubbed the plan an Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was once the city’s “environmental disaster”. Cultural heritage mayor. experts warn the highway will cut through Erkov has worried about the future since eight archaeological sites, a frequent concern surveyors showed up to map the wooded in the former Constantinople, seat of the landscape which bulldozers are set to clear to Byzantine and then Ottoman empires. The build new runways and terminals within four government camp stands by the ambitious years. “Here everyone lives off raising livestock,” infrastructure drive. “We must pay attention to he said. “What do we do now?” Fellow farmer the environment, but we can’t stand idly by Arif Akdemir said the state offered him com- with our arms crossed,” said Cemal Demir, head pensation of 50 lira ($23/17 euros) per square of a think tank close to the AKP. “These proj- meter, which he claims was a tenth of the mar- ects will help create new jobs and give confi- ket value. “They told us ‘take this money and dence to our people.” start a new life somewhere else’. But what kind of life can you have with such a sum?” On ‘Delusions of grandeur’ Sunday, voters like Erkov and Akdemir will go It was plans for another new development- to the polls in local elections that are seen as a razing the city’s small green space of Gezi park crucial popularity test for Erdogan and the for an Ottoman-style museum and shopping building boom under his rule that has complex-that last June sparked unprecedent- changed the face of the city. ed protests against Erdogan. The local polls on Sunday will be the AKP’s first ballot box test ‘Airport, tunnels, bridges’ since that unrest, and since a major corruption Since Erdogan took power 11 years ago, he scandal broke in December, implicating has driven rapid economic growth and boost- Erdogan and his political and business allies. ed Turkey’s image as a regional player, a record The tales of sleaze-based on leaked audio now tinged by street protests against him and recordings that have spread on social media- a festering corruption scandal. Whatever his paint a murky picture of official bribes and legacy will be, he has already left his mark on backhanders, some for re-zoning of public the skyline of Turkey’s cultural and commercial lands. centre. Under the rule of Erdogan’s Islamic- In many of the biggest projects, said urban rooted Justice and Development Party, there planner Tuta Inal Cekic, “the common feature is has been a frenzy of construction in Istanbul, government expropriation of public land for with new skyscrapers, highways and residen- privatization in juicy real estate deals”. Jean- tial towers shooting out of the ground. Francois Perouse, of the French Institute of To millions of Turks the modernization has Anatolian Studies, argued many of the projects been a source of national pride. A new train are unnecessary as Istanbul’s urban growth tunnel opened in October under the has slowed. “This development model reveals Bosphorus strait that divides the city’s delusions of grandeur that are hardly justifi- European and Asian sides, and work has start- able in the era of sustainable cities,” he said. ed on a second tunnel for road traffic. Other, The government says all criticism and graft far bolder plans include a “second Bosphorus”, probes are part of a foreign plot to stop the a 40-kilometre canal that would cut through construction of Istanbul’s giant future airport. Istanbul’s European side to divert shipping, Erdogan has regularly told crowds at cam- with new million-strong cities planned on its paign events that “they want to stop us from banks. Some critics have dubbed such building a new Turkey”. — AFP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 INTERNATIONAL Loyalty to Erdogan lies deep in Turkey’s pious heartlands Residents point to development, see scandal as plot KONYA: If Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (teacher) Fethullah is doing,” she said at with strong business nous who for is fighting the toughest battle of his an AK Party rally on Friday. “A flock of decades felt sidelined in a state run by political career as corruption allegations swines that stormed our spiritual gar- secular elites and their chaotic coalition swirl and elections approach, Turkey’s dens,” read one banner, referring to governments - feels their hour has come. conservative Anatolian heartlands Gulen and his followers. Tens of thou- “We have hospitals at our doors, doctors, appear to have his back. Here, far from sands turned out for the rally, turning picnic places, the fast train to Ankara,” dividing his pious core supporters, the Konya into a sea of AK Party flags and said Leyla Eroglu, a 54-year-old mother graft scandal and bitter power struggle colorful Muslim headscarves. Some of six, a huge banner of Erdogan’s face with a US-based cleric have served only wore masks of Erdogan’s face, while old tied around her body. “Turkey before to stir more devotion to a man they see men scaled trees for a sight of their hero, was horrible, constant fighting between as Turkey’s greatest modern leader, only to be bitterly disappointed when he right and left, we couldn’t live easily. delivering hospitals and schools and cancelled after orders to rest his voice. Erdogan is our second Ataturk,” she said, breaking the grip of secular elites over referring to the modern republic’s the past decade. Golden years revered founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, The run-up to pivotal local elections The AK Party’s billboards praise their almost a century ago. today has been overshadowed by a cor- “ten golden years” in charge of Konya ruption affair that has seen almost daily municipality, and opposition parties Divided youth recordings published anonymously on barely bother to campaign here. A wave of protests last summer in social media claiming to show illicit deal- Thursday brought the release of a major cities against Erdogan’s domineer- ings by Erdogan’s inner circle. One senior recording of top security officials dis- ing leadership style highlighted tension in Turkish society between a largely sec- ular segment of the middle classes, mostly in Istanbul or on the tourist-ori- entated coastline, and religious conser- vatives such as those in Konya. The blocking of Twitter and YouTube in recent days were seen as further evi- dence of Erdogan’s authoritarian instincts, particular among a tech-savvy younger generation. But not all of Turkey’s youth are criti- cal. “When I go to vote I will think about everything they have given me,” said 21- BAGHDAD: An Iraqi national flag flutters as followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr crowd a street during open year-old Cihat Ozer, in Konya’s gleaming air prayers in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq. — AP and spacious municipality student cen- tre opened in 2009, the year of the last local election. Back then the centre had just one university to cater for, providing Parties jump the gun on free extra-curricular courses and laundry services, as well as a soup kitchen and 24-hour study rooms. Four more univer- Iraqi election campaign sities have since opened in the rapidly KONYA: Supporters of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) wave flags growing city. New wooden gazebos dot BAGHDAD: Despite the disarray house, who only gave his nickname maker. In Iraq, election hopefuls typi- during a campaign meeting in the Beysehir district of Konya province in velvety lawns along the main avenues. caused by the sudden mass resigna- Abu Mohammed, for fear of losing cally appeal to voters’ ethnic, sectarian central Turkey. — AFP Historic mosques have been restored, tion of election chiefs ahead of next other prospective clients. and tribal background, rather than electricity is generated from waste, a month’s polls, candidates for seats in Abu Mohammed’s shop, which lies campaign on specific policies. official called the crisis “one of the cussing possible military action in Syria. new football stadium is being construct- the Iraqi parliament are pressing near Mutanabi street in the capital’s biggest in Turkish history” and the gov- Among those bugged was Foreign ed, and an already impressive airport is ahead with unofficial campaigning. historic centre, was packed to the Blocs walk thin line ernment has responded by blocking Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, member of being revamped and expanded. Keeping the printing houses whirring, rafters with campaign posters and Maliki’s State of Law has put up Twitter and YouTube, drawing public parliament for Konya. He received a rap- Ozer acknowledged fellow students they have been putting up posters election paraphernalia. Each candi- posters of its own, which do not refer anger and international condemnation. turous welcome when he took to the sometimes grumbled about Erdogan’s and distributing leaflets. But wary of date has spent around $1,000 on cam- directly to the polls but rather show But in Konya, a conservative city that stage to speak in Erdogan’s place. “Are more reactionary policies, although he breaking the rules, their early propa- paign materials, and more election scenes such as a young girl holding an gave Erdogan’s AK Party 70 percent of you ready to give our prime minister an defended the block on Twitter as the ganda only obliquely refers to the hopefuls are coming in, the shopown- Iraqi flag or an elderly woman kissing the vote in a 2011 general election, even bigger share of the vote this time premier battles the graft scandal. The polls, scheduled for April 30, or skirts er said. He said customers included a soldier on his helmet. “It is really just many see the scandal as the prime min- Konya?” he asked to cheers. In this city, 30-year-old head of the AK Party youth election regulations by praising the would-be lawmakers from major blocs to hold the space on the billboards for ister does: part of a “dirty plot” to unseat where shopping centres, smart residen- wing, Ahmet Izi, pointed to a large security forces alongside party including Maliki’s State of Law our posters,” said Samira Al-Mussawi, a him by ruthless and immoral political tial blocks and industrial parks have framed photo portrait of Erdogan insignia. Iraq’s Independent High Alliance and the Ahrar list which was State of Law MP, referring to the bloc’s enemies. developed around the tomb of Rumi, a hanging in his office, showing a youth- Electoral Commission (IHEC) has taken until recently linked to powerful Shiite posters. “Even billboard places are “Nothing but lies,” said 19-year-old revered 13th-century poet and Sufi mys- ful looking prime minister at the time little action to curb such practices. cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr. “Most of them being divided up for the election.” The Konya student Hatice Kubra, following tic who inspired the forming of Turkey’s he took office in 2002. “Look at him Much is at stake as Prime Minister have already started to distribute their efforts highlight the fine line many the party line that US-based cleric iconic whirling dervishes, there is a treas- now. He has become an old man. That Nuri Al-Maliki bids for a third term at a electoral publicity material,” he said. blocs are attempting to walk, before Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally ured sense of well-being, prosperity and is from working and working for this time that violence has surged to its Officially, IHEC says campaigning official campaigning kicks off. In the whose followers say they number in the upward mobility - ascribed to Erdogan’s country,” he said, a message that highest level since Iraq emerged from can only take place from April 1 to April end, economics may have more of a millions, was responsible. “Allah sees vision and management. seemed to resonate with the support- a brutal Sunni-Shiite sectarian war 28. But it has not imposed penalties, greater role than the election commis- everything. Allah knows what Hoca A population of observant Muslims ers as Friday’s rally. —Reuters and as the country looks to ramp up instead resorting to calls for posters to sion in restricting the printing of pub- oil production. But the mass resigna- be taken down. Those warnings have licity material. Several printing houses, tion of IHEC’s board on Tuesday has done little to stop blocs from pushing including the one owned by Abu sparked worries that the polls could the envelope. The Citizens Bloc-former- Mohammed, have been chastened by have to be delayed, though all major ly the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Iraq’s provincial elections held a year parties insist the vote must be held on which is seen as close to Iran-has plas- ago. They had printed posters and time. Despite the confusion, however, tered massive billboards across leaflets for candidates who promised candidates have not taken their foot Baghdad with the catchphrase: to pay after the polls but later off the pedal. “We have printed “Citizens Want...?” Individual candi- declined because their campaigns posters and campaign leaflets for dates, meanwhile, have put up their were unsuccessful. “This time,” he said, around 15 candidates” so far, said the own banners on which tribes praise “we are refusing any delayed pay- owner of the Abu Haidar printing one of their own as a would-be law- ments.”—AFP Crunch test for World Trade Center stunts trigger Turkey’s Kurds in security concerns local elections NEW YORK: A team of daredevil parachutists and a lone teenager have triggered fears about lax security at New DIYARBAKIR: Turkey’s Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dogged York’s rebuilt World Trade Center, an emblem of the city’s by a graft scandal and street protests, faces another headache resilience and renewal after the horrors of 9/11. Within as today’s local elections near-rising discontent among the the space of a fortnight, revelations of repeated security Kurdish minority. One year since the banned Kurdistan breaches at what should be one of the most tightly Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a historic ceasefire, frustration is guarded buildings in the United States have been met growing about the slow pace of reforms among Kurds who with incredulity by locals. The first breach took place at make up one fifth of Turkey’s population. The peace process night on September 30 last year, when three base- has stalled since September after the PKK accused the jumpers-one of whom worked on the site-accessed the Erdogan government of failing to deliver on its promises, and tower before leaping off and descending to the streets of militant voices have made clear patience is running out. In the Manhattan. Kurds’ symbolic capital, the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, The second case, on March 16, saw a 16-year-old the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) is cam- enthusiast slip through a fence and take an elevator to paigning to strengthen its hold on the region in mayoral elec- the 84th floor of the highly symbolic building. He then tions today. made his way up to the 104th floor, sneaking past a In the ancient city on the Tigris, Kurdish music blares from sleeping guard, before using a ladder to reach the spire at loudspeaker vans, and walls are covered with posters of veter- the top of the 541-meter construction. The guard caught an PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who remains behind bars on a napping was subsequently fired. The teenager was arrest- prison island off Istanbul. “The government has not been able ed and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. In to demonstrate a democratic spirit in the run-up to the elec- the base-jumping case, four men-the three parachutists tions,” said the BDP’s mayoral candidate Gultan Kisanak as and a lookout were arrested and charged this week fol- dancers performed for the Kurdish New Year, Newroz. lowing a five-and-a-half month investigation. “Democracy starts at the local level,” she said. “I dream of a A video of the base-jumpers’ daring nighttime descent country where regional autonomy is established to serve the appeared online this week, quickly racking up more than needs of the locals. If we emerge stronger, we don’t have to a million views. One of the men arrested, 33-year-old wait for the government to have our share of power.” Andrew Rossig, said breaching security at the site had required “no effort whatsoever.” “We just kind of walked ‘Father state behind us’ in. It’s supposed to be the most secure building in the Among the Kurds’ key demands are constitutional changes world,” he said. “God forbid it was somebody else getting to enshrine their basic civil rights, Kurdish-language educa- in there with a real intention to harm New Yorkers.” tion in public schools and a degree of regional autonomy with a parliament based in Diyarbakir. Ironically, the city polls will No immunity for daredevils pit the Kurdish-grassroots BDP against the party that has been New York Police Commissioner William Bratton decried its main partner for peace, Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice the stunt, however. “These men violated the law and and Development Party (AKP). Both sides have sought to gain placed themselves, as well as others, in danger,” he said as credit for ending the armed conflict which cost more than he announced the arrests. “Being a thrill-seeker does not 40,000 lives over three decades. give immunity from the law.” Security for One World Trade The thaw started in late 2012, when Turkey’s spy agency Center, which will become the tallest building in the started talks with Ocalan. In March last year he announced the United States when it opens in 2015, is now shared ceasefire in a letter from Imrali Island where he has been serv- between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ing a life sentence for treason since 1999. Erdogan’s govern- and the Durst Organization real estate company, which ment has since allowed Kurdish-language education in private manages and leases the site, Durst communications chief schools and scrapped a ban on the use of the letters Q, W and Jordan Barowitz said. When the base-jumpers pulled off X, which are used in Kurdish spelling but not in Turkish. their stunt, the Port Authority was solely in charge of Election campaigns can now be held in Kurdish, and tensions security, he emphasized. “We are in charge of the security have generally eased. For the first time in years, people here inside the site since January. Outside, it’s Port Authority,” will go to the ballot box in a violence-free environment. Barowitz said. “We are very concerned and we are work- “A few years ago you would have been jailed for wearing ing with the Port Authority to improve the security of the this,” said jewelry shop assistant Baki Icoz, sporting a jersey site,” he added. He did not reveal the number of person- that read “Kurdistan”. “The ‘father state’ is now behind us,” he nel deployed to guard the tower, which has already said. Not everyone is so sure. Local hospital orderly Ruken leased 55 percent of its office space ahead of the open- Kaplan, 30, said “I’m glad that no-one is dying anymore. But ing. Port Authority spokesman Joseph Dunne said offi- what if the AKP gives up for some reason or falls from power? cials were continuing to “reassess” security practices at At the end of the day, it will be a Kurdish party that will pro- the site and were looking at ways of ensuring it was “as tect my rights.” — AFP secure as possible.” —AFP INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Carlos Slim, TV rivals slam Mexico’s Mudslide death toll telecom reform MEXICO CITY: The telephone empire of billionaire Carlos mounts; 90 missing Slim and Mexico’s dominant broadcaster never see eye to eye, but they now have a common enemy: the govern- ment’s telecommunications reform plan. President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration introduced in the Senate this Anguished relatives turn to the Internet week legislation to implement the constitutional reform that passed in the Congress last year. The telecommunications ARLINGTON: The death toll from a mudslide that has overhaul is a major piece of Pena Nieto’s structural reform agenda, which includes historic changes in the energy sec- left 90 people missing in Washington state appeared tor, tax collection and education. But Televisa and Slim’s certain to climb nearly a week after the disaster, as America Movil have each found something to complain anguished relatives turned to the Internet and word of about, while opposition parties accuse the government of mouth for scarce scraps of new information. At least 26 watering down the legislation’s goal of opening up the sec- people were killed when a rain-soaked hillside col- tor to more competition. Televisa has a 70 percent share of lapsed without warning last Saturday, unleashing a tow- the broadcast market, while Slim’s Telmex controls 80 per- ering wall of mud that flattened dozens of homes in a cent of the fixed-line phone service and his Telcel company river valley near the rural town of Oso, about 55 miles has 70 percent of the mobile phone industry. northeast of Seattle. While fire officials directing search Deputy Communications Minister Jose Ignacio Peralta operations at the disaster site have spoken of making defended the government’s proposal on Friday. “What has slow but steady progress in recovering remains of vic- changed in relation to the constitutional reform? Absolutely tims buried in the slide, the tally of the dead has nothing,” he told reporters. “The fundamental goals remain changed little in recent days, even as the number of firm.” America Movil, Latin America’s largest telephone com- those listed as missing has held steady. pany, published a full-page newspaper advertisement on Friday calling the bill a “confiscatory proposal” because it The lag appears related to a methodical protocol would require the firm to give away connection service to being followed by Snohomish County emergency man- rivals for free. The reform would in theory help Slim fulfill his agement officials and medical examiners. County long-held desire to break into the television business, but authorities say coroners have so far examined and iden- America Movil charged that the legislation would “protect tified the remains of just 17 people, including an infant the main economic player in broadcasting.” whose body was retrieved on Thursday, and they are the only ones counted so far in the official death toll. Threat of legal action Remains of nine more individuals were previously For its part, Televisa issued a statement saying the legisla- reported to have been located in the square-mile heap tion contains “disproportionate” rules and warned that it of mud-caked debris and muck, but as of Friday they could take legal action to block them. The reform created a had been excluded from the formal tally of lives lost. new market regulator, the Federal Telecommunications County officials have insisted on revising that list Institute (IFT), which already imposed restrictions on only as each set of remains goes through the painstak- American Movil and Televisa for controlling more than 50 ing process of being examined and identified by coro- percent of their sectors. The watchdog ordered the firms to make their infrastructure available to competitors via public ners, leaving the public mostly in the dark about the offerings and barred them from acquiring exclusive broad- retrieval of more bodies. The process has likely also cast rights for high-ratings events such as the Olympics and been slowed by the condition of some of the remains, the World Cup. But the opposition says the government’s which according to rescue workers are not always being proposal would undermine the institute by placing many of found intact. News of additional remains being located its regulatory powers in the hands of the ministries of the and recovered has been trickling out to family members interior, finance and communications. The conservative of the missing and dead through word-of-mouth and WASHINGTON: A car sits in ruins in the aftermath of a mudslide and related flooding in Oso, Washington. — AFP National Action Party (PAN) and the leftist Democratic other channels, however, thanks to community mem- Revolution Party (PRD) have called the legislation “inadmissi- bers working side-by-side with rescue teams in the Friday was working against the round-the-clock search he lives. Turned away from helping at the pile, he has ble,” saying the centrist government’s proposal serves “politi- search for more victims. efforts. A flash flood alert was posted for the county, instead helped out in the community kitchen that has cal purposes.” —AFP extending through the next three days. With hopes for been feeding a few hundred people each night before Churches, fire stations finding any additional survivors continuing to fade the town hall meeting. Area churches and fire stations are also go-to venues while uncertainty over the fate of dozens more lingers Meanwhile, residents like 45-year-old Larry Dwyer for members of the community seeking updates, said on, the mood among the community has grown grim- who escaped the slide marveled at their luck. “We were Gail Moffett of Oso, who lives 2 miles from the disaster mer. driving on that exact stretch two weeks ago. We were site and works at a hardware store in nearby Arlington. “This is going to get harder and harder,” said Dan right there,” Dwyer said as he watched his three sons “I go home and talk to the source, because it’s family,” Rankin, mayor of nearby Darrington, as he choked back wave signs ushering motorists toward a food drive at an she said of the community network, including locally tears at a town hall meeting attended by hundreds of Arlington market on a rainy Thursday evening. “That’s based rescue workers, she has tapped into for informa- people on Thursday evening. “We need each other why we’re out here right now. It’s a karma thing. When tion. more and more.” Bernie Tamez, 39, said he was comfort- it’s not you, you give.” Authorities were investigating the “They are all out there on the mudslide every day, able that officials were dealing with the community cause of the mudslide. The Washington State going back and going back and going back, day after forthrightly, despite the dearth of tangible information. Department of Natural Resources said it would review day after day, to make a difference and to help our peo- “They’re keeping us informed,” said Tamez, a machinist recent forestry activities in the area to determine ple. And they just keep doing it and they come in at who took the week off to volunteer in Darrington where whether they might have been a factor. — Reuters night and their butts dragging, covered in mud, and their faces are not the faces I knew last week,” she said. Authorities have also in some cases allowed victims’ rel- atives onto the disaster site as the remains of loved ones are recovered, and a moment of silence is observed, as occurred when the body of the infant was extricated on Thursday. In one tragic case, a volunteer member of the search team, Dayn Brunner, pulled the body of his own sister 36-year-old Summer Raffo, from the mud pile on Wednesday. She was driving through the area when the slide buried her in her car. Brunner, 42, took a day off to grieve and rest, then returned to the debris field on Friday to resume the search for more victims. An esti- mated 180 people lived in the path of the landslide. Now, nearly a week after the disaster, fears have grown that the final death toll could approach the 90 people still listed as miss- ing or unaccounted for - a figure authorities arrived at on Wednesday after winnowing a much larger list by about half. Authorities have said that some of those killed might never be found, and on Thursday braced the public for news - still yet to come - that the number of dead would increase substantially in the next 24 to 48 hours. Authorities have so far publicly identified five dead, while withholding the names of others list- ed as dead or missing. But about 40 people have been identified on a local blog site as poten- tial landslide victims, including several mem- bers of one family. All of those discovered alive in the mud were rescued by helicopter within the first few hours after the land- slide, and rescuers have found no further signs of life, officials said.

Difficult phase Volunteer Bob Michajla, 66, taking a break from work comb- ing through debris and clearing a stretch of road in the disaster zone, said the search was entering a more difficult phase. “They found the easy bodies in the first few days. The rest of them are probably buried. That’s what I was told,” said Michajla, his face and fin- gers caked in mud. Local fire district chief Travis Hots said rain and wind sweeping the area on INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

20 years after, Rwanda genocide flame stirs memories

NYARUBUYE: Rows of human skulls sit in glass cases ulation doesn’t want them to repeat it. As near the red brick Catholic church here. Some are Nkuzumuwami spoke, 12-year-old Nikeyimana Obadia cracked in half; holes are punched in others. Hundreds lingered nearby, eager to interact with visitors. The of arm and leg bones lie nearby. To the left is a table of curious boy is growing up in a land of stick and mud tools: rusty shovels, hoes, pipes, and a machete - the homes, where children eat cassava and beans and are weapons of genocide. Down the hill 10 miles, thou- tasked with filling plastic jugs at the community sands of Rwandans gathered under spittles of rain to watering hole. His family speaks of the genocide at watch the arrival of a small flame, symbolic fire travel- times. He knows his grandfather died in it. ing the country as Rwanda prepares to mark 20 years “This is very bad. I hope everyone doesn’t do this since ethnic Hutu extremists killed neighbors, friends because it’s easy to destroy life,” he said in a student’s and family during a three-month rampage of violence English. At the Kwibuka 20 ceremony - a Rwandan aimed at ethnic Tutsis and some moderate Hutus. word meaning remember - thousands of eyes gazed Rwanda puts the death toll at 1,000,050. Rwandan upward to watch a slickly-produced film showing the Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, speaking at a lesser scenes of genocide horror. A voice in English memorial event in London this week, called the geno- says the killing spree was a planned political campaign cide “the most brutally efficient killing spree in human that came from an ideology called Hutu Power. Tutsis, history.” At the flame ceremony in nearby Kirehe on the video says, were meant to be exterminated. Thursday, Theopiste Mukanoheli told the crowd how Nsengiyomva Apollinaise, a local government offi- as an 18-year-old she watched her neighbor dig a 10- cial, says the flame ceremony that has traveled the foot hole, a grave to cram bodies in. She was inside country and will make its way to the capital, Kigali, on Nyarubuye Catholic Church when attackers threw in April 7, helps remind the country how far it has come. grenades, killing hundreds. Most of her close family NYARUBUYE: Mike Nkuzumuwami stands by the rows of human skulls and bones that form a memo- The video shows newer, happier scenes, too: econom- died there, she said. rial to those who died in the redbrick church that was the scene of a massacre during the 1994 geno- ic prosperity and the calm face of President Paul Mike Nkuzumuwami, who helps look after the cide, and which he helps to look after, in the village of Nyarubuye, eastern Rwanda. — AP Kagame. “This is something that happens every year, rebuilt red-brick church, says 35,000 people died in his the Rwandan government, which wants Rwandans to School groups visit the church, mass grave and an event to help each Rwandan personally remember hilltop community, a sea of green where tens of thou- see themselves as Rwandan, not an ethnic tribe. “After museum of death. Near the skulls and bones are tables what happened, and examine the causes,” said sands of banana trees grow. He notes that one posi- the killings no one has called me a Tutsi, and those of dusty brown clothes, sandals, slippers and shoes. Apollinaise, who said his parents and siblings died in tive change the genocide has brought about is a near Hutus involved in the genocide regret what they have The younger generation does not understand the the genocide. “And also to see the path to move for- erasure of the Hutu-Tutsi divide, a principle directive of done,” the 45-year-old said. genocide, Nkumuwami said, and Rwanda’s aging pop- ward on.”— AP

Ukraine’s Klitschko pulls out of UK joins ‘gay club’ election, backs ‘Chocolate King’ Gay couples marry for first time in Britain

KIEV: Ukraine’s presidential election effectively possible Russian incursion into Russian-speaking BRIGHTON: Gay couples across England and Wales said “I They hope their wedding will send out a message to became a two-horse race yesterday after boxer- regions of eastern Ukraine. “We need to build a new, do” yesterday as a law authorizing same-sex marriage places like Nigeria, Uganda and Russia where the idea of turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko pulled out and threw efficient and modern Ukrainian army, which will came into effect at midnight, the final stage in a long fight gay marriage is a distant dream. “There’s a lot of gay men his weight behind confectionary oligarch Petro defend the sovereignty and integrity of our country,” for equality. Following the first marriages amid a supposed and lesbians around the world who are not invited to the Poroshenko. Klitschko’s withdrawal sets up a May 25 Poroshenko said late on Friday as he announced he race to wed, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: party,” McGraith, a clothing designer, told AFP ahead of the contest between the man known as the ‘Chocolate would run for president. “Congratulations to all same-sex couples getting married big day. Same-sex couples who were married abroad are King’ and former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko. today - I wish you every possible happiness for the future.” now recognized under the new law, although not every- Poroshenko, 48, confirmed his candidacy late on Billionaire businessman The Conservative party leader also described the change where in the United Kingdom. Scotland, which has Friday. Several opinions polls already had him in the He officially submitted his candidacy to the elec- as an “important moment for our country”, and a rainbow devolved powers, is expected to introduce gay marriage lead even before he said he would run to succeed tion authorities in Kiev yesterday. The oligarch, whose flag flew above government offices in London in celebra- later this year, while the British-controlled province of ousted president Viktor Yanukovich. net worth was estimated by Forbes at $1.3 billion, is tion. While 15 countries have legalized gay marriage and Northern Ireland remains deeply divided on the issue and Poroshenko was an early and influential supporter the owner of Roshen, one of the world’s top twenty another three allow it in some areas, homosexuals remain has no plans to change the law there. — AFP of the ‘Maidan’ popular uprising that toppled confectionary firms but which has borne the brunt of persecuted in many parts of the world. Yanukovich in late February, three months after he trade sanctions from Russia since last year. He is an The Church of England, insisting weddings should take spurned a deal on closer ties with the European Union experienced politician, having held several ministerial place only between a man and a woman, secured an and plunged the country of 46 million people into tur- posts including a brief stint as economy minister exemption from the new law. In London, John Coffey, 52, moil. Speaking yesterday, Poroshenko said the politi- under Yanukovich. and Bernardo Marti, 48, exchanged vows as the clock cal forces that brought down Yanukovich must stick A prominent backer of the 2004-05 Orange struck midnight, before being pronounced “husband and together to tackle the huge economic and security Revolution against the election fraud and sleaze of husband”. They were among several couples bidding to be challenges facing Ukraine. “I’m convinced it would be Ukraine’s post-Soviet establishment, Poroshenko cam- first to take advantage of last year’s Marriage (Same Sex a betrayal of Maidan if we were not united,” he told a paigned for the role of prime minister in its wake, but Couples) Act. In Brighton on England’s south coast, Neil meeting of Klitschko’s UDAR (Punch) party, Interfax lost out to Tymoshenko, who co-led the revolution. Allard and Andrew Wale exchanged vows and rings in the news agency reported. Klitschko urged his supporters to back Poroshenko, opulent splendor of the Royal Pavilion in front of about “I’m convinced that today the volume and scale of and announced he would run instead for mayor of the 100 guests. the challenges facing the state ... demand this kind of capital. So far, no other candidate is seen mounting a Wearing velvet-collared three-piece suits with white unity.” Ukrainians will vote under the shadow of serious challenge to the two frontrunners. The parlia- flowers in their buttonholes, the smiling couple of seven Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Black Sea Crimea mentary faction Party of Regions, Ukraine’s former rul- years hugged and kissed after sealing their marriage. “We peninsula. Like Tymoshenko, who announced her can- ing party, also announced its candidate yesterday. are very happy this day has come finally. It’s very exciting,” didacy on Thursday, Poroshenko has promised to Deputies voted for Mykhailo Dobkin, a businessman said Wale, a 49-year-old theatre director. Campaigners strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces and protect its bor- and former governor of the eastern city of Kharkiv, have insisted that only the right to marry gives them full ders, which the West fears are still under threat from a who fiercely opposed the Maidan uprising. — Reuters equality with heterosexual couples. Civil partnerships have been legal since 2005 and marriage brings no new rights- the ability to adopt, for example, was introduced in 2002. “We didn’t want to get married until it was a marriage that my mum and dad could have,” said Teresa Millward, 37, who was marrying her long-term girlfriend yesterday. The gay marriage law is the final victory in a long battle stretching back to the decriminalization of homosexuality in England in 1967. Cameron backed the change despite strong opposition from members of his party and the Church of England, which has rejected the idea that clergy be allowed to bless couples in same-sex marriages. But Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans, said the Church had accepted the new law and would continue to demonstrate “the love of Christ for every human being”.

Resistance elsewhere A poll for BBC radio said 20 percent of British adults would turn down an invitation to a same-sex wedding. However, the survey also found 68 percent agreed gay marriage should be permitted, with 26 percent opposing it. Peter McGraith and David Cabreza, who have been BRIGHTON: Nikki Pettit (left) and Tanya Ward pose for together for 17 years, also married shortly after midnight in photographs after their wedding ceremony in front of friends and their two adopted sons in London. Brighton, southern England yesterday. — AFP Winds of change: Italians lose centuries-old grip on Vatican

VATICAN CITY: A quiet revolution is afoot in the Vatican. al power,” editorialist Ernesto Galli Della Loggia wrote in With many of Pope Francis’s new appointments, control Italy’s leading daily Corriere della Sera. “What seems to over the powerful city state is slipping, slowly but surely, emerge is a plan to concentrate (power) not in Rome, but from the centuries-old grip of the Italian hierarchy. Popes in his person,” he said. may come and go-and three in a row now have been non- Italian-but the inner workings of the opaque Vatican ‘Secret wantonness’ bureaucracy, the Curia, have traditionally been the Galli Della Loggia described what Francis is up against: province of Italian apparatchiks. Like Francis, his predeces- “A certain shrewdness, an ability to mediate (and) impalpa- sors John Paul II and Benedict XVI found themselves in the ble but enduring influences” but also “ferocious ambition, midst of back-stabbing and turf wars in the Catholic corruption and careerism and, sometimes, secret wanton- Church’s corridors of power, but they had little appetite for ness”. Lay people and women-traditionally underrepre- disturbing the hornet’s nest. sented in the leadership of the 1.2 billion-member Church- The world’s first Latin American pontiff however has figure increasingly in new committees. A body tasked with had no such qualms, readily appointing fresh faces from carrying out a detailed inquiry into the Vatican’s adminis- diverse countries-including lay people and women-much tration is made up of seven lay people, including a woman, to the chagrin of the old guard. Putting himself on what while the new committee on paedophilia includes five lay one commentator dubbed a “collision course with the people-four of whom are women-and just one cardinal. Curia”, the Argentine has set up several international com- Perhaps the most eye-opening appointment to that mittees. The latest, created to root out paedophilia in the panel was that of Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of sexual Catholic Church, includes only one Italian out of eight. The abuse by a chaplain and an outspoken campaigner for same is true of a body that he set up in April last year, just victims’ rights. What is more, instead of dictating the one month into his papacy, to advise him on reforming the committee’s mandate, Francis is confident that “the mem- Curia - his council of cardinals, nicknamed the G8. bers can draw on their own actual experiences to define Foreign cardinals have been awarded prestigious posts, the new organ’s remit themselves”, according to Marco from the Australian George Pell-head of the new economy Politi from Il Fatto Quotidiano. All this does not mean the ministry-to Germany’s Reinhard Marx, who leads up a pope is giving the Italians the cold shoulder: he has given council tasked with overseeing the Vatican’s economic at least two key posts-the secretary general of the bish- management. Marx is assisted by Britain’s Brian Ferme and ops’ assembly and the prefect of the congregation for the Alfred Xuereb of Malta-who doubles as the pope’s very clergy-to trusted Italian prelates. But those who longed influential private secretary. “By entrusting delicate gov- for the 77-year-old to decentralize and diversify power at ernment tasks to hierarchies that are made up mainly of the highest levels of the Holy See hope Francis will con- non-Italians who are not resident in Rome, the pope is put- tinue as he has begun, ignoring the gnashing of teeth ting himself on a collision course with the Curia’s tradition- from the ousted old guard.— AFP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 INTERNATIONAL Surge in crime near Mexico City raises alarm

CUAUTITLAN IZCALLI: While murders have dropped homicides in the first two months of the year, up from across Mexico, a burst of violence has rattled the capi- 303 in the same period last year, according to official tal’s suburbs, with criminals dumping bodies on road- figures. Kidnappings and extortion have also sides, kidnapping people in broad daylight and levy- increased. ing protection taxes. The crime surge in the State of The state government has responded by disman- Mexico, which wraps around the capital like a horse- tling 14 kidnapping gangs and deploying state police shoe, has challenged President Enrique Pena Nieto’s to highways and cities, including 1,000 officers who pledge to reduce the murders, kidnappings and man checkpoints in Cuautitlan Izcalli, just a half hour extortion plaguing his nation. drive north of Mexico City. The suburb of 600,000 The state’s governor, Eruviel Avila, has described people has recorded 38 murders since January, the the crime wave as “rare and temporary,” the violent majority appearing with execution-style bullet reaction of gangs dismantled by a police crackdown. wounds. “From January until nine days ago we had a Other officials say part of the problem may be linked constant problem of executions. Not one week to what Mexicans call the “cucaracha” effect, when passed without an execution,” Mayor Hector Karim sweeps against drug cartels in one state cause crimi- Carvallo Delfin told AFP on Monday. “It was a very dif- nals to scurry like cockroaches to neighboring regions. ficult issue; people were very afraid. This had never This has again revived fears that the gangland vio- happened to us,” he said, blaming the problem on the lence seen elsewhere could infect Mexico City, which infamous “cucaracha” effect. remains a relative oasis from such mayhem. The mayor said bodies were abandoned in public “Part of the problem is this: The state of Mexico view, some accompanied by letters signed with the has eight borders,” the state’s public safety secretary, words “Gulf Cartel,” a drug gang based in northeast- Rocio Alonso Rios said. “This has complicated the situ- ern Mexico. Other signs were found in the city warn- ation,” she said, noting that her state neighbors ing that the cartel was now in charge. But Carvallo Michoacan, Guerrero and Morelos, all known for drug Delfin said the gangland killings stopped a week ago, cartel violence. But security experts say the country’s after authorities detained a band of 12 people most populous state has struggled with violence for a accused of murder, kidnapping and drug dealing. The long time, even during Pena Nieto’s time as governor gang was rounded up last week after three of its IZCALLI, Mexico: Members of Mexico’s state police participate in a security operation in Cuautitlan from 2005-2011. “It is the norm, and permanent,” said members kidnapped a man near Cuautitlan Izcalli, Izcalli, Mexico state. — AFP Alejandro Hope, a former intelligence official and leading to a daytime car chase with police and a since January. At a small grocery store up the road, stormed out of a car and opened fire, killing two peo- security expert at the Mexican Institute for shootout that left a 14-year-old girl and 50-year-old shopkeeper Ismael Hernandez said a man walked in ple. Francisco Rivas, director of the National Citizens’ Competitiveness. man dead, authorities said. last month and threatened to end his “protection” Monitor, a civil society organization that tracks crime, unless he got paid. “Crime continues despite the said the problem could be worse because Mexico Weekly executions Crime continues (state police) operation,” the 50-year-old said. Other State has underestimated its statistics in the past, After more than 70,000 people died in drug-relat- On a recent afternoon, some 20 state police offi- towns around Mexico City, a metropolis of 20 million only to revise them later. For Rivas, the state must ed violence under his predecessor’s six-year term, cers checked buses and frisked passengers in a rough people, have witnessed similar brazen criminal acts. tackle the high level of corruption as part of its crime- Pena Nieto has indicated that murders have dropped part of the city. “This is very good. We are full of crimi- Milenio television broadcast dramatic security fighting efforts. “We are very worried because we since he took power in December 2012. But Mexico nals,” said Jose Rosas, a 61-year-old bag factory super- camera footage of an attack on a karaoke bar in don’t see a plan to resolve the issue of impunity,” he State is bucking this downward trend. It has seen 374 visor who has been robbed three times at gunpoint Netzahualcoyotl last month, when five gunmen said.— AFP Syrian army takes two villages near Lebanon

DAMASCUS: Syrian government forces cap- north-south highway that links the capital to tured yesterday two villages near the border government strongholds along the with Lebanon after clashes with opposition Mediterranean coast. The TV said the villages fighters, cutting a major supply route for fell after government forces “wiped out the weapons and fighters into Syria, state TV said. last remnants of armed terrorist groups and The report said the villages of Flita and Ras destroyed its weapons and tools they used in Maara fell into the hands of government their crimes.” The Syrian government refers to forces early in the day. The Britain-based rebels as “terrorists.” An activist based near Syrian Observatory for Human Rights con- Damascus who goes by the name of Abu firmed troops were inside the two villages Yazan al-Shami who is in touch with col- and advancing, although it had no immedi- leagues near Yabroud confirmed that govern- ate word on whether they fell to government ment forces have captured parts of the two forces. villages but are still facing resistance from The Observatory said government forces rebels inside. are backed by members of Lebanon’s “Fierce and difficult battles are taking BEKAA VALLEY: A general view shows tents housing Syrian refugees in the city of Arsal in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley. — AFP Hezbollah group, which openly started tak- place. It is a rugged area and both the regime ing part in Syria’s war last year against opposi- and the rebels have gathered lots of fighters tion forces. The villages were the latest tar- for this battle,” said al-Shami via Skype. He gets of a government offensive in the rugged added that the main battle expected to fol- Qalamoun border region after troops cap- low Flita and Ras Maara will be the rebel-held Syrians brave life outside tured the town of Yabroud earlier this month. town of Rankous in order for the government Tens of thousands of Syrians fled into “to completely cut supplies from Lebanon Lebanon since the Qalamoun offensive into Qalamoun.” In the coastal province of crammed Turkish camps began in November. Flita, which is about 5 Latakia, the Observatory reported that gov- miles from the border with Lebanon, had ernment warplanes struck areas that are wit- been a major crossing point for rebels com- nessing clashes between rebels and troops. It ing from across the border into Syria to fight said the fighting and the air raids are concen- Refugees say camps like ‘prison’, prefer life outside President Bashar Assad’s forces. Syria’s mostly trating around the rebel-held areas of Kassab Sunni rebels draw supply, recruits and sup- and Nabaain. Syrian troops have been trying GAZIANTEP: Turned away three times since fleeing sive, with government forces advancing on three But AFAD conceded the squeeze had worsened port from Sunni communities in Lebanon. for days to push back opposition fighters the bombardment of Syria’s second city Aleppo in sides. Turkey began building its refugee camps near since the Aleppo bombing increased, swelling camp Qalamoun holds strategic value for the who over the past week made rare territorial January, mother of eight Faten Darwish has given up the border in mid-2011, little knowing the war would numbers by 8,000 since Jan 12. “If people come, we government since it is crossed by the main gains in Assad’s ancestral heartland. — AP on getting her family into a refugee camp in south- last so long and bring such vast numbers of people, put up extra temporary tents but then we try to find east Turkey. Instead, the 33-year old lives with her many of them women and children. them somewhere else,” said Mahmut Alagoz, director husband and children in a dingy storage space made More than 220,000 Syrians are living in the Turkish of Nizip container camp, admitting he did not know of breeze blocks with thin dirty mattresses lining the camps, but some three times that number struggle to of any camps in the region where there was space. floor and just a single tap to wash from. Some of her exist outside them. Some try and eke out an exis- The 17,000 refugees in tents and containers at the young children shower at communal baths, she said. tence around southeast Turkey, the country’s poorest Nizip camp, 30 minutes outside Turkey’s southern city “We lost our house in the barrel bombings in a vil- region. Others have travelled as far as Istanbul, where of Gaziantep, have access to facilities such as hospi- lage near Aleppo. My husband got injured and now groups of Syrians begging on street corners or amid tals, supermarkets and even a cinema. Children he roams the streets like a crazy man,” said Faten, roaring traffic, their passports outstretched, have queue up for the simple, windowless classrooms struggling to make her miserable surroundings hos- become a sadly familiar sight. The number of officially where bookshelves neatly display rows of brand-new pitable. The battle for Aleppo - just 50 km from the registered Syrian refugees has hit 900,000 and no toys and books, beaming as cheerful staff usher them Turkish border - ebbs and flows but the Syrian mili- matter how quickly Turkey builds new camps it can in. tary ramped up its offensive in December, pummel- never keep up with demand. ing civilian areas with the barrel bombs - oil drums It now has 22 camps in 10 provinces. Each time Like a prison packed with explosives and shrapnel that cause mas- Faten tried to seek a place she was turned away. But for all the attractiveness of such facilities, sive and indiscriminate destruction. Some of her muddy-cheeked children now go out to Syrian refugees in Turkey often choose the harsher sell biscuits to supplement the tiny income they get conditions outside over the restrictions imposed on Struggle to exist from charities. Most of that income goes towards the them by the camps, where they have to adhere to a In six weeks, they killed more than 700 people, 150 lira ($67) monthly rent for the room, a sum con- curfew and are not allowed to work. “We didn’t want mostly civilians, and forced tens of thousands more tested by her landlord, 62-year-old Mehmet Gulsere. to go to the camps because we work in the field farm- from their homes. Many of them have joined the Leaning back on an old motorcycle outside, he said ing olives,” said a 39-year-old Turkmen Syrian who did hundreds of thousands who have fled Syria since the he just wanted to help and charges 75-100 lira a not want to be named and lives in a muddy makeshift civil war started three years ago. Aleppo continues to month. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency camp just outside Kilis. Zaki Haramoush, 48, whose SANAA: Yemeni protesters hold the Palestinian and Syrian flag and portraits of bear the brunt of the civil war, in which about 140,000 Management Directorate (AFAD) said some spaces family is one of six living in a basic pre-fabricated Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad during a protest in front of the Palestinian people have died. Almost two years after rebels were still available in the camps, adding: “New camps house in a field near Kilis where women cook on a fire embassy, to mark Land Day, in Sanaa yesterday. — AFP grabbed half of the city, they are now on the defen- will be built if deemed necessary.” outside, also shunned the camp. — Reuters Young Lebanese say ‘battle to stay is lost’ Militants attack BEIRUT: In both war and peace, Lebanon has leave Lebanon one by one. “But I didn’t want to yearly growth of 8 percent as the country saw bombed Hezbollah-run districts of Lebanon and Afghan election always seen many of its ambitious youth leave leave because I tried to make it here,” she said, relative stability. She progressed in her career fired rockets into towns supportive of Hezbollah. for better opportunities. More Lebanese live out- sitting at a cafe in Beirut’s Hamra shopping dis- and became an senior account manager for an Some frontier areas of Lebanon are now seeing office in Kabul side Lebanon than in it. But neighboring Syria’s trict near her office. “I love Beirut. I love staying advertising firm. Then came the war in neigh- open warfare between Hezbollah and rebel sup- KABUL: Taleban militants attacked the main Afghan civil war, bombs in Lebanon and an economic here; my family is here, my neighborhood, my boring Syria. A million Syrian refugees have porters. In a campaign to end the bombings, election commission’s headquarters yesterday in Kabul, slowdown have eroded confidence in the coun- friends. I think it’s a beautiful country and has a entered the country of only four million and Lebanese posted pictures of themselves holding firing on the compound with rocket-propelled try’s future and now even loyal patriots are lot of potential.” Hawwa graduated at the right rebels have moved into border regions to take notes condemning the violence. grenades and heavy machine guns from a house out- scrambling to get out. Olga Hawwa, a 29-year- time, a lull in Lebanon’s rollercoaster ride of con- refuge from forces loyal to Syrian President “I don’t want to survive, I want to live,” one side its perimeter wall, according to police. Dozens of old working in advertising, says she has given flict and quasi-peace. Bashar Al-Assad. Several graduates and young says. “Lebanon’s main export should NOT be its employees and other people who had been inside the up. Graduating in 2008, she has seen her peers From 2007 to 2010, the economy averaged professionals told Reuters they were planning to people,” says another. A third shows an airport Independent Election Commission compound took leave because of the fallout from the war and lounge with a caption: “Our living room.” Hawwa cover in the basement, and no casualties were reported. that their circles of friends were shrinking by the stayed longer than many friends but has now But two warehouses were hit and set on fire, witnesses month as their acquaintances abandoned had enough. “I feel I’ve reached a dead end with said. Lebanon. Lebanon. It’s not safe, we can’t walk around, you It’s the latest in a series of high-profile attacks that The country’s own 1975-1990 civil war can’t leave Beirut and enjoy life,” she sighed. “You come as the Islamic militant movement steps up a cam- helped drive emigration that has left about two can’t go out at night and not worry that an paign of violence to disrupt presidential elections, thirds of Lebanese living outside the country. explosion is going to happen ... or a war is going which are due to be held in a week. A spokesman for “Historically, Lebanon has not been able to to break out.” absorb the number of graduates and profession- And at work she sees a deterioration. “Our the Independent Election Commission said security als. More so because of the circumstances in clients used to have money for advertising cam- already had been increased around the compound Lebanon, even after the civil war ... people kept paigns, for launching events. Now they have a because an attack had been widely expected, and all leaving,” said Paul Tabar, Director of the Institute very tight budget, if any.” “It’s become very frus- IEC staff members were safe. He said the IEC leadership for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American trating because we end up doing the very, very was away from the headquarters when the assault University. “The young fresh graduates who basic PR work; press releases or interviews. Very began. have family connections would love to stay. This boring stuff. There are amazing ideas that we Explosions were heard when the attack started, kind of feeling dissipates when the country goes would love to do here, but there is no money to according to the spokesman Noor Mohammed Noor, through a crisis, like the current crisis.” do it. I’m not developing.” Hawwa left her job this but he did not know what caused them. Kabul police month. She is heading for New York to look for chief Mohammad Zahir Zahir said three or four attack- Syrian deadly war opportunities there and then maybe to Dubai. ers were holed up in a neighboring house that had Shi’ite Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon are She has a network; a cousin in New York, and been empty when they occupied it. He said the house is fighting to help Assad crush revolt and the con- other relatives in Boston, Switzerland, Canada, about 800 meters (yards) away from the headquarters, BEIRUT: Fighters from the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement carry the coffin of which is inside a walled off compound guarded by a Ali Qaddur, a comrade killed in Syria, during his funeral in the capital Beirut yester- flict has spilt back over Syria’s borders. Brazil, Dubai and Saudi Arabia - Lebanese who series of watch towers and checkpoints. — AP day. — AFP Supporters of the Sunni Syrian rebels have went before her. — Reuters INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 News Thai protesters rally against in brief

Yingluck ahead of Senate vote Girl talks to pope, then father freed LOS ANGELES: After a 10-year-old California girl Senate election could help to remove PM traveled to the Vatican to plead with Pope Francis for help as her father faced deportation, the man BANGKOK: Tens of thousands of Thai anti- longer welcome in Thailand,” protest leader was released yesterday on bond from immigra- government protesters rallied across Suthep Thaugsuban told reporters as he tion detention. Mario Vargas was freed from a Bangkok yesterday in their latest bid to led protesters who shouted “Yingluck, get detention facility in Louisiana after he posted topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, out!”. Yingluck has dismissed calls by pro- a day before a crucial vote to elect a new testers to step down but faces several legal $5,000 bond. A relative who saw the girl on televi- Senate. Waving flags and blowing whistles, challenges that could lead to her removal. sion pleading with the pope during a public audi- protesters marched from Lumpini Park in She has until tomorrow to defend herself ence helped with the funding, said his wife, Lola the business district of Bangkok, where before the National Anti-Corruption Vargas. “When she left, her wish was that her protesters retreated to earlier this month, Commission (NACC) for dereliction of duty father would be home,” she told The Associated toward the city’s old quarter after a brief over a rice-buying scheme that has run up Press in Spanish. “Thank God she is going to get hiatus in anti-government rallies. “The rally huge losses. her wish.” Mario Vargas’ release came after his has been largely peaceful and very disci- If the commission recommends her plined. Protesters are now heading back impeachment, she could be removed from daughter Jersey, of Panorama City, Calif, to their base in the park after a series of office by the upper house Senate which addressed the pope this week as part of a symbolic ceremonies,” Paradorn may have an anti-Thaksin majority after an California delegation that traveled to urge the Pattanathabutr, a security adviser to the election for half its members. The vote is to Vatican to prod President Barack Obama on immi- prime minister said. “We expected the elect 77 senators for the 150-seat Senate. gration reform. The girl and a teenager went as crowd to be around 50,000-strong but the The rest are appointed, and a government part of the 16-member group to represent the number of protesters doesn’t look like it attempt to make it a fully elected body will exceed 30,000.” was one of the sparks that set off the latest American children of immigrant parents who are A grenade exploded as protesters unrest in November. afraid their families will be divided by deporta- passed the Foreign Ministry offices, but no The non-elected Senators are picked tion. The president and the pontiff met for the one was hurt, police said. It was unclear by judges and senior officials from agen- first time Thursday. “I feel very happy and proud who was responsible for the attack. cies such as the National Anti-Corruption because I’m finally going to have my dad back Thailand has been in crisis since former BANGKOK: Thai anti-government protester holds protest placard during a rally at Commission (NACC), members of an and we’re going to be reunited,” Jersey told the premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s Parliament in Bangkok yesterday. — AFP establishment whom government sup- brother, was ousted in a 2006 coup. The porters see as viscerally anti-Thaksin. “Red AP late Friday before boarding a flight from Rome conflict broadly pits the Bangkok-based for the Reform of Thailand, a splinter group months to organize a new election. Since shirt” supporters of Yinguck and Thaksin to Los Angeles. She said her father was also head- middle class and royalist establishment of the main protest group, broke into the the current round of protests kicked off in are sounding more militant under hard- ing to Los Angeles, and that she hoped he would against the mostly poorer, rural supporters compound of Government House, a site November, 23 people have been killed in line new leaders and say they are pre- get there before her arrival. of the Shinawatras. Yesterday’s march is largely abandoned by officials. Over the sporadic political violence. pared to take to the streets of Bangkok as seen as a test of the anti-government past five months, protesters have shut moves to impeach Yingluck gather pace, Nurse charged over movement’s popularity as the number of increasing the risk of a confrontation. state offices and disrupted a Feb. 2 elec- Oppressive regime UK poisoning deaths protesters has dwindled considerably in tion which was nullified by a court on Protesters want political and electoral They plan a big rally, possibly in Bangkok, recent weeks. March 21, leaving Thailand in political lim- reforms before a new general election and on April 5. At the height of the current LONDON: A male nurse has been charged with By mid-afternoon police put the crowd bo and Yingluck at the head of a caretaker to rid the country of Thaksin’s influence. protests more than 200,000 people took the murder of three patients who were poisoned at around 20,000. Around 500 protesters government with limited powers. Election “We will no longer accept this oppressive to the streets to demand Yingluck’s resig- with contaminated medical products at a British from the Network of Students and People officials have said it will take at least three regime. They, Thaksin and Yingluck, are no nation. — Reuters hospital, police said yesterday. Eight patients died following the poisoning at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport, near Manchester in northwest Suharto nostalgia grows as England, in June and July 2011. Victorino Chua, a 48-year-old father of two children, has been Indonesia prepares to vote charged with murdering three of them-Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Derek KEMUSUK: Painted on the back of trucks and his speeches are played on loudspeakers and a emblazoned across T-shirts, the smiling face of small museum displays photos from his life, Weaver, 83. He has also been charged with one former Indonesian dictator Suharto has become there is talk of turning his house in the capital count of causing grievous bodily harm with a common sight across Java 16 years after his Jakarta into a museum. He spent the final years intent, 22 counts of attempting to cause grievous downfall. “How are you bro? Still better in my of his life there until his death in 2008 at the age bodily harm with intent and eight offences of time, no?!” runs a phrase commonly printed of 86. Politicians, particularly from Golkar, which attempting to administer poison. Assistant Chief alongside the late army general, toppled follow- was used by Suharto to give his iron-fisted rule a Constable Steve Heywood of Greater Manchester ing more than three decades in power when the semblance of democracy but which is now a ful- Asian financial crisis tore into Indonesia. As vot- ly-fledged party, believe they have a lot to gain Police said: “Our thoughts continue to be with ers gear up for legislative elections next month from the nostalgia. those people who were deliberately poisoned and presidential polls in July, disillusionment is “This will certainly benefit Golkar,” Aburizal and their families. “From day one we made a com- running high with the country’s chaotic democ- Bakrie, the party’s presidential candidate, told mitment to those people, as well as the wider racy, notorious for money-grubbing politicians the Jakarta Post newspaper in a recent inter- community, to thoroughly and robustly investi- and weak decision-making, while Suharto nos- view. “The elite can say any type of negative SITTWE: A Myanmar policeman sits at a kerb while his colleagues provide security at a gate what occurred. “In close to three years we talgia grows. things about the New Order, but (common) peo- road in Sittwe, Rakhine state in western Myanmar yesterday. — AFP Sympathizers have chosen to brush aside the ple wish to go back to that system.” have conducted many painstaking inquiries and glaring bad points of his regime, known as the The party, which is the second-biggest in ‘Rohingya’ term banned engaged with numerous medical experts. We are “New Order” and widely regarded as one of the parliament and in the ruling coalition, is also now at a point where we have charged Victorino most brutal and corrupt of the 20th century. fielding one of Suharto’s daughters, Siti Hediati, Chua with a number of very serious offences.” Vote-seeking politicians play up their links to as a parliamentary candidate at the April 9 polls. from Myanmar’s census Suharto, particularly from his former political “The daughter of Yogyakarta, the daughter of Over a million flee vehicle Golkar, crowds flock to his tomb and a (Suharto) - honest and to be trusted,” runs the SITTWE: Myanmar said yesterday that signs declaring: “This house is protesting memorial has been set up in his birthplace in slogan next to a smiling Hediati on campaign Muslims would not be allowed to register as against the census. Do not register”. S Sudan violence Kemusuk, in his heartland of main Java island. “I billboards, with a picture of her father in the “Rohingya” in its first census in three Myanmar’s first census since 1983, which JUBA: Over a million people in South Sudan have like him because when violence erupted, he just background. “It was hoped the reform era would decades despite UN assurances, on the eve is set to begin today and last for 12 days, is been forced from their homes during more than crushed it,” said Sumarah, who like many bring better conditions but that didn’t really of a survey that has fanned sectarian ten- backed by the United Nations Population three months of ongoing fighting, with condi- Indonesians goes by one name, during a recent happen,” Hediati said, adding increased interest sions. The move came as Buddhists in an Fund (UNFPA) and is aimed at plugging an tions continuing to worsen, the UN has warned. visit to the memorial in central Java. “People in Suharto was “genuinely from the people” and unrest-hit western state vowed to boycott information deficit in the former junta-run “In the 100 days since the start of the conflict in lived in peace, there were no demonstrations not instigated by the family. the census over fears it could lead to official country. The population tally has come South Sudan, over one million people have fled like nowadays, which cost the economy a lot,” recognition for the Rohingya, viewed by the under fire for its inclusion of ethnic and reli- added the 46-year-old, referring to the frequent ‘Orchestrated’ nostalgia United Nations as among the world’s most gious questions, which critics say will further their homes,” the United Nations Office for the protests that are now part of daily life in the However some believe the upsurge in nostal- persecuted minorities. “If a household wants fan the flames of unrest and threaten fragile Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said nation. gia has been carefully orchestrated by those to identify themselves as ‘Rohingya’, we will peace talks with minority rebel groups. in a report yesterday. Over 800,000 are displaced who want to see members of the Suharto clan not register it,” government spokesman Ye Buddhist nationalists have reacted with fury inside South Sudan, while almost 255,000 have Corruption, repression return to power. Observers say the trend is due Htut told reporters in Yangon. He said peo- to the fact that the questionnaire includes a fled as refugees to neighboring countries of ple could call themselves “Bengali”, a term section for people to self-identify their eth- Suharto became president in 1967 when he in part to the authorities’ failure to punish mem- Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan, the UN says. was a young army general, shortly after putting bers of the old regime or establish a national used by the authorities who view most nicity, theoretically allowing the Rohingya to down an attempted coup, and on the back of a process to come to terms with the past. Anti- Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neigh- be registered as such and raising fears it Violence erupted in South Sudan on December bloody massacre of hundreds of thousands of Suharto activist Fadjroel Rachman said boring Bangladesh. could lead to political rights for the group. 15 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir alleged communists and sympathizers which Indonesia should emulate countries such as Foreign aid workers fled the restive west- But government officials in the state and fighters loosely allied to former vice presi- was encouraged by the military. His long rule Argentina with its truth commission to investi- ern state of Rakhine this week after Buddhist have sought to assure them that the term dent Riek Machar. A ceasefire between govern- was marked by severe repression and colossal gate crimes committed during a dictatorship or mobs attacked their offices as tensions esca- will not be counted, according to local MP ment and rebels inked in January is in tatters with corruption-graft watchdog Transparency Cambodia and its UN-backed tribunal trying lated in the run up to the census. An 11- Aung Mya Kyaw. “They will only write down fighting ongoing. “Fighting between government International ranks him as the most corrupt leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime. He is year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet after ‘Bengali’ because Rohingya doesn’t exist,” he leader in history, estimating he embezzled among many who are horrified at the growing police fired warning shots to disperse angry said. Long-standing animosity between and opposition forces has continued, especially in between $15 and $35 billion during his rule. But support for a dictator who relied heavily on the crowds in the state capital Sittwe. Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine erupted Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile state, where towns a growing number look longingly at the Suharto army to crush dissent and made hundreds of Humanitarian workers in the region have into bloodshed in 2012, leaving dozens and rural areas have been ravaged by the vio- era, praising him for bringing stability after political prisoners. come under increasing pressure from dead in clashes and around 140,000 people lence,” the OCHA report added. The conflict has Indonesia’s painful birth pangs that followed Agung Kurniawan, a Yogyakarta-based artist Buddhist nationalists who accuse them of displaced. Muslims in remote parts of caused a “serious deterioration in the food securi- Dutch colonial rule and overseeing an economic whose works were inspired by the brutality of bias in favor of local Muslims. The United Rakhine have reported that the authorities ty situation” with some 3.7 million people at high boom. Suharto’s regime, said he would fight any Nations is pulling some 50 international and have threatened local people with harsh In a bustling market in Yogyakarta, central attempt by members of the dictator’s clan to Myanmar staff from the region, while other penalties if they try to identify as Rohingya. risk, it read. Peace talks in the Ethiopia capital Java, T-shirts at a stall show a picture of Suharto return to power. “We will fight again, we will go major humanitarian groups are also remov- The Rohingya are subject to a web of have made little if any progress, with the two next to the words “Don’t you miss that long- back to the streets,” he said, referring to the huge ing their workers temporarily. Households restrictions on travel, work and even mar- sides spending time squabbling in luxury hotels gone era of food self-sufficiency and guaranteed protest movement that preceded Suharto’s 1998 across Sittwe were seen Saturday bearing riage. — AFP over who can attend negotiations. security?” Such sentiments tap into discontent resignation. Despite the nostalgia, Golkar and with surging inflation and among many young others trying to capitalize on it look set to be dis- people struggling to find a job each year in the appointed at the upcoming polls. The main country of around 250 million people led by opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Breakaway rebel leader vows President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. On Struggle is expected to dominate both elections, weekends up to 2,000 people flock to the tomb particularly after the recent nomination of popu- of Suharto and his wife outside the Javanese city lar Jakarta governor Joko Widodo as its presi- of Solo, which is set in manicured hills and dential candidate. He has no links to the “New to fight after Philippines pact packed with hawkers selling T-shirts and framed Order” and analysts say his popularity signals pictures of the couple. Indonesians are keen to move forward beyond As well as the memorial in Kemusuk, where the Suharto era, not back. — AFP MAGUINDANAO: A day after his former com- through dirt roads bisecting green rice paddies. of deadly BIFF attacks as the group sought to rades in arms signed a treaty to end 42 years of A rusty .45-calibre pistol was stuck in his holster disrupt the peace process, somehow withstand- bloodshed in the Philippines, an ageing Muslim as he led visitors to an empty schoolyard, about ing repeated government assaults against it. As guerrilla leader packing a rusty handgun vowed three-and-a-half hours’ drive from a major south- he presided over the peace treaty signing in to fight on. “We want independence... through ern city. Fifteen similarly dressed guerrillas, car- Manila on Thursday, President Benigno Aquino armed struggle,” Abu Missry Mama, spokesman rying assault rifles, emerged from nowhere to vowed that armed opponents of the pact “will and senior leader of the breakaway Bangsamoro stand guard as he spoke to AFP for half an hour. be met with a firm response based on righteous- Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), told AFP on a Nearby, a group of young men played basket- ness and justice”. visit to his rural stronghold in the south. Mama’s ball and residents sat by their windows or in After more than 50 of its members were killed former comrades in the Moro Islamic Liberation front of their wood and straw huts in the late in a major military operation in late January, the Front (MILF) signed a peace treaty Thursday that afternoon. “The MILF have their own way and we BIFF has about 460 guerrillas left, military is expected to see them gain power under a self- have mine too,” said Mama, who spoke fluent spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala rule setup in the Catholic nation’s Muslim-popu- English and Filipino, the country’s official lan- said. “We have diminished their threat but we lated southern areas. Mama, 62, is the public guage. He said he fought for the MILF and was are still monitoring them because of the possi- face of the BIFF, which split from the 10,000- now the number-three leader of the BIFF under bility that they will continue to spurn the peace,” member MILF in 2008 amid a row on how best its founder Ameril Umrakato, who the military Zagala said, adding they were now led by a man to advance the interests of the 10 million Filipino said has been incapacitated by illness. The BIFF named Mohiden Animbang, alias “Karialan”. Muslims. founder was accused of leading his men in Zagala said Mama was apparently an alias and The Muslim rebellion that began in 1972 left attacks across the south in 2008 that left more the man was considered by the military as a BIFF tens of thousands of people dead and con- than 400 people dead and displaced hundreds spokesman. Mama said the BIFF would only con- signed the area of the proposed autonomous of thousands of civilians. sider peace talks if the government would allow region to brutal poverty and lawlessness. The farming region, more than a thousand the creation of a separate Muslim nation, some- Wearing rubber flip-flops, horn-rimmed glasses kilometers south of Manila, is dotted by small thing Aquino has ruled out. “There would be no YOGYAKARTA: Siti Hediati, daughter of late Indonesian dictator Suharto, (framed por- and a colorful scarf atop a bronzed and craggy military camps and checkpoints. Small military condition in the talks. They just have to leave our trait, back left) gestures in Yogyakarta, central Java island. — AFP face, Mama casually rode a motorcycle Friday units and motorists have been frequent targets homeland,” Mama said. — AFP NEWS SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Philippines supply ship evades China... Continued from Page 1 waters and islets approaching its neighbours. Second Thomas Shoal is part of the Spratlys, a chain of islets The vessels appeared to get within a few hundred and reefs that sit near key shipping lanes, are surround- metres of each other, with one of the Chinese vessels ed by rich fishing grounds and are also believed to lie sailing across the Filipino vessel’s bow twice. atop huge oil and gas reserves. The supply vessel later managed to reach shallow They are around 200 km from the western Philippine waters around the shoal, where the Chinese ships, with island of Palawan and about 1,100 km from the nearest much-larger displacements, could not follow without major Chinese land mass. The Philippines grounded an the risk of running aground. During the confrontation, old Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at Second Thomas the Chinese vessels radioed the Philippine boat and Shoal in 1999, four years after China built structures on demanded that it leave the “Chinese territory”, local tel- nearby, Filipino-claimed Mischief Reef. Filipino troops evision stations reported, citing their journalists on have kept a presence on the ship ever since. However, board the Filipino boat. until this month, China had never sought to block the The Philippines foreign affairs department Philippines from re-supplying or rotating its soldiers denounced the Chinese coastguard action. “We con- there. China successfully turned away a Philippine re- demn the harassment by the Chinese coastguard of our supply boat on March 9, forcing the Philippine military civilian vessels which are on their way to Ayungin Shoal to airdrop supplies to the unit. to resupply provisions to our personnel stationed there,” Yesterday’s mission was the next attempt to reach it said in a statement, using the Filipino name for the the shoal. Although the military does not release figures outcrop. “We demand that China cease taking actions on the number of soldiers stationed at Second Thomas that are a threat to our security.” The statement stressed Shoal, there are believed to be fewer than 10. that the Philippines had “sovereign rights and jurisdic- Yesterday’s confrontation occurred a day before the tion over” Second Thomas Shoal, insisting it was part of Philippines was due to file its case with a United Nations the country’s continental shelf. tribunal to challenge China’s territorial claim to most of Calls by AFP to the Chinese embassy in Manila and its the South China Sea. The Philippines’ legal case has spokesman went unreturned yesterday. But China has infuriated China, which has said it will not participate. repeatedly said it has sovereign rights over Second China has also warned the Philippines that bilateral rela- Thomas Shoal and the Philippines was illegally “occupy- tions will suffer if it continues to pursue its appeal to the ing” it. China claims most of the South China Sea, even United Nations. — AFP Obama offers assurances to allies

Continued from Page 1 before leaving yesterday morning. But despite appeals from US lawmakers, he did not raise any rights issues in Those personal assurances from the president were his talks with King Abdullah late on Friday. The official welcomed by a continent that has developed some- insisted that did not mean Obama did not share “signifi- thing of an inferiority complex while watching Obama cant concerns”, merely that the conflict in Syria and curry favor with Asia and get consumed by Mideast Riyadh’s concerns about Washington’s diplomatic crises. Though Obama remains popular with the engagement with Tehran had left no time to discuss A man holding a Palestinian flag and a woman carrying an olive tree walk through rows of greenhouses on European public, he has also irked some leaders with them. ‘Land Day’ during which people plant olive trees yesterday near the Israeli border in Jabalia in the northern what they’ve seen as slights to the European Union, the “We do have a lot of significant concerns about the Gaza Strip. The Land Day’s annual demonstrations mark the deaths of six Arab Israeli protesters at the hands of Israeli police and troops during mass protests in 1976 against plans to confiscate Arab land in the north- often unwieldy 28-nation bloc. human rights situation that have been ongoing with ern Galilee region. — AFP A particular sticking point for Europe was the fact respect to women’s rights, with respect to religious free- that Obama had never visited Brussels, the headquar- dom, with respect to free and open dialogue,” the offi- ters city of both the EU and NATO. Obama finally cial said. But “given the extent of time that they spent Lights go off for global Earth Hour checked that box on this latest trip, using his stop in the on Iran and Syria, they didn’t get to a number of issues Belgian city to deliver a speech urging Europe to take a and it wasn’t just human rights.” Continued from Page 1 scheme - which aim to raise more than $650,000 in total - leadership role in protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty include a turtle centre in Italy and funding for forest rangers Earth Hour chief executive Andy Ridley said before the in Indonesia. Other projects include a $24,000 effort in the against Russian provocations. “The policies of your gov- Rights Criticism lights went off in Singapore that the event had moved Philippines to bring fibreglass boat technology to coastal ernment, the principles of your European Union, will But Obama’s focus on smoothing over the strains in beyond symbolism to concrete action. “If you want to get communities affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan in make a critical difference in whether or not the interna- the alliance to the exclusion of concerns over women’s real social change you need to have symbolism,” he told AFP. November last year. tional order that so many generations before you have rights and religious freedoms drew criticism from inter- “We are seeing some really big outcomes.” In Nepal, $100,000 is being sought for a program called strived to create continues to move forward, or whether national watchdogs and from activists inside the king- But it has drawn criticism, including from Danish political “A Flame Called Hope” to provide access to biogas energy it retreats,” he said, standing before a crowd of young dom. “President Obama’s visit offered a crucial opportu- scientist Bjorn Lomborg who argues it does little for the real for 150 households in the Terai region, reducing the need for people at the Palais des Beaux-Arts museum. nity to raise a series of human rights issues from dis- problem of global warming and diverts resources from oth- wood as fuel and helping protect the habitat of endangered After stopping in Rome for a highly anticipated crimination against women to the repression of inde- er problems. “This celebration of darkness sends the wrong wildlife, according to the Earth Hour website. “Spider-Man 2” meeting with Pope Francis, Obama headed to Saudi pendent human rights activists and freedom of expres- message, Lomborg said in a statement this week. “While star Garfield told journalists that he was a personal support- Arabia for a visit with the kingdom’s monarch. Despite sion and assembly,” said Amnesty International’s Saudi more than a billion people across the globe make a symbol er of the Nepal project. “What they are doing is turning the decades-long alliance between the US and the oil- researcher Sevag Kechichian. “His failure to publicly of foregoing non-essential electrical power for one hour a waste into energy, it’s like the cycle of life right there, if only rich Gulf nation, Saudi’s royal family has grown skeptical voice his concerns over the dire state of human rights in year, another 1.3 billion people across the developing world everyone knew how simple it was,” he said. Earth Hour saw will continue to live without electricity as they do every oth- other landmarks including the Empire State Building in New of the president’s positioning in the region during a Saudi Arabia is disappointing and a real missed oppor- er night of the year.” York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Kremlin in Moscow period of rapid and unpredictable change in the Arab tunity,” Kechichian told AFP. Projects under the “Earth Hour Blue” crowdfunding switch off their lights for an hour. — AFP world. Obama’s meeting with Maha Al-Muneef, who was Tensions with Saudi Arabia hit a high point last fall, honoured by the US State Department earlier this when Obama pulled back plans to launch a military month for her bravery in campaigning against domestic Earthquake rattles jittery Los Angeles strike on Syria. That decision compounded Saudi frus- violence and child abuse, came as activists called for a tration with what it sees as the White House’s tepid new day of defiance of the kingdom’s unique and Continued from Page 1 supplies to nearly 2,000 customers in the La Mirada area, response to the more than three-year civil war that has deeply controversial ban on women driving. A small near La Habra, said a spokeswoman for the Southern ravaged Syria. Obama’s personal visit to the king’s number of women responded to the call, the latest in a Hannah Hirzel, 17, who lives four miles from the epi- California Edison utility company. desert compound was seen as a show of respect for the campaign of defiance launched last October. “I drove center, said: “I was home alone and I ran out of the California has long braced for the “Big One”. The west- monarch’s concerns over Syria, as well as US nuclear my car for a while on Olaya Road in Riyadh,” activist house... I was sitting where my bookshelf fell, but I ran ern US state is on the so-called Ring of Fire, which circles talks with Iran. Senior US officials said the president and Aziza Yousef told AFP, adding that she was one of sever- too quick.” the Pacific and has produced a number of devastating king had a frank discussion about their differences and al women who got behind the wheel across the coun- The quake, which lasted up to half a minute, was pre- quakes including Japan’s March 2011 quake-tsunami, emphasized the importance of Obama being able to try. ceded and followed by a number of smaller ones. The LA which killed thousands of people. Seismologists say a County Fire Department received reports of gas leaks quake capable of causing widespread destruction is 99 make his case in person. Dozens of US lawmakers had called on Obama to and scattered damage, said spokesman Ed Pickett, while percent certain to hit California in the next 30 years. A publicly address Saudi Arabia’s “systematic human Though there were no new agreements struck police in Fullerton, about fives miles from La Habra, 6.7-magnitude earthquake in 1994 in Northridge, north- between the president and king, officials said the meet- rights violations”, including the rights of women. Saudi reported several water main breaks, spokesman Jeff west of LA, left at least 60 people dead and caused an ing may help their countries bridge their differences activist Nasima Al-Sada expressed “disappointment” Stuart told KCAL 9 television. A rock slide took place in estimated $10 billion damage, while a 6.9 quake in San over Syria in particular. One potential breakthrough that Obama had met only Muneef and not a wider dele- Carbon Canyon, about six miles from La Habra. Video Francisco in 1989 claimed the lives of 67 people. area could be over the Saudi’s request for US approval gation of women activists. “We were hoping he would showed a white car flipped over on its roof, apparently by USGS seismologist Robert Graves said southern to send air defense systems to Saudi rebels, a step meet a delegation of female civil society activists to the rock fall. The driver escaped with no major injuries, California has had a relative “drought” of earthquakes Obama is said to be considering, despite continued explain the situation of women and human rights in a according to CBS 2 television. over the last two decades, which might be ending. “We reservations. better way,” she told AFP. She said the meeting with At Dodger Stadium, the quake briefly interrupted the might be getting back to the more normal rate before Obama also met a campaigner for the rights of Muneef did “not send a real message of support for the baseball game between the LA Dodgers and the Angels. the Northridge earthquake happened,” he said. “It means women in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom rights of women” in Saudi Arabia. — Agencies A power outage attributed to the quake cut electricity it was quiet, but it’s not quiet now.” — AFP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 ANALYSIS

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Issues Geopolitical games handicap jet hunt

By Peter Apps and Tim Hepher he search for flight MH370, the Malaysian jetlin- er that vanished over the South China Sea on TMarch 8, has involved more than two dozen countries and 60 aircraft and ships but been bedev- illed by regional rivalries. While Malaysia has been accused of a muddled response and poor communi- cations, China has showcased its growing military clout and reach, while some involved in the operation say other countries have dragged their feet on dis- closing details that might give away sensitive defence data. That has highlighted growing tensions in a region where the rise of China is fuelling an arms race, and where several countries including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are engaged in territo- City on edge key to Ukraine future rial disputes, with the control of shipping lanes, fish- ing and potential hydrocarbon reserves at stake. The Malaysian Airline jet, which disappeared en route By Alastair Macdonald among the country’s richest. “He’s not the juggled a pro-Yanukovich banner, a cup of blue and yellow of Ukraine rising over a from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was last officially worst of them,” said pensioner Valentina McDonald’s coffee and her “Donbass black sea, flies over demonstrations. Since detected hundreds of miles off course on the wrong enin looks out on Donetsk, unmoved, Petrovna in justifying her support for the Communist” newspaper. “People in Kiev just Soviet days, the main avenue has been side of the Malaysian peninsula. anthracite grey and steely eyed. But a fallen leader during a rally by 3,000 people want our money and don’t want to work.” A named for the leader of the short-lived As mystery deepened over the fate of the Boeing Lcentury after his revolution, this on Lenin Square last weekend. poll showed over half of easterners viewed Donetsk Republic of 1918. Pride in the local 777 and its 239 passengers and crew, most of them Ukrainian industrial city of Porsches and Voicing indignation that the opulence of the government in Kiev as illegitimate, com- work ethic is fierce; it was here Soviet propa- Chinese, it became clear that highly classified military poverty seethes around him. It is torn Yanukovich’s home had been exposed to pared to 10 percent in the west. gandists found the miner Stakhanov and technology might hold the key. A reluctance to share between its Soviet past, a corrupt and public scorn, she said the same treatment made “stakhanovite” a byword for hard toil. sensitive data appeared to harden as the search area unhappy present and a future somewhere should be accorded other politicians - Separatism Stalls At the Donetsk State University of widened. “This is turning into a spy novel,” said an between Russia and the West. Below his notably arch-rival Yulia Tymoshenko and A month ago, separatists briefly took Management, where 19-year-old Rita and envoy from a Southeast Asian country, noting it was plinth on Lenin Square, protesters bemoan other enormously wealthy presidential con- over the Donetsk governor’s office, raising other students played down ethnic tensions turning attention to areas and techniques few coun- the fall of a local boy made good, president tenders. “You have to have money to run for the Russian flag. The regional assembly vot- and spoke of high hopes for founding their tries liked to publicly discuss. Viktor Yanukovich. Some hope Russia may president,” she shrugged when asked if she ed to hold a Crimea-style referendum on own businesses, unease at events in Kiev With the United States playing a relatively muted do for the Donbass coalfield what it did in might prefer a leader not from the super- autonomy. A Ukrainian nationalist was also revolved around concerns for the econ- role in the sort of exercise that until recently it would Crimea - claim Russian-speaking border- rich. stabbed to death two weeks ago in a clash omy: “We’re not like Kiev. People here work have dominated, experts and officials say there was lands for Moscow, bringing higher pen- Alexander Bukalov, a civil rights activist, with anti-Kiev protesters on Lenin Square. and only protest at weekends,” said staff no real central coordination until the search for the sions, wages and a return to a Soviet com- said many in eastern Ukraine had got used But since then, despite Western warnings of member Yelena Yudina, 36. plane was confined to the southern Indian Ocean, fort zone. to following strong leaders: “The oligarchs Russian troops massing on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk oligarchs harness such local par- when Australia largely took charge. Part of the prob- But the Bolshevik leader stands today in are powerful because it doesn’t offend peo- borders, tension has eased. Moscow denies ticularism. Akhmetov and Taruta own the lem is that Asia has no NATO-style regional defence the shadow cast by a new glass tower ple,” he said. “Yanukovich has left a void. having ambitions to take territory beyond city’s two big soccer clubs, whose names structure, though several countries have formal where Ukraine’s richest man, miner’s son Who will protect them now?” At the same Crimea. Serhiy Taruta, the steel magnate mean Miner and Steelman respectively. alliances with the United States. Commonwealth Rinat Akhmetov, runs a $12-billion business time, he said, anger on the streets reflected named regional governor, has swept sus- Business magnates support local philan- members Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and empire and ponders his next move follow- a mix of frustrations among different pected separatist sympathisers from key thropic causes and trumpet investment in Australia also have an arrangement with Britain to dis- ing the overthrow of former ally Yanukovich groups of people all boiling over at once - posts in the police and other services and the area, even if they also make headlines cuss defence matters in times of crisis. as leader of a country ranked as the most with living standards, with seemingly dead- tightened frontier controls to keep out abroad, as Akhmetov did in 2011 when he “There is ... a pressing need for regional security corrupt in Europe. Lenin’s chiselled words locked politics in Kiev and with two “political tourists” - Moscow agents. paid over $200 million for the most expen- structures to take a few leaps forward,” said Air Vice praise the region’s role in “building social- decades of post-Soviet corruption. Assurances from the Western-backed sive home in London. Marshal Michael Harwood, a retired Royal Air Force ism”. But along the city’s main artery, sports Support for Yanukovich, who four years Kiev government of rights to use Russian in pilot and former British defence attache in cars roar past luxury stores, and the occa- Corruption Clean-Up? Washington. The risk, he said, was that the search sional beggar, along the route from an age- Taruta says he has no doubt billionaires instead became seen as a national “test of manhood” ing steelworks to the space-age stadium can lead a fair and democratic society and and driver of rivalry. Already, several governments that houses the multinational squad of talks of curbing corruption to get investors have been openly competing in announcing findings Akhmetov’s soccer team, FC Shakhtar. “lining up” to put money into Donetsk. At and satellite images. Many locals, in a region where monthly the Donetsk Steel Works, DMZ, near the pay averages less than $400, curse him and centre of a city dotted with pit winding gear Radar Poker his ilk as parasites and crooks. Yet he is and slag heaps, workers coming off shift as Malaysia’s acting transport minister “more popular than we can imagine”, one the hooter blew agreed their main hope Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also the country’s Western diplomat said. German Foreign was for investment - and an end to political defence minister, has defended the international Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called upheaval. An EU diplomat, advocating effort to find the jet. “All countries involved are dis- Akhmetov a man “whose word counts Western economic aid to the east, said: “No playing unprecedented levels of cooperation, and round here” and left their meeting last week one is keen for annexation by Russia if the that has not changed,” he said. But while Kuala saying the businessman would help stifle local economic situation is all right.” Lumpur has been forced to reveal some of the limits separatism and support liberal reforms. Foreign investment may please the and ranges of its air defences, the reluctance of After 23 years of independence, the Donbass oligarchs but, for all that Western Malaysia’s neighbours to release sensitive radar data paradoxes and interplay of money and poli- powers seem ready to prop up Ukraine may have obstructed the investigation for days. At an tics in Ukraine, of corruption and democra- against Russia, cash may come at a price of ambassadorial meeting in the ad hoc crisis centre at cy, of ties to Russia and the West, of a some reform in a system that has left an airport hotel on March 16, Malaysia formally national history marked by regional and lin- Ukraine the most corrupt country in appealed to countries on the jet’s possible path for guistic rivalries, are nowhere more evident Europe, on a par with Nigeria in the help, but in part met with polite stonewalling, two than in this city of a million and its region, Transparency International rankings. people close to the talks said. home to one Ukrainian in 10 and producing Pledges of a clean-up from a political elite Some countries asked Malaysia to put its request in a fifth of the country’s industrial output. formed by the very people who benefited writing, triggering a flurry of diplomatic notes and How Donetsk and the wider Don basin from that system may sound hollow. high-level contacts. “It became a game of poker in respond to the collapse of Yanukovich’s Donetsk governor Taruta acknowledges which Malaysia handed out the cards at the table but hold on national power and his flight to there is a record of broken promises but couldn’t force others to show their hand,” a person Russia from pro-Western protesters in dis- said now was different. from another country involved in the talks said. It was tant Kiev will help determine whether the Some analysts argue the scare over not until a week later that Malaysia announced a list Ukrainian state holds together and whether Russian expansion and bloodshed on the of nations that had checked their archives. it may finally offer most of its people pros- A Pro-Russian protester holds a placard reading “Donetsk region Russia” streets may galvanise the elite into back- Beijing, meanwhile, was dramatically upping its perity and the rule of law. during a rally in front of the regional state administration building in the ing anti-graft, open-market reforms to sta- game. Its ability to deploy forces deep into the south- An election on May 25 to replace eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on March 23, 2014. —AFP bilise Ukraine. A typical oligarch “has ern hemisphere is particularly striking. Beijing has Yanukovich - all candidates should be already made his fortune, by whatever sent several deployments into southern waters in known next week - may confirm Ukraine on ago swept the heavily populated east to official contacts may ease concerns of peo- means, the Western diplomat said. “Now recent months, including warship visits to New the course set by its interim government, of defeat Tymoshenko for the presidency, is ple in the east, for most of whom Russia is he needs rules and a fight against corrup- Zealand and South America, while its icebreaker ties to the European Union and IMF-pre- now a minority view, even in Donetsk, the first language, even among the region’s tion to keep what he has safe.” For human “Snow Dragon” helped rescue personnel from a scribed market reforms, after the ousted where he rose from delinquent youth to 57-percent ethnic Ukrainian majority. Some rights activist Bukalov, the ordinary trapped Russian icebreaker in the Antarctic late last leader triggered his downfall by shunning governor. A poll early this month showed activists in western Ukraine, where historic Ukrainian in the east may also be develop- year. “China are deploying because that’s what great an EU deal in favour of Russian aid. Founded two thirds of people in eastern Ukraine Austrian rather than Russian rule fostered a ing a “political maturity” after the initial powers do, and there must be a political expectation by a 19th-century Welsh engineer called approved of his removal. But if his downfall national identity around the Ukrainian lan- shock at the fall of Yanukovich’s Donetsk for them to (do so),” said one former Western military Hughes who called it Yuzovka after himself, is little mourned, the aftermath of his over- guage, have wanted to bind the new state “Family”. officer. “How well they do it, only the USA will current- renamed Stalino as it drove the industriali- throw at the hands of a protest movement together by suppressing Russian in favour of Describing the protests against ly know (through surveillance and signals intelli- sation of the Soviet Union, today’s Donetsk spearheaded by club-wielding ultranation- their related Slavic tongue. Yanukovich on Kiev’s Maidan square as “for gence), and time will tell.” —Reuters can shape the next stage of Ukraine’s slow alists who battled with riot police has As important, however, in keeping the values, for freedom and respect” in contrast emergence from totalitarian rule in the thrown divisions between Ukraine’s east east loyal to Kiev may be promises of decen- to counter-demonstrations in Donetsk as fraught space between Russia and the and west into relief. tralisation, giving people - and their oligarch “all about wages”, Bukalov said time, and European Union. “We were all against Yanukovich,” said leaders - more control of local resources, as the loss of Crimea, had given easterners a All articles appearing on these Albert, a former policeman in Donetsk who well as possibly security and judicial chance to consider the benefits of sharing Paradox and Contrast now runs a small tourism business. “He was processes. Unlike in Crimea, where enthusi- in a new start in Kiev. “Donetsk people are pages are the personal opinion of Stand on Lenin Square, though, among our plague. But the fascists and those peo- asm for Russian citizenship was widespread, starting to think,” he said. “Yanukovich did the writers. Kuwait Times takes no the Russian tricolours and Soviet red flags, ple in the west have exploited the situation few people in Donetsk express a strong more for democracy in Ukraine than any- responsibility for views expressed and the utter confusion of emotions and now they’re coming for us.” That fear, desire to be ruled by Moscow. Instead they one else. In opposing him, Ukrainians have unleashed by last month’s bloody events in reinforced by coverage on widely watched want more say over local affairs, especially learned to stand up for themselves.” therein. Kuwait Times invites read- the capital is clear. Denouncing wage cuts Russian state television, helped drive now the Donetsk clan round Yanukovich no But a positive scenario after the past ers to voice their opinions. Please and the power of oligarchs who made for- Crimeans to embrace annexation by longer holds sway in Kiev. “We don’t want to month’s drama, in which the east and west send submissions via email to: opin- tunes in the murky years after the Soviet President Vladimir Putin and calls in the east be like Crimea. But we want a lot of autono- of the country rally behind a new, clean [email protected] or via snail collapse in 1991, a permanent protest pick- to seek Moscow’s protection from moves my,” said Denis Alexandrovich, 37, a Russian political and economic system, will not et calls for the return of the ousted presi- against the Russian language and toward language teacher standing under Lenin’s develop overnight. On Lenin Square, a pen- mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. dent. Yet Yanukovich’s 2010 election cam- free trade with the EU that could hurt east- statue. “I love Russia. I have family in Russia,” sioner named Lyubov has heard too much The editor reserves the right to edit paign was funded by Akhmetov and the ern industry. he said. “But I want to live in Ukraine. This is fine talk before: “The oligarchs are there in any submission as necessary. president oversaw four years of stagnation “The Americans paid the fascists,” said a where my grandparents’ graves are.” their palaces and we work all our lives for as his own family became, by repute, woman in a pink Italian puffer jacket as she The regional flag of Donetsk, a sun in the nothing.” —Reuters SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS

Kentucky tops Louisville Fellaini denies spitting Mickelson makes Open cut SAN ANTONIO: Phil Mickelson made the cut on the number in the Texas Open on Friday, INDIANAPOLIS: Nobody will accuse these Kentucky kids of being the fastest learners. Not this sea- LONDON: Marouane Fellaini has insisted he did not spit at Pablo blasting out of a greenside water hazard to 5 feet to set up a birdie on the final hole. son. And certainly not during most of Friday night’s game against Louisville. But once again, late in Zabaleta during this week’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Mickelson shot a 2-under 70 after opening with a 77 - his worst score of the season - on the game with everything on the line, they figured things out just in time. Following United’s 3-0 defeat on Tuesday, footage emerged on the TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course. Lefty was 11 strokes behind leader Steven Bowditch, Aaron Harrison hit a 3-pointer for the go-ahead score with 39 seconds left and Julius Randle YouTube website appearing to show midfielder Fellaini spitting near Zabaleta’s head while the City defender was on the turf following a clash the Australian who had a 67 to reach 8-under 136. made a pair of clutch free throws to lift the fantastic freshmen of Kentucky to a 74-69 victory over Bowditch, ranked 339th in the world, holed out from 83 yards for an eagle on the par-4 their in-state rivals. The eighth-seeded Wildcats (27-10) led for a grand total of 65 seconds in this between the pair. It is understood the Football Association are aware of the clip, with the governing body now deciding whether to charge Fellaini 12th. The 30-year-old topped the leaderboard at the end of a round for Midwest Regional semifinal. They’ll play Michigan on Sunday for a trip to the first time in his PGA Tour career. the Final Four. “I told them before the game, you’ll get punched in the with misconduct. The FA are now due to request sharper footage from match broadcasters Sky before ruling on whether Fellaini should face dis- “My wedge shots have been pretty good,” he said. “I was try- mouth and you’re going to taste blood,” coach John Calipari said. ing to hit (the one on No. 12) a little past the pin and hope it “You can fight or you can brace yourself for the next shot. They ciplinary action, with a decision anticipated some time early next week. But United manager David Moyes, who signed Fellaini from former came back to a reasonable distance. Got lucky.” fought.” Fourth-seeded and defending champion Louisville ends Chad Collins (66) and rookie Andrew Loupe (70) were a its season at 31-6. Few expected a run this deep for the Wildcats club Everton, said he’d discussed the incident with the Belgium interna- stroke back. Only two of the top 15 players on the leader- as this season played out and their five freshmen starters strug- tional and that his player was adamant he’d done nothing wrong. “I’ve gled to play a team game. But they’ve been learning slowly. They spoke with Marouane and he says it isn’t the case,” Moyes said. board are in the top 100 of the world rankings. Sixth- trailed by 13 midway through the first half, then by seven with “We will work with the FA if that is what we have to do. Marouane is place Kevin Na is 78th in the world and ninth-place Zach 41/2 minutes left. Suddenly, things kicked in. Actually, it was a adamant that at no time did he do that (spit at Zabaleta). I don’t think it is Johnson is 10th. Collins is 315th and Loupe 505th. sophomore, Alex Poythress, who scored five points and blocked a completely conclusive, from what I’ve seen,” the Scottish boss added. No. 5-ranked Mickelson was in the stream that runs in Russ Smith layup attempt during a 7-0 run that tied the Earlier this month, the FA banned Hull’s George Boyd for three front of the 18th green after attempting to reach the game at 66 with 2:11 left. “Alex Poythress won the matches after he spat at Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. par 5 in two from 288 yards with a 3-wood. He game for us,” Calipari said. “We were begging him Moments before the alleged spitting incident, Fellaini was booked by pulled off his left shoe and rolled up that the whole game to start playing, and he played at match referee Michael Oliver on Tuesday for elbowing Argentinian full- pants leg and gave it a shot with his back Zabaleta. —AFP the right time.”—AP foot in the water. —AP Study: MMA brain injury risk higher than boxing

ALBANY: About one-third of profes- studies aimed at not only preventing sional mixed martial arts matches end long-term brain injuries, but also iden- in knockout or technical knockout, tifying those predisposed to them, the indicating a higher incidence of brain UFC demonstrates true commitment trauma than boxing or other martial to the safety of all professional ath- arts, according to a new study in the letes,” Epstein said. American Journal of Sports Medicine. Preliminary results from the University of Toronto researchers Cleveland studies found athletes with examined records and videos from 844 higher exposure to head trauma - Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts based on a formula including number from 2006 to 2012 for the study pub- of fights, years fighting and fights per lished this month. They found that 108 year - were likelier to score lower on matches, or nearly 13 percent, ended cognitive testing. Researchers con- in knockouts. Another 179 matches, or ducting the free, ongoing assessments 21 percent, ended in technical knock- of fighters’ brain health are examining outs, usually after a combatant was hit factors like genetics, lifestyle or head in the head five to 10 times in the last trauma exposure and susceptibility to 10 seconds before the fight was injury. The Toronto researchers, who stopped. examined UFC matches, found the “We’re taking the premise with this time from a knockout blow - often a that what you see on TV is one thing, punch to the jaw - until matches were but to kind of add scientific rigor to stopped averaged 3.5 seconds, with document it objectively,” said Michael losers on average getting hit 2.6 more Hutchison, co-author and director of times to the head. With TKOs, they the concussion program at the univer- found that in the last 30 seconds sity’s MacIntosh Sports Medicine before a match was stopped, the loser Clinic. was hit on average 18.5 times, 92 per- With the technical knockouts, or cent of those to the head. TKOs, they reviewed videos and found Hutchison acknowledged that “an increasing number of repetitive unlike the knockouts, which meet the strikes to the head” during the last 30 criteria for brain concussions, they seconds of a match, he said. can’t definitively identify the particular Professional mixed martial arts injury from a TKO. Professional rules includes elements of wrestling, judo, say that happens when a referee stops boxing and kickboxing inside an a fight because one competitor can no enclosure with fighters wearing small, longer defend himself. “We can accu- fingerless gloves and no headgear. rately suggest ... this can’t be good for Officials from UFC, the sport’s major their health,” he said. brand, seeking approval to stage Citing data from other research, the bouts in New York have argued that study said the mixed martial arts head COLUMBUS: Marc-Andre Fleury No. 29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins flips the puck past Mark Letestu No. 55 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period. —AFP mixed martial arts has evolved over 20 trauma rate also outpaces American years with many safety regulations to football and hockey. protect fighters, including mandatory The researchers proposed introduc- Penguins clinch playoff spot suspensions after concussions. They ing rules like in boxing where a fighter say it’s safer than boxing, with no his- gets a 10-second count and is evaluat- COLUMBUS: Chris Kunitz and FLYERS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2 10 times since the NHL’s trade Ottawa beat Chicago. It was tory of deaths or traumatic brain ed after a knockdown. They also pro- Beau Bennett scored goals 47 sec- Vinny Lecavalier, Scott Hartnell, deadline on March 5 and four of Anderson’s first game back injuries sustained in the ring. posed more training to help referees onds apart midway through the Claude Giroux and Wayne them have been winners, includ- since being injured March 10. Lawrence Epstein, chief operating identify fighters who are defenseless third period and Marc-Andre Simmonds scored goals, leading ing his goal with 7.8 seconds left Erik Condra, Cody Ceci, Milan officer of UFC, called the Toronto study or have lost consciousness so they can Fleury made 35 saves as the Philadelphia over Toronto. in the second period. He also Michalek and Kyle Turris also “somewhat flawed” and said a forth- stop fights more quickly. Pittsburgh Penguins clinched an Toronto’s James van Riemsdyk scored the shootout winner in scored for the Senators. Patrick coming study by researchers who Most US states have legalized and NHL playoff spot with a 2-1 win scored 4 seconds into the second, Calgary’s 2-1 win at home over Sharp, Marian Hossa and Brent have enrolled nearly 400 active and regulated professional mixed martial over the Columbus Blue Jackets matching an NHL record for the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Seabrook scored for Chicago. retired fighters will provide better arts, although some are silent on the on Friday. fastest goal from the start of the Joe Colborne, Mark Giordano Antti Raanta made 24 saves. insight. matter. New York is the only state that James Wisniewski scored a period. But the Maple Leafs’ skid and Kevin Westgarth also scored “By partnering with the Cleveland prohibits such fights and longstand- power-play goal for Columbus reached seven games. for the Flames, who tied a club STARS 7, PREDATORS 3 Clinic, one of the world’s leading med- ing efforts to get it legalized recently with 3:06 left, but Pittsburgh Lecavalier was dropped from a record with their 45th one-goal Dallas had seven players score ical research institutions, on advanced stalled again. —AP hung on as Fleury made huge spot on the wing on the second game of the season. goals in a victory over Nashville. saves on Brandon Dubinsky and line to his more natural center on They improved their record to Alex Goligoski had three assists, Cam Atkinson during a scrum in the fourth line. But he also had 22-17-8 in those one-goal tying his career high. Colton the final seconds. the spot on the top power-play matchups. Brad Richards had a Sceviour, Trevor Daley and Ryan Curtis McElhinney, taking the unit and scored in the first with goal and an assist for the Rangers, Garbutt each had a goal and an place of the ill Sergei Bobrovsky, Philadelphia holding a two-man whose winning streak ended at assist. After Nashville pulled with- stopped the first 28 Penguins advantage. five games. in 5-3 in the third period on Eric shots before Kunitz notched his Nystrom’s goal, Valeri Nichushkin 34th with 9:25 left. The Penguins FLAMES 4, RANGERS 3 SENATORS 5, BLACKHAWKS 3 and Cody Eakin scored 9 seconds are now at 99 points, moving clos- Mike Cammalleri had a goal Craig Anderson had 46 saves apart for a 7-3 edge. Stars goalie er to clinching the Metropolitan and an assist to lead Calgary over and Clarke MacArthur had a Kari Lehtonen allowed three goals Division title. New York. Cammalleri has scored goal and two assists and on 28 shots. —AP

OILERS 4, DUCKS 3 Andrew Ference scored at 3:51 NHL results/standings of overtime and Ben Scrivens Philadelphia 4, Toronto 2; Pittsburgh 2, Columbus 1; Ottawa 5, Chicago 3; Dallas 7, Nashville 3; Calgary 4, NY stopped 48 shots as Edmonton Rangers 3; Edmonton 4, Anaheim 3 (OT). pulled off an upset over Anaheim. Western Conference Eastern Conference Sam Gagner, Jordan Eberle Atlantic Division and Oscar Klefbom also scored for Pacific Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Boston 50 17 6 233 153 106 the Oilers, who are in last place in Montreal 42 26 7 195 188 91 San Jose 47 19 9 230 181 103 the Western Conference. Tampa Bay 40 24 9 217 195 89 Edmonton ended a three-game Anaheim 47 18 8 234 186 102 Detroit 33 26 14 195 209 80 skid. Los Angeles 43 25 6 185 157 92 Toronto 36 31 8 218 235 80 Nick Bonino, Patrick Maroon Phoenix 36 26 12 205 209 84 Ottawa 30 29 14 210 246 74 and Mathieu Perreault scored for Vancouver 34 30 11 183 201 79 Florida 27 39 8 178 240 62 the Ducks, who had a two-game Calgary 31 36 7 189 217 69 Buffalo 20 45 8 139 218 48 winning streak come to an end Edmonton 26 39 9 184 244 61 Metropolitan Division and missed out on an opportuni- Pittsburgh 47 22 5 228 184 99 ty to move into a tie for first in the Central Division NY Rangers 41 30 4 200 183 86 Pacific Division with the San Jose St. Louis 50 16 7 238 164 107 Philadelphia 39 27 7 210 206 85 Sharks. Chicago 42 18 15 247 196 99 Columbus 37 30 6 205 198 80 The Ducks remain one win Colorado 46 21 6 224 200 98 Washington 34 27 12 212 218 80 short of tying their franchise New Jersey 31 28 14 177 190 76 Minnesota 37 26 11 183 188 85 record of 48 wins in a season, set Carolina 32 32 9 184 205 73 Dallas 35 27 11 210 210 81 in 2006-07 when they won the NY Islanders 28 35 10 204 246 66 Winnipeg 33 32 9 206 216 75 Stanley Cup. Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the SAN JOSE: In this April 20, 2013, file photo, Josh Thomson (top) punches Nate Nashville 32 32 11 186 226 75 standings and are not included in the loss column (L) Diaz during the second round of a UFC lightweight mixed martial arts fight. —AP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Serena lifts Miami crown Photo of the day

MIAMI: World number one Serena Williams won first match point. angry chorus of boos, many showing their dis- the Miami WTA title for the seventh time yester- Li, who won her second Grand Slam title at gust by turning and heading for the exits. day with a 7-5, 6-1 win over China’s Li Na. the Australian Open in January, has now lost 10 “Sorry for Kei. Sorry for Tomas. Sorry for the In a battle of the world’s top two players, the straight matches against Williams. Her only vic- tournament. Especially sorry for the fans,” said US superstar took her tally of WTA titles to 59 — tory in their 12 meetings was back in 2008. Nadal about the double walkover. “It’s very including 17 Grand Slam triumphs. She added a Meanwhile, on Friday, the Sony Open, one of unlucky, very unusual for something that can second trophy in 2014 to the one she lifted in tennis’s most prestigious events, was left devas- happen. Brisbane in January. The 32-year-old Williams, tated when both men’s semi-finals ended in “I cannot remember that (ever happening).” who first played at Miami as a 16-year-old, was walkovers on Friday sending world number one That would be because a double walkover in strangely subdued as she seemed to sleepwalk Rafa Nadal and number two Novak Djokovic the semi-finals of an ATP Tour event is unprece- through the first half hour of the match. through to the final without hitting a ball. dented in the professional era. Trailing 4-2, she fought off three break points Three-time champion Djokovic was first gift- The walkovers, however, left the Sony Open in the seventh game only to surrender her serve ed a spot in today’s final when Japan’s Kei with a mouth-watering final featuring the world’s top two players, Nadal and Djokovic set to clash for the 40th time. Nadal leads the head-to-head 22-17 but has never lifted the Miami title despite reaching the final three times. “Only chance to win against Novak is play to the limit, play my best and hope that he is not going to have his best day,” said Nadal. “For me, I am going on court and trying my best. (It) doesn’t make any difference if it’s one tournament or another one. “For sure, Miami is a very important tourna- ment that I never had the chance to win in the past. “It is my fourth final. It’s positive results. To be able to play four finals in one tournament is because you did well, and I am going to try to be ready for Sunday.” Berdych said that all seemed normal follow- ing his quarter-final win over Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov until he woke up Friday morning. “I just woke up with a pain in my stomach, just went for toilet and got really strong diar- rhea,” said Berdych. “Since then, it starts to go on and on. More time, diarrhea and then also throwing up and stuff like that. “I lost so much of the liquid and all the possi- ble energy I could have. “Came here. Tried to do as much as I could, see the doctors, receiving the IV and basically not with good results.” Nishikori had reached the last four after regis- A competitor performs at the Farm Jam in Winton, New Zealand. tering a pair of three-set upsets, defeating —www.redbullcontentpool.com Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer in fourth round followed by a quarter-final win over Swiss 17-times grand slam winner Roger Federer. The Japan number one said that the groin NBK takes customers to 2014 had been bothering him for some time but it flared up against Federer in a match that ran World Cup via Mobile Banking late into an unusually cool evening in south Florida. Application, with Visa Nishikori also retired during the Delray KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) “NBK is keen on delivering superior Beach tournament in February for a similar offers all its customers using NBK’s value to its customers,” said Mazin Saad complaint. “I really felt the last match against Mobile Banking Application the chance Al Nahedh, NBK General Manager, Roger, the quarter-final,” he said. “It’s really sad, to win a trip for two to the 2014 FIFA Consumer Banking Group. “NBK’s Mobile of course, semi-final in a big tournament. World Cup. NBK is the only official non- Banking application adopts the-state-of- “Was really playing well and beating (Grigor) host retail banking partner of the 2014 the-art banking technologies and stan- Dimitrov, David (Ferrer) and Roger (Federer). I FIFA World Cup in Kuwait, in association dards with the objective of providing KEY BISCAYNE: Serena Williams, of the United States, hugs the trophy as she poses was really excited to play here. “But unfortu- with Visa, the official FIFA partner. In an utmost convenience and ease to cus- exclusive campaign valid until April 30th tomers. Now, NBK customers can enjoy for photos after defeating Li Na, of China, in the women’s final 7-5, 6-1 at the Sony nately I couldn’t move side-to-side. Just tried to Open Tennis tournament. —AP 2014, customers are encouraged to both convenient banking services and warm up today, but I couldn’t move.” The enroll or re-enroll to NBK’s Mobile an exclusive chance to attend a 2014 for a second time on a double fault. Nishikori withdrew with a groin injury. walkover was the second of the tournament for FIFA World Cup(tm) match.” The seriousness of her situation woke A few hours later the tournament was Djokovic, who had a free pass in the third round “We are privileged to be the first and Williams up. She won the next five games to rocked again when seventh seeded Czech when Florian Mayer pulled out with a groin only bank in Kuwait to reward our cus- take the set, saving a set point in the 10th game Tomas Berdych announced he was withdraw- injury. tomers with this exclusive offer. FIFA and hanging on to break Li in a 12th game that ing due to gastroenteritis, handing Nadal a free Djokovic should be well rested for today’s World Cup(tm) is one of the world’s most went to deuce six times. pass. final, not having played in four days and con- popular sporting events. NBK and Visa Although she delivered just three aces in a Thousands of tennis fans had arrived at the tested just three matches the entire tourna- Worldwide partnered to bring the thrill and enthusiasm of this event to Kuwait,” ment. match that lated just under two hours, Williams’ Crandon Park complex expecting a day of pul- added Al Nahedh. serve steadily improved as the match wore on, sating action but instead were left with two “It’s such a big event, and from a player’s per- In addition to this offer, NBK offers its as did the power and precision of her returns. women’s doubles matches. spective, it’s never nice to have a walkover to go Visa Cardholders as well as customers She seized a 5-1 lead in the second set with a When it was announced prior to the start of on to the finals without a fight,” said Djokovic. who transfer their salaries or student fierce backhand winner on her fifth break point the night session that the Nadal/Berdych match “Now the only thing I can think about is finals allowances to NBK a chance to win one of the game and wrapped up the contest on her would not be played the stadium erupted in an and focus on winning the title.” —Agencies of the 32 trips for two to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup(tm) games in Brazil in association with Visa. NBK’s free Mobile Banking application Mazin Al Nahedh for Android, Apple and BlackBerry Asia fight back to share devices enables customers to easily and Banking Application in order to enter a securely manage their financials any- draw to win a travel package for two to time, anywhere as long as they are con- attend one of the games of the world’s nected to the internet. NBK customers EurAsia Cup with Europe biggest sporting extravaganza. The trav- can download NBK Mobile Banking on el package includes two match tickets, nbk.com by logging into Watani Online round trip airline tickets, hotel accom- or by downloading the application from KUALA LUMPUR: Asia rallied from a 5-0 Thongchai Jaidee-captained Asian team won tricky birdie putts, their match and the teams modation for four nights, and transfer the associate stores: Apple Store and whitewash on the opening day to share the six and halved two of the 10 singles matches to finished all-square. service for both winner and guest. Google Play Store and benefit from a inaugural EurAsia Cup with Europe with a tie the scores at 10-10 for a share of the spoils. Thai duo Thongchai and Kiradech NBK customers will also have one wide range of banking services and strong performance in yesterday’s singles Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Aphibarnrat and Indians Anirban Lahiri and chance to enter this draw for every products. Checking balances, transfer- matches at the Ryder Cup-style event in Kuala Hideto Tanihara of Japan were the last men Gaganjeet Bhullar, South Korea’s Kim Hyung- transactions made through NBK’s Mobile ring funds, Credit Card and phone bill Lumpur. on the course and both had a chance to wrap sung and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh all Banking application. The transactions payments, ordering checkbooks, Trailing 7-3 after Friday’s foursomes, the up the tie on the final hole but after missing won their singles matches for Asia. “Every part include transferring funds, Credit Card requesting a printed account statement, of my team was unbelievable to come back, and phone bill payments and payments branches and ATMs locater are all pro- fantastic,” an elated Thongchai told reporters. to Ministry of Communications. vided within the application. “Everyone played really well. I think the match is unbelievable, it was a good finish. “To end on the last, and on the 18th hole, it’s fantastic. I have never seen a match like Walsh stands tallest among this. It’s very close and amazing. “We had a good draw and good pairings, I think that’s the key point.” Europe’s Spanish New Zealand shot put giants captain Miguel Angel Jimenez and Dutchman WELLINGTON: World indoors bronze medallist Adams, a four-times world champion, said with a Joost Luiten were the only two winners for Tom Walsh will snap back to reality next week smile after she threw 20.46 metres to set the sec- their team. but not before he has a few days to soak up the ond best distance of the year and obliterate the Jimenez needed to dig deep to beat local thrill of winning his ‘Goliath v Goliath’ shot put small field of six competitors. favourite 23-year-old Nicholas Fung with a battle at the New Zealand athletics champi- “That’s cool. It’s great to have publicity and no birdie on the 18th hole. “It’s an amazing day onships yesterday. matter what event it is it’s great for people to of golf,” the 50-year-old said. “It’s been very The first clash in two years between Walsh come out here and watch what we do. It’s hard tough. At the end of the week, the European and world junior record holder Jacko Gill had cre- to make it in this sport.” team did not win the tournament but the ated such interest in New Zealand’s athletic More than 5,000 people crammed into the Asian team, they played very well. championships, officials felt they were riding a small Newtown Park venue nestled in the hills “As I said in the prize giving presentation, wave of interest and anticipation not witnessed underneath Wellington Zoo, with the crowd Asia, Europe, they both win, nobody loses.” in the sport in the rugby-mad country since the standing five deep next to the track-side fence to Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who partnered 1970s. watch the clash between Walsh and Gill. Graeme McDowell to victory in the fourballs “You probably have to look back at the era of It was Walsh, however, who captured his and foursomes, gave up a four-hole lead over (John) Walker, (Dick) Quax and (Rod) Dixon to see moment, hurling the 7.26kg metal shot out to Prayad Marksaeng and had to be satisfied something like this,” Athletics New Zealand 20.79 metres on his final throw to claim a New with a half point. spokesman Brett Addison told Reuters of the Zealand all-comers record and his fifth national “I played so well at the start,” said the interest in the duo’s clash. “It has been quite a title. unbeaten Donaldson, whose tally of two-and- long time. a-half points in the tournament was matched “There have been some good little battles in VIDEO REVIEW only by Jimenez. the past but I don’t think we have had a contest The 22-year-old Walsh, who won bronze at “I flushed it for nine holes and then I don’t between someone who is third in the world and the world indoor championships in Poland earli- know if the heat got to me a little bit, but I hit someone who is a world junior record holder.” er this month and beat double Olympic champi- some shocking shots and gave him a few The battle between Walsh and Gill even rele- on Tomasz Majewski into fourth, almost fell foul holes. gated twice Olympic champion Valerie Adams to of the judges on the throw when his foot “It was good to get a half in the end. It was secondary billing, though the 29-year-old’s seemed to touch the stop board. important to hole that putt for the team and pulling power was no less diminished as a queue Walsh asked the officials to review video for my match, but I made it very difficult.” to get a photo and autograph after she won her footage and he was given the benefit of the SUBANG: Miguel Angel Jimenez (left) of Spain and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee The tournament will return to Malaysia in 13th national shotput title stretched upwards of doubt, though his consistent series of throws, 2016 but the course for the second running of (right) poses for the camera with the EurAsia trophy after both Team Asia and Euro 80 metres. with three over 20 metres, had already sealed the the event has yet to be finalised. —Reuters drew during the third round of the EurAsia Cup golf tournament. —AP “I’m like the warmup game, the curtain raiser,” title. —Reuters SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Spurs pound Nuggets

DENVER: Marco Belinelli scored 27 points and Tim Duncan had 20 as the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 16 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 133- 102 in the NBA on Friday. Reserve Patty Mills had 16 points for the Spurs, who scored a season high in points. It’s their longest regular season win streak since reeling off 17 straight from Feb. 29 to March 31, 1996. San Antonio also maintained a three-game lead for the top play- off seed in the Western Conference. Randy Foye scored 20 for the Nuggets, who lost for the SEPANG: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain takes a corner during the fourth time in five games. Kenneth qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix. —AFP Faried, struggling with an illness, finished with 18 points and 13 Hamilton on Malaysian pole rebounds. HEAT 110, PISTONS 78 LeBron James had 17 points, 12 SEPANG: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton made side for tomorrow but it depends on how assists and 10 rebounds to help it two poles in two races after emerging good the start is. I’m happy with the result.” Miami build a big lead, and then unscathed from an incident-packed and rested in the fourth quarter. It was rain-hit Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying ROSBERG STARTS THIRD James’ first triple-double of the yesterday. Hamilton’s Mercedes team mate Nico season and No. 37 for his career. The Briton saw off Red Bull’s quadruple Rosberg, winner in Australia, will start from The banged-up Heat had little Formula One world champion Sebastian third place with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso trouble with the Pistons even Vettel by 0.055 of a second in a session joining him on the second row despite an PHOENIX: JR Smith No. 8 of the New York Knicks handles the ball guarded by Goran Dragic No. 1 though they were without with two red flags, grid penalties, a 50 earlier collision with Russian rookie Daniil of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game. —AFP Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers, minute rain delay and more downpours Kvyat’s Toro Rosso that required hurried Ray Allen and Greg Oden. score in double figures and shot 55 throughout that left drivers struggling for repairs. Alonso was on the outside and WARRIORS 100, GRIZZLIES 93 season. Durant could have done Udonis Haslem scored 12 of his percent from the field. Luol Deng visibility. turned into Kvyat with the incident reviewed Stephen Curry scored 33 points, more damage, but he sat for good 17 points in the first quarter, when and Dion Waiters each scored 20 The pole was the 33rd of Hamilton’s by stewards, who opted against any penalty. including a tiebreaking 3-pointer, as with 1:25 left in the third quarter. James already had seven assists. points for the Cavaliers, who had career, equalling the British record held by “I didn’t see him coming, Obviously it was Golden State used a closing run to Russell Westbrook had 18 points Chris Bosh scored 15 for Miami. won three in a row. the late Jim Clark since 1964, and was a little bit of an aggressive move on the out- beat Memphis. Klay Thompson and six assists for the Thunder, who Greg Monroe and Will Bynum each secured in a time of one minute 59.431 lap with that sort of visibility,” the double added 14 points as the Warriors have won five of six. Ben had 12 points for the Pistons. PELICANS 102, JAZZ 95 seconds. world champion Spaniard said. beat the Grizzlies at home for the McLemore scored 18 points and Tyreke Evans had 22 points and “I’m really happy with how well we’ve Force India’s Nico Hulkenburg finished first time in six meetings. Thompson Travis Outlaw added 17 for the WIZARDS 91, PACERS 78 a career-high 15 assists as the done over the weekend, but today was seventh with McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen had a pair of clinching free throws. Kings. John Wall scored 20 points as short-handed Pelicans overcame incredible, how heavy was the rain?” eighth as he and his team chopped and Marreese Speights scored 15 and Washington avenged two of its the loss of Anthony Davis to Hamilton told reporters. changed with intermediate and wet tyres Jermaine O’Neal added 10 points TRAIL BLAZERS 91, BULLS 74 biggest losses of the season. extend their winning streak to a “It was tricky out there for everyone throughout as they struggled to second for the Warriors, who moved two Mo Williams scored 18 points to Marcin Gortat added 17 points season-high five games. because at the end it was almost impossi- guess the weather. games ahead of the Grizzlies for the lead five players in double figures and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, Davis left in the first quarter ble to see. I couldn’t see where the track Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne and sixth playoff seed in the Western as Portland won on the road for a who dropped their first two with a left ankle injury, further went, where the corners were, where to McLaren’s Jenson Button rounded out the Conference. second straight night. games against the Pacers this sea- depleting New Orleans’ already break. top 10 with Williams once again struggling Zach Randolph scored 21 points Damian Lillard had 16 points for son by a combined 47 points. Al injury-riddled roster. Anthony “I had to bail out of my final fast lap, so despite some promising pre-season tests. for Memphis, which won eight of the Blazers, who won in Atlanta on Harrington added 12 points, Morrow scored 20 points for New it was very close.” Vettel’s lap was an Felipe Massa will start in 13th while their previous 10 games. Mike Thursday after dropping the first including a personal 10-0 run in Orleans. Alexis Ajinca, playing impressive turnaround for the German, Valtteri Bottas finished 15th but was demot- Conley added 20 points. three games of their road trip. the second quarter. extended minutes in Davis’ who retired in Melbourne two weeks ago, ed three places after stewards deemed the Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez Indiana was due for a letdown absence, had 10 rebounds, nine after he was called back to the pits after Finn blocked Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who TIMBERWOLVES 143, LAKERS 107 had 13 points apiece. two nights after a big win over points and three blocks. only three laps of the first phase of qualify- qualified fifth, on a flying lap. Kevin Love had 22 points, 10 The Blazers got past the Bulls Miami in a matchup of the top Derrick Favors had 18 points ing with an energy store problem. “He was on his out-lap. I’ll have a word rebounds and 10 assists for his sec- easily, despite a quiet night from two teams in the Eastern and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who The champion re-emerged after a reset with him,” said the Australian driver, who was ond career triple-double, leading All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, who Conference. The Pacers committed lost their third straight. The of the system and became progressively disqualified after finishing second in Minnesota to the easy win. was playing just his second game five turnovers in the first four min- Pelicans played without guards Eric competitive as the rain grew stronger and Melbourne because of a fuel flow issue. Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points after missing two weeks with a utes Friday and shot 35 percent Gordon (left knee tendinitis) and felt he could have taken pole had he been Lotus’s woes continued with Romain on 9-for-10 shooting in his first back injury. He had five points and overall. Brian Roberts (left knee bone able to get in another lap in the final 15 Grosjean complaining about his car after game back from an ankle injury 13 rebounds in 29 minutes. Paul George scored 19 points, bruise). minute session. qualifying 15th, while team mate Pastor and Kevin Martin scored 17 points Carlos Boozer had 16 points and and Lance Stephenson had 13 “At the beginning of Q1 (the first Maldonado failed to make it out of the first for the Wolves, who led by 19 12 rebounds in 24 minutes for points and matched a career-high MAGIC 110, BOBCATS 105 phase), the heartbeat was rising very phase and will start in 17th. points in the first quarter, 37 in the Chicago. Joakim Noah added 11 with 14 rebounds for the Pacers, Nikola Vucevic had 24 points quickly when we realised there was an The first phase of qualifying ended 30 sec- second and 40 in the third. points and 10 rebounds. who have lost a season-high four and 23 rebounds for Orlando, and issue,” Vettel said. onds early after Swede Marcus Ericsson lost Steve Nash made a surprise straight road games. Jameer Nelson scored five points in “Q3 was not perfect. I would have loved control of his Caterham, hit the wall before appearance for the Lakers, picking NETS 108, CAVALIERS 97 overtime. Aaron Afflalo, who fin- to have a second go. My first attempt, I felt flying back across the track leaving debris up four points and six assists in 14 Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 22 RAPTORS 105, CELTICS 103 ished with 17 points, sent the there was time to gain here and there. “It was and almost hitting Esteban Gutierrez’s minutes of just his 12th game of points in a flawless first quarter as Amir Johnson scored the win- game into overtime with a 3-point- very close, too close. I should be on the good Sauber. —Reuters the season. Brooklyn quickly pulled away in ning basket with seven seconds the second on the way to its 12th er with 7.6 seconds remaining as remaining as Toronto clinched its THUNDER 94, KINGS 81 straight home victory. Orlando won its second straight. first playoff berth in six seasons. Kevin Durant scored 29 points Joe Johnson added 14 points Nelson’s 3-pointer with 2:26 left in DeMar DeRozan scored 30 to power Oklahoma City to the vic- for the Nets, who played three OT put the Magic ahead for good. points as the Raptors won for the tory. Durant has scored at least 25 straight overtime games on their Josh McRoberts had a career- 18th time in 24 home games. points in 37 consecutive games, just-completed road trip, losing the high 24 points for Charlotte. Terrence Ross had 17 points, the longest streak since Michael last two of them. They won at Kemba Walker also scored 24 Greivis Vasquez scored 15 and Jordan’s 40-game run for the home for the 19th time in their last points and Al Jefferson added 20 Jonas Valanciunas finished with Chicago Bulls during the 1986-87 21 games. The Nets had six players points and eight rebounds. —AP 13. The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors last reached the playoffs in NBA results/standings 2007-08, losing in five games to Orlando in the first round. This is Orlando 110, Charlotte 105 (OT); Toronto 105, Boston 103; Washington 91, Indiana 78; Brooklyn 108, their sixth playoff berth in 19 sea- Cleveland 97; Miami 110, Detroit 78; Portland 91, Chicago 74; Minnesota 143, LA Lakers 107; New Orleans sons. 102, Utah 95; Oklahoma City 94, Sacramento 81; San Antonio 133, Denver 102; Phoenix 112, NY Knicks 88; Jerryd Bayless scored 14 of his Golden State 100, Memphis 93. 20 points in the fourth quarter for Boston, which has dropped three Eastern Conference Western Conference straight and eight of nine. Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 53 19 .736 - SUNS 112, KNICKS 88 Toronto 41 31 .569 - Portland 47 27 .635 7 Goran Dragic scored 32 points in Brooklyn 38 33 .535 2.5 Minnesota 36 35 .507 16.5 32 minutes as Phoenix routed New NY Knicks 30 43 .411 11.5 Denver 32 41 .438 21.5 York for its season-high sixth victory SAITAMA: Gold medalist Mao Asada of Japan (center) silver medalist Julia Boston 23 49 .319 18 in a row. Eric Bledsoe added 16 Utah 23 50 .315 30.5 Lipnitskaia of Russia (left) and bronze medalist Carolina Kostner of Italy Philadelphia 15 57 .208 26 (right) pose for photographers with their medals during an awarding ceremo- points, seven rebounds and six assists, Markieff Morris scored 16 Pacific Division ny of the women’s figure skating event of the World Figure Skating Central Division Championships. —AP and Miles Plumlee had 11 points LA Clippers 51 22 .699 - and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who Indiana 52 21 .712 - Golden State 45 27 .625 5.5 led by 22 at halftime and 32 in the Chicago 40 32 .556 11.5 Phoenix 44 29 .603 7 third quarter. Carmelo Anthony Cleveland 29 45 .392 23.5 Asada wins world crown Sacramento 25 47 .347 25.5 scored 21, seven below his season Detroit 26 46 .361 25.5 SAITAMA: Japan’s Mao Asada won her music of “Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor” average, and Amare Stoudemire 19 LA Lakers 24 48 .333 26.5 Milwaukee 14 58 .194 37.5 third women’s world figure skating title by Sergei Rachmaninov. for the Knicks, blown out for the yesterday before a roaring home crowd, She also under-rotated her next jump, a second time in three games on their Southwest Division springing back from a disappointing result triple flip, in a combination with a triple Southeast Division five-game Western Conference road San Antonio 56 16 .778 - at last month’s Sochi Olympics. Russia’s 15- loop, and took a triple lutz off the wrong trip. Miami 49 22 .690 - year-old European champion Julia edge. Phoenix pulled a game ahead of Washington 37 35 .514 12.5 Houston 49 22 .690 6.5 Lipnitskaia finished second and Italian vet- But her graceful spins, steps and spirals idle Dallas for the eighth and final Charlotte 35 38 .479 15 Memphis 43 29 .597 13 eran and Olympic bronze medallist were enough to send a sell-out crowd of playoff berth in the West. The Knicks Atlanta 31 40 .437 18 Dallas 43 30 .589 13.5 Carolina Kostner took third at the world 18,200 to their feet at the Super Arena fell two games behind Atlanta for Orlando 21 52 .288 29 New Orleans 32 40 .444 24 championships in Saitama, near Tokyo. which also saw men’s Olympic champion the eighth spot in the East. Asada, the 2008 and 2010 world cham- and compatriot Yuzuru Hanyu win his first pion, finished sixth in Sochi landing her world title overnight. trademark triple axel, fighting back from a Taking a one-year leave from university disastrous 16th spot in the short pro- in her hometown of Nagoya, Asada has gramme. experienced a roller-coaster Olympic sea- The 23-year-old, who broke her South son. Korean rival Kim Yu-Na’s world short pro- She won the US and Japanese Grand gramme record on Thursday, made a few Prix events and the GP final. But she slipped minor jumping mistakes in the free skate of to third spot at the nationals in December what could be the last competition of her before the disaster in Sochi. career. But she excelled in other elements, Her resilience since Sochi has touched hitting a maximum level-four in three spins many skating stars including Russian leg- and a step sequence to collect a table-top- end Yevgeny Plushenko who called her a ping 138.03 points. “real fighter” on Twitter. Her total of 216.69 points was her per- On Thursday, Asada scored 78.66 points sonal best, breaking the previous mark of to top the previous short programme 207.59 she set last November for Japan’s world mark of 78.50 points scored by Kim NHK Trophy. when she beat the Japanese into second “I have regrets on the one mistake I spot at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. made today but I think I could control Kim and Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova, who myself and I have done what I have to do,” stopped the Korean’s bid for back-to-back she said. “But overall I am very satisfied Olympic golds in Sochi amid controversy with my performance.” over the judging, both skipped the worlds. Asada, the only skater who regularly “The Olympics and worlds brought me attempts the technically demanding but happiness and also made me regret,” Asada high-scoring triple axel in top competi- said. “I went through so many emotions but KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait sponsored the Al-Amal (Hope) Football Tournament for the Deaf, which was organized tions, under-rotated the 3.5-rotation jump after all it made me realise again how won- by Al-Amal School for Boys with Special Needs. Amani Al-Wara’a, the CBK’s Assistant General Manager of the Advertisement and in her opening element, skating to the derful skating is.” —AFP Public Relations Department, was honored during the closing ceremony. SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Messi penalty propels Barcelona to the top MADRID: Barcelona rounded off a fine week chance as just two minutes later he fired to move top of La Liga as they overcame stiff over with just Pinto to beat from Sergio resistance from local rivals Espanyol to win Garcia’s inviting cross. 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Lionel Messi. Javier Mascherano was lucky not to con- The Argentine scored the only goal of the cede a penalty as he appeared to catch Javi game 14 minutes from time at Cornella El Lopez with a stray arm as the Espanyol full- Prat after Javi Lopez was adjudged to have back broke into the box. handled inside the area. Neymar came close to breaking the Espanyol were then reduced to 10 men deadlock once more before the break as he when goalkeeper Kiko Casilla saw a straight prodded Jordi Alba’s through ball beyond red card for blocking Messi’s goalbound Casilla but the ball rolled passed the far effort with his hands outside the area. post. Victory moves Barca two points clear of There was far less in the way of goal- Atletico Madrid and five ahead of Real mouth action in the second-half, but Barca Madrid with both sides from the capital in upped the pressure as Espanyol started to action later on Saturday against Athletic tire in the final 20 minutes and Gerard Pique Bilbao and Rayo Vallecano respectively. struck the crossbar from Sergio Busquets’ Knowing his side would be in for a difficult flick-on. afternoon, Barca boss Gerardo Martino Moments later Martino’s men did get the named almost his strongest side despite all-important goal as Lopez handled whilst Tuesday’s upcoming Champions League contesting a cross with Neymar at the far quarter-final clash with Atletico. Andres post and this time referee Clos Gomez did Iniesta was left on the bench after having to point to the spot. come off during Wednesday’s 3-0 won over Messi stepped up and, just as in scoring Celta Vigo with a slight muscular problem, twice from the spot in Barca’s 4-3 win over whilst Jose Manuel Pinto replaced the Real Madrid last weekend, showed no sign injured Victor Valdes in goal. of nerves as he calmly slotted home his The visitors started brightly and would 36th goal of the season. have been in front had their star forwards Espanyol finished the game with 10 men CHITTAGONG: England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (left) watches as South Africa batsman AB de Villiers plays a shot during the ICC been at their best as both Neymar and Messi as Casilla then saw red for handling outside World Twenty20 tournament cricket match. —AFP wasted good headed chances when well the area as he blocked a lob from Messi that placed inside the area. appeared to heading goalwards. Lopez Neymar then missed a glorious opportu- ended an eventful afternoon by going in nity on 19 minutes when he blazed Dani goal as the hosts had already made all three SA knock out England Alves’ cross over from point-blank range substitutions and made a fine save in stop- with an open goal to aim at. page time to prevent Alexis Sanchez dou- CHITTAGONG: South Africa produced another clinical per- Pizzi was next to pass up a wonderful bling Barca’s lead. —AFP formance to beat England by three runs in Chittagong to advance to the World Twenty20 semi-finals yesterday. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla hit half-centuries to anchor South Africa’s highest total of the tournament of 196- 5 before Wayne Parnell took 3-31 to keep England down to 193-7 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium. South Africa are the second team to qualify for the semis after 2007 champions India cruised to the last four from Group Two. The defeat-second in three Group One Super-10 matches- sent 2010 champions England out of the semi-final race. Sri Lanka meet New Zealand in their last Group One match on Monday and the winners will join South Africa in the last four. Pakistan meet Bangladesh in a Group Two match in Dhaka on Sunday and if the 2009 champions beat the hosts their last match against title holders the West Indies will decide the last semi-final berth. England, who chased down a 190-run target against Sri Lanka on Thursday, failed to match that performance with Alex Hales (38), Jos Buttler (34) and Ravi Bopara (31) unable to benefit from good starts. Parnell, who was released from the squad for two days to attend a court hearing relating to SCOREBOARD drug charges in the 2012 Indian Premier League in Mumbai on Friday, dismissed Michael Lumb (18), Hales and Moeen Ali CORNELLA: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) vies with CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh: Scoreboard of the World Twenty20 Super-10 Group one match (10) to jolt England after they were off to a 46-run start by the Espanyol’s Mexican defender Hector Alfredo Moreno (left) and Espanyol’s between South Africa and England played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium yesterday. fifth over. Uruguayan forward Christian Stuani (right) during the Spanish League football Hales hit six boundaries and a six off 22 balls but once he match. —AFP South Africa England departed the target continued to climb on England with 45 Hashim Amla c Hales b Broad 56 M. Lumb c Miller b Parnell 18 needed off the last three overs and 22 off Dale Steyn’s final Q. de Kock st Buttler b Tredwell 29 A. Hales c Miller b Parnell 38 over. Moeen Ali c de Kock b Parnell 10 Bayern held by Hoffenheim AB de Villiers not out 69 South Africa’s total was built around a swashbuckling 28- E. Morgan c de Kock b Tahir 14 ball 69 not out by De Villiers and a 37-ball 56 by Amla. De JP Duminy run out 5 BERLIN: Champions Bayern Munich drew Bosnia midfielder Sejad Salihovic curled in J. Buttler c Morkel b Tahir 34 Villiers was ruthless in the final overs, taking 26 off Jade only their third Bundesliga match of the sea- a 44th-minute free-kick to make it 3-2 at the D. Miller c Ali b Jordan 19 R. Bopara c Miller b Steyn 31 Dernbach’s 18th over and reached his fifty with a towering six son yesterday when they were held 3-3 at break. Hoffenheim grabbed the crucial A. Morkel b Bresnan 3 C. Jordan c de Villiers b Hendricks 16 off just 23 balls. home to Hoffenheim. equaliser on 75 minutes when Brazilian left- Extras: (b4, lb2, nb1, w8) 15 T. Bresnan not out 17 In all he hit nine boundaries and three sixes to help South Bayern were confirmed German league wing Roberto Firmino darted onto a through S. Broad not out 1 Total: (for five wkts; 20 overs) 196 Africa during an innings stopped twice for floodlight failure. winners for the 24th time with a record seven ball and his shot beat both Bayern centre- Extras: (lb4, nb1, w9) 14 Did not bat: Farhan Behardien, W. Parnell, D. South Africa smashed 75 in the last five overs. Amla and games to spare after Tuesday’s 3-1 win at back Dante and goalkeeper Tom Starke. Total: (for seven wkts; 20 overs) 193 Quinton de Kock (29) helped South Africa to 90 without loss Hertha Berlin and after partying through the Despite the draw, Bayern still remain 22 Steyn, B. Hendricks, Imran Tahir. Did not bat: J. Tredwell, J. Dernbach. in the 11th over with the former in a punishing mood. night in the capital, they suffered a slight points clear in the table and extended their Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Amla), 2-98 (de Kock), 3- Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Lumb), 2-73 (Hales), 3-73 The bearded Amla hit six boundaries and two sixes before hangover in Munich. record unbeaten Bundesliga run to 53 match- 120 (Duminy), 4-174 (Miller), 5-196 (Morkel). (Ali), 4-105 (Morgan), 5-131 (Buttler), 6-167 he was caught at deep mid-wicket off Stuart Broad. South Hoffenheim ended Bayern’s record run of es. Bowling: Ali 2-0-17-0 (1w), Dernbach 3-0-44- (Jordan), 7-175 (Bopara) Africa made two changes from the line-up which beat the 19 consecutive Bundesliga wins before Germany winger Marco Reus netted a hat- Bowling: Duminy 2-0-18-0 (1w), Morkel 2-0- 0 (1nb, 3w), Bresnan 3-0-28-1, Netherlands in their last game, with Farhan Behardien and Munich head to England for Tuesday’s trick as Borussia Dortmund fought back from 19-0 (1nb, 1w), Hendricks 4-0-50-1 (2w), Steyn Parnell in for regular skipper Faf Du Plessis-suspended for Champions League quarter-final at 2-0 down to win 3-2 at ten-man VfB Stuttgart. Jordan 3-0-30-1 (3w), Tredwell 3-0-25-1, 4-0-44-1, Parnell 4-0-31-3 (3w), Tahir 4-0-27-2. one match due to a slow over-rate-and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Manchester United. Dortmund face Real Madrid away on Broad 4-0-33-1, Bopara 2-0-13-0 (1w) Result: South Africa won by three runs. New Zealand sent the Netherlands out of the tournament Bayern midfielder Thiago Alcantara will Wednesday in the Champions League quar- with a clinical six-wicket win earlier in the day. —AFP miss the Manchester match with a knee ter-finals and some woeful defending left injury after limping off after only 25 minutes them 2-0 down after just 20 minutes. against Hoffenheim, who matched Freiburg Stuttgart midfielders Christian Gentner and Bayer Leverkusen in holding Bayern to a and Martin Harnik took advantage with the NZ thump Netherlands league draw this season. guests’ defence in disarray. Reus pulled one A high-scoring tie was always on the cards back with a superb finish on 30 minutes, then between the league’s two highest scoring hit the equaliser when he converted a 68th- CHITTAGONG: Brendon McCullum hit a robust half-centu- sides: Bayern’s 82 goals compared to minute penalty after Stuttgart Georg ry to steer New Zealand to a comprehensive six-wicket Hoffenheim’s 63. Niedermeier was shown a red-card for bring- win over the Netherlands in a World Twenty20 Super-10 This was the first time Bayern have leaked ing down Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski game in Chittagong yesterday. three goals in a Bundesliga match this season in the area. McCullum hit a punishing 45-ball 65 with three sixes and having dropped just six points with three Reus saved his best for last when he com- and four boundaries to make easy work of a 152-run tar- draws, they are bidding to become the first pleted his hat-trick with a long-range shot get which New Zealand chased down in 19 overs. team to go through a Bundesliga season which took a deflection off defender Daniel McCullum also became the first man to reach 2,000 unbeaten. Schwaab on 83 minutes. runs in Twenty20 cricket when he cleared 21 in his 67th Bayern coach Pep Guardiola rested stars Bayer Leverkusen hold onto fourth in the match. The victory gives New Zealand their second win in Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic, Philipp league despite drawing 1-1 at home to bot- three games while the Netherlands, the only associate Lahm and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from his tom side Eintracht Braunschweig as Sami side to qualify for the second round, crashed out of the starting line-up, but still fielded nine interna- Hyypia’s side struggle for form with one win event with three defeats in as many games. tionals. in their last 11 games. McCullum added 42 for the second wicket with Kane Veteran striker Claudio Pizarro scored Braunschweig took a shock lead through Williamson (29) and another 46 for the fourth wicket with twice, while Swiss wing Xherdan Shaqiri also defender Ken Reichel just after the break Corey Anderson who made an unbeaten 20. got on the scoresheet in the first half after before former Germany striker Stefan McCullum holed out in the 17th over off paceman Hoffenheim took an early lead through striker Kiessling slotted home a 53rd-minute penalty Timm van der Gugten who took 3-30 in his four overs. But Anthony Modeste. to spare Bayer’s blushes. —AFP CHITTAGONG: New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum plays a shot during there was no support from any other Dutch bowler as the ICC World Twenty20 tournament cricket match against Netherlands. —AFP New Zealand’s strong batting line-up was too good for them. South Africa play England in the other Group One game later Saturday. Both South Africa and Sri Lanka have two wins in three games while England have one win in SCOREBOARD two matches. “Definitely, Netherlands put up a really good fight,” said CHITTAGONG: Scoreboard of the World Twenty20 Super-10 Group one match between New man-of-the-match McCullum. “There was a lot of talk Zealand and the Netherlands played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium yesterday. about their game against Sri Lanka (Netherlands out for 39), but we had a lot of respect for them and we were The Netherlands New Zealand focused.” S. Myburgh c Guptill b Boult 16 M. Guptill c Barresi b Gugten 9 The losing captain Peter Borren said McCullum made M. Swart st Ronchi b N. McCullum 26 K. Williamson c Barresi b van Beek 29 the chase easy. “Brendon got them through, but if we’d got W. Barresi c Ronchi b McClenaghan 4 B. McCullum c Bukhari b Gugten 65 him early something could have happened.” P. Borren c Williamson b Mills 49 R. Taylor c Barresi b Gugten 18 Earlier Borren made 49 and Tom Cooper an unbeaten 40 C. Anderson not out 20 T. Cooper not out 40 during their 60-run fourth wicket stand off just 35 balls to J. Neesham not out 7 steer their team to 151-4 in 20 overs. B. Cooper not out 1 Extras: (lb2, w2) 4 Borren hit seven boundaries and a six off 35 balls to Extras: (b8, lb4, nb1, w2) 15 Total: (for four wkts; 19 overs) 152 improve on his previous best T20 score of 38 not out made Total: (for four wkts; 20 overs) 151 Did not bat: L. Ronchi, N. McCullum, T. Boult, against Afghanistan at Sharjah last year. Did not bat: van Beek, Mudassar Bukhari, T. K. Mills, M. McClenaghan. Cooper knocked two sixes and four boundaries off 23 van der Gugten, P. Seelaar, Ahsan Malik. Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Guptill), 2-56 balls to help his team add 43 in the last five overs. The Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Myburgh), 2-42 (Barresi), (Williamson), 3-88 (Taylor), 4-134 (B. Netherlands were off to a steady 34-run start with opener McCullum) Stephan Myburgh hitting a boundary and a six before he 3-81 (Swart), 4-141 (Borren) holed out to paceman Trent Boult, who replaced Tim Bowling: Swart 1-0-6-0 (1w), Gugten 4-0-30- Bowling: Mills 3-0-20-1, Boult 4-0-25-1 (1nb), Southee in the team. New Zealand also brought in all- 3, Bukhari 4-0-31-0 (1w), Malik 4-0-43-0, Anderson 2-0-19-0 (1w), N. McCullum 4-0-20- rounder Jimmy Neesham for Colin Munro from the line-up 1, McClenaghan 4-0-29-1 (1w), Williamson 1- Borren 2-0-10-0, Seelaar 2-0-16-0, van Beek which beat England yesterday. 2-0-14-1 0-17-0, Neesham Michael Swart made a run-a-ball 26. The top two teams MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger controls Result: New Zealand won by six wickets. 2-0-9-0 from both groups will qualify for the semi-finals. India have the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match against already qualified for the last four from Group Two. —AFP Hoffenheim. —AFP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Arsenal keep City in check

Arsenal 1

Man City 1

LONDON: Manchester City could not exploit an earlier defeat by Premier League leaders Chelsea and had to be content with a point from a 1-1 draw at Arsenal yesterday. The visitors looked on course for the summit after taking an 18th- minute lead through David Silva, but Mathieu Flamini earned his side a LONDON: Manchester United’s Juan Mata (right) and teammate Wayne Rooney share of the spoils early in the second celebrate after Marta scored against Aston Villa, during their English Premier half. League soccer match. —AP City would have moved ahead of Chelsea, who had surprisingly lost 1-0 at Crystal Palace, and Liverpool, who Rooney, Mata chase are at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, had they won, but Chelsea remain at the summit for now. Manuel away gloomy clouds Pellegini’s side stay in third place, but will have two games in hand over their and picked out the unmarked England inter- rivals once the Liverpool game is con- national with a neat, chipped cross, which cluded, so their title destiny remains in Man United 4 Rooney expertly headed past Villa goalkeep- their own hands. LONDON: Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas (left) vies with Arsenal’s Spanish er Brad Guzan from 10 yards. Arsenal’s title hopes continue to midfielder Mikel Arteta during their English Premier League football match. —AFP The goal notably lifted manager, players fade, however, as they find themselves still in fourth, five points behind Flamini put the ball in the City net booked for a late challenge on Gael divert his low drive from the left of the and the crowd at Old Trafford and Mata laid straight after with an effort that Clichy and Silva cautioned for catching box behind for a corner. Aston Villa 1 the ball off for Rooney soon after for a fierce Chelsea with only six games remain- ing. bounced over City goalkeeper Joe Arteta. City eventually recovered their 20-yard shot that was bravely blocked by Hart, but the Frenchman was one of City almost doubled their lead ear- poise and swapped Navas for James defender Ciaran Clark. Arsenal made one change from the side that drew 2-2 at home to Swansea two offside attackers when the cross ly in the second half when Szczesny’s Milner after Szczesny had tipped over Then Rooney turned provider, clipping came in so it did not count. parry of a Navas cross hit Per a long-range effort from Fernandinho. MANCHESTER: Wayne Rooney scored twice City on Tuesday due to a late Flamini over a dangerous free-kick that Nemanja The setback seemed to galvanise Mertesacker and bounced just wide. Szczesny did well to block from Toure and Juan Mata claimed his first Manchester own goal, with Lukas Podolski replac- Vidic headed just wide. Villa were playing Arsenal, who continued to attack, and But Arsenal then equalised in the in a scramble, before Dzeko’s follow-up United goal to cheer under-fire manager ing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. without fear, as most visitors to Old Trafford Yaya Toure was booked for tugging 53rd minute through Flamini, whose was deflected behind. The final few David Moyes with a 4-1 victory over Aston Unsurprisingly, City retained the are this season, but Mata and Rooney were Rosicky to the ground, with Vincent first-time effort from Podolski’s left- minutes were tense, with both sides Villa yesterday. same starting XI that had won 3-0 at always a threat and that combination helped Kompany also cautioned for a body- wing cross beat Hart. keen to carry on attacking, but not if it A 13th-minute Ashley Westwood free-kick Manchester United on the same night. United take the lead moments before the check on Mikel Arteta. It was not long before Podolski was meant being caught on the counter- had shot Villa into an early lead, putting City had scored early at Old Trafford half-time whistle. The half then drifted into a war of presented with a great chance to fire attack, and it was no surprise that the United at risk of succumbing to three consec- and almost repeated the trick when After chasing onto Kagawa’s through ball, attrition and ended with Rosicky Arsenal ahead, but Hart was able to game ended all square. —AFP utive home league defeats for the first time in Mata was chopped down by Leandro Jesus Navas curled just wide in the 35 years. Bacuna, prompting referee Martin Atkinson third minute after the visitors had twice got in behind the home defence But after some nervous moments, goals to point immediately to the spot. EPL results/standings on the right flank. Kieran Gibbs was from Rooney, Mata and Javier Hernandez Rooney’s penalty kick was as clinical as his finding himself exposed on the left of ensured that United will go into Tuesday’s earlier header had been, with his right-foot the home defence, with Podolski offer- Crystal Palace 1 (Terry 52-og) Chelsea 0; Manchester United 4 (Rooney 20, 45-pen, Mata 57, Hernandez 90) Champions League quarter-final first leg shot easily beating the diving Guzan. Moyes ing little protection in front of him. Aston Villa 1 (Westwood 13); Southampton 4 (Rodriguez 45, 89, Lambert 49, Lallana 70) Newcastle 0; Stoke 1 against Bayern Munich with at least a degree brought Michael Carrick on for Rafael at the Arsenal replied with a ball into the (Odemwingie 62) Hull 0; Swansea 3 (De Guzman 30, 38, Routledge 75) Norwich 0; West Brom 3 (Amalfitano 2, of confidence. interval, presumably because of an injury to Dorrans 9, Thievy 90+4) Cardiff 3 (Mutch 30, Caulker 73, Daehli 90+5); Arsenal 1 (Flamini 53) Manchester City United were looking for a response to box from Santi Cazorla that saw Tomas the Brazilian full-back. Rosicky go down under Pablo 1 (Silva 18). their 3-0 loss at home to Manchester City in Carrick had to slot in at centre-back and the derby on Tuesday, but after Rafael da Zabaleta’s challenge. he quickly justified his manager’s faith by The City defender had not got the English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals Silva tripped Gabriel Agbonlahor, Westwood making a last-ditch tackle to thwart Christian against, points): swept home a magnificent free-kick to put ball, but referee Mike Dean awarded a Benteke, who had just miskicked from six goal-kick rather than the penalty Chelsea 32 21 6 5 62 24 69 Swansea 32 8 9 15 45 48 33 Villa ahead. yards with the goal at his mercy. The Villa for- It was a potentially disastrous opening for Arsenal wanted. Liverpool 31 21 5 5 84 39 68 Hull 32 9 6 17 33 40 33 ward almost made amends minutes later as City then opened the scoring Man City 30 21 4 5 80 28 67 Norwich 32 8 8 16 26 51 32 Moyes, who, despite pre-match speculation he rose to meet Marc Albrighton’s right-wing surrounding his position, had been warmly through Silva, who started and fin- Arsenal 32 19 7 6 56 37 64 Crystal Palace31 9 4 18 20 39 31 cross and placed a header inches over United welcomed by United’s fans. ished the counter-attack himself. The Everton 30 16 9 5 46 30 57 West Brom 31 5 14 12 36 48 29 goalkeeper David de Gea’s crossbar. Those Moyes emerged to take his place in the Spain midfielder brought the ball for- Tottenham 31 17 5 9 40 40 56 Cardiff 32 6 8 18 29 61 26 misses proved costly as Mata scored United’s dug-out ahead of the players and was greet- ward before slipping Edin Dzeko in on Man Utd 32 16 6 10 52 38 54 Sunderland 29 6 7 16 27 46 25 third after 57 minutes following a strong ed with a standing ovation from large sec- the left. S’ampton 32 13 9 10 49 40 48 Fulham 31 7 3 21 30 70 24 header into the area by Alexander Buttner. tions of supporters. The striker’s low shot cannoned Newcastle 32 14 4 14 38 47 46 Notes: top four teams qualify for next season’s UEFA A few moments after kick-off, an aero- Marouane Fellaini miscontrolled the loose back off goalkeeper Wojciech Stoke 32 10 10 12 37 45 40 Champions League; fifth-place team qualifies for plane flew over Old Trafford trailing a banner ball, but Mata pounced and buried a right- Szczesny’s near post to Silva, who got West Ham 31 9 7 15 34 41 34 UEFA Europa League; bottom three teams relegated that read ‘WRONG ONE - MOYES OUT’. foot snapshot past Guzan from a dozen yards. enough of a touch to divert it into Aston Villa 31 9 7 15 34 46 34 to Championship. But, once more, the United supporters Benteke appealed unconvincingly for a the net. actually turned on the publicity-hungry fans penalty after contact from Vidic, and should behind the stunt, booing the plane rather have done better later as he failed to make than their manager. telling contact with a long through ball. If that support was welcome, what Moyes United continued to press, though, and after Saints thump Newcastle really required was an equaliser and, thank- Guzan had repelled powerful attempts from Stoke 1 fully for the Scot, it came from Rooney with substitute Adnan Januzaj and Rooney, the attention was on two men who a Lambert knock-down only to be 20 minutes on the clock. former crossed from the left for Hernandez to were not playing. Pardew was back denied by a superb Elliot save but Shinji Kagawa darted towards the area volley home in injury time. —AFP Hull 0 Southampton 4 after his stadium ban, but this was that duo combined again to get the the first game of a four-match sus- opening goal right on half-time. pension from the touchline as he Lambert sent a low pass across goal faced the club he managed in and Rodriguez this time couldn’t West Brom 3 Matches on TV Stoke winning Newcastle 0 League One for a year before being miss from point-blank range. (Local Timings) sacked in 2010. The hosts doubled their lead form continues Meanwhile, referee Andre four minutes after the restart when Cardiff 3 Marriner was in charge a week after Lallana floated the ball in from the English Premier League STOKE-ON-TRENT: Peter Odemwingie scored SOUTHAMPTON: England interna- sending-off Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs right, over Rodriguez who was Fulham v Everton 15:30 for the third game running as Stoke City con- tional trio Jay Rodriguez, Rickie instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain standing in an offside position, and beIN SPORTS 1 tinued their impressive form with a 1-0 win Lambert and Adam Lallana all in a clear case of mistaken identity in Lambert fired home his 10th in the Cardiff ease beIN SPORTS 1 HD over Hull City in the Premier League yesterday. scored to give Southampton a the Gunners’ 6-0 defeat to Chelsea. league this season. Liverpool v Tottenham 18:00 The Nigeria international struck in the thumping 4-0 win against Southampton had lost just one of With their top scorer Loic Remy 62nd minute at the Britannia Stadium, seizing their last 20 home league games still missing, Newcastle failed to beIN SPORTS 1 Newcastle United at St Mary’s yes- drop fears on a loose pass from Hull wing-back Ahmed terday. against Newcastle and they looked score for the 10th time in their last beIN SPORTS 1 HD Elmohamady before drilling home from the Rodriguez’s two goals came by far the hungrier of the two teams 14 matches and the concession of WEST BROMWICH: Cardiff City kept their edge of the box. either side of strikes from Lambert early on, with Rodriguez leading the two more goals in the final 20 min- hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier Italian Calcio League It was Stoke’s third successive win, taking and Lallana to make it a miserable way. utes made this a miserable way to League alive but drew West Bromwich Albion Sassuolo v AS Roma 13:30 Mark Hughes’s side to the 40-point mark syn- afternoon for visiting manager Alan Having shaken off a knock that follow up Tuesday’s 3-0 home deeper into the dogfight at the foot of the beIN SPORTS 3 onymous with safety from relegation and Pardew, who was back after serving made him a pre-game doubt, he defeat to Everton. Lallana’s 70th- table with a thrilling 3-3 draw at The beIN SPORTS 3 HD leaving FA Cup semi-finalists Hull seven points a three-game stadium ban follow- missed three decent openings in minute strike was the pick of the Hawthorns yesterday. above the bottom three in 14th place. Torino v Cagliari 16:00 ing his head-butt on Hull City’s the first half-hour, the best coming day’s goals, as he picked up the ball After finding themselves 2-0 down after Hull manager Steve Bruce fielded Steve David Meyler recently. from a diving header that was 45 yards out and advanced before just nine minutes to goals from Morgan beIN SPORTS 6 Harper in goal after Allan McGregor damaged The win lifts Southampton palmed away by the diving Robert beating Elliot with a superb strike Amalfitano and Graham Dorrans, the beIN SPORTS 6 HD his kidneys in the 2-1 mid-week defeat at West above Newcastle into eighth place Elliot. into the top corner. Bluebirds hit back through the in-form pair of Sampdoria v Fiorentina 16:00 Ham United, but opposite number Asmir in the table but both clubs remain Elliot, standing in for the injured And Rodriguez scored his sec- Jordan Mutch and Steven Caulker. beIN SPORTS 3 Begovic was the first goalkeeper to be called cut adrift from the fight for Tim Krul, was called into action ond of the game, and 15th in the But three minutes into injury time, Thievy beIN SPORTS 3 HD into action. European places while also being again to keep out a Lambert effort league this season, as he cut inside seemd to have sealed the points for the home Verona v Genoa 16:00 Hull striker Shane Long latched onto a long well clear of the relegation zone. before Lallana headed wide when Mike Williamson before finishing side only for Mats Daehil to snatch a late point ball and teed up Tom Huddlestone, whose 25- beIN SPORTS 8 Indeed, so little was at stake on unmarked. from close range to give Saints their for Cardiff with an extra five minutes on the yard drive obliged Begovic to plunge to his the field that most of the pre-match Rodriguez then connected with biggest win of the season.—AFP clock. beIN SPORTS HD 8 right and touch the ball around the post for a Having found themselves drawn into the Napoli v Juventus 21:45 corner. relegation battle in recent weeks, largely due beIN SPORTS 3 The visitors continued to press and in the Guzman boosts Swansea’s survival bid to having drawn five and lost one of their last beIN SPORTS 3 HD 13th minute Liam Rosenior squandered a seven home games, the Baggies wasted no good chance to open the scoring, heading the potential winner at Arsenal on ly cleared to the edge of the area, time in taking a grip on the match. West Brom Spanish League ball over a gaping goal from Long’s right-wing Tuesday when referee Lee Probert where the unmarked de Guzman raced into a 2-0 lead insde the first nine min- Swansea 3 blew for full-time in the 2-2 draw was waiting to lash a low strike Real Madrid v Vallecano 0:00 cross. utes, with Morgan Amalfitano rounding off a It was not until shortly before half-time just as the Dutch midfielder was past John Ruddy. rapid breakaway with a long-range low right- beIN SPORTS 2 that Stoke first threatened, but Marko about to shoot. The Dutch inter- De Guzman wasn’t finished yet footed shot into the bottom left corner with beIN SPORTS 2 HD Arnautovic’s tame low shot was comfortably national made up for that frustrat- and he capped an impressive Norwich 0 less than two minutes on the clock. Valladolid v Almeria 13:00 saved by Harper. ing finale at the Liberty Stadium move to double Swansea’s lead Amalfitano had a similar chance to double beIN SPORTS 2 Harper had to save from Odemwingie early as the Swans leapfrogged eight minutes later. Wilfried Bony Norwich and moved seven points was the instigator with a clever the score on six minutes but missed the target beIN SPORTS 2 HD in the second half, before Begovic readjusted clear of the relegation zone. back-heeled pass that set de before Graham Dorrans made it 2-0 on eight- Osasuna v Sociedad 18:00 brilliantly to block a deflected effort from and-a-half minutes when he drove home from SWANSEA: Swansea climbed Norwich’s seventh successive Guzman clear and the midfielder beIN SPORTS 2 David Meyler at the other end, with Nikica Matej Vydra’s pass. Jelavic putting the rebound wide. Hull away from the relegation zone as away defeat in all competitions took full advantage to clip his Mutch dragged the Bluebirds back into it beIN SPORTS 2 HD appeared to be taking control, but they had a Jonathan de Guzman’s double left Chris Hughton’s team six shot over Ruddy from eight yards. on the half-hour with a powerful shot from Valencia v Getafe 22:00 hand in their own downfall as Stoke made the clinched a crucial 3-0 victory over points above the bottom three. The Canaries desperately outside the area after being set up by Aron beIN SPORTS 2 breakthrough with just under half-an-hour to fellow strugglers Norwich yester- Monk’s team monopolised needed an early goal in the sec- Gunnarsson. beIN SPORTS 2 HD play. day. possession in the early stages ond half and they almost got it Then, with the game seeming to be head- Elmohamady’s ambitious crossfield pass De Guzman struck twice in without making the most of their when Robert Snodgrass’s effort ing for a low-key West Brom victory, Cardiff French League went straight to Odemwingie, who tore quick succession late in the first domination. Spanish striker from outside the area was headed found an equaliser when Caulker headed half and Wayne Routledge added Michu, back from injury recently, off the line by Ashley Williams. Lille v Guingamp 18:00 through the Hull defence before beating home a well-flighted ball from Gary Medel Harper with a low shot. the third after the break to give showed a little rust when he Monk’s men responded with a with 18 minutes left. beIN SPORTS 5 Odemwingie threatened to add a second Garry Monk’s side their first victo- reached for Jonjo Shelvey’s cross sweeping attack which nearly cul- But all the thrills were to come deep in beIN SPORTS 5 HD with an overhead kick that flew wide, while ry in 10 games in all competitions and stabbed a shot well wide. minated in a goal when de injury time, Thievy’s low left-foot shot again Lyonnais v Etienne 22:00 Harper had to parry from Stephen Ireland. and end a six-match winless run But Norwich had only them- Guzman unselfishly played in putting West Brom in the driving seat, only for beIN SPORTS 5 Hull’s best chance of an equaliser fell to Jelavic in the Premier League. selves to blame when the hosts Shelvey and the midfielder Daehil to pop up and lash home Ben Turner’s beIN SPORT with 12 minutes remaining, but he missed his De Guzman had been contro- broke the deadlock in the 30th slipped his marker before shoot- pass for an invaluable point. —AFP kick from Meyler’s knock-down. —AFP versially denied the chance for a minute. Shelvey’s cross was poor- ing narrowly wide. —AFP Serena lifts Rooney, Mata Miami crown chase away gloomy clouds

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 16 19

Messi penalty propels Barcelona to the top Page 18

DUBAI: Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (center-back) ruler of Dubai, gestures while standing behind his daughters Salma (center) and Al-Jalilia (center-bottom) holding the trophy after his horse African Story won the Dubai World Cup, the worldí’s richest horse race. — AFP African Story wins $10m Dubai World Cup

DUBAI: They came from Europe and Asia, from time 2 mins 01.61 secs under jockey Silvestre “I hadn’t trained the winner (of this race) for Sousa said. “It’s a dream come true; I’m over the from Britain, Ireland and South Africa also get- South Africa and neighboring Saudi Arabia, but De Sousa. seven years and I felt a lot of pressure from a lot moon. We had a bit of bad luck earlier in the ting in on the winning act. In the World Cup the ruling Maktoum family dominated the $10 African Story won by two and three-quarter of people,” Bin Suroor said. evening but this has saved the night.” itself, the South African runner, Sanshaawes, million Dubai World Cup over 2000 metres at lengths from Mukhadram, with Cat O’Mountain “I thought African Story was the right horse Mukhadram’s jockey, Paul Hanagan, briefly reared up and caught a front foot in the gates Meydan racecourse. Sheikh Mohammed bin a further four and a quarter lengths adrift. for this race two years ago and I told that to the entertained hopes of victory when he asked of the stalls before the race started. He was Rashid al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, saw Side Glance and Akeed Mofeed filled the boss. He is a special horse and I am dedicating his mount to accelerate on reaching the home unloaded and inspected by on-site veterinari- horses in his colors finish first and third, cour- next two places but Military Attack and Ruler this victory to my mother. I am going to give straight. ans, who cleared him to run, but he could only tesy of African Story and Cat O’Mountain Of The World, which were both expect to fea- her my winner’s trophy.” “For a moment I thought we’d stolen it but finish seventh. respectively. ture prominently, finished 10th and 12th we were beaten by a very good horse on the As for African Story, he is unlikely to contest And his brother, Sheikh Hamdan, saw his respectively. DE SOUSA’S BIGGEST VICTORY night,” he said. African Story’s bid to win the the major races in Europe when Bin Suroor silks carried into second place by Mukhadram. Red Cadeaux, which chased home Animal De Sousa, for his part, was celebrating his Dubai World Cup came after a flurry of runners transfers his string from Dubai to Newmarket African Story was a revelation, stalking front- Kingdom in the race 12 months ago, again ran first winner in the world’s richest race. owned by the Al Maktoum family failed to next month. running Mukhadram from the outset before well to finish sixth. Even though he had won Originally from Brazil, he was retained to ride meet expectations in the previous seven races The seven-year-old is seen as a specialist sweeping past with 200 metres left to run. the race five times previously, victory meant a for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin enterprise for Thoroughbreds. runner on the synthetic surface at Meydan The horse who finished fifth in this race 12 lot to the winning trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor, 14 months ago. This was the biggest victory of In a cosmopolitan gathering of horses from racecourse, where Jennifer Lopez closed pro- months ago looked a different proposition this who trains exclusively for Sheikh Mohammed his career. around the globe, runners from Hong Kong ceedings with a live concert lasting 45 min- time, stopping the clock in a new track-record and his family. “It’s so special to win this race,” an elated De and Japan won two races each, with horses utes. — AFP

Terry gifts Palace win ‘Workers Cup’ for title hopes and acknowledged that they could Qatar laborers not afford to slip up again against another Crystal Palace 1 team in the bottom half of the table. DOHA: FIFA 2022 football World Cup host Qatar, criticised Perhaps with one eye on the midweek trip for the dire conditions of foreign laborers building facilities to Paris, Mourinho made a switch to a 4-3-3 for- for the tournament, is holding a competition just for them, mation, employing David Luiz, Nemanja Matic organisers said yesterday. And the manager of a public rela- and Frank Lampard in a three-man midfield. tions firm in Qatar said the tournament is aimed at deflating Chelsea 0 The change appeared to unsettle the visi- accusations that Doha is mistreating the migrants building tors and they struggled to find the fluency that the venues for the World Cup. marked the opening stages of the victories “We care about the workers because they are the ones against Galatasaray and Arsenal that followed building the stadiums and facilities,” said Nasser Kuwari. LONDON: Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes the loss at Villa. Labor unions and rights campaigners say the migrant work- suffered a major blow after John Terry’s 52nd- Against the Gunners, Chelsea had been 3-0 ers building the multi-million-dollar infrastructure for the minute own goal condemned Jose Mourinho’s up inside 17 minutes. On this occasion, it took World Cup facing difficult living and working conditions in side to a 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened them the same period of time to create the first energy-rich Qatar. Crystal Palace yesterday. The loss, Chelsea’s sec- notable chance, with Cesar Azpilicueta finding Amnesty International has they were being treated like ond successive away defeat, meant the league his way to the byline and producing a low cross “animals,” and urged FIFA to press Qatar to improve the con- leaders were unable to increase the pressure that Andre Schurrle directed wide. ditions of the laborers, most of them from South Asia. on Manchester City and Liverpool, their nearest It was Palace, though, who responded more And a report by the International Trade Union challengers. positively to that opportunity, with Pulis’s side Confederation said as many as 4,000 workers might die on For Palace, a first win in six games moved offering more of a forward threat after with- LONDON: Crystal Palace’s Mile Jedinak (right) tussles with Chelsea’s Branislav building sites before the tournament kicks off. Tony Pulis’s side five points clear of the bottom standing Chelsea’s early pressure. Ivanovic during their English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park. — AP Qatar has dismissed that report as full of “factual errors” three and improved their chances of avoiding Yannick Bolasie’s pace down the left was Visiting centre-back Gary Cahill was have been ahead four minutes after the restart and published a list of guidelines aimed at protecting the rights of the expatriate workers. an immediate return to the Championship. causing Branislav Ivanovic problems and the involved in both incidents, appearing to catch had Terry not scuffed a clear chance from a It is against this background that competition in the Chelsea were unable to find a response winger should have put Palace ahead in the Cameron Jerome late in the 28th minute and Lampard corner. “Workers Cup” began this month for the second year run- after Terry had headed past Petr Cech from Joel 25th minute when he was picked out by Jason then halting Bolasie with a sliding tackle four Once again, though, Palace’s response was Ward’s cross and Mourinho must now lift his minutes later. impressive. Within a minute Jerome had sent a ning, as 24 teams started squaring off until two of them Puncheon’s right-wing cross. The DR Congo reach the April 25 finals seeking a grand prize of 18,000 riyals side ahead of their Champions League quarter- Referee Lee Mason deemed neither inci- glancing header wide from a Bolasie cross international had time to control the ball and ($5,000/3,623 euros). final first leg at Paris Saint-Germain. finish, but his first touch was poor and he could dent worthy of punishment, but it appeared when he should have done better. Mourinho had chosen to focus on the The players, Asians and Africans mostly, are all migrant only find the side-netting when he finally got that Pulis was offering a different view when he The miss was quickly forgotten, however, as workers employed by construction companies, said Adil defeat at Aston Villa two weeks previously, and his shot away. walked off the pitch with the match official at Palace produced another left-wing cross, this not last weekend’s comprehensive 6-0 defeat Ahmed, managing director of organisers QSports. “We want- That should have been a warning for the interval. time from Ward, that Terry diverted into his ed to bring a programme that the workers can actually call of Arsenal, in the build-up to this game, repeat- Chelsea, but the visitors seemed unable to Mourinho clearly believed that his side had own net under pressure from Joe Ledley. ing his criticism of referee Chris Foy’s perform- their own,” Ahmed told AFP. On Friday FIFA accepted “some move through the gears. And they survived under-performed during the first period and Chelsea were stunned and their attempts responsibility” over the welfare of migrant workers but its ance at Villa Park. two more scares before the break when Palace replaced Luiz with Oscar at half-time. to recover came to nought after Julian The Chelsea manager admitted that he president Sepp Blatter told a Zurich news conference the twice had strong appeals for a penalty turned The early signs were that Chelsea would not Speroni saved from Eden Hazard and Terry football federation was powerless to intervene. — AFP feared the loss could prove costly to his side’s down. repeat their first-half showing and they could headed over. — AFP Kuwait investment sector drives real estate sales

Page 25 Business The Kuwait summit and its impact SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Page 26 Kuwait companies Kuwait trade surplus down to KD24.3bn in 2013 eye listing on LSE Page 22 Page 23 Moody’s puts Russia on review for downgrade Ukraine weighs on economic outlook

MOSCOW: Moody’s Investors Service placed escalation of hostilities,” Moody’s said. needs. It could also further constrain its ability about the potential impact of EU and US sanc- exacerbate the country’s growth challenges as Russia’s government bond rating of ‘Baa1’ on Russia’s seizure of Crimea earlier this month to diversify the economy away from over- tions on Russia’s economy and business envi- well as the resilience of Russia’s economy, pub- review for a downgrade as the conflict with after the ousting of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow reliance on oil and gas,” the agency said. ronment. The United States and other Western lic finances and external position if the crisis Ukraine weighs on the country’s economic president following mass protests has trig- Moody’s said it acknowledges Russia’s large states have sought to isolate Russia diplomati- worsens. outlook. The credit rating agency said the cri- gered the worst East-West crisis since the Cold foreign-currency reserves and limited external cally and charge it an economic price for the Russia’s economy is already in trouble, with sis in Ukraine could significantly hurt investor War. “The rating agency believes that the cur- debt repayments and the current strength of annexation of Crimea. Targeted US and EU visa growth slowing to under 2 percent, inflation sentiment and further weaken Russia’s medi- rent crisis could significantly dampen investor the government’s balance sheet. But it noted bans and asset freezes against senior Russian up and investment levels stagnant around 20 um-term growth prospects, which had already sentiment for several years to come by adding that “wider economic sanctions and potential and Crimean officials, with the threat of percent, well below necessary levels. been lowered by the Russian authorities in to existing deterrents to investment posed by countermeasures by Russia could, were they tougher economic sanctions to come if Putin Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev 2013. Another driver underlying the review is Russia’s weak rule of law and high levels of cor- to materialize, erode those financial buffers.” goes any further, have accelerated capital said capital outflows could total around $100 the agency’s concern regarding Russia’s “rising ruption,” Moody’s said in a statement. Earlier this month, Standard & Poor’s and flight from Russia. During its ratings review, billion this year, and would slow economic susceptibility to political and financial event “This could further damage the country’s Fitch Ratings revised their outlooks for Russia Moody’s said it will seek to obtain greater clari- growth for full-year 2014 to well below earlier risk, primarily driven by the risk of further economic outlook given its large investment to negative, saying they were concerned ty on the extent to which the current crisis will forecasts of 2.5 percent.— Reuters The new ‘silk road’

FRANKFURT: It is one of the world’s longest railways an China’s main seaports. “The value of this rail link, known in approximately 11,000-kilometre “modern-day silk road” China as the ‘new silk road’, is more than just symbolic,” the that traverses Russia and Kazakhstan to link a megacity in spokesman of the port of Duisburg, Julian Boecker, said. the heart of China with a key commercial hub in western “It has found itself a position in the market and now Germany. Yesterday, as part of his landmark visit to operates up to three weekly services,” he said. Germany, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the last But one of the biggest challenges will be to boost traffic stop on the “Yuxinou” rail line, an industrial feat that prom- in both directions to make it more profitable. It is not ises to revolutionize transport between Europe and Asia. uncommon for the Yuxinou trains, which can transport as Duisburg is a steel-making town of around half a million many as 50 containers, to be full when they arrive in on the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers that boasts Duisburg but empty when they return to China. “At the the world’s biggest inland port and is one of Germany’s moment, the amount of goods travelling from China to most important transport and commercial hubs. Europe is much larger than the other way round. That’s a Despite the vast distances between them, it takes just problem,” said Maria Leenen, director of market research 16 days for trains crammed with laptops and electronics to group SCI Verkehr. travel to Duisburg from Chongqing, a sprawling metropoli- tan symbol of rising China with a population of more than Alternative to sea transport 30 million. It was sea transport which gradually supplanted the his- Xi is scheduled to welcome a freight train yesterday toric Silk Road trade route linking Asia with Europe cen- afternoon as it completes a journey that has taken it turies ago. Sea transport still accounts for more than 95 through Central Asia, Russia, Belarus and Poland. Set up in percent of goods trading between the two regions, said 2011 by a group of rail companies, the Yuxinou is just 2,000 Burkhard Lemper of the logistics consultants ISL. Rail’s km short of the world’s longest rail line that links Germany share of the market remains tiny, and for now, the Yuxinou to Shanghai. It has shaved more than 20 days off the sea link only compliments existing transport systems. route. But “rail is twice as fast as sea transport and twice as The route is particularly useful for Chongqing-home to cheap as air freight,” said Erich Staake, head of the compa- TAIPEI: Demonstrators with a sign that reads “supporting the trade pact with China is good for Taiwan’s future” ral- vast car-parts and IT factories-since it lies 1,500 km from ny that operates the Duisburg port. — AFP ly to ask the opposing students occupying the legislature to retreat and return the government building to its nor- mal working schedule in Taipei yesterday. — AP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 BUSINESS

Kuwait trade surplus down to KD24.3bn in 2013 NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Recent data show that Kuwait’s trade surplus edged down to KD 24.3 bil- lion in 2013, from a record KD 25.7 billion in 2012. The surplus - estimated at around 48 percent of 2013 GDP - was pushed down by lower oil export receipts during the year. Nevertheless, the surplus is still the second-highest on record, and extremely large by interna- tional standards. Though figures for the current account position have not yet been released, we expect it to have recorded another stellar year on the back of strong trade data. A current account surplus of up to 40 percent of GDP for 2013 seems likely. Oil exports edged down to KD 30.8 billion in 2013, some 3 percent lower than a year earlier. This was due to lower oil prices, as oil markets eased in 2013 on exports. These were mainly driven by Imports saw steady growth of around consumer sector has been an important Meanwhile, the outlook for imports is the back of surging non-OPEC supplies higher exports of ethylene products, 9 percent in 2013, and reached an all- growth driver; imports of consumer mixed. A faster pace of execution of and modest growth in global demand. which were up by a large 16 percent y/y. time high of KD 8.3 billion. Imports pro- goods have grown at a faster rate than stalled government projects would pro- Kuwait export crude prices averaged Ethylene products’ contribution to non- vide an important indicator of domestic other types of imports in recent years. vide a much-needed boost to the econo- $105 per barrel during the year, some $4 oil exports has risen significantly over economic activity. On one crude meas- This year, we expect the trade balance my, while recent signs point to a slight (4 percent) lower than in 2012. the past few years, from 12 percent in ure, the latest import figures could indi- to shrink further, though remain very softening in the consumer sector. Meanwhile, non-oil exports climbed 2008 to some 40 percent by 2013 - partly cate stable growth in non-oil GDP in large. Oil markets are expected to loosen Despite the latter, consumer spending to a record KD 1.9 billion - though still related to capacity expansion in Kuwait’s 2013 - for which data is not yet available. in 2014, putting downward pressure on should remain relatively strong, support- account for only 6 percent of total petrochemical sector. Within the non-oil economy, Kuwait’s prices and reducing oil export receipts. ing growth in imports.

Russia’s Lukoil begins Mother’s Exhibition concludes output from Iraq oilfield with impressive participation BASRA: Russia’s Lukoil began commer- Russia’s no 2 oil producer saw its pro- cial production from one of the world’s duction rise 1.1 percent last year and is KUWAIT: Last Saturday, 2nd Mother’s largest untapped oilfields in Iraq yester- aiming for a 1.5 percent rise this year Exhibition and Festival, organized by ExpoTag day, as the country raises output to with the boost from West Qurna-2. for Organization of Exhibitions & Conferences record levels. Production from the giant The world’s leading oil companies Co, under the auspices of Sheikha Fariha Al- West Qurna-2 is eventually expected to have been expanding other giant fields Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, director of the reach 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd), in Iraq’s south - Rumaila led by BP, West Kuwait Association for the Ideal Family, was from an initial 120,000 bpd. Qurna-1 run by Exxon and Zubair oper- closed. The event was held over a period of two The field is one of several that form ated by Eni since 2010 when they days at the Safir International Hotel - Bneid Al- the backbone of Iraq’s plans to revive signed a series of service contracts with Gar. its oil sector and lift the economy after Baghdad. That revival, now into its fifth On this occasion, during its press statement, decades of sanctions and war. At a cer- year, prompted Iraq to set an export Expo Tag Company indicated that the Festival emony to inaugurate the field, Iraqi Oil target of 3.4 million bpd for 2014, which was entitled (I Love You Mom) took care Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi said out- including 400,000 bpd from the of the special needs of the mother. There were put from West Qurna-2 would enable Kurdistan region, implying output of 4 more than 35 participants that included (food Iraq to reach a production target of 4 million bpd, including oil used domesti- companies, skin care and beauty products, chil- million bpd by the end of the year. cally. dren’s toys and products, health institutes and Output from Iraq, already the second- Oil experts still see that as optimistic, beauty centers, many chocolate products, inter- largest producer in OPEC, averaged 3.5 but growth is returning thanks to the national schools for training football, as well as million bpd in February. The launch of expanded capacity at southern export mobile phone and electronics companies). West Qurna-2, with recoverable terminals and further rises from the fields It explained that the exhibition and festival reserves estimated at around 14 billion of Majnoon, led by Shell and Halfaya, witnessed an impressive turnout. The atten- dants interacted with the program of this annu- barrels, will allow Lukoil, which holds a where PetroChina is the operator. al event, which included encouraging children Kurdistan has also agreed to contribute 75-percent stake in the field, to more to make the nicest gifts for their mothers as than double its overseas output. “The 100,000 bpd as of April 1 in a move to well as different contests, including cooking for start of production at West Qurna-2 is resolve a dispute with the Baghdad gov- mothers on stage with their children. The pro- strategically important for LUKOIL,” said ernment over exports of oil from the gram included distributing prizes to the partici- CEO Vagit Alekperov in a statement. autonomous region. — Reuters pants and the audience and presenting certifi- cates of appreciation for participating mothers. At the end of the festival, the organizing party, Expo Tag, honored the sponsors and par- S Iraq oil exports ticipants in the event. Mrs. Dalia Wafai honored the platinum sponsors of the Mother’s Festival and Exhibition. These sponsors included Imad 2.48m bpd in March, General Trading and Contracting (Al-Alali), Mohamed Nasser Al-Hajiri and Sons Company, Al-Sayer Refreshments Plant Company, Barwa new field to open Company, Royal Pharmacies Group, Al-Yusra Food Company, and Kuwait Dairy Company. BASRA: Oil exports from southern Iraq Qurna-2, considered the world’s second- Expo Tag also honored the golden sponsors have averaged 2.48 million barrels per day largest untapped deposit, with initial out- of the exhibition which included Al-Dala (bpd) so far in March, a senior official said put of 120,000 bpd, eventually rising to 1.2 Golden International Commercial Company, yesterday, as Russia’s Lukoil prepared to million bpd. Safir International - Kuwait, Tijan International begin production from the country’s sec- The launch of West Qurna-2, with recov- Dentistry Center, Al Kazemi International Food ond-largest field. erable reserves estimated at around 14 bil- Industries Plant, Kuwait National Bakeries Production in the south has averaged lion barrels, will allow Lukoil, which holds a (Wafer) and Al-Marai Company - Kuwait. 2.5 million bpd so far this month, and 75-percent stake in the field, to more than Additionally, ExpoTag honored the parties should rise to 2.65 million following the double its overseas output. participating in the exhibition. These parties Al-Mansi Healthy Food and Plant Products Limited Company, Modern Technology inauguration of the giant West Qurna-2 oil- For Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest produc- include: Imco International Medical Company, Milopa Company, Ahlia Group for Drinking Water Bottling Company (Abraj field, Dhiya Jaafar, the head of Iraq’s South er, it is one of several key fields that will Requirements Company, Kout Food Group Food and Consumption Materials, Shahaleel Water), Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Oil Company, also said. Lukoil is due to start help lift the economy after decades of (Pizza Hut), Walden General Trading Company, Children’s Toys and Requirements, Boushehri Company, Small Mothers Volunteering Group, pumping crude on Saturday from West sanctions and war. — Reuters Premiere Jewel Academy (Everton), Al-Taham Group (Acu Iva Septuna), Ifco Kuwait, Massad and Al-Sabih Commercial Institution. EXCHANGE RATES

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. UAE Exchange Centre WLL Syrian Pound 2.945 Sierra Leone 0.000069 0.000075 Nepalese Rupees 3.920 Singapore Dollar 0.220941 0.226941 South African Rand 0.020773 0.029273 ASIAN COUNTRIES Malaysian Ringgit 86.530 COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001867 0.002447 Japanese Yen 2.757 Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.815 Australian Dollar 259.98 256.98 Thai Bhat 9.645 Taiwan 0.009134 0.009314 Indian Rupees 4.653 Canadian Dollar 258.85 258.85 Pakistani Rupees 2.888 Turkish Lira 128.980 Thai Baht 0.008345 0.008895 Swiss Franc 327.41 325.41 Srilankan Rupees 2.158 Euro 395.49 396.49 Nepali Rupees 2.915 Arab Singapore Dollar 222.710 US Dollar 281.25 284.25 Bahrain Exchange Company Bahraini Dinar 0.742483 0.750483 Hongkong Dollar 36.396 Sterling Pound 471.17 474.17 Egyptian Pound 0.036799 0.039899 Bangladesh Taka 3.631 Japanese Yen 2.83 2.85 Iranian Riyal 0.000078 0.000079 CURRENCY BUY SELL Philippine Peso 6.250 Bangladesh Taka 3.620 3.890 Iraqi Dinar 0.000181 0.000241 Thai Baht 8.712 Indian Rupee 4.608 4.908 Europe Jordanian Dinar 0.394014 0.401514 Irani Riyal transfer 0.271 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.155 2.590 Belgian Franc 0.007338 0.008338 Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000 Irani Riyal cash 0.273 Nepali Rupee 2.888 3.423 British Pound 0.463511 0.472511 Lebanese Pound 0.000138 0.000238 Pakistani Rupee 2.758 2.790 Czech Korune 0.006025 0.018025 Moroccan Dirhams 0.023421 0.047421 GCC COUNTRIES UAE Dirhams 76.64 77.11 Danish Krone 0.047971 0.052971 Nigerian Naira 0.001193 0.001828 Saudi Riyal 75.337 Bahraini Dinar 748.57 750.64 Euro 0.383198 0.391198 Omani Riyal 0.727344 0.733024 Qatari Riyal 77.625 Egyptian Pound 40.40 41.00 Norwegian Krone 0.043088 0.048288 Qatar Riyal 0.076845 0.078058 Omani Riyal 733.890 Jordanian Dinar 400.29 405.94 Romanian Leu 0.081470 0.81470 Saudi Riyal 0.074657 0.075357 Bahraini Dinar 750.370 Omani Riyal 731.43 738.73 Slovakia 0.008076 0.018076 Syrian Pound 0.001751 0.001971 UAE Dirham 76.938 Qatari Riyal 77.67 78.22 Swedish Krona 0.039555 0.044555 Tunisian Dinar 0.174395 0.182395 Saudi Riyal 75.13 75.53 Swiss Franc 0.312249 0.322449 Turkish Lira 0.126402 0.133402 ARAB COUNTRIES Turkish Lira 0.126402 0.133408 UAE Dirhams 0.075892 0.077041 Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.695 Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Yemeni Riyal 0.001282 0.001362 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.134 Australasia Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Australian Dollar 0.252949 0.264449 Tunisian Dinar 179.640 Rate for Transfer Selling Rate New Zealand Dollar 0.238331 0.247831 Jordanian Dinar 398.950 Al Mulla Exchange US Dollar 282.100 America Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.895 Canadian Dollar 259.115 Canadian Dollar 0.250233 0.258733 Syrian Lira 2.014 US Dollars 0.278250 0.282600 Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) Morocco Dirham 35.522 Sterling Pound 469.305 Euro 389.690 US Dollars Mint 0.278750 0.282600 US Dollar 281.700 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES Swiss Frank 318.405 Euro 391.200 US Dollar Transfer 282.400 Bahrain Dinar 750.835 Asia Pound Sterling 466.100 Euro 390.980 UAE Dirhams 76.780 Bangladesh Taka 0.003246 0.003846 Canadian Dollar 253.100 Sterling Pound 466.950 Qatari Riyals 78.365 Chinese Yuan 0.044297 0.047797 Indian Rupee 4.660 Canadian dollar 252.370 Saudi Riyals 75.700 Hong Kong Dollar 0.034319 0.037069 Egyptian Pound 40.105 Turkish lira 126.690 Jordanian Dinar 397.560 Indian Rupee 0.004375 0.004776 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.155 Swiss Franc 321.270 Egyptian Pound 40.430 Indonesian Rupiah 0.000020 0.000026 Bangladesh Taka 3.622 Australian Dollar 257.550 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.156 Japanese Yen 0.002668 0.002848 Philippines Peso 6.250 US Dollar Buying 281.200 Indian Rupees 4.702 Kenyan Shilling 0.003247 0.003347 Pakistan Rupee 2.880 Pakistani Rupees 2.875 Korean Won 0.000254 0.000269 Bahraini Dinar 750.100 GOLD Bangladesh Taka 3.626 Malaysian Ringgit 0.082132 0.08132 UAE Dirham 76.700 20 Gram 240.000 Philippines Pesso 6.200 Nepalese Rupee 0.002940 0.003110 Saudi Riyal 75.200 10 Gram 121.000 Cyprus pound 692.895 Pakistan Rupee 0.002629 0.002909 *Rates are subject to change 5 Gram 62.500 Japanese Yen 3.760 Philippine Peso 0.006391 0.006671 SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 BUSINESS Kuwait companies eye listing on LSE Overseas listing to increase capital, raise profile

By Sajeev K Peter ing system. “Only when the companies are going Emerging markets beyond the boundaries of Kuwait, then London Adebayo, who is a specialist in emerging mar- KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti companies are becomes a proposition. Where the story is purely kets, admitted that there are a number of macro showing interest in listing on the London Stock domestic, we as an exchange company, will issues that affect the emerging markets. “We Exchange (LSE) exploring their growth opportu- encourage the company to remain domestic. We have everything from the policy paralysis in nities globally, a top LSE official here said. are very clear about that,” he stated. India to Crimean crisis in Russia to the pace of Talking to Kuwait Times in an interview, Ibukun Adebayo said this year’s World Exchanges devaluation in Argentina. But, London investor Adebayo, London Stock Exchange Group, Co- Congress in Doha shared new ideas and best base has always been good at discerning a Head, Emerging Markets and Primary Markets, macro story from the pure fundamentals of a said, “Many Kuwaiti companies are looking at the company. Of course, the developments in the NEW YORK: This file photo shows the Citibank building in New York. Citigroup cannot possibility of an overseas listing either to meet emerging markets have an effect. But it doesn’t raise its dividend or buy back its own stock because it needs better plans to cope their immediate capital requirements or to raise mean that a company cannot raise money,” he with a severe recession, the Federal Reserve ruled.—AP their profile.” explained. “Investors have the ability look at the Adebayo, who arrived in Kuwait after attend- pure fundamentals and growth prospects of the ing the three-day World Exchanges Congress in company they are investing in. That is what As US momentum stocks take Doha, met with many Kuwaiti businessmen and London does very well. The issues are relevant, officials at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE). but they don’t remove the opportunity for beating, some sectors benefit “Kuwait has a distinct advantage in terms of investment,” he added. growth opportunities and stability. Kuwaiti “In the GCC, there seems to be stability and NEW YORK: Investors in some of the past its shares lost 40 percent before streaking investors are aware of that and many have less risky growth. We have seen acute demand year’s hottest US stocks have been given a again to new highs. John Hempton, chief shown interest in raising their capital on the LSE,” for GCC stock especially for Kuwaiti and UAE savage lesson in the risks of so-called investment officer of Bronte Capital, a small he said. “We are offering businesses and compa- stocks, during issuances recently in London,” he “momentum trading”. A group of 24 such hedge fund based in Sydney, Australia - who nies in Kuwait the opportunity to use LSE as a said. According to him several GCC companies companies compiled by Credit Suisse has lost is also a prominent short seller - said he was complementary financing venue for advancing perform well on LSE after listing. Al-Noor $63 billion in market value, or almost 19 per- loath to say that momentum had “cracked.” “If their equity story,” he stated. Hospitals undertook the second largest interna- cent, so far in March. One of them, streaming you go back to dot-com, there were five times Talking about the discussions he had with tional IPO on LSE in 2013 and raised $342 mil- video service Netflix, has declined on 15 of it cracked before it really cracked, and if you KSE officials, Adebayo said they were ‘normal’ lion. Damac Real Estate Development raised the last 17 trading days, while another, online shorted each of those cracks, you got yourself and centered primarily on admission and disclo- $400 million by issuing Global Depository travel service Priceline, is on pace to for its carried out,” he said of the Internet stocks sure standards stock exchanges follow globally. Receipts in December, 2013. It is the first UAE worst month in nearly two years, while boom in the late 1990s and the bust begin- “There are businesses in Kuwait which have a property company to list in London and is the Twitter sank below its November first-day ning in 2000. need to access capital outside of the current KUWAIT: Ibukun Adebayo, London Stock largest IPO by a Middle Eastern company in closing price for the first time. The sell off may He did say, however, that he has been pool in Kuwait. For example, certain companies Exchange Group, Co-Head, Emerging London since 2005. well have further to go, investors warn. For shorting a number of biotechnology names. in oil and gas or real estate sectors may get a Markets and Primary Markets. Similarly, Kuwait’s Action Hotels that joined one thing, the initial public offering market Other investors, too, have been reducing their better understanding of their sector or their —Photo by Sajeev K Peter AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in 2013, looks vulnerable after King Digital presence in the sector as reflected by a nearly equity story due to the deep pool of knowledge stock market practices across the globe. “We raised 30 million pounds. Abu Dhabi’s Gulf Entertainment, maker of the popular Candy 14 percent slide in the Nasdaq Biotech index in a market like London. Kuwaiti companies can talked about how to align stock exchanges more Marine Services raised $100 million in March Crush online game, cratered on its debut, los- since late February. “We owned biotechs for avail of the potential and expertise for evalua- closely for the benefit of companies, how to 2014, took a premium listing on the Main Market ing 15 percent in its first day of trade on the last year and had a wonderful ride. We tion of opportunities in London,” he said. change the clearing and settlement systems to which appreciated by 35 percent since listing. Wednesday, and another 2.7 percent on sold them because valuations got stretched,” However, Adebayo made it clear that if a become more unified and how to improve the “The London investor base really likes the stabili- Thursday. If such raisings get pulled or pared said David Kotok, chairman and chief invest- company is purely domestic in terms of its oper- experience of investors and issuers in the light of ty in the GCC. It is demonstrating that by buying back it will likely hurt the banks’ underwriting ment officer at Cumberland Advisors. He isn’t ations, those companies must be funded locally emerging trends in new media and technology,” stocks when they become available on the LSE,” fees. But while it all stands as a warning to ready to get back in yet. “Let’s induce some either by the local stock exchange or the bank- he said. Adebayo added. those who joined crowded trades in richly fear. Let’s correct some prices. Let people priced stocks, it is good news for short sellers start to question what to do. Then there’s a re- who are prepared to bet against what they entry time,” he said. China Southern profit see as over-valued stocks, and for investors who spend their time searching for unrecog- Worries about newbies down 24%, as state nized gems trading at bargain-basement lev- In the IPO market, investors have been fed els. It also indicates that the investing world a steady diet of new public offerings from airline earnings slump may be returning to more normal rules, that companies yet to turn a profit. More than 50 HONG KONG: China Southern Airlines, the coun- includes sharper assessments of the risk in IPOs have priced in 2014, and two-thirds of try’s biggest airline by fleet size, said net profit for different sectors, now that the Federal those are unprofitable, according to 2013 fell more than 20 percent, the latest Chinese Reserve’s bond-buying stimulus program is Renaissance Capital, an IPO investment advi- carrier to be hit by a weak economy and stiff com- being reduced and there is less “easy money” sor. King Digital is actually profitable but suf- sloshing around. “The weakness in momen- fers from concerns that Candy Crush may be a petition. Net profit was 1.99 billion yuan ($320 mil- tum stocks does have an implication for the fad. “Candy Crush is a reminder that the mar- lion), down 24.2 percent from the previous year’s broader market,” said Joshua Brown, vice ket sometimes gets frothy and that this is not 2.62 billion yuan, with revenue also one percent president of investments at Fusion Analytics free money,” said Sam Kendall, global head of lower at 98.55 billion yuan, it said in a statement in New York. “The best way to gauge general equity capital markets at UBS. Hempton said filed late Friday to the Hong Kong stock exchange. risk appetite is to look at momentum sectors.” he was less concerned about the technology The Guangzhou-based airline is one of the three names coming to market than the biotech state-owned airlines hit by double-digit net profit Near record levels shares. “Everything that I have seen [in tech] is drops for 2013, with Air China seeing a 32 percent Investors and strategists stress that the at least plausible that it could earn money. fall, at 3.32 billion yuan, compared to 2012. pain in the momentum area is mostly isolated People are still funding projects that are real Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines also saw bets,” he said. “In biotech at the moment, peo- to that world. The wider stock market isn’t in 2013 net profit slid by 25 percent to 2.38 billion the crosshairs - and some sectors are benefit- ple are funding projects because they can sell ing as money is switched. “It would normally them to the stock market.” yuan compared to the previous year. be concerning to see this,” said Frank Gretz, “In 2013, the overall global economy was still on market analyst at brokerage Wellington The long view the basic trend of slow recovery, the risk of a deteri- Shields & Co in New York. “Instead, other com- Activity from short-sellers indicate that oration of the economy was not completely panies are stepping up and new leaders are many do not believe the correction in removed,” China Southern said in the statement. emerging. Enough is holding together that I momentum names has fully shaken out the Despite a higher demand for air travel in China, haven’t given up on the bull market even group’s excess. The 24 stocks identified by other travel alternatives including express railways with the leadership coming down.” The S&P Credit Suisse have seen a slight increase in Air Berlin denies and high oil prices contributed to lower profits for 500 is within a few percent of record levels short bets in the last week, according to the airline, it said. China’s aviation market will enter and inflows into equity funds remain positive. Markit. This group, on average, shows 18.8 “an era of full competition”, the airline said of 2014, Investors have moved into utilities, financials percent of the shares available for borrowing financial problems citing moves to open up the industry. and telecom stocks. being used for shorting, up 0.6 percentage In Credit Suisse’s analysis of the 24 stocks, points in the last week. However, some of the “Low-priced flights will become more popular, all but 1 of the companies derive at least 55 names have seen shorts shaken out by peri- FRANKFURT: Germany’s Air Berlin said yesterday. and airlines with low-cost structure will have rapid percent of their present value from their ods in which they rallied. In the early part of yesterday it had enough money to run Daily newspaper Berliner Zeitung development,” it said, adding that there would be future growth prospects. Essentially, they’re 2013, more than 24 percent of Tesla shares its business, denying claims by an quoted Michael Kunert, spokesman for less room for growth for the “traditional business big bets on the future, typical of biotech and were being shorted. That’s been halved as the investor rights group it was trying to investor rights group SdK, as saying he market”. Both China Eastern Airlines and Air China IT names. Some of the stocks have unenviable stock has rocketed higher, boosting its for- hide its financial difficulties by twice believed Air Berlin had breached finan- cited similar challenges when they reported their characteristics. Servicenow and Incyte are ward price-to-earnings ratio to 113. By most delaying publication of its annual cial disclosure rules. “Mr. Kunert’s claims 2013 net profit, saying intensified competition and characterized as “worst in class” by Credit measures, shares are overvalued. But a full- results. The airline, almost 30 percent are wrong, and we believe they are dam- sluggish recovery in the world economy were to Suisse’s proprietary analytical models - which scale retreat does not seem to be in the cards owned by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad aging to our business,” Air Berlin said, blame for the drop in earnings. “The aviation indus- means they’re considered low quality names at this point. Scott Wallace, chief investment Airways, on Wednesday postponed pub- adding it would not rule out legal action try will continue to face serious challenges such as with weak price momentum and pricey in val- officer at Chicago-based hedge fund lication of its results for the second time against SdK. intensifying competition, dwindling resources, and ue. Others, like Pandora Media, are consid- Shorepath Capital, has boosted his position in in a week, saying it was in talks for a German financial watchdog BaFin rising operating costs,” Air China said of 2014 in a ered “momentum traps,” that are expensive Facebook and is looking at biotechs more recapitalization to strengthen its was not immediately available for com- and lower-quality, but have strong momen- closely. “It’s periods like these when you Tuesday statement. China Southern launched its finances. ment yesterday. Berliner Zeitung quoted new Boeing 787 jets on daily flights between tum. But it’s far from certain that such names should start to think about great long term “The company has sufficient liquidity a BaFin spokeswoman as saying German have a lot further to fall. The bull market has franchises and start to add to them,” he said. “I Guangzhou and Vancouver last month The airline and also has additional flexibility public limited companies had until the been resilient, and that has helped stocks like had zero exposure to biotech going into this, reported a 19 percent decrease in net profits for the through an undrawn shareholder loan,” end of April to publish their financial electric car maker Tesla Motors weather bouts and now I’m doing my homework on a few of first half of 2013 due to a slowdown in domestic Air Berlin said in an emailed statement results for the previous year. — Reuters of weakness as it did in the fall of 2013, when them.” —Reuters demand. —AFP Industry hampering oil train safety: US govt BILLINGS, Montana: US transportation officials sources. 434,000 carloads last year. The shipments are rebuked the oil industry Friday for not giving up There have been at least four major accidents delivered to refineries across the US and Canada, information regulators say they need to gauge involving trains carrying crude from the Bakken including in the Pacific Northwest, California, the danger of moving crude by rail, after several since production began to boom in 2008. and the East and Gulf Coasts. Unlike most haz- accidents highlighted the explosive properties Among them was a derailment last July that ardous materials produced by chemical plants of fuel from the booming oil shale fields on the killed 47 people and torched a large section of or other manufacturing sources, crude oil is not Northern Plains. Department of Transportation downtown Lac-Megantic, Quebec. refined before being loaded onto trains. As a officials told The Associated Press they have The combustibility of the crude in Lac- result, its properties can vary greatly among received only limited data on the characteristics Megantic was comparable to gasoline, accord- shipments. Three companies were hit with pro- of oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota ing to Canadian investigators. Other accidents posed penalties totaling $93,000 in February for and Montana despite requests lodged by with explosions have occurred after derailments misclassifying oil from the Bakken as less dan- Secretary Anthony Foxx more than two months of oil trains in Alabama, North Dakota and gerous. The North Dakota Petroleum Council on ago. Oklahoma. Friday announced it has contracted with an “The overall and ongoing lack of cooperation The string of accidents led regulators to warn engineering consulting firm to study Bakken is disappointing, slows progress and certainly emergency responders and the public in crude oil in an attempt to resolve the federal raises concerns,” the agency said in a statement. January that Bakken oil - a light, sweet crude government’s concerns. “We still lack data we requested and that energy that has high amounts of natural gases and oth- The council represents more than 500 com- stakeholders agreed to produce within 30 days.” er volatile compounds - could be more danger- panies operating in the Midwest and Rocky The DOT said “a handful of individual compa- ous than many conventional crudes. Mountains. Spokeswoman Tessa Sandstrom said nies” have offered the information being sought Some crudes from elsewhere in North oil samples will be collected for study from 18 but would not provide specifics. Representatives America and around the globe share similar locations across the Williston Basin of North from the American Petroleum Institute refuted volatile properties. But the Bakken fuel is the Dakota and Montana, which includes the The photo provided by Surete du Quebec via the Canadian Press, shows wrecked oil the foot-dragging accusation. “We’d like to know first to be moved in North America in modern Bakken. tankers and debris from a runaway train in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. US transporta- what information they’re not getting so we can times in such massive quantities by rail. That’s Through the petroleum institute, the indus- tion officials say the oil industry is not giving up needed information needed to gauge the give it to them,” said API spokesman Eric exposed a new set of safety concerns, including try also has pledged to work with the govern- danger of moving crude by rail. — AP Wohlschlegel. a well-known defect in tens of thousands of rail ment to come up with new standards for testing API president Jack Gerard said oil companies cars that leads them to rupture in accidents. the oil to make sure it’s being handled properly Transportation Department’s Pipeline and But there were signs the government’s have been encouraged by the group to share Mile-long oil trains can carry 3 million gallons when loaded onto trains. That process is expect- Hazardous Materials Administration, testified patience was wearing thin in recent weeks. In a what they know. He said there’s more data to of crude per shipment. The number of carloads ed to take several more months, and will be driv- before Congress as recently as late February that March 10 interview with The Associated Press, come, but added that API does not serve as an delivered by major US railroads has surged en in part by what’s learned regarding volatility. the industry had been working closely and shar- Quarterman raised the prospect the govern- industry “library” so it would come from multiple astronomically: from 9,344 delivered in 2008 to Cynthia Quarterman, head of the ing information with regulators. ment was ready to go it alone if necessary.— AP SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 BUSINESS As China lists big businesses in HK, investors query credentials CITIC Pacific shares fall amid asset deal skepticism

HONG KONG: China’s move to list one of its biggest which manages $120 billion. “Then it’s much harder hydropower equipment, owns China’s only platinum November China’s Communist Party said the govern- state-run conglomerates in Hong Kong has left some to retain them,” said Oliver, whose fund has exposure import and export company and biggest manganese ment was prepared to advance state-owned compa- investors questioning whether Beijing’s choice is to Hong Kong and China shares. After rising more ore miner, and overseas a small empire of office and ny restructuring and promote further use of markets about improving corporate management and wel- than 13 percent on Thursday on the back of the deal residential property spanning Shenzhen to Dalian. to bolster its economy as its slows after the blistering coming foreign investors or cementing its own con- announcement, partly on short-covering, CITIC Pacific About 79 percent of its 2013 profit came from the growth of the last decade. Beijing also said it would trol. CITIC Group Corp, China’s state-run flagship shares slid to the bottom of the pack on Friday. The financial sector, through stakes in companies like transform qualified government-owned conglomer- investment company, is to transfer its main operating stock was down 5 percent at 0801 GMT, making it the China CITIC Bank Corp , according to estimates from ates into state investment companies. assets to its majority-owned, Hong Kong-listed indus- worst performer in the benchmark Hang Seng Index, Jefferies analysts. While the deal means investors in In one of the first developments, Sinopec, Asia’s trial conglomerate CITIC Pacific Ltd. The deal, valued up 1.1 percent. CITIC Pacific will get their first exposure to financial biggest oil refiner, said last month that it would sell at $42 billion, comes just a few months after China’s As CITIC Pacific slipped, some investors also ques- services assets, China’s banks have struggled of late, up to 30 percent of its marketing arm, which owns Communist Party promised to promote use of free tioned whether the new assets it is receiving will under the weight of mounting bad debt. “CITIC Pacific more than 30,000 petrol stations, in a 300 billion markets to bolster growth in the world’s second- revive confidence in a company hammered in recent will be a stronger company through a much enlarged yuan ($48.31 billion) asset restructuring. The sale biggest economy. years after miscalculating the huge cost of develop- shareholders’ equity, broader range of businesses and may take place in the third quarter of this year, The day after welcoming a deal that folds huge ing a mine in Western Australia. In October 2008, the deeper managerial skills,” CITIC Pacific said. “These will company chairman Fu Chengyu said earlier week. assets from steel to property companies into their stock lost half its value in one day after sour bets on enhance its competitiveness and ability to capture “It is absolutely essential that these SOEs get firm, CITIC Pacific’s minority investors were more the direction of the Australian dollar resulted in nearly the economic growth opportunities in China.” restructured. They represent an incredibly ineffi- sceptical, sending the stock lower. CITIC Pacific plans $2 billion of losses. “Early gains were driven by the The company hasn’t indicated exactly how it will cient part of the Chinese economy,” said Singapore- to pay for the biggest injection of assets into a listed excitement of the deal, people have become more finance the deal. In a statement on Thursday, credit based Peter Elston, head of Asia Pacific Strategy and company in Hong Kong’s history with an unspecified down to the earth again as they need to see how well rating agency Moody’s said it “expects that CITIC Asset Allocation at Aberdeen Asset Management combination of new shares for existing holders and the assets will be in future,” said Ben Kwong, chief Pacific will fund the acquisition mainly by equity Asia. cash. Rather than relinquishing control, in the short operating officer of regional brokerage KGI Asia. through issuing new shares to CITIC Group.” Moody’s “What we seen so far really just the tip of what term CITIC Group could raise its stake in CITIC Pacific placed its ratings on CITIC Pacific under review for an needs to happen. It’s encouraging to see some from 57.51 percent to close to 90 percent, according Biggest conglomerate upgrade, reflecting its expectation that “the proposed restructuring taking place, but an awful lot more to Breakingviews calculations. While it’s unclear In the deal, CITIC Group said it would transfer the acquisition will greatly increase CITIC Pacific’s scale needs to happen, before we can have the confi- whether or when CITIC Group might ultimately assets of its main operating arm, CITIC Ltd, to the and enhance its credit profile.” Last November, dence to increase investment into China,” he added. reduce its holding, the transaction highlights the Hong Kong-listed company. CITIC Ltd made a net Moody’s had cut CITIC Pacific’s rating to Ba2, two Hong Kong remains the leading market for China- complexities that China may face in convincing mar- profit of 34 billion yuan ($5.5 billion) net profit in notches below investment grade, citing lingering related companies, which have raised more than kets that it can successfully open up more state- 2013. It had a total equity of about 225 billion yuan risks associated with its Sino Iron project. US$375 billion from equity share sales in the owned assets to foreign investors. ($36.2 billion) at the end of 2013, while its debt level enclave since 1993. “Hong Kong is always a ‘testing “If you go to market with confusing messages, lack wasn’t disclosed in the Wednesday filing announcing SOE reforms ground’ for China’s reforms and has the ability to of clarity about structures, you can often put a big the deal. Its array of assets stretches from gold mining How the CITIC deal fares will be closely watched help Chinese companies to extend their overseas chunk of investors off side,” said Sydney-based Shane in Central Asia, to oil in Kazakhstan and the Beijing by those looking for evidence that China can imple- business,” KC Chan, Hong Kong’s acting financial Oliver, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital, Guoan Football Club. The company also makes ment the reforms it says it wants to make. Last secretary, told Reuters. — Reuters

Active trading buoys KSE stocks

BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The Price Index closed at 7,584.76 points, up by 0.36 percent from the week before closing, the Weighted Index increased by 2.81 percent after closing at 486.69 points, whereas the KSX-15 Index closed at 1,193.87 points up by 4.19 percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 4.37 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 32.89 mil- lion, whereas trading volume average was 190.44 million shares, recording decrease of 23.04 percent. Kuwait stock market indicators were able to realize gain for the second consecutive week, supported by the active purchasing and col- lection operations performed on many listed stocks, headed by the leading and operational stocks that continued to grow, and reflected on the market indices, especially KSX-15, which reached its highest closing level since its inception in May 2012. In addition, the stock market initiated last week’s trading with mixed performance, as the Price Index declined affected by the profit col- with a 0.23 percent increase. tor as its index closed at 865.10 points with a ing volume. The Real Estate sector was second 32.65 percent of last week’s total market trad- lection operations performed on the small-cap On the other hand, the Insurance sector 0.37 percent decrease. in terms of trading volume as the sector’s ing value. The Financial Services sector took stocks, which realized different gains in earlier headed the losers list as its index down by traded shares were 29.61 percent of last the second place as the sector’s last week sessions, however, the Weighted Index and 1.36 percent to end the week’s activity at Sectors’ activity week’s total trading volume, with a total of turnover was KD 35.98 million represented KSX-15 Index were able to realize gains sup- 1,128.38 points. Follow by Real Estate as its The Financial Services sector dominated 281.92 million shares. 21.88 percent of the total market trading val- ported by the purchasing power that targeted index down by 1.19 percent to end the week’s total trade volume during last week with On the other hand, the Banking sector’s ue. many blue-chip stocks, especially in Banking activity at 1,358.28 points. The 347.73 million shares changing hands, repre- stocks were the highest traded in terms of val- — Prepared by the Studies & Research sector. Moreover, the stock market witnessed Telecommunications the least declining sec- senting 36.52 percent of the total market trad- ue; with a turnover of KD 53.69 million or Department , Bayan Investment Co. recovery in most of the traded stocks, which positively impacted the Price Index, that was able to compensate its earlier loss. Also, the blue-chip stocks, headed by the Banking sec- tor, continued to support the other two indices among an improvement in the trading activity, especially the value, where the three indices ended the week in the green zone. For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 0.47 percent annual profit compared to its closing in 2013, while the weighted index increased by 7.47 percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 11.74 per- cent growth.

Sectors’ indices Eight of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other four recorded declines. The Banking sector headed the gain- ers list as its index grew by 3.61 percent to end the week’s activity at 1,112.92 points. The Consumer services sector was second on the gainer’s list, which index increased by 2.82 percent, closing at 1,110.15 points, followed by the Consumer Goods, as its index closed at 1,262.63 points at an increase of 0.91 percent. The Financial Services was the least growing sector as its index closed at 1,090.47 points SUN DAY, MARCH 30, 2014 BUSINESS

Kuwait investment sector drives real estate sales

NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

KUWAIT: Real estate data for February show sales totaling KD 266 million, up 22 percent y/y. Although solid, sales were likely negatively affected by the short nature of the month of February, including the National Day public holi- days. After accounting for this, underly- ing performance may therefore have been stronger. Sales growth in the resi- dential and investment sectors remained good, while the more unpre- dictable commercial sector saw nega- tive growth y/y. Sales in the residential sector reached KD 137 million in February, a 32 percent y/y increase. Although there was a 7 percent y/y decline in the num- ber of transactions to 344, this was more than offset by a rise in the average transaction value. The latter increased 40 percent y/y to KD 399,000. It is worth noting that despite strong year-on-year increases, price levels have been norate. Sales of land plots - as opposed to hold up well. Sales levels remain solid accounting for 35 percent of transac- tional year for the sector, part of this volatile over the past couple of months. to finished buildings - accounted for 60 from a historical perspective and aver- tions, followed by plots with a 13 per- may have come from purchases by gov- But - especially given the seasonal fac- percent of all residential transactions in age price levels per m2 have recovered cent share. ernment-held portfolios. tors mentioned above - it is too soon to February. strongly after a dip in Q4 last year. The Sales in the commercial sector Away from sales, Kuwait Credit Bank conclude that the market is experienc- Sales in the investment sector stood sector has long been viewed as a viable dropped 60 percent to KD 8.4 million in approved KD 23 million in loans in ing a sustained cooling off. at KD 120 million in February, up 29 per- alternative to the stock market for February, from KD 21 million a year ear- February, down 5 percent from a year In terms of location, 32 percent of cent y/y, but down 15 percent m/m. The investing. lier. Just three transactions were record- earlier. The past year has nevertheless transactions were in Mubarak Al-Kabeer m/m decline in sales was driven by a Whole buildings made up more than ed in the sector with one complex in been a very active year for the bank. governorate, mostly plots in Abu lower number of transactions - perhaps half of all transactions in the investment Hawalli selling for KD 4.8 million. Sales The slowdown in the past couple of Fateera and Funaitees areas. Another 30 attributable to seasonal effects. But sector - the majority in Mahbola. in this sector are often uneven month- months could be linked to a slowdown percent went to Al-Ahmedi gover- overall, interest in the sector continues Individual apartments came in second, to-month. While 2013 was an excep- in the distribution of government plots. Stakes are high for Cuba foreign investment law Forex shortfall seen major hurdle in growth HAVANA: Cuban authorities are on the verge of enacting a new foreign investment law consid- ered one of the most vital building blocks of President Raul Castro’s effort to reform the coun- try’s struggling economy. The law was consid- ered so important that an extraordinary session of parliament had been scheduled for yesterday so the matter doesn’t wait several months until the regular summer session. Foreign investment in the Communist-run country has lagged behind expectations in recent years, and the shortfall is seen as a major LISBON: Two girls chat on the doorstep of a launderette as protestors march by dur- reason for disappointing economic growth. ing a demonstration Friday in Lisbon. The demonstration against the government’s Analysts say that officials must show they are austerity measures was called by the youth section of Portugal’s main workers union truly committed to easing the way for foreign CGTP, General Confederation of Portuguese Workers. —AP firms if this latest attempt to lure overseas capi- tal is to succeed. “It’s really about (creating) a business climate India’s external debts in which business feels government at senior levels has an unambiguously favorable attitude toward foreign investors,” said Richard Feinberg, stood at $426bn in 2013 a professor of international political economy at the University of California, San Diego. “That’s NEW DELHI: India’s external debt stood at term debt decreased by 4.1 per cent to the best guarantee.” $426.0 billion at the end of December $92.7 billion, the report stated. “Short-term “If this law gives the right signals,” Feinberg 2013, registering an increase of $21.1 bil- debt accounted for 21.8 per cent of India’s said, “it would be a major step forward in the lion, a statistical report compiled by India’s total external debt, while the remaining economic reforms.” Cuba isn’t the easiest place Finance ministry stated yesterday. (78.2 per cent) was long-term debt. for a foreign businessperson to make a buck. MARIEL: Workers landscape the area near a new port under construction in Mariel, Cuba. “At end-December 2013, India’s total Component-wise, commercial borrowings Labor taxes are high, there is no open bid- Cuban authorities are on the verge of enacting a new foreign investment law considered one external debt stock stood at $426.0 billion, accounted for 31.5 per cent of the total ding for projects, the approval process is opaque of the most vital building blocks of President Raul Castro’s effort to reform the country’s strug- recording an increase of $21.1 billion which external debt, followed by NRI deposits and cumbersome and the government has been gling economy. —AP is an increase of 5.2 per cent,” the report (23.2 per cent) and multilateral debt (12.3 reluctant to let outsiders have majority owner- education. Cuba will permit foreign investment foreign investment has remained flat since stated. The report stated that rise in exter- per cent), “ it added. ship. not only through joint partnerships with Castro’s economic reforms began, about 20 per- nal debt during the period was due to The report stated that Government’s Companies often find themselves negotiat- the government, but also by “international cent below forecast on average. GDP grew just long-term debt particularly Non Resident (Sovereign) external debt stood at USD ing multimillion-dollar deals with government economic association contract, or business of 2.7 percent last year, low for a developing nation Indian (NRI) deposits. The long-term debt 76.4 billion, (17.9 per cent of total external officials who earn tiny salaries, and some say completely foreign capital.” Juventud Rebelde and again short of expectations. stood at $333.3 billion at end-December debt) at end-December 2013 as against payoffs are an unfortunate part of doing busi- said most companies would be taxed at 15 per- Meanwhile, Cuba’s financial present is heavily 2013, showing an increase of 8.1 per cent $81.7 billion (20.2 per cent) at end-March ness in Cuba. At the same time, a crackdown on cent of profits, half what they pay under current dependent on the billions of dollars in oil it gets over the end-March 2013 level, while short- 2013. —KUNA graft in recent years, including the jailing of rules, and will be exempt from paying for the from petro-ally Venezuela. The socialist-run Canadian, Chilean, Czech, English and French cit- first eight years of operation. Investors appar- South American nation is experiencing its own izens, has sent a chill through the foreign busi- ently will not see their personal income taxed. economic woes these days, rocked for months ness community. Then there’s the 52-year-old US Duties may be higher for operations that by violent protests amid calls by some in the Duke Energy seeks to keep embargo, which bars most American trade with exploit natural resources, such as nickel and fos- opposition for President Nicolas Maduro to the island and effectively obliges many foreign sil fuels. resign. records from regulators companies to choose between doing business Such rules would be similar to slightly more Vidal said the new law could help stimulate with Cuba or the United States. favorable ones already in place for a special eco- investment by limiting government officials’ dis- CHARLOTTE, NC: Worried about getting a ash dumps. The state Department of There’s no sign the embargo will be lifted nomic development zone at Mariel, a massive cretion in decision-making on approvals, ending fair shake from investigators, Duke Energy is Environment and Natural Resources instead anytime soon, but observers say Cuba can make port project west of Havana that was formally a longstanding tendency to green-light only asking a judge to shield its records from used its authority to issue violations and take itself more attractive to investors by doing inaugurated in January. large scale investment and allowing investment North Carolina regulators and environmental the case to state court, quickly negotiating a things like making approvals more transparent, Officials are also talking of guarantees that in Cuba’s emerging privately owned businesses groups while a federal criminal probe is settlement that would have fined Duke easing payroll taxes, enabling direct hiring of the property of foreign companies and individu- and independent cooperatives. “The new foreign ongoing. In a court motion, a defense lawyer $99,111 with no requirement that the $50 bil- local employees and relaxing rules that require als will not be nationalized as happened after investment law is the last opportunity for the for Duke argued that turning over records lion company clean up its pollution. The citi- foreign companies to purchase a certain amount the 1959 Cuban Revolution, except in cases of reform to come close to the growth goals demanded as part of state lawsuits over the zens groups protested, calling it a “sweetheart of local inputs. national interest and only with due compensa- planned through 2016,” wrote Vidal, who is cur- company’s coal ash dumps could hurt the deal” intended to protect Duke from possibly Few concrete details have been made public, tion. rently a professor at Javeriana University in Cali, investigation’s integrity, especially if the doc- harsher federal penalties. The agency asked a but this week official media gave some hints of In a recent report prepared for the online Colombia. “At the same time, it will help diversify uments were to become public. judge to dismiss that agreement last week, what the draft law looks like. The newspaper publication Cuba Standard, which closely fol- the island’s international relations, as well as Federal prosecutors have issued at least 23 saying it now intends to move forward in Juventud Rebelde said the law will allow foreign lows Cuban business news, former Cuban reduce vulnerability due to its links with subpoenas as part of a widening criminal court. The citizens groups have intervened in participation in “all sectors” except health and Central Bank economist Pavel Vidal noted that Venezuela.” — AP probe triggered by the Feb 2 spill at Duke’s the case, meaning they will have access to plant in Eden, which coated 70 miles of the documents Duke would provide. Dan River in toxic sludge. Duke has received In its motion, Duke said it wants to keep two of the subpoenas, which order the com- the records under wraps to “preserve the Biden calls for hike S&P downgrades Target to pany to provide reams of documents to a integrity” of the federal grand jury investiga- grand jury that has convened in Raleigh. tion. “Absent such a limitation, grand jury in US minimum wage ‘A’ following q4 results Federal investigators are looking at materials could be produced to parties or whether the company received preferential entities that are not entitled to such materi- WASHINGTON: US Vice President Joe Biden yesterday called for NEW YORK: Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services lowered its rating on Target Corp treatment from the state environmental als,” adding that documents could be “publi- Americans to back President Barack Obama’s push to raise the fed- following weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results that were dragged down agency. Duke has nearly three dozen other cized and disseminated through the media.” If eral minimum wage, intensifying debate ahead of mid-term con- by a massive data breach and a disappointing foray into Canada. The rating ash pits spread out at 14 coal fired power that happened, the company’s lawyers claim gressional elections in November. Obama unveiled a proposal to agency said Friday that it lowered its ratings one notch down to “A” from “A+.” The plants across the state. “Duke Energy strongly “the ability of Duke Energy to receive a fair increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 (7.35 rating is still four grades above speculative or junk status. S&P says the outlook is denies that it has in any way knowingly vio- and unbiased investigation into its action euros) an hour in his State of the Union address in January as he set still “Stable,” implying further changes are not imminent. lated any law or committed any crime,” says would be irrevocably compromised.” about closing income disparity-an increasingly important theme in “The downgrade reflects our expectations for limited recovery of credit metrics the company’s motion, filed last week. “The Frank Holleman, senior staff attorney with US politics. given continued operating losses at the Canadian division as well as potential government of the United States has the right the environmental law group, said Duke’s But rival Republicans have long argued that raising the mini- costs related to the data breach,” said S&P’s credit analyst Ana Lai. The move to investigate the matters involved in these motion is a stalling tactic. “They are using the mum wage would hurt the economy and employment because it comes more than a month after the nation’s second-largest discounter reported cases and Duke Energy intends to cooperate fact that they are caught up in a federal crimi- would prompt small businesses to tighten belts and lay off some its fourth-quarter profit fell 46 percent on a revenue decline of 5.3 percent as the fully in that investigation so that it may nal investigation related to their coal ash stor- workers. “There’s no reason in the world why an American working breach scared off customers worried about the safety of their personal data. receive a fair and unbiased assessment of its age as an excuse to try to postpone the 40 hours a week has to live in poverty,” Biden said in a weekly Target expects business to be muted for some time: It issued a profit outlook for actions. This cannot occur if the proceedings enforcement of the law against them,” he address in place of Obama, who is in Saudi Arabia. “But right now a the current quarter and full year that missed Wall Street estimates because it faces of the grand jury and material provided to it said. “It’s exactly backward from how you worker earning the federal minimum wage makes about $14,500 a hefty costs related to the breach. S&P noted that it expected that the breach will are made a part of discovery in these cases.” think the law would operate.” year. And you all know that’s incredibly hard for an individual to live have a “somewhat lingering effect on customer traffic at least through the first Duke spokesman Tom Williams said Friday State environmental agency spokesman on, let alone raise a family on. “But if we raise the minimum wage to half of fiscal 2014, but this should moderate over time.” It said that while the costs that the motion speaks for itself. The state Jamie Kritzer said he couldn’t comment on $10.10 an hour, that same worker will be making $20,200 a year- related to the breach are difficult to forecast, it believes these expenses could be court cases at issue deal with environmental the investigation. In the last month, state reg- and with existing tax credits would earn enough to bring that fami- “significant but manageable given Target’s good cash flow generation.” violations at Duke plants near Charlotte and ulators have issued nine environmental viola- ly or a family of four out of poverty. “Not only would it put more The ratings agency expects that Target’s performance at its Canadian stores Asheville. tions against Duke because of the spill and hard-earned money into the pockets of 28 million Americans, mov- should improve this year as the retailer ramps up the new stores and resolves its Working on the behalf of a coalition of citi- issues at other plants. The latest was Friday ing millions of them out of poverty, it’s also good for business.” out-of-stock issues. Last year, Target made its first foray outside the US in Canada zens groups, the Southern Environmental for a crack in a dam at a coal ash dump in In January, Obama urged Congress to raise the federal minimum with 124 stores, but sales were below expectations and it reported a hefty loss for Law Center tried to use the US Clean Water Moncure, where regulators say Duke illegally wage. A congressional watchdog says that it could lift 900,000 peo- the division in the first year. Target’s shares were unchanged at $59.98 in after- Act to sue Duke last year in federal court over pumped 61 million gallons of contaminated ple above the poverty line but may cost half a million jobs. — AFP hours trading Friday after rising 24 cents in regular trading. The stock is down groundwater pollution leeching from its coal water into the Cape Fear River.—AP about 12 percent in the past 12 months. — AP BUSINESS SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 The Kuwait summit and its impact

KUWAIT: In one year, four summits were held in Kuwait. The item of distributions estimated to depositors increased Prior to any summit, any observer knows in advance the by KD 874 thousand, 0.5 percent, to KD 172 million (KD content of its final communique. It ends with a set of finan- AL-SHALL WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORT 171.1 million in 2012). Item of staff costs rose by KD 34.7 cial commitments, a number of agreements that are never million, 25.8 percent, to KD 169.3 million (KD 134.6 million implemented, and a long rhetorical preamble that com- in 2012). Likewise, item of general and administrative mends the host country and guests, as well and enumerates nomic, Arab-African, GCC and the Arab achieved nothing and import their needs from there. Their regional trade expenses increased by 25.1 percent, to KD 139.3 million (KD the painstaking effort in achieving achievements on paper. significant. In fact, conditions thereafter became worse. The forms no more than 5.4 percent of their total trade. No inter- 111.3 million in 2012). Item of financing cost increased by In last week’s conference in Kuwait, the final statement list- recent Summit statement and its results are no exception. government investments are among them, no labor trans- KD 3.9 million to KD 63 million (KD 59.1 million in 2012). The ed all the foregoing and reiterated what was mentioned in And if Kuwait believes it is able to play this big role, it is sup- fer, no economic pact among themselves like the customs item of impairment for lower value dropped by KD 27.5 mil- the previous summits, such as the emphasis of the centrality posed to provide a successful model to address its problems union, or the common market or the unified currency. All of lion, 11 percent, to KD 223.8 million (KD 251.4 million in of the Palestinian Cause, the support to states bordering first, but it has not. It should stop this obsession with hold- them own sovereign wealth funds estimated at about $2 2012). Consequently, net profit margin to the total income with Israel, the Arab identify of the UAE islands and one of ing conferences to reduce costs, close one corruption chan- trillion; all have marine outlets, all own advanced aviation increased to 26.1 percent (21.5 percent in 2012). the Comoros islands, and the assertion that all this could nel, and save people the hassle. fleets, all of them can survive, as long as oil and gas are sold, KFH total assets increased by KD 1.436 billion, 9.8 per- not have been accomplished without the tireless efforts and without real need for any of the neighbors. cent, to KD 16.140 billion (KD 14.703 billion in 2012). Item sincere cooperation among the leaders. All of that is irrele- The Ukrainian crisis and the Gulf crisis In the GCC conflict, the wrath appears to be big but of short term murabahat increased by KD 1.246 billion, vant to reality. Russia has achieved most of the short-term goals in without any cards in the hands of one party to translate this 105.1 percent, to KD 2.432 billion (15.1 percent of total Eventually, the Arab situation at large is no different from Ukraine crisis and the West was miserably unable to stop fury to a penalty against the other party. Therefore, the dose assets) versus KD 1.186 billion in 2012 (8.1 percent of total that in the Gulf. A month before the December 2013 GCC the accelerated annexation of Crimea to Russia. The crisis of emotions may increase, fueled by directed media, with- assets). Item of cash and balances with banks and financial Summit, there was debate about the probability of political created concern from Russia’s repetition of cutting off all out translating that anger to a material that can put an end institutions increased by KD 256.2 million and scored KD unity among its member states. Two months later, things border provinces populated by a Russian majority from the to the conflict and disagreement. This will be very detrimen- 1.070 billion (6.6 percent of total assets) versus KD 814.3 ended with three GCC members withdrawing their ambas- remains of the Soviet Union, not only in Ukraine but in all tal to the credibility of the GCC as an organization. million in the end of 2012 (5.5 percent of total assets), as a sadors from a fourth member state. other countries, such as Moldova in the future and previous- Between the West and Russia there is a measurement result of the rise in the item of current accounts at banks The media, which advocates unity, changed into one ly in Georgia. G7 leaders met after excluded Russia in a sym- tool, namely, the interests of the people, which may check and financial institutions by KD 192.3 million to KD 384.3 declaring war. bolic motion, and discussed possibilities of an economic and curtail the probable extent of damage. But in the case million (KD 192 million in 2012). Item of receivable value What is happening is wrong. Kuwait has its deep prob- reaction. In the short term at least, however, they are aware of GCC countries, afflicting a tangible mutual harm is not dropped by KD 152.6 million, 2.3 percent, to KD 6.500 bil- lems which require its officials to dedicate their full time to of the fragile European economy and they know that only impossible, but also because people have nothing to lion, or 40.3 percent of total assets, compared to KD 6.653 remedy them first. Still, there are others who believe that Europe depends by almost 40 percent on Russian oil and do with what is happening. They, after all, were not invited billion in the end of 2012 (45.2 percent of total assets). holding summits even without benefit is viewed as achieve- gas. The size of trade with Russia is led by Germany, the to the weddings of the GCC organization; neither are they a Figures indicate that the bank liabilities (non-equities) ment and gain for Kuwait. While these summits are a fertile leader and the treasury of the euro zone, followed by Italy. party in its anger and political wars. Thus, it is difficult to increased by KD 952.3 million, 7.7 percent, to KD 13.335 ground for corruption and corruptors in Kuwait, people in The trade exchange of the two countries alone with Russia predict the outcome of the dispute, for it could end tomor- billion (KD 12.383 billion in the end of 2012). Item of Kuwait suffer from security measures and traffic paralysis is worth some $130 billion. There are Western companies in row or it could beyond the foreseeable future. depositor’s accounts increased to KD 10.104 billion, (75.8 and sometimes disruption of business, so much so that Russia and Russian funds in bonds and deposits in Western percent of total liabilities excluding equities), 7.6 percent many of them think of fleeing the country during these banks. Despite the threat of the G7 Summit and the Western KFH financial results FY 2013 increase, equal to KD 711.3 million (KD 9.393 billion in summits. That is another cost. The right of hospitality dic- leaders, they know that the efficacy of their measures in the Kuwait Finance House (KFH) announced results of its 2012), equal to (75.9 percent of total liabilities excluding tates that Kuwait takes the initiative to provide grants and short-term is not significant and its maximum goal is to mit- financial operations for the ending 31 December, 2013 equities). loans to governments that are corrupt in most cases, which igate damage. But they also know that in the medium to which indicate the bank achieved net profits -after deduct- Results of analyzing financial statements indicate that is a commitment and additional cost without return, and long terms, they will deal a severe blow to Russia’s political ing due taxation- scored KD 149.1 million, a rise by KD 25.7 all KFH profitability indexes increased. Average return on sometimes negative returns. In fact, these costs and efforts ambition and will seriously influence its economy and cause million, or 20.9 percent, (KD 123.3 million in 2012). When we equities relevant to the bank shareholder index (ROE) rose are increasingly spent without impact. With each confer- it great damage. Therefore, it is expected during these two discount the non-controlling interests, the profit for the to 7.6 percent (6.7 percent in 2012). Average return on ence, representation is downgraded until it becomes mean- terms that Russia will have reduced flow of direct invest- shareholders scored KD 115.9 million (KD 87.7 million in assets index (ROA) increased slightly to 1 percent (0.9 per- ingless. Some of the leaders attend only the opening ses- ments and a substantial reduction in the mutual trade 2012), a 32.2 percent rise, what equals KD 28.2 million. The cent in 2012). Average return on the bank capital index sion out of courtesy; not only this, but conditions are dependence, especially in energy. And reduced political main reason for this rise is the increase in operation (ROC) also increased to 44.2 percent (44.1 percent in 2012). imposed on what to discuss and what not to, to the extent support, direct and indirect, to president Putin’s opponents, incomes by a value higher than the rise in total expendi- KFH management announced intentions to distribute that anything valuable and meaningful is excluded, such both provinces and individuals. tures. cash profits by 13 percent of the per share par value,13 fils as the inter-Arab conflicts or the GCC conflicts which were In the GCC crisis, it started from the end by three coun- In details, operational incomes increased by KD 67.4 mil- per share, and 13 percent bonus shares compared with 10 excluded from the agenda of this last Summit. Nevertheless, tries withdrawing their ambassadors from a fourth country lion to KD 996.2 million, (KD 928.8 million in 2012) as a percent cash and 10 percent bonus shares in 2012. The the title of the 25th Arab summit remained: “The Solidarity in the same cooperation organization. Western countries result of the increase in the item of investment incomes by cash yield per share scored 1.6 percent on the closing Summit for the Future,” which is inconsistent with reality. did not act like this with Russia, neither did the GCC coun- KD 17.1 million, to KD 246.4 million (KD 229.3 million in price recorded on 31/12/2013 which is 800 fils per share We reiterate that all previous summits, whether eco- tries with Syria. GCC economies are global and sell all their 2012) due to the rise in profits from selling properties by (1.2 percent on the closing price recorded on 31/12/2012) commodities-oil and gas-to the world beyond their region KD 42.9 million to KD 131.6 million (KD 88.7 million in 2012). in the amount of 810 fils per share. Similarly, item of a share in the results of associate compa- nies and joint ventures increased by KD 9.3 million to KD Weekly performance of KSE 10.9 million (KD 1.6 million in 2012). Item of fees and com- The performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the missions incomes rose by KD 7 million to KD 79.7 million last week was mixed, where the traded value index and the (KD 72.7 million in 2012). But item of financing income general index showed an increase. While the traded volume retreated by about KD 2.2 million to KD 571.4 million (KD index and the number of transactions index showed a 573.5 million in 2012). decreased, AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at 497.2 On the other hand, total operational expenses and esti- points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase mated distribution to depositors increased by KD 66.6 mil- of 18.7 points or about 3.9 percent compared to the end of lion, but lower than the rise in total operational revenues, the previous week, and an increase of 42.5 points or about i.e. from KD 617.5 million in 2012 to KD 550.9 million now. 9.3 percent compared to the end of 2013.

Peugeot (Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar) hosts exciting test drive event

KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al-Shaya & Al- Sagar), the authorized distributor for Peugeot vehicles in Kuwait since 1969, held Alshaya & Alsagar Carnival - an exclu- sive test drive event at Marina Crescent on 21 Mar. The carnival marked the 78th anniversary of Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar). At the full- day event, a range of flagship models of Peugeot cars were dis- played and prospects had the chance to register, test drive any preferred model and enter a fabulous raffle draw on Alshaya Cards worth total KD 500. Apart from the chance to win Alshaya Card, all test drivers received valuable gifts. From early morning till the late hours of the evening the crowd was entertained by DJ, MC and break dancers. “The test drive event included the most popular models of Peugeot cars”, mentioned Mr Ashish Tandon, General Manager of Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar. “The test drivers had the opportunity for “Motion & Emotion” experience with each of our models and see for themselves how unique and out- standing each model is.” The models available for test drive at the event included the recently launched sedan Peugeot 408 and the exciting sports coupe RCZ. Peugeot sales consultants were available With history of 200 years Peugeot is renowned for its worldwide tennis icon, as its international ambassador. market penetration. KAICO is also the exclusive distributor in to give visitors detailed information about each vehicle and expertise in making cars. Peugeot saloons are considered KAICO (Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar) was established in 1936 and is Kuwait for numerous other automotive brands including the latest offers. Peugeot currently offers Highest Trade-in benchmarks in terms of road handling and engine technology. jointly owned by Al-Shaya and Al-Sagar families with 78 years Mazda, Geely, Michelin, Mobil, BF Goodrich, Eicher, Baw. and 5 years Warranty, unlimited mileage on its range of pas- Throughout its history Peugeot has many successes in interna- of collective automotive experience in marketing, sales, parts KAICO’s business activities also cover a leasing and tender divi- senger vehicles. tional rallies. Recently PEUGEOT has chosen Novak Djokovic, a and service and has integrated all its operations to maximize sion and Used Cars. SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 technology Microsoft’s Office apps for iPad ushers in new era SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has Microsoft’s stock slipped 43 cents to Microsoft hasn’t said how many Office released an iPad version of its popular close Thursday at $39.36, but the shares 365 subscribers it already has, but Office software suite, a breakthrough are still up by 8 percent since Nadella Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund estimates heralding a new era under a CEO who took over. The stock lost about one-third the number at anywhere between 14 promises to focus more on the devices of its value under Ballmer’s reign. million to 24 million. He estimates that that people are using instead of trying to The Office app for the iPad represents the annual subscription revenue is run- protect the company’s lucrative a major step in the right direction for ning at about $2.5 billion. Office has Windows franchise. Thursday’s unveiling Microsoft, said FBR Capital Markets ana- long been one of Microsoft’s gold mines. of the much-anticipated iPad apps for lyst Daniel Ives. “They finally looked in In the company’s last fiscal year ended Microsoft’s bundle of word processing, the mirror and realized they needed to June 30, the business division that is spreadsheet and presentation software go with the crowd in terms of iPads,” Ives anchored by Office posted an operating comes nearly four years after Apple Inc. said. Like several other analysts, Ives profit of $16.2 billion on revenue of released the tablet computer that has thinks the Office app for the iPad could $24.7 billion. contributed to a steady decline in sales generate an additional $1 billion in rev- The availability of an Office app also of desktop and laptop machines running enue for Microsoft. Although the Office could encourage more people to buy an on the Windows operating system. app is free to anyone who wants to read iPad. That, in turn, could siphon more Microsoft’s decision to relent to per- Office’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint pro- sales away from laptops running on sistent demands to make its top-selling grams on the iPad, it will require a sub- Windows, which also generates billions software application available on the scription to Microsoft’s Office 365 to cre- in licensing fees for Microsoft each year. world’s most popular tablet comes sev- ate and edit documents on the device. This year, Gartner Inc. expects 271 mil- en weeks after the Redmond, Wash., The Office 365 subscriptions cost $70 or lion tablets to be sold, including those company anointed Sayta Nadella as its $100 annually, with the lower price plac- running on Windows and Android, ver- CEO after being led for 14 years by Steve ing more restrictions on the number and sus a total of 277 million desktop and SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft General Manager Julia White gestures while talking Ballmer. The change in command gives types of devices that can be used. laptop computers. By the end of 2015, about the Office 365 app during a press briefing in San Francisco. —AP Microsoft Corp an opportunity to prove The Office 365 subscriptions also tablets should be outselling PCs by a it’s a more nimble company adapting to have been required to use Office apps wide margin, Gartner said. Microsoft steadfastly resisted making an Office design while Ballmer was still CEO, said evolution of computing instead of cling- built for the iPhone and Android phones hasn’t made Office apps for Android app for the device. He had been hoping Forrester Research analyst Rob ing to its old ways. last summer, so many iPad owners many tablets yet, though the company has that most of the 1 billion worldwide Koplowitz. But it didn’t hit the market Nadella, who has been working at already have one. But millions of other previously said those will be coming. Office users would decide to buy until Nadella took over and that could Microsoft for 22 years, emphasized that people with iPads probably haven’t had Last year, Office apps for Android Windows tablets instead of the iPad, but signal a “sea change,” Koplowitz said. “I he felt rejuvenated since taking over as a reason to buy an Office 365 until phones came out a month after the there was little evidence that was hap- am hoping we are seeing something dif- CEO. “You see things from a fresh set of Thursday. Nearly 200 million iPads had iPhone versions debuted. “We are taking pening in significant numbers. Sales of ferent in terms of how Microsoft oper- eyes and fresh perspective,” Nadella told been sold through the end of 2013, great focus and great care that Office on Microsoft’s own Windows tablet, Surface, ates as a company.” Nadella promised to a crowd of reporters gathered in San meaning about 5 percent of those every device shines through,” Nadella turned out to be a huge letdown. show off more pieces of his “innovation Francisco for his first major public device owners would have to pay for a said. That marks a change in sentiment The Office app for the iPad has so agenda” for Windows next week at a appearance as CEO. Investors seem to $100 annual subscription to generate an for Microsoft. Even as it became clear many features designed for the device software developers conference in San have liked what they have seen so far. additional $1 billion in revenue. iPad was reshaping computing, Ballmer that Microsoft clearly was working on its Francisco.—AP Smartphone app helps alcoholics stay sober App includes panic button, sounds alert

CHICAGO: A smartphone app for recovering ing for help. “We’ve been told that makes a big Enhancement Systems Studies at the University alcoholics that includes a panic button and difference,” said David Gustafson, the lead author of Wisconsin in Madison. He’s among developers sounds an alert when they get too close to tav- and director of the Center for Health of the app, nicknamed A-CHESS after the center. erns helped keep some on the wagon, Gustafson said it is being commercially devel- researchers who developed the tool found. The oped and is not yet available. sober app studied joins a host of others that Differences in abstinence from drinking serve as electronic shoulder angels, featuring a between the two groups didn’t show up until variety of options for trying to prevent alcoholics late in the study. At eight months, 78 percent of and drug addicts from relapsing. Adults released the smartphone users reported no drinking from in-patient alcoholism treatment centers within the previous 30 days, versus 67 percent of who got free sober smartphones reported fewer the other patients. At 12 months, those numbers drinking days and more overall abstinence than increased slightly in the smartphone group and those who got the usual follow-up support. decreased slightly in the others. Smartphone The results were based on patients’ self- patients also had fewer “risky” drinking days per reporting on whether they resumed drinking, a month than the others. The study average was Mark Zuckerberg potential limitation. Still, addiction experts say almost 11/2 days for the smartphone group ver- the immediacy of smartphone-based help could sus almost three days for the others. make them a useful tool in fighting relapse. Mark Risky drinking was defined as having more Zuckerberg on Wiitala, 32, took part in the study and says the than four drinks over two hours for men and app helped save his life. He said the most helpful more than three drinks for women. One drink feature allowed him to connect to a network of was a 12-ounce bottle of beer, 5-ounce glass of peers who’d gone through the same recovery wine, or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. The results for spending spree program. The app made them immediately smartphone users were comparable to what has accessible for an encouraging text or phone call been seen with standard follow-up counseling when he needed an emotional boost. “It’s an or anti-addiction medication, said Daniel Falk a Visionary or looney? absolutely amazing tool,” said Wiitala, of scientist-administrator at the National Institute Middlesex County, Mass. He said he’s continued on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which helped NEW YORK: Facebook’s latest multibillion “turned out fine,” Blau points out. Facebook to use it even though the study ended. pay for the study. He noted that alcohol abuse dollar acquisition of virtual reality headset said Tuesday that Instagram has 200 million The study was published online Wednesday affects about 18 million Americans and that only maker Oculus is prompting some people to users, up from 30 million at the time it in JAMA Psychiatry. It involved 271 adults fol- about 25 percent who get treatment are able to wonder if CEO Mark Zuckerberg is already agreed to buy the company. lowed for a year after in-patient treatment for remain abstinent for at least a year afterward. living in an alternate reality. Longtime tech- As the former CEO and co-founder of alcoholism at one of several US centers in the Scientists are looking at new ways to try to nology analyst Roger Kay wonders whether MySpace, Chris DeWolfe has learned the Midwest and Northeast. They were randomly improve those statistics. “There is increasing Zuckerberg “is nuts” for agreeing to pay $2 hard way that Zuckerberg knows what he is assigned to get a sober smartphone app for excitement regarding technology-based tools in billion for Oculus less than five weeks after doing. MySpace once reigned as the eight months plus usual follow-up treatment - substance use treatment, prevention and educa- inking a deal to buy WhatsApp for $19 bil- Internet’s largest social network only to be typically referral to a self-help group - or usual tion,” said Dr. Gail Basch, director of the addiction lion. Oculus, which got its start on the eclipsed by Facebook as Zuckerberg con- follow-up alone. The app includes a feature ask- medicine program at Rush University Medical crowdfunding site Kickstarter, doesn’t have stantly tweaked the service and added ing periodic questions by text or voicemail Center in Chicago. Basch, who wasn’t involved in a consumer product on the market, just the more compelling features. Now, DeWolfe about how patients are doing. If enough the study, said proven methods for helping pre- promise of bulky virtual reality goggles that runs a mobile game company called SGN answers seem worrisome, the system automati- vent relapse include patient monitoring and have generated huge buzz in the video and has been impressed by Facebook’s abil- cally notifies a counselor who can then offer WISCONSIN: This screen grab shows the A- support from family and peers. “A stand-alone gaming community. Zuckerberg, for his ity to target smartphone ads at the people help. CHESS app. The app, developed for recover- mobile app may not be the answer, but one can part, sees long-term implications in the most likely to be attracted to SGN’s pas- The panic button can be programmed to ing alcoholics, includes a panic button and see how it could fit in nicely,” she said. “A real- technology, for communication, entertain- times, which include “Cookie Jam” and notify peers who are nearest to the patient when sounds an alert when they get too close to time tool, as well as reminders throughout the ment and beyond. He was right about “Bingo Blingo.” the button is pushed. It also offers links to relax- taverns. — AP day, could be very helpful for a recovering mobile, and he’s created the world’s biggest Although he has no idea what ation techniques to calm the patient while wait- brain.”— AP online social network. Zuckerberg will do with Oculus, DeWolfe figures Facebook’s $154 billion market value Looney or visionary? gave him the flexibility to wager on a tech- “Mobile is the platform of today and now nology that could break new ground. “Given Encryption companies rise; we’re starting to also get ready for the plat- Facebook’s size, this deal doesn’t seem that forms of tomorrow. To me, by far the most weird to me,” DeWolfe said. Oculus is a hori- exciting future platform is around vision or zontal acquisition for Facebook, which modifying what you see to create augment- means it lets the company expand into a anxiety over data mounts ed and immersive experiences,” Zuckerberg new space, rather than grow its core busi- said on a conference call Tuesday discussing ness. It’s a strategy employed by the deal. “Today’s acquisition is a long-term Amazon.com Inc., whose businesses range NEW YORK: Investors are pumping millions of venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, believes tion’s and every government’s mind how they bet on the future of computing. I believe from online retail to video streaming to dollars into encryption as unease about data major advances are further off.”Encryption slows protect their data and their intellectual proper- Oculus can be one of the platforms of this tablets, and Google Inc., which recently security drives a rising need for ways to keep down,” Ganesan said. “Just imagine if every room ty,” said William Bowmer, a technology stock spe- future.” Facebook’s investors seem to think bought high-tech thermostat and smoke- unwanted eyes away from personal and corpo- in your house was locked and you had to open cialist at Barclays. Oculus’s promise is too far off. The Menlo detector maker Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. rate information. Major data breaches at Target and close it every time you go in. You would be Wall Street appears ready to commit more Park, Calif.-based social networking compa- Like Facebook, Google is led by a CEO, and other retailers that have made data security frustrated.” Another problem is “the government money to security companies as well. Shares of ny’s stock fell 7 percent on Wednesday to Larry Page, who has vowed to make huge a boardroom issue at companies large and small. is sensitive,” said Ganesan. “They don’t want FireEye, which reportedly alerted Target to close at $60.38. investments building or buying technology And stunning revelations of widespread snoop- encryption technology to be open so that any- breaches in its security network even though the ing by US intelligence agencies have also rattled body can use it, because their goal is to make company did not take action, have more than Beyond sticker shock, the WhatsApp and that might not pay off for years. Page can companies and the public. sure they can always get access to the informa- tripled from the September 2013 IPO price of Oculus deals - along with the Facebook’s do pretty much as he pleases, too, as long For venture capital, that has opened up a new tion.” He said governments have frequently $20. Industry insiders see some encryption firms spurned offer to buy SnapChat for $3 bil- as he gains the support of fellow co- area of growth in the tech business. In February, insisted that they be given a master key to as possibilities for entering the market: Voltage lion- have raised questions about founder Sergey Brin and Google Executive Google Ventures led a $25.5 million round of decrypt files, Ganesan said. Security, SafeNet, Protegrity and Vormetric Data Facebook’s ability to innovate on its own. Chairman Eric Schmidt. The trio collectively venture funding for Atlanta-based Ionic Security, Security. Voltage chief executive Sathvik Some of the company’s most high-profile controls enough votes to overrule the rest a three-year old company that works in encryp- Snowden seal of approval Krishnamurthy described the market for encryp- products, such as the SnapChat-like Poke, of Google’s shareholders. Google has made tion, which scrambles data before it is shipped The need for better encryption vaulted to the tion as “thriving and growing” and said the per- the messaging service Facebook Messenger more than 230 acquisitions since going or stored. Other encryption companies, includ- top of the tech industry’s agenda earlier this ception of government opposition to encryption and Home, have flopped. The jury’s still out public nearly a decade ago, but most of ing Toronto-based PerspecSys and San Jose, month by fugitive intelligence contractor is outdated. those deals have been relatively small for a on Paper, a stand-alone app that lets users California-based CipherCloud, have announced Edward Snowden, who last year exposed the Encryption can be integrated into policies read news, Facebook feeds and more. company that now generates more than major fundings. The funding rush could hearken massive spying capabilities of the US National that incorporate the lessons of the Snowden rev- “Facebook I don’t think has the best innova- $50 billion in annual revenue. A few of the a “golden age” of encryption, as one expert puts Security Agency. Snowden urged industry lead- elations with the need to protect national security, tion strategy,” says Gartner analyst Brian deals have been large enough for some it. But the industry also faces barriers to a tool ers to make a “moral commitment” to safeguard Krishnamurthy said. Spying by authorities “has Blau. “So far it’s been ‘move fast and break investors to wonder whether Google’s brain that until recently was not a hot commodity. customer data by integrating encryption into been going on forever,” he said. “In any society things.’ Move fast is good, but break thinks, trust had lost its senses. When Google Concerns about encryption range from prac- devices in a user-friendly way. The NSA and for- where you think you’ve had privacy, you’ve been may not be.” bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.76 billion in tical challenges, such as the difficulty users have eign intelligence services are “setting fire to the grossly mistaken. It’s just a question of the degree Blau calls the Oculus acquisition “kind of stock, some analysts questioned whether to search their encoded data, to government future of the Internet,” Snowden said via video to which you were clueless about Big Brother out of left field.” “We have always thought the company had paid far too much for a opposition towards encryption. “People are from Russia. actually looking at everything you were doing.” He about experience as a focus of virtual reali- video site with virtually no revenue and a afraid of it because they don’t understand it,” “You guys are the firefighters and we need called the NSA’s sweep of data “really over the top.” ty,” he says. “Certainly it can be social, but huge stack of potentially expensive legal John Kindervag, a vice president and principal you to help fix things.”Recent data security scan- “Did we have to spy on Angel Merkel’s emails? No.” we have not thought about it as a core claims for copyright infringement. But that analyst at Forrester Research But he called the dals underscore the new vulnerabilities as But the biggest problem with the NSA program social experience.” That’s not to say it can’t deal is now widely viewed as a brilliant wider use of encryption “inevitable, because organizations process unprecedented amounts was the lack of disclosure, Krishnamurthy said. work. There were questions about move. YouTube has productive relationships there’s no other way to solve the problem.” of data that are analyzed, shipped, stored in “the Disclosure by the government of its program “will Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram back with most movie and television studios and Kindervag said the industry is between one and cloud”-offsite commercial servers-and accessed normalize the line over which we would no longer when it offered $1 billion for the photo- sells billions of dollars in video advertising two years away from “some big revolutions” in remotely by mobile technology. It’s a far cry cross,” he said. “If you have to answer for your sharing app (the final purchase price was while amassing a worldwide audience of the field. “It just needs to happen.” from the days when security focused on safe- actions, then you are more likely to be reasonable $715 million) in April 2012 -and Instagram more than 1 billion people.—AP But Venky Ganesan, a managing director with guarding a stolen laptop. “It’s on every corpora- in your actions.”— AFP HEALTH & SCIENCE SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Newfound pink world lurks at solar system fringes

LOS ANGELES: Peering into the far reaches of the Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for “Finding Sedna so far away seemed odd and VP is currently the third farthest object in the solar system, astronomers have spied a pink frozen Science in Washington, D.C., and Chad Trujillo of the potentially a fluke. But this one is beginning to solar system after dwarf planet Eris and Sedna, but world 71/2 billion miles from the sun. Gemini Observatory in Hawaii. Trujillo was part of make it look like that might be a typical place for it has an eccentric, elongated orbit that can take it It’s the second such object to be discovered in a the team that found Sedna. objects to be. Not at all what I would have guessed,” out to 42 billion miles from the sun. Sedna can loop region of space beyond Pluto long considered a Mike Brown, an astronomer at the California out as far as 84 billion miles from the sun at its far- celestial wasteland. Until now, the lone known resi- Red and shiny Institute of Technology, said in an email. thest point. dent in this part of the solar system was an oddball Like Sedna, VP is also a dwarf planet. It’s jokingly Brown, self-proclaimed “Pluto killer,” led the Now that Sedna has company - and likely lots of dwarf planet spotted in 2003 named Sedna after nicknamed “Biden” after Vice President Joe Biden Sedna team, but was not part of the new discovery. them - scientists are searching for more objects in the mythological Inuit goddess who created the because of the object’s initials. It measures about Far from being deserted, Sheppard and Trujillo an effort to learn how they and the solar system sea creatures of the Arctic. 280 miles across, or half the diameter of Sedna. It’s estimate there are probably thousands of similar formed and evolved. The latest discovery shows “Sedna is not a freak. bone-chilling cold with a temperature of around objects in the inner Oort cloud. In a separate discovery published in Nature, a We can have confidence that there is a new popula- minus 430 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike red and shiny “These objects are not unique. There’s a huge team led by Felipe Braga-Ribas of the National tion to explore,” Yale University senior research sci- Sedna, the newfound object is more pink and number out there,” Sheppard said. Observatory in Brazil found a pair of rings around entist David Rabinowitz said in an email. He was much fainter, which made it hard to detect. By con- an asteroid-like interloper in the outer system one of Sedna’s discoverers, but had no role in the trast, Earth is about 7,900 miles across and located Third farthest object named Chariklo. new find detailed in Thursday’s issue of the journal 93 million miles from the sun. Not all of them will be visible to telescopes While not as dazzling as Saturn’s rings, it’s the Nature. For years, astronomers hunted in vain for Sedna and VP reside in what’s known as the because they’re so far away and it takes a long time first time rings have been discovered outside of the other Sednas in the little-studied fringes of the inner Oort cloud in the outer edge of the solar sys- for them to swing by the sun. Sedna and VP were four gas giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and solar system. tem where some comets such as the sun-diving spotted at their closest approach to the sun, which Neptune. How little Chariklo got its rings remains a The new object, 2012 VP113, was tracked using Comet ISON are thought to originate. ISON broke allowed light from the sun to hit the objects and mystery, but scientists think they may have formed a new camera on a ground telescope in Chile by apart last year after brushing too close to the sun. bounce back to observatories on Earth. from debris from a violent collision. — AP Pakistan to vaccinate 750,000 children in troubled northwest Ninth phase of a push to eradicate polio

PESHAWAR: Pakistani health teams will today pose,” campaign organiser Yunus Zaheer told ul-Islam, also confirmed the details of the cam- launch a drive to vaccinate some 750,000 chil- AFP yesterday. paign. According to the WHO, Pakistan recorded dren in the troubled northwest, with thousands The campaign, which started early February, 91 cases of polio last year, up from 58 in 2012. of police guarding against attacks by militants will continue until the end of April. Pakistan’s failure to defeat polio stands in who claim the polio campaign is a front for spy- Vaccinators go door-to-door every Sunday stark contrast to its neighbour and great rival ing. The campaign in Peshawar district, which across Peshawar district to administer drops to India, which recently celebrated the eradication covers Peshawar city and dozens of towns and children for various diseases including polio, of the disease three years after its last case. villages, is the ninth phase of a push to eradicate tuberculosis, tetanus, pneumonia, whooping Some 56 people including health workers polio in Pakistan, which along with Nigeria and cough, measles and hepatitis. and police officials providing security have been Afghanistan are the only countries where the Zaheer said more than 6,200 teams compris- killed in militant attacks on polio vaccination disease remains endemic. ing 12,500 workers have been set up to adminis- teams in Pakistan since December 2012. The World Health Organization has warned ter the vaccines, adding 6,700 police officials Militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban that Peshawar is the world’s “largest reservoir” of would be deployed on security duty during the oppose the immunisation drive, saying it is a polio. campaign. He said the campaign is likely to be cover for US spying. “At least 750,000 children will be adminis- extended to other districts of Khyber Violence, and the threat of it, have badly MUMBAI: Chaotic traffic in one of the streets in Mumbai. tered the vaccine in Peshawar district where Pakhtunkhwa province later. hampered the campaign to stamp out polio in 335,000 houses have been identified for the pur- A senior local administration official, Zaheer- Pakistan.— AFP New gadgets hope to hush Mumbai’s incessant honking Chinese superstar Many preteens in US have MUMBAI: A handful of fed-up residents in one adopt it. The second invention, also vying for of the world’s noisiest cities have taken on a official sanction, less publicly castigates the faced shark high cholesterol daunting challenge: persuading Indian drivers honkers. ‘Project Bleep’ involves a little red but- to stop honking their car horns. Non-stop beep- ton on the dashboard that beeps and flashes fin resistance NEW YORK: There’s fresh evidence that a lot of nation, more than 45 clinics in the Houston area. ing has become the dominant soundtrack to with a frowning face, “to make the driver con- young people in the US could be headed for One-third were Hispanic, about one-third were Mumbai as clattering rickshaws, public buses, scious that he just honked and make him delib- WASHINGTON: Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming heart trouble. A large study of preteens in Texas white, and 18 percent were black. About one- clapped-out taxis, weaving motorbikes and pri- erate why he did it,” said Mayur Tekchandaney, said Friday that he was shocked by protests when he found that about one-third of them had border- third were obese. vate cars fight for space on the traffic-clogged one of its creators. spoke out against eating shark fin, but credits his cam- line or high cholesterol when tested during rou- Unhealthy total cholesterol levels were found roads. Now two separate teams in the city have “Mostly it’s habitual. The driver doesn’t realise paign with helping the species rebound. On a return visit tine physical exams. in 34 percent. LDL or “bad cholesterol” was bor- come up with devices aimed at instilling some he’s doing it.” After testing the device on 30 driv- to the United States, the retired Houston Rocket said he The results seem to support recent guide- derline or too high in 46 percent, and HDL or peace: one by forcing overzealous horn-users to ers over six months, Tekchandaney and his team had “all good memories” from his NBA days, even when lines that call for every child to have a choles- “good” cholesterol was borderline or too low in open their wallets, and another by simply attack- at Mumbai design firm Briefcase found an aver- he endured taunts by Shaquille O’Neal. terol test between 9 and 11 - the ages of the 44 percent. Just over half had normal triglyc- ing drivers’ consciences. age 61 percent reduction in honking.“The bene- But Yao said that he was stung when he spoke out 13,000 youths in this study. Many doctors and erides, another type of fat in the blood. “People blow their horns just for no sake,” fit is to other people on the road, society in gen- against eating shark fin soup, a luxury food for China’s adults have balked at screening all children that Boys were more likely than girls to have high- said Jayraj Salgaonkar, who with a group of engi- eral. It creates a nuisance for the driver,” said elite. Demand has decimated the shark population with young, but researchers say studies like this may er total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, Seery neers has developed the ‘Oren horn usage Tekchandaney. tens of millions killed each year, generally by slicing off convince them it’s worthwhile. said. Hispanics were more likely to have higher meter’ (the name ‘Oren’ derives from local pro- the animals’ fins while they are still alive. “A concerning number of children” are at risk cholesterol and triglycerides. nunciation of the word ‘horn’). The meter does Health worry “The first letter to me was pretty sharp. That was actu- of heart problems later in life, and more needs to “I would hope that data like these would get not prevent the horn from working but instead Their goal may sound ambitious in a country ally the first protest letter directed to me. Maybe my team be done to prevent this at an earlier age, said Dr. the attention of general pediatricians,” because allows for a limited amount of honking, after where honking is so pervasive that foreign car got a few already but put it on the side,” Yao told a forum Thomas Seery of Texas Children’s Hospital and many cases of disease are being missed now, which it causes the vehicle’s tail-lights to flash makers, such as Audi and Volkswagen, fit their at the Brookings Institution. Baylor College of Medicine. said Dr. Elaine Urbina, director of preventive car- and alert the traffic police, who could then issue Indian vehicles with stronger, longer-life horns. “It was a shock for me,” Yao said. He led the study, which will be presented at diology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical a fine. The driver gets green, amber and red-light Nationwide, the messages “Horn OK Please” But Yao said it was important to be patient and credit- an American College of Cardiology conference Center. She was on the expert panel appointed warnings over his honk allowance and can top or “Blow Horn” are colourfully painted on the ed his efforts with cutting by half the Chinese demand for in Washington this weekend. by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute up his meter “like a pre-paid phone card”, said back of most trucks and lorries, encouraging shark fin. China’s government last year announced a ban Estimates are that by the fourth grade, 10 to that wrote the screening guidelines issued in Salgaonkar. He is in talks with local authorities to drivers to make their presence audibly known as on serving shark fin and other wild animal products at 13 percent of U.S. children will have high choles- 2011 and endorsed by the American Academy get the device mandated city-wide. they overtake. And the noise is only set to official functions. terol. Half of them will go on to have it as adults, of Pediatrics. They call for screening everyone “I have invested money and time and emo- increase as more vehicles pile into densely- Since returning to China, the seven-foot-six (229-cen- raising their risk for heart attacks, strokes and between age 9 to 11 and again 17 to 21. tion,” he told AFP, relating his years of exaspera- packed Mumbai, where the middle-class is timeter) center has bought his former team-incidentally other problems. High cholesterol rarely causes “Very few people know their entire family tion with the city’s cacophony. “People take growing and whose shoddy infrastructure and called the Shanghai Sharks. He said he planned to stay symptoms in kids. Many genes and inherited history,” and many forms of high cholesterol pride in honking their horn. There’s an ego trip crowded trains do little to encourage the use of active on animal conservation. Yao said he was also using conditions also cause high cholesterol but not occur in people who are not obese, so screening over having a car. Until you make people pay for public transport. There are now about 900,000 his name and fortune to start after-school sports pro- obesity, so it can be missed especially in youths is needed to catch more cases, she said. their usage of the horn, it’s not going to work,” cars, 10,000 buses and two million two-wheelers grams for Chinese children, voicing concern that young- who are slim or athletic. High cholesterol doesn’t necessarily mean said the publisher turned honk activist, who is plying the roads of the financial capital with a sters were overloaded with classwork that affected their The new study involved children having rou- the child needs medicines like statin drugs, she hoping that the potential revenues brought by population of some 12 million, according to physical and mental health.—AFP tine physicals from January 2010 to July 2011 at said. The guidelines stress diet and lifestyle the system will help persuade authorities to local transport expert Ashok Datar.—AFP the largest pediatric primary care network in the changes as the first step. — AP

CLOVIS: Peanut butter is disposed of Friday at the dump in Clovis. Nearly a million jars of peanut butter are being PORTALES: The peanut butter production line at Sunland Inc’s peanut plant in Portales. Nearly a million jars of dumped at a New Mexico landfill to expedite the sale of a bankrupt peanut-processing plant that was at the heart peanut butter are being dumped at a New Mexico landfill. — AP of a 2012 salmonella outbreak and nationwide recall. —AP Million jars of peanut butter dumped in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE: Nearly a million jars of peanut butter have been out of the way.” the peanut butter from a health and safety issue,” but court linked to 41 salmonella cases in 20 states. were dumped at a New Mexico landfill this week to expe- Pattison said peanut butter is a major source of protein records show that on a March 19 conference call Costco It later reopened for about five months, but shut down dite the sale of a bankrupt peanut-processing plant that and a staple for hungry people. Her food bank places sin- said “it would not agree to any disposition ... other than last October after the company’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy fil- was at the heart of a 2012 salmonella outbreak and nation- gle-serve peanut butter cups in packages it gives to chil- destruction.” ing. wide recall. dren whose parents rely on its services. So instead of selling or donating the peanut butter, with Sunland processed Valencia peanuts, a sweet variety of Bankruptcy trustee Clarke Coll said he had no other “For it to just be deliberately thrown away is disappoint- a value estimated at $2.6 million, the estate paid about peanut unique to the region and preferred for natural but- choice after Costco Wholesale refused to take shipment of ing,” she said. $60,000 to haul the 950,000 jars of nut butter - or about 25 ters because it is flavorful without additives. the Sunland Inc. product and declined requests to let it be tons - to the Curry County landfill in Clovis, where public Sonya Warwick, spokeswoman for New Mexico’s largest donated to food banks or repackaged or sold to brokers Extensive testing works director Clint Bunch says it “will go in with our regular food bank, declined to comment directly on the situation, who provide food to institutions like prisons. Costco officials did not return telephone calls seeking waste and covered with dirt.” but she noted that rescued food accounted for 74 percent “We considered all options,” Coll said. “They didn’t agree.” comment. But court filings indicate the product was made The last of 58 truckloads was expected Friday, the same of what Roadrunner Food Bank distributed across New MelindaJoy Pattison, executive director of the Food Bank with $2.8 million worth of Valencia peanuts owned by day Golden Boy Foods of Canada was to close on its $26 Mexico last year. of Eastern New Mexico, on Friday called the dumping of the Costco and had been sitting in the warehouse since the million purchase of the plant. “Our fleet picks up rescued food from hundreds of loca- peanut butter “horrendous.” She said as long as there was company shut down and filed for bankruptcy last fall. tions weekly and brings it back to the food bank,” she said. nothing wrong with the peanut butter, her operation After extensive testing, Costco agreed to a court order Rescued food “Before distributing it, volunteers help label, sort or repack would have found a way to store it, remove the labels and authorizing the trustee to sell it the peanut butter. But after Sunland made peanut butter under a number of differ- it for distribution to partner agencies across the state. distribute it to the people who depend on the food bank. getting eight loads, Costco rejected it as “not merchantable” ent labels for retailers like Costco, Kroger and Trader Joe’s, “Access to rescued food allows us to provide a more “Those trucks carrying it to the dump went right by the because of leaky peanut oil. along with products under its own name. But the plant was well-rounded and balanced meal to New Mexicans experi- front door of my food bank,” she said. “It wasn’t like it would Coll said “all parties agreed there’s nothing wrong with shut down in September 2012 after its products were encing hunger.” — AP HEALTH & SCIENCE SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 White House plan targets methane emissions

WASHINGTON: The White House announced a wide- Updated stand “The important thing is they charted a specific The White House plan comes amid conflicting esti- ranging plan Friday aimed at cutting methane emis- The White House said the Environmental Protection pathway forward, which we think should lead and will mates about how much methane is produced by oil sions from oil and gas drilling, landfills and other Agency will study how methane is released during oil lead to additional standards for (reducing) methane and gas production. sources, part of President Barack Obama’s strategy to and gas drilling and decide by the end of the year leakage,” said David Doniger, director of the climate The EPA said in a report last spring said that tighter reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to whether to develop new regulations for methane and clean air program at the Natural Resources pollution controls instituted by the oil and gas indus- global warming. emissions. If imposed, the regulations would be com- Defense Council, an environmental group. try resulted in an average annual decrease of 41.6 mil- The White House plan, which could lead to several pleted by the end of 2016, just before Obama leaves “A federal strategy to reduce venting, flaring and lion metric tons of methane emissions from 1990 new regulations on energy production and waste office. leaks of natural gas is good for the environment and through 2010, or more than 850 million metric tons management, comes amid concerns about increased The White House also said the Interior Department good for national energy security,” said Fred Krupp, overall. The figure is about a 20 percent reduction methane emissions resulting from an ongoing boom will propose updated standards to reduce venting and president of the Environmental Defense Fund. from previous estimates. in drilling for oil and natural gas. flaring of methane from oil and gas production on A University of Texas study published in September Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas released by public lands. Next month, the Bureau of Land Chilling effect largely agreed with those findings, but another study landfills, cattle and leaks from oil and gas production. Management will begin a rule-making process to Industry groups reacted warily. While they support published in November said government methane It is 21 times more potent at trapping heat than car- require the capture and sale of methane waste pro- continued efforts to reduce methane emissions, offi- estimates are off by as much as 50 percent below bon dioxide, the most abundant global warming gas, duced by coal mines on lands leased by the federal cials cautioned against new regulations. actual methane emissions. although it doesn’t stay in the air as long. Methane government. “Additional regulations are not necessary and could The debate over methane emissions comes as oil emissions make up about 9 percent of US greenhouse This summer, the EPA will propose updated stan- have a chilling effect on the American energy renais- and gas drilling has expanded across the country gas emissions, according to government estimates. dards to reduce methane from new landfills and con- sance, our economy and our national security,” said amid improvements in drilling techniques that have Experts say methane leaks can be controlled by fix- sider whether to impose new standards for existing Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific allowed energy companies access to previously es such as better gaskets, maintenance and monitor- landfills. In June, the Agriculture Department and oth- affairs for the American Petroleum Institute, the oil untapped areas. Much of the increase is due to ing. Such fixes are also thought to be cost-effective, er agencies will release a strategy for voluntary steps and gas industry’s chief lobbying group. hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling process since the industry ends up with more product to sell. to reduce methane emissions from cattle, with the “Smart, cost-effective investments in system mod- that injects sand, water and chemicals to break apart In the booming Bakken region of North Dakota and goal of cutting dairy sector greenhouse gas emissions ernization can continue, and accelerate, the trend in rock and free the gas inside. Improved technology Montana, huge amounts of methane and other gases by 25 percent by 2020. decreasing natural gas emissions,” said Dave McCurdy, has spurred a nationwide drilling boom but also has are burned off, or flared, during oil production, wast- Environmental groups praised the White House president and CEO of the American Gas Association, raised widespread concerns that fracking could lead ing millions of dollars and contributing to air pollu- plan, although they noted that many details remain which represents more than 200 local energy compa- to groundwater contamination and even earth- tion. incomplete. nies. quakes. — AP WHAT’S ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Prof Fiannaca at the French booth. (From left) Professor Joseph Fiannaca, Ambassador Christian Nakhle, President Nizar Hamzeh, Francois Brossard, and Dr Rawda Awwad are pictured. French Ambassador visits AUK La Francophonie International Week celebrated

n the occasion ofthe International ed by students from Professor Fiannaca’s Week of La Francophonie, the Intermediate French class as a final class ODepartment of Arabic and Foreign project. The project required the students to Languages at the American University of construct scrapbooks based on characters Kuwait (AUK) invited the French Ambassador they created who spend one month in a to Kuwait, Christian Nakhle, along with the French language institute in a city in France. embassy’s Cultural Counselor, Francois Each student was required to select a differ- Brossard to launch an exhibition of scrap- ent city and institute, conduct research on books created by students from a French them, and create diary entries and postcards class of Professor Joseph Fiannaca, AUK to family and friends, among other scrap- Senior Instructor of French Language and book staples. Literature. The exhibition took place at the “The purpose of this project and such AUK Library, and was attended by Dr Rawda assignments was to give our students the Awwad, Interim Dean of the College of Arts opportunity to express their personal and and Sciences, and Asma Al-Kanan, Director artistic skills, as well as their French reading of the AUK Library. and writing skills,” said Professor Fiannaca. As Upon their arrival to AUK, the part of their visit, the Ambassador and Ambassador and Cultural Counselor met Cultural Counselor were invited to attend with AUK President Dr Nizar Hamzeh, and Dr one of Professor Fiannaca’s classes. During Awwad, where they discussed possible col- the session, they interacted with the stu- laboration opportunities, including the pos- dents and informed them about the variety sibility of offering a French Minor at the of activities organized by the French Institute University. During the meeting, the Embassy of Kuwait, and finally take some time to par- expressed its commitment to provide sup- ticipate in a quiz on La Francophonie. port should the minor be created. The International Organization of La Following the meeting with the Francophoniere presents one of the biggest President, Dr Awwad accompanied the visi- linguistic zones in the world which organizes tors in a tour in the AUK Library where Al- political activities and actions of multilateral Kanan showed them the collection of French cooperation that benefit French-speaking resources available to the AUK community populations. This year, the International Week prior to launching the students’ exhibition. of La Francophonie coincided with AUK’s own The ambassador visited the French class. The exhibition showcased scrapbooks creat- annual International Week.

NBK welcomes The Australian College students on banking familiarization tour ational Bank of Kuwait (NBK) welcomed a staff then presented to the students a brief lec- the opportunity to gain a better understanding group of students from The Australian ture on the importance of saving, the services of the banking industry. As part of its corporate NCollege of Kuwait (ACK) at the bank’s that NBK provides to its customers, the multi- social responsibility program, NBK regularly head office in a banking familiarization tour. NBK benefits of Al-Azraq and Al-Shabab accounts hosts students on field trips from both public Public Relations team took the visiting group of and the importance of Public Relations within and private schools in Kuwait and provides them students on a tour of the bank’s various depart- the banking sector. At the end of the visit, the with information about the banking industry ments, including the main banking hall. NBK students expressed their gratitude for having and career opportunities.

Warba Bank’s team visits Warba Island

s part of its social activities organ- Bank’s team also expressed their appreci- Bangladesh community holds football tournament ized to underline its responsibility ation for the coast guard’s efforts in Afor preserving the environment, ensuring the security and protection of angladesh community in association with the Bangladesh Embassy in chief guest. He enjoyed the games and presented prizes to the champions. Brig Warba Bank organized a visit for its vol- all Kuwaiti coasts. Kuwait organized Independence Day Cup Football and Ha-Do-Do Gen Mohammad Nasimul Gani, Defence Attache, SM Mahbubul Alam, Counsellor untary youth team to Warba Island. The On behalf of Warba Bank’s BTournament 2014 at Nadi Al-Naser Stadium [beside the 6th Ring Road (Political) and Head of Chancery, KM Ali Reza, First Secretary (Labour), MA Jalil, First visiting team, inclusive of Retail Banking Management and the entire staff, the Call close to national stadium] at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 21, 2014. The final match Secretary, and Mohammad Sakawat Hossian Patwary, Sonali Bank Representative staff, organized a clean-up campaign on Centre team offered sincere thanks and of Ha-Do-Do was held with lots of enthusiasm among the players and the com- (SBR) were also present at the tournament venue to enjoy the matches. the island and planted a number of trees, gratitude to the Coast Guards munity people present at the playground. The Bangladeshi traditional national A large number of Bangladeshi community people in Kuwait witnessed and with a view to preserve the environment Department, represented by Major game [Ha-Do-Do] took place between Narail Club and Jenaidah Club. Narail enjoyed the matches with a very joyous and cheerful mood. The tournament and protect Kuwait’s natural landmarks General Sheikh Mohammad Al-Yousef Al- Club emerged as the champions of the tournament with a score of 21-5. The took place in a very friendly and congenial atmosphere. It enhanced integrity against pollution. Sabah, the Ministry of Interior’s Assistant final match of the football tournament took place at the stadium between the and solidarity among the Bangladesh community people in Kuwait. It was very This visit falls within the activities of Undersecretary for Border Security Bangladesh Shapla and the Nobabgonj Club. Bangladesh Shapla won the interactive and engaging. It symbolizes an extraordinary cohesiveness and Warba Bank’s Call Centre voluntary team, Affairs, and all the officers and officials, match 3-1. bondage with unique fellow-feeling within the community. It was a successful and aims to strengthen the social part- for their warm reception and generous Major General Mohammad Ashab Uddin, the Ambassador of the People’s and meaningful arrangement with the patronization of Bangladesh Embassy in nership and patriotism, in addition to hospitality towards Warba Bank team Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait was present at the tournament venue as the Kuwait. raising environmental awareness. Warba during the visit. SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 WHAT’S ON

Jamaican Day is a splash of color in Kuwait he Jamaican Day was held on Friday, March 28, 2014 at Movenpick Hotel-Bidaa and was sponsored by Vision Academy for Advanced Natural Talent. The event included Jamaican cuisine and Jamaican dancing. A DJ and live band was also present. Visitors enjoyed themselves at the Jamaican tourism booth which gave them a chance to win a trip to Jamaica. Other activities included limbo dancing, tug- Tof-war, treasure hunt, face painting, domino tournament, fashion show and make-up and fun and games. Vaant also perfomed at the event. —Photos by Joseph Shagra TV PROGRAMS SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

04:40 Container Wars 05:05 How Do They Do It? 07:35 Wolfblood 05:30 How It’s Made 07:55 Gravity Falls Why net neutrality 08:20 That’s So Raven 06:00 Sons Of Guns 08:45 Jessie 07:00 You Have Been Warned 00:20 Doctors 09:05 Good Luck Charlie matters so much to 00:50 New Tricks 07:50 Flying Wild Alaska 09:30 Shake It Up 01:40 My Family 08:40 Fast N’ Loud 09:55 Austin & Ally Indie filmmakers 02:10 Walk On The Wild Side 09:30 Border Security 10:15 A.N.T. Farm 02:40 Being Erica 09:55 Auction Kings 10:40 Dog With A Blog 03:25 Spooks 10:20 Container Wars 11:05 Suite Life On Deck onsumer groups and tech advocates have been voic- 04:15 The Weakest Link 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:25 Jessie ing concern about the growing threats to net neutrali- 05:00 Mr Bloom’s Nursery 11:10 How It’s Made 11:50 That’s So Raven Cty, but Hollywood - especially independent filmmak- 05:20 Balamory 11:35 Gold Rush 12:15 Hannah Montana ers and distributors - have plenty of reason to worry about 05:40 Nina And The Neurons 12:25 Alaska Gold Diggers 12:35 Hannah Montana the walls and toll booths being erected to discriminate 05:50 Me Too! 13:15 Gold Divers: Under The Ice 13:00 Good Luck Charlie 06:10 Mr Bloom’s Nursery between Internet content. Soon after Netflix reached a deal 14:05 Border Security 13:25 Austin & Ally with Comcast to directly access its broadband network and 06:30 Balamory 13:45 A.N.T. Farm 06:50 Nina And The Neurons 14:30 Auction Kings thus make its service faster for the cable company’s cus- 14:55 Container Wars 14:10 Jessie 07:05 Me Too! 14:35 Dog With A Blog tomers, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings ripped into the “arbitrary 15:20 North America 07:25 My Family 15:00 Good Luck Charlie tax” that the cable network forced his company to pay. He 16:10 Fast N’ Loud 07:50 The Vicar Of Dibley 15:25 Gravity Falls asked readers of a post on the streaming service’s site to 08:20 Little Britain 17:00 Ultimate Survival 15:50 Austin & Ally “imagine the plight of smaller services today and in the 08:50 Eastenders 17:50 Wheeler Dealers 16:10 Violetta future,” and looking downstream, there are plenty of outlets 09:20 Doctors 18:40 You Have Been Warned 17:00 Liv And Maddie that specialize in independent film that have become 09:45 The Weakest Link 19:30 Sons Of Guns 17:20 Liv And Maddie endangered before they are established or even launch. 10:30 The Vicar Of Dibley 20:20 How Do They Do It? 17:40 Mako Mermaids “If we want to directly sell movies off our site, like Louis 11:00 Call The Midwife 20:45 How It’s Made 18:10 Good Luck Charlie CK does, the challenges that I then have is, what price do I 11:55 New Tricks 21:10 Auction Kings 18:30 Jessie 12:45 My Family 21:35 Container Wars 18:55 Dog With A Blog have to pay to make sure that my information is delivered at 13:15 Little Britain 22:00 Dual Survival 19:20 Violetta the speed and is as high quality as it can be?” Ted Hope, a 13:45 Eastenders 22:50 Survive That! 20:05 Jessie veteran indie film producer (“21 Grams,” “Adventureland”) 14:15 Doctors 23:40 Yukon Men 20:30 Good Luck Charlie who now runs the independent distributor Fandor, told 14:45 Call The Midwife 20:50 Dog With A Blog TheWrap. “To get information faster, big pocketed entities 15:35 New Tricks 21:15 Gravity Falls like Netflix go and make deals with Comcast, but small com- 16:25 The Weakest Link 21:40 Shake It Up 17:10 Eastenders panies don’t have that option.” 22:00 Austin & Ally Fandor operates on a revenue-splitting model, allowing 17:40 Doctors 22:25 A.N.T. Farm 18:10 Being Erica 22:50 Good Luck Charlie filmmakers to sell their work directly to consumers by using 19:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 00:40 The Colony the site as a platform. It is one of many services that operates 01:30 Bang Goes The Theory 23:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place 19:30 The Vicar Of Dibley 23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place in this sort of fashion; an ever-growing list also includes 20:00 Upstairs Downstairs 02:00 Food Factory Vimeo, Joost, Indiefix and even large companies like Hulu, 02:25 How Tech Works 20:55 Mistresses which has not struck a deal similar to that which Netflix 21:45 The Omid Djalili Show 02:50 Mega Builders 03:45 Kings Of Construction grudgingly made with Comcast. Platforms, in this case, 22:15 Stella could either ultimately be forced to pay for special access to 23:00 The Weakest Link 04:35 Thunder Races 23:45 Eastenders 05:25 How The Universe Works the pipes - and thus pass along the cost to either the con- 06:15 Food Factory 00:00 Chelsea Lately sumer or the filmmaker - or fall behind. “The independents 06:40 How Tech Works 00:30 The Spin Crowd are now looking at the smaller companies who are compet- 07:05 X-Machines 00:55 The Spin Crowd ing not only with Comcast, but also with Netflix, and don’t 08:00 Building The Future 01:25 Style Star have the money to pay for preferred carriage, and are not 08:50 Eco-Tech 01:50 Style Star going to pay for co-located interconnection,” Jean Prewitt, 09:40 Food Factory 00:00 The Planners 02:20 E!ES the CEO and President of the Independent Film and 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home 10:05 How Tech Works 03:15 Extreme Close-Up Television Alliance (IFTA), told TheWrap. “And those are Edition 10:30 James May’s Man Lab 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 01:35 Come Dine With Me 11:25 X-Machines 04:10 E!ES increasingly going to be the services that a lot of our mem- 02:25 MasterChef 12:20 Thunder Races 05:05 E!ES bers are going to be looking to as their way onto the inter- 03:20 Chef At Home 13:10 How The Universe Works 06:00 THS net. Or, our members are looking themselves to put forward 03:45 Chef At Home 14:00 Kings Of Construction 07:50 Fashion Police their own service in which they aggregate content of a par- 04:10 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 14:50 Bang Goes The Theory 09:15 Opening Act THE BIG YEAR ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY HD ticular genre or type and try to put forward.” 04:55 Extreme Makeover: Home 15:20 Food Factory 10:15 Married To Jonas In theory, having just a handful of content distributors Edition 15:45 How Tech Works 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays Country equipped with the fastest connections could be okay for 05:40 Bargain Hunt 16:10 Mega Builders 11:10 The Drama Queen 05:00 Good Morning America 05:30 Now Is Good-PG15 16:30 Endeavour independent filmmakers, but monopolization and market 06:25 Come Dine With Me 17:00 How The Universe Works 12:05 Fashion Police 07:00 Emmerdale 07:15 Girl In Progress-PG15 18:20 May The Best House Win share have already constricted the free flow of movies, and 07:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 17:55 Thunder Races 13:35 E!ES 07:30 Coronation Street 09:00 Midnight In Paris-PG15 19:10 Coronation Street 08:00 Extreme Makeover: Home 18:45 X-Machines 14:30 Style Star 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 11:00 Olympus Has Fallen-PG15 that would only get worse. The struggle of independent dis- 19:35 Trevor Mcdonalds Queen & Edition 19:35 James May’s Man Lab 15:00 Keeping Up With The 09:00 24 13:00 Magic Journey To Africa- tributors and platforms is intimately connected with the fate Country 08:45 The Planners 20:30 Junkyard Wars Kardashians 10:00 Emmerdale PG15 of independent filmmakers because outlets like Netflix and 20:30 Endeavour 09:35 Bargain Hunt 21:20 Large Dangerous Rocket 16:00 Keeping Up With The 10:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Odd Life Of Timothy iTunes (which may also reach a deal with Comcast), as well 22:20 Coronation Street 10:20 Antiques Roadshow Ships 2011 Kardashians 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Green-PG 22:50 Emmerdale as the cable companies’ own VOD offerings, are so tightly 11:15 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen 22:10 Food Factory 17:00 The Wanted Life 12:00 Castle 17:00 Midnight In Paris-PG15 23:45 May The Best House Win 13:00 Made In Jersey curated. This, even before the courts struck down the FCC’s Notebook: London 22:35 How Tech Works 17:30 Hello Ross 19:00 Red Dawn-PG15 Net Neutrality principles in January. 11:40 Come Dine With Me 23:00 Stuck With Hackett 18:00 E! News 14:00 Live Good Morning America 21:00 The Bling Ring-18 12:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 23:25 Stuck With Hackett 16:00 24 23:00 The Campaign-18 19:00 Fashion Police ‘Unlimited capacity’ pursued 13:20 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 23:50 Large Dangerous Rocket 20:30 E!ES 17:00 Castle 14:05 Antiques Roadshow Ships 2011 21:00 The Drama Queen 18:00 Made In Jersey “If you do not have films that have been theatrically 15:05 Extreme Makeover: Home 22:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On 19:00 24 released in the United States, or have a very strong, quite Edition 22:30 E! News 20:00 Castle obvious niche audience, it’s very difficult to get on the major 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon 15:50 MasterChef 23:30 Chelsea Lately 21:00 Made In Jersey 01:00 The Missing Lynx VOD services,” Prewitt said. “That’s true for a couple of rea- 16:45 Bargain Hunt Stewart 22:00 Rescue Me 02:45 The Legend Of Sarila sons, but it’s complicated by the fact that none of the big 01:00 The Colbert Report 23:00 Nip/Tuck 17:30 Chef At Home 04:30 Free Birds services really are putting out there unlimited capacity.” 17:55 Chef At Home 01:30 The Big C 06:00 Olentzero Christmas Tale 02:00 South Park The fact that distributors and platforms don’t release 18:20 Antiques Roadshow 08:00 Emperor’s Secret their VOD profits only adds to the problem, as it’s hard to tell 19:15 Homes Under The Hammer 02:30 Out There 09:45 Sky Force 00:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 20:10 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen 03:30 Raising Hope 11:15 Mrs. Doubtfire which movie is a surprise hit and discourages discovery. The 00:20 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Notebook: London 04:00 Seinfeld 13:30 The Legend Of Sarila potential merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable could 00:45 Sonny With A Chance 00:35 House Gift 20:35 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring 00:00 The Corruptor-18 15:00 The Fantastic Adventure Of only serve to exacerbate that problem. The IFTA, which is on 01:05 Sonny With A Chance 01:30 Emmerdale 21:00 Food & Drink Jimmy Fallon 02:00 Sudden Death-PG15 The Ugly Duckling the record as pro-open Internet, hasn’t released an official 01:30 Suite Life On Deck 02:25 Coronation Street 05:30 Seinfeld 04:00 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 16:30 The Elf Who Stole Christmas 21:30 Come Dine With Me 02:55 Holiday: Heaven On Earth position on that pending marriage, but is wary of its poten- 01:50 Suite Life On Deck 06:00 Two And A Half Men 18:00 Sky Force 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 03:25 Agatha Christie’s Marple 06:00 Sins Expiation-PG15 tial consequences. “Increasingly independents have to go 02:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place 06:30 Arrested Development 20:00 The Water Horse: Legend Of 23:15 Bargain Hunt 05:15 Ade In Britain 08:00 Special Ops-PG15 through one or more levels of aggregator, because no one 02:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers The Deep 06:10 House Gift 10:00 Broken Path-PG15 coming down the line, starting at a Comcast, Time Warner or 03:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 08:00 Seinfeld 22:00 The Fantastic Adventure Of 07:05 Holiday: Heaven On Earth 12:00 Excess Baggage-PG15 Fox, wants to deal with a company that only has one or two 03:20 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 08:30 Seinfeld The Ugly Duckling 07:30 Agatha Christie’s Marple 14:00 Special Ops-PG15 03:45 Sonny With A Chance 09:30 The Crazy Ones 23:30 The Elf Who Stole Christmas films to offer at a time,” Prewitt said. “So they say go find 04:05 Sonny With A Chance 09:20 Ade In Britain 10:00 Trophy Wife 16:00 The Last Stand-PG15 someone else to package that together, and in many cases 04:30 Suite Life On Deck 10:15 May The Best House Win 10:30 Arrested Development 18:00 Excess Baggage-PG15 that’s In Demand, which is commonly owned. In Demand 11:10 Emmerdale 00:30 Gold Rush 04:50 Suite Life On Deck 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring 20:00 Mafia-18 chooses what it wants to put forward, and that’s not every- 12:00 Coronation Street 01:20 Alaska Gold Diggers 05:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place Jimmy Fallon 22:00 The Last Stand-PG15 thing, and In Demand won’t deal with smaller distributors, 05:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:30 House Gift 02:10 Gold Divers: Under The Ice 12:00 Two And A Half Men so you have to go to another aggregator. And every one of 06:00 Austin & Ally 13:25 Ade In Britain 12:30 Seinfeld 03:00 You Have Been Warned 06:25 Dog With A Blog 14:20 May The Best House Win 13:00 Seinfeld 00:00 Knuckle-PG15 those layers leads to cherry picking, costs and delay.” 03:50 Border Security 02:00 Gambit-PG15 Simply put: If you weren’t in theaters or don’t have a star, 06:45 Suite Life On Deck 15:10 Holiday: Heaven On Earth 13:30 Arrested Development 00:00 Revenge Of The Nerds II: 04:15 Auction Kings 04:00 Snowflake , The White 07:10 A.N.T. Farm 15:35 Trevor Mcdonalds Queen & 14:00 Raising Hope Nerds In Paradise-PG15 you’ve got way less of a shot of getting of one of the big Gorilla-PG 14:30 The Crazy Ones 02:00 That’s What She Said-18 VOD systems. And if broadband providers price smaller VOD 06:00 Dating Coach-PG15 15:00 Trophy Wife 04:00 Spy Hard-PG15 systems out of business or at least put them at a technical 08:00 The Greatest Movie Ever 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 06:00 10 Things I Hate About You- disadvantage, you’re either out of luck getting distribution - Sold-PG15 Stewart PG15 10:00 Charlotte’s Web-PG or paying a bigger share of your profit to one of the big 16:00 The Colbert Report 08:00 Dark Shadows-PG15 12:00 Gambit-PG15 name platforms if they do happen to accept your film. 16:30 Two And A Half Men 10:00 I Think I Do-PG15 14:00 Barnyard-PG “I care about net neutrality because I’ve got to try to get 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 12:00 Spy Hard-PG15 16:00 The Greatest Movie Ever my movies out in a good way, any way I can,” Daniela Taplin 18:00 The Simpsons 14:00 The Big Year-PG Sold-PG15 Lundberg, a veteran indie producer (“The Kids Are All Right”) 19:00 The Mindy Project 16:00 I Think I Do-PG15 17:45 Iron Man 3-PG15 19:30 Modern Family 18:00 The Brothers Solomon-PG15 and partner at Red Crown Productions, said. “I want audi- 20:00 Killing Them Softly-18 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring 20:00 Ted-18 ences to be viewing the content that I’ve slaved over 22:00 The Possession-PG15 Jimmy Fallon 22:00 Revenge Of The Nerds II: through any platform. Whether that’s Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Nerds In Paradise-PG15 iTunes, I want them to be able to view it in the same way, Stewart with the best quality. That being said, that doesn’t feel the 21:30 The Colbert Report way the tide is turning.” At the moment, Lundberg says, the 22:00 Veep uncertainty around which VOD services will carry her films - 22:30 South Park 01:00 NRL Premiership 23:00 Out There 03:00 NRL Premiership and the financial boom or bust that will cause - doesn’t have 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers 05:00 NRL Full Time much impact on many of the projects she chooses to pro- 01:45 The Trial-PG15 05:30 Futbol Mundial duce, especially micro-budget features; you can only shave 03:30 Oh Christmas Tree-PG 06:00 Trans World Sport a budget down so far. But, with pre-sales on distribution 05:00 The Chateau Meroux-PG15 07:00 Trans World Sport making up quite a bit of a film’s financing these days, and 07:00 Resistance-PG15 08:00 LV Cup 09:00 The Trial-PG15 theaters showing fewer and fewer independent films, 00:00 Warehouse 13 10:00 Golfing World 11:00 The Good Doctor-PG15 there’s more pressure on VOD. If there’s no guarantee that a 01:00 Mistresses 11:00 World Golf Championship 13:00 You Got Served: Beat The movie will make it onto a VOD system, no one will want to 02:00 The Killing Highlights World-PG15 buy its home entertainment rights - and that means a film 03:00 World Without End 12:00 Super Rugby 15:00 The Key Man-PG15 just may not get made in the first place. — Reuters 04:00 Grey’s Anatomy 14:00 Super Rugby 17:00 The Iron Lady-PG15 05:00 The Fosters 16:00 NRL Premiership 06:00 Warehouse 13 18:45 Silver Linings Playbook-PG15 18:00 World Golf Championship 07:00 Drop Dead Diva 21:00 Passion-18 Highlights 08:00 Switched At Birth 23:00 This Must Be The Place-18 09:00 The Killing 19:00 Golfing World 10:00 The Fosters 20:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 11:00 Grey’s Anatomy 20:30 Inside The PGA Tour 12:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Trans World Sport 12:30 Coronation Street 22:00 LV Cup 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 01:00 The Samaritan-18 14:00 Switched At Birth 03:00 Seeking Justice-PG15 15:00 Warehouse 13 05:00 Nobody Walks-PG15 16:00 Emmerdale 07:00 Planet Of The Apes (1968)- 00:00 Golfing World 16:30 Coronation Street PG15 01:00 Premier League Darts 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:00 Last Dance-PG15 04:00 LV Cup 18:00 Switched At Birth 11:00 The Music Never Stopped- 06:30 NRL Full Time 19:00 Twisted PG15 20:00 Scandal 13:00 Katy Perry The Movie: Part Of 07:00 NRL Premiership 21:00 House Of Cards Me-PG 09:00 NRL Full Time 22:00 American Horror Story: 14:45 The Lady-PG15 09:30 Dubai World Cup Carnival Coven 17:00 The Music Never Stopped- 13:00 Trans World Sport 23:00 World Without End PG15 14:00 Golfing World 19:00 The Grey-18 15:00 World Golf Championships 21:00 London-18 Highlights 23:00 We Need To Talk About Kevin-18 16:00 Snooker 19:00 NHL 21:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 00:00 Made In Jersey 23:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 01:00 Good Morning America Highlights 03:00 Nip/Tuck 01:15 Drift-PG15 THE LAST STAND ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION 04:00 Rescue Me 03:30 Olympus Has Fallen-PG15 23:30 PGA European Tour Weekly Classifieds

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (27/03/2014 TO 02/04/2014)

SHARQIA-1 FANAR-5 DIVERGENT (DIG) 5:15 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 1:45 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 2:45 PM HAUNT (DIG) 4:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 10:30 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 4:45 PM THE DOUBLE (DIG) 6:00 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 1:15 AM SABOTAGE (DIG) 7:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 8:00 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: DIVERGENT (DIG) 9:45 PM NO WED THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 8:00 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:30 AM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 10:30 PM WED NO WED CAPTAIN AMERICA: SHARQIA-2 BLOOD TIES (DIG) 12:45 AM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 10:45 PM MINUSCULE: VALLEY NO SUN+TUE+WED OF THE LOST ANTS (DIG) 12:30 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: 360º- 1 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 2:30 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 8:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 2:00 PM 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 5:00 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: DIVERGENT (DIG) 5:00 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 7:00 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 10:45 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 8:00 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 9:30 PM NO WED CAPTAIN AMERICA: MARINA-1 DIVERGENT (DIG) 11:00 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG-3D) 9:45 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 12:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 12:05 AM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 2:45 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: NON-STOP (DIG) 5:00 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 8:00 PM SHARQIA-3 BLOOD TIES (DIG) 7:15 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: NON-STOP (DIG) 1:30 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 9:30 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 10:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 11:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 3:45 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED NON-STOP (DIG) 6:00 PM 360º- 2 BLOOD TIES (DIG) 8:15 PM MARINA-2 FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 1:00 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 10:30 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:45 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 3:15 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 12:45 AM DIVERGENT (DIG) 2:45 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 5:30 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 7:45 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 5:45 PM SITUATION VACANT MUHALAB-1 DIVERGENT (DIG) 7:45 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 10:00 PM 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 12:30 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 10:30 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 12:15 AM NON-STOP (DIG) 2:30 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: Lady Indian physiothera- BLOOD TIES (DIG) 4:45 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 10:30 PM 360º- 3 pist B.PT, M.Sc (UK) 4 years NON-STOP (DIG) 7:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 12:30 AM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 2:15 PM experience, transferable BLOOD TIES (DIG) 9:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED BLOOD TIES (DIG) 4:30 PM visa, ready to join. Please CAPTAIN AMERICA: BLOOD TIES (DIG) 6:45 PM call 99651572. (C 4677) THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 9:30 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 9:00 PM MARINA-3 27-3-2014 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 12:30 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 11:15 PM MUHALAB-2 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 3:00 PM AL-KOUT.1 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 2:00 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 5:30 PM 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 12:30 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 4:30 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 7:30 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 2:30 PM MATRIMONIAL LEGEND (DIG) (Telugu) 4:30 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 5:00 PM LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) 7:45 PM CAPTAIN AMERICA: 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 7:30 PM Marriage proposal for NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 9:45 PM THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 9:30 PM Marathomite girl 26 years NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 12:45 AM CAPTAIN AMERICA: MUHALAB-3 THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG) 9:30 PM B/B in Kuwait (Ms) well placed in Kuwait. Proposals SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:30 PM AVENUES-1 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 12:05 AM FOR SALE DIVERGENT (DIG) 2:30 PM MINUSCULE: from Marthomite boys - 112 SABOTAGE (DIG) 5:15 PM VALLEY OF THE LOST ANTS (DIG) 2:00 PM AL-KOUT.2 qualified and well placed in DIVERGENT (DIG) 7:15 PM 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 4:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 2:00 PM Kuwait or GCC countries. Doctor selling Mitsubishi SABOTAGE (DIG) 10:00 PM LEGEND (DIG) (Telugu) 4:00 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 4:45 PM Email: Gallant model 2013, done 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 7:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 7:00 PM [email protected] only 14000 km, like new, 4 FANAR-1 LEGEND (DIG) (Telugu) 7:00 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 9:45 PM THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR (C 4678) cyl, for KD 3250 only (new NON-STOP (DIG) 1:30 PM LEGEND (DIG) (Telugu) 10:00 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 11:45 PM CIVIL INFORMATION 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 1:00 AM 27-3-2014 KD 5400) & Jaguar X 2.50 MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG) 4:00 PM model 2002, done only NON-STOP (DIG) 6:00 PM AL-KOUT.3 Automated enquiry FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 8:15 PM AVENUES-2 NON-STOP (DIG) 1:45 PM 83000 km, very good, aboutthe Civil ID card is FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 10:15 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 2:15 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 4:00 PM leather seats for KD 950 ACCOMMODATION NON-STOP (DIG) 12:15 AM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 4:30 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 6:15 PM only. Tel: 66572082. 1889988 FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 6:45 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 8:15 PM (C 4679) FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 9:00 PM Abraq-Khaitan bed FANAR-3 SABOTAGE (DIG) 10:30 PM 29-3-2014 SABOTAGE (DIG) 1:00 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 11:15 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:30 AM space/sharing room avail- SABOTAGE (DIG) 3:00 PM FACTORY GIRL (DIG) (Arabic) 1:15 AM able for decent Prayer timings NO SUN+TUE+WED DIVERGENT (DIG) 5:00 PM AL-KOUT.4 Goan/Indian bachelor in SABOTAGE (DIG) 7:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 1:00 PM AVENUES-3 two bedroom flat, beside CHANGE OF NAME Fajr: 04:21 DIVERGENT (DIG) 9:45 PM BLOOD TIES (DIG) 3:30 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 1:15 PM the main road and bus stop. SABOTAGE (DIG) 12:30 AM HAUNT (DIG) 5:45 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 3:30 PM I have changed my name Shorook 05:41 BLOOD TIES (DIG) 7:45 PM Near police station round- 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 5:45 PM Abbas holding Indian FANAR-4 BLOOD TIES (DIG) 10:00 PM about, from 1st May with Duhr: 11:53 NON-STOP (DIG) 8:00 PM kitchen and internet facility. Passport No. Z1922769 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 2:15 PM NON-STOP (DIG) 10:15 PM HAUNT (DIG) 12:15 AM 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 4:45 PM Contact: 97523316 / issued at Kuwait to Abbas Asr: 15:23 NON-STOP (DIG) 12:30 AM Mashrak for all purposes. NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 6:45 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED BAIRAQ-1 24745162. (C 4676) NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 9:15 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 1:15 PM 27-3-2014 158, Kharol Colony, Maghrib: 18:05 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (DIG- AVENUES-4 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 3:15 PM Fatehpura, Udaipur (Raj.) 3D) 9:15 PM DIVERGENT (DIG) 2:15 PM SABOTAGE (DIG) 5:45 PM (C 4675) Isha: 19:23 NEED FOR SPEED (DIG) 11:45 PM NEED FOR SPEED (DIG-3D) 7:45 PM 25-4-2013

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Arrival Flights on Sunday 30/3/2014 FDB 057 Dubai 13:55 Departure Flights on Sunday 30/3/2014 FDB 058 Dubai 14:35 Airlines Flt Route Time GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20 Airlines Flt Route Time KAC 561 Amman 14:45 QTR 1084 Doha 00:05 SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30 UAL 981 IAD 00:05 QTR 1079 Doha 14:55 JAI 574 Mumbai 00:10 FDB 081 Dubai 14:55 AIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05 KAC 673 Dubai 15:05 JZR 539 Cairo 00:30 ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35 AXB 490 Mangalore/Kochi 00:15 GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05 RJA 642 Amman 01:05 RJA 640 Amman 15:55 JAI 573 Mumbai 01:10 KAC 617 Doha 15:15 DLH 637 Dammam 01:10 FDB 051 Dubai 15:55 DLH 637 Frankfurt 02:10 KAC 1783 Jeddah 15:35 PGT 858 Istanbul 01:30 QTR 1072 Doha 16:15 ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45 FDB 082 Dubai 15:35 ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45 JZR 787 Riyadh 16:15 PGT 859 Istanbul 03:20 SVA 503 Madinah/Jeddah 15:45 GFA 211 Bahrain 01:55 ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:45 UAE 854 Dubai 03:45 KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50 UAE 853 Dubai 02:25 FDB 073 Dubai 16:55 FDB 068 Dubai 03:45 ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15 ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 02:30 UAE 857 Dubai 16:55 MSR 613 Cairo 04:15 KAC 513 Tehran 16:20 JAI 576 Kochi/Abu Dhabi 02:35 SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15 ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:20 FDB 052 Dubai 16:35 JZR 267 Beirut 02:50 UAL 982 IAD 17:25 QTR 1077 Doha 04:25 RJA 641 Amman 16:55 FDB 067 Dubai 03:05 GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30 CEB 7695 Manila 04:40 JZR 266 Beirut 17:05 CEB 7694 Manila 03:10 JZR 481 Istanbul 17:30 FDB 078 Dubai 05:00 QTR 1073 Doha 17:20 MSR 612 Cairo 03:15 JZR 177 Dubai 17:45 AFG 416 Kabul 05:10 FDB 074 Dubai 17:35 QTR 1076 Doha 03:25 FDB 075 Dubai 17:45 QTR 1085 Doha 05:20 JZR 538 Cairo 17:40 AFG 416 Jeddah 04:00 JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50 JZR 560 Sohag 05:35 ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:45 FDB 077 Dubai 04:15 KAC 542 Cairo 18:15 JAI 575 Abu Dhabi/Kochi 06:30 UAE 858 Dubai 18:15 KAC 544 Cairo 04:20 RBG 553 Alexandria 18:20 FDB 070 Dubai 06:30 SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15 CLX 792 Luxembourg 05:05 QTR 1080 Doha 18:25 RJA 643 Amman 06:35 GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20 DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10 KAC 786 Jeddah 18:30 GFA 212 Bahrain 07:00 JZR 184 Dubai 18:20 FDB 069 Dubai 05:50 KAC 166 Paris/Rome 18:40 JZR 164 Dubai 07:15 FDB 076 Dubai 18:25 BAW 157 London 06:35 FDB 063 Dubai 18:45 CLX 792 Hanoi 08:20 UAL 982 Bahrain 18:40 KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:45 KAC 618 Doha 18:55 QTR 8632 Lahore/Doha 08:20 JZR 238 Amman 18:45 QTR 8632 Doha 06:50 AXB 393 Kozhikode 18:55 BAW 156 London 08:25 JZR 134 Bahrain 18:50 KAC 206 Islamabad 07:40 ABY 129 Sharjah 19:00 FDB 054 Dubai 08:25 RBG 554 Alexandria 19:00 FDB 053 Dubai 07:45 GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05 KAC 171 Frankfurt 08:55 QTR 1081 Doha 19:25 KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50 KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15 QTR 1087 Doha 08:55 FDB 064 Dubai 19:25 SVA 512 Riyadh 07:55 KAC 502 Beirut 19:20 SVA 513 Riyadh 08:55 ABY 120 Sharjah 19:40 QTR 1086 Doha 07:55 KAC 674 Dubai 19:25 KAC 671 Dubai 09:25 GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50 KAC 382 Delhi 07:55 MSR 606 Luxor 19:30 ABY 126 Sharjah 09:30 AXB 394 Kozhikode 19:55 KAC 352 Kochi 08:10 JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35 JZR 480 Istanbul 09:40 MSR 619 Alexandria 20:30 KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:15 KAC 102 New York/London 19:35 UAE 856 Dubai 09:50 KAC 283 Dhaka 20:30 UAE 855 Dubai 08:25 OMA 647 Muscat 19:55 KAC 117 New York 10:00 JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35 KAC 362 Colombo 08:45 KAC 562 Amman 20:00 ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:15 FDB 062 Dubai 20:50 ABY 125 Sharjah 08:50 FDB 061 Dubai 20:05 FDB 056 Dubai 10:15 KAC 361 Colombo 20:50 KAC 284 Dhaka 08:50 AFG 415 Kabul 20:10 IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25 OMA 648 Muscat 20:55 IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25 MEA 402 Beirut 20:15 KAC 741 Dammam 10:30 DLH 636 Dammam 21:00 DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:15 QTR 1071 Doha 11:00 ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:30 AFG 415 Jeddah 21:10 FDB 055 Dubai 09:35 KAC 1784 Jeddah 20:45 SYR 342 Latakia 11:15 MEA 403 Beirut 21:15 QTR 1070 Doha 10:00 KAC 514 Tehran 20:50 KAC 541 Cairo 11:30 FDB 080 Dubai 21:50 SYR 341 Latakia 10:15 KLM 417 Amsterdam 20:55 GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35 DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50 GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40 FDB 079 Dubai 21:05 KAC 501 Beirut 11:40 KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 21:55 MEA 404 Beirut 10:55 ALK 229 Colombo 21:10 MEA 405 Beirut 11:55 ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15 IRC 6507 Shiraz 11:00 UAE 859 Dubai 21:15 IRC 6508 Shiraz 12:00 ALK 230 Colombo 22:20 JZR 165 Dubai 11:50 KAC 172 Frankfurt 21:15 JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15 UAE 860 Dubai 22:25 FDB 065 Dubai 11:55 QTR 1074 Doha 21:30 KAC 103 London 12:30 KAC 343 Chennai 22:30 JZR 561 Sohag 12:00 ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30 FDB 066 Dubai 12:40 QTR 1075 Doha 22:40 FDB 071 Dubai 12:35 GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45 JZR 786 Riyadh 12:50 UAE 871 Dubai 12:45 JZR 135 Bahrain 21:45 KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00 FDB 060 Dubai 22:40 IRC 528 Ahwaz 12:50 FDB 059 Dubai 22:00 JZR 176 Dubai 13:10 KAC 301 Mumbai 22:40 MSR 610 Cairo 13:00 AIC 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:25 FDB 072 Dubai 13:15 GFA 220 Bahrain 22:45 THY 766 Istanbul 13:10 UAL 981 Bahrain 22:40 IRC 529 Ahwaz 13:50 KAC 351 Kochi 23:00 KAC 742 Dammam 13:30 JZR 185 Dubai 22:55 MSR 611 Cairo 14:00 KAC 205 Islamabad 23:35 KAC 672 Dubai 13:40 BBC 043 Dhaka 23:10 THY 767 Istanbul 14:10 KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:40 QTR 1078 Doha 13:45 UAE 872 Dubai 14:15 KAC 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 23:50 DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION stars34 SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

STAR TRACK CROSSWORD 502

Aries (March 21-April 19) Libra (September 23-October 22) Today you may find yourself working for a half day or just to finish up a proj- An outgoing and very expressive time will begin for you soon. You could ect in the workplace. Your logic is good and you have built a reputation for miss out on some of the fun if you keep working overtime, so . . . Give your- thinking quickly, on your feet, so to speak. You can walk into most any room and gain self a break from your usual hard work. A special project that is connected with your home respect for obtaining whatever information is needed. A profession as a spy, detective or may have your attention. You may decide that working on the addition to your home or researcher is quite possible for you. You are confident in whatever position you hold. You looking for a new home may be where you are most interested. Make it a point to search are emotionally stable and other people sense this about you. Create some goals now for your feelings before making any major decisions concerning loved ones now. Harmony and an exciting year ahead. You will find your circle of friends enlarging this year. Your part in beauty are deeply satisfying and time alone with loved ones is beneficial. A love relationship this activity is to just sit back and enjoy the parade. Friends want to show you a good time will become closer and more meaningful now. Perhaps a healing or an agreement can be reached. This evening there is time to relax and refurbish your energies. tonight. Happy birthday!

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You intuitively know that things are looking upward! You are entering a You are action oriented, creative, enthusiastic and ready to accomplish what phase of emotional directness and focus-one marked by forceful and powerful feelings. is set before you now. New projects move quickly and problems have little Do not spread yourself too thin or you will just slow yourself down-you are independent. staying power with you on board to do the problem solving. Work has been steady but you You are satisfied by meeting your obligations. Creative and pleasurable interests are high. may be tempted to take on a part-time job in order to have some extra finances for an upcoming trip, special date, etc. Time away from your living surroundings is a good thing Get serious about travel plans and include your loved one in your future plans. this afternoon. Visitors to your household later today may consist of family or old friends. Spontaneity is the special word for you. These are great days for doubling your money! Perhaps some tourist attraction that you and your family have always wanted to see or expe- Take a chance on a business venture-you are likely to find positive results. Investment rience is at the forefront of your mind. Plans are forming for some great new adventure; write opportunities can be found in the fields of nursery care for children, restaurants, home down your ideas and get feedback from the others. decorating and furnishings for vacation accommodations.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) It could be important to do some serious thinking about your work or career This is a good time to do research. Take your time and take clear notes. A friend may try to sway you from your path today, but stay true to yourself by just now, particularly if you feel it is inadequate. Plan before you act and doing what is necessary to move forward and complete your task. Stay focused but do not ACROSS the top of a buttress of tower. have clearly defined objectives; you will find success. Find ways in which to merge your be afraid to share your compassionate nature with others. If you ask your highest most inner 1. A potent estrogen used in medicine and in 83. A loose sleeveless outer garment made spiritual life into every other aspect of your life. This will give you encouragement. Turn self those questions that boggle your mind, you will be able to find the answers you need- your intuitive eye onto what is and what is not beneficial at this time. Take more time to feed for livestock and poultry. from aba cloth. especially when least expected. This brings you back time and time again to discover the build stamina in your life; climb stairs. You are able to enjoy and value your own life situa- new and what seems impossible. This afternoon is a good time for tennis, golf or bicycle rid- 4. A flat tortilla with various fillings piled on it. tion. A friend or loved one gets special attention from you this afternoon. It is your turn to ing with a friend. While you are out you may catch a glimpse of some beautiful blossoms. A 11. A metric unit of weight equal to one thou- DOWN encourage this person and help with gaining a focus on his or her future independence. vase of flowers are a welcome sight on a table. sandth of a kilogram. 1. Lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise. An engagement or birth may soon be in the forecast. 15. A mature blood cell that contains hemo- 2. A Spanish river. globin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues. 3. The skin that covers the top of the head. 16. Brownish Old World bunting often eaten 4. A unit of weight equivalent to 1000 kilo- as a delicacy. grams. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) 17. Type genus of the Ranidae. 5. A state in northwestern United States on Your attitude toward your health will make a big difference in how you feel A naturally strong urge to be powerful and in control may cause you to draw 18. (Welsh) Lord of Annwfn (the other world. the Pacific. physically. A strong intention to change things may be met with opposition- on some extra energy and plan your future with more determination. One 20. Have confidence or faith in. 6. Any of a number of tiny parallel grooves do not push, you will find a compromise. You are entering a phase of emotional directness does not have to be manipulative to be in control but one does have to become aware and in tune with the possibilities so as to take charge of the future, and in today’s case, the future 21. A group of more than 800 islands (100 such as. and impulsiveness-one that is marked by forceful and powerful feelings. However, you have the energies working in your favor if you pace yourself and take plenty of time to think is yours. Take notes and dream big; adjustments can be made as you move along life’s high- inhabited) in the southwestern Pacific. 7. Having a toe or toes of a specified kind. through your argument or methods of persuasion. Your taste in art and appreciation in gen- way. A business relationship is on solid ground and expanding your business or interests 22. A Chadic language spoken in northern 8. (prefix) Indicating difference or variation. eral are heightened. Perhaps this is a good time to select furnishings, colors, etc. You may may be something worth considering at this time. Appreciation to others should come easi- Nigeria and closely related to Hausa. 9. Childcare during the day while parents also prefer to just sit back and enjoy what you have-to live life. Young people and a special ly at this time and can do positive things for your disposition. This evening, fate shines on you-love is in the air! 24. South American wood sorrel cultivated for work. loved one will be plotting to surprise you this evening. its edible tubers. 10. An associate degree in nursing. 26. Offering fun and gaiety. 11. An African amulet. 27. Manufactured in standard sizes to be 12. The seventh month of the Moslem calen- Leo (July 23-August 22) Aquarius (January 20- February 18) shipped and assembled elsewhere. dar. Your reckless side is showing today. You may be tempted to abandon your 29. Sour or bitter in taste. 13. A blue dye obtained from plants or made As most of us, you can occasionally want to rest your energies-perhaps in practical, businesslike persona for a chance at some off-the-wall activity. 30. A white metallic element that burns with a synthetically. procrastination. However, putting your resources to work now will show suc- Considering this may be a day off for you, you may gather your friends and entertain each cessful results. Act quickly. You and others will see your achievements today. You aim to find other. A little off-road ride or a good movie can be enjoyed by you and your friends. A few brilliant light. 14. An independent group of closely related the middle way and you strive for balance. Take time to enjoy the results of your labor later 32. A river in north central Switzerland that new ideas are floating around for a new invention or adventure and there is much talk about Chadic languages spoken in the area between this day when you really can step back and take a break. This afternoon is an excellent time the times when you can gather once again. A freshly mowed yard, a fresh bag of charcoal runs northeast into the Rhine. the Biu-Mandara and East Chadic languages. to solidify existing friendships while gaining the affections of acquaintances. Seize the and some steaks thawing just for you to cook will be a little difficult to ignore this evening. A chance when it comes! Any domestic needs should be carried out successfully as well. The 36. A legal document codifying the result of 19. A person who is under the protection or in summer vegetable garden is a good idea and worthy of your planning talents. Take some need to have a support system is important this evening. Careful, you must realize that time to enjoy your loved ones this evening. deliberations of a committee or society or leg- the custody of another. friends will have opinions. islative body. 23. A radioactive transuranic element. 38. A telegram sent abroad. 25. (informal) Of the highest quality. 42. God of wealth and love. 28. A small cake leavened with yeast. 44. (astronomy) The angular distance of a 31. Tropical trees having papery leaves and Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) You are a virtual dynamo of energy today. You love to be totally absorbed celestial point measured westward along the large fruit. celestial equator from the zenith crossing. You have a clear understanding of your position in the world, as well as the with what you are doing and hate idle moments-unless, of course, you can be 33. A silvery ductile metallic element found totally absorbed for recreation or relaxation purposes. Just standing around 47. Someone who engages in arbitrage (who people you care about now. Life’s problems seem manageable. This is a great time, when primarily in bauxite. good fortune and plain old luck surrounds you. It is easy for you to make correct decisions, tends to create some very negative thinking. You are pleased with your professional purchases securities in one market for imme- 34. With rapid movements. find the right path and move forward where career and success are concerned. The support progress and spend much of your day humming, whistling and happily involved in house- hold duties or chores. Your love life is intensified and your independence is balancing out diate resale in another in the hope of profiting 35. Cause to ripen. you need is available. You must realize that friends and relatives rely on you as much as you from the price differential). depend on them. You may see a turning point in your outlook on life and relationships now. nicely. Attending a spectator sport this afternoon will be fun. This is a great time to be with 37. A sock with a separation for the big toe. friends. This could mean a basketball, baseball or hockey game for you and you become 48. A master's degree in business. Some sort of extra support or recognition is given to you at this time. If you seek a contented 39. According to the Old Testament he was a home life, you will enjoy contentment. Take a trip this evening to a romantic setting- completely absorbed by trying to shout over to your favorite players. 49. Deep-rooted coarse-textured plant native pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel romance is in the air. to the Mediterranean region having blue (9th century BC). flowers and pinnately compound leaves. 40. Leafless East Indian vine. 51. Concerning those not members of the 41. The Jewish rite of circumcision performed WORD SEARCH PUZZLE clergy. on a male child on the eighth day of his life. Yesterday’s Solution 53. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali 43. Before noon. earth group. 45. Someone who works (or provides workers) 55. Japanese stringed instrument resembling during a strike. a banjo with a long neck and a fretted finger- 46. Relating to or characteristic of a tribe. board and a rectangular soundbox. 50. Having or making equal angles. 56. The regulation of weights and measures of 52. A large and densely populated urban area. articles offered for sale. 54. The region of the body of a vertebrate 59. African tree having an exceedingly thick between the thorax and the pelvis. trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and 57. A lustrous gray strong metallic element has an edible pulp called monkey bread. resembling titanium. 61. The universal time coordinated time when 58. The square of a body of any size of type. a transmission is sent from Earth to a space- 60. An island in the Aegean Sea in the Saronic craft or other celestial body. Gulf. 62. The site of an archeological exploration. 64. British filmmaker (born in Hungary) (1893- 63. A town and port in northwestern Israel in 1956). the eastern Mediterranean. 65. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a 67. The blood group whose red cells carry skewer usually with vegetables. both the A and B antigens. 71. United States physiologist (born in 66. A promontory in northern Morocco oppo- Germany) who did research on parthenogen- site the Rock of Gibraltar. esis (1859-1924). 68. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake 72. The airforce of Great Britain. Chad. 77. A run that is the result of the batter's per- 69. Acquire or gain knowledge or skills. formance. 70. Fastener consisting of a resinous composi- 78. The 7th letter of the Greek alphabet. tion that is plastic when warm. 79. Any of two families of large herbivorous 73. At a great distance in time or space or aquatic mammals with paddle-shaped tails degree. and flipper-like forelimbs and no hind limbs. 74. Apparent power to perceive things that 80. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal are not present to the senses. to 10 liters. 75. Denoting a quantity consisting of 12 items 81. A river in north central Switzerland that or units. runs northeast into the Rhine. 76. The compass point midway between 82. (architecture) A slender upright spire at northeast and east. Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 information

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 Al-Madeena 22418714 Al-Shuhada 22545171 GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883 Sabah Hospital 24812000 Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Sabhan 24742838 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518 Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622 Al-Helaly 22434853 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184 Al-Faiha 22545051 Chest Hospital 24849400 Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201 Adan Hospital 23940620 Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Al-Razi Hospital 24846000 Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075 Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9 Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549 Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559 Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554 Ahmadi 23980088 Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264 Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Kaizen center 25716707 Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144 Al-Jahra 25610011 Khaldiya 24848075 Al-Salmiya 25616368 Kaifan 24849807 Shamiya 24848913 INTERNATIONAL Shuwaikh 24814507 CALLS Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804 Afghanistan 0093 Iran 0098 Albania 00355 Iraq 00964 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 Algeria 00213 Ireland 00353 Qadsiya 22515088 Andorra 00376 Italy 0039 Angola 00244 Ivory Coast 00225 Dasmah 22532265 Anguilla 001264 Jamaica 001876 Antiga 001268 Japan 0081 Bneid Al-Gar 22531908 Argentina 0054 Jordan 00962 Shaab 22518752 Armenia 00374 Kazakhstan 007 Australia 0061 Kenya 00254 Qibla 22459381 Austria 0043 Kiribati 00686 Bahamas 001242 Kuwait 00965 Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082 Bahrain 00973 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Mirqab 22456536 Bangladesh 00880 Laos 00856 Barbados 001246 Latvia 00371 Sharq 22465401 Belarus 00375 Lebanon 00961 Belgium 0032 Liberia 00231 Salmiya 25746401 Belize 00501 Libya 00218 Jabriya 25316254 Benin 00229 Lithuania 00370 Bermuda 001441 Luxembourg 00352 Maidan Hawally 25623444 Bhutan 00975 Macau 00853 Bolivia 00591 Macedonia 00389 Bayan 25388462 Bosnia 00387 Madagascar 00261 Mishref 25381200 Botswana 00267 Majorca 0034 Brazil 0055 Malawi 00265 W Hawally 22630786 Brunei 00673 Malaysia 0060 Bulgaria 00359 Maldives 00960 Sabah 24810221 Burkina 00226 Mali 00223 Jahra 24770319 Burundi 00257 Malta 00356 Cambodia 00855 Marshall Islands 00692 New Jahra 24575755 Cameroon 00237 Martinique 00596 Canada 001 Mauritania 00222 West Jahra 24772608 Cape Verde 00238 Mauritius 00230 South Jahra 24775066 Cayman Islands 001345 Mayotte 00269 Central African 00236 Mexico 0052 North Jahra 24775992 Chad 00235 Micronesia 00691 Chile 0056 Moldova 00373 North Jleeb 24311795 China 0086 Monaco 00377 Ardhiya 24884079 Colombia 0057 Mongolia 00976 Comoros 00269 Montserrat 001664 Firdous 24892674 Congo 00242 Morocco 00212 Cook Islands 00682 Mozambique 00258 Omariya 24719048 Costa Rica 00506 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 N Khaitan 24710044 Croatia 00385 Namibia 00264 Cuba 0053 Nepal 00977 Fintas 23900322 Cyprus 00357 Netherlands (Holland) Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 0031 Czech Republic 00420 Netherlands Antilles 00599 Denmark 0045 New Caledonia 00687 Diego Garcia 00246 New Zealand 0064 PRIVATE CLINICS Djibouti 00253 Nicaragua 00505 Dominica 001767 Nigar 00227 Dominican Republic 001809 Nigeria 00234 Ecuador 00593 Niue 00683 Egypt 0020 Norfolk Island 00672 El Salvador 00503 Northern Ireland (UK) Plastic Surgeons Paediatricians Ophthalmologists Endocrinologist England (UK) 0044 0044 Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272 Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898 Equatorial Guinea 00240 North Korea 00850 Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700 Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300 Eritrea 00291 Norway 0047 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60 Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Estonia 00372 Oman 00968 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Ethiopia 00251 Pakistan 0092 Family Doctor Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Falkland Islands 00500 Palau 00680 Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581 Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514 Faroe Islands 00298 Panama 00507 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Physiotherapists & VD Psychiatrists Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Fiji 00679 Papua New Guinea 00675 Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282 Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Finland 00358 Paraguay 00595 Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 (1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288 France 0033 Peru 0051 French Guiana 00594 Philippines 0063 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, Rheumatologists: French Polynesia 00689 Poland 0048 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581 FRCS (Canada) 25655535 Gabon 00241 Portugal 00351 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dentists Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Gambia 00220 Puerto Rico 001787 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581 Georgia 00995 Qatar 00974 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2 Germany 0049 Romania 0040 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 Ghana 00233 Russian Federation 007 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226 Internist, Chest & Heart General Practitioners Gibraltar 00350 Rwanda 00250 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444 Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Greece 0030 Saint Helena 00290 Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557 General Surgeons Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid Greenland 00299 Saint Kitts 001869 Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Grenada 001473 Saint Lucia 001758 Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148 Assistant Professor Of Medicine Guadeloupe 00590 Saint Pierre 00508 Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111 Guam 001671 Saint Vincent 001784 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Internists, Chest & Heart Head, Division of Cardiology Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Neurologists Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Guatemala 00502 Samoa US 00684 Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Guinea 00224 Samoa West 00685 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Guyana 00592 San Marino 00378 Urologists Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 Haiti 00509 Sao Tone 00239 Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Gastrologists MD, PH.D, FACC Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Saudi Arabia 00966 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Sami Aman 22636464 Inaya German Medical Center Honduras 00504 Scotland (UK) 0044 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Te: 2575077 Hong Kong 00852 Senegal 00221 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135 Fax: 25723123 Hungary 0036 Seychelles 00284 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Sierra Leone 00232 Soor Center Iceland 00354 Singapore 0065 Psychologists [email protected] Tel: 2290-1677 Kaizen center William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 India 0091 Slovakia 00421 /Psychotherapists www.soorcenter.com Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 25716707 Indian Ocean 00873 Slovenia 00386 Indonesia 0062 Solomon Islands 00677 lifestyle SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Gossip

‘Top Gun 2’ is expected soon

he legendary Hollywood producer is working it was the director of the original movie, Tony Scott, on a sequel to the classic 1986 fighter pilot who came up with the current storyline before he Tmovie - which starred Tom Cruise - and is passed away in 2012. He added: “The concept is, hopeful it will go into production soon, with the basically, are the pilots obsolete because of drones actor reprising his role as Maverick. He told The Cruise is going to show them that they’re not obso- Huffington Post: “We’ve been trying to get that lete. They’re here to stay. “It’s just getting to the movie made for 30 years, and I think we’re getting starting place. Fortunately for Tom, he’s very busy, so closer and closer. “Don [Simpson] and I tried to you have to find a slot he can fit into and get a develop something, we didn’t succeed. [Tom] Cruise budget that [studio] Paramount feels they can make took over, and he tried to develop something, and the picture.” So far no director or estimated release he didn’t succeed. Now we’re back at it.” Jerry added date for the project has been set. — Bangshowbiz

Enrique Iglesias’ chat-up lines are ‘stupid and immature’

he Spanish lothario has been in an on/off relationship with tennis player Anna Kournikova since 2001, but says if he did need to break the ice with a Tlady he’d rely on his boyish charm. He told website MailOnline: “My lines tend to be kind of stupid and immature. If a girl can laugh at a joke then I always think that’s cool. That’s fun, it’s a good opener.” The 38-year-old ‘Hero’ star also had some tips on male hygiene, advising anybody with a hairy back to get their clip- pers out. He added: “If you have a hairy back, shave it; brush your teeth; fake tan I’m not so much into. Not too much hair I guess - I shave everywhere. I’m kidding, I don’t shave everywhere... But most places you do try to trim.” Enrique also told how now he’s in his 30s he finds it a little harder to keep in shape, although when he’s on tour, his energetic live show ensures he burns off plenty of energy. He added: “One of the things I’ve noticed, when you turn 30 and up, you’ve gotta watch a little bit more what you eat. But in my case, going on tour, two hours on stage, you actually lose a lot of calories, which is good. I notice when I’m not on tour I’m not in as good shape. It helps me like a workout. “When it comes down to the gym or anything that’s cardio, like running on the treadmill, I’m very lazy. What I like to do more is sports. Whether it’s surfing or paying racquetball with my friends, you sweat a lot and I like that better.”

Christina Aguilera is expecting a girl he ‘Fighter’ singer and her fiance, Matthew Rutler, are having a daughter according to JustJared.com, which will be their first child together. The girl Twill be a sibling to Max, Christina’s six-year-old son with ex-husband Jordan Bratman. The singer is currently in Malaysia, where she performed for fans writing on twitter following the show: “Ain’t no other fans... Thank you Malaysia for all the love & support! XoXtina (sic)” Christina, 33, announced she was expecting in February, a week after Matthew had proposed and is said to be over the moon with the pregnancy, with one source saying: “It wasn’t expected, but it also wasn’t unwelcome. They are all very excited though! Christina loves being a mom.” Production assistant Matthew met the blonde beauty on the set of movie ‘Burlesque’ in 2010 while she was going through her divorce, and had been planning to propose long before Christina got pregnant, even starting to design her engagement ring more than a year ago. He popped the question in the backyard of their new home in Los Angeles, which is still under construc- tion, on Valentine’s Day. Christina was said to be completely “shocked” by Matthew’s romantic sunset proposal, for which he wore a suit and filled a gaze- bo with candles and red roses, before taking her to celebrate with friends and Nick Cannon gifts family. Solange Knowles Mariah Carey feels ‘far older’ than 27 a diamond bracelet he singer thinks marrying Daniel Smith - the father of her nine-year-old son Julez - when she was just 17 and separating less than four years later gave her he ‘America’s Got Talent’ presenter surprised his wife Tan “insane amount” of perspective and says her experiences have made her with an expensive-looking cuff decorated with wiser. She said: “In a lot of ways, emotionally and mentally, I feel far older than 27. Tsparkling butterflies to celebrate her 44th birthday. Just going through a marriage and a divorce - which I essentially did by 21 - will She took to Twitter to write: “Nick surprised me for 3/27 give you an insane amount of perspective on life.” Despite their split, Solange still with a stellar diamond bracelet encrusted with 3 floating gets on well with her ex-husband. She told America’s Harper’s Bazaar magazine: butterflies!” The singer and her doting husband are seen “We co-parent really well. I’m able to say, ‘I need to finish this album, can you step grinning ear-to-ear as she shows off her new jewelry in the up and take care of the boy?’ “ The ‘Losing You’ singer released her first album when accompanying photo. Mariah was clearly delighted with the she was 16 years old, and despite her older sister Beyonce being a successful mem- special gift and was thrilled to be having “family time” with ber of Destiny’s Child, she insists her family were never keen on her following in her Nick and their two-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe sibling’s footsteps. She said: “My parents constantly tried to talk me out of being an together. She added: “I’m just happy he’s here!!!! #family- artist. They had gone through the whole journey with my sister and just wanted me time #festivity @NickCannon.” The ‘Honey’ singer marked to have a normal teenage life.” And Solange - who is in a relationship with video the occasion at the 10th anniversary of the opening of the director Alan Ferguson - admits she doesn’t want her son to be a performer. She Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida, said: “It’s certainly not what I have in mind for him, I’m constantly trying to push him where she tucked into a giant cake and Disney-themed to work at the UN, or be a diplomat. I try to convince him by explaining that he sweet treats. Butterflies have a special symbolic meaning to wouldn’t have to wait in lines at the airport, and that he can park anywhere.” Mariah, whose sixth studio album was named after her per- sonal ballad ‘Butterfly’, which is about the end of her mar- riage to her reportedly controlling ex-husband, Tommy Mottola. Kim Kardashian wants a sibling for North

he reality TV star is set to marry Kanye West in France this spring and then they are rumored to be trying for a brother or sister for nine-month-old North. A source told Yahoo! Celebrity: “She wants to start trying by the end Tof the year - even though she hated being pregnant. “She’s so besotted with North that she says she’s totally for- gotten the awfulness of being pregnant and how much she struggled.” The 33-year-old - who has sisters Khloe and Kourtney, brother Rob and half sisters Kendall and Kylie - is said to be keen for her daughter to have a sibling close to her in age. The insider added: “Kim has such a big family that she feels it’s really important there isn’t a huge age gap between North and her siblings. “She’s got her body back and loves being slim and voluptuous, but she’s going to rel- ish it for a few more months and then try for another child after the wedding, even on honeymoon. “Kim says it’ll be the most romantic thing ever and that’s what they’ve been talking about a lot.” Kim and Kanye’s wedding is set to be a star studded affair, with a guest list thought to include chat show legend Oprah Winfrey, TV host Ryan Seacrest - who produces Kim’s reality show, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ - actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, as well as close friends Beyonce and Jay Z. The wedding will be filmed for ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’, although Beyonce reportedly doesn’t want to feature on the program. The wedding will be Kanye’s first and Kim’s third mar- riage, after she tied the knot when she was 20 to music producer Damon Thomas for four years and later married bas- ketball player Kris Humphries, in 2011, a union which lasted just 72 days. lifestyle SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Gossip

Gwyneth Paltrow wants to ‘have fun’

he couple announced their separation this week after 10 years of marriage, and it is said the ‘Iron Man 3’ actress is “ready” for another relationship, wanting to enjoy herself rather Tthan get down over the break-up. An source told The Sun newspaper: “She is ready to have another boyfriend. She’s very much about having fun.” The blonde beauty - who has chil- dren Apple, nine, and Moses, seven, with the Coldplay singer - has also used her Goop web- site’s online newsletter to thank fans for their support during this tough time. She wrote: “CM and I in deep gratitude for the support of so many.” The couple described their break-up as an “unconscious coupling”, and made the announcement earlier this week as they insisted they were “closer” than ever. They said: “It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to sep- arate. “We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separat- ed, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate. “We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been.”

Courteney Cox wants another child

he 49-year-old actress - who will celebrate her 50th birthday in June - already has nine-year-old daughter Coco with ex-husband David Arquette, but now that she’s Tfallen for Snow Patrol star Johnny McDaid, she’s said to thinking about trying for another child. A source said: “For years Courteney said that she didn’t want another baby and that Coco was perfect so she couldn’t see why she’d put herself through the trauma of having another child. “Now she’s met Johnny, she feels that having a baby together would be an amazing way to put a seal on their relationship.” Meanwhile, her friends are worried that she’s feeling broody because she’s approaching her landmark birthday, and as she found it difficult to conceive with David - who is expecting a child with his girl- friend Christina McLarty - during their marriage, they’re concerned she could put herself under too much stress. The source told Britain’s Closer magazine: “Courteney’s told pals she’s considering seeing a fertility doctor in LA to find out if she can try for a second baby. “Her friends wonder if it’s because her 50th birthday is coming up. They don’t want her to put herself at any unnecessary risk but she’s reassured them that she’d never make a snap decision about something as important as this.”

Jay Z, Beyonce heading to Brazil Orlando Bloom for the World Cup hopes to inspire his son he 37-year-old actor, who split from he couple are planning to head to Rio in June for the his wife of three years Miranda tournament because they think there will be a great TKerr in October, admits being a T“party atmosphere” and have enlisted the advice of father to their three-year-old Flynn is their friend David Beckham to boost their knowledge of his top priority. The ‘The Hobbit: The the contest. A source said: “Jay and Beyonce don’t really Desolation of Smaug’ star told E! News: take an interest in football. “But they love the idea of the “I can only hope that I always instill party atmosphere that will surround Rio during the tour- him with all of the ideas of living your nament. “They’re both pals with David and Jay has been dream, of actually understanding that Rihanna asking him for advice on which games will be the best. “He life is a cyclical thing and when you admits he doesn’t have a clue when it comes to football, give, you receive.” Orlando participated but David has been telling him which games he thinks will in the We Day California conference on to receive Fashion Icon Award have the biggest buzz. “He’s even promised to organize VIP Wednesday along with Selena Gomez, tickets for them for some big games.” Beyonce, 32, and Jay, Seth Rogen and Magic Johnson, to ihanna is to be given the Fashion Icon Award by the Council 44, will be joined on their trip by two-year-old daughter inspire young people to take action of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The ‘Umbrella’ Blue Ivy because the ‘99 Problems’ hitmaker thinks it will and affect change. The ‘Lord of the Rsinger will be celebrated at the 2014 Fashion Awards be a good family bonding experience. The source added to Rings’ actor has been romantically Ceremony for her risque outfits and constantly evolving style. the Daily Star newspaper: “They’re taking Blue Ivy with linked with actresses Margot Robbie, Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA said: “We are proud to present them to make it extra special. “Jay thinks that it will be Nora Arnezeder and Condola Rashad Rihanna with the CFDA Fashion Icon Award for her impact on the good for them to have some quality time together as a since splitting from Australian super- industry as fashion’s most exciting ambassador in recent memo- family and Blue will be fascinated by the colors and buzz model Miranda. Devoted parents, the ry.” As well as modeling designer wear, Rihanna has actively been of Rio. “They are both so excited about the trip now. Both former couple are regularly spotted involved in fashion, designing a range for British clothing chain Jay and BeyoncÈ think that attending the World Cup in together in New York City with their son River Island. She was also recently at Paris fashion week, where Brazil is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “They think it’s and previously insisted they would always she was spotted at shows by Lanvin, Chanel, Dior, Comme des going to be like the Rio Carnival multiplied by about a consider each other “family” and there were no hard feelings. Miranda said: “We love each other as family, Garcons, Givenchy and Stella McCartney. Rihanna, 26, has previ- hundred.” forever.” Orlando also revealed in the past that he tries not to spend too much time away from Flynn. He ously acknowledged the huge role fashion and style have played said: “I won’t spend more than two or three weeks away from him.” in helping build her career. She said: “It’s not all down to my voice. There’s people with way more talent than I when it comes to singing. Bigger voices.’’

Jennifer Aniston hoards old clothes and make-up

he ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ actress admits she finds it hard to let go of her old beauty products and even has clothes she wore twenty years ago Twhen starring in 90s sitcom ‘Friends’. She said: “I’ve had make-up in my drawer for 10 years that I should probably get rid of. I just cleaned out my make-up drawer. I mean, I do get new mascaras and things like that. But I also have this weird thing [about saving]. “Like even my jeans from my 20s that I can’t get rid of. They’re high-waisted and short. I thought it was awesome. I still have red loafers from ‘Friends’! I can’t get rid of them. I have a nostalgia about them.” Jennifer - who is engaged to Justin Theroux - is known for her natural beauty and she frequently foregoes make-up when altogether in the summer. She added to People magazine: “Summertime I wear the least amount, if any, make-up. I use a great moisturizer ... if any- thing, I put a little concealer here and there, a little rose on my cheeks, dust with bronzer. That’s summertime. And it’s good not to over-moisturize, because it clogs your pores.” lifestyle SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

In this photo, four Stradivarius violins are played on stage during a rehearsal at the In this photo, three Stradivarius violins are seen. Xiang “Angelo” Yu plays the 1666 “Serdet,” the earliest known existing Colburn School in Los Angeles. — AP photos Stradivarius violin, nearly 350 years old. Los Angeles festival offers Stradivarius violins iang “Angelo” Yu is holding the nearly 350-year-old the soul of that violin itself,” he said before a Thursday rehears- them from less-renowned instruments). Researchers have years. That violin, with its distinctive color, is believed to have Stradivarius violin casually by the neck and explaining al. “It’s one of the most extraordinary and expensive and beau- offered innumerable suggestions to explain the rich, resonant inspired the 1998 movie “The Red Violin.” Xwhy he’d like a little more time to make its acquain- tiful instruments,” said violinist Chee-Yun, holding a 1714 tones of the best Stradivarius violins. “There was a certain Some of the performers own the violins, while others have tance. “It’s always an adventure,” says Yu, 25, who has played “Leonora Jackson.” magic that happened in Cremona, in northern Italy at that been loaned. Pasadena businessman and philanthropist Jerry six or seven Stradivarius violins over his career. “I only have “The minute I started playing a note on it, I felt like I was time,” Batjer said. “And people argue all the time: Was it the Kohl bought the 1716 “Milstein” that Batjer played eight years one or two days to get used to it. Feels like a wild horse - you floating in the air. It’s like a dream come true. It’s beautiful.” weather, was it the climate, was it the conditions, was it the ago for a sum he won’t disclose. Most of the time, the never know what’s coming.” The violins of Antonio Stradivari, Philippe Quint held the 1708 “Ruby.” “Growing up, my dream wood, was it the craftsmanship? It’s probably a combination Stradivarius lives in vaults. Kohl only loans it out 10 or 15 times arguably the most famous instruments ever created, have an was always to be able to time travel,” he said. “And a couple of of all of those things.” a year so that the instrument won’t take a beating. Kohl hopes almost mystical reputation for beauty and heavenly tone. This years ago I realized that I’ve had this time machine in my Throughout his lifetime, Stradivari kept experimenting, it will be around for another 300 years. “It’s like your child,” he week eight of them have been brought together in the City of hands my whole life. These violins have traveled for centuries changing and refining his instruments, and each has a differ- said. “After a while, you know you can hear the difference. Last Angels. and have been in the hands of some of the most incredible ent voice. Playing one is “like getting into a relationship. You night they played five violins. I could close my eyes and tell “Strad Fest LA” is a four-day series of performances culmi- violinists.” respond to each other” in a process that can take months or you which one was mine.” — AP nating with a Saturday charity concert. “I think we’re really giv- “When I play on this instrument, the sound has so much even years, said Cho-Liang Lin, holding the 1715 “Titian.” ing a gift to Los Angeles,” said Margaret Batjer, concertmaster depth and mystery and history,” he said. Stradivari created vio- “The violin will become part of your voice and at the same of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. “To gather this many lins, guitars, cellos and other stringed instruments in his work- time, you’re learning what the violin can do. And you probe instruments under one roof, to be played night after night, is shop in Cremona, Italy. About 650 survive today and they can further and further,” he said. “The violin kind of responds in an extraordinary event.” sell for millions of dollars. kind, and that’s a lovely thing. It’s almost like a marriage - Yu called it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For the festival, except that the divorce procedure’s a little easier.” The violins he’s playing the 1666 “Serdet,” the earliest known existing Playing one is like a ‘relationship’ being played at “Strad Fest LA” include some from Stradivari’s Stradivarius violin. “Somehow I feel like every violin has its The violins are revered as extraordinary (despite some so-called “Golden Period” in the 1700s and the 1720 “Red individual soul, that when I press down my fingers I could feel experiments where listeners have been unable to distinguish Mendelssohn,” whose whereabouts were unknown for 200

This photo shows Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel’s “X-Men: Days of Cameron Diaz talks new Future Past.” — AP photos film, Paltrow breakup

f you count yourself among those been cheated on.” who’ve never been cheated on, The 41-year-old actress also weighed in ICameron Diaz has these words of wis- on the “conscious uncoupling” of her dom: It will happen, or it’s already hap- friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. pened and you just don’t know it. The The actress and musician were married in actress gave her perspective on relation- 2003 and have two children. They ships as she and Leslie Mann promoted announced their split on Tuesday in a mes- their new comedy, “The Other Woman,” at sage on the actress’s blog titled “Conscious CinemaCon, the annual convention of Uncoupling.” Diaz says they’re handling movie exhibitors. The two ladies joked divorce the right way “because everybody around with each other as they talked is interested and they are giving them the about the film, in which Diaz discovers her truth.” This 1975 comic book cover image shows boyfriend is actually married to Mann and She added: “They’re being very honest “Giant-Size X-Men, v1 #1.” the pair team up to seek revenge. about their relationship which is that they In real life, Diaz insists that everyone has are really great friends, they’re amazing par- been the victim of a cheating partner. “At ents and they’re just consciously deciding some point in your life everybody has been that a part of their life is not going to be ‘X-Men’ preview shows cheated on,” she said. “I’m not saying that spent the way it’s been for the last 11 years, the relationship you’re in currently, you’re which I think is ...”“Eleven years is a long going to get cheated on, but eventually or time. That’s a long time. It makes sense,” maybe in the past it’s happened.” And if you added Mann.”The Other Woman” opens in think you’re the exception to the rule, Diaz US theaters on April 25. — AP abilities of new mutants has news for you: “You’ve never been cheat- ed on? You’ve never been cheated on ever? n the first few minutes of a new “X-Men: Days bie Blink (she can teleport herself), Adan Canto together, strong!” Really? Really, nothing? Oh good. Well, of Future Past” clip, some X-Men attempt to is Sunspot (he can store and convert solar ener- The material to gain the largest cheers from guess what? You may not know that you’ve Ibattle ruthless metal monsters using their gy), Booboo Stewart is Warpath (he has superhu- the audience was one of the studio’s 2015 special abilities. It’s the first appearance for some man strength and his body can regenerate teasers, the Colin Firth and Samuel L Jackson- of the mutants - Blink, Sunspot, Warpath and quickly) and Omar Sy is Bishop (he is able to starring “The Secret Service.” In it, Firth plays an Bishop. A few don’t make it out alive. The clip release absorbed biokinetic energy). agent who trains a young man to become part was unveiled Thursday at CinemaCon in Las With appearances by Cameron Diaz, Leslie of his team. An early clip showed Firth as a suit- Vegas and introduced by Jim Gianopulos, chair- Mann and Shailene Woodley, Fox also previewed wearing, umbrella-toting, fierce fighting agent - man and CEO of 20th Century Fox, to theater “The Other Woman” and “The Fault of Our Stars.” a new, entertaining look for him. owners. There to introduce summer release “The Fault of The presentation was capped by “New Girl” The seventh installment of the Marvel fran- Our Stars,” based on John Green’s best-selling stars Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr, who chise, due May 23, brings back two-time “X-Men” tear-jerker about two young people (Woodley come down the Colosseum aisles at the Caesars Leslie Mann (left) director Bryan Singer, as the younger selves of X- and her “Divergent” co-star Ansel Elgort) with Palace dressed as police officers shouting “Don’t and Cameron Men Professor Charles Xavier (played by James cancer who fall in love, Woodley said the film worry, we’re fake cops” through megaphones to Diaz, cast mem- McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) join “rewrote the way I look at every breath.” promote their buddy comedy where they play bers in “The forces with their older selves (Patrick Stewart The studio also touted the upcoming “Rio 2,” pretend police officers in “Let’s Be Cops.” — AP Other Woman,” and Ian McKellen) to fight species across two with a showgirl-accompanied performance of pose together at time periods. Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), the film’s song “Rio Rio” by rapper B.o.B. and Ester the 20th Century Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry) Dean, as well as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Fox presentation and many of the other X-Men also appear. to release in June. In the “Apes” footage shown, at CinemaCon Among those featured in the “X-Men: Days of the advancement of the apes, one of the climac- 2014 in Las Future Past” clip, Ellen Page plays Shadowcat, tic moments in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” is Vegas. — AP Shawn Ashmore is Iceman, Bingbing Fan is new- once again highlighted. One ape yells, “Apes Fashion Week

A folk group performs on the catwalk dur- Models display creations by Portuguese Models showcase Portuguese designer ing the presentation of Portuguese designer TMCollection.

Portugal Diogo Miranda’s creations. designer TMCollection at the Portugal Fashion Fall/Winter 2014/2015 week in Porto, Portugal. — AP lifestyle SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Prehistoric animal bones are displayed. Roman busts are displayed. Spain’s archeological museum to open after 6-year renovation

pain’s National Archaeological Museum ‘The Lady of Elche’ reopens to the public on Tuesday after a mas- One of the star attractions is a celebrated Celto- Ssive six-year overhaul that aims to offer a state- Iberian bust from the fifth century BC known as “The of-the-art space for its collection of ancient artifacts. Lady of Elche” depicting the bust of a woman wearing The redesign of one of Madrid’s largest museums, elaborate headgear. The bust was found by chance in housing items from prehistoric times until the 19th 1897 near Elche in southeastern Spain and bought by century, began in 2008 and cost 65.2 million euros a French archeological connoisseur who sent it to ($89.8 million). It has incorporated new audiovisual France where it was displayed at the Louvre museum. displays, maps and graphic panels to give greater The French government returned it to Spain in context to the objects on display, which include 1941 under a deal reached with Spanish dictator Greek vases, Roman mosaics and ancient sacred arti- Francisco Franco. The museum also features a recon- facts. struction of Spain’s Altamira Caves and their prehis- The collection is spread around two interior toric wall paintings of bison, horses, deer and animal- courtyards now bathed in natural light thanks to headed humans. The room housing a replica of the new larger windows. In the first room visitors will be remains of 3.2-million-year old female hominid greeted be two giant walls of images projected onto known as “Lucy” features videos that show what life 350 small screens. “The idea is to tell the history of was like during the period when she lived. the people who lived in the geographical area we The fossilized remains were discovered in 1974 in now call Spain,” said museum director Andres Ethiopia by US scientist Donald Johanson and they Carretero Perez. “We did not want to create an exhi- are considered one of the world’s most significant bition for scholars, we wanted it to be accessible for archeological finds. “The idea is not to see everything the greatest number of people and not be dry like all at once. To see everything you would need two full ebrate the redesign. Museum officials hope the A man walks past a wall of pictures at history books.” days,” said Perez. The museum was founded in 1867 to revamp will double its previous annual visitor num- the National A total of 13,000 objects are on display in 40 save and study archaeological objects collected by bers of 200,000-250,000 people. The museum is now also fully accessible for the disabled, with ramps and Archaeological rooms in a neoclassical building, in the heart of Spain’s monarchs. Museum in Madrid. Madrid, which the museum shares with the National Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will officially reinau- elevators for wheelchairs, commentaries in Braille and replicas of objects on display available for the blind to — AFP photos The sculpture “Lady of Elche” is seen. Library. “All of these objects are important because gurate the museum tomorrow. The doors will open to they were chosen from the 1.25 million objects that the general public the following day. Tickets cost touch. — AFP are stored at the museum,” said Perez. three euros but entry will be free until April 20 to cel- Action, special effects help Hollywood in China

aptain America and Spiderman are which is scheduled for release in mainland seeking to dominate the Chinese box China on May 4, two days after its US Coffice in the coming weeks, proving release, the movie’s producer was asked that US patriotic superheroes can overcome whether the audience could expect to see China’s leeriness of foreign films if they female characters from China in sequels. promise big money. Chinese authorities, “Emphatically yes, you will see that,” wary of outside cultural influences and responded Matt Tomach, explaining that competition, restrict the number of foreign “China’s an enormous part of the movie- movies shown in the mainland’s cinemas to going world and our community.” Zhao 34 each year. Such big Hollywood block- Zhiyong, an official at Beijing city’s bureau busters with action, adventure and special of press, publication, radio, film and televi- effects tend to be Hollywood’s most suc- sion, said that for a foreign film to be suc- cessful imports to China. Only a handful of cessful in China, it should have a story line this year’s Oscar winners have been shown that is “touching and can arouse empathy.” so far in mainland China, including the 3-D space odyssey “Gravity,” highlighting how ‘Rah-rah America kind of movies’ visual spectacle translates better than dia- “The film has to be able to produce logue-driven drama. Oscar Best Picture “12 strong emotion in Chinese viewers, and this Years A Slave” and the other leading Oscar is related to cultural understanding. This Models present designs from the L’Wren Scott Fall 2012 collection during Fashion Week Singer Mick Jagger (left) and L’Wren Scott are seen at the nomination movie “American Hustle,” which doesn’t mean that the film has to feature in New York in these file photos. — AP photos Metropolitan Museum of Art gala benefit in New York. in the end went home empty-handed, Chinese actors or actresses, rather it should haven’t been shown here. know what Chinese are interested in,” said “The American movies that have suc- Zhao in an interview Thursday. ceeded in this market in a big way typically China’s authoritarian government strict- Designer award named for L’Wren Scott have special effects, lend themselves to 3D ly controls print media, television, radio and and are emotionally satisfying stories,” said the Internet. Movies have to clear censor- Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia ship, and those that fail don’t necessarily n award honoring emerging fashion design- and Amber, a child who had a brain tumor and outlets reported that Scott’s will left her $8 million Pictures, in an interview in Beijing. “I think know why, although China censors accord- ers has been named for L’Wren Scott. The who participated in The Art of Elysium’s fashion Manhattan condo and her other personal posses- we’re all learning about the Chinese mar- ing to political sensitivities and cuts exces- award was created by The Art of Elysium, an workshops for hospitalized kids. The venture was sions to her boyfriend, Rolling Stones frontman A ketplace, it’s growing so quickly and proba- sively sexual and violent material. One sur- organization that brings the arts to hospitalized announced Thursday by the New York company Mick Jagger. — AP bly the demographic make-up of the audi- prise approval last year was Quentin children. The L’Wren Scott Amber Award honors that handled the 49-year-old designer’s public rela- ence is changing, but it seems like there’s a Tarantino’s violent slave-revenge movie both Scott, who committed suicide on March 17, tions, PR Consulting. Meanwhile, various media young audience, romance seems to work “Django Unchained,” which debuted only to pretty well here, adventure heroes, I think be pulled on opening day for unspecified those are ingredients that work well.” “technical reasons.” After undergoing an Hollywood is keen to get a big slice of edit, it returned a month later.—AP China’s movie market, which is now the world’s second biggest after the United States. Movies increasingly contain China elements to appeal to the audience, such as “Gravity’s” inclusion of a Chinese space sta- tion and the casting of actress Fan Bingbing in a Chinese version of “Iron Man 3.” At a news conference in Beijing this week to promote “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Fashion Week China Actress Scarlett Johansson (center) waves as she arrives at a publicity event ahead of the April release of the movie “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” next to Models parade creations from “Georgette By Georgette Qu Collection” designed by Qiao Qi during the bi-annual China Samuel L Jackson (left) and Chris Evans in Beijing, China. — AP Fashion Week in Beijing. — AFP photos Los Angeles festival offers Stradivarius violins

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 38

This undated photo provided by the Museum of the City of New York shows tile vaulting by the Gustavino company in New York’s old City Hall Subway Station. — AP photos Look up: Tile artists’ work hidden in plain view

he domes and arched ceilings - each arrayed with tiles in herringbone and basket-weave patterns - are hidden in plain sight. Millions of people walk under them every day at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal, New York’s St John the Divine, the Boston Public Library,T the San Diego Museum of Man and hundreds of other places. But Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr, the makers of these sweeping tiled vaults that provide both decoration and structure, have mostly been forgotten, in part because credit went to the architects who commissioned them. A new exhibi- tion at the Museum of the City of New York tells the story of the master masons who, between the late 1800s and the time their company closed in 1962, created vaults, domes and other tile work in 1,000 buildings in 42 states. “Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural A section of New York’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine Tile” focuses on their 250 commissions in New York - the most of shows vaulted tile work from the Gustavino company fea- any other city where their work is found. The Guastavinos arrived turing a spiral stair. in New York from Barcelona in the late 19th century and patented a thin-tile vaulting technique based on a 500-year-old Spanish building method that was lightweight, extremely strong, self- supporting and fireproof. Fires were a great concern in the late 19th century as many buildings were made of wood. Their method of interlocking and layering thin clay tiles with quick-drying mortar in decorative patterns revolutionized archi- tectural design. It created grand palatial interiors, such as the delightful Elephant Room at the Bronx Zoo and New York’s City Hall subway station, an ornate subterranean cathedral of glazed green, ivory and brown tiles now shuttered and only viewable In this file photo, tiled and vaulted ceilings designed by the Gustavino company forms decor for the Oyster Bar restau- through the window of a passing train. rant in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Instead of using heavy stone, they used a particularly thin ceramic tile that is similar to brick that can be glazed in different of art and technology that engineers still struggle to understand.” Public Library. Today, 600 Guastavino-adorned buildings in 36 colors, said John Ochsendorf, the exhibition’s co-curator and a A replica in the show built by some of Ochsendorf’s students states still stand, magnificent structures such as the Ellis Island professor of architecture at MIT and author of “Guastavino “is our best guess at how they would have built a vault like this.” Registry Hall, the Boathouse in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Riverside Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile.” “I think of them as Gothic mas- Kevin Faerkin, general manager of the famous Oyster Bar, called it Church and the Washington National Cathedral in DC. ter masons in the great Gothic tradition where it took a century “an inspiring, an incredible environment to work in.” He said the Ochsendorf is convinced there are other Guastavino projects to build a cathedral,” except they worked on 100 buildings simul- first thing a lot of customers say even before they sit down “is waiting to be discovered. To that end, the museum has created a taneously since the light tiles allowed them to work at a quick how great the space is. They are struck by the grandeur of the crowdsourcing site - http://palacesforthepeople.com/ - to help pace, Ochsendorf said. ceiling.” uncover them. — AP “At the simplest level they’re builders. But they’re also acting The Guastavinos’ big break - the one that launched their as architects, as engineers and interior decorators choosing pat- careers and allowed them to start their own company - came in terns of tiles, color and schemes,” added Ochsendorf. “The vault is 1889 when the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White hired ... their great contribution to American architecture. It is a fusion them to build a set of vaults above the main entrance of Boston

A spiral staircase features tile work.

The underside of a staircase at Columbia University’s St A vaulted arcade designed and tiled by the Guastavino company to serve as a public market at New York’s Queensboro Bridge. Paul’s Chapel in New York with Guastavino tiles.