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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 JAMADA ALTHANI 12, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Decisive Storm Buhari wins Siddiqui, Reigning aims to bring historic farmer’s son champion all Yemenis to Nigeria turned ‘Hindi Djokovic dialogue3 table election7 indie’39 star advances20 Syria aid pledges hit Min 20º Max 29º High Tide $3.8bn at donor meet 10:50 & 22:30 Low Tide Kuwait contributes $500m • Amir, UN chief warn situation dire 04:15 & 16:45 40 PAGES NO: 16477 150 FILS

KUWAIT: International donors pledged $3.8 billion yes- terday to help alleviate war-torn Syria’s humanitarian cri- sis, which HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah warned was the worst in “modern history”. “I am pleased to announce the contribution of the State of Kuwait of the amount of $500 million from both the gov- ernment and civil sectors, in support of the humanitari- an situation” of the Syrian people, the Amir said. Addressing the Third International Pledging Humanitarian Conference for Syria, Sheikh Sabah said the meeting was held in the face of the “biggest humani- tarian catastrophe witnessed by humanity in our con- temporary history.” UN chief Ban Ki-moon told participants at the meeting in Kuwait that four out of five people in Syria were living in “poverty, misery and deprivation”. “The Syrian people are victims of the worst humanitarian crisis of our time,” he said. Addressing the closing session of the conference, Ban welcomed the promised funds as “very generous”. The amount almost equals the combined total of $3.9 billion promised at the two previous conferences. The EU pledged nearly €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), double the amount the bloc offered last year. The United States pledged $507 million and non-governmental organiza- tions committed more than $500 million. Other major contributions came from Britain with $150 million, United Arab Emirates with $100 million and Norway, which promised $93 million. Saudi Arabia pledged $60 million. The UN had requested $8.4 billion this year - its largest appeal yet for the war-ravaged country. Jordan and Lebanon, which together host close to 2.5 million refugees, were represented by their premiers who KUWAIT: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (center), United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister appealed for international aid to help their economies Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah attend the opening ceremony of the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria at Bayan Palace yester- cope with the tragedy. day. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 Saudi Arabia, Iran trade blame as Yemen teeters Houthis enter Bab El-Mandeb base

KUWAIT/SANAA: Regional rivals tary solution in Yemen. We believe Saudi Arabia and Iran traded accu- that the Saudi military attack sations yesterday over the escalat- against Yemen is a strategic mis- ing conflict in Yemen, which the UN take,” Abdollahian told reporters on rights chief warned was on the the sidelines of a Syria donor confer- brink of “total collapse”. Aid groups ence in Kuwait. “Military operations warned of a humanitarian crisis must stop immediately” to open the unfolding with air and sea block- way to a “political solution”, he said. ades making it impossible to send Abdollahian said Iran sees the inter- desperately needed assistance as vention in Yemen as “external Hossein Amir-Abdollahian casualties mount. Explosions lit up aggression” that will foment extrem- the skies over the Yemeni capital ready,” Saud told the Shura Council ism in the region. But Tehran and overnight in the heaviest bombing advisory body. Tehran hit back, Riyadh are “capable of cooperating raids yet of a six-day air war led by accusing Saudi Arabia of putting to strike a compromise in Yemen”, Riyadh against Shiite rebels. the entire Middle East in jeopardy. and the same can apply to a solu- The Houthi rebels and their ally, “The fire of war in the region from tion in Syria, he added. former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, any side... will drag the whole Iranian state media rejected as “decided with the support of Iran to region to play with fire. This is not in “utter lies” claims Tehran had sent destabilise Yemen,” Saudi Foreign the interest of the nations in the arms to Yemen, but said it had dis- Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said. region,” Deputy Foreign Minister patched non-military aid, including “We are not warmongers, but when Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. food and medicine. they beat the drums of war we are “We strongly object to the mili- Continued on Page 13 Captors killed, prosecutor hurt in Istanbul standoff Massive power cut paralyses Turkey ISTANBUL: Two hostage-takers were killed and the prosecutor they were holding badly wounded yesterday after security forces launched an operation to end a six-hour standoff in Istanbul, a top security official said. Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz was immediately hospitalized after being badly wounded but both men who had held him hostage were killed, Istanbul security director Selami Altinok told reporters outside the courthouse. The authorities had earlier been negoti- ating with the hostage-takers but Altinok said the decision to go in was taken when gunfire was heard during phone communi- cations with the captors. “Our prosecutor is in hospital and seriously wounded. As a result of the operation, two terrorists were killed,” he said, adding Kiraz would undergo an operation. Kiraz was investigating the killing of Berkin Elvan, who died in March last year after spending 269 days in a coma due to ISTANBUL: A militant from the Turkish Marxist-Leninist leftwing injuries inflicted by police in the mass organization DHKP-C holds a gun to the head of prosecutor protests of early summer 2013. Mehmet Selim Kiraz yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 13 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 LOCAL

Amir announces $500 million Kuwait III pledges $3.8 billion for Syrian people: Ban Ki-moon pledge for Syrian people KUWAIT: UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon announced at the conclusion of the Kuwait III conference that partici- KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Syrian people, HH the Amir said. data, about the economic and social impact of pants pledged $3.8 billion in total. The Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday Addressing the Third International Pledging the crisis, published lately by international total almost matches the combined announced $500 million pledge for the Syrian Humanitarian Conference for Syria, HH the Amir organizations, based on research studies, reveal pledges made at the first ($1.5 billion) people to help ease their suffering, urging UN said that Kuwait III was held in the face of the that destruction is the headline in every region and second ($2.4 billion) donors’ confer- Security Council (UNSC) members states to act “biggest humanitarian catastrophe witnessed by in Syria, without exception,” said HH the Amir. He ences. Ban had stated earlier that the and end the conflict politically. humanity in our contemporary history.” said the crisis killed more than 210,000 people, participants needed to raise a total of Kuwait government and people have rushed Kuwait hosted the first and second pledging displaced some 12 million others internally and $8.4 billion: $5.5 billion for refugees and to the help of the Syrian brothers since the onset conferences in 2013 and 2014, noted HH the in neighboring countries, all of them live in $2.9 billion for people still inside Syria. harsh conditions, and in tragic humanitarian sit- The list of donors includes: uations.” The catastrophe in Syria has also deprived - European Union: $537 million. two million Syrian children, under 18 years of - United States of America: $507 mil- age, of their most basic rights in education and lion. healthcare, which threatens the future of an - Kuwait: $500 million. KUWAIT: United Nations Secretary entire generation, leaving them to face a gloomy - United Kingdom: $150 million. General Ban Ki-moon attends the future, and depriving their country of their - Germany: $161 million. opening ceremony of the Third active participation in building it, said HH the - United Arab Emirates: $100 million. International Humanitarian Pledging Amir. - Norway: $93 million. Conference for Syria, at Bayan Palace - Saudi Arabia: $60 million. yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Syrian economy - Sweden: $40 million. The Syrian economy suffered more than $200 - Denmark: $36 million. - Botswana: $5 million. billion in losses, unemployment rate stands at 57 - The Netherlands: $35 million. - Czech Republic: $4 million. percent, while the life expectancy rate has - Switzerland: $25.7 million. - Austria: $2 million. dropped to 55 years, the rates of poverty have - France: $21.5 million. - India: $2 million. risen, and the number of Syrian refugees outside - Australia: $20 million. - Poland: $537,000. the country is 3.9 million people, the biggest - Finland: $16 million. - Estonia: $322,000. refugee society in the world, said the Kuwaiti - South Korea: $15 million. - Romania: $140,000. leader. The crisis in Syria created safe havens for - Ireland: $13 million. - Bulgaria: $107,000. terrorist groups who use the state of instability to - Belgium: $10.5 million. - Slovenia: $64,400. carry out their “sinister plans,” HH the Amir said. - Luxemburg: $6 million. - Lithuania: $40,000. HH Sheikh Sabah paid tribute to the five - Spain: $5.4 million. - Slovakia: $30,000. neighboring countries hosting some 3.9 million - Brazil: $5 million. - Latvia: $27,000. Syrian refugees - Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attends the open- and Egypt - which have been offering immense ing ceremony of the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, at Bayan humanitarian and relief services, despite the Palace yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat heavy burden on their economies and security. of the crisis in March 2011, which has entered its Amir. He said 90 percent of pledges made at the HH the Amir also thanked all UN agencies work- fifth year. second conference were honored. “We are hope- ing on the ground, especially UNHCR, UNICEF, However, “in view of the continuity of the ful that your conference will register the gener- WHO, WFP and OHCA. tragic situations suffered by our brothers and sis- ous adequate response to meet the urgent HH the Amir urged the UN Security Council to ters in Syria, and proceeding from our belief in needs of our brothers in Syria,” he said. put their differences aside to end the conflict, the importance and the need to convey a mes- stop the bloodshed, cease grave human rights sage to the Syrian people, that the international Casualty figures violations and punish those who committed community stand by them, feel their suffering, HH the Amir noted that the Syrian conflict crimes against the Syrian people. The only com- and will not abandon them in their plight, I am has transformed streets and neighborhoods of prehensive political solutions should be based pleased to announce the contribution of the Syria into rubble, the buildings into ruins, and on the communique of the 2012 Geneva I con- State of Kuwait in the amount of $500 million the people of Syria became merely casualty fig- ference, he said, and affirmed support for efforts from both the governmental and civil sectors, in ures of death and displacement. of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General to support of the humanitarian situation” of the “The frightening figures and documented Syria Staffan De Mistura.—KUNA UN agencies urge focus on Syria’s

KUWAIT: Lebanese Prime Minister Tamam Salam (left) and Iraqi Vice President Iyad humanitarian, development needs Allawi attend the opening ceremony of the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria at Bayan Palace yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat KUWAIT: UN agencies at interna- ed leaving people with only half of pledges made at Kuwait II and I. Finally, he urged nations to unite tional aid-pledging talks in Kuwait their needs. under one banner, setting religious, urged the need to respond to Some 400,000 people are living Huge burdens ethnic and language differences Syria’s neighbors urge aid for humanitarian needs as well as under siege as the government, Antonio Guterres, the UN High aside and focus on the goal of development needs amid a new which pleads innocence, continues Commissioner for Refugees, who assisting the Syrian people. sustainable plans at Kuwait III approach to their efforts on the to inundate them with barrel discussed refugees in neighboring Syrian conflict. bombs, she added. Around half of nations, proclaimed Turkey as the Unifying assistance KUWAIT: Nations neighboring Syria urged hosting Syrian refugee numbers equal to In speeches at the Third the Syrian children are not going to nation hosting the biggest number UNDP Administrator Helen Clark donor nations to pledge funds to detailed around a third of its population - 1.5 mil- International Humanitarian school, and this will leave behind a of refugees in the world - around noted to the Syria Strategic plans focusing on long-term development lion. This presents huge challenges to the Pledging Conference for Syria, “lost generation” as women face four million. Response and the Regional aid for millions of Syrian refugees they are already crumbling infrastructure of the dubbed Kuwait III, they expressed the threat of rape, sexual abuse and This has placed huge burdens Refugee and Resilience Plans, hosting after fleeing their country’s conflict. country, he added. Salam mentioned that gratitude for His Highness the Amir sexual slavery on a daily basis. on the nation, as well as Lebanon, which she said are aimed at unify- Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt all aid was needed for his country to cope Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber She also noted to Palestinian Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, he said, ing humanitarian and development made appeals to international representa- with these matters. Al-Sabah’s gracious decision to host refugees within Syria, as they face highlighting needs of neighboring assistance. Explaining, she said this tives meeting at aid-pledging talks in Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi focused the talks for a third year in a row. malnutrition - some 50 percent of nations as a whole as $5.5 billion. In would focus on providing long- Kuwait aimed at raising pledges for Syrian on the need to address the causes of the Under Secretary General for whom have been displaced once Jordan, around a third of refugees term well-revised strategies for refugees they are hosting. displacement. Iraq already has a problem Humanitarian Affairs and again and continue to depend on live under extremely bad condi- humanitarian assistance in a sus- Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said of handling around two million refugees of Emergency Relief Coordinator the UN Relief and Works Agency tions and are living on aid. Hosting tainable manner. Along with the that his nation’s Response Plan highlights a their own, he said. He also pointed out a Valerie Amos said that since the last (UNRWA). She also noted to the nations need more assistance in regional plan are individual plans current shortfall of $2.9 billion for Jordan two-pronged approach to the humanitari- conference in 2014 nations had risks taken by humanitarians during order to cater to the education, from each nation, like Lebanon and alone. an disaster, including providing assistance hoped to meet again to rebuild their duty as 72 have been killed, drinking water and electricity Jordan, she said. Turkish Development Minister Cevdet to Syrians on the inside and refugees who Syria, but that unfortunately the including 42 from the Syrian Red needs of the refugees, he said. These host nations are request- Yilmiz said that Turkey has been bearing a have fled abroad and stopping the blood- nation is still witnessing conflict, Cross and Crescent Societies. Some 15,000 refugees attempt- ing the aid based on these plans “huge burden” since opening its borders to shed through a political and social solution. violence and bloodshed. Finally, she thanked the efforts ed to cross the Mediterranean to which specifically outline these Syrians fleeing from the neighboring con- Despite Egypt not sharing borders with Her visit to Syria in 2011 record- of the First Deputy Prime Minister flee to Europe, 500 of whom died, needs and the sectors they should flict in 2011. Turkey which hosts the brunt Syria, Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said ed one million displaced people, and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah he said, calling on nations to open address. She also pointed out to of the refugees, with over 1.7 million Syrian that his country is currently hosting around but today, she said this number has Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and UN their borders to these refugees. He what she called resilience plans, refugees and over 250,000 who have 300,000 Syrian refugees, who fled to Egypt reached 11 million. Inside Syria, chief Humanitarian Envoy and also praised the efforts on Gulf which will build on the capabilities sought asylum, has provided these families since the outbreak of violence in 2011. He four out five people live in poverty, Amiri Diwan Advisor Abdullah Al- countries particularly, which he of these nations so that they may with all their essential needs, he added. said that Egypt was taking the matter seri- while on infrastructure 80 percent Maatouq for their efforts on pres- said provided $two billion in assis- be able to benefit the refugee com- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Tammam ously and had pledged its efforts on of water sources have been affect- surizing nations to fulfill their tance to UN agencies in 2014. munities sustainably.—KUNA Salam said that his country is currently accommodating the number. — KUNA

KUWAIT: International delegates stand for a group photo before the opening ceremony of the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria at Bayan palace yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Large participation contributes to Kuwait III success: Foreign Minister

KUWAIT: The large participation in the Third Addressing the final session of the one-day unifying efforts to keep working to provide pledges would contribute to alleviating the lion contributions they made on Monday. International Pledging Humantiarian conference, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the basic humanitarian needs for the brothers in suffering of the Syrian people. Sheikh Sabah “We hope this (contribution) addresses Conference for Syria contributed to its success, participation of 78 countries, 40 international Syria.” The international community has sent a Al-Khaled thanked international humanitari- agony of people who suffered from killing, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign organizations and over 100 non non-govern- clear message that it should stop the immedi- an organizations working on the ground and hunger and displacement for five years, and Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- ment organizations (NGOs) affirmed “that we ately bloodshed in Syria, he said. helping the Syrian people, as well as extend- are still subjected to murder,” said the senior Sabah said. the international community are capable of Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled hoped the ed gratitude for the NGOs for their $506 mil- Kuwaiti official. —KUNA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 LOCAL

MPs, Ministers discuss Yemen at closed-door meeting today

KUWAIT: MPs and a number of cabinet members are scheduled to have a closed- door meeting at the National Assembly today to discuss the situation in Yemen, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Ghanim announced in a press statement yesterday. Invitations were sent to all MPs to attend the meeting “to discuss the latest regional developments including the situ- ation in Yemen and the extent of the defensive military operations being car- ried out by our brave soldiers in Saudi Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim Arabia,” Ghanim said. He further said that the following ministers will be attending Affairs Dr Ali Al-Omair are expected at the the meeting: meeting. Kuwait is taking part in the mili- First Deputy Minister and Foreign tary operation dubbed Decisive Storm Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al- against Houthi militias in Yemen. Saudi Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister Arabia is leading in Yemen a coalition of and Minister of Defense Sheikh Khaled Al- more than ten countries to protect the Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister Yemeni people and their legitimate gov- and Minister of Interior Sheikh ernment from the Houthis at the request Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Minister of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al- Hadi. The operation in Yemen seeks stabili- Abdullah Al-Sabah, and Minister of Oil and ty for that country and is in defense of State Minister for National Assembly Saudi Arabia. — KUNA KUWAIT: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (left) speaks next to Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah during a press conference at Bayan Palace yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat ‘Kuwait persistent in drying Operation Decisive Storm targets terrorism funding sources’ KUWAIT: Kuwait takes positive steps at officials mainly discussed Kuwait’s Yemeni dialogue: Kuwaiti FM fighting terrorism both in discounting efforts against terrorism and money- errant ideologies and in countering ter- laundering. Kuwaitis should be proud of major humanitarian role: Ban rorist activities, including The Kuwaiti minister monitoring any attempt at stressed that all monies that KUWAIT: The major objective of the Saudi-led all Yemenis around the table of dialogue to with access to clean drinking water, handed money-laundering, a senior are transferred to locations Operation Decisive Storm aimed at bringing all complete the GCC initaitive, which was 17.5 million the opportunity for healthcare and government official said outside of Kuwait as dona- Yemeni groups around dialogue table to com- endorsed by the Arab League and International allowed two million children to receive an edu- yesterday. tions are those strictly col- plete the political process that is undermined Security Council, and its executive mechanism is cation, he revealed. Minister of Justice, lected domestically from by the Houthis, Kuwait said yesterday. about to be finalized,” said Sheikh Sabah Al- Going on to point out the fierce conflict Awqaf, and Islamic Affairs recognizable and state- First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Khaled. The operation, launched by a coalition which does not seem to offer any distant solu- Yaqoub Al-Sane empha- sanctioned charities and Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- of 10 countries, aimed at protecting the Yemeni tion thus far, he said many people continue to sized that all money-trans- relief aid organizations. He Sabah reaffirmed commitment to the peaceful people and their legitimate leadership. lose their homes as more and more hospitals fer transactions to locations said Kuwait has in recent resolution in Yemen and resumption of dia- and schools are being destroyed on a daily basis. abroad are strictly watched times passed law no106 for logue, and that the Gulf Cooperation Council Major role He concluded by referring to the best solu- for any suspicion of money- the year 2013 on fighting (GCC) was preoccupied with the Yemeni affair Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon said that Kuwaitis tion to the conflict being political, adding it was laundering, money that money-laundering and dry- since 2011. should be proud of their nation’s major role in time to put into place a comprehensive transi- might be used in funding ing up sources of funding Minister Yaqoub Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, at a joint news con- assisting those in need around the world, Syria tional period led by Syrian factions according to terrorist activities. terrorism. The Dutch ambas- Al-Sane ference with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in particular. Speaking at the joint press confer- the Geneva I CommuniquÈ and the aspirations The minister made these sador applauded Kuwait’s following a donors’ conference for the Syrian ence after the conclusion of the Third of the people. remarks as he met in his efforts in fighting money- people, said the GCC and the Yemeni people International Humanitarian Pledging Conference office with the ambassador of the laundering and drying up sources of approved an initiative and an implementation for Syria which raised total pledges of $3.8 bil- Helping Syrians Netherlands Nicholas Beets. The two funding terrorism. —KUNA mechanism proposed by the six-member Arab lion, Ban said that this was a great example of Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said meanwhile that Gulf bloc. international coordination on the cause. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad “The brothers in Yemen succeeded through The international community has taken a Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s acceptance of Ban Ki-moon’s their constitutional channels to appoint a presi- huge step forward through pledging this call to host the third aid-pledging meeting for Parliament delays decision dent and adopt a comprehensive national dia- amount, he said, promised by both govern- Syria reflected Kuwait’s keenness on helping logue, which included all Yemeni groups ... (who) ments and NGOs to the conflict which has people in need. on rents law amendments approved the outcome of this dialogue,” he entered a fifth year. The sum will be go into sup- “Kuwait lived up to its humanitarian respon- added. porting the Syria Strategic Response Plan (SRP) sibilities and hosted the third conference with KUWAIT: The parliamentary legislative and legal commit- The Yemeni people “succeeded in writing the and the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan the objective of easing suffering of the Syrian tee on Monday adjourned taking a decision on proposed constitution which leaves two unfinished steps (ERP) inside and outside of Syria, he said. These people,” Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said. He added amendments to the rents law and a relevant government of the GCC initiative, which is electing the presi- initiatives will aim to overcome shortfalls in that the participation of 78 countries, 40 inter- bill to its next meeting. The commission discussed propos- dent and electing the parliament,” said Sheikh neighboring countries address pressure placed national organizations and over 100 non-gov- als for adding a new provision to the decree-into-law Sabah Al-Khaled. Everybody clearly sees who on their infrastructure and economies through ernment organizations (NGOs) contributed to 116/1992, regarding administrative organization and speci- wants to undermine the will of the Yemeni peo- focusing on sustainable development, he said. success of the conference. Sheikh Sabah Al- fication of jurisdictions, said MP Dr Abdulhamid Dashti, the ple by force, he said in reference to the Houthi Pledges made at Kuwait I and II in 2013 and Khaled thanked all countries, UN agencies, indi- committee’s rapporteur. MP Dashti indicated that the com- militias. Operation Decisive Storm “aims at 2014 contributed to providing food to over five viduals and NGOs which brought about success mittee decided to hold talks with government advisors and restoring things in their right order, and gather million people every month, provided millions for the conference. seek to persuade them to maintain the current rental legis- lations, without amendments. He also noted that the Civil Service Commission should supervise any decisions in this regard, in advance. — KUNA MP Dr Abdulhamid Dashti

Consumer subcommittees to control market: Official

KUWAIT: A Ministry of Commerce and ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Industry body targeting protection of Market Control and Consumers’ consumers against negative practices on Protection. the market has finalized the formation of Following the formation of the techni- subcommittees, a ministry official said cal secretariat subcommittee, other four yesterday. Forming the subcommittees followed last night, for investigating of the National Committee for Consumer complaints, checking quality standards, Protection (NCCP) is a significant step media, and reviewing contracts, he said. toward controlling the market for peo- A mechanism will soon be designed for ple’s welfare and the good of the nation- the duties of each. The NCCP is the al economy, NCCP Deputy Chairman nucleus of a higher objective, setting up Abdullah Al-Enezi said. A host of resolu- an independent public authority for con- tions were taken last night on subcom- sumer protection. It is a firm tool to mittees in line with article 26 of law counter trade fraud and unlawful price 39/2014, added Enezi, who is also the hikes, Enezi stressed. — KUNA PIC spurs youth

KUWAIT: Kuwait Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Mohammad Al-Khedhr meets Deputy Commander of US Central Command Vice Admiral Mark Fox yesterday. — KUNA industrial projects KUWAIT: Chief Executive Officer of the sented by Petrochemical Industries Kuwait Petrochemical Industries Company and EQUATE industry, he Eagle Resolve successful, Company (PIC) Asaad Al-Saad said yes- said, noting that in a later stage, it terday his company supports and could be turned into an integrated spurs Kuwaiti youth to create their project drawing encouragement and effective: Chief of Staff own industrial projects. support from state agencies. The ini- The company encourages the tiative comes upon directives from His establishment of youth projects, espe- Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- KUWAIT: Kuwait Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Mohammad Al- cially in petrochemical manufacturing Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for support- Khedhr applauded the military exercise known as Eagle industry projects, Saad said yesterday ing young people. Resolve which is held annually by the Kuwaiti army along with Supply increase behind on the sideline of a press conference Mohamed Hussein, Chief Executive guests from the armed forces of 29 countries. This came during held to lunch Al-Mubader Youth- Officer of EQUATE Petrochemical a meeting for officers and commanders yesterday. Director of global price drop: KPC Support and Small Enterprises Company, said meanwhile that this ini- Development Program. the exercise Maj Gen Ahmad Al-Omairi also extolled the exer- tiative is a new start to meet the aspi- cise and all those participating in it, stressing that all aims of KUWAIT: The decrease in the global decrease by third and fourth quarter of The Petrochemical Industries rations of Kuwait in the diversification the exercise had been met this year. price of oil was due to the increase in this year due to maintenance at several Company has products involved in supplies which reached 2.5 million and world refineries. Regarding the future of income sources and the establish- Rick Mattson, US Central Command (CENTCOM) director of many industries, where the company 1.3 million barrels per day in January demand for oil, the KPC executive noted exercises and training, said meanwhile that up to 4000 partici- is seeking to encourage these indus- ment of industries to achieve the and February respectively, a Kuwait that maintenance, again, will play a cru- pants took part in Eagle Resolve 2015. Brigadier Mohammad tries, in cooperation with EQUATE vision of His Highness the Amir. He Petroleum Corporation (KPC) executive cial role in this aspect, leading to an pointed out that young people repre- Al-Kanderi, General Coordinator of the exercise, noted that the said yesterday. expected increase in production in Asia, Petrochemical Company, Saad added. exercise was extensive in its scope and was further indication The project is supported by the Public sent great importance because they The decrease in the global price was the US and Europe with expectations have the energy to achieve the aspira- of its annual success. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary due to a number of economic and that demand will increase for petroleum Authority for Industry and the General Abdullatif Al-Zayani and top military officials from GCC geopolitical factors chief amongst them products. Industrial Bank of Kuwait, which help tions of this nation. countries as well as other countries attended the meeting. was the current discussions on the The KPC official also touched on young people set up new factories, he Abrar Faisal Al-Masoud, Chief Meanwhile, Lt Gen Khedhr held talks with Deputy Iranian nuclear file in Vienna, said another important issue which will said. Executive of Al-Mubader Project, said Commander of US Central Command Vice Admiral Mark Fox, Nasser Al-Mudhaf, the Managing affect the supply and demand for oil, “The PIC’s role is to encourage the program is mainly intended to which focused on military topics of mutual interest. During the Director for International Marketing at noting that the decrease in tension over youth to offer products at competitive provide the appropriate environment meeting, Lt Gen Khedhr lauded the cooperation between the KPC. The increase in supplies also the Iranian nuclear file might lead to an prices, something which could ensure for Kuwaiti young people to work and two countries, Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of played an integral role in the price agreement which will allow around 2.5 successful projects,” Saad said. create. The project came response to Moral Guidance and Public Relations said in a statement. The decrease, said Mudhaf, noting that the million barrels of Iranian oil to re-enter Al-Mubader Program is sponsored the directives of His Highness Amir, two sides also focused on the ways of promoting and develop- supplies will witness an expected the global market. — KUNA by the petrochemical sector, repre- she added. — KUNA ing the military cooperation. —KUNA LOCAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Court adjourns Barrak speech Crime Report promoters’ case to May 5 Two arrested with drugs, documents By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi Al-Sabah and questioning his powers. which the assets and bank accounts of the removing violating camps from today, as Kuwait Football Association (KFA) will be the camping season ended yesterday. By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A local court yesterday adjourned Bargash’s citizenship seized pending a case filed by lawyer Hazza’ Hashan added that demolitions and camp till May 5, 2015 a hearing on a case filed A local court yesterday ordered the Interior Al-Thafeiri. However, KFA stressed that this removals would commence immediately KUWAIT: Jahra police arrested two men with possession of against a number of citizens, including for- Ministry to justify its decision to revoke the was only a first instance verdict and that it without any prior notice or warning. He drugs, documents and seals. A security source said that a car mer MPs, for promoting a speech made by citizenship of former MP Abdullah Al- plans to contest it before the court of appeals. also noted that the demolition teams driver attempted to escape when he was told to stop, then he former MP Musallam Al-Barrak at Irada Barghash and his family members in a would be accompanied by media person- along with a passenger got out of the car and ran on foot, but Square for which he is already sentenced to hearing to be held on May 5, 2015. Camps’ removal nel. In addition, Hashan also urged all camp were arrested. The suspects are Saudis, and aged 25 and 22. and doing two years in prison. The defen- Kuwait Municipality’s Public Relations owners to clean their campsites after dis- The duo threw envelopes from the car during the attempted dants are facing charges of insulting His KFA challenges asset seizure Manager Rashid Al-Hashan said the munici- mantling them so that the areas would be escape. Titles of stolen cars from Salwa and Jahra, 17 IDs and Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Another court yesterday issued a verdict by pality’s monitoring apparatuses would start useable in the next camping season. two seals of the Jahra health zone and of a doctor along with medical report forms were also found with them. They were sent to Taima police station. Municipality launches Disabled need action to recycling campaign Foul play suspected in man’s death solve their problems: Kuwait Ahmadi prosecutor sent the body of an unidentified per- By Hanan Al-Saadoun son found near Al-Kout Mall to the coroner because of suspicions of foul play. A preliminary police report consid- KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality’s Public Relations ered drowning as the cause of death, but officials are Department announced that the municipality’s environ- waiting for the coroner’s report on the cause of death. ment department will launch its ‘My Municipality’ aware- ness campaign under the slogan, which aims at spread- ing awareness about recycling methods. During the Fugitive nabbed campaign, environment-friendly cardboard containers A Bangladeshi expat man sent to drugs control authorities, will be provided at municipality buildings and its and will later be sent to prison to serve a four-year jail sen- branches to collect recyclable waste, such as plastic and tence. A security source said the man was arrested after he paper. This will help instill the recycling culture among attempted to run away. The suspect was found wanted to employees and patrons, the department explained. serve a four-year prison sentence, was absconding, wanted by the DCGD and his visa had expired too. Material thought to be drugs was found on him. CBK, Harvard create joint training program Policeman assaulted A police captain in Ali Sabah Al-Salem police station KUWAIT: Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) Dr accused four men of beating him as he was chasing a Mohammad Al-Hashel said the Bank’s Institute of Banking Dr Tareq Al-Shatti Kholoud Al-Ali Rehab Bouresli reckless driver. He said the driver entered a house, and Studies (IBS) and the Harvard Business School (HBS) will jointly later came out with four men who beat him. organize a program for building the executive capacity of DOHA: GCC citizens of special needs will ences, but rather via implementation of with difficulties of life. Kholoud Al-Ali, leaders of the financial institutions in the GCC states and some benefit from action, rather than words, as recommendations and resolutions for sake Chairperson of the executive committee of Middle East countries. an effective remedy to their problems and of upgrading quality of the services given the GCC society, said meanwhile that the Forgery The “Managing Strategically - Leading for Results” execu- issues, namely bids to place them on par to them and accomplishing their full association had helped the handicapped with other citizens in the society, a visiting merger with the society, he added. of some skills to sharpen their talents, Residency affairs detectives arrested a female citizen who tive development program will take place here between May works at a service center after she registered expats on the file 9 and 14, Hashel said in a press release Monday night. “This Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Dr Shatti was speaking on sidelines of through various activities, namely holding Measurement of progress, particularly of a citizen without his knowledge. annual program is meant to improve the national cadres of the 15th Gulf Disability Society forum the second painting exhibition for the in the GCC countries, should partially be which kicked off in Doha late on Monday handicapped. Rehab Bouresli, in charge of the banks and financial institutions of the countries in the on basis of how much care is given to the under the slogan ‘providing quality servic- a Kuwaiti association for parents of the region,” he said. “This will be the sixth course of the annual and citizens of special challenges; said Dr Tareq es to persons with disabilities.’ He con- handicapped, affirmed that the forum Car thieves caught the second time with Kuwait as its venue,” he said, noting that Al-Shatti Director General of Kuwait’s firmed that the forum aimed at exchang- constituted an opportunity for interaction Kuwait hosted the first course in 2010 when only the CBK Public Authority for the Disabled. ing ideas and experience of GCC authori- among parents of the disabled and vari- Jahra police arrested three bedoons in Taima in a car cadres and IBS members took part. “Dubai hosted the second However, this cannot be achieved solely ties regarding best means to aid the dis- ous authorities involved in aiding this seg- stolen from Shamiya. All three are wanted for drug sale course in 2011, Doha the third course in 2012, Muscat the through seminars, meetings and confer- abled in the Council member states cope ment of the society. — KUNA and use and theft. fourth in 2013, and then Dubai again the fifth course last year,” Hashel pointed out. The CBK Governor affirmed that the success of the pro- Expert calls for encouraging gram was the reason behind its continuation over the last five years. Cooperation between the Institute of Banking Studies and the Boston-based HBS dates back to 2009, said Hashel mobile content projects who doubles as board chairman of the IBS. He added that the CBK will continue prioritizing the efforts KUWAIT: A renowned Kuwaiti computer engineer called for Content Award at Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of to modernize the financial sector and build the capacity of encouraging mobile content projects in Kuwait stressing that Sciences (KFAS), made the call during a meeting organized by local banks and financial institutions in collaboration with such ventures are as important as non-electronic enterprises. KFAS for the founding team of the highly successful regional and international institutions. — KUNA Manar Al-Hashash, Secretary General of Kuwait Mobile Talabat.com project. Hashash said during last Monday’s gathering that it was aimed at nudging e-commerce entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and obstacles through educating them about some of the successful ventures in the field. She affirmed that Talabat.com constitutes a tangi- ble example “as how important the mobile content is, the basic role it plays in our contemporary life in general and for the youth in particular.” Talabat.com has practi- cally proven quite distinguished since its launch in 2003, for it pro- vides a business environment where any investor in the food sector can promote his or her enterprise globally. The annual Kuwait Mobile Content Award, patronized by His Highness the Manar Al-Hashash Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, was launched in 2008. It is designed to encourage interested citizens in enrich- ing the e-content at the health, commercial, educational and e-government levels, said Hashash. Manar Al-Hashash is a member of the UN-founded informa- tion technology panel GAID. She is most popular for being Duo held with highly active in promoting online programs and activities at ‘chemical’ drugs the local, regional and international levels. Criminal detectives arrested an American and a Syrian with 40 Meanwhile, Khaled Al-Otaibi, the man who had originally envelopes of ‘chemical’ drugs (a variation of hashish), as well come up with the idea of launching Talabat.com, briefly narrat- as shabu, hashish, and colored plastic envelopes to sell drugs. ed its story, saying that it started at a token capital of only KD Information was received about the American man selling 4,000, involving himself and three other partners. Later, Otaibi drugs, and following legal procedures, an undercover agent bought his colleagues’ stakes for KD 75,000. New partners joined the enterprise in 2007 acquiring 90 percent of the was sent to him. He was arrested with 24 large envelopes of shares, for KD 360,000. The narrative was completed by “chemical” drug. He said he brings the drugs from the US and Mohammad Jaafar, Talabat.com’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), sells it wholesale, adding that a second man helps him sell the who revealed that he had bought the enterprise in 2010. drugs. The Syrian was then arrested, and when his house was Earlier this month, he sold 80 percent of the stocks to a searched, 16 large envelopes and 55 small black envelopes German company for up to euro 150 million, but he retained containing the same substance were found, along with an 20 percent of the stakes. Up to 450,000 people visit the site envelope of shabu and a piece of hashish. The suspects and every day, with posting of more than 250,000 orders. — KUNA the material were sent to concerned authorities. Initiative offer students life-affirming values

KUWAIT: The Al-Nuwair Positive Initiative Authority for Applied Education and She noted that the carnival of positive (NPI) has embarked on opening channels Training (PAAET). Sheikha Intisar said that values aims at equipping college students of communication with college students the idea for holding this carnival in con- with values that not only would lead to in a bid to propagate life-affirming values junction with PAAET is a novel one in the academic excellence but to a healthier life amongst them, the initiative’s chairperson region, since it accentuates the partnership style and lifelong happiness. Dr Salah Al- Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah said. between a civil society organization such as Othman, a PAAET spokesman, said mean- NPI is spreading its positive message at NPI and a government one such as PAAET, while that the carnival will have positive what it calls a carnival of positive values for with the ultimate goal of serving the inter- effects on students and will imbue them Kuwaiti college students at the Public ests of young people of college age. with an optimistic outlook at life. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Al-Nuwair Positive Initiative’s chairperson Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah is pictured with Public Authority for Applied Education and Training staff during the event. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 From the Arabic press

Al-Jarida Crime Report Donor conference Officers arrested for By Ghanim Al-Najjar smuggling fugitives

uwait witnessed two donors conference for KUWAIT: Nuwaiseeb detectives arrested three officers Syria - the first one of international NGOs, who formed a network to smuggle out wanted persons Kcharities and humanitarian organizations and on civil cases, charging them KD 250 to KD 400. A secu- the second of states and organizations donating to rity source said detectives learned about the involve- support humanitarian programs in Syria. ment of the three in helping wanted people leave the Regardless of the military and political aspects, country and return without being stopped. The three humanitarian challenges have reached record lev- were sent to the prosecution for further action. els in Syria where over 12 million people suffer dis- placement in Syria and elsewhere, which is the biggest international crisis history has ever known. Domestic violence Therefore, holding this conference is the least man- Salwa police freed a citizen whose husband ifestation of both regional and international com- detained her in the house and beat her. Police munities’ responsibility for failing to find a political received a call from the woman asking for help. solution to this devastating dilemma, be that on Police arrived and freed her. She then went to political, military or humanitarian levels. Mubarak Hospital and brought a medical report Over 20 donor conferences have been called for on the injuries she sustained. She then filed a com- in the past 20 years to donate for countries like plaint. Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and others. As an observer and participant in many of those confer- Al-Jarida ences, I noticed that many of them repeated the Suicide attempt same failure to keep pledges they had made, A girl attempted suicide by shooting herself with an air which only complicated the tragedy and failed to Loan shark jailed rifle in the neck, and was taken to Adan Hospital for solve the problems mainly because those confer- Al-Anbaa treatment. Her mother said that the girl was depressed ences were shortsighted and lacked focus on KUWAIT: The appeals court sentenced a man to six because of the death of her friend three years ago, and development. months in jail after convicting him for providing loans on this is why she wanted to end her life. The most perfect model of how to rehabilitate large interests, but exonerated him of money laundering Saleh’s evident, war-stricken and devastated communities was charges, which he was accused of by a local bank. The probably the Marshall Plan (aka European Recovery court of first instance has sentenced the man to 5 years in hidden role Teen rapist caught Program) that was designed to help European jail and the confiscation of KD 2.5 million, which is the Adan detectives arrested a man for raping a juve- countries recover in the aftermath of World War II. total amount of operations he carried out. He also was By Sami Al-Nisf nile. A police patrol noticed a car in an open area in No donor conference has achieved as much, or fined KD 1.1 million for the same charges. — Al-Qabas Adan, and when they approached it, they found even close, success ever since. nalyzing what is regionally going on behind the two persons in a compromising position. Both were Kuwait’s donors conference (including NGOs Jaber Causeway scenes and the relation of some of the international sent to concerned authorities. and governmental) is the third of its kind and one Ahmed Al-Hassan, Ministry of Public Works’ Assistant Acommunity members with a scheme to destroy and can notice that Kuwait’s conferences are almost the Undersecretary for Road Engineering, said that 30 per- fragment regional countries shows that international com- most successful in the history of donor conferences cent of the Jaber Causeway project was complete and munity envoys entrusted with finding solutions to the Drunk employee jailed in terms of commitment to pledges, which gives that the project was proceeding according to schedule. problems on the ground have double standards. They A passports officer at Kuwait International Airport report- publicly declare full support and recognition of sovereign credit to Kuwait. The pledges made by internation- Speaking to reporters visiting the project’s media cen- ed to work drunk, so her surprised colleagues left the governments like that of Abed Rabbo Hadi in Yemen and al NGOs at the first conference held in Jan 2013 ter, Hassan said that permanent foundations were cur- office room. Airport police officers were puzzled about were $183 million and donor states donated rently being laid at the Subbiya bridge section, the Abdullah Al-Thani in Libya, while at the same time, they secretly support the opposition and make sure it is not what to do with her, and reportedly failed to report her to around half a billion, of which Kuwait fully paid causeway section and the marina. He added that the the police station to face charges of public drunkenness. $300 million to UN organizations. The pledges bridges would have exits leading to Shuwaikh Port and defeated by the legitimate forces. Some of those powers seek the help of some figures Instead, the drunk officer remained at the airport for 21 made by international NGOs at the second confer- the Free Trade Zone, in addition to a temporary visitors hours without performing her duties, until she sobered ence held in Jan 2014 summed up to $276 million building. Al-Jarida who do not wish regional countries any good, such as the Baathist Ali Abdullah Saleh who was behind all the evils up and later reported to Jleeb Al-Shuyiykh police station. and $348 million was spent on relief aids. Yemen and the Arab nation has been suffering ever since The investigator there was surprised that airport security Students’ punishment denied Governments made pledges to donate around $2.5 he came to power following a series of suspected assassi- sent the woman to the police station after this long time. billion, including Kuwait’s share of $500 million. Education Ministry’s media advisor Faisal Maqseed nations he either committed or contributed to, such as He criticized the officers for not bringing her to the sta- Despite the remarks, we know of about perform- yesterday refuted rumors on various social media net- assassinating the two North Yemen presidents Ibrahim Al- tion quickly, because procedures include an alcohol ance and how those funds were spent, and these works concerning the ministry’s intention to suspend Hamdi and Ahmed Al-Ghashmi, as well as the South blood content test. humanitarian conferences are a positive element in and cancel the scholarships of some students studying Yemeni president Salem Rabee in 1977 and 1978. In fact, international policy. A donors’ conference might be abroad because they had signed the ‘Irada Square the Houthis’ power lies in the Baathist Saleh’s troops, and held for Yemen as well once the war ends, because statement.’ A number of student unions and move- this is as true as the fact that IS’ power is based on troops Wife accused of adultery regardless of how and when the war that has been ments had issued the statement in support of protes- of the Baathist Ezzat Al-Douri. A man accused his wife of adultery after finding going on in Yemen for a while would end, Yemen’s tors who rallied at the square in support of opposition Houthis had been committed to peace talks and taking real dilemma is poverty and corruption that turned activists. Maqseed condemned raising such issues that part in the national debate that was about to reach its her with a friend in a suspicious building. The man it from ‘Happy Yemen’, as we used to call it, into negatively affect Kuwaiti students’ performance final phases when former president Saleh played his evil had doubted the behavior of his wife, so he moni- ‘Poor Yemen.’ abroad and make their parents concerned about their role and helped them, or rather say ordered them, to turn tored her until she entered a suspicious building, future. — Al-Anbaa up against sovereignty and take over Sanaa, then violate a so he called police. Policemen found the husband secret agreement made with participation from effective waiting, but he could not tell them which flat or regional and international powers keeping Houthis off floor she went to. Police decided to wait, and an Aden. Saleh actually forced them to accelerate the opera- hour later, the woman came down accompanied tions and attempt to go beyond Aden’s red line. by a man, so her husband caught her while police- It was Saleh’s plot that turned Houthis into a tool in his men caught the man. The two were taken to the hands just the way Douri made IS and turned it into a tool police station, where the husband insisted to file in the hands of his intelligence agents. Saleh’s scheme adultery charges. aims at dividing Yemen through creating tumults and pro- moting tribalism, sectarianism and regionalism. Rumor also has it that some other Yemeni parties who claim to be Boyfriend charged against both Saleh and Houthis are taking part in carrying A young man assaulted his girlfriend after she refused out Saleh’s plot by preparing the legitimate troops and its to accept his apology. A security source said after a dis- allies to accept defeat against his troops - the Houthis. pute with his girlfriend, the suspect sent her many mes- Accordingly, Saleh’s declared and hidden role must be ter- sages asking for forgiveness, but she did not respond. minated through adjusting the GCC agreement made to The man waited for her until she went to the co-op, spare his life, deprive him of any immunity and prosecute where he approached her and repeated his apologies, him for all the blood he had wasted. but she ignored him. He then grabbed and argued with her. The girl pushed him away, making him angry, so he hit her. Passersby caught him and called police. He was charged with assault and battery. Al-Qabas

Fugitive’s escape foiled Poor reception A Gulf national failed in an attempt to leave Kuwait using his brother’s passport, and was found wanted on drugs and weapons charges. The suspect went to By Ahmad Al-Sarraf Nuwaiseeb border center, where officers discovered the passport he was using is not his, and he admit- arie Yeghiayan, also known as Mariam Nour, is ted it was his brother’s. He was sent to criminal a Lebanese-American writer and media per- detectives. Msonality and an expert in the science of mac- robiotics - or natural alternatives. She was invited to visit Kuwait on the sidelines of a book exhibition, but Father charged her visit turned to be a problem for her and her hosts, A citizen rejected a court ruling which gave custody of his as it descended into swearing and verbal sparring daughter to his ex-wife. When he went for a visitation, he because of the reception she got, in her view. Mariam took the girl and refused to return her. The mother went to allegedly swore at some Arab leaders, as a local paper Jaber Al-Ali police station, where officers called the father, reported, considering them “the result of a Zionist con- but he refused to return the girl. He was charged with kid- spiracy”, adding that if she were Haifa Wehbe (a popu- napping, and police are working on the case. lar singer), many senior dignitaries would have been at her reception. Her action prompted organizers of the exhibition to prevent her from continuing to speak and asked her to Car owner threatened leave the country. It seems that what agitated her was A detainee at Jahra police station, who earlier rent- the small number of people receiving her, mostly ed a car and refused to return it, threatened and friends and admirers, and no one from the NCCAL, the insulted the owner and told him: “There is no car, body that is responsible for the exhibition. It was said and if you complain, I will kill you.” The owner never- she started swearing at the airport, but passport offi- theless filed a complaint against the suspect, who cers ignored her tirade. It was also said she was disap- was found detained in another case. pointed because she was not received at the VIP hall. If we suppose that what Mariam was quoted as say- ing is true that she like others who believe that they Family feud are better than others in knowledge and manners but A falcon caused a dispute between two cousins. One of do not receive the respect they deserve by many, com- the cousins said he agreed with the other to buy a fal- pared to what a singer or ballet dancer receives, this con worth KD 17,000, then when he went to receive it, matter is not limited to Kuwait, as we find something he discovered that it was not the same one that he had similar in most important countries. agreed to buy. The seller told police that he sold the fal- It is normal for the White House to host senior artists in receptions attended by presidents, because con that they had agreed upon, and that his cousin of what those artists enjoy in popularity. The role of wanted the other falcon which is worth KD 70,000. Both the artist, if Nour knows this, is great. I personally pre- were sent for questioning. fer to sit with Abdelhussein Abdelreda (a Kuwait actor), before even thinking about sitting with a major intel- lectual, and the reason is that the former has the Work mishap charisma and presence that I cannot feel without A Syrian man was admitted to Mubarak Hospital’s meeting him, but as for the latter, I have his books and ICU after falling from a building under construc- works in my hand. tion in Rumaithiya. The Syrian suffered fractures Human nature is more inclined towards happiness and bruises. and joy than serious and worrying matters, and receiv- ing an artist more enthusiastically than an intellectual or a writer is not wrong, and personally I will not feel Drug dealer caught insulted if I entered a place with Halima Boland, and Police in Jahra arrested a citizen who used and sold her reception party was much larger than mine, as this drugs. He also had Kuwaiti and Saudi currency, and was is the nature of people. sent to the Drugs Control General Department. - Al-Rai Iraqi forces retake government HQ in Tikrit from jihadists Page 10

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Buhari wins historic Nigeria election

KADUNA: A man pulls a wheelie on a scooter, as residents celebrate the anticipated victory of Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari (inset) in Kaduna yesterday. — AP ABUJA: Three decades after seizing power in a military General Muhammadu Buhari, the winner of the elections, brooms to symbolize his promise to clean up corruption Kaduna. In Kano, some young men donned black fedoras coup, Muhammadu Buhari became the first Nigerian to to congratulate him,” APC spokesman Lai Mohammed in the oil-rich country of 173 million people. - which his rival Jonathan is rarely seen without - and put oust a president through the ballot box, putting him in told reporters at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. There was no immediate comment from Jonathan, his suitcases on their heads to mock the president as people charge of Africa’s biggest economy and one of its most “There had always been this fear that he might not want spokesman or the ruling PDP, but Buhari’s wife Aisha took chanted “Out of Aso Rock” (the presidential villa). turbulent democracies. President Goodluck Jonathan to concede but he will remain a hero for this move,” he to Twitter to celebrate. “We see this as a trimphant show Buhari won a landslide victory in Kano, Nigeria’s sec- called Buhari yesterday to concede defeat in the week- added. “The tension will go down dramatically.” Around of democracy, a change for the better,” she wrote. Bukhari ond most-populous state, securing more than 1.9 million end election, Buhari’s camp said, an unprecedented step him, women in brightly coloured dresses danced and had told AFP he was “very confident” of victory as count- votes and 89 percent of the vote. The retired army gener- that should help to defuse anger among disgruntled sang, ululating in celebration. A final tally of the results ing of votes showed him pulling well ahead of Jonathan. al won the key prize of Lagos in the southwest but at one Jonathan supporters. compiled by Reuters gave the sandal-wearing and ascetic With 36 out of 37 results in, his All Progressives point his lead was cut to 500,000 votes after landslide vic- In the religiously mixed northern city of Kaduna, Buhari 15.4 million votes against 13.3 million for Congress (APC) had won 20 states, while Jonathan’s PDP tories for Jonathan in his southern Delta homeland. where 800 people were killed in violence after Nigeria’s Jonathan, a margin of victory that is likely to render any was on 15, plus the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. The Buhari, making his fourth run at the presidency, has been last elections in 2011, Buhari’s supporters streamed onto legal challenges irrelevant. final result is awaited from Borno state, the heart of the buoyed by frustration over endemic corruption, criticism the streets, waving flags, dancing and singing in celebra- If confirmed, this would be the first ever democratic Boko Haram Islamist insurgency. “Change, change,” over Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency tion. Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has change of power in Nigeria and cap a remarkable come- chanted opposition supporters in the northern city of and a stronger opposition. — Agencies been in charge since the end of army rule in 1999 but back for the 72-year-old, who headed a short-lived mili- had been losing popularity due to a string of corruption tary regime in the 1980s. Thousands of jubilant Buhari scandals and the rise of Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency supporters poured into the streets in celebration, many in the northeast. in northern Nigeria which has borne the brunt of the “At about 5 minutes to 5, President Jonathan called bloody six-year Boko Haram uprising. Many brandished INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL1, 2015

LAUSANNE: Officials wait for a meeting with officials from P5+1, the European Union and Iran at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel yesterday in Lausanne. Officials are meeting in Switzerland for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. —AFP Iran’s nuclear program: What we know

VIENNA: Will the hoped-for deal with Iran do nium or highly-enriched uranium. Plutonium Uranium to extend the “breakout” time to around a conduct additional inspections. enough to prevent Tehran developing nuclear can be extracted from spent nuclear fuel Of greater concern is uranium. Enriching year from several months at present. This is weapons under the guise of its civilian activi- rods. Western powers fear that a reactor Iran uranium raises the percentage of a certain iso- the time period Iran would in theory need to ‘Sneakout’ ties, as world powers hope? As negotiators in was building until an interim deal in tope by using sophisticated machines called process enough weapons-grade uranium or Experts stress that the “breakout” concept Switzerland rushed to meet a midnight dead- November 2013 at Arak could have produce a centrifuges spinning at supersonic speeds. For plutonium for one bomb. This could happen should however be treated with caution. It line to agree the outlines of a deal, this is a bomb’s worth of the material a year. Now the nuclear power 3.5-5.0 percent is needed, 20 through reducing the number of centrifuges fails to include the additional time needed for brief lowdown on the current status of Iran’s powers want the design of the reactor to be percent is for medicines and 90 percent for a to a few thousand from the current 19,000, Iran to work out how to incorporate the fissile nuclear activities. Iran denies wanting nuclear changed so that the amount of plutonium bomb. Iran is already enriching to low levels around half of which are operating. Iran could material into a warhead and mount it on a weapons and says that its program is purely Iran could obtain is significantly reduced. and until January 2014 was doing so to 20 per- also reduce its stockpile of low-enriched ura- missile, steps which would take many months, for peaceful purposes such as power genera- Iran is not thought to possess the capability cent. It is not thought to have purified to nium-some 8,000 kilos, enough for eight experts say. More likely, some say, Iran would tion. to extract the plutonium, and a secret facility weapons-grade-although it has the knowhow bombs if further enriched, experts say-by go for a “sneakout”-using facilities that the UN would be easily detected. Arak would also and the equipment. exporting it or converting it to another form. watchdog does not know about. But this pos- Plutonium have to run for at least a year before plutoni- In addition, the UN atomic watchdog, already sibility would be covered by greater oversight There are two possible materials to make um could be obtained. Breakout responsible for painstakingly accounting for by the watchdog, the International Atomic the explosive core of a nuclear bomb: pluto- The name of the game for world powers is Iran’s every ounce of nuclear material, could Energy Agency.— AFP What an Iran nuclear deal could look like

LAUSANNE: Global powers were racing yes- gradual easing of the measures. Experts say terday to reach the outlines of a deal to stop untangling the sanctions-from those also any Iranian bid to develop nuclear weapons. imposed for Tehran’s alleged terror activities for The “framework” accord is meant to be fleshed example-has proved to be one of the most dif- out into a comprehensive agreement packed ficult tasks. A senior US official said all parties, with complicated technical annexes by June including Iran, had agreed there should be a 30 to end more than a decade of tensions phased, step-by-step, reciprocal approach. But with the Islamic republic. Here are the possi- there is still disagreement on the formula to be ble contours of such an agreement, which Iran adopted. Sanctions relief would be staggered and the so-called P5+1 - Britain, China, France, and linked to certain “milestones” by Iran over Germany, Russia and the United States have the lifetime of the deal. been negotiating since late 2013. Research and development The goal Certain Western negotiators say the limits To reach a verifiable comprehensive agree- on highly enriched uranium mean nothing if ment that limits Iran’s ability to harness the agreement does not take into account the enough fissile material to build a nuclear technological progress made by Iran. A US bomb. official said research and development remained one of the biggest areas of con- Breakout time tention. Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi World powers want to cut Iran’s ability to has said the deal would not stop Iran “continu- build an atomic weapon to a “one-year break- ing with force” the development of more pow- out time.” That would mean Tehran would erful and modern centrifuges. need at least 12 months to be able to produce enough material for a nuclear bomb. The Nuclear plants assumption is that the international commu- Any deal will have to lay out what nuclear nity would have enough time to detect such a sites Iran would be allowed to maintain. The move-and could seek to strike or destroy the US does not want Iran to be allowed to devel- facilities. This year-long breakout time would op weapons-grade plutonium at its unfin- LAUSANNE: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi jogs during a break of the new round of talks on Iranís nuclear program, in Lausanne. — AP stay in place for the length of the deal. ished Arak reactor. Plutonium can be used as Officials say that they were homing in on a 10- an alternative fissile material to highly- to 15-year duration for any deal, but stressed enriched uranium. Iran should also not use its Bikes, bowties and schnitzel: that different elements would be subject to a Fordo nuclear plant to enrich uranium, which variety of deadlines. would leave only its Natanz plant capable of enriching uranium. Diplomats have told AFP Enrichment that the virtually impregnable underground The main players at Iran talks This is one of the trickiest issues. Several Fordo facility near the holy city of Qom would years ago, the international community want- cease uranium enrichment, hinting it would LAUSANNE: They were brought together on ultraconservative factions in the regime. Lavrov enjoys Scottish whisky and is not ed to deny Iran any capability to enrich urani- remain open for other purposes such as med- what looked like mission impossible to seal a immune to wry irony, setting him apart from the um. In April 2006, Iran launched a process to ical research. landmark deal with Iran on its suspect nuclear Former EU High Representative humorless apparatchik style of other Russian enrich uranium to 3.5 percent. By February program. Despite their different outlooks, back- A British life peer with the title of Baroness leaders. With his strong personality, he toes 2010, Iran had the ability to enrich to 20 per- Monitoring grounds and personalities, these globe-trotting Ashton of Upholland, Ashton rose from obscuri- Moscow’s line. He had developed strong work- cent, giving it the possibility of moving quick- A tough inspection program using the UN diplomats admit they have spent more time ty in 2009 to become the EU’s foreign policy ing ties with Kerry, but that has soured in recent ly to 90 percent-the level needed for a bomb. watchdog the International Atomic Energy locked in negotiations in recent months than chief having made a virtue of not being an “ego months amid the Ukraine crisis. The American Iran currently has about 19,000 centrifuges. Agency (IAEA), is a cornerstone of any deal. with their families. On a final day of talks in on legs.” While critics initially questioned has even openly accused Russian officials of About 10,200 centrifuges are in operation, The US bottom line is that Iran must agree to used for spinning uranium gas at supersonic unprecedented inspections of both nuclear Switzerland before a midnight deadline to agree whether she had the clout to do the job, she lying to his face. speeds to make it suitable for power genera- and production facilities as well as uranium the outlines of a potentially historic deal, here won admiration for her deft handling of years of tion and medical uses but also, at high puri- mines and mills. Getting a clean bill of health are pen portraits of some of the major players: dragging Iran nuclear talks among other burn- Chief US negotiator Sherman ties, for a bomb. Diplomats told AFP there had from the IAEA depends in large part on move- ing issues. A former top treasurer with the lob- Once described as a diplomat with “superhu- been tentative agreement that Iran would ment in its stalled probe into allegations, US Secretary of State Kerry bying group the Campaign for Nuclear man abilities,” Sherman has impressed with her slash the total number of its centrifuges by mostly before 2003, that Iran’s program had The lanky 71-year-old with a shock of grey Disarmament, she has described her style as steely, yet elegant manner over the years of about two-thirds, to about 6,000. “possible military dimensions”. hair has become an instantly recognisable fig- “quiet diplomacy.” Ashton, 59, stepped down in negotiations. She has become steeped in the ure during the 18 months that the talks have late 2014. complex technicalities of the nuclear industry Sanctions Statement or declaration? toured the globe. During breaks from negotia- including proliferation and weaponisation hav- Iran has publicly said it wants all sanctions US officials say they have not decided what tions, he has often headed out of his hotel for French FM Laurent Fabius ing also served as the special coordinator for imposed by the US, European Union and form any announcement would take, whether walks or bike rides, accompanied by his posse Fabius, 68, has revelled in his role as the most North Korea policy from 1997 to 2001. Sherman United Nations to be lifted. But world powers it will be a written statement or just a declara- of security guards. Reaching the long-elusive hawkish member of the P5+1 powers negotiat- even organized a landmark trip to the reclusive have refused, talking instead about a phased, tion. — AFP deal is the pinnacle of Kerry’s long career, which ing with Iran. The tall, elegant veteran politician state by then secretary of state Madeleine saw him make a tilt for the White House in 2004. has managed on several occasions to throw a Albright. A Democratic Party stalwart, Sherman, He moved into the State Department in 2013, spanner in the works, notably in November who has said she wakes up optimistic every day, joking he was stepping into the “heels” of Hillary 2013 when he arrived hot on Kerry’s heels at has gained a reputation as an indefatigable Clinton after serving 29 years as a senator for Geneva talks publicly slamming a deal on the negotiator with a razor-sharp intellect. But even Massachusetts. The son of a diplomat, Kerry table as too weak. Diplomatic sources say he her immense wells of patience had begun to spent much of his childhood in Europe, speaks was marked by “disastrous” past experiences run dry-after long weeks in Vienna she con- French fluently and a smattering of German and with Iran. While he was prime minister from fessed to growing tired of schnitzel-as well as Italian. 1984-1986, France was rocked by a series of suffering “a twisted ankle, a broken nose, and a bomb attacks blamed on Tehran and the kid- ruptured pinkie finger.” Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif napping of French diplomats in Beirut by Iran- After the rather austere image of Iranian backed Hezbollah militia. China’s Wang Qun leaders shown to the world in past years, the China’s point man in the talks, Wang is US-educated Zarif has become the smiling face Russian FM Sergei Lavrov doubtless a serious negotiator behind closed of the new leadership of President Hassan The wily Lavrov, known for his inscrutable doors. But for long-suffering journalists who Rouhani. Zarif, 55, is fluent in English and was face, has steered Russian diplomacy for more have been covering the talks he has provided the first minister to have official accounts on than a decade. He embodies the geopolitical some light relief with his impressive collection Facebook and Twitter, both banned in Iran. A muscle and defiance his country often exercises of bow ties. “I have an arsenal of them,” Wang, veteran loyalist of the Islamic revolution that in the UN Security Council. The chain smoker, cutting a dashing figure of diplomatic sophisti- toppled Iran’s US-backed monarchy in 1979, he who served for years as Russia’s envoy to the UN cation, quipped to reporters in Lausanne. “The LAUSANNE: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif (2nd right) speaks with members of believes in the country’s pursuit of nuclear pow- before becoming foreign minister, petitioned IAEA is more than welcome to come and inspect his delegation during talks at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel. — AFP er. But his moderate views have clashed with against the smoking ban in UN buildings. them.”— AFP INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 A look at Indiana law on religious freedom

INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana lawmakers have been don’t think we’ve ever seen a reaction like this to scrambling to control damage from a widely criti- the laws passed historically in the other states or cized new law that critics fear could permit discrim- when the federal government did it,” said Senate ination against gays and lesbians. The state is President Pro Tem David Long. “Clearly people are among about a dozen where measures aimed at reacting differently to this law. We didn’t see that preventing government from infringing on peo- coming.” ple’s religious beliefs have been introduced this year. Arkansas is poised to become the second Politicians react state this year to enact such a measure. A look at Former Florida Gov Jeb Bush defended the the laws and what’s being done to address the criti- Indiana law Monday, saying it was “simply allowing cism: people of faith space to be able to express their beliefs.” Bush, who is expected to seek the 2016 Rooted in history Republican presidential nomination, compared the The Indiana law, which takes effect July 1, pro- measure to one in Florida and backed Pence. “I hibits state laws that “substantially burden” a per- think Gov Pence has done the right thing,” Bush son’s ability to follow his or her religious beliefs said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show. “I think once unless the government can show that it has a com- the facts are established, people aren’t going to see pelling interest and that the action is the least this as discriminatory at all.” Texas Sen Ted Cruz, restrictive means of achieving it. The definition of who announced his GOP presidential campaign “person” includes religious institutions, businesses last week, also declared his support for Pence on and associations. Indiana officials, including Gov. Monday. In a statement, Cruz said the Indiana gov- Mike Pence, say it’s based on a 1993 federal “reli- ernor was “holding the line to protect religious lib- gious freedom” law that has been upheld by courts. erty” in his state. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is They note that President Bill Clinton signed the poised to launch her Democratic presidential cam- federal law and that President Barack Obama sup- paign this month, voiced her opposition to the NEW YORK: A pile of debris remains at the site of a building explosion in the East Village neighborhood of New York. — AP ported similar legislation while an Illinois senator. measure last week. She wrote on Twitter that it was Twenty states now have similar laws in place, and “sad this new Indiana law can happen in America Arkansas is poised to follow suit. The Arkansas bill, today.” endorsed by a House committee Monday, prevents NYC blast’s probe highlights state and local governments from infringing upon Call for clarification someone’s religious beliefs without a “compelling” Republican leaders in Indiana said they would interest. Indiana University law professor Deborah the problem of stealing gas work with lawmakers on language to clarify the Widiss said the Indiana law closely tracks the feder- al law as the Supreme Court interpreted it in last intent of the law and eliminate concerns about dis- year’s Hobby Lobby case, which found the retailer crimination. They did not offer specifics. They did Untrained schemers siphoning natural gas and other closely held private businesses with reli- not appear eager to add sexual orientation to gious objections could opt out of providing the Indiana’s civil-rights laws, calling that a “big policy NEW YORK: It was a run-of-the-mill com- based NatGas Consulting. “Just as you can about once a week during his 25 years as a free contraceptive coverage required by the discussion” to raise with just four weeks left in this plaint - a smell of gas - with a troubling imagine theft in a Wal-Mart, no different - but Boston-area gas worker. Some crude set-ups Affordable Care Act. That ruling, along with those year’s legislative session. Pence has said adding explanation: Someone had improperly it’s much more dangerous.” Federal databas- used simple garden hoses to siphon the gas, legalizing gay marriage, have helped fuel the state protections for gays and lesbians is not part tapped into a Manhattan building’s gas line, es show 11 gas pipeline mishaps nationwide while other, more elaborate schemes Indiana backlash, said Widiss, who noted that simi- of his agenda. Democratic House Minority Leader and it was leaking. The issue was quickly attributed to intentional damage, which involved underground lines dug into a gas lar laws across the country have not “been a sort of Scott Pelath said Indiana has been embarrassed resolved. But seven months later, authorities could include stealing as well as sabotage, main. “I’ve seen everything from complete blank check to discriminate.” nationally and called for the law to be repealed. suspect another round of gas-pipe tamper- since 2010. morons to really detailed theft,” he said. Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the ing caused a fiery explosion at the same But the data generally include only major Regardless how sophisticated, experts say STRONG REACTIONS lawmaker behind the proposal said they’re not building, killing two people, injuring nearly incidents and exclude episodes involving it’s risky for amateurs to rig up gas pipes. A Many Indiana businesses have posted signs or seeking any more changes to that state’s bill. two dozen and leveling three buildings in all. small gas pipes that run within buildings or simple spark can turn a gas leak from a poor- stickers saying they serve everyone, and the home While officials caution that they aren’t certain between buildings and their gas meters - ly attached line into an explosion if the gas page for Visit Indy included a message that all are Panning pence of the cause of last week’s blast in New York’s lines that generally are the responsibility of concentration hits 5 to 15 percent of the air welcome and a link to an LGBT guide. But other Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma and East Village, it is highlighting a long-known property owners, not gas utilities. Gas com- in a given space, according to the American companies and organizations have canceled future Long both said Pence failed to clearly answer problem with potentially deadly conse- panies commonly build theft losses into rate Gas Association. Utilities can catch bootleg travel to Indiana or halted expansion plans in the repeated questions during a television appearance quences: untrained schemers rigging up calculations, but they’re lumped in a catego- hookups by tracing leaks to their source, con- state. The Indianapolis-based NCAA says it is con- Sunday about whether the law meant it was legal pipes to save money by siphoning natural ry with leaks and other “lost and unaccount- ducting routine inspections, and monitoring cerned about the law’s impact on future Indiana to discriminate against gays and lesbians in gas. ed for” gas. Unauthorized gas hookups have bills that drop abruptly. But siphoning can be events. Hundreds of protesters filled Arkansas’ Indiana. Pence said last week after signing the bill While statistics on its prevalence are limit- been blamed or suspected in explosions, a challenge to detect. Capitol on Monday to oppose that state’s measure, that he would not have done so if he thought it dis- ed, the president of New York’s Consolidated fires and deaths, including a 2010 Detroit Some setups tap a gas company line holding signs that read “Discrimination is not a criminated against anyone, Long noted. For Pence, Edison, the utility that serves the building house fire that killed three children, a 2008 before it hits a meter. Others - particularly in Christian Value” and “Discrimination is a Disease.” the law has resurrected social issues that he was involved in the blast, called it “fairly uncom- Detroit home explosion that sent five people apartment houses and other urban settings Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has sent letters to known for in Congress but has tried largely to mon.” Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York offi- to hospitals and a 2007 blast in a central - pilfer from neighbors’ pipes. The victims more than a dozen Indiana businesses urging them avoid in favor of jobs and education initiatives cials so far aren’t hearing of any gas-tapping California garage. may notice their bills rising and alert their to move to Illinois. The Rev Jesse Jackson called the since being elected governor in 2012. In an essay trend, “but we’re going to look at everything In 1991, three people were killed and 31 gas companies, but such complaints can be law “offensive.” AFSCME, a public employee union, for The Wall Street Journal, Pence said “the law is once we have the full conclusions.” Some injured in two Brooklyn apartment buildings tough to tease out among the many announced it would relocate a women’s conference not a ‘license to discriminate’” and reflects federal who have worked in the industry, however, after a thunderous blast from a buildup of laments that companies get about the cost scheduled for October in Indianapolis because of law. But the Affordable Care Act, he said, “renewed say it’s an all-too-familiar bane around the natural gas likely caused by an illegally of gas. Utilities more often pursue civil the law. Republican leaders said Monday that the concerns about government infringement on country. “It’s a regular, regular problem,” said tapped gas line. McDonald estimates he or means than criminal prosecutions to recov- state could not have anticipated the backlash. “I deeply held religious beliefs.”—AP industry expert Mark McDonald of Boston- colleagues found an unsanctioned hookup er their losses from gas theft.—AP INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Alps crash pilot had suicidal tendencies in past News in brief DUESSELDORF: The co-pilot believed to tered aircraft and have described the grim that Lubitz underwent psychotherapy several machines were already working away at the have deliberately crashed a Germanwings task as “unprecedented” given the tricky years ago, before he became a pilot in 2013, site to bolster the road access. The director of plane into the French Alps was classified as mountain terrain and the speed at which the “for a long period due to diagnosed suicidal operations at Germanwings, Oliver Wagner, Would-be robber breaks suicidal “several years ago” but had appeared plane smashed into the rock. Investigators tendencies”. However it said his doctors had told reporters that 325 grieving relatives had more stable of late, German prosecutors said. evaluating voice recorder data say co-pilot found nothing recently that could have point- so far made the trip to the village of Seyne- leg, calls for ambulance As investigators in both countries tried to Lubitz allegedly locked his captain out of the ed to the events of last Tuesday.Media reports les-Alpes, close to the crash site. “The majority zero in on a potential motive, it emerged that cockpit and slammed the plane into a French have emerged that the 27-year-old was tak- has been German and Spanish families but TOKYO: A hapless armed robber in his 60s broke his leg that the first officer, Andreas Lubitz, was mountainside last Tuesday. The flight, en ing medication for severe depression and was we’ve also had people from Mexico, Japan, while holding up a convenience store in Japan-and then receiving treatment from neurologists and route to Duesseldorf from Barcelona, crashed being treated for problems with his vision, Colombia, Venezuela or Argentina,” he used the shop’s payphone to call an ambulance, according psychiatrists who had signed him off sick at a speed of 700 kilometers an hour, instantly possibly for a potentially career-ending said.Wagner said Germanwings and parent to a report and police. The inept thief tussled with a 35- from work a number of times. killing all on board. detached retina. company Lufthansa had 90 people on the year-old store clerk after threatening him with a knife in However doctors had recently found no ground to care for the families, including Chiba, east of Tokyo, on Sunday. The crook was disarmed in sign he intended to hurt himself or others, No ‘organic disorder’ Difficult mountain terrain around a dozen psychological counselors. He the struggle, which saw him fall to the ground and break said Ralf Herrenbrueck, spokesman for the Fending off an international media frenzy, Authorities say the working conditions at reiterated that the company had announced his leg before hobbling out of the shop, the local China prosecutor’s office in the western city of Herrenbrueck, of the Duesseldorf prosecu- the inhospitable crash site have hugely it would immediately compensate each fami- Nippo newspaper reported. In increasing pain and unable Duesseldorf, on Monday. Meanwhile investi- tor’s office, criticised conjecture about slowed their progress. Not a single body is ly with 50,000 euros ($54,000). to get very far, the un-named man limped back an hour lat- gators sifting through the wreckage and hun- Lubitz’s alleged motives and said German intact, said Patrick Touron, deputy director of This sum would not be deducted from any er and used the payphone at the store to summon an dreds of body parts in the French Alps were authorities would not take part in “specula- the police’s criminal research institute. “We final compensation deal, he stressed. On ambulance, the paper said. Detectives are planning to forced to resume the hunt on foot as bad tion”. Herrenbrueck said, based on the evalu- have slopes of 40 to 60 degrees, falling rocks, Monday evening, an ecumenical prayer service arrest the suspect when he is released from hospital, the weather hampered helicopter flights. “The ation of medical documents and the testimo- and ground that tends to crumble,” he said. in memory of the 150 crash victims drew hun- paper reported. “A man in his 60s is being treated at the teams will get to the site via the path that is ny of people who knew the co-pilot, there “Some things have to be done by abseiling. dreds of diplomats and believers to the hospital he was taken to,” a Chiba police official said. “As the already in existence,” said Yves Naffrechoux was still no indication that he had told any- Since safety is key, the recovery process is a German church in Rome, Santa Maria victim (of the threat) took the knife away, the suspect could from the local mountain police. one of his plans or left behind a suicide note. bit slow, which is a great regret.” Between 400 dell’Anima. Since the first details emerged of not achieve his purpose,” the official said. Authorities are hoping to identify more “Nor have particular circumstances been and 600 body parts were being examined, the circumstances of the crash, numerous air- DNA from the 150 people who died, as well as identified in his personal or professional envi- Touron said. Authorities are hoping to build a lines have ordered two airline crew to be pres- locate the jet’s second black box that should ronment to offer verifiable evidence about a more sturdy road to the crash site-both to ent on the flight deck at all times. Also on Spain arrests would-be provide more clues as to the circumstances of possible motive,” he said. ease access for forensic experts and for fami- Monday, Mexico became the latest country to Jihadist Morocco family the tragedy. Forensic teams have isolated Medical files did not point to any “organic lies who want to see where their loved ones impose on its airlines the so-called “rule of two,” MADRID: A Moroccan couple linked to jihadist net- almost 80 distinct DNA strands from the shat- disorder”, Herrenbrueck said. But he added perished. A bulldozer and several specialized which is standard in the United States. — AFP works were arrested overnight in Spain, along with their teenage sons, who were about to travel to Syria, the Spanish interior ministry said yesterday. The four were arrested in Badalona in the northeast, the min- Troops retake government istry said. “Among those arrested are two 16-year-olds who were planning to leave soon for Syria via Morocco,” the ministry said in a statement, adding the pair had planned to leave Badalona yesterday. In a lat- HQ in Tikrit from jihadists er Twitter update the ministry said the boys had been arrested along with their parents and that all four were Moroccan. The teens had been in contact with jihadist recruitment networks for help in organizing their trip, The most significant advance in Tikrit which was to take them into Syria through Turkey, according to the authorities. The ministry said the brothers had been under surveillance since a third KIRKUK: Iraqi forces have retaken the brother had travelled to Syria, where he is believed to Salaheddin provincial government headquar- have “joined jihadists groups linked to Daesh (an ters in Tikrit from the Islamic State jihadist acronym for the Islamic State group).” That brother group, a significant advance in the battle to died in 2014. recapture the city, officials said yesterday. Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said security forces and Popular Mobilization units-pro- India cops suspended for government paramilitary forces dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias-took part in the boozing with prisoners fighting, after some of those groups said they MUMBAI: Two Indian police officers have been suspended froze offensive operations in response to US- after spending a night out on the town with prison led air strikes. inmates. The pair reportedly spent seven hours drinking “Iraqi forces cleared the government com- with the two prisoners in a beer bar in the western Indian plex in Tikrit,” an army major general said, city of Mumbai last month. Deputy police commissioner S speaking on condition of anonymity. “The gov- Jaykumar said the officers signed the two inmates out on ernment buildings have been under our con- the pretext that they wanted to make enquiries, and took trol since last night (Monday).” It is the most them to a bar. “We found about it from the notes in the sta- significant advance in Tikrit since pro-govern- tion diary the next morning and acted,” he said yesterday. ment forces launched an operation to retake “A full departmental inquiry will take place and we’ll decide the city on March 2, their largest since IS led an how to proceed based on the findings.” It is the second offensive that overran much of the country’s time recently that Indian police have been caught frater- Sunni Arab heartland last June. Salaheddin nizing with inmates. Last week, a police raid on a sex dis- Governor Raad al-Juburi confirmed that the trict discovered four officers along with a convicted mur- government headquarters had been retaken, derer they were supposed to be guarding. saying that Iraqi flags now flew over various recaptured buildings in the city. Badr spokesman Karim Al-Nuri also said Law punishing prostitutes’ that the government headquarters was recap- clients scrapped in France tured. “Our security forces arrived at the centre TIKRIT: Iraqi government forces fire a locally made rocket from a position on the southern outskirts of Tikrit, during a military PARIS: France’s upper house of parliament yesterday of the city of Tikrit and freed the southern and operation to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. — AFP scrapped a law punishing clients of prostitutes and western sides, and are moving to take control Suicide bombing work with each other, both sides are still taking “Civilians freed from the brutality of Daesh made soliciting an offence, as the country wrestles of the entire city,” Abadi said in a statement. The US-led strikes started last Wednesday, part in the Tikrit operation. The main militias in should not have to then fear their liberators,” with how to legislate the world’s oldest profession. The Soldiers, policemen, Popular Mobilization angering Shiite militiamen who accused the Popular Mobilization forces have played a Ban said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. legislation must still be approved by the lower house, fighters, tribesmen and Tikrit residents were Washington of attempting to hijack their victo- key role in successful operations against IS in Security in and around Baghdad has improved but has already drawn fierce opposition from sex taking part in the fighting, while the US-led ry. The Pentagon conditioned its intervention multiple areas north of Baghdad. They have markedly during the battle against IS, in large workers, who said it would drive prostitution further coalition and Iraqi forces provided air support. on an enhanced role for regular government also been accused of abuses including summa- part because the jihadists have been occupied underground and make them vulnerable to abuse. Key Shiite militia forces in the Popular forces. Last Friday, it hailed the withdrawal from ry executions and destruction of property. with fighting elsewhere. But attacks still occur, Hundreds of prostitutes-many South American and Mobilization said they were halting Tikrit oper- the fight of “those Shiite militias who are linked During a visit to Baghdad on Monday, UN such as a suicide bombing yesterday in the Taji Chinese-took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to ations when the coalition began air strikes in to, infiltrated by, (or) otherwise under the influ- chief Ban Ki-moon said that Iraq must “bring area, north of the capital, that killed at least protest against the proposed law. The senators the area after weeks during which Iran was the ence of Iran”. But after giving themselves politi- volunteer armed groups fighting in support of eight people and wounded at least 14, security reversed an earlier draft of the law, proposed by the main foreign partner in the operation. cal cover by declaring that they do not want to the government under government control”. and medical officials said. — AFP lower house National Assembly, that would have made the clients of prostitutes liable for fines. The legislation is likely to be revised yet again by the lower house Spy agencies in before hitting the statute books. Health Minister Congo’s ‘lucky’ city Marisol Touraine hit out at the Senate, saying: “What ‘technology arms race’, happened ... is absolutely unbelievable and contemp- says British chief tuous towards women.” Putting the blame on prosti- that fortune forgot tutes rather than their clients is “regressive” and “deprives us of a major tool to reduce demand and LONDON: Spy agencies are caught in a “technology therefore prostitution,” she added. Associations repre- arms race” with terrorists and criminals, the new BARAKA: The Democratic Republic of 90,000 people. unrest due to the emergence of the Mai- senting prostitutes said the offence of soliciting made head of Britain’s MI6 said on Monday in his first pub- Congo city of Baraka-which means Yet it has no tarred roads, no electric- Mai Yakutumba, a self-defence militia of the women’s job harder and made them subject to lic comments since becoming chief. Alex Younger “lucky” in Swahili-ought to have been a ity and no running water. Jobless youths the Bembe, the dominant ethnic group harassment and abuse. defended the use of data by the Secret Intelligence paradise. “The hope generated by inde- wander aimlessly on the streets, which locally. The bleak outlook for youths has Service, known as MI6, after the release of docu- pendence was short-lived,” sighed 65- overflow with uncollected waste. The led many to join Mai-Mai chief William ments by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden year-old former traditional chief Fizi region has been traditionally hostile Amuri Yakutumba, who is engaged in sparked criticism of sweeping mass surveillance by Theodore Fikiri, sitting in front of his to the government in Kinshasa, about battles with Congolese army forces far- intelligence agencies. humble home in the city in the coun- 1,600 kilometers to the west. In the ther down south. “Using data appropriately and proportionately try’s volatile east. “After that there was 1960s, the region served as a launching offers us a priceless opportunity to be even more nothing but war.” pad for a rebellion spearheaded by ‘Fed up with war’ deliberate and targeted in what we do, and so to be Fikiri was just 15 when Congo gained Laurent Kabila, the father of the current “Many youths have left to join him,” a local journalist said, speaking on condi- better at protecting our agents and this country,” freedom from Belgium on June 30, president Joseph Kabila. Kabila senior 1960, fuelling great hope across the was finally able to topple the country’s tion of anonymity. “Several others Younger said. “The bad news is the same technolo- sprawling, mineral-rich nation. But long-serving and corrupt dictator dream of going abroad,” he added. The gy in opposition hands, an opposition often uncon- Mai-Mai chief, the self-proclaimed strained by consideration of ethics and law, allows “General” Yakutumba, told AFP by tele- them to see what we are doing and to put our peo- phone that he was fighting President ple and agents at risk,” he said. “So we find ourselves “Kabila for democracy and national sov- in a technology arms race.” ereignty”. He said he wants thousands of He described the threats faced by MI6 as the his fighters to be integrated into the “dark side of globalization” including “terrorists, Congolese army and wants a purge of malicious actors in cyberspace and criminals”. The its senior officers, who he claims are comments were Younger’s first since the career spy “Rwandan”. became chief of Britain’s foreign intelligence service The demand exposes Yakutumba’s last year, taking the helm of an agency not officially complaint that it was mainly Congolese KAOHSIUNG: Navy soldiers walk past a 500-ton acknowledged by the British government until Tutsi militias and rebels who were taken corvette (left) named ‘Tuo Chiang’-’Tuo River’- the first 1994. The organization has emerged from the shad- into the fold of the army until 2011. of its kind ever produced by Taiwan as “the fastest and ows in recent years to defend itself and restore a Many Bembe also allege that these men most powerful” in Asia. — AFP reputation tarnished by discredited intelligence are not Congolese. “There are many used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and accusa- Rwandan soldiers here who spend their Taiwan largest missile tions of complicity in torture during the so-called time troubling locals,” a local man said, ship goes into service “War on Terror”. speaking on condition of anonymity. But KAOHSIUNG: Taiwan’s largest-ever missile ship went into Younger said that public trust relied on oversight Yakutumba’s men are no angels either. service Tuesday after a ceremony presided over by “When the Mai-Mai were here, in by parliament’s Intelligence and Security President Ma Ying-jeou as the island strives to modernize 2013, they really hassled the people,” its military in response to a perceived threat from China. Committee, which has been criticized as being inef- said Biera Mbala Bushiri, a local chief at fectual in reining in the agencies. “What really dis- Ma praised the corvette’s “stealth and speed” at the cere- Sebele, 25 kilometers south of Baraka, mony involving hundreds of naval officers and said it tinguishes us from our opponents is that we live by TANGALA: A bicycle taxi driver recovers the load of hay fallen in a ditch on using a Congolese euphemism for “reflects the determination by the military to defend the values of this country and are regulated by its the road from Baraka to Fizi, South Kivu. — AFP extortion. national security”. Armed with 16 missiles, the ship will laws, even as we work in secret. This is our vital “People are fed up with war,” said strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities. China still consid- advantage,” Younger said. “Our staff are asked to decades later there is little to celebrate Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997 and seize Dalton M’Undabatu Kasukulu, an agri- ers the island part of its territory waiting to be reunited-by make complex decisions in a difficult ethical and in Baraka, the main city of the Fizi region power. He was shot dead by a body- culture inspector in Fizi. But peace is force if necessary. The 500-tonne corvette, named ‘Tuo legal space. They do so with remarkable assurance. in South Kivu province, wracked by guard in 2001 and succeeded by his son. easier said than done. Chiang’(‘Tuo River’), will be deployed following the cere- If we make mistakes, we face up to them and learn unrest, fighting, acute poverty and job- During the second Congo war that “In a country where many groups of mony at the southern Tsoying naval base. It is the proto- from them. “The guiding principle is clear-we can- lessness. “There is no work but there are raged from 1998 to 2003, the area-like people have arms and where nothing is type for up to 11 others to be built for the navy. The sleek not protect the values this country represents if we graduates,” Omari said, and many other parts of the east-came under the being done to disarm them, we don’t twin-hulled ship uses stealth technology to reduce the undermine them in the process. And we cannot youths with high school degrees. A lush control of the Rally for Congolese see how we can demand that the reflection of radar waves, making it harder to detect. hope to hold the public’s trust unless they know green city located on a slope that gently Democracy militia, which was backed Yakutumba lay down their arms; in my Taiwan in December announced a new project to produce this principle is effectively overseen.”— AFP descends towards the sparkling waters by neighboring Rwanda. And since opinion this is not the moment,” said a advanced homegrown surface-to-air missiles from 2015 as of Lake Tanganyika, Baraka is home to 2007, the Fizi region has seen further man in his forties.— AFP part of efforts to build an air defense shield. INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

2 Pakistani grooms Singapore teenager charged face terror charges KARACHI: Two newly-wed brothers in Pakistan could for posting ‘offensive video’ be facing long prison sentences after police arrested them on terrorism charges for letting off firecrackers during their joint wedding ceremony. It is a long- standing, if dangerous, custom at Pakistani weddings Yee arrested for insulting Lee Kuan Yew, Christianity to set off fireworks and fire weapons in the air in cele- bration, but police in Karachi said this time the happy SINGAPORE: A Singaporean teenager arrested after post- clasped his hands and told reporters: “I would like to couples went too far. Police officer Abbas Golarchi, ing an expletive-laden YouTube video attacking the coun- take this opportunity to say very sorry to PM Lee”. But who booked the grooms along with three other peo- try’s late founding leader Lee Kuan Yew and Christianity his son later smiled and waved to reporters as they left ple said yesterday they were charged under the was charged yesterday with jailable offences including the court building. The controversial video has been explosives provisions of anti-terrorism legislation. obscenity and hurting religious feelings. Amos Yee, a slight taken down from the teenager’s YouTube page but oth- student with a thick mop of hair, smiled and fidgeted as ers have reproduced it in part or in full. In an online “Very powerful crackers were being used during the charges were read to him in a district court. He was petition to the Singapore government on activist web- marriage ceremony creating fear among the neigh- released on Sg$20,000 ($14,500) bail. Yee, who at 16 is old site change.org, petitioners who described themselves borhood, a densely populated area of the city,” Abbas enough to be tried as an adult, was already known in the as Christians have called for Yee’s release. It had gar- Golarchi said. local YouTube community for humorous postings and a bit nered more than 1,500 supporters by Tuesday after- Golarchi said the charges are non-bailable and the role as a child actor in a comedy movie called “We Not noon. five arrested are in police custody awaiting a remand Naughty”. “Please release Amos Yee. We forgive him and desire hearing expected on Wednesday. If found guilty they Yee, who wore a dark T-shirt over beige trousers and he have a full life of contribution to his community could face long prison sentences or even the death rubber flip-flops, was slapped with three separate charges, ahead of him,” read the letter. But others criticized Yee’s sentence, though this is unlikely as no-one was including one for actions that have the “deliberate inten- actions. “Please Amos, be rational and not be rash. harmed during the joint wedding celebration. Rights tion of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any per- There’s nothing worse than causing distress to ur (sic) campaigners say Pakistan’s anti-terrorism legislation son”. Yee was also charged with circulating on his blog an family,” wrote Gladys Elizabeth Dee on the Yahoo! and anti-terrorism courts are frequently misused to obscene object-a graphic cartoon of Lee with former Singapore Facebook page. If convicted, Yee faces up to prosecute cases that have nothing to do with militan- British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher-as well as making three years in jail, a fine, or both for the first charge of cy. More generally, Pakistani police are often criticized threatening, abusive or insulting communication under the deliberately wounding religious or racial feelings. for their heavy-handed approach. In April last year, city-state’s newly enacted Protection from Harassment Act. For circulating obscene content, he faces up to three police in the eastern city of Lahore booked a nine- In an eight-minute video titled “Lee Kuan Yew is finally months in jail, a fine or both, and a fine of up to month-old boy on an attempted murder charge after dead” Yee launched a scathing attack on the 91-year-old Sg$5,000 ($3,600) under the harassment law enacted his family members allegedly threw bricks at officers political patriarch who was cremated after a state funeral last year. Lee was credited with laying the foundations trying to collect an unpaid bill.— AFP on Sunday. In the video, Yee, who was arrested on the day for Singapore’s prosperity as prime minister from 1959 of the funeral, also likened Singapore’s first prime minister to 1990. More than 100,000 people lined the streets for to Jesus as he launched a tirade against Christianity. He his casket’s final procession despite torrential rain called Lee, who did not profess any religion, a “horrible per- Sunday. Lee was revered for Singapore’s prosperity and Bangladesh son” and challenged the former leader’s son, Prime Minister social stability but also criticized by rights groups for Lee Hsien Loong, to sue him. The judge ordered Yee to entrenching a system that called for one dominant refrain from making any social media postings while the political party, the muzzling of the press and curbing indicts four over case is pending. The next hearing is scheduled for April 17. political liberties including free speech. The govern- ment says 454,687 people-out of a population of 5.5 blogger’s murder Father ‘very sorry’ million-paid their last respects to Lee before his public Outside the courtroom, his teary-eyed father wake ended in parliament on Saturday. — AFP SINGAPORE: Amos Yee, a 16-year-old student, leaves the State courts in Singapore yesterday. —AFP DHAKA: Bangladesh police yesterday filed criminal cases against two Islamic students and two others for the machete murder of a blogger accused of mocking Islam, the second such attack in recent weeks. Washiqur Rahman was hacked to death near his home on Monday morning in Dhaka, less than two months after the murder of an American atheist blogger triggered international outrage. Police Inspector Mohammad Salahuddin said three knife-wielding attackers killed the 27-year-old because they believed he had “defamed Islam” in the mainly Muslim country through writ- ings on social media. Police lodged preliminary murder charges against two stu- dents of madrassas who were arrested at the scene, along with the third who fled and is still on the run, another officer said. An alleged planner of the attack was also charged and is now under investigation after the students named him during police questioning, said deputy commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarker. “A case was filed against the four people accusing them of the murder of the blogger,” Sarker said. Officially secular Bangladesh has seen a rise in Islamism in recent years. One of the two arrested had been studying at a top madrassa in the port city of Chittagong, headed by hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam. The group was behind massive protests against secular bloggers in 2013 that left nearly 50 people dead. Police launched a crackdown at the time on thousands of hardliners who poured into Dhaka demanding the execution of bloggers. Monday’s killing bears strong similarities to the murder of Avijit Roy, an American blogger of Bangladeshi origin who was hacked to death with machetes in Dhaka in February. His death sparked uproar, with hundreds of secular activists holding protests for days to demand justice. The two arrested for the lat- est murder were brought under heavy security yesterday before a judge who remanded them in custody for eight days for fur- ther police questioning.

‘Duty to kill him’ One of the arrested told local reporters on Monday that they killed Rahman because he mocked “Allah and the Prophet”. “It was our religious duty to kill him. We’ve killed him because it will ensure heaven,” he said, according to the mass-circulated Bengali daily Kaler Kantho. Bloggers and other writers along with secular activists held a rally and candlelight vigil against the murder late on Monday at Dhaka University, the country’s secular bastion. The European Union, Bangladesh’s main trade partner, condemned the “vile aggression” while rights groups called the murder a “wake up call” for Bangladeshi authorities. “The killing of Washiqur Rahman today is a another clear exam- ple of the Bangladeshi government’s utter failure to ensure the safety of those at risk,” said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher. “How many more bloggers will have to be attacked before action is taken?” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government has faced criticism for failing to do enough to protect humanist writers. Rahman wrote a 52- episode series for an anti-religion satirical site called Dhormockery.com, according to the London-based, International Humanist and Ethical Union. The pieces mock aspects of Islam, and fellow bloggers said Rahman did not believe in any organized religion. He also posted articles on Facebook and blogged under a pseudonym.— AFP Muslim family carves chair for Pope Francis

ZAVIDOVICI: Salem Hajdarovac says he didn’t sleep for a week when he heard his workshop had been granted the honor of carving a special chair that Pope Francis will sit on during his visit to Bosnia. Hajdarovac, 61, and his 33-year- old son Edin, both devout Muslims, started working on the chair on Monday in their little workshop in the central Bosnian town of Zavidovici. They have put all other orders on hold to produce the perfect chair by June 6, when the pontiff will hold a Mass in Sarajevo aimed at boosting efforts toward brotherhood in the country ravaged by war two decades ago. For decades, the family-run workshop has been carving religious souvenirs for visitors of the Catholic Medjugorje shrine and decorations for churches and mosques, but they see the chair as the highlight of their careers. “It makes me extremely happy, because to make the chair for such a person is a huge and important thing,” Edin Hajdarovac said. The design of the chair is a secret, they said. All they wanted to reveal is that they will use wood from a walnut tree and that it will depict various religious symbols, such as the Pope’s coat of arms and emblems of three Bosnian cathedrals. The local priest, Miro Beslic, convinced his flock to finance the purchase of the material. The Hajdarovacs will carve the chair for free. “The whole country is in financial crisis, but once people understood that this is about the pope ... then people accepted the idea,” Beslic said. Many Bosnians, including Muslims, Catholics and Christian Serb Orthodox, view Francis as a worthy pope - similar to their feelings for John Paul II, who is perceived as a champion of inter-faith cooperation and peace. John Paul’s statue deco- rates a square in the center of Sarajevo.— AP

NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

A heavily laden truck transports corn husks between Mogadishu and Afgoye yesterday. — AFP

Captors killed, prosecutor hurt in Istanbul... Continued from Page 1 of 3:36 pm (1236 GMT) for the prosecutor to identify the from the windows. The Turkish television watchdog ordered from the Greek border to those in the southeast neighbor- police officers who they say were behind the killing of Elvan a media blackout on reporting of the standoff, forcing ing Iran and Iraq and including Istanbul and the capital In a statement published earlier by Turkish media, the or he would be shot. Their demands also included a “live Turkish television channels to cut the live transmissions of Ankara. hostage-taking was claimed by the radical Marxist confession” by the officers responsible and that they should the incident. Several hours later, swathes of Turkey including much of Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), be put before a “people’s court”. Kiraz, wearing a suit and tie, Earlier yesterday, a massive power cut caused chaos and Istanbul were still without power, although public transport which has been behind a string of attacks over the last years. was made to stare into the camera as the militant put his shut down public transport across Turkey, with the govern- systems such as metro lines appeared to be working again. The group published pictures showing one of the militants - hand round his chin. His mouth appeared to have been ment refusing to rule out that the electricity system had “Every possibility, including a terrorist attack, is being inves- his face concealed by a scarf with the group’s red and yellow bound with duct tape. been the victim of an attack. The nationwide power cut, the tigated,” said Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after the insignia - holding a gun to Kiraz’s head. They had also plas- Special forces were outside the courthouse where the worst in 15 years, began shortly after 10:30 am (0730 GMT) magnitude of the outage became clear. He said a crisis cell tered their flags and posters on the walls of his office which prosecutor was taken hostage amid expectations an opera- in Istanbul, the state-run Anatolia news agency quoted the has been established at the energy ministry to handle the is on the fifth floor of the courthouse building. tion could be launched. Police moved onlookers away from Turkey Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) as saying. It situation, which occurred as Erdogan was out of the country Turkish media said that the group had given a deadline that building, warning the hostage takers could start firing was confirmed to have hit 49 of the country’s 81 provinces, on a visit to Slovakia. — Agencies Syria aid pledges hit $3.8bn at donor meet Saudi Arabia, Iran trade blame as Yemen... Continued from Page 1 each of the past two years, generating several billion dol- Continued from Page 1 southern city of Aden since March 19 as a result of fighting. lars worth of pledges. Yesterday’s conference, attended by Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah proposed to representatives from nearly 80 countries, was preceded by “We urgently need to find ways to get humanitarian relief set up a special fund for the education of Syrian children. In a meeting of charitable organizations, which pledged a The war of words pitting Shiite Iran against its Sunni and personnel inside the country,” said MSF’s Greg Elder. Brussels, EU aid commissioner Christos Stylianides said in a total of $506 million. “Failing to meet the required funds Arab neighbours came as marathon nuclear talks between The United Nations said that since March 27, at least 93 statement that “the needs are overwhelming, and an risks resulting in a horrifying and dangerous humanitarian Tehran and world powers entered a crucial phase in civilians had been killed and 364 injured. “The situation in extraordinary effort is needed by the wider donor commu- catastrophe,” Abdullah Al-Maatouq, UN special envoy for Switzerland. The coalition has vowed to keep up the strikes Yemen is extremely alarming, with dozens of civilians killed nity to mobilise significant funding”. humanitarian affairs, said as he opened that meeting. until the Houthi rebels end their uprising against President over the past four days,” UN High Commissioner for Human The money pledged by the bloc consists of €500 mil- The UN has complained that not all previous pledges for Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Saudi Arabia. Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein said. “The country seems to be lion in “humanitarian aid, early recovery and longer-term aid had translated into funding. Ban said in a report last Huge blasts were heard overnight in Sanaa when coali- on the verge of total collapse.” He denounced reported stabilization assistance” from the European Commission, week that the war had forced around 7.6 million people to tion forces hit a missile depot belonging to the renegade attacks by Houthi-linked fighters on three hospitals in with the balance coming in pledges from the bloc’s 28 leave their homes in Syria, while another 3.9 million have Republican Guard, which is loyal to Saleh. “The bombing Daleh that caused an unknown number of casualties. countries, the EU said. “Four out of five Syrians live in sought refuge in neighboring countries. “Every day brings was the heaviest I have ever heard in my life. The explosions The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had poverty, misery and deprivation. The country has lost near- more death, displacement and destruction,” the report lit up the skies of Sanaa,” said 30-year-old resident Amr Al- a plane stocked with medical supplies to treat up to 1,000 ly four decades of human development,” Ban said. Earlier in said. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres Amrani. Early yesterday, air strikes targeted two Houthi- people that had been due to arrive in the country yesterday the day, he offered stinging remarks, saying he has “only warned of an “unsustainable” situation. “After four years of held camps and Republican Guard soldiers in the southern but efforts to negotiate its safe arrival had so far failed. shame and deep anger and frustration at the international conflict, we are at a tipping point. It is clear that the world’s town of Daleh. “There are casualties across the country,” said Cedric community’s impotence to stop the war”. “They are not response to the crisis in Syria cannot be business as usual. Columns of smoke rose from the area, witnesses said. Schweizer, who heads an ICRC team in Yemen. “There have asking for sympathy, they are asking for help,” he said of The situation is becoming unsustainable,” he said. Coalition warplanes also raided a Republican Guard air been air strikes in the north, west and south, and clashes the Syrian people. Almost half of all Syrians have been forced to flee their base in the southwestern city of Taez, witnesses there said. between opposing Yemeni armed groups in the centre and US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said that homes, the UN Office for the Coordination of For the first time since the operation began, warplanes also south, that are putting immense strain on already weak despite the UN making its largest humanitarian appeal in Humanitarian Affairs said. The United Nations has bombed renegade troops in the Shiite-populated city of medical services.” history, “many countries are giving the same amount, or launched an appeal for $8.4 billion in 2015 to fund its even less than they have in the past.” Yesterday’s roughly humanitarian operations in Syria, with $5.5 billion intend- Dhammar, a Houthi stronghold south of Sanaa. Further Amnesty International said at least six civilians, including half-billion-dollar US pledge is in addition to nearly $3.2 ed for Syrian refugees and $2.9 billion for people inside west, Houthi fighters entered a coastal military base over- four children, had burned to death in strikes on yesterday billion the country has provided since the conflict began, the war-ravaged country. On Monday, international aid looking the Red Sea’s strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, local morning in Ibb in central Yemen. “It is becoming increasing- she said. “Years from now, when Syrians and the world look agency Oxfam criticised the international response to the officials said, when soldiers of the 17th Armoured Division ly apparent that the Saudi Arabian-led coalition is turning a back on the country’s horrific crisis, they will remember Syrian crisis, saying money pledged was woefully inade- opened the gates to the facility. blind eye to civilian deaths and suffering caused by its mili- which countries stepped up to help people in dire need, quate. Last year was the deadliest yet in the conflict, with Deadly clashes have broken out between the rebels and tary intervention,” said Amnesty’s Said Boumedouha. and which countries did little or nothing at all,” she told the at least 76,000 people killed out of a total of more than tribes, militiamen and residents who oppose their power “International humanitarian law requires all warring parties conference. 215,000 since it began in March 2011 with peaceful pro- grab. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had received to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians amid the Kuwait has hosted a donor conference for Syrians in democracy demonstrations. — Agencies more than 550 patients at its emergency surgical unit in the hostilities.” — Agencies WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 ANALYSIS

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Focus Little Englanders? Eurosceptics in focus at UK poll

By Jessica Berthereau

rom Margaret Thatcher to Nigel Farage, euroscepti- cism has been a proud and virulent strain in British Fpolitics for decades - and could eventually force the country out of the EU altogether. If Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party wins a May 7 general elec- tion, a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union will be held by 2017. And if Britain then votes to leave, it would be a triumph for anti-EU law- makers in Cameron’s party and many ordinary people across the island nation who, encouraged by an often hostile mainstream media, are profoundly suspicious of the European Union. Opinion polls indicate that more people in Britain support EU membership than oppose it but a vociferous minority is against and even pro-European parties like FN struggles to turn popularity into power opposition Labour keep their support discreet. “The most difficult thing about the referendum is that the By Ingrid Melander non has long been dubbed the “republican arguments in favour are complicated, economic, numer- front”. While it is weakening, especially ical and rational,” said Charles Grant, director of the rance’s National Front scored its best ever among voters on the right of the mainstream Centre for European Reform think tank. “The arguments local election result, but its hopes for spectrum, analysts see it holding it enough for against are simple, emotional and romantic: do you power remain thwarted by widespread now to keep the FN out of power. “When you want to be ruled by foreigners or not?” he said. F distaste for its anti-immigration policies and have 30 or 40 percent for the FN, it means Despite the difficulties, the warnings against “Brexit” there are still 60 or 70 percent who do not have multiplied in recent weeks - including from some an election system that allows voters to block of Britain’s biggest businesses. Open Europe, another it from office. The far-right FN won one in four want it to win,” said political science professor think tank, said in a report that under a worst case sce- votes in the first round of local elections on Philippe Cossalter. nario leaving Europe could cause the economy to shriv- March 22, its highest score ever. In the second el by up to 2.2 percent equivalent to £56 billion ($83 bil- round last Sunday, it secured 62 councillors in Hungry for Power lion) a year - by 2030. 14 departemental assemblies, less than 2 per- Building a network of local officials is key cent of councillors nationwide but a big jump to promote Le Pen’s bid for the 2017 presiden- ‘Taking Too Much Power’ from the single councillor it had before. tial and parliamentary elections. Her father The word euroscepticism seems first to have been Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls and party founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, had used by The Times newspaper in 1986 but its roots go acknowledged the “lasting upheaval” the FN been content with being an outsider in back further than that to an imperialist mindset. “It has had brought to an electoral landscape domi- national polls, but his daughter wants power. an outsider tradition, a narrative about who the British nated for decades by a centre-right and a cen- In a telling sign that an FN presence on the are and that tradition is very sceptical of the country tre-left party. But FN leader Marine Le Pen had centre stage of politics has become normal, restricting its horizon to the EU,” said Oliver Daddow, a hoped to top the party’s unprecedented victo- the party’s recent successes did not provoke a senior lecturer in international relations at the University ry in last year’s EU elections and the strong mass outcry such as in 2002, when Jean-Marie of Chichester. With a democratic tradition extending showing in the first round of the local elec- Le Pen made it to the second round of the centuries and having avoided occupation during World tions with another milestone: obtaining con- Head of French far-right party Front National (FN) Marine Le Pen gives a press con- presidential vote. War II, unlike other European nations, Britons often have trol of one or two departements. That did not ference on March 24, 2015 in Melun. — AFP His breakthrough took France by surprise a pride in their political structures which can risk com- happen. “(The FN) is undeniably spreading party’s failure to win any departement on elec- wants to take France out of the euro and is still and hundreds of thousands took to the streets ing across as arrogance. and putting down roots,” said Ipsos pollsters’ tion rules that she said were “made to prevent viewed by many in France as too rightwing to to march against the FN. By 2015, its leaders Figures as diverse as 1980s prime minister Thatcher analyst Jerome Fourquet. “It’s just maybe at a the FN, and therefore its voters, millions of be acceptable. have become a regular feature on news shows and Farage, whose UK Independence Party wants Britain slightly less spectacular pace than some had French people, from having elected officials”. Under Marine Le Pen, the party stopped and supporters readily appear on TV. Analysts to leave the EU, have gained significant political capital hoped or predicted.” France’s two-round system, where individ- being content with attracting protest votes see more FN candidates being elected to par- from euroscepticism. Many in Britain believe the EU’s Like other fringe parties in Europe, the FN ual candidates need to attain a threshold to and worked hard to clean up its image of hav- liament in 2017 but remaining a minority, not role should be purely economic and that it should stay has attracted voters angry with rampant strong enough to directly influence govern- out of domestic politics. Cameron has repeatedly said reach the first-past-the-post final round, does ing links to neo-Nazi groups and peddling that the EU is “trying to take too much power” and unemployment and a stagnant economy and indeed put at a disadvantage parties such as anti-Semitism. Despite these efforts, and Le ment policy. And Le Pen would likely make it to wants to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with it before disillusioned with mainstream politicians such the FN who fail to strike alliances with others. Pen’s growing popularity, most voters still find the second round of the presidential election the referendum although he has not yet spelled out as President Francois Hollande, who is deeply Although some in ex-president Nicolas the FN’s policies unpalatable: 68 percent of but lose it. “The FN has made a spectacular leap exactly how. unpopular. It has proven particularly popular Sarkozy’s UMP would be tempted by deals French voters would consider it a bad thing if compared to three or four years ago but win- Britain did not become part of the European single in the southeast of France and in the unem- with the FN, both Sarkozy and the Socialists their local departement council was ruled by ning the presidential election is not an issue for market until 1975, overcoming French vetoes, and has ployment-ridden northeast. Le Pen blamed her have ruled out alliances with a party that the FN, an Ipsos poll showed. This phenome- the moment,” Fourquet said. —Reuters since negotiated significant opt-outs. It does not use the euro, is not a member of the Schengen free movement area and receives a significant rebate from yearly budg- et contributions. “From Britain’s perspective, it has never ‘Blue train’ forges path through chaos been totally committed to European integration as an end in itself because it always felt it has other options in By Beatrice Le Bohec en months to put on their uniforms again. There may only lips. The train, it turns out, is too high to connect properly the world” such as ties with the United States, said Tim Oliver of the London School of Economics. be a dozen passengers, but the women are just relieved to with the overhead power lines on this section of the tracks. n the conflict-torn eastern Ukraine town of Yasynuvata, be back at work, even waving through a passenger who has “We tried the journey yesterday (Friday) with a locomotive, Crisis in Perception residents are overcoming their fear and boarding a pop- arrived ticketless. “Our lives have resumed,” said 54-year-old but the train is not the same size,” he explained. “I expected But even the economic relationship with the rest of Iular local train for the first time in many months, spurred Lyudmila, a 20-year veteran of the ticket office. “It has been a problem like this, it’s normal. It will be repaired,” he added. the European Union was thrown into question by the by the chance to see loved ones. The rail link between very difficult, and of course we are afraid about the safety of “I know that today I am not just the train driver. It is essen- aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. “The eurozone crisis Yasynuvata and the city of Lugansk, both controlled by pro- line, like everyone else,” she added. tial that I don’t disappoint all these people.” means that Europe is associated with high unemploy- Russian separatists, reopened Saturday following a seven- A sombre silence descends on the carriage as the train After a short wait, the problem is fixed and the passengers ment, nasty populist parties, economic failures and bad month break, as a fragile ceasefire signed last month winds its way through the scarred landscape, past metallur- continue their journey, wracked by nerves. Approaching the leadership,” Grant said. “That’s the single biggest reason between the rebels and the Ukrainian authorities contin- gical plants pumping out white smoke, bombed-out homes separatist-controlled town of Vuglegirsk, around 35 km from why euroscepticism has done very well recently.” ued to hold. and dead trees. An hour-and-a-half into the trip, suspicious the start point, people come out to greet the train while smil- Grant added that UKIP, which came top in last year’s noises force the train to stop. Anxiety grips the carriages as ing children frantically wave at the passengers. It is clear that European elections in Britain, had also succeeded in The lull in fighting has finally allowed for the repair of rails, associating immigration with the EU in voters’ minds. power lines and stations damaged in August last year, at the the train backtracks. Sergei, the driver, marches out of the for them, getting this symbol of normality back on the rails Cameron promised a referendum in 2013 in the face of height of the hostilities. After days and nights spent in cellars cab, cap on his head and cigarette butt hanging from his has been worth the effort. —AFP intense pressure from his party. But most Britons do not seeking refuge from the bombing, a train ride is a cause for see Europe as a major issue in the election - it came only celebration. Even if the “blue train” - so called because of its ninth behind the state-run National Health Service colour - is fronted by an anti-mine carriage, scanning the (NHS), the economy and immigration in a BBC poll in tracks for explosives. “I am very, very happy! I haven’t seen my January. mother for a year,” said Yelena Panova, her eyes bright with While euroscepticism is widespread among voters, excitement. “I’m so glad, I hope the journey never ends!” she polling suggests this may not be enough for them to added, clutching an imitation snakeskin bag. want to leave, if they do get the chance to vote. The lat- Panova, who works at a sausage factory, came loaded est YouGov poll in February found that support for membership was at an all-time high - 45 percent - com- with insulin, meat and tinned food for her 75-year-old dia- pared to 35 percent in favour of leaving. — AFP betic mother, who lives around half-way through Lugansk. “Thanks to the train, I will also be able to visit the family cemetery before Easter,” said the 51-year-old. Many Orthodox believers in the former Soviet Union keep a tradi- All articles appearing on these tion of visiting family graves at Easter. “I’m afraid of the shooting, but I hope it will all go OK,” Panova said. “My hus- pages are the personal opinion of band stayed at home and is very worried about me.” the writers. Kuwait Times takes no At times, the train passes just a few kilometres from the front line, covering a distance of around 140 km that nor- responsibility for views expressed mally takes about three hours. Semyon Kuzmenko, trans- therein. Kuwait Times invites port “minister” of the rebels’ self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, was on hand at the platform in Yasynuvata to readers to voice their opinions. reassure nervous travellers. A few seats away from Panova, Please send submissions via email Alexander Zavgorodny, 42, revealed his desperation to get to Lugansk and see his wife and his son, who has just to: [email protected] or turned 11. “I haven’t seen them for two months, and before via snail mail to PO Box 1301 that it was six months because they were seeking refuge in (the government-controlled city of) Odessa,” said the truck Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves driver, explaining that the alternative bus journey was time- the right to edit any submission consuming and dangerous. Return to Normal Life as necessary. The Yasynuvata-Lugansk train moves along the track near the town of Vuhlehirsk on March 28, 2015, after the Rail staff Lyudmila, Viktoriya and Yelena have waited sev- resumption of the Yasinovataya-Lugansk train service. — AFP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 SPORTS

Vettori quits Int’l cricket Steyn gets McCullum joins Bears WELLINGTON: New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori confirmed four-game ban LONDON: New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum confirmed yesterday he has what many expected in announcing his retirement from international signed for the Birmingham Bears for the defence of their T20 Blast title. cricket upon the team’s return from the World Cup yesterday. The 36-year- JOHANNESBURG: Coastal Sharks centre Francois Steyn was McCullum joins the Bears-Warwickshire’s T20 name-on a seven-match deal after playing old former captain had been widely expected to retire from international banned for four matches yesterday after the Super 15 gov- a major role as New Zealand reached the World Cup final, where the Black Caps lost to co- cricket at the conclusion of New Zealand’s involvement in the tournament. erning body successfully appealed a decision not to punish hosts Australia. “The Birmingham Bears had a great season last year, including winning the New Zealand were beaten by seven wickets by co-hosts Australia in the him for a red card. Steyn, a 2007 Rugby World Cup winner T20 Blast, and hopefully I can make a big contribution and ensure that we can progress in final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, with Vettori suffering a with the Springboks, was sent off on March 21 after tackling the tournament,” said McCullum. lower leg injury before the game. Waikato Chiefs and All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden danger- “Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and hopefully it will be rocking for the big Friday night matches. I’m really excited about becoming a Bear and the chal- He finished with 0-25 from five overs, though took 15 wickets ously. The heavier South African lifted his opponent and then flung him to the ground at Kings Park stadium in lenge ahead.” McCullum will link up with the Bears after New at 20.46 throughout the tournament with an economy rate of Indian Ocean city Durban. A judicial hearing surprisingly Zealand’s tour of England with his first game against Lancashire 4.04. “It was my last game for New Zealand so it was a lovely cleared Steyn and removed the red card from his record, but Lightning on June 26 at Old Trafford. He played a starring role at way to finish,” he told reporters at Auckland airport. the ruling body appealed the verdict. An appeals commit- the top of the order in the Black Caps’ run to the World Cup final. “It would have been great to win but I’m pretty proud of tee chaired by Australian Terry Willis and including two Among his four half-centuries in nine matches was a destructive 77 off everyone and the way they’ve gone about things for the last lawyers, New Zealander Nigel Hampton and South African just 25 balls against England in Wellington. six weeks. “To be able to finish in the final albeit without a win, Robert Stetnzer, reversed the decision and found Steyn Birmingham Bears director of rugby Dougie Brown said: “Brendon’s I’m just very grateful for the amount of support I had particu- guilty. Steyn will miss home matches against Canterbury dynamic performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup have demonstrat- larly from Brendon (McCullum) and Mike (Hesson). Crusaders and Northern Bulls and away games against the ed once again exactly why he is one of the most feared batsmen in the “To be able to get back from a number of injuries and Golden Lions and Otago Highlanders. He was among three game. “Securing his availability for our last seven games has to make him one of the biggest overseas player signings in the competi- to be here and to be part of it ... is something I’ll always players sent off within 28 minutes of the kick-off in a match won 12-11 by the Sharks.—AFP tion’s history.—AFP treasure.”—Reuters

NHL results/standings

Tampa Bay 5, Montreal 3; Vancouver 4, St. Louis 1; Chicago 4, Los Angeles 1; Calgary 5, Dallas 3; Edmonton 4, Colorado 1; Buffalo 4, Arizona 1.

Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Anaheim 49 22 7 227 216 105 Vancouver 44 27 5 219 204 93 Calgary 42 28 7 229 204 91 Los Angeles 37 25 14 201 192 88 San Jose 37 30 9 212 215 83 Edmonton 23 40 13 185 255 59 Arizona 23 46 8 161 256 54

Central Division Nashville 47 22 8 220 188 102 St. Louis 46 23 7 229 190 99 Chicago 46 24 6 217 176 98 Minnesota 44 25 7 219 186 95 Winnipeg 39 25 12 215 201 90 Dallas 37 30 10 239 248 84 Colorado 35 29 12 206 213 82

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Montreal 47 22 8 203 174 102 Tampa Bay 47 23 7 249 201 101 Detroit 40 23 12 220 206 92 Boston 38 25 13 201 196 89 Ottawa 37 26 12 218 203 86 Florida 35 26 15 190 207 85 Toronto 28 42 6 198 244 62 Buffalo 21 47 8 148 255 50

Metropolitan Division NY Rangers 47 21 7 228 177 101 Pittsburgh 42 23 11 210 190 95 NY Islanders 45 27 5 235 215 95 Washington 41 25 10 223 188 92 Philadelphia 30 29 17 198 219 77 Columbus 36 35 4 207 232 76 New Jersey 31 33 12 168 194 74 Carolina 28 36 11 174 204 67 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings MONTREAL: Canadiens’ Tomas Plekanec (14) is pulled away from Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop during a skirmish in the third period of an NHL hockey game. —AP and are not included in the loss column (L). Lightning strike down Canadiens

MONTREAL: Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop BLACKHAWKS 4, KINGS 1 has lost two straight at home, has one win Mikael Backlund added an empty-net goal six games remaining. had two assists, Vladislav Namestnikov Defensemen Duncan Keith and Niklas its last six games overall, and remained one with 7 seconds left. scored two goals, and the Lightning Hjalmarsson scored 1:04 apart in the second point shy of a seventh 100-point season. Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist, SABRES 4, COYOTES 1 clinched an Eastern Conference playoff period, and Chicago beat Los Angeles. Nick Bonino netted the go-ahead goal and Kari Lehtonen allowed four goals on 19 Andrej Meszaros scored two goals for the berth with a 5-3 win over the Montreal Marian Hossa added a goal and an assist as midway through the second period, just 31 shots for Dallas before being replaced by second straight game, and Buffalo ended a Canadiens on Monday night. the Blackhawks won their second game in seconds after the Blues tied it on Michalek’s Jhonas Enroth. five-game losing streak by beating Arizona Bishop started plays that set up break- two nights and pulled within a point of sec- first goal since Jan. 31. Shawn Matthias also in a matchup between the NHL’s worst two away goals by Namestnikov and Jonathan ond-place St. Louis in the Central Division. scored for Vancouver, which strengthened OILERS 4, AVALANCHE 1 teams. Drouin in the second period. Nikita Chicago will face the Blues twice in its final its hold on second place in the Pacific Defenseman Justin Schultz broke a sec- The Sabres, the NHL’s lowest-scoring Kucherov and Anton Stralman also scored six games. Jake Muzzin scored for the Division. ond-period tie, and Richard Bachman team, had a rare strong night on the offen- for Tampa Bay, which trails Atlantic Division- defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, stopped 29 shots, helping Edmonton end a sive end, generating 31 shots in the first two leading Montreal by one point. who dropped their second straight in the FLAMES 5, STARS 3 five-game, road-losing streak by topping periods against goalie Mike Smith. The Lightning won all five games this finale of a five-game road trip. They also lost Jiri Hudler, Raphael Diaz and Johnny Colorado. Anders Lindback stopped 28 shots, and season against the Canadiens, outscoring ground to Calgary in their bid for a playoff Gaudreau scored within a span of 6:49 of Brandon Davidson scored his first NHL Brian Gionta and Rasmus Ristolainen each them 21-8. Montreal swept Tampa Bay in berth in the West. the second period, and Calgary held on to goal, and Nikita Nikitin and Taylor Hall added empty-net goals in Buffalo’s second the first round of last year’s playoffs. beat Dallas. added empty-net goals 32 seconds apart to win in 14 games. Bishop, who made 25 saves, is the first CANUCKS 4, BLUES 1 The third-place Flames moved three help Edmonton earn its first road victory Smith made some spectacular saves to goalie with two assists in a game since Radim Vrbata had a goal and assist, and points ahead of Los Angeles in the Pacific since Feb. 24 at Minnesota. Andrew Miller keep it close, but it wasn’t enough to stop Buffalo’s Ryan Miller did it on Feb. 25, 2014. Eddie Lack made 23 saves as Vancouver Division. Calgary led 4-2 after two periods. had three assists. Arizona from extending its home losing Max Pacioretty, Jeff Petry and P.K. Subban opened a four-game trip with a victory over Jonas Hiller allowed a third-period goal to Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Avalanche, streak to eight - one short of the franchise scored for Montreal, which was outshot 31- struggling St. Louis. Dallas defenseman Jason Demers, but made who failed to gain ground as their postsea- record set earlier this season. Smith stopped 13 through two one-sided periods and 44- Zbynek Michalek scored for the Blues, 15 of his 36 saves in the final frame. son chances grew slimmer. They trail 32 shots overall, and Connor Murphy scored 28 overall. Carey Price stopped 39 shots. who never led and missed a chance to Dennis Wideman, Gaudreau and Hudler Winnipeg by eight points for the last wild- for the Coyotes, who have won once in their clinch a playoff spot with a victory. St. Louis all had a goal and assist for Calgary, and card spot in the Western Conference with past 18 home games. —AP Chinese team breaks mast; US skipper rounds Cape Horn

SAN DIEGO: Hours after a Chinese team suf- Itajai, Brazil. The leg through the harsh Southern with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at the halfway fered a staggering setback when its mast broke Ocean has been remarkably close as teams deal point of the nine-month, offshore race. in the remote Southern Ocean, the youngest with freezing cold, big waves and danger from “The mast broke without warning, in about crew in the Volvo Ocean Race experienced one icebergs. Enright said Team Alvimedica, a joint 30 knots of wind,” Caudrelier said. “We are of sailing’s rarest and toughest feats when it American-Turkish entry, could see Abu Dhabi unable to sail safely on starboard tack, but we rounded treacherous Cape Horn at the bottom Ocean Racing after rounding the Horn. are able to make reasonable speed on port tack. of South America. “It was a great way to do it in the lead, during We will head towards Ushuaia, Argentina, and Team Alvimedica, led by American skipper the day, with the weather permitting us to see assess our options.” Charlie Enright, rounded the fabled landmark on what we were going around,” Enright said. “You Volvo Ocean Race organizers said they had Monday while at the front of the fleet, just 15 don’t get points for rounding the Horn, but it’s a alerted maritime safety organizations and were minutes ahead of race co-leader Abu Dhabi nice feather in the cap. We have a long way to doing everything they could to assist the crew. Ocean Racing. go.” On Saturday, Team Alvimedica crossed just 1 Dongfeng will now face a race against time to The 30-year-old Enright of Bristol, Rhode 1/2 boat lengths in front of Spain’s MAPFRE after have the boat transported from Ushuaia to Island, said the sailors celebrated by smoking racing 11 days and more than 3,500 nautical Itaja√≠ to start the next leg to Newport, Rhode Montecristo cigars and taking photos with the miles on the leg. Island, with a new mast. The fleet is scheduled to cape in the background. Earlier Monday, Dongfeng Race Team was set sail for the sixth leg to the US on April 19. “Good cigars and good camaraderie,” Enright forced to suspend racing when its mast broke It is the second major breakage to hit the sev- said via satellite phone from one of the loneliest 240 nautical miles (445 kilometers) from Cape en-strong fleet since the race began on Oct. 11 places on Earth. “That’s a big one. It’s amazing, Horn. The accident could hardly have happened from Alicante, Spain. On Nov. 29, during the sec- just amazing. It’s been a goal of mine as long as I in a worse spot. The breakage in the top section ond leg in the Indian Ocean, Denmark’s Team can remember,” Enright said. “It got more and of the mast means the team cannot properly Vestas Wind was badly damaged after it more real and now we’re sailing away from it.” maneuver the boat. None of the crew was smashed into a reef. The crew escaped unhurt It was the first rounding of Cape Horn for six injured. The team originally announced it would after wading through waters known to be shark- of the eight crewmembers, including Enright have to quit the leg but later said it was investi- infested to reach safety. The vessel is being and fellow Americans Mark Towill of Kaneohe, gating whether it could continue to Brazil after rebuilt and the team hopes to rejoin the race in Hawaii, and Nick Dana of Newport, Rhode Island. making repairs in Argentina. June for the final two legs. In all, the race will CAPE HORN: In this photo provided by the Team Alvimedica, the joint American- Team Alvimedica is having its best performance The boat’s French skipper, Charles Caudrelier, cover 38,739 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports and Turkish Team Alvimedica, led by American skipper Charlie Enright, rounds Cape of the nine-month race on the 6,776 nautical said he was devastated by the breakage. His every continent. It is due to conclude in Horn, seen in background at the southern tip of South America, holding a 15-minute mile fifth leg from Auckland, New Zealand, to team of Chinese rookies had been joint leaders Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 27. —AP lead over co-leader Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, in the Volvo Ocean Race. —AP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 SPORTS

ST PETERSBURGH: Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, zips away during qualifying in this file photo. —AP Montoya’s career given fresh start, softer side

ST. PETERSBURG: There was a time when the Colombian flags, desperately trying to get Ganassi Racing history to qualify for the cham- happy, that’s all that really matters. Do I pay After one weekend, it sure looks as if all edge to Juan Pablo Montoya was evident close to their hero, Montoya stopped what he pionship playoffs, and thinks his struggles in a maybe a little more attention to the fans? four Penske drivers will compete against each everywhere he went. His arrogance was on was doing to sign autographs and pose for stock car had more to do with an underper- Yeah, I would say I do. When you’re out there other for the championship this season. How display as he walked through the paddock, his pictures. That’s a common courtesy for most forming organization than with his talent lev- (on the track), I’m still the same, if you want to that plays out in team meetings, on the race confidence in a race car clear with every fear- top drivers, but not one a younger Montoya el. And he freely admits his move to IndyCar call it (jerk), whatever you want to call it, it’s track, and in dealings with each other remains less move he made. would have likely done. last season with Team Penske was a struggle, good.” This hybrid version of the old Montoya to be seen. Maybe Montoya will practice some But when the success stopped, the great Tony Kanaan, who raced against Montoya and his inability to get any comfort level on is exactly what IndyCar needs right now. give and take. Maybe he’ll only take. Power, JPM was no longer the intimidating force he during his first stint in American open wheel, the road or street courses left him embar- Hugely popular in Latin America, Montoya who led 75 laps Sunday only to lose the lead had once been. His abrupt departure from doesn’t think Montoya has ever changed his rassed at times. boasts one of the biggest Twitter followings of to Montoya during pit stops, tried once to Formula One, followed by seven subpar sea- personality. But age and three children may But when it comes to talking about himself, any driver in an American racing series. He’s regain the lead from his teammate. Montoya sons in NASCAR, made him just another driver have softened Montoya a bit. “We all grow up. about any differences there may be in him beloved by fans in his native Colombia, closed the door, the two cars made contact, in a crowded field of also-rans. We have kids. I think we kind of change a little emotionally, Montoya appears uncomfortable. loathed by others who believe he’s nothing and Power’s front wing was damaged. Then he got a chance at a do-over. Offered bit in a way,” Kanaan said. “Seeing Juan cele- He dances around the question, finding but an on-track bully and an off-track prima It was just racing, Power later shrugged, a job to return to open wheel racing with brating with the fans the way he did (Sunday), ways to address everything but the personal donna. and downplayed any potential drama devel- Roger Penske, Montoya’s career was given the I can assure you that wouldn’t have happened growth he’s had since he showed up in 1999 Montoya is the driver who can move the oping with Montoya. “Juan has been known fresh start he so badly needed. 15 years ago. But that was Juan back then. I as a brash 23-year-old who ripped off seven needle. Give him a good car and a strong to be a tough teammate. You hear rumors,” Now, after his win in the IndyCar season think you go through experiences in life to wins, the CART championship and followed it team, and his confidence will soar. It’s evident Power said. “But he’s pretty honest. He’ll tell opener Sunday through the streets of St. learn. up the next season with a dominating victory when he struts into a room that Montoya once you straight up. I don’t think he beats around Petersburg, it was clear that the old Montoya “I think he got probably a pretty big wake- in the Indianapolis 500. again believes he’s the baddest thing on the bush, tries to play games or anything. I’ve was back - but with a twist. He’s got his old up call when he moved to the other side, to “Maybe a little, but ... I don’t know,” wheels. Alas, it’s early in this second season enjoyed working with him. I’ve learned stuff swagger back, his drive and determination are NASCAR, and he was just one more, right? Montoya squirmed when asked if he’s with Penske, and he now finds himself on a off of him. He’s a very tough competitor, at levels he’s not had in years, but that callous- Then when he came back here, he was a little changed at all. “I’ve never been a big believer powerhouse lineup that includes reigning tough racer. “You know if he’s behind you or ness he used to carry everywhere has soft- bit of a different person.” in what people say about me. As long as I feel IndyCar champion Will Power, three-time you’re racing with him, he’s very difficult to ened. As fans crowded the fence near victory Montoya doesn’t speak poorly of his time in I’m doing a really good job, I’m driving the Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves keep behind. So, yeah, you know, that’s him, lane on Sunday chanting his name, waiving NASCAR. He notes he’s the only driver in Chip wheels off the car, the people I drive for are and newcomer Simon Pagenaud. right?” —AP Starc truth a lesson for future SYDNEY: Amidst all the blazing hitting wit- nessed at the 2015 World Cup, the value of one of cricket’s enduring constants was proved again-nothing slows a run-rate quite like taking wickets. Few matches better demonstrated this point than Australia’s dominant seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Melbourne. Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, deserved- ly named man-of-the-tournament for a haul of 22 wickets at a stunningly meagre average of just over 10 apiece, summed up his brilliant six weeks in the final’s opening over. The dynamic Brendon McCullum, New Zealand’s inspirational captain, couldn’t lay a bat on the first couple of balls he faced and was then yorked for a duck by an express Starc deliv- ery off the third. OLD TRAFFORD: In this Sept. 8, 2013 file photo, Australia’s Fawad Ahmed (right) cele- “What this World Cup has clearly shown is brates with captain Michael Clarke.—AP that a fast, full and straight yorker is a very good delivery,” tweeted former Australian paceman Fawad ‘comfortable’ Jason Gillespie. Starc was one of several left-arm quicks, with Australian drinking including New Zealand’s Trent Boult, who also took 22 wickets, to star at this World Cup. Both bowlers were well-supported by aggressive SYDNEY: Boozy celebrations have been a reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday. fields set by their respective captains in part of Australian cricket for decades but test “This is good the way they are enjoying Australia’s Michael Clarke and McCullum, whose hopeful Fawad Ahmed will be politely declin- and celebrating. “I’ve been around in the sys- sides also showed the value of a genuine five- ing when the victory beers are passed around tem for five years and I would say Peter Siddle man attack. Nevertheless, this tournament wit- on the tour of the Caribbean and England. is not drinking as well. You could say he’s my nessed the most 300-plus and even 400-plus The 33-year-old legspinner has plenty of partner now. I’m really glad he’s on the tour as totals at a World Cup. reasons to celebrate, having helped Victoria well and he’s had some good spells (for win the domestic Sheffield Shield last week Victoria).” ‘SENSIBLE CHANGE’ and earned a place in the test squad for the Granted permanent residency in Australia Crowds loved the big hits but many within first time. in 2012 and citizenship a year later, former cricket weren’t so sure, with the fielding restric- However, as a devout Muslim, Pakistan- refugee Fawad took a wicket in each of his tion that means just four men are allowed out- born Fawad has been quiet but firm about his first three ODIs in England in 2013, but went side the 30-yard circle in the last 10 overs under abstinence from alcohol. His request to bowl off the selectors’ radar for much of the next fire. for Australia without a beer sponsor’s logo on two years. “In the old days you had one area you his outfit was granted when he made his Victoria’s resurgence under captain couldn’t defend, now there’s two and if a good 2013 debut in one-day and T20 cricket in Matthew Wade in the 2014/15 season proved batsman is set, as a bowler you’ve got very little England, though it generated heated debate a timely boost and Fawad finished the price,” said ICC chief executive David Richardson. back home. domestic season top wicket-taker with 48 “One of the things we might look at is allow- Newly crowned world champions, scalps at an average of 24.85, outshining ing an extra fielder out of the ring in the last 10 Australia’s one-day team partied hard after Australia’s ranks of quality fast bowlers on overs...That might be a sensible change.” defeating New Zealand and the test side can local pitches that rarely turn. Fawad said he New Zealand may have lost their maiden be expected to enjoy at least some success had to take a step back after his Australia World Cup final but on the way they won eight against eighth-ranked West Indies in the two- debut came in a rush and easing the pressure straight matches and in so doing disproved the match series starting June. Fawad said he and on himself had paid dividends. “I changed my theory that in order to play good aggressive his Victoria team mate Peter Siddle, also mind, I took the pressure off and I wasn’t cricket, it is also necessary to verbally abuse or selected for the tour, could share a non-drink- looking to play for Australia so soon, rather ‘sledge’ your opponents. ing moment of joy while others imbibe. playing more for Victoria and performing at “New Zealand’s semi-final win over South “That’s their culture, that’s their tradition, I Shield level, that was the most important Africa was a brilliant example of how you could knew that before I was coming to Australia thing for me,” he said. “This time it will be dif- play attacking, hard cricket and not worry about and I’m more comfortable with that,” he told ferent and better.” —Reuters the man,” said Richardson. The Black Caps also showed that with the ICC now being run by the ‘Big Three’ of India, Australia seeking momentum Australia and England-whose dire effort in crash- ing out in the first round was no surprise-that for Ashes on Caribbean tour talent, good organisation and strong leadership can help compensate for a small playing base MELBOURNE: Australia will resist the those two test matches... We’ll be fielding and a lack of financial clout. temptation to tinker with their team on our best side to win the two test matches. I One crumb of comfort for England, who will tour against West Indies and plan to field haven’t even spoken to (coach) Darren host the 2019 tournament, was that the past two their best 11 in a bid to sweep the two-test (Lehmann) about that but I know that’s the World Cups have now been won by the host series and build momentum for the Ashes, way he operates. nation in India and Australia. selector Rod Marsh has said. “It’ll be nice to win 2-0 there and win the Plenty of color, excitement and no little skill Australia’s attention has turned to domi- first three test matches in England. “They’re was provided in the early stages by the four non- nating with the red ball after storming to pretty strong at home. We always seem to Test or Associate sides, with Afghanistan’s their fifth World Cup win on Sunday, and struggle against them, in recent years any- Shapoor Zadran, the UAE’s Shaiman Anwar and selectors sprung a few surprises in their 17- way, in England. Scotland’s Josh Davey all making a name for man squad for the tours to the Caribbean “It’ll be a fascinating series because themselves. and England in June and July. we’ve got a couple of young blokes who Uncapped leg spinner Fawad Ahmed are starting to play pretty well at the top of Meanwhile Ireland, for the third World Cup in and veteran batsman Adam Voges will be the order. a row, enjoyed success against Test nations with wins over the West Indies and Zimbabwe. on the plane, with paceman Josh “We’ve got a couple of old heads that MELBOURNE Australia’s Mitchell Starc appeals for a decision in this file photo. —AFP Hazlewood preferred to Pat Cummins. would dearly love to win the series and Yet, as things stand-despite Richardson leav- Marsh dismissed the idea that Australia we’ve got a couple of young fast bowlers ing the door open to change the 2019 World must do more for the Associates between World a 10-team 2018 qualifier to determine the last might keep their powder dry for a big push that are not bad either.” Cup will feature 10 teams (the same number as Cups, but what is the long-term future for cricket two teams involved. “The Associates will still against traditional rivals England, who Marsh endorsed Michael Clarke’s deputy there are Test nations) rather than this year’s 14. in those countries if they do not have a realistic have a meaningful chance,” ICC chairman defeated them 3-0 on tour in 2013 before Steve Smith as a permanent number three Remarkably, the next World Cup is scheduled chance of playing in the sport’s showpiece tour- Narayanaswami Srinivasan told Fox Sports dur- suffering a 5-0 reverse in the return series in the Australian batting order, which to last slightly longer than the 44-day marathon nament? In 2017, the top eight-ranked sides in ing the final. A record Melbourne Cricket Ground Down Under. would mean moving all-rounder Shane of 2015 as there will be more ‘marquee’ matches the ICC’s standings will gain direct entry to crowd of more than 93,000 made their feelings “I think it’s dangerous to look at it that Watson down the order as was done during demanding prime-time television slots. England 2019. The bottom four, in a list that will known by booing Srinivasan at the presentation way,” Marsh told reporters. “We want to win the World Cup.—Reuters Richardson made the point that the game now include Afghanistan and Ireland, will play in ceremony. —AFP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 SPORTS Pietersen shouldn’t expect England recall, says Stewart

LONDON: Exiled England star Kevin loss of form for a vacancy to become avail- Pietersen shouldn’t expect an international able,” Stewart told BBC Radio Five Live. recall despite his return to county cricket, “But all Kevin can do and, that’s what according to his Surrey coach Alec Stewart. he’s said to us, he’s going to score runs, sit Pietersen has rejoined Surrey to play in back and see what happens.” Pietersen was County Championship Division Two this reported to have fallen out with several season in a bid to win a Test recall for senior members of the England squad England’s Ashes showdown with Australia before he was axed, but Surrey director of later this year. cricket Stewart claimed he has never had The 34-year-old South Africa-born bats- any problems with his attitude. man was sacked by the England and Wales “He’s been as good as gold with us. If he Cricket Board after the 2013-14 whitewash was a bad character we wouldn’t have had in Australia. him,” Stewart said. “Whenever he’s been ECB managing director Paul Downton with us he has been outstanding. He’s insists Pietersen will not be brought back helped the youngsters, he’s been in the into the fold, while Test captain Alastair nets, he’s put on batting clinics and he’s Cook rated the prospect “highly unlikely”, tried his heart out. and former England opener Stewart agrees. “So hopefully, and I have no reason to “If England are winning, they have a disbelieve it, he will be exactly the same good West Indies tour which we expect, this time, if not even more hard working then it’s going to take an injury or a huge and desperate to score runs.” —AFP The Royals Way: Speed and defense

SURPRISE: The first thing Dayton Moore they turned it over to Kelvin Herrera, Wade makes clear is that he never set out to Davis and Greg Holland, a trio of relievers change how baseball clubs are built. He whose 100 mph fastballs were nearly unhit- BELGIUM: Norway’s Alexander Kristoff of Team Katusha (center front) celebrates his victory as he crosses the finish line of the first stage of the simply wanted to win games, something table. Driedaagse De Panne - Koksijde cycling race. —AFP the Kansas City Royals had repeatedly “They’re always putting pressure on failed to do for nearly three decades. you,” Indians manager Terry Francona said Never once did Moore think he’d of his club’s division rival. “Sometimes you become the next Billy Beane, the Oakland play a team like Detroit and they kind of Kristoff wins first stage Athletics’ general manager whose use of pummel you. But they’re not stealing advanced statistics revolutionized the bases. So it’s a different way of contending.” game. “We were just trying to put ourselves That’s exactly what the Royals did, too: in the best position to win,” Moore said. They started to contend. And when folks Three Days of De Panne Like the A’s, the Royals are a small-mar- looked at the standings in October, the ket team operating within very narrow long-suffering franchise was headed for the SOTTEGEM: Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff ation has expressed concern over the Thursday. Members of the Kazakh federation, margins. They can’t spend big on key free playoffs. won the first stage of the Three Days of De International Cycling Union’s (UCI) governance sports directors, riders and the head doctor will agents. But rather than search for underval- The Royals made the trip count. Relying Panne yesterday as he outsprinted Belgian duo under new president Brian Cookson in the light be among the delegation. The UCI said last ued players by putting a premium on on that winning formula, they beat the A’s Jens Debuschere and Stijn Devolder at the finish of the Astana case. month that it wanted the Licence Commission things such as on-base percentage - the in a dramatic wild-card game. They swept line in Sottegem. The stage covered 201.6km In a letter sent on March 27, of which Reuters to strip Astana of their elite status. The team “Moneyball” approach of Beane - Moore through the Orioles and Angels and all the from De Panne to Sottegem with the race set to has obtained a copy, Renato Di Rocco asked why were only granted their 2015 licence “under pro- chose to identify specific players and way to the World Series, where they took finish on Thursday. It was the sixth win of the the management committee was not consulted bation”. skillsets for the wide expanses of Kauffman the playoff-tested San Francisco Giants to season for the 27-year-old Katusha cyclist who by Cookson before he asked the Licence The UCI, though, released a statement on Stadium. Game 7. also takes the overall leader’s jersey. Commission to withdraw Astana’s licence for Feb. 27 saying it wanted the licence withdrawn The result was The Royals Way: Invest By that point, folks around baseball Kristoff, who came second in the Milan- recent doping scandals. after finishing a review of an Astana audit under- heavily in speed and defense at the were trying to figure out how the Royals SanRemo two weeks ago, was in control during “In all the mentioned cases (Olympics, taken by the Institute of Sport Sciences at the expense of power, and build the game’s had done it. the 13 climbs and cobbled sections of the stage women cycling) we, as management committee University of Lausanne (ISSUL). best bullpen to take pressure off the start- Then, some of them started trying to and his win makes him a serious contender for members, have been directly involved,” Di Rocco “We have always sustained the Licence ing rotation. replicate it. The market for high-end reliev- the Tour of Flanders classic on Sunday. wrote. “However, concerning the Licence Commission is, and must be, autonomous and “In a market like ours, we may not be ers exploded this past offseason, the White “I had good legs and I like this kind of course,” Commission withdrawal of Astana this proce- independent. Why in this case does the Licence able to afford top-of-the-rotation pitchers, Sox throwing $46 million at David said Kristoff. Winner of stages on the Tour of dure was not followed. Commission not act independently?,” Di Rocco or a power bat,” Moore explained in an Robertson, the Yankees tossing $36 million Oman and Paris-Nice this season, Kristoff formed “On Feb. 27 we had received only a press concluded in his letter. interview with The Associated Press. “But toward Andrew Miller. part of a six-man breakaway that included his release which informed us the UCI requested the The World Tour licence guarantees its holder what helps your starting pitchers? A good A bear market made heavy hitters as pri- compatriot and teammate Erik Bystrom. withdrawal of the Astana pro team (World Tour) direct participation in top races including the bullpen. What makes them better? cy as ever, but money lavished on defen- “I owe him (Bystrom) my victory. It’s his first licence.” Astana, who have Tour de France cham- Tour de France, the Paris-Roubaix classic and the Defense. So what we tried to do was make sive dynamos also started to rise. Gold season with the pros and remember his name. pion Vincenzo Nibali of Italy in their ranks, are Giro d’Italia. Several Astana riders failed doping sure we have as many quality defenders Glove winner Nick Markakis signed a $44 He’s going to be good,” continued Kristoff. expecting to discover in around two weeks if tests last season. The UCI agreed to grant the and speed-type players as possible.” million deal with the Braves, and Gold Windy conditions dominated the stage with they will retain their elite licence. team a licence but only on condition they Makes sense, right? Speedy, weak-hit- Glove finalist Adam LaRoche inked a two gusts reaching 80kilometres and hour with Kazakh-funded Astana had until March 20 to underwent an independent audit. If Astana are ting outfielders come cheaper than some- year, $25 million deal with the White Sox. organisers restricting the pace of the first 12km submit all documents in their defence and are stripped of their licence they will be able to take one who pounds 30 homers. And you can All of those players fit the Royals mold. of the race along the North Sea. planning to send a team to be heard at a Licence their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport get a bushel of relievers for the price of a “As an industry, we’re always looking for Meanwhile, the president of the Italian feder- Commission meeting in Switzerland on (CAS). —Reuters starting pitcher. what is the next competitive advantage,” Yet the approach was initially met with said Thad Levine, the assistant general derision. Many fans still could not under- manager of the Texas Rangers. “I think peo- stand why the frugal Royals never made ple feel as if when power abates, is speed runs at pricy power bats like Albert Pujols. the one thing that could be the true differ- It hardly quelled their voices when the entiation?” Four No. 1 teams in Royals continued to languish near the bot- In fact, the Rangers acquired two players tom of the standings. in the offseason specifically for their speed: But something strange happened last former Yankees prospect Antoan year, when Moore’s long-term vision finally Richardson, an outfielder, and utility man women’s Final Four matured. It wound up working. The Royals Delino DeShields Jr. grinded out runs one at a time. They stole There are dangers in trying to follow The bases, went first to third on infield hits, Royals Way, though. The numbers that NEW YORK: The women’s Final Four celebrated its second straight first championship during this run. Staley tweeted. scrapped for the lead. Once they got it, Kansas City’s bullpen posted last year were will have a familiar feel to it with national championship in Tampa, “We have been there a number of She also let the team use social historic, and history portends that relievers three of last year’s teams back in the Florida in 2008. The conference, times and not been able to finish,” media after they won the SEC have the shelf life of fresh fruit. Injuries and national semifinals. which only missed having teams in Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw Tournament for a few days. The ban ineffectiveness invariably set in, and guys UConn, Notre Dame and that run in 1992 and 2001, hadn’t said. “Each year, we feel like maybe will go back into effect Tuesday such as Eric Gagne and Joel Zumaya offer Maryland all return to the Final Four had a team back since until South this will be our year, but I think night. cautionary tales. An offense that churns out while South Carolina is making its Carolina made it this year. (we’re) definitely celebrating this PHILADELPHIA CONNECTIONS: runs one at a time may help a team win first appearance. It’s the third time in WE’RE GOING STREAKING!: whole week of what we accom- Auriemma, Staley and McGraw all enough games to make the playoffs, but the history of the Final Four that all UConn has made it to a record eight plished all year long because only have Philadelphia roots. All three what happens when that club runs into a four of the top seeds made it this far. straight Final Fours while Notre one team is going to win.” grew up in the area and spent time shutdown starter? “That’s the way it is in women’s bas- Dame is back for the fifth straight LET’S TWEET ABOUT IT: Staley coaching there. The Royals certainly could have used ketball,” UConn coach Geno time. The only other teams to lifted the Gamecocks season-long “Maybe it’s something in the someone who could change the game with Auriemma said. “The absolute best accomplish five straight trips to the ban on social media for 48 hours so water in the Philadelphia area,” one swing of the bat when they trailed the teams get to the Final Four. I’m not national semifinals are Connecticut her team could celebrate its first trip Auriemma quipped. “We like to win. Giants by a run in Game 7 of the World one bit surprised Notre Dame and (2000-04), LSU (2004-08) and to the Final Four. I’m happy for both of them. Happy Series, and Madison Bumgarner was mow- South Carolina are there. That’s the Stanford (2008-12). “Gave @GamecockWBB players for Dawn, happy for Muffet, happy ing them down. way it is in our game. The best teams While UConn has won four titles social media for 48hrs...... they have for their teams. I’m looking forward “There is a danger in the copycat men- go to the Final Four every year.” in that span, including the past two, been thirsty for a few weeks. They to seeing them when we get down tality,” said Cubs GM Jed Hoyer. “You see it The Huskies will be trying for Notre Dame is still looking for its surely deserve it. #Final4bound,” there. —AP a lot after a team has a really good postsea- their third straight national champi- son run. I mean, the Royals have done it onship and 10th overall which their way and I think they should be com- would move Geno Auriemma into a Dayton Moore mended for it. But we all have to sort of tie with vaunted UCLA men’s coach decide where we put our emphasis.” —AP John Wooden for the most all-time. UConn will face Maryland and Notre Dame faces South Carolina on KIB sponsors Kartival Sunday in Tampa, Florida. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley will KUWAIT: As part of its ongoing contribu- turnout of Kuwaiti youth. “KIB’s Gold become the second person to both tion towards Kuwait’s youth, Kuwait Sponsorship of Kartival reflects KIB’s status play and coach in the Final Four. International Bank has become Gold as a leading Kuwaiti bank committed to South Carolina is the Final Four Sponsor of Kartival, the carnival-race event supporting local youth in their hobbies and newcomer, making its first appear- held by high-school students and entrepre- aspirations,” explained Nawaf Najia, Head of ance in the national semifinals. neurs who volunteer from across Kuwait. Corporate Communications at KIB. Coach Dawn Staley became the sec- Billed as the first event of its kind in Najia added that KIB considers it a duty ond person to both play and coach Kuwait, Kartival took place at he Sirbb to inspire young people to achieve their in the Final Four joining Baylor’s Kim Circuit recently in the Shuwaikh Industrial potential through focusing on teamwork, Mulkey. “We are not just going to Area, and is expected to attract a large innovation and creativity. show up and just be happy to be there,” Staley said. “This particular regional final game isn’t the desti- nation game for what we set out to do this season. “So, you know, I think this was a statement game because we are going to - we punched our ticket into the Final Four, and now it’s time to maybe check off some things that we’ve wanted to do, which is win the national championship.” Here’s some other things to look for this weekend: WELCOME BACK: The Southeastern Conference had one of the most dominant stretches in women’s basketball sending at least one team to the Final Four from 1982-2008 in every season but two. CLEVELAND: Zach Auguste No. 30 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots in this file photo. — That run ended when Tennessee AFP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 SPORTS Celtics see off Hornets

CHARLOTTE: Avery Bradley had 30 points and eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-104 on Monday night for an important Eastern Conference victory. Evan Turner scored 15 points as the Celtics won for the 10th time in the last 16 games. Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart each had 14 points. Boston moved back into eighth place in the conference standings, a few percentage points ahead of Brooklyn in the battle for the East’s final playoff spot. Kemba Walker led a furious fourth-quarter comeback that fell short, finishing with 28 points and 12 assists. Gerald Henderson added 17 points for Charlotte, which has dropped four of its last five games. Charlotte’s loss clinched a second straight playoff berth for the Washington Wizards.

RAPTORS 99, ROCKETS 96 DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 42 points and tied his career best with 11 rebounds as the Raptors earned their eighth straight home victory over the Rockets. DeRozan made a go-ahead turnaround bank shot with 1:27 left, and then closed out the win with a jumper over James Harden KISSIMMEE: In this Feb. 27, 2015, file photo, Atlanta Braves’ Eric Young Jr., catches a with 18 seconds to go. He made 14 of 27 fly ball during a spring training baseball workout. Eric Young Jr. reported to spring attempts from the floor and 12 of 17 at the training with the Braves on a minor league deal, simply hoping to make an impres- free-throw line. sion. Now with opening day less than a week away and starting center fielder Melvin Jonas Valanciunas scored 15 points for Upton Jr. likely out until mid-May because of a foot problem, Young finds himself as Toronto, and Lou Williams had 13. Harden the odds-on favorite to be playing there a lot.—AP scored 31 for the Rockets, who had won four in a row. Trevor Ariza had 15 points, and Corey Brewer finished with 13. Houston has not won Hamilton ready to north of the border since a 114-100 victory on March 16, 2007.

sign on dotted line TRAIL BLAZERS 109, SUNS 86 Damian Lillard scored 19 points before sit- LONDON: Formula One world champi- an hour or $75 a minute. ting the final quarter, and Portland secured a on Lewis Hamilton is ready to sign a Hamilton, who won the first of his playoff berth. The Blazers have won four new contract that, according to media two titles with McLaren in 2008, is one straight to edge closer to their first Northwest reports, could net him more than $40 of the three highest paid drivers in the Division title since 2008-09. million a year. sport with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and LaMarcus Aldridge added 17 points and “It should be done this week. There’s McLaren’s Fernando Alonso reckoned to seven rebounds, and Portland led by as many no reason why it shouldn’t be,” the earn at least what the Briton does. as 31 points. The Blazers rested their starters Mercedes driver told British reporters He is out of contract at the end of in the fourth quarter after building a 92-65 after finishing second in Sunday’s this season and the saga of his negotia- lead. Malaysian Grand Prix. tions has kept the media busy since last The Suns have lost four straight, and while “Honestly, it’s 99.6 percent done. year, when the talks were put on hold they are mathematically in the playoff picture, There’s no negotiating left. It’s just legal for him to concentrate on the title bat- their chances are dwindling. Phoenix plays six stuff.” The BBC reported yesterday that tle. of its last eight games on the road. Gerald the 30-year-old Briton, who has con- Reports since then have regularly Green and rookie T.J. Warren each scored 13 ducted his own negotiations with indicated that he was set to sign, points in the Suns’ seventh loss by 20 or more Mercedes, would earn about the same Hamilton telling Sky Sports last week points this season. basic salary as in his first contract with that he hoped to do so before the the team he joined in 2013. Malaysian Grand Prix, which came and HAWKS 101, BUCKS 88 However other sources indicated the went without an announcement. The DeMarre Carroll scored 23 points and Kyle terms would be more lucrative, to delays have triggered speculation that Korver put on quite a shooting display in the reflect his success and status. With Hamilton could be considering a shock third quarter, carrying Atlanta to the win. CHARLOTTE: Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas (4) looks to pass as Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba bonuses, depending on the number of move to Ferrari as a replacement for Having clinched the top seed in the Walker (15) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP race wins and retaining the champi- Kimi Raikkonen alongside four times Eastern Conference, the Hawks are trying to onship, the BBC calculated the total champion Vettel but the driver has maintain their playing edge while staying the Lakers past the 76ers in a matchup of two ahead layup with 31 seconds left in regulation amount would be “well over $40 mil- laughed off that idea. “No, don’t be silly,” healthy for the final two weeks of the regular of the NBA’s worst teams. that put Philly up 100-98. lion”-working out at more than $4,500 he said when asked about it.—Reuters season. This wasn’t pretty - they put up five Clarkson scored 26 points and Jabari airballs - but it was enough to improve to 56- Brown finished with 22 for Los Angeles (20- JAZZ 104, TIMBERWOLVES 84 18, one win away from tying the team record. 53). Wayne Ellington added seven of his 20 Gordon Hayward scored 22 points, reserve Korver, who has seemed uncomfortable points in OT, including a 3-pointer that put Trey Burke had 19 and the Jazz got the road Alonso stays positive playing with a protective mask since breaking the Lakers up 111-105 with 1:25 left. win. Trevor Booker had 17 points and 13 his nose March 15, missed his first four shots Rookie Nerlens Noel led the 76ers (18-57) rebounds for Utah, which earned its second while Ferrari celebrate against the Bucks - all beyond the arc. Then, with 19 points and 14 rebounds for his ninth straight victory after a four-game losing suddenly, he found the range. In just 65 sec- double-double of the month. He scored six streak. Rudy Gobert finished with 15 points onds, Korver made four straight deep points in the final minute of overtime to tie and 12 boards. LONDON: One word seemed to encap- “I remember when I left McLaren and jumpers. Three of them were outside the the game at 111. The Jazz grabbed control with a 14-0 run at sulate Fernando Alonso’s Malaysian came here (Mercedes), we were better stripe, pushing what had been a five-point Philadelphia point guard Isaiah Canaan the start of the second half. Zach LaVine led Grand Prix weekend. The comment, post- the next year. I had a good feeling then edge to 67-51. That brief stretch accounted scored 18 points, including 10 in the fourth Minnesota with 21 points, and Andrew ed on Twitter under a photograph of the but he’s almost done the opposite of for each of his 11 points in the game. Giannis quarter. Ish Smith added 17, hitting a go- Wiggins scored 17. —AP sweaty Spaniard walking in his McLaren what I did. It could have been him today. Antetokounmpo scored 18 for Milwaukee. overalls past the Ferrari garage and the It’s just strange how things turn out.” NBA results/standings Italian team’s smiling mechanics, was Alonso was determined to stay posi- GRIZZLIES 97, KINGS 83 simple: ‘Ouch’. tive. “Interesting days ahead!! Looking Mike Conley scored 18 points, Jeff Green It was hard not to feel a twinge of pity forward! Very happy!!,” he exclaimed on Boston 116, Charlotte 104; LA Lakers 113, Philadelphia 111 (OT); Atlanta 101, Milwaukee 88; Toronto 99, Houston 96; had 16 and Memphis ended a three-game los- Memphis 97, Sacramento 83; Utah 104, Minnesota 84; Portland 109, Phoenix 86. for the double world champion, who left his Twitter feed on Monday. ing streak. The Grizzlies moved back into the Ferrari for McLaren at the end of last year, “It definitely has been a very nice second spot in the Western Conference play- Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Division as his former employers celebrated their weekend for me and a very nice surprise off race by a half-game over the Houston Northwest Division W L PCT GB Portland 48 25 .658 - first victory since 2013. how the team progressed from Australia Rockets, who lost 99-96 at Toronto. Formula One glamour team Ferrari are to here. If we keep this rate we will enjoy Toronto 44 30 .595 - Oklahoma City 42 32 .568 6.5 Zach Randolph scored 15 points for Boston 33 41 .446 11 Utah 33 41 .446 15.5 back in business while McLaren, with it very soon,” he had said after the race. Memphis, and Marc Gasol had eight points Brooklyn 32 40 .444 11 their new partners Honda, have gone That may sound like bravado but the Denver 28 46 .378 20.5 and 11 rebounds. Kosta Koufos grabbed a sea- Philadelphia 18 57 .240 26.5 Minnesota 16 58 .216 32.5 backwards. Alonso, who missed the first Spaniard has a new challenge and a NY Knicks 14 60 .189 30 son-high 12 boards as the Grizzlies outre- Pacific Division Central Division race of the season after a crash in testing, long-term plan that will take time to Golden State 60 13 .822 - bounded Sacramento 45-41. Cleveland 48 27 .640 - lasted just 21 laps before retiring due to come to fruition. Rudy Gay led the Kings with 24 points LA Clippers 49 25 .662 11.5 cooling problems with the car’s energy “To beat Mercedes at the moment, Chicago 45 29 .608 2.5 before leaving in the third quarter with a head Milwaukee 36 38 .486 11.5 Phoenix 38 37 .507 23 recovery system. you need to do something different, injury. Ray McCallum had 12 points and Indiana 32 41 .438 15 Sacramento 26 47 .356 34 World champion Lewis Hamilton, who you need to risk somehow,” he said. “I Derrick Williams finished with 10. The Kings Detroit 28 45 .384 19 LA Lakers 20 53 .274 40 Southwest Division partnered Alonso at McLaren in 2007 am in the right place, the team is so tal- played without leading scorer DeMarcus Southeast Division Atlanta 56 18 .757 - Memphis 51 24 .680 - and whose own move to Mercedes at the ented, very young people, a lot of Cousins, who was rested by the team. end of 2012 had commentators fearing Japanese people new in Formula One. Washington 41 33 .554 15 Houston 50 24 .676 0.5 he had made a mistake, felt for the “It’s a very exciting challenge because Miami 34 39 .466 21.5 San Antonio 47 26 .644 3 LAKERS 113, 76ERS 111 Charlotte 31 42 .425 24.5 Spaniard. “I sat next to Sebastian (Vettel we will grow up all together from the Dallas 45 29 .608 5.5 Jordan Clarkson made the tiebreaking bas- Orlando 22 52 .297 34 New Orleans 39 34 .534 11 in the news conference) and thought to very bottom and when we arrive to a ket with 0.7 seconds left in overtime, lifting myself ‘What is Fernando thinking?,” he podium position, we will look at each said after Alonso’s jubilant replacement other and say ‘this has been a very excit- had sprayed the winner’s champagne. ing trip.’” —Reuters Ferrari put fizz back into F1

SEPANG: As Sebastian Vettel nurses his hang- what to do and he doesn’t listen,” said Sepang good job at the moment at that.” Razali said over, Bernie Ecclestone can raise a toast to the circuit chief Razlan Razali, during negotiations Malaysia wanted only a three-year extension, F1 gods after a weekend to savor in Malaysia with Ecclestone for Malaysia’s new deal. shorter than the customary five years, because gave the sport a reason to smile again. “But I think only now he listens.” Ecclestone of caution over the health of the sport. Crisis loomed like the black clouds over posited a range of potential solutions, ranging He cited the example of new team Manor, Sepang after the German Grand Prix’s axing, from a “Grand Slam” series of elite races to saying it was a “joke” they were allowed to join deafening complaints from teams and a sopo- awarding points instead of grid places for qual- the championship despite not being ready for rific first race in Australia. ifying. the start of the season. But out of the blue, Vettel and Ferrari punc- But the 84-year-old ringmaster admitted his Manor’s cars were in bits at the season- tured Mercedes’ dominance, while Malaysia hands were now tied with much power held opener in Australia and in Malaysia, only put pen to paper on a new, three-year deal by private equity firm CVC, the major share- Roberto Merhi was able to take part-despite which secures the race until 2018. holder, and F1’s squabbling teams. missing the required qualifying time. While Formula One’s problems are hardly Huge overheads and falling profits mean “If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, don’t solved, Ferrari’s resurgence will at least pique many observers think the sport is headed for a participate. Participate later in the rounds. It interest in a sport which was again becoming tipping point this year, which could force deep makes a mockery out of the sport, I think,” dangerously one-dimensional. reforms. Razali told AFP. Signs of the crisis were clear when “I think 2015 is going to be a watershed in In the event, Vettel won a thriller in Malaysia Ecclestone resorted to asking media what Formula One, on many fronts,” Force India and he promised to celebrate with plenty of should be done about a championship strug- deputy team principal Robert Fernley told AFP. booze as he headed into the night with his gling with financial and structural difficulties. “And it’s going to have to re-look at itself in Ferrari team-mates. Two teams fell by the wayside last year and a very in-depth way in 2015 to make sure that While it’s not quite party-time for Germany, a heartland of F1, joined South it addresses the concerns of the fans, the Ecclestone, he can at least breathe a little easi- Korea and India in dropping off the schedule. teams, the TV, the media, the whole group. er as he contemplates the next step for MALAYSIA: McLaren Honda’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. —AFP “I think sometimes we (promoters) tell him “Because I don’t believe that we’re doing a Formula One. —AFP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 SPORTS

Alcoholism, violence and neglect: Life as Best’s son

LONDON: There’s one place where the which I will always be proud of, there’s a his first wife, Angie, gave birth. Calum’s One trip to London in 1995 was trau- up. memory of George Best is forever of the darker side to it,” he said. “My dad suf- arrival didn’t curb the binges, and the matic. Calum had enough of trailing “I saw in his eyes he wanted to stylish winger who bamboozled defend- fered from a drink problem, which couple separated from George. By 1986, around pubs so returned to his father’s change but he wasn’t able to,” Calum ers and thrilled fans. Immortalized in meant we suffered, which meant our Angie sought to shield Calum from his flat. When George later returned in a said between sips of mineral water in a bronze outside Old Trafford, a statue fea- relationship suffered.” father’s chaotic life, applying for divorce drunken mess, he accused his 14-year- fashionable London hotel. turing Best is as much as a crowd-puller Nothing is off limits in Calum’s book before returning to California after a few old son of having an affair with fiance A bad reaction to medication to con- as the Manchester United icon was in his about his father, which was published years in England. Alex. trol the alcoholism forced George into footballing prime. Monday: violence, neglect and, of George didn’t even turn up to the “You’re not my son,” Calum recalled hospital in 2005. He never left, dying two It’s where Best’s only child now goes course, the extent of the drinking prob- custody hearing, and the sense of aban- being told as his father attacked him. months later when his organs gave up. for a glimpse at what one of the game’s lem. donment felt by Calum is reflected “You’re not even meant to be. I hate you.” “If alcohol didn’t take over he could have first international superstars looked like The focus on the flaws over the foot- throughout the book, as is a constant Reflecting on the night 20 years later, had a whole second chapter that we before alcohol took over his life, and balling exploits in “Second Best” has pursuit of his father’s love and attention. Calum said: “It was one nasty situation.” could have shared together,” Calum said. then destroyed it. angered George’s family in his native It was rarely fulfilled. Back in the US, The constant rejection hurt, and Now he feels closest to his father on “I go up there and take pictures in Northern Ireland, with his sister’s hus- Calum started discovering the extent of seems to explain Calum’s own wild ways visits to Manchester to see United, join- front of him, just like everybody else band, Norman McNarry, telling local his father’s past prowess through as a hell-raising teenager enjoying the ing in the enduring Best songs and does,” 34-year-old Calum Best said in an media in Belfast that the book’s “nasti- “absolutely mind-blowing” videos of surfer-boy lifestyle on the West Coast always stopping to take pictures at that interview with The Associated Press. “I’m ness” was a “betrayal.” Raising the family some of the 180 goals scored in 465 while binging himself on drink and ever- statue of Best, Denis Law and Bobby a fan in that respect.” rift himself at the start of the interview, United appearances. harder drugs. Calum played football, but Charlton, the “Holy Trinity” who won two Calum never got to see his father Calum acknowledged: “It’s kicked up a But Calum’s first visit to Old Trafford never wanted to emulate his father. English titles and the 1968 European winning trophies at United in the 1960s, fuss.” with his father was far from a bonding “It was hard enough living up to my Cup. and collecting personal accolades for his “Belfast feel they are probably pro- experience. Like so much of their time dad’s reputation without trying to play,” Even today George Best is regarded extraordinary dribbling and goals. Born tecting their own,” Calum added. “It’s not together, it ended in tears. The 11-year- Calum said. But Calum’s life has mirrored as one of the most talented players to in 1981, Calum instead endured a tumul- an attack on my dad. I’m my dad’s num- old Calum was abandoned in the his father’s. A modeling career faded grace the game despite leaving United tuous relationship with a father who ber one fan. I love him to bits, more than evening by his drunken father, who took after his teens as drinking, drug-taking at 27 - initially retiring from football struggled to cope with the end of his anybody. But this isn’t about George until the following afternoon to re- and womanizing took over, even as completely - and never playing in a top playing career and reveled in a hard- Best the footballer. This is about me hav- emerge. George was seriously ill. league again. “Not a day goes by when I drinking playboy lifestyle before dying ing alcohol dependency in my relation- And by then Calum was old enough Although George received a liver don’t get into a black cab or meet some- at 59 from multiple organ failure. ship with my father.” to realize his father’s alcoholism was transplant in 2002 and briefly looked to one somewhere who talks about what a Approaching the 10th anniversary of The relationship was as fraught as it being splashed across newspapers. “I have turned a corner, alcohol was just legend my dad was and I’m the first per- the death in November 2005, Calum is was fragmented, with the Atlantic Ocean would come into town for my trips to too hard to resist. son to say, ‘Thank you,’” Calum said. telling the full story of their turbulent separating them for much of Calum’s see him and everyone would be like, The yearning for a drink made a “He’s such a hero in the football father-son relationship for the first time. childhood. ‘He’s so excited to see you,’” Calum coaching career impossible. George world. I don’t think that legend will ever “Although he was on this pedestal of The 1968 European player of the year recalled. “As soon as I’d get here he’d go looked increasingly gaunt while working die. If I’ve got anything to do with it, it being this amazing, iconic footballer, was at the San Jose Earthquakes when on a three-day brandy bender.” as a television pundit - when he turned will never die.” —AP

Qatar 2022 World Cup may not need cooling systems

DOHA: A winter World Cup in Qatar may league games all year, said Cadavid who not require cooling systems to lower tem- described this aspect of the bid as the peratures in the stadiums as proposed in “legacy” element. the bid for a summer tournament, said an There are fewer local matches sched- executive from the Gulf state’s 2022 organ- uled each week in the summer than there ising committee. will be at the World Cup and they require Earlier this month, soccer’s world gov- less planning so maintaining cool tempera- erning body FIFA ended more than four tures in the stadiums will require lower years of uncertainty over the timing of the amounts of energy, according to Cadavid. World Cup in Qatar by announcing it would “...matches in the summer for the local be played in November and December leagues are less frequent than a tourna- with the final on Dec. 18. ment.. you have two matches per week so One of the biggest challenges of host- less demand for energy,” he said. ing the tournament in the summer months, when temperatures at times exceed 40 COMPACT CUP degrees Celsius, was cooling down the sta- FIFA also decided to cut the length of diums but with the shift to the winter the the 2022 tournament from 32 to 28 days, organising committee is reassessing the sit- meaning more games will be played per uation. day and a country of Qatar’s size might “The temperatures are lower in the win- thus need fewer stadiums. ter so the demand for cooling will be low- The number of stadiums planned for the er,” Dario Cadavid, technical assurance and finals has not been announced but the rev- integration manager at Qatar’s 2022 olutionary cooling system will be installed Supreme Committee for Delivery and when each ground is constructed, Cadavid Legacy told Reuters in an interview. said. “It’s very possible that during that time “It’s more difficult to put in the systems of the year that cooling isn’t required for after the stadiums are finished... it becomes the winter,” he added, without giving any more expensive and complex because the details on the potential cost savings of cooling system is integrated so that needs using less energy if the cooling systems are to happen now.” not used. While declining to detail the costs or Qatar always said a summer World Cup energy required to bring temperatures was viable thanks to revolutionary cooling down from 40C to 26C, Cadavid said the TOKYO: Uzbekistan’s Lutfulla Turaev (left) fights for the ball with Japan’s Toshihiro Aoyama during their friendly soccer match. —AP technologies it is developing for stadiums, general expense of installing the “mechani- training areas and fan zones but there was cal” aspects of a stadium with a cooling sys- still widespread concern for the health of tem was 20-30 percent of the total. players and fans. As part of Qatar’s original bid, he said Japan rout Uzbekistan However, Cadavid downplayed those the organising committee will provide all concerns. “In order to provide safety for the the energy used for cooling from sustain- players we need to provide a temperature able resources including building a 100 TOKYO: Goal-hungry Japan floored Uzbekistan register his own maiden goal for his country, again at the Asian Cup in January, were buzzing. between 26 and 29 degrees... our target is megawatt solar power plant and installing 5-1 with an explosive performance in a friendly completing a perfect week for new coach Vahid Okazaki and Honda scored the goals against 26 degrees,” he said. Whether it is used at solar panels in every stadium. “This tech- yesterday, with young guns Takashi Usami and Halilhodzic after Friday’s 2-0 win over Tunisia. Tunisia and they led by example again in a one- the finals or not research on cooling tech- nology has been proven so it’s no longer a Gaku Shibasaki pointing to a bright future for Five of Japan’s seven goals under the Franco- sided game watched by 46,000. nologies is continuing because Qatar wants fantasy... we are working to make it more the Blue Samurai. Shibasaki scored Japan’s third Bosnian have come from substitutes. “It was a Halilhodzic, who steered Algeria to the the 2022 stadiums to be available for local sustainable,” he said. —Reuters on 80 minutes with an outrageous lob from just spectacular display,” said Halilhodzic, who knockout stages of the World Cup in Brazil, inside the Uzbekistan half, before fellow substi- replaced Javier Aguirre after the Mexican was pumped his fists after Usami’s goal vindicated tute Usami capped a superb cameo by slam- sacked over allegations of match-fixing dating his decision to give youth a chance in his first ming in a fourth soon afterwards. Toshihiro back to his time in Spain. two games. Johansson predicts Aoyama triggered the rout after just six minutes “I’d like to say ‘Bravo!’ to the players. To score “It finally feels like my Japan career has in Tokyo with a sumptuous long-range volley five goals is special. Nonetheless we won’t get begun,” said Usami, who used to draw gasps and Shinji Okazaki doubled the home side’s lead carried away as there is still work to be done.” from Bayern Munich’s superstars with his skills at easy win for Blatter nine minutes into the second half with a classic Japan have looked unrecognisable, albeit training during a loan spell in 2011-12. poacher’s strike. against modest opposition, from the side which “I got long enough on the pitch to show the VIENNA: It is 17 years since Lennart way to go, how to handle things. “I am not The floodgates opened after Shibasaki’s stun- lurched from one crisis to another under Aguirre coach what I can do,” added the 22-year-old. “I Johansson lost an acrimonious FIFA presiden- surprised he has remained president since ner. Uzbekistan replied two minutes later and Italian Alberto Zaccheroni over the past think I did that.” Halilhodzic has been given a tial election to Sepp Blatter and he has a stark 1998, he is an extremely intelligent man. Of through Islom Tukhtakhujaev, only for Usami to year. contract through the 2018 World Cup in Russia message to the three men standing against course, it depends on how you use your intel- slalom past three defenders and smash home Talisman Keisuke Honda and playmaker Shinji after being brought in to rebuild the side follow- his old foe-you have no chance. Prince Ali Bin ligence. his first goal for Japan. Kagawa, whose confidence had been shattered ing their shock quarter-final exit at the Asian Al Hussein of Jordan, Dutch FA president “But he is smart and a very hard worker. I There was still time for Kengo Kawamata to after Japan flopped at last year’s World Cup and Cup.—AFP Michael van Praag and former Portugal inter- could call him at 7.30 in the morning and he national Luis Figo are attempting to unseat would be working.” Asked what his relation- Blatter from the position he has held since he ship is like with Blatter now, or whether the beat Johansson by 111 to 80 votes in Paris in old battle scars have healed, he replied “No. 1998. But Johansson, 85, does not think the He doesn’t even say hello when we meet S Korea give Cha winning send-off trio have any hope of winning and is upset now. He avoids me. “I sit on the first row as an that the man he wanted to run for FIFA presi- honorary vice-president of FIFA and the hon- SEOUL: Substitute Lee Jae-sung steered home a late winner as dent-his successor as UEFA president Michel orary president of UEFA and he is sitting next South Korea beat New Zealand 1-0 in a friendly yesterday to give Platini- ignored his advice to challenge the to me ... but he doesn’t “see” me. “But I don’t veteran defender Cha Du-ri a winning send-off into retirement. 79-year-old Swiss who is standing for a fifth approach him. I see no reason to. These are The Koreans laboured to a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan on Friday term of office. the facts.” and were keen to go into 2018 World Cup qualifiers with victory There is little love lost between himself over New Zealand who were unbeaten in the group stage of the and Blatter, but Johansson cannot see the RAZOR SHARP 2010 World Cup but have tumbled to 134th in the FIFA rankings. president losing the election in Zurich on May Johansson, now in need of a wheelchair Son Heung-min had a first-half penalty saved by New Zealand 29. “Blatter will win in the first round, but I for mobility, still keeps a close eye on the goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic who pulled off a string of top quali- can’t give you the figures,” the Swede said in political scene and although his body might ty stops to deny the hosts. an interview with Reuters at last week’s UEFA be slowing, his mind is as sharp as a razor. Jeonbuk forward Lee, who made his debut against the Uzbeks, Congress. He believes Blatter will win the election got the breakthrough four minutes from time when he pounced “He knows how to do it, he knows which because his challengers will not be supported by the vast majority of countries outside of on a loose ball to score after Marinovic had saved from Kim Bo- Europe-and Blatter, in their eyes is not kyung. “European” despite his Swiss nationality. The players rushed to the sidelines to celebrate with Cha who “Africa and Asia, they will not vote for a announced his retirement from the national team after Korea’s European-and Blatter is not ‘European’ in their defeat by Australia in the Asian Cup final but was asked to play eyes, he is FIFA,” he said. one more game for the home fans to show their appreciation. Johansson’s 17 years as the head of the Cha, a member of Guus Hiddink’s squad that reached the 2002 European confederation-the longest reign of World Cup semi-finals, captained the side and gave a typically any UEFA president-saw the expansion of robust performance before being substituted in the 43rd minute. UEFA from 32 countries when he became The Korea Football Association held a ceremony at halftime to president in 1990 to 52 by the time he left mark his 14-year career, with his father, former Bundesliga great because of the political upheavals in eastern Cha Bum-kun, presenting the defender with a bouquet of flow- Europe in the 1990s. ers. Together with his general secretary Gerd “I was never a great player but I always tried my best and I’m Aigner, they also transformed the European happy that you appreciated me for that,” Cha told the 33,000-plus Cup into the Champions League and saw the crowd. expansion of the European Championship Cha, who will continue his club career with FC Seoul, said it from an eight-team to 16-team finals. Looking had been his goal to try to outdo his famous father. “I really AUSTRIA: FIFA President Joseph Sepp back he reflected: “I miss the years I had with believed that I could be better but there came a time when reali- Blatter delivers his speech during the UEFA because together what we built up was ty hit me and from then on I decided I should just try to enjoy Ordinary UEFA Congress in Vienna in this respect. People knew that we tried to be hon- SEOUL: New Zealand’s Michael Boxall (right) fights for the ball against football and be happy,” he added. —Reuters file photo. —AFP est, with new rules and regulations.—Reuters South Korea’s Lee Jae-sung during their friendly soccer match. —AP Kristoff wins Japan rout first stage Uzbekistan

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 201517 19 Alcoholism, violence and neglect: Life as Best’s son Page 19

KEY BISCAYNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia stretches to play a forehand against Steve Darcis of Belgium in their third round match during the Miami Open. — AFP Djokovic powers past Darcis Nishikori and Raonic reach last 16

MIAMI: Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated I am playing well here,” said Nishikori. “Maybe he was hurting such as the nearly seven-hour struggle at a March first-round you can’t be frequent. I speak from my personal experience. Belgium’s Steve Darcis 6-0 7-5 on Monday to power into the a little bit but I was still putting him under pressure with my tie in Argentina. “You have the Davis Cup schedule that is right after last 16 of the Miami Open along with Japan’s Kei Nishikori, return.” “I’m more in support of a tiebreak in the fifth set in any Wimbledon or right after the Australian Open or right after Canada’s Milos Raonic and American John Isner. Raonic also moved into the fourth round after a hard- competition than for no tiebreak. That would be my answer the US Open. The Serbian world number one, who just like last year won earned 6-1 5-7 7-6 (3) win over French 31st seed Jeremy on that,” said the 27-year-old Serbian. “If you’re playing finals of these events, to change the time at Indian Wells before heading to South Florida, will face Chardy. Raonic was broken when serving for the match at 5-4 “I support the fact to have a certain change in the sport, I zone and arrive from US Open to Europe in matter of two, Alexandr Dolgopolov, a 7-5 6-4 winner over Brazilian Thomaz in the second and then Chardy went on to force the third set. think it’s the right time. As we evolve as a global sport, I think three days and adjust from hard court outdoors to indoor Bellucci, in the fourth round. Djokovic, who is seeking a fifth “He started playing more freely and I sort of went the oth- we should all strongly consider applying certain changes. clay, it’s a huge risk for injuries and so forth. win at Miami, wrapped up a one-sided first set in 26 minutes er way,” said Raonic. “He played well in the second set and I “Of course, you don’t want to change completely the “I would like to play it more, but sometimes I have to make but faced a sterner test in the second. think he played better than I did in the third.” game. There is a long tradition in integrity of the sport that is choices. That’s why I would strongly support to change the Darcis broke to go ahead 5-4 but after the Serb levelled up Isner provided an upset as the 22nd seed won 7-6(2) 6-2 very recognised around the world because of that - but I format as soon as possible.” the set, he broke back and held on to secure the match. “I over ninth seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov while Belgian believe there is some room for improvements.” added the Djokovic also laid into the ATP, voicing some fresh ideas managed to come back in the right moment,” Djokovic said. 18th seed David Goffin beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-4 6-3 eight-time Grand Slam winner. for that tournament calendar. “I still believe that Australian “I kind of elevated the intensity and started playing a little and Spain’s sixth seed David Ferrer got past Czech Lukas International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Open should be couple of weeks later, at least,” he said of the bit more with depth on the ball. “He’s got a lot of variety, Rosol 6-4 7-5. Bitti told Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper last week that the mid-January major which he won for a fifth time two months especially from his backhand side. Meanwhile, Djokovic has added his voice to those calling idea was on the table for an autumn ITF congress and that it ago. “So I was handling it really good for first 30 minutes, then for a reform of the Davis Cup format, with the world number had his support. “To start off with a Grand Slam right away and the season started to make some unforced errors and started to play a one favouring a more concentrated competition for the Djokovic is adamant that the century-old Davis format, hasn’t even started, and then to have a very long gap little bit more neutral, a little bit slower, and he got into the worldwide team event. which is spaced out inconveniently over four weekend dates between Australian Open and Roland Garros (starting in late match. In addition, the men’s top seed at the ATP and WTA Miami throughout the season,needs a shake-up. May) and then a very short one, it proportionately doesn’t “I complicated my own life in the second set but in the Masters would also like to see the Australian Open played a “The schedule is, especially for top players, very, very bad,” make sense. end of the day, it’s a win.” Fourth-seed Nishikori had even less bit later in the season but is fully on board with the addition he said. “Maybe (make it) a two-week event every year, every “But that’s the way the schedule has been officially pres- trouble as he crushed Serbia’s Viktor Troicki 6-2 6-2 in 63 min- of an extra week of grass preparation between the end of two years, where you would have the top 16 teams playing in ent in our sport and we kind of play with it, but I’m always in utes. Troicki, who needed medical treatment to his left side Roland Garros and the beginning of Wimbledon. four groups of four in different locations, and then coming in support for new discussions and progress and change that during the match, struggled to cope with Nishikori through- For starters, the eight-time grand Slam winner said that he the final four. That’s one of the examples. “The important can kind of revolutionalise t e sport.” Djokovic does fully out with the 25-year-old converting five of his six break supports a pending proposal to add a tiebreaker to the fifth thing is to attract the top players to be there. We all love rep- approve of the concept of extra Wimbledon prep time on points. “I was almost perfect on the court. It is so exciting that set of any Davis Cup rubber, which would end marathons resenting our countries in Olympic Games and Davis Cup, but grass which comes into effect this season. —AFP

Williams sisters in More even distribution of last eight in Miami MIAMI: Sisters Serena and Venus Williams marched into Champions League funds the quarter-finals of the Miami Open after straight-set STOCKHOLM: Champions League and outcome. “We have something like 220 clubs wins at Key Biscayne on Monday. Europa League revenue will be distributed as members so we have big clubs like Real World number one Serena beat 24th seeded Russian more evenly next season, the European Clubs Madrid, mid-sized clubs like Porto and small Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2 6-3 producing 29 winners and Association (ECA) and UEFA said yesterday. clubs coming from Malta, Cyprus and so on,” 20 unforced errors. The announcement came amid concern Rummenigge told Reuters. Kuzentsova, who owns two grand slam titles, had the gulf between the richest clubs and the rest beaten Serena twice in their previous nine meetings but was widening, with the result that domestic VERY HAPPY the outcome of this contest never looked in doubt. leagues and the Champions League are “We have to care about club football as a “I know Svetlana is super tough and we always have becoming increasingly predictable. “ECA and whole and not just for the big and rich clubs. super tough matches,” said Serena. “It seems like I’m UEFA have together developed a revolution- We are very happy with the outcome ... cruising but don’t think I’m cruising. I have my matches ary distribution mechanism for the because it’s very favourable for club football and I’m really focused in my matches because all these Champions League and Europa League aimed and once more a signal that club football is in players I play are really good,” she added. at sharing ... revenue growth more evenly very good shape. Serena has now won 18 straight matches and she is among European clubs,” ECA and UEFA said in “ECA is still a very young organisation and looking to add to her seven titles in Miami with her third a joint statement after an ECA meeting. these achievements are an extraordinary suc- straight triumph after winning in 2013 and 2014. “A record funding pot of 2.24 billion euros cess which will strengthen the solidarity ($2.41 billion)will be divided (per season) with among the clubs and our sense of responsibili- Venus continued a winning streak of her own-making a new focus on solidarity. “A greater propor- ty for football,” added Rummenigge. The ECA it seven wins in seven against fellow former world num- tion of funds than ever before will go to said more money would also be distributed to ber one Caroline Wozniacki with a 6-3 7-6(1) victory. Europa League participants, to participants in clubs who release players for Euro 2020 and The win also made it seven wins in her last eight the qualifying rounds and to clubs in medi- that, for the first time, the amount would be against top 10 opponents, highlighting Venus’s return to um/smaller championships. calculated as a percentage rather than a fixed form after her health problems. “The concept means more funding for all figure. “Clubs will receive eight percent of The older Williams sister will face Carla Suarez Navarro because the new percentage-based system income from broadcast, commercial and tick- in the last eight following the Spaniard’s win over sev- ensures every stakeholder will benefit propor- eting/hospitality, with the minimum set at 200 enth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 5-7 6-0 6-4. Romanian tionally from the competitions’ continued million euros, a 50 million increase on the third seed Simona Halep won through after beating growth.” ECA chairman Karl-Heinz clubs’ share of Euro 2016 revenues,” said the KEY BISCAYNE: Venus Williams of the United States serves against Caroline Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 6-3 7-5. — Reuters Rummenigge said he was pleased with the ECA. —Reuters Wozniacki of Denmark in their fourth round match during the Miami Open. — AFP GIG reports net profit of KD 12 million in 2014

Page 23 Business India boardrooms jostle to find women directors WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Page 25 ACICO Cement launch- AUB AGM approves 18% cash and 5% stock dividends es new product lines Page 26 Page 22

KUWAIT: Kuwait Telecommunications Company’s (VIVA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Jumeirah Hotel yesterday. — Photos by Joseph Shagra VIVA achieves KD 40.3 million net profit in 2014 Second largest operator with 32% of total market revenues in Kuwait in 2014 KUWAIT: Kuwait Telecommunications Company (VIVA), yes- terday held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Jumeirah Hotel and approved the company’s audited financial results for the year ended 31 December 2014. Adel Al-Roumi, Chairman of the Board, said: “2014 was a major milestone for the company after it was successfully list- ed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, where investors’ trust in the company was reflected on the share price, which resulted in a return higher than 600 percent at the inception of the compa- ny. Post listing, the company continued to build itself, to fulfill its promise to its stakeholders.” “Our strong performance in 2014 reflects our consistent hard work and dedication in an exceptionally competitive market. During the year we delivered a solid performance with revenues of KD 239 million, which reflects strong rev- enue growth of 31 percent, when compared to the year before. This has resulted in a net profit of KD 40.3 million, (earnings per share of 81 fils) in comparison to net profit of KD 24.2 million in 2013, (earnings per share of 49 fils) . These results illustrate our continued positive momentum, which enables us to achieve growth in shareholder equity at 421 percent.” “These excellent results represent a great leap in the com- pany’s development, and reflect the many other record break- ing achievements VIVA consistently delivered over course of the year,” concluded Al-Roumi. Eng Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Badran, VIVA’s Chief Adel Al-Roumi, Chairman of the Board during the press Executive Officer said: “VIVA is now the second largest tele- Voting in the board elections in progress. conference. com operator in terms of revenues with 32 percent of the try peers in 2014 as we won several awards for excellence, standing commitment to supporting the local community. “We will continue the hard work in order to achieve further total revenues in the Kuwaiti telecom market in 2014, with a including the ‘Best 4G Package’ award at the 2nd Annual We are consistently involved in the development of many growth and success next year.” customer base of 2.4 million, and network coverage of more Teknotel Awards, the ‘Best Mobile Operator’ Award from areas in Kuwait’s society, including social, health, sports and In this context, the representative from the Sharia com- than 99 percent of Kuwait’s residential areas and other geo- Service Hero, the ‘Editor’s Choice Award’ from Network World education.” mittee explained that after studying the VIVA’s financial graphically equipped areas. As we continued to invest in our Middle East, the ‘Best Speech Analytics Implementation’ from Al-Badran concluded: “I would like to express my appreci- statements for the year ended 31 December 2014, the share- infrastructure and new technologies that differentiate our INSIGHTS - Middle East Call Centre Awards 2014, and last but ation to the whole VIVA family, including all our employees, holders of the company are not required to fulfill Zakat legit- company from the competition, VIVA was able to achieve not least, the ‘Best Middle Eastern Operator’ at the 2014 our business partners, customers and shareholders, to imacy. growth in operating income before interest, tax, depreciation Telecom Review Summit Awards.” whom we owe our success.” During the AGM, VIVA’s shareholders elected a new board and amortization (EBITDA), by 72 percent in 2014 when com- “A consistently important aspect is investing in our Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Qatie, Chief Financial Officer said: of directors. The new board comprises of seven members pared to 2013.” human capital, and our commitment to the government’s “VIVA’s performance has exceeded all expectations in terms represented by: Saudi Telecommunications Company, “In response to the increase in our customer base, we also Kuwaitization program remains one of the main pillars of of attracting more customers and achieving revenues, which Kuwait Investment Authority, Public Institution for Social expanded our commercial presence across Kuwait to 63 out- our strategy. As a result of this, 66 percent of our workforce enhanced the financial performance of the company. This Security, Zakat House, STC Gulf Holding Investment, STC lets by the end of 2014, to be closer to our customers and to is now Kuwaiti, which is comparatively high when compared reflected positively on the record-breaking growth of VIVA’s Gulf Holding Investment 1, and STC Gulf Holding Investment meet the growing demand for our products and services. Our to other major companies in the private sector in Kuwait. In revenues and profits. VIVA’s net profit growth reached 66 3. The AGM’s attendance represented 55.37 percent of the success and achievements were also recognized by our indus- addition to our commercial operations, we have a long- percent during 2014 when compared to 2013.” He added: number of ordinary shares of the company.

EU: Greek bailout deal Mideast funds moving to cash as risks rise

possible by end of April DUBAI: Middle East fund managers may move and contained within Yemen’s borders, so there Property stocks such as Dar Al Arkan took a hit ATHENS: A deal on Greece’s bailout is possi- monthly payments in salaries, pensions and further into cash as economic and geopolitical will be no damage to the economies of the Gulf last week when the government decided to tax ble before the end of April, EU Council debt servicing without the bailout funds. But risks in the region rise, a monthly Reuters survey oil states. But the intervention has made mar- undeveloped urban land with the aim of bring- President Donald Tusk said yesterday as Tusk yesterday claimed that Athens could of asset managers shows. The survey of 15 lead- kets more volatile. ing down prices and making housing more Athens continued tough talks with its credi- hold its own for the time being. “I think that ing fund firms, conducted over the past 10 days, The shift of sentiment can be seen most affordable. tors on a disputed list of reforms. today we can say that the (economic) situa- shows just 13 percent expect to raise their equi- clearly in Saudi Arabian equities, where 20 per- Tusk said the negotiations were “com- tion in Greece is under control,” he said. ty allocations to the Middle East in the next cent of managers now expect to increase their EGYPT plex”, and while nothing was expected Athens has proposed to levy higher taxes on three months, down from 27 percent in the pre- allocations and the same proportion intend to Egypt is the one equities market where fund before Easter, a late April deadline agreed the rich, as well as measures to tackle tax vious survey. The proportion intending to cut reduce them. A month ago, 53 percent planned managers remain clearly bullish; low oil prices between Greece and its EU-IMF creditors was evasion and illegal fuel and cigarette smug- equity allocations is up to 20 percent from 13 to boost Saudi equity allocations and none to will help state finances, not hurt them as in the still within reach. gling. percent. cut them. Saudi petrochemical companies are Gulf, and while Egypt is involved in the Yemen “I hope we will reach an agreement by But its creditors are still pushing for pen- At the same time, 7 percent expect to raise heavily weighted in the market and oil’s conflict, it is geographically distant. the end of April, for me it is possible,” Tusk sion cuts and civil service layoffs, as well as a fixed income allocations to the region and 13 renewed softness has fuelled concern about In the last few weeks, a number of companies said during a visit to Madrid. Experts from number of key privatizations that the gov- percent to reduce them, compared to propor- their valuations. Overall, with a forward price-to- have reported strong profit growth for 2014, the International Monetary Fund and the ernment in January said it would block. tions of 7 and 27 percent a month ago. earnings ratio of 15.2, the Saudi market remains indicating the economy may have recovered in European Union are scrutinizing a list of eco- Brussels and Athens yesterday said enough It is the first time since the survey was the most richly valued in the Gulf Cooperation most respects from the political tumult of the nomic reforms proposed by Athens in a bid palpable progress had been made for senior launched in September 2013 that the bears out- Council and is just slightly cheaper than devel- past few years. Cable makers El Sewedy Electric to unlock another 7.2 billion euros ($7.8 bil- euro-zone finance ministry officials to “take weigh the bulls for both equities and fixed oped market benchmarks such as the Dow and Electro Cables Egypt posted net profit lion) in loans to stave off possible bankruptcy stock” of the situation in a conference call income simultaneously. Oil prices are one rea- Jones Industrial Average, which trades at 16.0 jumps of 231 and 466 percent. The public share and a euro exit. Greece says the reforms today. “The euro working group on son; after rebounding in the first two months of times earnings. “The Saudi market has had a offer of food maker Edita saw the institutional would help raise an extra three billion euros Wednesday will take stock of the current sit- this year, they again showed weakness in March. good run-up year-to-date,” said Shakeel Sarwar, tranche priced at the top of its range last week; it for government coffers without resorting to uation. I think the talks between the Greek Any international deal on Iran’s nuclear program head of asset management at Securities & was 13.4 times oversubscribed. Sarwar from wage and pension cuts. government and institutions will continue this week could be positive for the region’s Investment Co in Bahrain. “From the fundamen- SICO said Egypt was set to benefit from cheaper “The process of assessment of this plan is after the call,” a euro-zone source said. development but push oil down further because tal point of view, I think the market is fairly val- oil and valuations there looked “decent”. “In the very complex and I don’t foresee any break- Greece’s Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris of the prospect of more Iranian supply. ued.” Middle East and North Africa region, Egypt looks through before Easter,” Tusk said. Catholic Mardas said earlier that Athens was hoping The approach of anticipated US monetary “Also, we have heightened geopolitical risk like one of the markets that will outperform this Easter this year falls on Sunday, April 5. for a deal this week. “We are heading tightening later this year has cast a shadow over because of Yemen.” Economic reforms being year.” Twenty-seven percent of managers expect Orthodox Easter, traditionally a slow period towards an agreement with our partners fixed income. And in the past week, the Saudi pushed by King Salman in the months after his to raise their Egyptian equity allocations in the in Greece, is a week later. tomorrow (Wednesday) or the day after Arabian-led military intervention in Yemen has accession are another source of uncertainty. In next three months, down from 40 percent in the Greece’s hard-left government has (Thursday),” Mardas told Greek television become a significant risk factor. The vast majori- the long run they are likely to benefit the econo- last survey, while none expect to cut them com- already been sharply pressed to meet its channel Skai. — AFP\ ty of analysts think the conflict will be limited my, but in the short term there could be losers. pared to 7 percent. — Reuters WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 BUSINESS

News ACICO Cement launches new product in brief lines for Kuwait’s construction sector OPEC basket price down to $51.45 pb Demand from private, public projects growing: Al-Khaled

VIENNA: The OPEC daily basket price went down by $1.48 KUWAIT: ACICO Cement decided to launch Public Works and the Ministry of Housing,” to $51.45 a barrel Monday, compared with $52.93 pb the new production lines for essential and vital he said. previous day, the cartel said here yesterday. The average construction materials including the inter- About high diesel prices, Al-Khaled said, annual rate of the OPEC basket price for 2014 hit $96.29 pb, lock and white cement within its integra- “Despite the rise in diesel prices which it said. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is tion plan and in response to the increasing affected us negatively in transportation by made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol local market demand. 60 to 70 percent, ACICO did not raise the (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of At a press conference held on Monday prices of its products. We expect the gov- Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider at Palms Hotel, Eng Ahmad Al-Khaled, ACI- ernment to continue subsidies on diesel,” (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab CO Cement CEO, announced that this step he added. Within this context, ACICO Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venez). came within the strategic plan that aims at Cement added recently a large number of placing ACICO in the leading position cement carriers to its fleet. among various construction materials ACICO Industries Company is a fast Sipchem initial operations manufacturers. growing company whose products and Al-Khaled added, “The new production services meet essential necessities and begin at plastics plant lines came in response to the great need requirements of modern life including DUBAI: Preliminary operations have begun at a new for these products in the local market, both building materials. Since ACICO Company’s plastics plant owned by an affiliate of Saudi public and private projects”. The new pro- inception in June 1990 it has steadily ful- International Petrochemical Co (Sipchem), which duction lines conform to the latest state-of- filled its strategy, to enhance and adapt to should lead to production starting in April, Sipchem the-art technology in this regard because the constantly changing nature of its said yesterday. The Sipchem Chemicals Co plant, locat- ACICO Cement is very keen to satisfy its clients. ACICO Industries is a proud holder ed in Jubail Industrial City, will manufacture up to customers through the integration and of ISO 9001 certification since 2004 which 63,000 tons per year of polybutylene terephthalate diversification of its products while main- is an element of its universal vision to oper- (PBT) resin, according to a statement on Saudi’s bourse. taining its branded top quality, he pointed ate on multinational scale. PBT is a thermal polymer used in electrical and elec- out. Al-Khaled indicated that ACICO ACICO achieved growth and integrated tronic material production in the automotive and infor- Cement seeks continuously to develop and date the overall customers’ satisfaction. and the white cement is taking 25 percent development through maintaining the mation technology industries, the statement added. upgrade its various sectors whether on the He stressed that the last production line of the company’s total production. “There is quality of its products and deliver them on operational level or logistics operations by was the interlocking bricks with production a demand from the government and pri- time and building constant, confident and capacity of 6,000 square meters per day, vate sides especially from the Ministry of Arabtec appoints CEO adding developed mechanisms to consoli- lifelong partnerships. for its construction unit DUBAI: Arabtec Holding, Dubai’s largest listed builder, has appointed a new chief executive to its wholly-owned con- Potential loopholes could struction subsidiary, the parent firm said yesterday. Raja Ghanma has been promoted from chief operating officer to CEO of Arabtec Construction, Arabtec Holding said in a bourse filing. Ghanma has worked for Arabtec for more limit impact of Saudi land tax than 20 years and was a board member of the Arabtec Holding from 2008-2014, the statement said. DUBAI: A planned tax on undeveloped levy simply by sub-dividing their holdings, ership to relatives, business contacts or mark, which dropped 3.9 percent because urban land may transform Saudi Arabia’s or by building minimal infrastructure on shell companies to avoid the tax. of the conflict in Yemen; the construction Dubai’s Drake & Scull real estate market, boosting construction them. The cabinet has given no details of “How effective the government will be sector index is now down 3.5 percent. The proposes no 2014 dividend and making homes more affordable, but the likely size of the tax, how it would be in closing these loopholes will be a big fac- Saudi building sector was worth 152.4 bil- DUBAI: Dubai engineering firm Drake and Scull said potential loopholes could dilute the implemented, or a timetable for introduc- tor in determining whether the law is lion riyals ($41 billion) in 2014, providing yesterday its board had proposed paying no dividend impact and make the effect on the market ing it. An economic council will make pro- effective,” said Ahmad. “It’s too early to say 5.4 percent of gross domestic product, for 2014. The company’s profit fell to 100.7 million hard to predict. posals to the Shura Council, a top advisory how the law - if introduced - will affect HSBC estimates. dirhams ($27.42 million) in 2014 from 166.5 million Real estate stocks tumbled and con- body; given the money at stake, there may land prices. Sellers may be able to incorpo- “It may help spur economic activity in dirhams a year earlier. Drake and Scull last paid a cash struction stocks rose last week after the be considerable lobbying to water down rate the tax owed into the selling price.” the construction sector, which is a signifi- dividend for 2011, which was 0.03 dirham per share, cabinet backed introducing the tax, which the tax. The idea of the law was raised about six cant driver for Saudi’s non-oil economy,” according to Reuters data. could help the government meet promises months ago, Ahmad noted, so some prop- said Razan Nasser, HSBC’s economist for to build 500,000 new homes and ease a Sliding scale erty developers have probably already the Middle East. housing shortage. By pushing more land Other questions include whether the been making contingency plans. That would be especially welcome at a Oil drops to $55 as Iran out into the market, the tax could bring tax will be levied at a flat rate or on a slid- The stock market’s property sector time when weak oil prices are dampening down prices, hurting developers who are ing scale, and whether holders will be giv- index has dropped 8.3 percent since last the energy sector. The tax could also be a nuclear talks intensify sitting on big land banks. en a lengthy grace period - perhaps one to week’s cabinet decision because of a belief significant step in diversifying Saudi “It should release land for development three years - before paying tax. The that the value of real estate developers’ Arabia’s revenues beyond oil, which tradi- LONDON: Brent crude oil dropped towards $55 a barrel yes- - people who earlier held onto a plot will answers to these questions will help to land banks will shrink. It has underper- tionally has provided about 90 percent of terday as Iran and six world powers entered a final day of talks now likely look at building income-gener- determine whether holders transfer own- formed the main Saudi equities bench- budget income. — Reuters over a nuclear deal that could see the energy-rich country ating housing on it,” said Fayyaz Ahmad, increase oil exports to world markets. With a self-imposed director of property consultants JLL’s deadline set for the end of the day, the United States, Britain, Riyadh operations. “It should benefit con- France, Germany, Russia and China ramped up the pace of struction, but there are a lot of unan- Sidra Capital opening Islamic negotiations with Iran in Switzerland over an outline deal on swered questions that will determine the Tehran’s nuclear program. true impact.” One area of uncertainty is the Disagreements on enrichment research and the pace of lift- minimum size of land to be taxed, and trade fund to GCC investors ing sanctions remained as hurdles that could scupper a deal to whether the tax will apply only to com- end a 12-year standoff between Iran and the West. pletely undeveloped land or also to plots RIYADH: Saudi Arabia-based investment tial $15 million in assets, has received annual return of 9 percent last year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in with some infrastructure already built. bank Sidra Capital is changing its Islamic approval from the Luxembourg regulator “What happens is that for many of these Moscow he believed the talks had a good chance of success. trade finance fund, initially established as to become open-ended and it expects the companies supported by the fund, their “The chances are high. They are probably not 100 percent but Smaller land parcels are typically “ser- closed-ended, to an open-ended format as Saudi regulator’s approval as early as April, value increases dramatically within three you can never be 100 percent certain of anything,” Lavrov said. viced” - connected to utilities such as pow- it sees growing appetite from regional Baothman said. years, and eventually they become mature Western diplomats however played down expectations for er and water - while larger parcels defined the talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Brent was $1.25 lower as “raw” lack such amenities. Raw plots investors in the Gulf, its chief executive He said the fund supported the supply medium-sized companies and open a at $55.04 a barrel by 1111 GMT and was heading for a monthly tend to trade in sizes above 50,000 square said. The Luxembourg-registered fund pro- chain of companies, unlike other muraba- wider financing world for them.” drop of around 12 percent. metres, while serviced parcels are usually vides working capital to small businesses ha-based funds which buy and sell metals Asked whether the firm planned to US crude was down 92 cents at $47.77 a barrel. Both less than 1,000 square metres, said Ahmad. focusing on agricultural commodities, on the London Metal Exchange. introduce this strategy into Saudi Arabia, benchmark contracts were heading for a third consecutive “Some big parcels of say 1 million energy and metals, a segment often neg- In murabaha contracts, a firm buys and Baothman said it was being considered but quarter of declines. Oil prices extended two days of falls as square metres are sub-divided into many lected by Islamic lenders, across emerging sells merchandise on behalf of a third party not in the near term. investors said a deal in Lausanne could lead to an increase in lots and then these get sold and re-sold, markets outside Saudi Arabia. and shares a portion of the profits. But such “The whole purpose of investing in this Iranian crude supply to a market already weighed down by passing through many hands,” he added. Assets under management in its struc- financing is rarely seen in direct merchan- strategy is to ultimately bring this know- oversupply due to rising US shale production. “If the flood The dominance of land trading in the tured trade investment fund, co-managed dise trade. how to the GCC region, where trade gates to Iranian crude open, (prices) will probably test this property market can be seen in the fact by Sidra Capital and Swiss-based INOKS “We don’t buy secondary transactions, finance is widely used by banks but not in a year’s lows again,” Daniel Ang, analyst at Singapore-based bro- that of 20,460 real estate deals completed Capital, are now 250 million riyals ($67 mil- we don’t securitise. We are focusing basi- similar manner as our fund. “Currently the kerage Phillip Futures, told Reuters Global Oil Forum. between December and mid-March in lion) after a recent inflow from Gulf-based cally on commodities like cocoa, rice, cot- fund can support the supply chain of Iran could increase oil production by around 500,000 bar- Riyadh and Jeddah, the two main cities, 71 investors. “The first tranche of the GCC (Gulf ton, maize, soft commodities, even some regional companies, but we eventually rels per day (bpd) within six months if sanctions are removed, percent were land sales, JLL said. Sales of Cooperation Council) investors came with metals...real commodities, real murabaha, want to establish a local vehicle that can and by an additional 700,000 bpd within another year, accord- villas accounted for only 20 percent and $50 million and we think there will be more real transactions.” support local SMEs (small and medium- ing to estimates by Facts Global Energy. Western sanctions and more of this to come through,” Hani The fund helps smaller companies grow sized enterprises).” The fund is currently have limited Iranian crude oil exports to around 1 million bpd, apartments, 9 percent. If the tax is not applied to smaller Baothman, chief executive of Sidra Capital, their businesses to the point where they studying possible transactions in sub- and shipping sources say Iran is storing at least 30 million bar- told Reuters in a telephone interview. obtain access to bank finance, said Saharan Africa, Malaysia and eastern rels of oil on a supertankers. —Reuters parcels, owners may be able to avoid the The fund, launched in 2012 with an ini- Baothman, adding that the fund made an Europe, Baothman said. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES

Malaysian Ringgit 82.495 South African Rand 0.018780 0.027280 Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. UAE Exchange Centre WLL Chinese Yuan Renminbi 48.790 Thai Bhat 10.210 Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001884 0.002464 Turkish Lira 115.410 Taiwan 0.009473 0.009653 ASIAN COUNTRIES COUNTRY TELEX TRANSFER PER 1000 Thai Baht 0.008920 0.0009470 Japanese Yen 2.506 Australian Dollar 229.57 Indian Rupees 4.831 Canadian Dollar 240.10 Arab Swiss Franc 314.00 Bahrain Exchange Company Pakistani Rupees 2.953 Bahraini Dinar 0.792211 0.800211 Srilankan Rupees 2.252 Euro 326.40 US Dollar 301.30 Egyptian Pound 0.039105 0.042205 Nepali Rupees 3.011 COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFT Sterling Pound 447.67 Iranian Riyal 0.000083 0.000085 Europe Singapore Dollar 219.460 Japanese Yen 2.55 Iraqi Dinar 0.000190 0.000250 Belgian Franc 0.007853 0.008853 Hongkong Dollar 38.831 Bangladesh Taka 3.868 Jordanian Dinar 0.420667 0.428167 Bangladesh Taka 3.870 Indian Rupee 4.807 British Pound 0.438021 0.447021 Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000 Philippine Peso 6.735 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.252 Czech Korune 0.003862 0.015862 Lebanese Pound 0.000150 0.000250 Thai Baht 9.270 Nepali Rupee 3.010 Danish Krone 0.039611 0.044611 Moroccan Dirhams 0.021564 0.045564 Pakistani Rupee 2.957 Euro 0.319282 0.327282 Nigerian Naira 0.001238 0.001873 GCC COUNTRIES UAE Dirhams 81.91 Norwegian Krone 0.033583 0.038783 Omani Riyal 0.776064 0.781744 Saudi Riyal 80.325 Bahraini Dinar 799.72 Romanian Leu 0.086371 0.086371 Qatar Riyal 0.081993 0.083206 Qatari Riyal 82.754 Egyptian Pound 39.38 Slovakia 0.008946 0.018946 Saudi Riyal 0.079657 0.080357 Omani Riyal 782.590 Jordanian Dinar 428.11 Swedish Krona 0.030997 0.035997 Syrian Pound 0.001275 0.001495 Bahraini Dinar 800.050 Omani Riyal 781.40 Swiss Franc 0.303691 0.313891 Tunisian Dinar 0.151458 0.159458 UAE Dirham 82.021 Qatari Riyal 82.97 Turkish Lira 0.115768 0.122768 Turkish Lira 0.115768 0.122768 Saudi Riyal 80.26 UAE Dirhams 0.080997 0.082146 ARAB COUNTRIES Australasia Yemeni Riyal 0.001360 0.001440 Egyptian Pound - Cash 41.365 Australian Dollar 0.221295 0.232795 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 39.388 Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd New Zealand Dollar 0.218849 0.228349 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.406 Tunisian Dinar 155.210 Rate for Transfer Selling Rate America Al Mulla Exchange Jordanian Dinar 425.160 US Dollar 300.500 Canadian Dollar 0.231517 0.240017 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.021 Canadian Dollar 239.700 US Dollars 0.297000 0.301700 Syrian Lira 2.147 Sterling Pound 446.940 US Dollars Mint 0.297500 0.301700 CurrencyTransfer Rate (Per 1000) Morocco Dirham 30.882 Euro 327.510 US Dollar 298.850 Swiss Frank 289.515 Asia Euro 323.750 Bangladesh Taka 0.003525 0.004125 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES Bahrain Dinar 800.390 Pound Sterlng 452.450 US Dollar Transfer 301.100 UAE Dirhams 82.205 Chinese Yuan 0.047030 0.050530 Canadian Dollar 239.000 Euro 326.390 Qatari Riyals 83.380 Hong Kong Dollar 0.036736 0.039486 Indian Rupee 4.775 Sterling Pound 446.380 Saudi Riyals 80.325 Indian Rupee 0.004536 0.004937 Canadian dollar 327.740 Jordanian Dinar 424.220 Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024 Egyptian Pound 39.150 Turkish lira 115.390 Egyptian Pound 39.314 Japanese Yen 0.002424 0.002604 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.240 Swiss Franc 311.700 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.251 Kenyan Shilling 0.003340 0.003340 Bangladesh Taka 3.842 Australian Dollar 230.790 Indian Rupees 4.808 Korean Won 0.000261 0.000276 Philippines Peso 6.750 US Dollar Buying 299.900 Pakistani Rupees 2.949 Malaysian Ringgit 0.078301 0.084301 Pakistan Rupee 2.942 Bangladesh Taka 3.862 Nepalese Rupee 0.003049 0.003219 Bahraini Dinar 795.750 Philippines Pesso 6.713 GOLD Pakistan Rupee 0.002819 0.003099 UAE Dirham 81.600 Cyprus pound 737.735 20 gram 237.670 Philippine Peso 0.006724 0.007004 Japanese Yen 3.520 Saudi Riyal 79.800 Sierra Leone 0.000067 0.000073 10 gram 121.530 Syrian Pound 2.590 Singapore Dollar 0.215505 0.221505 *Rates are subject to change 5 gram 61.450 Nepalese Rupees 4.000 BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Kuwait, Saudi stocks drop over oil prices

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

DUBAI: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed in the red zone yesterday while Saudi Arabia’s bourse fell further in line with oil prices. Most other Gulf markets rose, reversing a pattern seen in the last few weeks when the kingdom outperformed the region. The KSE Price Index ended the session 3.5 points down, to 6282.4 points, while the Weighted Index and Kuwait 15 Index shed 0.96 points and 6.3 points respectively. As many as 103.2 million shares, valued at KD 17.8 million were traded in a total of 3.287 transactions. Brent and US oil dropped about 2 percent each as Iran and six world powers ramped up the pace of negotiations in an effort to reach a preliminary deal on Tehran’s nuclear program by the end of the day. If achieved, a deal could ease sanctions and allow more Iranian crude onto world markets. The main Saudi stock index lost 2.0 percent as heavyweight Saudi Basic Industries, the kingdom’s top petrochemicals producer, dropped 3.2 percent and was the main drag. Al-Rajhi Bank, the leading retail lender whose earnings have been affected by a regulatory cap on consumer finance fees introduced last year, dropped 2.6 percent as a wider banking sell-off continued. Also, a number of stocks traded without dividends on Tuesday. Saudi Real Estate, down 3.2 percent, Kingdom Holding, which fell 2.9 per- KUWAIT: Officials of GIG attending the Shafafiyah Forum yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra cent, and several cement makers weighed on the market.

UAE, QATAR Dubai’s index jumped 2.0 percent as real estate devel- GIG achieves net profit oper DAMAC surged 4.9 percent. A company executive told Reuters on Monday its first-quarter sales hit 2.8 billion dirhams ($762 million), increasing from the previous quar- ter thanks to robust demand from foreign buyers. The news was a positive surprise as many analysts of KD 12 million in 2014 believe Dubai property prices and real estate activity probably peaked last year and are slowly going down. Emaar Properties, the emirate’s largest listed developer, pared early losses and climbed 1.4 percent as DAMAC appeared to boost wider market sentiment. Group establishes new life insurance firm in Algeria Engineering firm Drake and Scull, however, fell 1.0 per- cent after its board proposed paying no dividend for 2014, KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), the “Regionally, GIG occupies an advanced posi- remarkable results despite the exceptional intensively to meet customers’ needs and making it the third year in a row with no cash payouts. leading insurance provider in Kuwait and the tion in terms of gross premiums written and circumstances and political situations in requirements, exceed their expectations, and Abu Dhabi’s bourse rose 0.8 percent, mostly because of Middle East held its 53rd ordinary general technical profits. The Group maintained its lead- some Arab countries. The Group has maintain our leadership position in key mar- large blue-chip lenders such as National Bank of Abu assembly meeting. The group announced ership position in the Bahraini market through achieved double-digit growth in the total kets we operate in. We continue, through per- Dhabi , which jumped 3.0 percent. that it achieved a net profit KD 12 million our subsidiary Bahrain Kuwait Insurance investment portfolio which grew by 12 per- severance and commitment to excel, to work But Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA), which is ($41 million), equivalent to 66.42 fils per Company, in Jordan through Arab Orient cent with amount of KD 22.6 million ($ 77.1 towards improving our position across the sensitive to oil prices, tumbled 4.8 percent ahead of a board meeting later in the day that was to review its 2014 share for the year ended in 12/31/2014 Insurance Company in terms of gross premiums million). The total investment portfolio Arab insurance sector, while achieving strong results. Also, trade unions of oil workers in the North Sea, reflecting a double digit growth rise of 17.6 written, and in Egypt in terms of technical profit reached KD 212.5 million ($ 725.4 million) at growth rates in the coming years and pre- where TAQA has assets, voted in favour of a strike last percent compared with profit KD 10.2 million through Arab Misr Insurance Group (AMIG). the end of 2014, Moreover; both of the net serve the interests of our shareholders, cus- week over contract changes. ($ 34.8 million) for the same period last year. Furthermore our subsidiaries have maintained investment return grew by 14.7 percent to tomers, and our employees.” Qatar’s market rose 1.1 percent as most stocks were The Group was successful in establishing a their ratings obtained from AM Best.” reach KD 11.8 million ($40.5 million), com- He also added: “GIG will continue to positive. Gulf International Services, which provides servic- new life insurance company in Algeria with a pared with KD 10.3 million ($35.3 million) seek the best investment opportunities to es to oil and gas companies, led gains, surging 4.9 percent. 42.5 per cent share. RESTRUCTURING last year and gross written premiums grew widen its expansion regionally by the sup- According to Thomson Reuters data, foreign investors During its Shafafiyah forum, the Group pre- He added: “During 2014, GIG was suc- by 11 percent to reach KD 173.6 million ($ port of KIPCO Projects Company and started increasing their combined stake in the company sented a review for 2014 results and outlook for cessful in restructuring our subsidiary in 592.7 million), increased by KD 16.6 million Fairfax Financial Holding Ltd. Which I would this week after it fell to a two-month low of 12.6 percent 2015 to shareholders, financial analysts and Kuwait, Gulf Life Insurance Company, to ($ 56.5 million)”. like to thank all of them for their perma- on March 26. investors. The forum was held after the Group’s operate as composite insurer and success- “The Group’s net technical reserves nent support and cooperation. Moreover; Egypt’s market climbed 0.2 percent even as the biggest ordinary general assembly meeting which fully changed the company’s name to be increased by KD 8.9 million ($30.5 million) the group will continue the extensive work index component, Commercial International Bank , went ex- approved to distribute 33 percent cash divi- “Gulf Insurance and Reinsurance Company”. with growth of 9.1 percent to reach KD to improve career path plans for the dividend and slipped 0.3 percent. Property stocks were par- dend (33 fils per share) for the year ended Moreover, it renewed the combined reinsur- 106.8 million ($ 364.6 million) at the end of employees to strengthen their technical ticularly strong with Medinet Nasr Housing and Heliopolis December 31st 2014. Commenting on the ance program for the parent and sub- 2014 compared with KD 97.9 million ($ capabilities and experiences. We also aim at Housing jumping 2.8 and 3.2 percent respectively. group results during 2014, GIG’s Group Chief sidiaries. We have also increased our stake in 334.1 million) at December 31st 2013, developing marketing plans and cam- The Cairo government has stepped up efforts to Executive Officer Khaled Al-Hasan said, “GIG Arab Orient Insurance Company in Jordan to which aims to sustain the group’s opera- paigns and promote distribution channels address the shortage of housing in the country and this continues to maintain its strong and leading reach 90.2 percent, while also increasing our tional activities, as well as to protect the and sales with an overall objective of month announced plans to build a new capital city from position across the local and regional markets stake in Syrian Kuwaiti Insurance Company policyholders’ rights to ultimately strength- improving the credit rating of our compa- scratch. It has also resolved some long-running disputes for the 14th consecutive year in terms of gross to reach 54.3 percent and in our associated en GIG’s ability to cover emergencies and nies.” “On this occasion, I would like to over land allocations made by previous cabinets. South written premiums. The Group is rated with A- company Egyptian Takaful Property and risks that may rise in the future”. thank all our respectable customers, share- Valley Cement surged 6.4 percent ahead of its 2014 earn- /Stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s and A- Liability to reach 25 percent.” “The Group has Commenting on group outlook for 2015, holders, employees, brokers and reinsurers ings and dividend announcement. — Agencies /Positive outlook from AM Best.” achieved an outstanding growth and Al-Hasan also said: “The Group is working for their trust and continuous support.” Euro-zone price fall slows as expected

BRUSSELS: Euro-zone consumer “Finally, later in the year - and prices fell again in March, as expect- more so in 2016 - the impact of the ed, but the decline was the smallest weaker euro will feed through. this year, indicating the price of Overall, then we look to be in a world goods and services could start rising of ‘lowflation’ rather than ‘deflation’,” again soon. Kounis said. Meanwhile, the region’s unem- As in previous months, the decline ployment rate fell to its lowest in was mainly driven by a drop in the almost three years, a sign the econo- price of energy, which was 5.8 per- my is picking up steam and inflation cent cheaper in March than a year is likely to rise. earlier. Core inflation, which excludes Consumer prices in the 19 coun- volatile energy and unprocessed tries sharing the euro fell 0.1 percent food costs, was 0.6 percent year-on- year-on-year this month, the year, down from 0.7 percent in European Union’s statistics office February and the same as in January. Eurostat estimated. Prices fell 0.3 per- “The data will likely dilute fears cent in February and 0.6 percent in that deflation could become January. The bottoming out of price entrenched in the euro zone with declines is likely to be welcome news long-term debilitating growth for the European Central Bank, which effects,” said Howard Archer, econo- HANOI: Women selling fruits at a village’s afternoon market in Quoc Oai district, on wants to keep inflation below, but mist at IHS Global Insight. the outskirts of Hanoi. Local official media have reported that the country’s GDP close to 2 percent over the medium “In fact, it may not be long before growth rate reached 6,03 percent for the first quarter of 2015. — AFP term. It started printing money in the markets start seriously question- March to inject more cash into the ing whether the ECB will continue to economy and ward off concerns of fully enact its quantitative easing pro- US home prices rose at persistently falling prices, or deflation. gram all the way through to “Inflation will soon flatten out, September 2016,” Archer said. In and will turn clearly positive in the another positive sign for the euro- steady pace in January second half of the year,” said Nick zone economy, Eurostat said euro- Kounis, head macro and financial zone unemployment fell to 11.3 per- WASHINGTON: US home price increases con- homes appreciated at 8.1 percent. Home markets research at ABN AMR. “The cent of the workforce in February tinued to rise at a steady pace in January, as appreciation nearly plateaued in Washington, drag from energy will ease in the from an upwardly revised 11.4 in the housing market deals with affordability DC, where prices rose just 1.3 percent. coming months, while food price January-the lowest rate since May problems and few properties listed for sale. Signed contracts in February suggest that inflation (now unusually weak) is like- 2012. Eurostat said 18.204 million ROME: A dustman sweeps as he works in front a work wear shop in The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city sales will rebound after a sluggish start to ly to gradually edge up as it follows people were without jobs in the euro- Rome yesterday. Official figures raised hopes that the current bout home price index rose 4.6 percent in January 2015, when sales were running below last developments in agricultural prices zone in February, 49,000 people fewer of deflation across the region could be over much sooner than compared with 12 months earlier, S&P said year’s relatively pace. The number of signed with a long lag,” he said. than a month earlier. — Reuters anticipated. — AP yesterday. That is up from growth of 4.4 per- contracts rose 3.1 percent last month, which cent in December. should be reflected by more sales being com- Few Americans have listed their homes for pleted in March and April, according to the sale, with the tight inventory keeping prices National Association of Realtors. Saudi bourse’s rules for opening to higher. Robust hiring and low mortgage rates A new housing indicator by the insurer have raised the possibility of stronger sales, Nationwide suggests that the housing market yet home prices have appreciated at a signifi- was stable at the end of 2014. That index foreigners expected by end-April cantly faster pace than earnings. “Home released yesterday said the housing market is prices are rising roughly twice as fast as at its healthiest level since 2001, with few DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s market regulator will pub- the banker said, speaking on condition of whereby foreign investors buy Saudi shares wages, putting pressure on potential home- regional markets at risk of a downturn. Based lish the final rules governing the opening of the anonymity as the information isn’t public. through a local proxy, will be included in the calcu- buyers and heightening the risk that any on employment, demographics, mortgages kingdom’s stock exchange to direct foreign He added there would probably be a timetable lation of how much foreign investors can own in a uptick in interest rates could be a major set- and home prices, the index found the healthi- investors by the end of April, a senior Saudi banker announced at the same point that would give single stock. told Reuters. His comments correspond to a report details about how banks would register clients, Under the draft rules published in August, back,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the est markets to be in Pittsburgh, Cleveland in pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat yesterday, and the official opening was likely to come by the there will be a 20 percent cap on combined for- index committee for S&P Dow Jones Indices. and Philadelphia metro areas. which quoted unnamed informed sources in the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which con- eign ownership of a company. The opening will be The Case-Shiller index covers roughly half of Historically low mortgage rates and solid kingdom as saying the regulations will be pub- cludes around July 17. controlled, like the opening of China’s bourse to US homes. The index measures prices com- hiring have laid the foundation for stronger lished in April and the market will officially open to When announcing plans to open the market to foreigners. A limited number of licenses are pared with those in January 2000 and creates sales this year. overseas institutions 60 days later. direct foreign investment, the Saudi authorities expected to be granted initially by the authorities, a three-month moving average. The January Average 30-year fixed rates were 3.69 per- The opening of the Saudi market, the largest in said it would happen by the end of the first half of but the opening is still attracting significant inter- figures are the latest available. cent last week, according to the mortgage the Gulf with a capitalization of around $510 bil- 2015 — a fact reiterated by the new head of the est. One issue which might have derailed the time- Housing inventories have been tight since giant Freddie Mac. The average has plummet- lion, is one of the most eagerly awaited economic Capital Market Authority (CMA) in February. The line for the market opening is the Saudi-led mili- December. The number of homes for sale in ed from a 52-week high of 4.41 percent, mak- reforms in the region in recent times. responses from a consultation with investors that tary intervention in neighboring Yemen, although February was equal to just 4.6 months of ing it cheaper for would-be homeowners to With roughly the same value as all other Gulf took place at the end of last year over the draft analysts doubt that will be the case. sales, compared to an average of 5.2 months buy. Separately, employers have added 3.3 Arab markets combined, and worth more than rules have been studied by the CMA for the past “The signalling effect to international market last year. Six months of supply is typical for a million jobs over the past 12 months, includ- stock markets in either Russia, Malaysia or Turkey, few months. Bankers in the kingdom expect some participants (of delaying) will be quite negative, healthy housing market. ing 295,000 jobs in February. The hiring spree the kingdom is also one of the last major global changes to that original document but nothing and I think this is not of interest to Saudi financial All 20 cities reported higher prices than a pace has caused the unemployment rate to bourses to open itself for foreigners to directly dramatic. authorities,” said Sergey Dergachev, senior portfo- year earlier. Denver reported the largest drop to 5.5 percent from 6.7 percent. As more invest in the exchange. “They will soon publish the Among the major issues raised by the consulta- lio manager for emerging market debt at Union gains, with prices up 8.4 percent. Miami people in the economy hold jobs, more pay- final regulations, most likely by the end of April,” tion is said to be whether swaps agreements, Investment Privatfonds in Germany. — Reuters prices jumped by 8.3 percent, while Dallas checks exist to fund home purchases. — AP BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Greece worries compound euro’s fall

LONDON: The euro remained on track for its was expected to see a similar-sized drop. But “And we think it still makes sense to allocate stressed that they must “add up”. “The ques- Index hit another seven-year high and biggest quarterly fall and European shares for Europe has rallied 16 percent since Jan. 1, with into the equity market because the bond yields tion is: can and will Greece fulfil the expecta- gained 16 percent for the quarter on bets their best first quarter of the euro era yesterday, Germany’s DAX surging 23 percent and France’s are quite frankly repulsive these days.” tions we all have?” she said during a visit to of more stimulus from Beijing. as worries about Greece’s finances kept the single CAC 19 percent higher, compared to a more mod- Duret was talking about the fact that bond Finland. “Tax cuts, reductions to down payments currency under pressure. est 5 percent for London’s FTSE and just 1.3 per- investors effectively now have to pay to lend Greece’s leader Alexis Tsipras responded on second homes, along with further The European Central Bank’s 1 trillion euro cent for the US S&P 500. money to Germany as well as most other core by appealing for an “honest compromise” moves to (reserve) requirement ratios have quantitative easing program, launched this New euro-zone data showed a small pickup in northern euro-zone members. German Bund and but warned he would not agree to “uncondi- all been introduced to assist China’s slow- month, has prompted investors to pile into euro inflation following the launch of the ECB’s stimu- other euro zone yields have been falling since tional” demands. ing housing sector and will be a medium- zone shares on bets a weak euro, low borrowing lus, and with the program set to run for a year 2015 and they turned lower again in early after- term positive in the global growth story,” costs and cheap oil will drive a surge in company and a half, investors remain upbeat on the region. noon trading amid uneasy euro zone talks about BUYS DOLLARS, WEAR DIAMONDS Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG in profits. “For the moment we have decided not to take Greece’s finances. The euro was last down 1 percent Melbourne, said in a note. Emerging mar- There was a 0.5 percent dip on the pan- profits because Europe has been lagging for sever- Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said on against the dollar at $1.0720. Its dive has ket stocks headed for their first quarterly European FTSEurofirst 300 index as traders al years so it still has room to outperform,” said Monday that Athens had a certain degree of flexi- been the dollar’s gain, with the greenback rise since the second quarter of 2014 driv- squared up for the quarter end, while Wall Street Didier Duret, chief investment officer at ABN Amro. bility on which reforms to implement but recording its biggest quarterly rise against en by Chinese, but also Russian shares’ the world’s top six currencies since 2008. which have seen their best run since 2010 Wall Street, which is now facing the head- after being trounced last year. winds of that strength, was expected to see Russia especially has been helped as oil a subdued session later though it will still notch up its ninth straight quarter of gains. prices have steadied over the last couple of One of the key supports has been that months. But they were on the slide again even though the Federal Reserve is head- yesterday on prospects that OPEC member ing for its first rate hike in almost a decade, Iran could reach a deal with six world pow- bond yields have continued to fall. ers on its nuclear program that could allow That is largely thanks to the ECB’s efforts Tehran to sell more of its oil onto an in Europe, but a staggering 26 central already saturated market. US crude was last banks around the world have either cut down 1.8 percent at $47.80 per barrel with rates this year or eased policy in some oth- Brent down to $55.31. Although modest in er way. Japan’s Nikkei finished the first recent terms, both were headed for their quarter with a chunky 10 percent gain and third straight quarterly fall, a run that hasn’t the often volatile Shanghai Composite been seen since the late 1990s. — Reuters BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Philips to sell major stake in LED, car-lighting arm

THE HAGUE: Dutch electronics giant ing that Philips could eventually sell off Philips yesterday said it was selling a major- Lighting, one of its core businesses for ity stake in its LED and car-lighting arm to a many years. Part of the split included creat- consortium led by China and US-based GO ing a separate company for some of its Scale Capital investment fund in a deal lighting activities, namely its LED and car worth $2.8 bn. The deal is part of Philips’ lighting branches, to be branded under the broader streamlining move which will name of Lumileds. “We are convinced that eventually see the 120-year-old company together with GO Scale Capital, Lumileds transform into a specialist healthcare- can grow further, attract more customers lifestyle manufacturer. and increase scale as a stand-alone compa- “Philips today announced that it has ny,” Philips chief executive Frans van signed an agreement with a consortium Houten said yesterday. “We feel very comfortable to hand over 80 percent of the shares... to this consor- tium which has a proven track record,” Van Houten told journalists in an early-morning conference call. Lumileds is a leading sup- plier of general, car and consumer lighting components and operates in 30 different countries, employing some 8,300 people world-wide. Founded in 1891 in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven, Philips itself employs around 112,000 people globally.

Lumiled looks to cars Philips, a household name around the world for home appliances, has already in recent years stripped down its business to focus more on advanced lighting technolo- gy and on medical technology where mar- The logo of the Dutch medical and con- gins are strong and less vulnerable to com- sumer electronics giant Philips at its petition from emerging markets. headquarters in Amsterdam. — AFP “We take Philips’ history as inspiration, but not as a sentiment to guide decisions,” led by GO Scale Capital through which they Van Houten said yesterday. GO Scale will acquire an 80.1 percent interest in Capital is a new investment fund spon- Philips’ combined LED components and sored by GSR Ventures and Oak Investment CIKEDOKAN: A worker watches a production line of a new Coca-Cola plant in Cikedokan, Bekasi-West Java yesterday. The newly-inaugurated automotive lighting business,” the Partners with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong Coca-Cola company new plant in Indonesia, has become the biggest plant in Asia-Pacific with total investment worth some $500 million. — AFP Amsterdam-based group said. and Silicon Valley. “Philips expects to receive cash pro- Its current investments include US- ceeds, before tax and transaction related based Boston Power, which makes electric India boardrooms jostle costs, of approximately USD 2.8 billion (2.5 vehicle batteries and China-based Xin Da billion euros),” it said in a statement, with Yang which produces electric vehicles. up to another $100 million possible in “GO Scale Capital will focus on expand- deferred contingent payments.After the ing Lumileds’ opportunities by investing in to find women directors sale, to be completed in the third quarter of its global centres of operation and in the the year, Philips will retain a 19.9 percent fast growing general lighting and automo- share in the business, it added. tive industries,” GO Scale Capital chairman Philips last year announced it would Sonny Wu said in yesterday’s statement. Over 1,500 firms fail as mandatory deadline expires split in two, separating its healthcare- “Together with a customer base including lifestyle arm from its historic lighting sec- the likes of BMW, Volkswagen and Audi, we MUMBAI: Hundreds of India’s com- Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay March 27, the firm said. It is impossible not to find the tion in a move to streamline operations. expect to see significant growth and unpar- panies have failed to find women Stock Exchange (BSE) had still not “It is the height of ridiculous- required number of qualified The split is expected to be completed allelled inroads into new opportunities for their boards despite a last- announced female directors as of ness. Companies are just being lazy. women from a billion people,” said sometime next year, with analysts predict- such as electric vehicles,” Wu said. — AFP minute rush to meet a mandatory Shriram Subramanian, head of cor- deadline to appoint at least one porate advisory firm InGovern, female director. based in the southern city of More than 1,500 companies, or Bangalore. Turkish growth 33 percent of those on India’s two “Firms think if a large number of main exchanges have not complied companies do not follow the norm with a new law aimed at reversing a nobody will be fined and the dead- beats forecasts lack of women in boardrooms, a line will be pushed ahead. It is like if group that tracks listed firms said (all people) spit on the road yesterday. nobody can be fined.” ISTANBUL: Turkey’s economy grew a bet- negative,” said Tatha Gose, a senior emerg- Others, including India’s sec- Ahead of the deadline, regula- ter-than-expected 2.9 percent last year but ing market economist at Commerzbank. ond richest man Mukesh Ambani, tor, the Securities Exchange Board still fell short of a government target, data have found unusual solutions- of India (SEBI), warned that firms showed yesterday, a sign the central bank After the election appointing their wives rather than face regulatory action for failure to could face more political pressure for a rate Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said opting for outside talent. comply. SEBI chief UK Sinha also cut before June’s general election. The Turkey’s $800 billion economy would Ambani’s giant conglomerate, said last week he found it “very slowdown from 4.2 percent in 2013 is a nonetheless improve after the polls. Reliance Industries, has appointed shameful” that so many companies major headache for the ruling AK Party, “Delayed investment and consumption due wife Nita, while industrialist didn’t already have women on their which has had a solid record on the econo- to financial volatility slowed down growth Gautam Singhania also named wife boards. SEBI announced the rules my since coming to power in 2002 and is somewhat in the first quarter of 2015,” he Nawaz Singhania as a director of his 13 months ago in a bid to boost aiming for a sweeping victory at the polls. said in a statement. massive textile manufacturing con- gender diversity at the top and has President Tayyip Erdogan wants the par- “But we expect that growth will acceler- glomerate, Raymond Group. already extended its original dead- ty he founded to gain a two-thirds majority, ate in the second half of the year with the Pranav Haldea, managing direc- line from last October. which would allow it to push through a increase in both political and financial pre- tor of PRIME Database, said compa- During a visit to India earlier this constitutional change and create an execu- dictability.” The latest data may lead nies were scrambling to appoint month, International Monetary tive presidency. He has fulminated against Erdogan to renew calls for a rate cut, but one female director ahead of the Fund chief Christine Lagarde said interest rates in the election run-up, raising the weakening currency could give the April 1 deadline set by India’s mar- the lack of female workers in India investor concern about central bank inde- central bank some breathing room, ana- ket regulator. is a “huge missed opportunity” for pendence. lysts said. The lira is down around 12 per- “This sort of last-minute rush the country’s economic growth. “The central bank was already under cent this year, the sixth-worst performance pattern is typical when it comes to Women make up roughly 50 attack from the government when Turkey in a basket of 25 emerging market curren- regulatory compliance,” said percent of India’s population of 1.2 was growing at a faster clip,” said Nicholas cies, according to Thomson Reuters data. Haldea, whose firm has compiled MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani (left) poses billion, but in terms of female labor Spiro of Spiro Sovereign Strategy, a consul- The central bank was able to resist figures on the companies comply- with his wife Nita upon their arrival at the company’s annual general participation the country ranks a tancy. “The combination of weak growth, a Erdogan’s pressure this month, leaving ing with the order. Some 1,819 meeting in Mumbai. Hundreds of India’s companies have failed to dismal 120th among the 131 parliamentary election and fragile senti- rates on hold because the lira’s slide risks companies out of more than 5,000 find women for their boards despite a last-minute rush to meet a nations surveyed by International ment puts the central bank in a very diffi- stoking inflation. “At the moment, they are listed on the National Stock mandatory deadline to appoint at least one female director. — AFP Labor Organization in 2013. — AFP cult spot to say the least.” keeping policy tight as possible,” said Erkin Economic growth in 2014 exceeded the Isik, a strategist at TEB-BNP Paribas. “I think 2.7 percent expected by economists, but they will stick to this policy as long as missed the government’s target of 3.3 per- depreciation pressure continues.” Gross Private equity funds cent, the data showed. Output was ham- domestic product expanded 2.6 percent pered by global market volatility, geopoliti- year-on-year in the fourth quarter, well cal developments and bad weather, above a forecast of 2.0 percent in a Reuters Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said. poll. Output grew 0.7 percent from the pre- go slow in India Although 2014 output beat expecta- vious quarter on a seasonal- and calendar- tions, economists say first-quarter growth adjusted basis. The institute revised third- is expected to be lacklustre. “The hard data quarter GDP growth to 1.9 percent year-on- MUMBAI: A number of private equity the IPO process include the airport unit of and potentially less lucrative alternative. So of the latest months-everything is quite year from an initial 1.7 percent. — Reuters investors are giving India a wide berth, put GMR Infrastructure and mobile tower opera- far this year, 10 exits by private equity off by soaring valuations. Indeed, they are still tor Viom Networks. investors have come via sales to strategic trying to exit expensive investments made Concerns about IPOs are pushing private partners or other private equity funds, accord- UK growth revised months before the 2008 global crisis erupted. equity funds to look at private sales - a longer ing to Thomson Reuters data. — Reuters So far this year, there have been 76 private equity investments in India, according to higher at end of 2014 Thomson Reuters data. If sustained, it would be the third consecutive year of decline. China to launch deposit LONDON: Britain’s economy expanded at a showed a fall in output in the dominant serv- faster pace than previously thought at the end ices industry in January. That slowdown contrasts with the wide- of last year, helped by strong growth in exports, “We could get 0.4 percent quarterly spread optimism in India’s financial markets. insurance from May 1 a boost for Prime Minister David Cameron growth in the first quarter and that would be Foreign institutional buying pushed share before a national election on May 7. announced just a week before the election,” prices to a record this month on the back of SHANGHAI: China will launch deposit effectively cover 99 percent of the coun- Finance minister George Osborne also he said. The ONS said the biggest contribu- easing inflation and promises of reforms by insurance to help protect bank customers try’s depositors. China has a vast bank seized on data yesterday that showed house- tion to quarterly growth in the last three Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. from May 1, the government said yester- deposit base because savers have limited hold incomes rising at the fastest annual pace months of 2014 came from trade which The rally has led sellers to demand even high- day, in a move seen as key to eventually choices for investment. The country’s in more than four years. But policymakers added 0.9 percentage points-a sharp swing er premiums for private equity deals. freeing interest rates. domestic currency deposits reached near- hoping for a more balanced economic recov- from the 0.5 percentage point drag in the “Valuations have dramatically increased over Deposit insurance will “protect the legal ly 114 trillion yuan by the end of last year, ery will be disappointed by a 0.9 percent fall third quarter. the last 12 months, and in some cases the rights of depositors, allow timely preven- according to the central bank. in business investment during the fourth That helped to narrow Britain’s current quarter compared with the July-September account deficit in the fourth quarter after multiples have nearly doubled from a year tion and resolution of financial risk (and) Economic research consultancy Capital period. Still, for 2014 as a whole business matching its highest level on record in the ago,” said Shashank Singh, managing director preserve financial stability”, according to a Economics called deposit insurance a investment rose 7.5 percent, the best showing previous three months. and country head at London-based private statement posted on the central govern- “stepping stone” to full liberalization of since 2007. But for 2014 as a whole, the shortfall equity investment group Apax Partners LLP. ment’s website. The long-awaited plan, interest rates. China still sets deposit rates Gross domestic product between October widened to 5.5 percent of GDP, the largest Many funds are still locked into invest- which was first announced in November by administrative order, though it began and December grew by a quarterly 0.6 per- deficit since records began in 1948. ments acquired a few years ago, often at very through the release of draft rules, could allowing banks to decide their own lend- cent, the Office for National Statistics said. Household spending, the main driver of high premiums that were inflated by the exu- help force China’s banks-most of which are ing rates in 2013. That compared with 0.5 percent in a previous Britain’s economic recovery, added 0.4 per- berance of a broad market rally. They are now state-owned-to operate in line with mar- Central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan reading and matched the third quarter when centage points to growth in the quarter, slow- setting high IPO prices in an attempt to ket principles and be more competitive, revealed earlier this month that the growth was revised down a bit. Sterling rose ing slightly from the third. recoup what they invested. But the market, analysts say. deposit insurance scheme would be against the euro after the data, and British Real household disposable income government bond prices slipped briefly. increased 2.3 percent compared with a year despite the current optimism, is not taking Such insurance raises the possibility implemented in the first half, adding that For 2014 as a whole, GDP grew 2.8 per- ago, the fastest rate of annual growth since the bait. Only one private equity fund - that Chinese authorities could allow a the government could remove a ceiling on cent, revised up from a previous estimate of the start of 2010, helped by a pickup in wages Mumbai-based New Silk Route (NSR) has exit- bank to fail, though analysts widely expect deposit rates this year. “The removal of the 2.6 percent for its strongest pace of growth and a sharp fall in inflation as global oil prices ed via an initial public offering this year, and the government would bail out troubled deposit rate ceiling is the final step of since 2006. Alan Clarke, an economist with tumbled. But the ONS also said yesterday that at a lower price than it expected. NSR lenders in order to prevent social protests. interest rate liberalization, and, if done Scotiabank, said the big picture for Britain, GDP per head remained 1.2 percent lower obtained a two-fold return on Ortel Under the rules, the maximum com- within this year, would be a significant which grew faster than any other developed than before the financial crisis, despite overall Communications Ltd, according to Thomson pensation will be 500,000 yuan ($81,400), turning point for China’s economy,” economy last year, was positive. economic output being nearly 4 percent Reuters calculations, considered low for an the statement said, as in the earlier draft Nomura said in a research note earlier this But he saw signs of a slowdown in early higher. The difference is largely due to popu- eight-year investment. regulations. State media say that would month. — AFP 2015 after separate data from the ONS lation growth. — Reuters Private equity-owned companies stuck in BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 AUB’s AGM approves 18% cash and 5% stock dividends for shareholders Hamad Al-Humaidhi elected Chairman of AUB Group

KUWAIT: The Annual General Meeting of Ahli United Bank BSC has approved the distribution of a cash dividend of 18 percent ($ 4.5 cents per share) together with an ordinary shares bonus of 5 percent (one share per 20 ordinary shares held) for the financial year ended 31 December 2014. Shareholders registered in the Bank’s share book on 31 March 2015 will be eligible to receive the dividends approved by the Annual General Meeting. AUB’s shareholders voted to extend for a further two years their authorization for the Board of Directors to decide on the timing, pricing and terms of the issuance of up to $ 4 billion in bonds, loans or any other similar subordinated financial instru- ments deemed required to support the growth plans of the Bank. The AGM also approved the establishment of a Mandatory Share Purchase Plan and the extension of the exist- ing Employee Share Purchase Plan by the issuance of 150 mil- lion shares for this purpose subject to the guidelines set by the Central Bank of Bahrain. These resolutions were adopted at the annual ordinary general meeting and the extraordinary general meeting held yesterday at AUB’s headquarters in Seef under the chairmanship of Acting Chairman, Mohamed Jassim Al- KUWAIT: The Annual General Meeting of Ahli United Bank in progress. Hamad Al-Humaidhi Marzooq. AUB’s AGM also reviewed and approved the Board of Directors’ Report, Corporate Governance Report, Auditors’ 3. Rashid Ismail Al-Meer Following the election, the new directors have met and “Over the years, AUB has gone from strength to strength in Report and the financial statements for the year ending 31 4. Mohammed Saleh Behbehani unanimously elected Hamad Al-Humaidhi as the new Chairman its commitment to being a truly pan-regional bank, thanks to a December 2014. 5. Mohammed Fouad Al-Ghanim of AUB Group. well-defined vision, a stable Board structure, a competent man- 6. Adnan Abdul Muhsin Al-Marzouq Commenting on his appointment as Chairman of AUB, Al- agement team and the rigorous implementation of a successful AUB’s ordinary annual general meeting proceeded to 7. Abdulla Hamad Al-Sumait Humaidhi said: “It is a great honor and weighty responsibility to business model. I look forward to working closely with all to elect eleven members for the Board of Directors: 8. Herschel Post be named Chairman of a leading regional institution such as Ahli ensure the building on such impressive track record, as we all 1. Hamad Meshary Al-Humaidhi 9. Michael G. Essex United Bank. I am grateful for the shareholders and to my fellow focus on becoming the most reliable and preferred services 2. Mohammad Jassim Al-Marzooq 10. Luma Mohamed Al-Dakhil directors on the valued trust and confidence reposed in me. It is provider for our retail and customers alike and delivering sus- 11. Adel. A. El-Labban also my pleasure to welcome and congratulate the newly elect- tained market-leading returns for our valued shareholders”, Al- ed directors to the Board”. Humaidhi concluded. BSI first Swiss bank IBS, Harvard Business School to present to settle under executive education program in Kuwait US tax program KUWAIT: Dr Mohammad Yousef Al-Hashel, Governor of the Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This year’s program will be held receive a Harvard Business School certificate, verifying that WASHINGTON/ZURICH: Swiss private bank BSI has Central Bank of Kuwait, Chairman of the Board of Directors of in Kuwait. they have completed the program. avoided prosecution for suspected tax-related offenses by the Institute of Banking Studies (IBS), announced that the IBS The Governor pointed out that communication with The Governor elaborated that the world-famous Harvard paying a $211 million penalty, becoming the first bank to will work with Harvard Business School for the sixth year in a Harvard Business School started in 2009 to organize the Business School case studies, which are all new this year, will reach a deal in a voluntary disclosure program being run row to present an executive education program for banking school’s first custom program in the GCC region. The Governor be the main learning tool in the program; these case studies by the US Department of Justice. and finance executives in the GCC region, and from other affirmed that the Harvard Business School is very selective in are written by the school’s faculty and are used in numerous The program, launched in 2013, allows Swiss banks to Middle Eastern countries, during May 9th - 14th, 2015. conducting custom programs, especially those beyond its universities and executive development centers. Besides avoid prosecution by coming clean about their cross-bor- The Governor pointed out that the program is one of the campus in Boston, USA. The School’s desire to continue to selecting banking and finance cases, the faculty have also der business in undeclared US-related accounts, though it strategic developmental projects organized by the IBS. The work with IBS, Kuwait on these projects is an indication of the chosen some that focus on other industries to diversify partic- excluded banks already under criminal investigation in program, said the Governor, aims to upgrade the skills of the success of this collaboration. ipants’ learning experience. In addition to that, participants relation to their Swiss activities. According to a non-prose- Kuwait and GCC national workforce, of which executives The Governor explained that many changes have been carry out a number of interactive activities in groups through- cution agreement signed on Monday, BSI had for decades comprise the key component. He mentioned that the pro- made to this year’s program titled “Leading Strategy Execution out the duration of the program. In conclusion, the Governor up to 2013 assisted thousands of US clients in opening gram was conducted for the first time in 2010 as an exclusive in Financial Institutions”. It consists of two integrated themes: stressed that development of the talented and qualified accounts in Switzerland and hiding the assets and income event for the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti banks. ‘Strategic Management’ and ‘Leadership’ and will be held dur- nationals in the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti banks held in the accounts from tax authorities. After the tremendous success of that first program and with ing May 9th - 14th, 2015 for six consecutive days. It is aimed at will remain a top strategic priority considering the role of BSI has now agreed to cooperate in any related crimi- the Harvard Business School showing interest in taking the upper middle executives of levels such as department heads. executives in developing their organizations. He went on to nal or civil proceedings and put better controls in place, in program to the GCC level, the Program continued to be run Dr Al-Hashel affirmed that executive education programs explain that collaboration amongst the GCC countries in areas what lawyers expect to be the first of a flood of settle- on an annual basis since then; the second program was con- held by Harvard Business School in the GCC region adhere to of common interest such as training and development has ments by Swiss banks, which have come under intense ducted in 2011 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, whereas the School’s high standards thus ensuring that participants always been and will remain an item of top priority. He pressure to give up their traditional secrecy. But the agree- Doha, Qatar was the location for the third program that was and their banks and organizations will be provided with the expressed his gratitude for members of the Kuwait and GCC ment prompted a stinging rebuke from Swiss finance blog held in 2012. The fourth program was conducted in Muscat, same quality of learning experience for which the school is so Banking communities who have continued to support the Inside Paradeplatz, which wrote that BSI had betrayed Oman in 2013, while last year’s program was presented in well known. At the end of the program, participants will Harvard Business School programs. Swiss banks and wealth managers “to save its own skin”, in reference to the fact that BSI provided the names of employees who had committed misconduct. In addition to the DoJ’s voluntary disclosure program, a German unemployment smaller group of Swiss-based private banks have faced Zain Iraq announces criminal investigations by US authorities for allegedly falls to new helping wealthy Americans evade taxes. In May, Credit senior management changes Suisse pleaded guilty to helping Americans avoid paying post-unification low taxes and agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion in penal- ties, while crosstown rival UBS paid $780 million and BAGHDAD: Zain Group, the leading telecom innovator 31 percent of the Group’s customer base at the end of 2014. FRANKFURT: German unemployment fell in March to the low- across the Middle East and Africa announces that Wael I am confident that the Board of Zain Iraq will benefit from admitted wrongdoing in a 2009 settlement of a Justice est level since the country reunited in 1990 as the recovery in Department tax-evasion probe. Ghanayem, Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Zain his advisory role and I look forward to welcoming him to a Europe’s biggest economy continues to pick up speed, data Iraq will return to Zain Group to become part of the Group’s key position within the Zain Group executive team to sup- HSBC, whose Geneva-based private bank is also facing showed yesterday. The number of people registered as unem- a US probe, has admitted failings in compliance and con- executive leadership team in a new role overseeing and port our strategic direction.” ployed in Germany fell by a seasonally-adjusted 15,000 to 2.798 supporting all operations as the Group implements its new Gegenheimer continued, “With Al-Charchafchi having trols in its Swiss bank following the publication of details million in February, the Federal Labour Office said. That was on alleged tax evasion by some wealthy clients. strategic direction of transforming into an inte- two deputies of the caliber of Philipe Hanna steeper than expected, as analysts had been pencilling in a grated digital mobile operator. In addition, and Dr Haidar Radi as well as an astute finan- decline of around 10,000. The unemployment rate-which meas- UNDECLARED ACCOUNTS Ghanayem will continue to support Zain Iraq, cial performer in Samer Musleh, will ensure ures the jobless total against the working population as a whole- BSI held and managed approximately 3,500 U. client the country’s leading mobile operator as an the future growth and ongoing success of the slipped to 6.4 percent in March from 6.5 percent in February, accounts, including declared and undeclared accounts, advisor to the mobile operator’s Board of operation taking into consideration the excit- also the lowest level since west and east Germany reunited in with peak assets under management since August 2008 of Directors. ing, yet challenging times ahead as Zain Iraq 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous year. In raw or $2.78 billion, the DoJ said. BSI’s fine corresponds to around Following this change, Zain Iraq’s Chairman works towards undertaking an IPO and as it unadjusted terms, the jobless total decreased by 85,500 to 2.932 7.5 percent of this peak US asset base of declared and and CEO Mohammad Al-Charchafchi expands the network and rolls-out 3G services million and the jobless rate eased to 6.8 percent in March from undeclared accounts. Italy’s Generali, parent of BSI, said it announced the creation of two new deputy across the country.” 6.9 percent in February, the labor office said. Normally, unem- had provisioned for the $211 million fine in its 2014 CEO roles, promoting two long-serving senior To date, Zain has invested in excess of $5 ployment declines in the spring as the warmer weather allows results. The agreement paves the way for Generali to com- executives, Philipe Hanna as Deputy CEO of billion in the development of its network and companies in sectors such as construction to take on workers. plete its sale of BSI to Brazil’s Banco BTG Pactual SA, as Commercial and Strategy; and Dr. Haidar Radi rollout of mobile services in Iraq. At the end of But the current strength of the economic recovery in Germany agreed in July. BSI acknowledged that it issued pre-paid as Deputy CEO of Technical and Regulatory. Wael Ghanayem 2014, the operation in Iraq served 13.8 million debit cards to US clients without their names visible on was magnifying that effect, the labor office said. “The labour market developed positively both on the supply Furthermore, Samer Musleh has been appoint- customers and recently launched 3G services the card to help them keep their identities secret, US ed Chief Financial Officer of Zain Iraq, having been promot- across the country following its acquisition of required authorities said. It also said the bank helped US clients cre- and demand side,” it said. “The employment trend remains pointing firmly upwards. And usual spring upturn that begins in ed from his Director role. All three appointees combined spectrum at a license fee of $307 million. The operator has a ate “sham corporations” and trusts that masked their iden- represent many years of experience in the telecom industry, total of 4,076 network sites, covering 98 percent of the pop- tities. In some instances, US clients would tell their bankers March was stronger than usual,” it added. German gross domes- tic product (GDP) expanded by 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter many of these years within Zain Group and Zain Iraq in vari- ulation and employs in excess of 3,000 Iraqi nationals. Zain that their “gas tank is running empty” as code to indicate ous roles and responsibilities. Iraq is the leading mobile operator in the country serving that they needed more cash on their cards. of last year, fuelled primarily by consumer spending and exports, but also by construction investment and experts expect the All above mentioned management changes are effec- 13.8 million customers at the end of 2014. It is part of the Swiss financial regulator FINMA said BSI had breached tive immediately. Zain Group, a leading telecommunications operator across its obligations to identify, limit and monitor the risks recovery to gather momentum this year. “Early indicators point to an overall favorable development in Commenting on the changes, Zain Group CEO Scott the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data involved in its dealings with US clients, having served a Gegenheimer said, “I would like to express my profound services to over 44.3 million active customers as of 31 large volume of customers with undeclared assets. BSI, 2015,” the labor office said. “The labor market is in good shape and is benefitting from strong economic growth,” said labor min- gratitude to Wael Ghanayem for the phenomenal work he December, 2014. With a commercial presence in 8 coun- one of Switzerland’s largest private banks, apparently had has undertaken at Zain Iraq over his seven years at the com- tries, Zain operates in: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi more US account holders than many other banks in the ister Andrea Nahles. “Wages are rising and giving private con- sumption a boost.” Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz pany. Through his efforts since joining as CFO in 2008 and Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan. In Lebanon, the Group program, a reason for the sizeable penalty, according to then as COO, Zain Iraq has become the leading mobile manages ‘touch’ on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Washington, DC, attorney Scott Michel, who represents attributed the steeper-than-expected drop in joblessness to “firming economic growth and moderate wage gains. The job operator in the country and one of Zain Group’s most prof- Zain has a 15.5 percent stake in ‘INWI’, through a joint ven- banks and individuals who have made voluntary disclo- itable operations representing 38 percent of revenues and ture. sures. — Reuters market has returned to full throttle growth in early 2015.”—AFP Volkswagen Kuwait announces ‘Knock-out Deals’ campaign

KUWAIT: Behbehani Motors Company, the Abdullah Ali, General Manager at exclusive distributor of Volkswagen in Kuwait, Volkswagen - Behbehani Motors Company com- has announced new offers on a range of models mented, “Volkswagen is renowned for world- at the Volkswagen showroom in Al-Rai during class German-engineering, and models that March with, prices starting from KD 7,555. offer more savings thanks to our long service The promotional campaign is available on intervals of 15,000 km. The “Knock-out Deals” the new Touareg, Beetle, Tiguan, and Scirocco campaign demonstrates the Volkswagen com- and will offer a3-year warranty with unlimited mitment to delivering customer experiences mileage, free service for 3-years or 45,000 km, beyond expectations, and offering German- free third party insurance for 3-years and a engineering at even more affordable value.” replacement car with a VIP card. The iconic Customers are invited to hurry to the Beetle will have a starting price from as low as Volkswagen showroom to take advantage of KD 7,999, with the confidently stylish Scirocco the exciting opportunity to own a brand new starting from KD 8,999, the new Touareg at KD Volkswagen before the promotional campaign 12,999 and the dynamic Tiguan at KD 7,555. is over. technology WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Backup options for Internet lines can be costly, complicated

NEW YORK: Hunter Newby describes himself as a Internet highway vulnerable to outages if a fiber- Internet service for up to 15 hours. There was no A satellite or microwave system can be installed real estate entrepreneur, even if he’s not marketing optic cable gets cut or a key connection site gets backup system. to serve as a backup to a fiber-optic cable between houses or land. Instead, he’s selling space on a new damaged. That is particularly true in rural areas and Industry analysts say there are several ways two places. But the service could be slower and a fiber-optic transmission line to Internet providers, smaller cities. around such problems:Companies can build a sec- relatively expensive insurance policy. telecommunications companies and anyone want- How many broadband lines have backup sys- ond fiber-optic transmission line between cities, “There almost always are options. The question ing high-speed data. tems is unclear because the industry has been allowing Internet traffic to be rerouted when one is whether the other routes are economically Newby is chief executive of Allied Fiber, a New largely unregulated and Internet providers will not line goes down. But that could double the cost of viable,” said Bill Woodcock, executive director of the York firm that is nearing completion of a broad- divulge details about their networks. extending service into a particular area. Packet Clearing House, a San Francisco nonprofit band route from Miami to Atlanta. His long-range Newby said the Internet “has numerous single Networks can be designed with switches that that supports Internet infrastructure. vision is to build a new fiber-optic loop around the points of failure all over the place.” His goal, he said, reroute traffic along other existing routes. In one Newby said his customers typically already have entire U.S. that is physically distinct from existing “is to create physical diversity” around those spots. hypothetical scenario, Internet traffic from Phoenix access to another fiber-optic route. Some are Internet routes but connects to them. One of those weak points was exposed last could follow a detour to Los Angeles and Las Vegas choosing his line as a new primary path, others as a Newby’s network is just one of the potential month when vandals sliced a fiber-optic cable in to get to Flagstaff. But those alternative paths backup plan. solutions to what experts describe as a lack of the Arizona desert between Phoenix and Flagstaff, would need enough capacity to handle the sud- “How they build protection in their network redundancy that makes the nation’s high-speed leaving some people and businesses without denly enlarged load. architecture is up to them,” he said. — AP

China to punish Tencent, Youku Tudou, other video sites for pornography

BEIJING: China will punish Internet compa- cies to carry out punishment according to the nies including Tencent Holdings Ltd, Youku law, even though the companies are merely Tudou Inc and Baidu Inc’s iQiyi for hosting suspected of hosting pornographic content. videos suspected of containing violence and It did not detail what the punishment would pornography, which it said causes juvenile be. delinquency. The offending material is prima- Tencent, Youku Tudou, iQiyi and LeTV were rily Japanese animation on the video stream- not available for immediate comment. Sohu ing websites of Tencent, Youku Tudou, iQiyi, declined to provide immediate comment. Sohu.com Inc and Leshi Internet Information On April 1, China’s online video sites will & Technology Corp Beijing (LeTV), the be subject to new regulations tightening con- Ministry of Culture said on its website yester- trol of foreign content. Websites which have day. not sought approval for their foreign pro- The ministry’s animation “blacklisting” is grammes by then will be prohibited from part of a broader campaign to control broadcasting the media. Internet content. That includes eradicating While the latest regulations apply to material deemed damaging to society and domestic companies, experts say China’s the ruling Communist Party, which cyberse- attempts to control and censor the Internet curity experts say oversees the world’s most has evolved into attacks on overseas websites sophisticated Internet censorship. deemed a threat by the government. SEOUL: An undated handout photo released on March 26, 2015 by Cheil Worldwide shows an instructor demonstrating a Korean language mobile The titles in question - ‘Blood-C’, ‘Terror in An ongoing cyberattack on US coding site phone app to a group of North Korean defectors. A new smartphone app developed in Seoul aims to help North Korean refugees overcome one of the Resonance’ and ‘Highschool of the Dead’ - GitHub, which began last week from China, is biggest challenges they face in adjusting to life in South Korea — speaking Korean. —AFP include scenes of violence, pornography, ter- attempting to paralyse the site by using dis- rorism and crimes against public morality, the tributed denial of service attacks, or DDoS, ministry said. online security researchers said. The attacks ‘Blood-C’ depicts girls fighting monsters, appear to target two GitHub pages that link Translation app helps N Korea heavy blood-letting, the severing of limbs to copies of websites banned in China - a and beheading, while ‘Highschool of the Mandarin-language site from the New York Dead’ features borderline-pornographic Times Co and Greatfire.org, which helps refugees ‘speak Southern’ imagery, the ministry said. Chinese users circumvent government cen- The ministry said it would despatch agen- sorship, the researchers said. - Reuters Seven decades of almost total separation

SEOUL: A new smartphone app developed in er in charge of the project. “We were looking for young refugees who have to cope with the sort of Seoul aims to help North Korean refugees over- ways to help socially marginalised people suffer- rapidly-changing youth slang common to most come one of the biggest challenges they face in ing from communication problems... and realised countries. “For North Korean teen defectors, who adjusting to life in South Korea-speaking Korean. young North Korean defectors have this big lan- are more sensitive to cultural differences, the lan- Seven decades of almost total separation have guage barrier when studying at school,” Choi told guage issue is considered a first priority to solve engineered a radical split in the once common lan- AFP. A group of North Korean defectors, including when settling down in South Korea,” Cheil said in a guage of the two Koreas. student volunteers and professionals like former statement. According to the Ministry of For North Korean defectors who risk their lives school teachers, helped in the task of identifying- Education, the number of North Korean student escaping to the South via China, this linguistic and translating-common South Korean words that defectors-meaning those of elementary, junior or divergence represents a sizeable barrier in their may perplex the young refugees. high school age-rose from 966 in 2008 to 2,183 struggle to assimilate when even something as One of them, 22-year-old college student last year. simple as buying an ice cream requires a new Noelle Kim, said working on the project had Kim recalled her own trouble mastering English vocabulary. brought back strong memories of her own linguis- words and how reading just a few pages of a The two Koreas still share the same writing sys- tic struggles when she arrived in Seoul five years South Korean school textbook used to take her tem, known as Hangeul-a phonetic alphabet ago. hours. “Something like this app would have been developed in the 15th century to replace Chinese “Even asking for directions on the street was a precious gift to new arrivals like myself five years characters. So a North Korean refugee would have difficult because I couldn’t understand all the ago,” she said. no trouble reading the transliteration “Ah-ee-sir- words people were using in the answer,” Kim told ker-rim” that South Koreans use for “ice cream”-but AFP. “And I just felt too ashamed to admit it and A unified dictionary he or she would not necessarily have any idea ask what those words meant,” she added. The growing language divide between the two what the term meant or referred to. And that’s Experts estimate such differences now extend Koreas is a source of official concern on both sides, where the Univoca app comes in. to one third of the words spoken on the streets of as witnessed by an on-and-off, 25-year joint effort Developed by Seoul’s top advertising firm, Seoul and Pyongyang, and up to two thirds in to produce a unified Korean language dictionary. SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Watches are seen on display during an Apple media event at the Cheil Worldwide, the app offers translations of business and official settings. Chief editor Han Young-Un, who took a group Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California in this March 9, 2015 file pho- 3,600 key words culled from South Korean high of South Korean linguists and lexicographers to to. Wearable technology devices are seeing a growth surge that is likely to continue over school textbooks as well as everyday slang expres- Baffling English words Pyongyang to work on the dictionary last the next few years, helped by the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch, a market tracker said sions. Tapping in the Hangeul for “ice cream” Particularly baffling to new North Korean November, believes the Korean usage split risks yesterday. — AFP brings up the word oh-reum-boseung-yi (literally arrivals are the large number of English words that becoming as big a barrier to eventual North-South “coated ice”), as ice cream is known in North Korea. have been phonetically incorporated into the unification as the heavily militarised border divid- South Korean lexicon. ing the peninsula. Han said he thought the new Apple Watch to spark Focus on teenagers Where a South Korean would comfortably refer app was an “extremely useful tool” that would Created as a part of the company’s social out- to a “penalty kick” in football, in the North they use make a big difference to the daily lives of young reach programme, the free app has been down- a completely different Korean word meaning “11- refugees. “It might also help draw more attention wearable tech growth loaded more than 1,500 times since its launch in metre punishment”. to our project, and that’s always welcome,” he mid-March, said Choi Jae-Young, the Cheil manag- The difficulties are even more pronounced for added.— AFP WASHINGTON: Wearable technology devices Watch this year,” said IDC analyst Ramon are seeing a growth surge that is likely to con- Llamas. “The Apple Watch raises the profile of tinue over the next few years, helped by the wearables in general and there are many ven- soon-to-be-released Apple Watch, a market dors and devices that are eager to share the IBM to invest tracker said Monday. IDC said it expected spotlight. Basic wearables, meanwhile, will not some 45.7 million wearable tech gadgets to disappear. In fact, we anticipate continued be shipped globally this year, up 133 percent growth here as many segments of the market $3bn in ‘Internet from 2014. By 2019, the research firm sees vol- seek out simple, single-use wearable devices.” umes of 126.1 million units, or an average IDC analyst Ryan Reith said that fitness of Things’ unit growth pace of 45 percent. Propelling the bands, the early leader in wearables, have market higher will be devices like the Apple come down in price and are now being bun- NEW YORK: IBM is investing $3 billion to build an “Internet Watch, along with other smartwatches like dled with smartphones at little cost.”The of Things” division aimed at harnessing the massive trove of Motorola’s Moto 360, and Samsung’s Gear explosion of wearable devices was clearly led data collected by smartphones, tablets, connected vehicles watches. by fitness bands, which until recently com- and appliances and using it to help companies better man- Wrist-worn wearables, including bands, manded prices that provided comfortable bracelets, and watches, will account for more margins, but those days are changing,” he said age their businesses. IBM estimates that 90 percent of all than 80 percent of the market over the com- “The market is quickly shifting toward higher- data generated by mobile and “smart” devices is never ana- ing years, IDC said. But it also sees strong priced devices that offer greater functionality.” lyzed. The Armonk, New York, company hopes to change WASHINGTON: Photo shows the splash page for the social media internet site Facebook. growth in smart clothing — shirts, socks, hats, IDC said it sees “smart wearables” with the this by teaming up with companies like Twitter and the Facebook’s move to fulfill its ambition to be the personal “newspaper” for its billion-plus and other products with computing power- ability to run outside applications grow 510 Weather Co., the owner of the Weather Channel, and devel- members is likely to mean more woes for the ailing news media. The huge social network along with connected eyewear and earwear. percent this year to 25.7 million units, while oping cloud-based data services and tools for app develop- has become a key source of news for many users, as part of a dramatic shift in how people “Smart wearables are about to take a major “basic” wearables will grow some 30 percent ers. IBM is training more than 2,000 consultants, researchers get information in the digital age. — AFP step forward with the launch of the Apple to 20 million units. — AFP and developers to help businesses come up with new ways to use the vast amounts of data that are now available, said Facebook moves into ‘not Glenn Finch, Big Data and Analytics Lead at IBM Global Business Services. This could mean combining Twitter data with economic and weather data to predict what someone fancy’ new headquarters might be interested in buying. The new business unit is part of IBM’s shift away from hardware toward spending billions SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook moved into its “To do this, we designed the largest to focus on analytics, cloud computing, mobile services and new Frank Gehry-designed headquarters in open floor plan in the world-a single room security. Silicon Valley, with a rooftop park and “the that fits thousands of people,” he added. IBM plans to launch an online service that helps insur- largest open floor plan in the world.” “There are lots of small spaces where people ance companies extract insight from connected vehicles, to Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg can work together, and it’s easy for people create new pricing and services customized to individual insisted, however, that the building is “pretty to move around and collaborate with any- drivers. Meanwhile, the Weather Co. plans to shift and inte- simple and isn’t fancy.” “That’s on purpose,” one here.” grate its massive weather data operation into the IBM Zuckerberg said on his Facebook timeline. “We On the roof is a nine-acre (3.6-hectare) park Cloud, so that insurance providers could send policyhold- want our space to feel like a work in progress. “with walking trails and many outdoor spaces ers text messages alerting them to impending hailstorms When you enter our buildings, we want you to to sit and work,” Zuckerberg wrote. and vehicles could be moved before being damaged, for feel how much left there is to be done in our Facebook in 2012 hired the Canadian-born instance. It could also help determine exactly how many mission to connect the world.” Facebook’s new Gehry, known for the Guggenheim Museum in people were hit by a natural disaster so insurers could Menlo Park headquarters is one of several Bilbao, Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall respond to claims faster. “Most people, most businesses, major projects by tech companies in the in Los Angeles, to design the new building most governments wait for weather to happen to them region. adjacent to its existing Menlo Park office, the and react to it rather than anticipate what it will do to Apple is building a new spaceship-like former headquarters of Sun Microsystems. them,” said Mark Gildersleeve, president of the Weather Co.’s headquarters and Google has unveiled plans Gehry, known for his deconstructive style WSI division. The IBM partnership “aims to help govern- for a futuristic campus with wildlife and water- and buildings that sometimes appear unfin- PARIS: Justine Ryst, Twitter France development director, speaks during a press confer- ments and businesses essentially serve their end users bet- ways. Zuckerberg said Facebook’s goal was to ished, also designed the Stata Center at the ence at the Agence France-Presse headquarters in Paris, yesterday to launch a new prod- ter by making decisions earlier,” he said. — AP create the “perfect engineering space” for its Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the uct, the AFP TweetFoot. — AFP teams. Cinematheque Francaise in Paris. — AFP WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 HEALTH & SCIENCE One in five teens have tried e-cigarettes, British study finds

LONDON: One in five teenagers have experimented Public Health. E-cigarette use, or “vaping”, was highest Drug Abuse wrote in an accompanying commentary ble for creating a new generation of nicotine addicts,” with e-cigarettes, a large study of British school stu- among smokers, reaching 75.8 percent in those with a that e-cigarettes, at least for some groups, were adding said Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the dents showed yesterday, fuelling debate about the habit of at least five a day, although 15.8 percent of a new recreational drug experience to an existing reper- University of Stirling. widespread availability of the electronic devices. teenage vapers had never smoked conventional ciga- toire of risky behaviours. More than 2 million adults use e-cigarettes in Britain, Many experts view the metal tubes that heat nico- rettes. Karen Hughes of the Centre for Public Health at Other experts, however, cautioned against jumping about one third of whom are ex-smokers and two-thirds tine-laced liquid into an inhalable vapour as a lower-risk Liverpool John Moores University and other authors of to conclusions, particularly since the study did not fol- current smokers, according to the charity Action on alternative to smoking. But questions remain about the study said the research suggested experimentation, low up to see whether children continued to use e-ciga- Smoking and Health. Nearly all big tobacco companies - long-term safety and their use among impressionable rather than a desire to quit smoking, was the main driv- rettes after experimenting with initial puffs. including Philip Morris International, British American adolescents. In a survey of more than 16,000 people er of teen use. “Other surveys have so far found that progressing Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial aged 14-17 years in northwest England in 2013, 19.2 “There is an urgent need for controls on the promo- from ever trying an e-cigarette to regular use amongst Tobacco Group now sell e-cigarettes to diversify away percent said they had tried or purchased e-cigarettes, tion and sale of e-cigarettes to children,” they conclud- non-smoking children is very rare or entirely absent, from the market for traditional cigarettes, which is according to a paper published in the journal BMC ed. Wilson Compton of the US National Institute on suggesting that, to date, e-cigarettes are not responsi- shrinking as more people quit or cut back. — Reuters Feet - the foundation for fitness and health

NEW YORK: Feet are a part of the anato- dexterity,” he said. “We need the muscles my many exercisers ignore while pound- to have strength.” As a podiatric consult- ing the treadmill or honing a headstand, ant to the Washington Wizards profes- but fitness experts say they are the very sional basketball team, Osterman recom- foundation of physical well-being. mends that team trainers make sure A quarter of the body’s bones are con- players do their foot exercises religiously. tained in the feet and ankles. It is where Simply trying to pick up a washcloth, most movement begins and, much like a towel or marbles with the feet fires up building’s foundation, it determines sta- the muscles that build arch strength, he bility.“The feet are perhaps the most neg- said. Standing on one foot for 10 sec- lected complex structure in the body,” onds is also a good way to build core said Katy Bowman, biomechanist and strength. the author of “Whole Body Barefoot: “(It) stimulates the nerve endings Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear.” from the brain down to the small nerves Bowman, founder and director of the in the feet,” he said. “It’s especially impor- Restorative Exercise Institute near tant to train the brain of elderly people at Seattle, Washington, said when feet are a greater risk of falls.” strengthened it decreases whole body Bowman suggests doing exercises imbalance or instability. such as spreading, pointing and individ- Almost eight in 10 adult Americans ually lifting the toes, rolling a tennis ball have experienced a foot problem, accord- underfoot, and standing on tiptoe to ing to a 2014 survey by the American strengthen the calves. “For the fit person, Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). give yourself a 15-minute foot exercise The poll also showed that one in four routine that you do without your shoes,” adults was unable to exercise because of she recommends. Bowman believes foot foot pain. Dr. Howard Osterman, an fitness is integral to every movement. APMA spokesman, said most foot injuries “Every exerciser is worried about the are due to overuse, or trying to do too position of their ankles, knees and hips, much with limited support. but so much of that stability starts at the “We don’t need the toes to have the foot,” she said. “It’s very much a whole dexterity of fingers but we do need some body issue.” — Reuters

PARIS: Photo taken yesterday shows the first prototype of the Solar Impulse 1 aircraft on display at the Cite des Sciences et de l’Industrie sci- ence museum in Paris. — AFP S Leone Ebola lockdown exposes hundreds of suspected cases US Ebola patient’s health improves again

FREETOWN: A three-day lockdown in Sierra down’s first two days, Sesay said. The clinician worked for the global medical Leone has exposed hundreds of potential new Sierra Leone has reported nearly 12,000 cases charity Partners in Health. In a statement cases of Ebola, aiding efforts to bring to an end since the worst Ebola epidemic in history was released on Thursday, PIH co-founder Paul an epidemic that has already killed 3,000 people detected in neighbouring Guinea a year ago. In Farmer said that the man had, “in the opinion of in the country. all, more than 10,000 people have died in the some of the best doctors and nurses in the Officials ordered the country’s 6 million resi- two countries plus Liberia. world, turned the corner,” after his condition dents to stay indoors or face arrest during the New cases have fallen since a peak of more improved from critical to serious. period that ended late on Sunday as hundreds than 500 a week in December, but the govern- The patient was evacuated from Sierra Leone of health officials went door-to-door looking for ment said the lockdown, its second, would help on March 14 and brought to the NIH’s Clinical hidden patients and educating residents about identify the last cases and reduce complacency. Center in Bethesda, Maryland just outside the virus. Reports to authorities of sick people A source who declined to be identified said Washington for treatment. The NIH is the pre- increased by 191 percent in Western Area, which there were 961 death alerts nationwide during mier US medical research center in the United includes the capital, during the lockdown com- the lockdown’s first two days and 495 reports of States. An American nurse, Nina Pham, was pared with the previous weekend, said OB Sisay illness of which 235 were suspected Ebola. treated at the NIH Clinical Center after of the National Ebola Response Center. Meanwhile, an American healthcare worker she was infected with the Ebola virus at a “Tests are being carried out on their blood who contracted the dangerous Ebola virus while Texas hospital by a Liberian, Thomas Eric samples, and the results will be in by working in Sierra Leone has improved and is Duncan, who had initially been misdiagnosed. Wednesday,” Sisay said, adding that 173 of the now listed in fair condition, hospital officials said Pham was declared free of the Ebola virus on patients in Freetown met an initial case defini- Monday. The man, whose identity has not been October 24, but Duncan died. More than 10,000 tion for Ebola. revealed, “has improved from serious to fair con- people have died of the Ebola virus since the In the rest of the country, there was a 50 per- dition,” said a statement from the National West African outbreak was identified in early cent increase in sick people reported in the lock- Institutes of Health Clinical Center. 2014. — Agencies China aims to double doctors WASHINGTON: In this Dec 11, 2014 photo, pedestrians exit the University of Washington’s Hall Health Primary Care Center in Seattle. An unintended side-effect of federal health care reform is leading colleges across the country to transition out as cure for healthcare woes of the health insurance business. — AP SHANGHAI: China will almost double the Providing access to affordable healthcare is a reining in some large public hospitals in Child poverty impacts number of its general doctors by 2020, trim its key platform for President Xi Jinping’s govern- urban centres. The document also suggested public sector and improve technology as it ment. However, recent probes have turned the further opening to the private sector, where seeks to fix a healthcare system plagued by spotlight on corruption in the sector, while Chinese and international firms have been brain development: Study snarling queues and poor rural services, its patients often have large out-of-pocket expens- taking a growing role in running hospitals. main administrative authority has said. es due to low levels of insurance coverage. “The role of public health institutions is too PARIS: Children of richer, better-educat- In what is claimed to be the biggest China’s fast-growing healthcare market is a The roadmap said China would push for- big, with the number of beds accounting for ed parents have bigger brains and more study of its kind, Sowell’s team tested magnet for global drug makers, medical ward the development of grassroots health- around 90 percent of the total,” the State cognitive skills than their less-fortunate 1,099 typically developing boys and device firms and hospital operators, all look- care, a fast-growing business segment, while Council said. — Reuters peers, but social help and teaching can girls aged three to 20, from diverse pop- ing to take a slice of a healthcare bill expected help to overcome the differences, a ulation groups. to hit $1 trillion by 2020, according to study published on Monday said. They compared parents’ income and McKinsey & Co. India suspends warnings The distinctions were most profound education level to children’s brain sur- “Healthcare resources overall are insuffi- in regions of the brain supporting lan- face area, measured by scans, as well as cient, quality is too low, our structures are guage and reading, executive functions their cognitive test scores. badly organized and service systems frag- on cigarette packets like memory and decision-making, and They corrected for other potentially mented. Parts of the public hospital system spatial skills, experts in the United confounding influences on brain struc- have also become bloated,” China’s State NEW DELHI: India has suspended plans for proposed legislative changes on the issue, States reported in the journal Nature ture such as genetic ancestry. Council said in a five-year roadmap bigger health warnings on cigarette packets, asked the government this month to stall its Neuroscience. Aside from the differences observed announced late on Monday. the health minister told AFP yesterday, after a plans, citing no Indian study linking smoking The impact was “meaningful in terms between the brain surface area of chil- The roadmap, which laid out targets for committee of lawmakers demanded local evi- with cancer. dence that smoking causes cancer. “There is no Indian survey report to prove of the way the brain is working in these dren in the lowest and highest income healthcare officials nationwide between 2015 The government announced last year that that tobacco consumption leads to cancer. All kids”, study co-author Elizabeth Sowell levels, there was also a striking disparity and 2020, said Beijing wanted to have two of the University of Southern California between income groups at the lower tobacco companies would have to stamp the studies are done abroad,” parliamentary general doctors per thousand people by 2020, warnings across most of the surface of pack- panel head Dilip Gandhi told AFP. told AFP. “We found that the relation- end of the scale. close to double the number at the end of ship between brain (structure) and fam- There was a bigger difference, for ets from April 1, joining countries such as Gandhi, a lawmaker from the ruling 2013, as well as increasing the number of Australia and more recently Britain with tough Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the panel ily income impacted kids’ cognitive example, between the results in kids nursing and support staff. China suffers from a functioning,” Sowell said by email. from families earning either $30,000 packaging rules. did not “dispute the harmful effects of smok- scarcity of doctors - partly caused by low But Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda ing but cannot copy paste studies conducted The study stressed that solutions lay (28,000 euros) or $50,000 per year, than salaries - which has created bottlenecks at within reach, including better school those earning either $90,000 or said the plans-for warnings and a picture of abroad”. popular urban hospitals leading to rising ten- damage caused by smoking across 85 percent He also warned that millions of farmers lunches, motivated teaching and com- $110,000. Sowell said the reason behind sion between medical practitioners and often of packets-had now been delayed. and others employed in India’s tobacco indus- munity programmes to encourage chil- that difference was unclear. frustrated patients. “We have put the order in abeyance as the try would lose their jobs if cigarette sales dren. “It is not too late to think about “It seems reasonable to speculate The roadmap said China would also look to parliamentary committee wants to deliberate dropped as a result of the new packaging. how to impact resources that enrich the that resources afforded by the more use technology such as mobile devices and on some issues. We stand by our commitment Gandhi is from the southwestern state of developmental environment, that in affluent (nutrition, child care, schools online “cloud systems” to meet some of the to introduce new picture warnings,” he said, Maharashtra, one of India’s major tobacco- turn help the brain wire itself together,” etc) help ‘wire’ the brain through devel- issues, a potential boost to tech firms like adding that its introduction would be growing states. Sowell said. opment,” she said. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and its healthcare “delayed a bit”. Up to 900,000 Indians die every year from Socioeconomic inequalities have “The most important point we want subsidiary Alibaba Health Information The move is a major setback for health causes related to tobacco use, the govern- long been seen as linked to differences to convey... is not ‘if you are poor, your Technology Ltd. China should also have digi- activists who have been campaigning for an ment has said. India will record 1.5 million in cognitive development, but the brain will be smaller, and there is noth- tal databases for electronic health records and increase from the current 20 percent of pack- tobacco-related deaths annually by 2020, extent to which it affected brain struc- ing that can be done about it.’ That is patient information covering the entire popu- et surface which written warnings now cover. according to estimates by the International A parliamentary panel, which is examining Tobacco Control Project. — AFP ture was unclear until now. absolutely not the message!” — AFP lation to some degree by 2020, it said. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 HEALTH & SCIENCE

An apple a day may Interventional radiology reduces not keep the doctor away, study says need for invasive procedures CHICAGO: An apple a day doesn’t necessarily keep the doctor away. That’s according to proverb-busting By Abdellatif Sharaa research that found daily apple eaters had just as many doctor visits as those who ate fewer or no KUWAIT: Interventional radiology is an exciting, growing apples. The findings don’t mean apples aren’t good for and continuously evolving sub-specialty of radiology in you but they do underscore that it takes more than which both vascular and nonvascular diseases are diag- just one kind of food to make a healthy diet and avoid nosed and treated by minimally invasive approaches in illness. About one-third of the adults studied said they nearly every organ system, using small tubes called had no more than one doctor visit in the previous year; catheters, needles and catheter-based instruments with- the remainder reported at least two visits. A prelimi- out the need for large surgical incisions or general anes- nary analysis found apple eaters had slightly fewer vis- thesia. The procedures are performed with local and its than apple avoiders - those who ate less than one intravenous sedation and are guided by radiological daily or no apples. But that difference disappeared imaging techniques such as x-rays, fluoroscopy, ultra- when the researchers considered weight, race, educa- sound and computed tomography (CT), said Dr. Tariq tion, health insurance and other factors that can influ- Sinan, Consultant in Interventional Radiology, Chairman ence frequency of medical visits. of Diagnostic Imaging Center and Professor of Radiology More about the study, published Monday in JAMA at Kuwait University. Internal Medicine: He said the concept behind interventional radiology is to diagnose and treat patients using the least invasive STUDY DETAILS techniques currently available in order to minimize the The researchers looked at data on about 8,400 U.S. adults who took part in government health surveys in risk to the patients and improve health outcomes. Many 2007-08 and 2009-10. The adults answered question- conditions that once required surgery can now be treat- naires that included queries about foods they’d eaten ed non-surgically by interventional radiologists, he in the previous 24 hours and medical care in the past added. year. About 9 percent of adults studied ate the equiva- Dr Sinan said by minimizing the physical trauma to the lent of at least one small apple daily. Those who ate patient, peripheral interventions can reduce infection less than that were considered apple shunners. rates and recovery time, as well as shorten hospital stays. Apple eaters had more education and were less The interventional radiologist is trained not only in radi- likely to smoke than apple shunners. Apple eaters ographic imaging but also in percutaneous imaging- were slightly less likely to use prescription drugs, but guided procedures, and has the clinical skills required to the study lacks information on use of over-the-counter integrate interventional procedures into overall patient Dr. Tariq Sinan (left) seen with Abdellatif Sharaa during the interview. medication and alternative medicine. management. Dr Sinan said that interventional radiology covers Laminectomy),sacroiliac joint injection, radiofrequency pre-operative), varicocele embolization, carotid artery STUDY LIMITATIONS among other things spine and pain management (mini- ablation for facet and sacroiliac joint, pulse radiofrequen- stenting, renal artery angioplasty, peripheral angioplasty Adults’ food choices in the previous 24 hours don’t mally invasive spine and pain procedures), nucleoplasty, cy for spinal nerves, intra-articular pulse radiofrequency and stenting, inferior vena cava filter, central venous necessarily reflect usual eating habits. kyphoplasty, epidural injection, epiduroscopy, selective and injections, musculoskeletal / articular laser light access, miscellaneous procedures, biliary drainage and The study lacks information on other foods people transforaminal nerve root injections. neuromodulation treatment (new), different musculoskeletal targeted stenting, embolization of internal bleeding, image-guid- ate and it isn’t rigorous enough to determine whether and blocks, intervertebral facet joint injections, median injections, endovascular management (abdomen, chest, ed biopsy (different types), infection and abscess people who choose to eat apples are healthier or branch block, intradiscal ozone injection, interspinous head and neck, peripheral), diagnostic angiography, bal- drainage, tumor ablation including various tumor treat- unhealthier than those who don’t. The reason for the spacer, neuromodulation electrode, MILD procedure loon angioplasty’ and stent implantation, uterine artery ments, ozone treatments, intravenous pulsed radiofre- reported doctor visits also isn’t included in the study. (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression/Percutanous embolization (uterine fibroid, postpartum hemorrhage, quency treatments, intravenous laser therapy (new). Lead author Matthew Davis, a health services researcher at the University of Michigan, said while the study questions the proverb, “to really disprove it, you would need a different study design.” German farmers not cowed APPLES’ NUTRIENTS Apples are a good source of vitamin C; one medium apple has about 100 calories and provides nearly 20 by end of EU milk quotas percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber. Apples also contain small amounts of vitamin A, calci- um and iron. KEMBERG: Fresh from a massage, the along a spinning brush at the end of a with the upper end of that target range Fierce competition The proverb is thought to have originated in Wales cows turn slowly on a computerised metal arm a couple of times appears to representing an increase of nearly 20 per- The weakness of the euro against the in the 1800s. Apples, which have a long shelf life, were “milking carousel”-everything is ready at make them happy. cent over the entire period. The dollar should add extra impetus to likely one of the few fruits that were available through- the Heideland farm south of Berlin to And so are German farmers now that Netherlands is planning an increase of a German farmers’ export ambitions, said out the year, said Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts University ramp up production once European milk the production limits are history. “We’re similar magnitude. Normally, increasing Wohlfahrt at ZMB, even if, for now, the cri- professor of nutrition science and policy. She wasn’t quotas end today. happy the quotas are being scrapped. output pushes prices down-farmers sis in Russia is complicating matters. involved in the study. Nutritionists generally agree that “Look how well we treat them, all the We’re prepared,” says Karl-Heinz Engel, already receive no more than a paltry Russia is one of the biggest customers apples can be a good food choice. But, said Dr. Steven Zeisel, director of the University of North Carolina’s space they’ve got, and here they even president of the German dairy industry 0.28 euro per litre. “Twenty-eight cents is of cheese made in Germany, but it has Nutrition Research Institute, “One apple isn’t going to have a massage machine,” says Richard association, MIV, insisting that the sector the equivalent of being on life-support. banned all imports from the EU since last be enough to make a difference unless it’s part of a Reiss, head of the giant farm of 1,200 is “export-orientated and competitive”. I’m for a price of, say, 35 cents,” says Reiss. year. Germany will not be alone, either, in healthy food pattern.” — AP dairy cows. That is a fairly optimistic stance com- But the industry is confident it can find setting its sights on overseas markets, Dairy farmers like Reiss in Germany, pared with, for example, farmers in buyers for the additional output at rea- experts cautioned. Europe’s biggest milk producer, are hap- France, Europe’s second-biggest supplier, sonable prices. Dairy farmers have invest- “There are some very strong interna- py to see the back of the production lim- who invoke doom-and-gloom scenarios ed heavily in new capacity, “above all in tional competitors,” concedes Vogel- its that have prevented them from of oversupply and falling prices. milk powder and in cheese” production Lackenberg, pointing to Ireland for exploiting the export opportunities But in Germany, the industry views the according to Monika Wohlfahrt, head of instance. Those producers that are not as offered by the rising middle classes in scrapping of the quotas, introduced in the ZMB Dairy World market information rich and powerful as DMK, particularly Asia. “As soon as we heard that Brussels 1984 to prevent over-production, as a company. Reinhard Vogel-Lackenberg, of smaller operators serving niche markets, was considering scrapping the quotas, “chance and an opportunity”. the Deutsches Milchkontor (DMK), said “will have to fight hard,” warns Rene we started thinking about how to In fact, the regime has effectively been the dairy has invested 500 million euros Kramer, dairy chief at the German coop- respond,” says the red-faced septuagenar- ignored in Germany anyway. In 21 out of over the past five years in new produc- erative association DRV. But farmers will ian. “Since 2012, we’ve done nothing but the 30 years that the quotas have been in tion lines for cheese and pasteurised milk. be looking to increase output wherever prepare for this,” adds Reiss, saying that existence, Germany has produced more DMK is one of Germany’s biggest they can. One farmer in northern 8.0 million euros ($8.7 million) have been than its annual allocation, preferring to dairies, buying 6.7 million tonnes of milk Germany, Hans-Hartwig Ketels, refuses to invested in the past two years to increase pay two billion euros in penalties instead. from farmers per year, or more than a be ruffled. efficiency and the potential to ramp up quarter of the country’s total production. “We don’t have a lot more farming output. Big investments “The European market is finite,” so land in Germany,” he says. “That will put a That includes the highly automated At 32 million tonnes in 2014, Germany DMK is eyeing exports to Asia, and the lid on output increases and ensure prices “milking carousel” that allows the cows to is the EU’s biggest dairy producer. Middle East and other countries “where remain at an acceptable level.” Ketels has KARBALA: Mohamed Hussein, an Iraqi from the city of be milked three times per day instead of But like other countries, such as an increasingly affluent middle class is invested in new facilities and is looking to Nasiriyah who lost his left leg fighting againt the the normal two, and methane-capturing Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark, it prepared to pay for quality dairy prod- increase his herd of dairy cows from 230 Islamic State group, tries his artificial leg at a center of systems to generate energy for the farm. is readying to raise output. ucts,” says Vogel-Lackenberg. DMK has to 300 by October. “But it’s possible that prosthetic limbs on Monday in Karbala 50 miles (80 The race for productivity includes MIV is forecasting annual production already set up commercial offices in the next one to two years will be compli- kilometres) south of Baghdad. — AFP pampering the cows a little-passing increases of 1.0-3.0 percent until 2020, China and Dubai. cated,” he acknowledges. — AFP WHAT’S ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

AUK celebrates diversity

he International Week at the American University of Central Hallway of the campus to showcase their cultures Kuwait (AUK) is an annual event on campus that cele- by displaying traditional clothing, books, music and foods, Tbrates cultural diversity within the AUK community. creating the Global Village. The booths are then rated by This year marked the 10th consecutive International Week judges for the Best Country Representation Award. This and included a host of diversity-themed events beginning year’s winners were Lebanon, Pakistan and Palestine, com- Sunday March 15th and continuing through Wednesday, ing in first, second and third place, respectively. March 18th. Events included a lecture, movie night, cook- One of the more anticipated activities of the week was ing competition and the highly anticipated Global Village, the cooking competition. Participants were asked to pres- where students had the opportunity to showcase tradi- ent traditional dishes from their countries. Although not tions from their countries. International Week is organized every country was represented, there were many cuisines each year by the Office of Student Life to promote cultural for the judges to sample, including dishes from Kuwait, exchange and understanding within the AUK community Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The Best Main and to enhance global and social awareness. Dish Award went to Syria, while the Best Dessert Award This year’s Week began with students competing in a went to Egypt. two-day round of Sporcle trivia quiz testing their general International Week concluded, as is tradition, with the knowledge of countries around the globe. Dr. Chris Ohan, Parade of Nations; a parade of flags representing countries former AUK professor, contributed to the week’s happen- of members from the AUK community, led by Kuwaiti flag. ings in his Monday morning lecture on global sensitivity Following the Parade was the Cultural Showcase, which entitled “Balancing Tolerance, Diversity and Academic featured an array of performances from 6 different coun- Freedom in a Politically Correct World.” tries; Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Iran, Egypt and International Week also included a series of foreign Kuwait. The Best Cultural Showcase title went to Lebanon, movie nights, featuring such movies as the politically con- second place to Palestine, and third place to Egypt. troversial Indian film My Name Is Khan and an Iranian dra- The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an inde- ma called The Painting Pool - stories of family dynamics, pendent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational global intolerance and a changing world. All of these activ- liberal arts institution of higher education. The educational, ities and events exposed AUK students to a range of differ- cultural and administrative structure, methods and stan- ent international and human experiences, while commit- dards of AUK are based on the American model of higher ting to the spirit of the week. learning. The language of instruction is English. More infor- Each year, student representatives from countries par- mation on the American University of Kuwait can be found ticipating in International Week are assigned booths in the atwww.auk.edu.kw

Crowne Plaza participated in Greetings ‘Earth Hour’ global movement

ach of us has the power to make a real difference in the world, each of us can be a super hero of the planet; conse- Equently, IHG has participated in “Earth Hour” Global Movement on Saturday, 28th March 2015. IHG has always been an effective member when it comes to social responsibilities, not only towards community and people, but also towards planet Earth. Moreover, it has always been the 1st leading hotelier industry in aspiring people, motivating & spreading awareness and taking part in different activities especially in such global event. Earth Hour is a global environmental movement of WWF. As one of the first open-sourced environmental campaigns, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic event in one city into a global movement, crowd sourcing actions from individuals, businesses, organizations and governments to generate environmental out- comes. Crowne Plaza Kuwait was part of the Earth Hour where the echo of laughter and joy lingered in the lobby for an hour as the shadows of sparkling candles added a mesmerizing atmos- phere. For one complete successful hour with maximum CONGRATULATIONS amount of lights switched off, the hotel management, guests and staff met in the lobby with candles signifying the impor- ongratulations to Malek Ahmed tance of maintaining a sustainable planet. Omeira who graduated from What makes Earth Hour different is that it empowers people CUKG from Kuwait Pakistan to take charge and to use their power to make a difference. The English School. Wishes come from movement inspires a mixture of collective and individual action, parents, relatives and friends. so anyone can do their part. WHAT’S ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Al-Sayer Medical Company — official agent of Kerr Dental in Kuwait

l-Sayer Medical Company one of the Al Sayer Group The lecture and workshop was conducted by the famous tists showed immense interest in the new innovative products nies worldwide, along with the keenness of Al-Sayer Medical Holding Companies and the official agent of Kerr Italian dentist Dr. Gaetano Paolone, one Stylo-Italiano scientific from Kerrwhile they had the opportunity to use the products Company to provide the most innovative and highest quality ADental in Kuwait, organized a Scientific Seminar and committee, renowned dentistry society in Europe and the world during the workshop. of products reflecting Alsayer Group Holding as best in the workshop about the new innovations in aesthetic dentistry which specializes in research and development of the most Dr Hossam Afify, General Manager, Al-Sayer Medical business work principles, in addition to offering scientific sup- science. Large number of dentists from the government and innovative techniques in treatment and aesthetic dentistry. Company expressed his happiness for the strong cooperation port to Doctors through workshops in order to ensure the private sectors in Kuwait attended this event. Overall the Event received great appreciation as the den- with Kerr Dental Company, one of the leading dental compa- best medical services are provided to the patients.

TSC holds Culinary Cook-Off Challenge

he Sultan Center (TSC) hosted a culi- event four finalists were selected and nary cook-off challenge at TSC awarded gifts for winning the cook-off TSalmiyah on March 21st. The cook-off challenge. Commenting on TSC’s initiative, consisted of four rounds, each highlighting Lisa Al Gharib, Marketing Manager at TSC a different menu theme. Each of the partic- said: “We are pleased to have held this ipating contestants was asked to prepare a cooking event as it provided an opportuni- dish out of basket of selected ingredients ty for contestants to demonstrate their unknown to the contestants. Each contest- cooking abilities and put them to the test ant had 15 minutes to prepare their dish. in an enjoyable way. TSC is committed to When the time period ended contestants providing our loyal customers with range presented their dish to a panel of judges of activities and promotional campaigns who ranked the dishes based on taste, cre- that they can participate in across the ativity and presentation, at the end of the year”. Marina Hotel Kuwait supports Earth Hour 2015

arina Hotel Kuwait recently partici- Beverage, Housekeeping, Engineering, pated in the global initiative, Earth Finance, IT, Admin, Human Resources along MHour 2015 by switching off the with the General Manager, Nabil Hammoud hotel’s lights for one hour. By its participation, were present, assisting with candles set-up the hotel joins the efforts of an extensive around the hotel and creating awareness for range of organizations around the world that guests to contribute to global environmental continue to work towards drawing more change. attention towards global warming. The activi- Participating in the Earth Hour, Marina ty, which relays Marina Hotel’s commitment Hotel Kuwait joins the growing list of sup- and support for a green and sustainable porting businesses that are committed to future, involves everyone in the hotel to take a stand on climate change and create a switch off the lights in public areas and all cleaner, safer and more secure future. guestrooms. Earth Hour is an annual international event As a symbolic gesture to warn against created by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to global warming for 60 minutes, non-essential raise awareness towards the need and take lighting and electrical appliances around the action on climate change. With the challenges property were switched off in an effort to of the global economy, leaders and people reduce their environmental impact and draw remain focused on the growing threat of cli- attention to environmental issues. mate change and place a high priority on Employees of each department including environmentally-friendly solutions as one of Sales & Marketing, Front Office, Food & the ways to overcome those challenges. ‘Amal’ focuses on Syrian refugees’ pain, suffering

By Faten Omar

he media committee of the supreme coordinating committee of the donor conference held in Kuwait yesterday and in cooperation with Tthe National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, a play titled ‘Amal’ (Hope) embodying the Syrian refugees’ pain and suffering was held on Monday at the Abdul-Hussain Abul-Redha Theater in Salmiya. The play portrayed Syrian people and children in refugee camps with dynamic per- formances, emotional songs and scenes visualizing death and hard times faced by refugees under the harsh climatic conditions and a feeling of helplessness. “Amal” is a Syrian girl with no one to help her. Unable to bear the cold winter and hunger, Amal dies after the world ignores her suffering. But with a touching musical score, the play ends on a happy note after a woman gives birth to a new Amal, in a symbolic gesture of hope for the survival of life. “I’m amazed by the performance - it was emotional and unique,” said Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and President of NCCAL Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Homoud Al-Sabah. Sheikh Salman stressed that the play expressed the suffering of displaced Syrians. “This play is a small gift to our Syrian brothers to let them know that Kuwait is standing by their side,” he said. He thanked all those who contributed to the play and wished that the conference achieves success. Minister of Education Dr Bader Al-Essa, former Information Minister Mohammed Sanousi, ambassadors, diplomats and other officials were also in attendance. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 TV PROGRAMS

05:00 How It’s Made 06:50 Girl Meets World 15:00 Guy’s Grocery Games 05:30 How It’s Made 07:15 H2O: Just Add Water 16:00 Chopped 06:00 Yukon Men 07:40 Jessie 17:00 Guy’s Big Bite 06:50 Wheeler Dealers 08:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 17:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 07:40 Fast N’ Loud 08:30 Austin & Ally 18:00 Siba’s Table 03:25 Mistresses 08:30 Storage Hunters 08:55 Dog With A Blog 18:30 The Big Eat... 04:15 The Weakest Link 08:55 Garage Gold 09:20 Binny And The Ghost 19:00 Chopped 05:00 Teletubbies 09:20 Storage Wars Canada 09:45 Girl Meets World 20:00 Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity 05:25 Show Me Show Me 09:45 How It’s Made 10:10 Liv And Maddie Cook Off 05:45 Boogie Beebies 10:10 How It’s Made 10:35 Starstruck 21:00 Chopped 06:00 Charlie And Lola 10:35 Bear Grylls: Escape From 11:50 Sofia The First 22:00 Food Network Challenge 06:15 Teletubbies Hell 12:15 Sofia The First 23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 06:40 Show Me Show Me 11:25 Survive That! 12:40 The Adventures Of Disney 23:30 Chopped 07:00 Boogie Beebies 12:15 Tethered Fairies ITV CHOICE HD 07:15 The Weakest Link 13:05 Storage Hunters 13:05 Good Luck Charlie 03:25 Martin Clunes: Heavy 08:00 Pride And Prejudice 13:30 Garage Gold 13:30 Dog With A Blog Horsepower 08:55 Eastenders 13:55 Storage Wars Canada 13:55 Gravity Falls 04:10 Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night 09:25 Doctors 14:20 Yukon Men 14:20 H2O: Just Add Water Takeaway 09:55 As Time Goes By 15:10 Wheeler Dealers 14:55 Liv And Maddie 05:15 The Chase 10:25 Being Erica 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 15:20 Binny And The Ghost 06:00 Midsomer Murders 11:10 The Weakest Link 16:50 How It’s Made 15:45 Girl Meets World 07:30 Martin Clunes: Heavy 11:55 Pride And Prejudice 17:15 How It’s Made 16:10 Violetta Horsepower 12:50 The Vicar Of Dibley 17:40 Dive Wars Australia 17:00 High School Musical 08:15 Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night 13:30 Eastenders 18:30 Chaos Caught On Camera 18:40 Liv And Maddie Takeaway 14:00 Doctors 18:55 Chaos Caught On Camera 19:05 H2O: Just Add Water 09:20 Coach Trip 14:30 Being Erica 19:20 What Happened Next? 19:30 Violetta 09:45 Coach Trip 15:15 As Time Goes By 19:45 What Happened Next? 20:20 Binny And The Ghost 10:15 May The Best House Win 15:45 The Vicar Of Dibley 20:10 Garage Gold 20:45 H2O: Just Add Water 11:10 Emmerdale 16:25 The Weakest Link 20:35 Storage Wars Canada 21:10 Austin & Ally 11:35 Emmerdale 17:10 Eastenders 21:00 Chaos Caught On Camera 21:35 Jessie 12:00 Coronation Street 17:40 Doctors 21:25 Chaos Caught On Camera 22:00 Gravity Falls 12:30 The Chase 18:10 Being Erica 21:50 What Happened Next? 22:25 Sabrina: Secrets Of A 13:15 May The Best House Win 18:55 The Vicar Of Dibley 22:15 What Happened Next? Teenage Witch 14:05 Midsomer Murders 19:35 Alan Partridge’s Mid-Morning 22:40 Man vs Expert 22:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A 15:35 Coach Trip Matters 23:30 Dive Wars Australia Teenage Witch 16:00 Coach Trip 20:00 The Night Watch 23:10 Wolfblood 16:30 Kate Middleton: Heir We Go 21:30 Spooks 23:35 Wolfblood Again! 22:20 Stella 17:25 Mr Selfridge 23:05 The Weakest Link 18:20 The Chase 23:50 Waking The Dead 19:10 Coronation Street 19:35 Coach Trip 03:00 Food Factory 20:00 Coach Trip 03:24 Food Factory 03:15 Christina Milian Turned Up 20:30 Kate Middleton: Heir We Go 03:48 Game Changers 03:40 Christina Milian Turned Up Again! 04:12 Game Changers 04:10 E!ES 21:25 Mr Selfridge 04:36 Machines Of Glory 05:05 E!ES 22:20 Coronation Street 03:15 Baking Mad With Eric 05:24 Bang Goes The Theory 06:00 Keeping Up With The 22:50 Emmerdale Lanlard 05:48 How Tech Works Kardashians 23:15 Emmerdale 03:40 Beat My Build 06:12 Food Factory 06:55 Keeping Up With The 23:45 May The Best House Win 04:25 Nordic Cookery With Tareq 06:36 How Do They Do It? Kardashians Taylor 07:00 Bang Goes The Theory 07:50 Style Star 04:50 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 07:25 How Tech Works 08:20 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 05:15 Rachel’s Favourite Food For 07:50 Science Of Star Wars 08:45 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills Living 08:40 Food Factory 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 05:45 Masterchef: The 09:05 How It’s Made 10:15 Giuliana & Bill Professionals 09:30 Game Changers 11:10 Fashion Bloggers 03:00 Apocalypse: The Second 06:35 Baking Mad With Eric 09:55 Game Changers 11:35 Fashion Bloggers World War Lanlard 10:20 Machines Of Glory 12:05 House Of DVF 04:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 07:00 Antiques Roadshow 11:10 How Do They Do It? 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 05:00 Air Crash Investigation 07:50 Come Dine With Me 11:35 How Do They Do It? 13:35 THS 06:00 Breakout 08:15 Beat My Build 12:00 Prank Science 14:30 Style Star 07:00 Mystery Files 09:05 Nordic Cookery With Tareq 12:25 How Tech Works 15:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take 07:30 Mystery Files Taylor 12:50 The Science Of Star Wars The Hamptons 08:00 Beyond Magic with DMC 09:30 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 13:40 Food Factory 16:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take 09:00 Rescue Ink 09:55 Rick Stein’s Spain 14:05 How It’s Made The Hamptons 10:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 10:45 Masterchef: The 14:30 Game Changers 17:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 11:00 Animal Mega Moves Professionals 14:55 Game Changers 17:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 12:00 Brave New World 11:40 Antiques Roadshow 15:20 Machines Of Glory 18:00 E! News 13:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 12:30 Come Dine With Me 16:10 How Do They Do It? 19:00 THS 14:00 Apocalypse World War I 12:55 Beat My Build 16:35 How Do They Do It? 20:00 Christina Milian Turned Up 15:00 Mammoth: Back from Dead 13:45 Nordic Cookery With Tareq 17:00 Through The Wormhole With 20:30 Christina Milian Turned Up 16:00 Jurassic C.S.I. Taylor Morgan Freeman 21:00 Keeping Up With The 17:00 Science of Stupid 14:10 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 17:50 How It’s Made Kardashians 17:30 Science of Stupid 14:35 Extreme Makeover: Home 18:15 How It’s Made 22:00 E! News 18:00 Clash Of The Continents Edition 18:40 Food Factory 23:00 Giuliana & Bill 19:00 Mammoth: Back from Dead 15:15 Masterchef: The 19:05 Food Factory 20:00 Jurassic C.S.I. Professionals 19:30 Strangest Weather On Earth 21:00 Science of Stupid 16:10 Antiques Roadshow 19:55 Strangest Weather On Earth 21:30 Science of Stupid 17:00 Come Dine With Me 20:20 Strangest Weather On Earth 22:00 Clash Of The Continents 17:25 Beat My Build 21:10 How Do They Do It? 23:00 Animal Mega Moves 18:15 Kirstie’s Fill Your House For 21:35 How Do They Do It? Free 22:00 Strangest Weather On Earth 19:05 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic 22:25 Strangest Weather On Earth 03:15 Chopped The Legend Of Hercules ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD Cookery 22:50 Strangest Weather On Earth 04:05 Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity 19:30 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 23:40 How It’s Made Cook Off 17:00 Science of Stupid 19:00 Parenthood 19:00 Life Of Crime-PG15 06:25 Jo Frost’s Family SOS 20:00 Sweet Baby James 04:50 Siba’s Table 17:30 Science of Stupid 20:00 Sleepy Hollow 21:00 Cuban Fury-PG15 07:15 Say Yes To The Dress – 20:25 Masterchef: The 05:10 Sweet Genius 18:00 Clash Of The Continents 21:00 The Fosters 23:00 Carrie-18 Bridesmaids 06:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin Professionals 03:00 Apocalypse: The Second 19:00 Mammoth: Back from Dead 22:00 Grimm 07:40 Little People, Big World 06:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 21:20 Bargain Hunt World War 20:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 23:00 The Strain 08:05 Oprah: Where Are They 06:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:10 Come Dine With Me 04:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 21:00 Science of Stupid Now? 07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 22:35 The Hairy Bikers USA 05:00 Air Crash Investigation 21:30 Science of Stupid 08:55 Oprah’s Master Class 07:30 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 23:00 Kirstie’s Fill Your House For 06:00 Breakout 22:00 Clash Of The Continents 09:45 Cake Boss 03:10 The Hive 08:00 Chopped Free 07:00 Mystery Files 23:00 Animal Mega Moves 10:10 Sister Wives 03:20 Art Attack 09:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 23:50 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic 07:30 Mystery Files 04:30 A Cat In Paris 10:35 Six Little Mcghees 03:45 Art Attack Basics Cookery 08:00 Beyond Magic with DMC 04:00 American Warships 06:00 The Missing Lynx 11:00 Ballroom Blitz 04:10 Jungle Junction 09:30 Farm Kings 09:00 Rescue Ink 08:00 Luke And Lucy: The Texas 11:50 Sister Wives 04:25 Jungle Junction 10:30 The Big Eat... 06:00 Europa Report 10:00 Jurassic C.S.I. Rangers 12:40 Jo Frost’s Family SOS 04:35 Jungle Junction 11:00 Mexican Made Easy 08:00 The Legend Of Hercules 11:00 Animal Mega Moves 09:45 Barbie As The Island 13:30 Kate Plus 8 04:45 Jungle Junction 11:30 Chopped 10:00 Hellboy: Blood & Iron 12:00 Brave New World Princess 14:20 Say Yes To The Dress: The 05:00 Art Attack 12:30 Siba’s Table 12:00 Darkman 13:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 11:15 Barbie Presents: Thumbelina Big Day (Specials) 05:25 Art Attack 13:00 Guy’s Big Bite 03:00 Community 14:00 Apocalypse World War I 14:00 Police Story 12:45 Luke And Lucy: The Texas 15:10 Cake Boss 03:40 Storage Hunters 05:50 Mouk 13:30 Guy’s Big Bite 03:30 Melissa & Joey 15:00 Mammoth: Back from Dead 16:00 The Legend Of Hercules Rangers 15:35 Little People, Big World 04:05 Garage Gold 06:00 Dog With A Blog 14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:00 Two And A Half Men 16:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 18:00 Snake Eyes 14:30 Escape From Planet Earth 16:00 Hoarding: Buried Alive 04:30 Storage Wars Canada 06:25 Binny And The Ghost 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 20:00 Darkman 16:00 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A 16:50 Say Yes To The Dress – Who 05:30 My Name Is Earl 22:00 The Package Bridesmaids 06:00 Til Death 18:00 Barbie As The Island 17:15 17 Kids And Counting 06:30 My Boys Princess 17:40 Sister Wives 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 20:00 Zambezia 18:30 Ballroom Blitz 08:00 Two And A Half Men 22:00 Escape From Planet Earth 19:20 Oprah: Where Are They 08:30 My Name Is Earl 23:30 Legend Of Frosty The Now? 09:00 Community 04:00 Europa Report-PG15 Snowman 20:10 Jo Frost’s Family SOS 09:30 The Simpsons 06:00 The Legend Of Hercules 21:00 Medical Anomalies 10:00 Marry Me 08:00 Hellboy: Blood & Iron-PG15 21:50 Extraordinary Pregnancies 10:30 My Boys 10:00 Darkman-PG15 22:40 Extreme Couponing All-Stars 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring 12:00 Police Story-PG15 23:05 Mob Wives Jimmy Fallon 14:00 The Legend Of Hercules 23:55 Medical Anomalies 12:00 Til Death 16:00 Snake Eyes-PG15 04:00 Last Vegas-PG15 12:30 Til Death 18:00 Darkman-PG15 06:00 A Good Day To Die Hard- 13:00 My Name Is Earl 20:00 The Package-PG15 PG15 13:30 My Boys 22:00 22 Bullets-18 08:00 Moms’ Night Out-PG 14:00 Melissa & Joey 10:00 Foodfight!-PG 14:30 The Simpsons 12:00 A Good Day To Die Hard- 03:10 True CSI 15:00 Marry Me PG15 04:00 Deadly Affairs 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 14:00 The Croods-PG 04:45 Deadly Sins Stewart 04:00 Mystery, Alaska 16:00 Moms’ Night Out-PG 05:30 Serial Killers 16:30 Til Death 06:20 Fatal Encounters 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 06:00 Standing Ovation 18:00 Safe-PG15 08:00 Article 99 19:45 About Time-PG15 07:10 Fatal Encounters 18:00 Community 08:00 Deadly Affairs 18:30 Baby Daddy 10:00 Struck By Lightning 22:00 Dom Hemingway-18 12:00 Dumb And Dumberer: When 08:50 True Crime With 19:00 Modern Family Aphrodite Jones 19:30 Modern Family Harry Met Lloyd 14:00 Free Samples 09:40 Real Emergency Calls 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring 10:05 Real Emergency Calls Jimmy Fallon 16:00 Article 99 18:00 Stand Off 05:30 NRL Full Time 10:30 Who On Earth Did I 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon 06:00 Super Rugby Highlights Marry? Stewart 20:00 Fired Up! 22:00 The Details 07:00 Golfing World 10:55 Who On Earth Did I 21:30 Hot In Cleveland 08:30 Super Rugby Highlights Marry? 22:00 Mixology 12:00 Golfing World 11:20 Who On Earth Did I 22:30 Mixology 13:00 Champions Tour Highlights Marry? 23:00 South Park 14:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 11:45 Who On Earth Did I 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers 14:30 Premier League Darts Marry? 19:00 Inside The PGA Tour 12:10 The Will: Family Secrets 03:00 Safe Haven-PG15 20:00 Trans World Sport Revealed 05:00 Centre Place-PG15 21:00 Super Rugby Highlights 13:00 The Will: Family Secrets 07:00 Upside Down-PG15 Revealed 09:00 Five Thirteen-PG15 13:50 Nightmare Next Door 08:00 C.S.I. 11:00 Safe Haven-PG15 14:40 Deadly Affairs 12:00 Emmerdale 13:00 Mirror Mirror-PG15 15:30 Deadly Affairs 12:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Good Witch’s Wedding- 16:20 Disappeared 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show PG15 04:30 PGA Tour Highlights 17:10 Real Emergency Calls 14:00 C.S.I. 17:00 Five Thirteen-PG15 06:30 NRL Full Time 17:35 Real Emergency Calls 16:00 Emmerdale 19:00 Pawn-PG15 07:30 IndyCar Highlights 18:00 Stalked: Someone’s 16:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Past-PG15 11:00 PGA European Tour Watching 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 23:15 As I Lay Dying-18 Highlights 18:25 Stalked: Someone’s 18:00 C.S.I. 12:30 NRL Premiership Watching 19:00 Glee 14:30 WWE Experience 18:50 I Was Murdered 20:00 Marvel’s Agents Of 15:30 WWE Superstars 19:15 I Was Murdered S.H.I.E.L.D. 18:00 Gillette World Sport 19:40 Forensic Detectives 21:00 The Voice 19:00 WWE Vintage 20:30 Forensic Detectives 22:00 Outlander 21:20 Forensic Detectives 23:00 Hannibal 04:30 Jobs 22:10 Forensic Detectives 07:15 The Prestige 23:00 Devil In The Details 10:00 I Am Sam 23:50 Blood Relatives 12:30 Jobs 03:00 ICC World Cup H/L: Final 15:00 Faces In The Crowd 19:00 ICC World Cup H/L: AFG v SL 17:00 I Am Sam 20:00 ICC World Cup H/L: BAN v SL 19:30 The Patriot 21:00 ICC Cricket 360 22:15 Buried 21:30 ICC World Cup H/L : 2ND Semi 03:00 Grimm Final 04:00 The Strain 22:30 ICC World Cup H/L: FINAL 05:00 Good Morning America 03:00 Calimero 07:00 Emmerdale 03:15 Henry Hugglemonster 07:30 Coronation Street 03:25 Zou 03:00 Call Me Crazy: A Five Film- 09:00 Parenthood 03:40 Mouk 10:00 Emmerdale PG15 03:50 Jungle Junction 10:30 Coronation Street 04:45 Muppets Most Wanted-PG 04:00 Art Attack 12:00 Sleepy Hollow 06:45 The Butler-PG15 04:25 Julius Jr. 13:00 The Fosters 09:00 Mud-PG15 03:15 Little People, Big World 04:35 Calimero 14:00 Live Good Morning America 11:15 A Family Reunion-PG15 03:40 Ballroom Blitz 04:50 Henry Hugglemonster 16:00 Parenthood 13:00 Horizon-PG15 04:30 Cake Boss 05:00 Zou 17:00 Sleepy Hollow 15:00 Maladies-PG15 05:00 Sister Wives 05:15 Mouk 05:25 Jungle Junction AMERICAN WARSHIP ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 18:00 The Fosters 16:45 Mud-PG15 06:00 17 Kids And Counting Classifieds

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

CHANGE OF NAME Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY I, NJOKU CHINWEOKE (26/03/2015 TO 01/04/2015) IHEYINWA from Imo State Nigeria with Passport Number A02398494 do SHARQIA-1 QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 11:00 PM hereby change my name to CINDERELLA 12:30 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 1:00 AM ONONAJI CHINWEOKE CINDERELLA 2:45 PM CINDERELLA 5:00 PM FANAR-4 IHEYINWA. CINDERELLA 7:15 PM HOME -3D 12:15 PM 1-4-2015 CINDERELLA 9:45 PM HOME -3D 2:15 PM EX MACHINA 12:15 AM HOME -3D 4:15 PM I, Maddina Latika HOME 6:15 PM SHARQIA-2 EX MACHINA 8:15 PM Chowdary D/o Maddina HOME -3D 11:45 AM EX MACHINA 10:30 PM Ramaiah R/o. Thimmaiah HOME 1:45 PM EX MACHINA 12:45 AM Garipalli (V&P.O), Chitvel HOME -3D 3:45 PM Mandal, Y.S.R. Kadapa dist. HOME 5:45 PM FANAR-5 A.P. change my name as THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 7:45 PM HOME 11:30 AM EX MACHINA 10:15 PM HOME 1:30 PM Korrapati Lathika Chowdary THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 12:30 AM HOME 3:30 PM D/o Korrapati Rama FURIOUS 7 10:00 PM HOME 5:30 PM Chandraiah Naidu. (C 4958) FURIOUS 7 12:45 AM THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 7:30 PM CINDERELLA 10:00 PM SHARQIA-3 THE GUNMAN 12:30 AM I, Maddina Neteesha QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 12:00 PM FURIOUS 7 10:00 PM Chowdary D/o Maddina THE GUNMAN 2:00 PM FURIOUS 7 12:45 AM Ramaiah R/o. Thimmaiah QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 4:15 PM Garipalli (V&P.O), Chitvel RUN ALL NIGHT 6:15 PM MARINA-1 Mandal, Y.S.R. Kadapa dist QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 8:45 PM CINDERELLA 12:30 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 10:45 PM CINDERELLA 3:00 PM A.P. change my name as THE GUNMAN 12:45 AM CINDERELLA 5:30 PM Korrapati Neshitha CINDERELLA 7:45 PM Chowdary D/o Korrapati MUHALAB-1 CINDERELLA 10:00 PM Rama Chandraiah Naidu. CINDERELLA 12:30 PM EX MACHINA 12:15 AM (C 4958) CINDERELLA 2:45 PM 30-3-2015 CINDERELLA 5:00 PM MARINA-2 CINDERELLA 7:15 PM EX MACHINA 11:45 AM CINDERELLA 9:30 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 2:00 PM ACCOMMODATION THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 11:45 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 4:00 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 6:30 PM MUHALAB-2 QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 8:30 PM 2 BHK available in Quitaiba RUN ALL NIGHT 1:00 PM EX MACHINA 10:30 PM St, Hawally, with 2 big bath- QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 3:30 PM THE GUNMAN 12:45 AM RUN ALL NIGHT 5:30 PM room, big hall, one floor 2 QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 8:00 PM MARINA-3 apartment only with 2 lifts QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 10:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 12:15 PM with double bed, oven, gas, QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 12:15 AM HOME 3:00 PM fridge and single bed. Easily HOME -3D 5:15 PM MUHALAB-3 to make 3x3 mts room in HOME -3D 11:30 AM HOME 7:30 PM hall. Call: 60982737. HOME 1:30 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 9:30 PM (C 4959) NO WED HOME -3D 3:30 PM 29-3-2015 HOME 5:30 PM THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 12:05 AM EX MACHINA 7:30 PM NO WED EX MACHINA 9:45 PM FURIOUS 7 9:30 PM Prayer timings EX MACHINA 12:05 AM WED FURIOUS 7 9:45 PM FURIOUS 7 12:15 AM Fajr: 04:17 FURIOUS 7 12:30 AM WED Shorook 05:39 FANAR-1 AVENUES-1 THE LOVERS 12:00 PM MERCENARY: ABSOLUTION 11:45 AM Duhr: 11:53 THE LOVERS 2:45 PM MERCENARY: ABSOLUTION 2:00 PM Asr: 15:24 RUN ALL NIGHT 5:00 PM YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 4:15 PM THE LOVERS 7:30 PM MERCENARY: ABSOLUTION 6:30 PM Maghrib: 18:06 RUN ALL NIGHT 9:45 PM YOUM MALOUSH LASMA (Arabic) 8:45 PM THE LOVERS 12:15 AM MERCENARY: ABSOLUTION 11:00 PM Isha: 19:36 MERCENARY: ABSOLUTION 1:15 AM FANAR-2 CINDERELLA 12:15 PM AVENUES-2 CINDERELLA 2:30 PM EX MACHINA 12:30 PM CINDERELLA 4:45 PM EX MACHINA 2:45 PM CINDERELLA 7:00 PM EX MACHINA 5:00 PM CINDERELLA 9:15 PM EX MACHINA 7:15 PM THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT 11:30 PM EX MACHINA 9:30 PM NO WED EX MACHINA 11:45 PM FURIOUS 7 11:30 PM AVENUES-3 FANAR-3 RUN ALL NIGHT 12:45 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 1:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 3:15 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 3:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 5:45 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 5:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 8:15 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 7:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 10:45 PM QOT WA FAR (Arabic) 9:00 PM RUN ALL NIGHT 1:00 AM

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

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 1/4/2015 GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20 Departure Flights on Wednesday 1/4/2015 MRJ 4815 Mashhad 14:05 Airlines Flt Route Time SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30 Airlines Flt Route Time THY 767 Istanbul 14:10 QTR 1084 Doha 00:05 KAC 742 Dammam 14:50 AIC 982 Ahmedabad/Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05 UAE 872 Dubai 14:15 THY 772 Istanbul 00:15 KAC 540 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:50 BBC 044 Dhaka 00:10 CLX 792 Hanoi 14:45 JZR 239 Amman 00:20 KNE 472 Jeddah 14:55 UAL 981 IAD 00:25 KAC 545 Alexandria 15:00 JZR 267 Beirut 00:30 KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00 JAI 573 Mumbai 00:25 QTR 1079 Doha 15:05 DLH 637 Dammam 00:35 RJD 135 Abu Dhabi 15:00 MSR 615 Cairo 00:30 GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05 FDB 068 Dubai 00:55 OMA 645 Muscat 15:05 FDB 072 Dubai 00:30 FDB 058 Dubai 15:05 JZR 539 Cairo 01:30 KNE 462 Madinah 15:05 DLH 637 Frankfurt 01:35 KNE 481 Taif 15:10 JAI 574 Mumbai 01:30 ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35 THY 773 Istanbul 02:05 KAC 617 Doha 15:15 PGT 858 Istanbul 01:40 UAE 857 Dubai 15:45 ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:50 KAC 673 Dubai 15:20 RJA 642 Amman 01:45 RJA 640 Amman 15:55 JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 02:55 SVA 503 Jeddah 15:45 ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:50 FDB 051 Dubai 16:10 PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55 KAC 773 Riyadh 15:55 GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15 QTR 1072 Doha 16:20 KKK 6508 Istanbul 03:10 KAC 791 Madinah 16:00 KKK 6507 Istanbul 02:15 IRC 526 Mashhad 16:30 MSC 404 Sohag 03:30 KNE 473 Jeddah 16:00 UAE 853 Dubai 02:25 JZR 787 Riyadh 16:45 OMA 644 Muscat 03:35 KNE 463 Madinah 16:00 MSC 403 Sohag 02:30 ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50 UAE 854 Dubai 03:45 OMA 646 Muscat 16:05 OMA 643 Muscat 02:35 KAC 562 Amman 17:00 FDB 068 Dubai 04:00 RJD 136 Abu Dhabi 16:10 ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05 SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15 QTR 1077 Doha 04:05 ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15 QTR 1076 Doha 03:05 IRM 1180 Mashhad 17:25 ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05 RJA 641 Amman 16:55 CEB 7694 Manila 03:10 JZR 357 Mashhad 17:30 MSR 613 Cairo 04:15 JZR 266 Beirut 17:05 FDB 067 Dubai 03:15 GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30 SYR 342 Damascus 04:25 FDB 052 Dubai 17:10 MSR 612 Cairo 03:15 JZR 177 Dubai 17:45 CEB 7695 Manila 04:40 QTR 1073 Doha 17:25 SYR 341 Latakia/KAC 03:25 JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50 JZR 560 Sohag 05:00 IRC 527 Mashhad 17:30 KAC 1544 Cairo 03:55 SYR 343 Damascus 17:55 MSC 406 Sohag 05:00 ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:40 MSC 401 Alexandria 04:00 GFA 944 LCA 18:00 THY 765 Istanbul 05:05 UAE 858 Dubai 17:40 THY 770 Istanbul 04:40 JZR 483 Istanbul 18:20 QTR 1085 Doha 05:20 SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15 DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10 KAC 502 Beirut 18:35 RJA 643 Amman 06:35 GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20 KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15 KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35 GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50 JZR 184 Dubai 18:20 BAW 157 London 06:35 KAC 618 Doha 18:55 THY 771 Istanbul 06:50 KAC 563 Amman 18:30 KAC 382 Delhi 07:30 KAC 542 Cairo 18:55 FDB 070 Dubai 07:05 IRM 1187 Tehran 18:35 KAC 206 Islamabad 07:45 QTR 1080 Doha 18:55 JZR 164 Dubai 07:15 JZR 538 Cairo 18:40 KAC 204 Lahore 07:50 KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:00 FDB 054 Dubai 08:30 GFA 944 Bahrain 18:45 FDB 053 Dubai 07:50 UAE 875 Dubai 19:05 BAW 156 London 08:35 JZR 238 Amman 18:45 KAC 302 Mumbai 07:55 GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05 KAC 539 Sharm el-Sheikh 08:50 SYR 344 Damascus 18:55 QTR 1086 Doha 07:55 FDB 063 Dubai 19:10 QTR 1087 Doha 08:55 JZR 124 Bahrain 19:20 KAC 344 Chennai 08:15 ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20 KAC 671 Dubai 09:25 GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50 KAC 352 Kochi 08:15 MSR 606 Luxor 19:30 KAC 787 Jeddah 09:30 FDB 064 Dubai 19:50 UAE 855 Dubai 08:25 JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35 KAC 619 Doha 09:30 QTR 1081 Doha 19:55 KAC 362 Colombo 08:30 KAC 774 Riyadh 19:40 KAC 117 New York 09:40 ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00 ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05 AGY 684 Sohag 19:50 JZR 482 Istanbul 09:40 KAC 361 Colombo 20:00 ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:10 FDB 061 Dubai 19:50 ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45 MSR 619 Alexandria 20:30 KAC 288 Dhaka 09:25 KAC 102 New York/London 19:55 UAE 856 Dubai 09:50 JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35 IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25 KAC 674 Dubai 20:00 ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00 FDB 062 Dubai 20:35 KAC 350 Kochi 09:40 OMA 647 Muscat 20:00 IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25 AGY 681 Alexandria 20:50 FDB 055 Dubai 09:40 KNE 480 Taif 20:10 FDB 056 Dubai 10:40 KAC 1543 Cairo 20:55 QTR 1070 Doha 10:00 MEA 402 Beirut 20:15 GFA 943 LCA 10:55 OMA 648 Muscat 21:00 GFA 943 Bahrain 10:10 DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:20 KAC 501 Beirut 11:00 DLH 636 Dammam 21:00 IRM 1186 Tehran 10:20 ETD 919 Abu Dhabi 20:25 QTR 1071 Doha 11:00 KAC 331 Trivandrum 21:00 UAE 873 Dubai 10:40 GFA 049 Bahrain 20:45 KAC 175 Frankfurt/Geneva 11:15 KAC 351 Kochi 21:05 GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40 KAC 792 Madinah 20:55 KAC 561 Amman 11:25 KAC 283 Dhaka 21:05 MEA 404 Beirut 10:55 ALK 229 Colombo 21:10 IRM 1181 Mashhad 11:30 KNE 461 Riyadh 21:10 MSC 405 Sohag 11:20 UAE 859 Dubai 21:15 GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35 MEA 403 Beirut 21:15 JZR 561 Sohag 11:25 ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:15 JZR 356 Mashhad 11:40 JZR 554 Alexandria 21:15 AGY 680 Alexandria 11:40 FDB 073 Dubai 21:30 KAC 741 Dammam 11:50 UAE 876 Dubai 21:25 IRM 1188 Mashhad 11:45 QTR 1074 Doha 21:30 MEA 405 Beirut 11:55 GFA 049 Istanbul 21:30 JZR 165 Dubai 11:50 KAC 546 Alexandria 21:30 KAC 541 Cairo 12:05 DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50 IAW 157 Al Najaf 12:00 GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45 KAC 103 London 12:10 ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:05 AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 12:15 THY 764 Istanbul 22:10 UAE 874 Dubai 12:10 FDB 074 Dubai 22:10 UAE 871 Dubai 12:45 ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10 JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15 ALK 230 Colombo 22:20 MSR 610 Cairo 13:00 JZR 125 Bahrain 22:15 MSC 402 Alexandria 12:20 ETD 920 Dubai 22:25 MRJ 4815 Mashhad 13:05 AIC 975 Chennai 22:25 AGY 685 Sohag 12:40 UAE 860 Dubai 22:25 KAC 620 Doha 13:10 BBC 044 Dhaka/Dammam 22:40 KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00 KAC 381 Delhi 22:30 THY 766 Istanbul 13:10 FDB 059 Dubai 22:50 IAW 158 Al Najaf 13:00 KAC 349 Kochi 22:30 CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15 JZR 185 Dubai 22:55 JZR 176 Dubai 13:10 KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30 KAC 672 Dubai 13:55 JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 23:00 IRM 1189 Mashhad 13:10 QTR 1075 Doha 22:40 QTR 1078 Doha 14:05 MSR 614 Cairo 23:30 AXB 890 Mangalore 13:15 GFA 220 Bahrain 22:45 KNE 460 Riyadh 14:10 FDB 071 Dubai 23:35 JZR 786 Riyadh 13:20 ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00 FDB 057 Dubai 14:20 KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 23:40 MSR 611 Cairo 14:00 KAC 205 Islamabad 23:05 DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION stars34 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 CROSSWORD 859 STAR TRACK

Aries (March 21-April 19) Libra (September 23-October 22)

You have the qualities that reflect grace, charm and refinement. You have All that work piled up on your desk can really get to you today–get on with no idea that when you walk into a room full of people you bring them upbeat, positive it! Postpone that picnic and save the socializing for another day. Getting the business mat- vibrations as well. Care should be taken when undertaking anything new at this time–it is ters complete is the order of the day. You feel energized. Your relationship with others is best to keep the practical uppermost in your mind. The balance of give-and-take is impor- more harmonious than usual. This is a good day to solve problems and make important tant for you and you will need to speak up when you feel manipulated–at home as well as decisions. You will find a way around almost any obstacle and are in control and able to in the workplace. Only in silence will people take advantage of you. Think hard before guide yourself with ease. It is a good time to be humble and see where work can best help attempting a career shift–everything has a plus and a minus. Work, achievement and others. Your sense of inner direction is good and should lead to greater professional ambition mean a lot to you. If there is shopping to be done, put it off today or let someone opportunities. This evening you may enjoy a romantic book or movie. Changes at home else do the purchasing. Tonight is for friends. should be undertaken at this time to secure peace of mind.

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

You might feel your direction or focus has become a bit foggy. Try to avoid You may spend a considerable amount of effort improving finances, princi- making really important decisions for now. Stay out of uncharted waters–the course will pally through physical or manual activity. Good practical job-related thoughts and ideas be much clearer soon. Optimism is the word for today. The optimist sees the doughnut– are available to you. There is a lot of energy behind what you say and think. You can make the pessimist, the hole. Talk and ideas run smoothly for now, but production could be a bit quick and sharp decisions. Also there is the possibility of sharp words–think before speak- slow. Ideas are flowing and you can talk and talk. Today is a day to plan. For the next three ing. You communicate with feeling and strength. This is a good time to step back and weeks you will be developing better harmony. You begin to show off your artistic talents reflect on the past and contemplate your next move. You have a heightened sensitivity to more each day as you learn to love and trust in your own creative abilities. You have initiat- others just now and you may find your own physical attractiveness has improved as well. ed many projects over the past few months and have enjoyed much of the pleasure. Now Investments are ripe now through the end of this month. Becoming involved in communi- it is time to see what you have created. ty activities makes for a rewarding day.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Wait until next week, if possible, before signing legal documents. There may This is a good time to let yourself be known regarding business propositions be important information yet to be uncovered. There is a lot of motivation to or political affairs. Problems and obstacles that have previously been confounding should be your best. Listen carefully and then present your own views. You will be making great ACROSS dren a woman has delivered. find easy explanations under your keen examination. Move along from one subject to the headway in your profession. Expect a sense of support and goodwill from those around 1. (computer science) The rate at which data is 3. Someone who works (or provides workers) next or you could become bored and seem monotonous to others. This may involve learn- you. Perhaps you feel this is really you–how you feel and are. This is a great time to be with transferred (as by a modem). during a strike. ing a good joke, the things you say or a new angle or sales technique. If you give your best others and to work together in groups. You may be asked to work on saturday and you 4. Medium tall celery pine of New Zealand. 4. Syndrome resulting from a serious acute effort, considerable success will follow. Later you will be alone and get many things accom- may not have time to think through your answer–think about it now. Your management plished. You may be asserting a greater need for independence in a relationship. Do not let 12. The unit of frequency. (sometimes fatal) infection associated with and directional abilities are good and could create a pay raise for you if you want it. After a your dreams run wild–run a reality check once in a while. Relations with loved ones and confusing day, neighbors have a way of making you laugh. 15. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac the presence of staphylococcus. friends will be exceedingly pleasant this evening. insects. 5. Relating to or containing acetic acid. 16. White Southerner supporting 6. Speak in a nasal voice. Reconstruction policies after the Civil War 7. Any of numerous venomous fanged snakes Capricorn (December 22-January 19) usually for self-interest. of warmer parts of both hemispheres. Cancer (June 21-July 22) 17. An awkward stupid person. 8. God of love and erotic desire. Today you may try to sway others to your cause through speeches or clever argu- If you can use earphones and listen to a bit of music while you work it could help 18. A constellation in the southern hemi- 9. An overwhelming feeling of wonder or ments, for your thinking is most appealing. Be careful of going overboard in trying to convince you to concentrate better. This is a time when relations with business partners are on solid sphere near Telescopium and Norma. admiration. others to your way of seeing a particular situation. Take the time to smell the flowers today! ground. You are encouraged to partake in working partnerships or group activities. Mental stim- 19. East Indian annual erect herb. 10. (astronomy) The angular distance of a There are several ways to recharge or reenergize yourself. Take a stroll, chat with friends, listen to ulation from others is an answer for you right now and it’s a good idea to make every effort to 20. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan celestial point measured westward along the music or take a long drive. Surround yourself with beauty. You may begin to create some new cooperate and compromise with others. Any problems with the back could respond very well to River. celestial equator from the zenith crossing. goals for yourself and make plans and decisions with regard to your own life situation. There is a heat and a less stressful schedule. Rest as much as possible later today. You have profound insights and a public-spirited nature. You want to improve the world. Spending time with close, 22. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who 11. Title for a civil or military leader (especially sense of satisfaction and completeness now. Companionship with others is most rewarding and you should take every opportunity to be with friends. You are helpful to friends today. old friends is advisable now. All of you come up with ideas that are helpful to others. has not yet begun to walk or talk. in Turkey). 24. Thin fibrous bark of the paper mulberry 12. Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized veg- and Pipturus albidus. etable matter deposited in the Carboniferous 26. Genus of Eurasian spiny shrubs. period. Leo (July 23-August 22) Aquarius (January 20- February 18) 27. (Mexican) Ground beef and chili peppers 13. Sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or or chili powder often with tomatoes and kid- doors. This should be one of those positive days during which you feel good and so Your increased personal magnetism today makes this a good time for all sorts of business dealings. Compromise is paramount in your life now. You can successfully undertake ney beans. 14. The second largest city in Tunisia. does everyone else. You feel nothing but warmth, generosity and affection toward every- body around you–they in turn reflect it all back to you. You may tend to discount career original projects at this time. Check all areas of a new project to find out where your energies 31. Not one of the first three in a race or com- 21. Port city in the United Arab Emirates on opportunities just at the moment. Mental stimulation from others is an answer for you right may be best applied. You may worry excessively about home life and domestic security now. petition. the Persian Gulf. now and it’s a good idea to make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. You can make some simple changes that will make you feel more secure. Try to understand that 34. Tall feather palm of northern Brazil with 23. Enthusiastic approval. You will find success through your fine efforts to complete a project. Again, you are more if you do not speak up, others are not going to know how you feel. Social activities this evening hard-shelled nuts yielding valuable oil and a 25. A village of huts for native Africans in and more likely to conform your ways than ever before. You will find yourself more cau- do not have to be on hold–enjoy! Someone new in your life may gain your attention enough for kind of vegetable ivory. southern Africa. tious, moderate in disposition and better organized than ever before. Your benevolence you to learn a few foreign words and acceptable greetings of a language that is not your own. extends to family and strangers–everyone is in a good mood. 38. Any of various thermoplastic resins used 28. Imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of to make things. the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded 40. Wading birds of warm regions having long its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy. Virgo (August 23-September 22) slender down-curved bills. 29. A loose sleeveless outer garment made Pisces (February 19-March 20) 41. Any division of quantity accepted as a from aba cloth. This is a time that is most favorable for working with group projects. You are This should be a day of sunshine and pleasant thoughts. You may not feel like standard of measurement or exchange. 30. The blood group whose red cells carry on an even keel, content with your position and accomplishments in life. This helps you in doing anything heavy-duty today–especially work. If anyone should challenge you, you will 45. An intensely radioactive metallic element both the A and B antigens. group matters, as you are not afraid to make suggestions. You can blend within groups either compromise or change the subject. Who needs the hassleit’s best to rely on facts rather that occurs in minute amounts in uranium 32. Smaller of two tall fast-running flightless because you are able to let others take the lead. There is a fascination with the mysterious than feelings during this period, especially when an expensive mistake might be the outcome. ores. birds similar to ostriches but three-toed. that may be reawakened within you today. You may be drawn toward the serious study of Professional advice regarding finances will encourage you in the direction you will need to take. 46. A rapid bustling commotion. 33. (microbiology) An infectious protein parti- some difficult subject. You are interested in designing a safer form of energy to burn in our You may want to increase your power of attraction during this time–whether consciously or sub- 47. United States playwright (1906-1963). cle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid. cars or, perhaps a new organic fertilizer or bug killer that will not hurt the birds, etc. You consciously. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity regarding the needs of spend a great deal of time communicating with co-workers and people apart from work others just now. This is a good time to fully demonstrate the depth of affection to loved ones. 52. The goddess of the moon. 35. A metallic element having four allotropic tonight. It’s party time! Declare your love! 54. A region of Malaysia in northeastern forms. Borneo. 36. Formerly a contemptuous term of address 55. Ions are accelerated along a linear path by to an inferior man or boy. Yesterday’s Solution voltage differences on electrodes along the 37. (commerce) The period of time permitted WORD SEARCH path. by commercial usage for the payment of a bill 56. An oil port in southern Iraq. of exchange (especially a foreign bill of 58. A specialist assigned to the staff of a diplo- exchange). matic mission. 39. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake 59. A rotary duplicator that uses a stencil Chad. through which ink is pressed (trade mark 42. The act of flipping a coin. Roneo). 43. The sixth month of the civil year. 62. United States musician (born in Japan) 44. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a who married John Lennon and collaborated skewer usually with vegetables. with him on recordings (born in 1933). 48. Bound by chains fastened around the 63. A drop from an eye dropper. ankles. 68. A large mountain system in south-central 49. Of or being the lowest female voice. Europe. 50. English aristocrat who was the first wife of 71. (Norse mythology) God of war and strife Prince Charles. and son of Odin. 51. The branch of medicine concerned with 72. Fungi with yellowish gelatinous the study and treatment of tumors. sporophores having convolutions resembling 53. In bed. those of the brain. 57. Of or relating to the aorta. 75. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm 60. The eighth month of the civil year. used in India for writing paper. 61. Become one. 76. A small piece of cloth. 64. Predatory black-and-white toothed whale 77. A pungent colorless unsaturated liquid with large dorsal fin. aldehyde made from propene. 65. A city in the European part of Russia. 78. A unit of force equal to the force exerted 66. A shop selling delicatessen (as salads or by gravity. cooked meats). 79. A metal-bearing mineral valuable enough 67. Sustentacular tissue that surrounds and to be mined. supports neurons in the central nervous sys- 80. Oceanic sharks. tem. 81. Noisy talk. 69. Humble request for help. DOWN 70. A branch of the Tai languages. 1. Divulge information or secrets. 73. The second day of the week. 2. (obstetrics) The number of live-born chil- 74. Used of a single unit or thing. Yesterday’s Solution

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Visitors watch a live performance of a work by famous Austrian ‘Actionist’ Hermann Nietsch. — AFP photos Vienna showcases city’s shock ‘Actionist’ art movement

s artists, they pushed the limits, bathing in blood, mud ed a series of “still lifes” with body parts sticking out through 20th century when artists like Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka publicly urinated, defecated and cut himself with a razor and urine. Vienna’s famed “Actionists”, whose avant planks, giving the impression of a dismembered corpse. Brus and Egon Schiele shocked the world with sexually explicit art- blade, held his last live performance in 1970 in which he Agarde movement may be the most radical in contem- once crisscrossed Vienna with his body painted white and works. appeared nude and drank his own urine. But Hermann Nitsch, porary art, are the focus of a new exhibition in their home city. bisected by a jagged black line before being arrested by the If the Vienna “Actionists” follow this spirit, a source for their 76, is still performing and has at least three museums devoted The movement emerged in the 1960s as part of the new per- police. His other performances involved scatology or verged non-conformity was also World War II, said Badura-Triska. to his work in Austria and in Naples, Italy. formance-based art, which broke with the confines of tradi- on pornography. They lived “in a country where, unlike Germany, the Nazi past Otto Muehl died in 2013 at the age of 87 after being sen- tional painting and used the body as both surface and site of was pushed away, literally hidden in bourgeois normality, tenced to seven years in jail on charges of sexual offences with art-making. Artists also suffered which helps explain their extreme reaction. “In this respect, minors and rapes committed in a commune he had founded. “Vienna Actionism” shied away from little-and sometimes “Actionism broke away from traditional values. But it ‘Actionism’ had a cathartic effect. It allowed suppressed drives The movement, which was little known in the 1960s, received landed the artists in jail. “They sought a direct confrontation remains art. It is well-thought out, has a precise form and ref- to be released in controlled fashion, in the context of artistic a boost two decades later with a series of exhibitions in with reality, both physical and psychological, to limits that erences,” said Badura-Triska. “It’s an extension of the field of experience,” the curator said. The exhibition compares the Cologne, Vienna, Paris and Los Angeles. The exhibition at the were very difficult to tolerate,” said Eva Badura-Triska, curator painting, even though it is one of the most radical. “They over- Vienna movement with other developments in performance- Mumok runs through August 23. — AFP of “My Body is the Event” at Vienna’s Museum of Modern Art turned the rules by considering as aesthetic things which based and action art, featuring a wide range of international (Mumok). The movement’s main members were Otto Muehl, were deemed ugly according to social norms,” the curator artists from Yoko Ono to Marina Abramovic. Hermann Nitsch, Guenter Brus and Rudolf Schwarzkogler, who added, conceding that the exhibition would be difficult to The movement at times took a heavy toll. During a filmed skinned animal carcasses, tied up human bodies or mixed hold in certain countries. The city of Sigmund Freud and other performance which also featured her husband, a nude and them up with viscus, gore or mud. Muehl, in particular, creat- radical thinkers, Vienna already saw taboos broken in the early bound Ana Brus had a nervous breakdown. Guenter Brus, who

Filial pursuit: China museum displays family values campaign hat makes a good son or daughter? At China’s first museum dedicated to the topic of “filial piety”, the answer seems to Wbe: almost superhuman levels of devotion and sacrifice. Respect for family elders has been a cornerstone of Chinese culture for millennia, but many believe it is being eroded by the country’s rapid economic growth. The Modern Filial Piety Culture Museum, which cost more than $1 million, is part of government-backed efforts to “pass on the value”-as a banner over the entrance exhorts. A man walking past damaged statues in the ancient Greek city of Cyrene. — AFP A young man sits on ruins at the ancient Greek city of Cyrene. In a grey brick courtyard building inspired by traditional Chinese photos architecture, slick panels and exhibits in gleaming glass cases tell of more than a dozen modern-day filial role models. One is policeman Wang Chunlai, who provided his bedridden parents with years of medical care, giving them injections and blood transfusions. “This man is a classic example of filial piety,” said museum volunteer Zeng Yan, in front of the Wangs’ tattered beds and discolored bedpans, Libya fears its treasures donated after their demise. Others include an eight-year-old girl who provided constant care for her paralyzed mother, and a schoolteacher who took his Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother everywhere he went. Among the arte- facts are a blue and yellow cart-something between a fairytale car- are now in jihadist sights riage and a wheelbarrow-in which two sons pulled their mother to more than 600 towns and cities across China to fulfill her dying wish to travel. They wore out 12 pairs of shoes in the process, several of ibyan antiquities officials looked on with horror at of Derna, is the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, once dubbed the missing antiquities from Kadhafi’s home town Sirte, 450 kilo- them on display beside the carriage in the museum in the south- Internet video footage that showed Islamist extremists Athens of Africa. Also vulnerable are the Phoenician trading meters west of Tripoli, and from others to the east. western province of Sichuan. “I think that people often don’t consid- Lwielding sledgehammers and power tools to grind port of Sabratha and Tadrart Acacus, with its thousands of cave In 2011, a collection of nearly 8,000 gold, silver and bronze er their parents’ dreams. That’s the meaning of the exhibit,” Zeng ancient Iraqi treasures into dust. They fear the Islamic State paintings dating back 12,000 years, officials say. “We are work- coins, dating back to Alexander the Great, disappeared from a added. group jihadist movement’s growing influence means the fate ing with foreign partners and other stakeholders to preserve Benghazi bank. In Tobruk, just west of Libya’s border with that befell these priceless Assyrian and Akkadian artefacts now this archaeological heritage,” Hassan said. Mohammed Al- Egypt, a former Islamic palace from the Fatimid period was Paragons of piety awaits their own rich heritage dating back millennia. Footage Shelmani, head of the archaeological department in Benghazi, turned into a barn for animals. Most archaeological sites in Filial piety was the core value of China’s ancient sage Confucius, of the cultural atrocity showed militants smashing exhibits at said the growing power of IS in Libya has meant officials are Libya are open to the public with no restrictions. Only muse- and outlandish tales have been used for centuries to spur readers to the museum in Mosul, Iraq’s second city and the main IS now actively working to avert “an Iraqi-type scenario”. ums were closed for fear of looting, such as central Tripoli’s Al- greater heights of parental devotion. One of the country’s most stronghold since its capture in a lighting June offensive last Saraya Al-Hamra (Red Castle). Last year UNESCO Director renowned literary works is the “Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety”, year. Iconic ‘gazelle’ nude General Irina Bokova called for Libya’s unique cultural heritage written during the Yuan dynasty 600 years ago. It includes a woman The jihadists say the antiquities are anti-Islamic, promote He is determined to help save Libya’s cultural heritage, to be protected. who breastfeeds her toothless step-mother, a son who tastes his paganism and must therefore be destroyed. Libya, another even if this means sending artefacts abroad for safekeeping. “Libyan heritage is the expression of a shared memory of father’s excrement to test for illness, and another man who sits country rich in archaeological heritage, has been in turmoil “We have to remove all of our artefacts-document and store the country, and its respect represents a corner stone for long naked at his parents’ bedside to prevent them being bitten by mos- since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer them in a safe location as well as asking UNESCO for help in lasting national reconciliation,” she said in a statement. “I there- quitoes. Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising. And IS influence in the But China’s three decades of rapid economic growth have put North African country is growing. Iraqi Officials believe around families under unprecedented strains, with hundreds of millions 90 objects were destroyed or damaged in Mosul, most of them leaving their parents behind as they migrate to find work. Suicide originals. The rampage was compared to the Taliban’s destruc- rates among elderly people in some rural areas have increased five- tion in 2001 of the famed towering Bamiyan buddhas in fold over the last two decades, state-run media have reported, with Afghanistan. family neglect seen as a major cause. Projections show that 350 mil- The militants also ransacked Mosul’s library, burning thou- lion Chinese-one in four of the population will be aged 60 or older sands of rare books and manuscripts spanning centuries of by 2030, almost twice as many as now. At the same time “one-child human learning. It was a desecration UNESCO described as policy” family planning rules mean the burden of care will usually fall “cultural cleansing”. Since then the jihadist movement’s tenta- on a single offspring. cles have spread to Libya, where local Islamist groups are A 2012 law requiring adult children to visit their aged parents pledging allegiance to IS. “often”, or risk repercussions, has been seen as unenforceable. Instead, Beijing has fallen back on celebrating examples of the virtue, World Heritage sites with local bureaucrats holding competitions to find “filial children”. Libya has had two governments and parliaments since the State-run media have run pictures of hundreds of schoolchildren Islamist-backed Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) coalition seized Tripoli kow-towing before their parents to show their obedience-although last year. The internationally recognized government and par- social media commentators said such ceremonies discouraged inde- liament fled to the east. The country is awash with weapons pendent thinking among children. The museum, on a riverbank in and heavily armed militias are battling to control its cities and the Sichuan backwater of Guyi, opened four months ago and local oil wealth. A senior Libyan official said that since Kadhafi’s fall authorities provided at least a quarter of its eight million yuan ($1.3 there has already been looting of cultural treasures and dam- The ruins of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene. million) construction costs, its businessman founder Liao Lin told age to ancient sites. AFP. An introductory panel features equal-sized portraits of “We fear that the hands of the extremists will extend to our preserving our history,” Shelmani said. According to Libyan fore urge all parties, as well as the Libyan population, to com- Confucius and President Xi Jinping, with a quote from the current heritage, like in Iraq,” antiquities chief Ahmed Hassan told AFP. archaeology expert Fadl Al-Hassi, at least 15 sites have been mit to and act for its safeguarding.” For now, unarmed civilians Communist chief urging officials to read the “Standards for Being a Libya has five sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and none looted or destroyed since 2011. mobilized by the antiquities department are the only line of Good Pupil and Child”, a collection of Confucian sayings which can be considered safe. In the west, IS has a presence some Tripoli’s iconic colonial-era statue of a nude woman defense standing between looters and IS jihadists and thou- emphasise filial piety. 320 kilometers (200 miles) from the fabled ancient city of stroking a gazelle disappeared overnight last November, in an sands of years of accumulated history. — AP Leptis Magna, which UNESCO says was “one of the most beau- act the culture ministry said demonstrated “a total absence of ‘They may feel guilty’ tiful cities of the Roman Empire”. culture on the part of the assailants”. Antiquities department But the official drive has been criticized as a way for the state to In the east, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the IS stronghold spokesman Fathallah Kammesh detailed dozen of cases of shirk its duty to provide elderly care. China’s civil affairs minister said last year that there were just 25 care beds for every 1,000 senior citi- zens, while health insurance rarely covers the costs of major proce- dures. “Many Chinese families, facing smaller family size and family separation, are anxiously searching for new ways of fulfilling filial piety,” said Hong Zhang, a researcher at Colby College in the US. “If the government is promoting the filial tradition, people can be cynical and see it as the government’s effort to find an excuse of not doing its job.” Museum founder Liao, a tea and liquor magnate, admitted that heroic acts of filial piety alone were not enough. “China’s social security system is still lacking,” he said. Liao-whose own daughter is at boarding school and hopes to study abroad said he “thought a lot” about his parents, and “did my best to serve them”, but would not give details. People will see these perfect examples, and be inspired to do even better,” he said of his exhibits. “They may feel guilty that they don’t care enough for their parents, and return home to wash their parents’ feet. That’s the kind of result we are hop- ing for.”— AFP

Views of the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene. lifestyle WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

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A building built in neo-Andean baroque architecture known as Cholet style (combination of the words cholo and chalet) in El Alto, Bolivia. — AFP photos Indigenous Bolivians flash new wealth with colorful mansions

plashed in bright colors, sporting swank ballrooms and “cholet” to describe his work. lavish apartments, new mansions are popping up in Like the rainbow Aymara flag itself, the buildings are an Spoor neighborhoods in the Bolivian highlands, built by explosion of colors, many with two-story ballrooms that look the booming nouveau riche of the indigenous Aymara. Locals like indigenous-themed Las Vegas casinos. “They’re a poly- call them “cholets,” a blend of chalet and “cholo,” a sometimes chromatic color gradient. We try to search for our essence, our derogatory word for Bolivians of indigenous origin. But their own culture by applying vibrant colors,” Mamani said. The ball- growing prevalence is a sign of the changing times in Bolivia, rooms can hold up to 1,000 guests and charge up to $1,500 to where indigenous people have gone from being a silent host events. “In Andean culture, we say that everything has majority long marginalized from the worlds of politics and life,” said Mamani. “Our buildings must also have life. What business-to major players on the national scene. The cholets does that mean? It means they have to generate income.” have sprung up in tandem with an economic boom presided Bolivian philosopher Boris Bernal evoked the same idea. over by Evo Morales, who took office as Bolivia’s first indige- “The Uta (house in Aymara) can’t be static or dead. It has to nous president in 2006. He swore in for a new term in January have life, dance, move among the community, serve its peo- after presiding over average economic growth of more than ple, generating interest and accumulating capital for the five percent a year during his first two terms. whole community,” he said. But outside the cholets, El Alto During Morales’s presidency, increasing numbers of his fel- remains largely poor. Of its nearly one million inhabitants, low Aymara have accumulated fortunes in industries such as roughly half live in poverty. “We heard that El Alto was basical- mining, retail and transport that they are now using to build ly rich,” said one visitor on the cholet tour, 28-year-old sumptuous mansions that are reshaping the country’s archi- Canadian teacher Dominick Fortugno. “But when we arrived, tecture. Their fluorescent-colored walls tower for up to seven we saw tremendous wealth in the middle of poverty and peo- stories at an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the city of ple begging. It’s powerful to see.”— AFP El Alto, a poor suburb perched above the capital La Paz. “If I were rich, I’d want to live somewhere warmer, but this is where they made their fortunes and this is where they are Interior of a building. from,” said Serge Ducroc, a Swiss social worker who lives in Bolivia and has been giving guided cholet tours to foreign vis- itors for the past two years. “They’re not going to go live in a neighborhood full of white people. Their success was built here, and this is where they show it,” he said, chewing on coca leaves to combat the effects of the high altitude. Cholets are typically mixed-use buildings with a blend of commercial properties on the lower floors-shopping malls, indoor sports facilities, ballrooms and the like-crowned by a luxury penthouse for the owner. Built in a new architectural style that has been dubbed “neo-Andean baroque,” they cost up to $1 million. “Besides being clients, (the owners) are promoters of this new architecture,” said Freddy Mamani Silvestre, the Aymara architect behind the cholet boom.

‘Buildings must have life’ Mamani, 42, grew up herding llamas with his five siblings in the small farming village of Catavi, where he would build mud birdhouses in the hills. That creativity today drives what he proudly calls an “architectural revolution that transcends borders.” “I’ve broken the old architectural canon, and yes, I’m A building built in neo-Andean baroque architecture. The function room of a building. A painting on a wall in the function room. a transgressor,” said the architect, who does not like the word

The entrance to a function room of a building. Buildings built in neo-Andean baroque architecture. lifestyle WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Awards Jay Z leads stars in rebranded Tidal streaming service

ap mogul Jay Z on Monday launched the rebranded Tidal has paid out $2 billion toward artists since 2007. The difference means that Tidal offers higher sound quality music streaming service with major star backing, hoping to Streaming-which allows users to play unlimited on-demand for audiophiles with advanced sound systems-but that casual lis- Rshake up the growing industry through high sound quality music online-has quickly shaken up the industry, narrowly edg- teners using simple laptops or smartphones may face slower and artist control. With veiled swipes at streaming leader Spotify, ing out CD sales in revenues last year in the United States. Spotify, connections. Tidal will also try to distinguish itself through ample Jay Z brought out musicians including Madonna, Kanye West and also from Sweden, says it has 60 million users with 15 million of videos. the masked electronic duo Daft Punk, who will all be equity part- them paying-usually $9.99 a month. Unlike Spotify, Tidal does not ners in the new Tidal. offer a free service and is generally twice as expensive, at $19.99 a More freedom for artists? Jay Z earlier this year bought Tidal, which markets itself to month, although for the relaunch, it also offered a more basic Jay Z did not speak at the announcement, which came after audiophiles, by spending $56 million for its Swedish-listed parent $9.99 service. Tidal streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second-well hours of promotion for the relaunch on social media. But he gave company Aspiro. At the announcement in New York, singer Alicia above the 320 for premium subscribers of Spotify, which offers an interview to industry journal Billboard in which he billed Tidal Keys hinted that some musicians could choose to release materi- even lower levels for free users. as a new way for artists to experiment with form. “It doesn’t have al exclusively or early on the artist-owned service. “Tidal is dedi- to be three minutes and 30 seconds. What if it’s a minute and 17, cated to cultivating a sound business enterprise that promotes what if it’s 11 — you know, just break format,” Jay Z said. He the health and sustainability of our art and our industry around acknowledged that some music labels were nervous about the the world,” Keys said. project but described it more as a “record store” than a new “We believe it is in everyone’s interest-fans, artists and the record company. industry as a whole-to preserve the value of music and to ensure Spotify already has a range of rivals including US-based a healthy and robust industry for years to come.” Tidal released a Rhapsody and Google Play. Paris-based Deezer, which is strong in promotional video in which musicians accused unnamed stream- Europe, last year entered the United States as a high-end-only ing companies of treating them as mere commercial products. service which, like Tidal, uses FLAC rather than more common “They are the carrier; we are the artists. Somehow things shifted MP3 files. Apple-which pioneered digital music through iTunes and we went into the background, and it has to come forward,” in 2001 — has sought to expand in streaming as the market Madonna said. shifts away from permanent downloads. Apple bought rap mogul Dr Dre’s Beats and is reportedly Focus on quality planning an entirely new streaming service. Tidal entered the Other artists who will be shareowners in Tidal-with the exact United States late last year and operates in 31 countries, with six financial details not disclosed-include Jay Z’s wife Beyonce, rocker more to come this year including Australia and Germany. Before Jack White, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, rapper Nicki Minaj and R&B Jay Z’s purchase, Aspiro said it had 512,000 paying users for Tidal singer Rihanna. Tidal said it was also working on the relaunch and sister service WiMP. — AFP with Sprint, one of the major US cellular providers, which is owned by Japan’s Softbank. The artists signed a declaration to the sounds of Radiohead, the British experimental rockers who along with Taylor Swift have accused Spotify of devaluing music through meager payouts to artists. Spotify has rejected the accu- Jay-Z arrives to the 2015 sations, saying that it is a rare source of growth in music sales and Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Madonna speaks at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Beverly Hills, California. — AFP Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles. — AP

Rolling Stones announce North Selena’s dad: Mixed feelings American stadium tour about fans marking star’s death he Rolling Stones are zipping across including video screens and special effects. wenty years after Selena’s murder, the The Historical Museum of Lake Jackson - the North America again. The rock band Other cities on the “Zip Code” tour include Latin world will remember “The Queen city where Selena lived until age 9 - is show- Tannounced a 15-city stadium tour yes- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Tof Tejano” with concerts, lookalike con- ing an exhibition of Frank Herring photo- terday that will kick off May 24 at Petco Park Wisconsin; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, tests, dances and a massive festival. But her graphs of the star, through April 18. In San in San Diego, California. Other stops include North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Detroit, father has mixed feelings about the celebra- Antonio, where Selena won nine consecutive Columbus, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Michigan; Buffalo, New York; and Quebec, tions. “Of course I’m happy that, today, peo- Tejano Music Awards, Selena’s face graces the Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando, Canada. Tickets will go on sale April 13. The ple remember Selena more than ever,” cover of the Current - a weekly English-lan- Florida; and Nashville, Tennessee. The “Zip “Zip Code” tour will coincide with the rere- Abraham Quintanilla Jr said via phone from guage magazine. On Saturday, a public rela- Code” tour will once again reunite singer Mick lease of their seminal album “Sticky Fingers” his office in Corpus Christi. “But, as Jehovah’s tions firm will shoot a tribute video featuring Jagger, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarists on May 26. The 1971 recording features such Witnesses, we don’t celebrate deaths or Selena lookalikes. And in April, the city will Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Stones classics as “Brown Sugar,” “Wild birthdays, and we don’t want people to think host a 5K “Bidi Bidi Fun Run” with all proceeds The last time the Rolling Stones played Horses” and “Dead Flowers.” The band inter- we’re behind all the festivities. “It’s crazy. It going to the Selena Foundation, which aims North American stadiums was during their “A rupted last year’s “14 On Fire” and resched- grows every day with events everywhere, but to help children in crisis. One of her hits was Bigger Bang Tour” in 2006. They opted for are- uled all their Australia and New Zealand we’re not organizing them. Our family never called, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” na venues for their “50 & Counting” tour in dates after fashion designer L’Wren Scott, got together every year on the day of her California, Arizona, New York, Illinois, 2012 and 2013. “We love being out on the Jagger’s companion since 2001, took her murder, because there’s nothing to celebrate, Colorado, Nevada and other states will play road and it is great to come back to North own life. The tour concluded Nov 22, 2014 at and this year won’t be the exception,” he host to a variety of Selena commemorations, Zayn Malik performs during the group’s concert at the America,” said Keith Richards in a statement. “I the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New added. “We remember our daughter every including concerts, lookalike contests, an St James theatre in Wellington. — AFP can’t wait to get back on the stage!” And quite Zealand. — Reuters single day. We don’t need a special day to the stage it will be, including a section that remember her.” juts far into the crowd, allowing the Stones to Selena began performing as a child, interact with fans. As is the band’s practice, singing in Los Dinos, a band formed by her New Zayn Malik the stage design will employ cutting-edge father that featured her brother AB on bass technology to enhance the performance, and sister Suzette on drums. She won a Best Mexican-American Album Grammy for “Live,” demo prompts One had several hits in the US and was about to cross over to the English-language pop mar- ket when, on March 31, 1995, she was mur- Direction row dered by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of demo of a new song by former One Direction star Zayn her fan club. Her posthumous album, Malik has been posted online, sparking a row between “Dreaming of You,” which was mostly record- its producer and one of Malik’s former bandmates yes- ed in English, topped the Billboard 200 chart A and stayed atop the Latin charts for nine terday. “I Won’t Mind” features soulful vocals by Malik over a simple acoustic guitar loop and lyrics such as: “We are who we months. Saldivar is serving a life sentence. are when no one’s watching/And right from the start, you know I got you.” One Direction, who have sold over 50 million Karaoke nights In this Feb 27, 1993, file photo, Selena records worldwide, announced last week that Malik was leav- Despite his reservations, Quintanilla has performs at the Houston Livestock ing the band but that they would continue as a foursome. given his blessing to one event - the Festival Show and Rodeo inside the Astrodome He said he was quitting because he wanted “to be a normal de la Flor, featuring AB Quintanilla and the in Houston. — AP 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time”. Kumbia King All Starz; Selena’s widower and The new song was posted on Twitter by British producer former Los Dinos guitarist Chris PÈrez; Little exhibition, karaoke nights and a drag tribute Naughty Boy, who has previously worked with musicians Joe & La Familia; Los Lobos and others. show. The two main Spanish-language TV including Emeli Sande. But the move drew an angry reaction Corpus Christi’s Conventions and Visitors networks in the US will air special Selena pro- from One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, who tweeted at Bureau will host the festival April 17-18. gramming this weekend. AB Quintanilla Naughty Boy: “Wow @NaughtyBoyMusic you’re so inconsider- Selena was born on April 16, 1971. Tickets will insists Selena’s music has not dated, citing ate pal, seriously how old are you? Grow up! #masterofallwis- cost no more than $5 and the city expects the hit “Tecnocumbia.” “If you play a Selena dom”. attendance to hit 50,000. “It will be the first cumbia and compare it with any other record Tomlinson’s words were retweeted 320,000 times. Shortly edition of an annual festival that will grow from today, it sounds as if it had been record- after, he added: “Always have struggled to bite my tongue”. every year,” Quintanilla said. In addition, ed yesterday,” he said. — AP Meanwhile, Naughty Boy faced a volley of abuse from One Corpus Christi will host a Selena Tribute at Direction fans for posting the demo but wrote that he would Molina Veterans Park on March 31. (From left) Mick Jagger, Ron Wood and Charlies Watts of the Rolling Stones rock band But Selena’s celebrations don’t stop there. “let the music do the talking”. — AFP perform during a concert at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. — AFP No ‘narsisstics’: Music festivals ban fans’ selfie sticks

ou can bring your beach towels and floral also prohibited selfie sticks at last weekend’s the intention was never for the device to be fully “I think it’s really doing a bit of disservice to headbands, but forget that selfie stick if event. “They will be turned away and we’ll prob- extended in busy spaces. “Intentionally or not, the attendees,” Verdier said. “They’re not going to Yyou’re planning to go to the Coachella or ably make fun of you,” Ultra said on its Twitter there is a danger to other people in crowded be able to capture the same memories.” Some Lollapalooza music festivals. The devices, which account earlier this month. places,” he told The Associated Press. He added concertgoers praised the decision, saying the grasp cellphones to allow people to take pic- that he is at work on a new selfie-taking tool that sticks promote a culture of narcissism and tures of themselves farther away from their Crowded places will accomplish the same tasks without so many detract from the festival experience. Others said faces, are banned at this summer’s festivals in Wayne Fromm, creator of the Quik Pod and problems. Another selfie-stick entrepreneur, they enjoy using them and lament there is so Indio, California, and Chicago. Coachella dis- the first to patent the selfie stick more than a Jacqueline Verdier, CEO of Selfie on a Stick, said much negativity around them. Thomas Smith, missed them as “narsisstics” on a list of prohibit- decade ago, said he understood the decision for the festivals were going too far and that the 31, of Los Angeles, will be going to Coachella ed items. museums and festivals to ban the stick and that sticks can be used safely. this year and said he wasn’t planning to bring it Selfie sticks have become a popular but into the venue because of recent backlash polemical photo-taking tool: Avid picture takers against the stick - even though he’s used it on like snapping their own shots in front of monu- previous occasions and likes the sticks because ments and sunsets, but critics dismiss them as of the perspective he’s able to get for photos obnoxious and potentially dangerous to others and video. around them. A spokeswoman for Coachella “People make fun of the people who use would not comment on the restriction. them,” he said. “Taking a selfie is kind of an Lollapalooza representatives did not return a embarrassing thing but when you see someone request for comment but on the festival’s Twitter who went out of their way to get equipment to account said the decision was being made “for take a selfie, there’s an extra level of embarrass- safety, to speed security checks at the gate & to ment attached.” Asked about Coachella and oth- reduce the number of obstructions between the ers dubbing the self-stick as a “narsisstic,” Fromm fans and the stage.” said he found the term offensive. He said people Coachella and Lollapalooza are among have liked to look at themselves since the begin- dozens of big events and landmarks taking a ning of time and that everyone wants to look stand against the sticks. In Europe, the Palace of their best. “My intention was to encourage bet- Versailles outside Paris, Britain’s National Gallery ter photos for posterity,” Fromm said. “Is that nar- in London and the Colosseum in Rome have all cissistic?” — AP banned selfie sticks, saying they need to protect exhibits on display and ensure the safety of visi- Actors Richard Madden and Lily James take a selfie while tors. In the US, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, one In this April 19, 2014 file photo, festival goers hold up cameras and phones during attending AOL’s BUILD Speaker Series to discuss their of the world’s largest electronic music festivals, the 2014 Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. — AP photos new film “Cinderella” at AOL Studios in New York City. lifestyle WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Music & Movies Nawazuddin Siddiqui, farmer’s son turned ‘Hindi indie’ star t is a story worthy of a Bollywood plot: The son of a selected for the Cannes Film Festival, he turned heads in cinema hall to watch his films. north Indian farmer, one of nine children, rising to crime thrillers “Kahaani” (Story) and “Talaash” (Search). He will appear again with Salman Khan in upcoming Ibecome the face of independent Hindi cinema. But He said his family are still surprised by how far he has romantic drama “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, and with Shah Rukh Nawazuddin Siddiqui is still getting used to his success. come. “And you cannot blame them. I am a five-foot six- Khan in “Raees” (Rich Man), in which he plays a cop who “When someone is looking at me, I feel they are looking inch, dark, ordinary-looking man. People didn’t imagine is chasing Khan’s mafia character. Siddiqui says he at someone standing behind me, not at me,” the 40-year- that I would make it,” he said. “It is the mindset of our admires Bollywood megastars for their longevity- old confessed to AFP during an interview at a Mumbai country too, that people like (me) don’t become stars. ”they’re very well-maintained”-and he wouldn’t rule out hotel. Maybe it’s a result of 200 years of colonial rule.” doing a song-and-dance number himself, despite his “I have not got used to it and I won’t allow myself to Industry outsider reservations about Bollywood musicals. He describes feel like a star.” Winning awards for his roles in interna- Being this “ordinary-looking” outsider to a dynastic them as a “borrowed culture”, not rooted in the Indian tionally-feted films such as “Gangs of Wasseypur” in 2012 industry, Siddiqui struggled to get a designer suit for his tradition of folk music and classical songs and dance. and “The Lunchbox” the following year, Siddiqui has first red carpet appearance at Cannes in 2012. But three “However I would do one such formula film to prove become one of India’s most respected actors. It is a long years later he just has to pick up the phone, and when that I can dance and romance a heroine,” he said. way from his humble beginnings in Uttar Pradesh state, he comes to meet AFP he is accompanied by a manager, Siddiqui is also appearing in his first Hollywood film, where he became the first graduate from his village with a valet and a publicist. Despite his success he says “noth- with two scenes in the upcoming drama “Lion” directed a degree in chemistry. After training at Delhi’s National ing much has changed”. He still hangs out with old by Garth Davis, and starring Nicole Kidman and Dev School of Drama, smitten with acting, he landed his first friends “who remind me of our days of struggle”, and Patel of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame. But he is “not dying” film appearance in the 1999 Aamir Khan movie goes home to help out on the farm. to do more foreign movies. “I am very proud of the films I “Sarfarosh” (Fervour), and moved to Mumbai, the enter- Aside from Talaash and the 2014 action film “Kick” am doing here because they are of an international stan- tainment capital, in 2000. with Salman Khan, he has mostly avoided Bollywood dard,” he said. “I am very confident about my work But he faced years of struggle and bit parts, often blockbusters, tending towards more serious “Hindi indie” because I have worked very hard.” — AFP earning little cash, before he really became established. roles. But his forthcoming features are big budget flicks The year 2012 was perhaps his best to date: along with alongside A-list superstars-much to the delight of his Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui talking in an interview with the Wasseypur gangster epic and “Miss Lovely”, both family, who travel 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the nearest AFP in Mumbai. — AFP

Review Emily Blunt joins animated feature ‘Animal Crackers’ dge of Tomorrow’ star Emily Blunt is the lat- est Hollywood name to join the voice cast of ‘E“Animal Crackers,” an independent animated feature backed by Chinese finance. Blunt will play Zoe, one half of a married couple with John (played by John Krasinski) whose family life is turned upside down when they inherit a rundown circus and a mysterious box of Animal Crackers, which magically changes the person who eats them into animals. Scott Christian Sava is co-directing with Tony Bancroft (“Mulan”) from a script he co-wrote with Dean Lorey. Blunt joins a cast that already includes Sylvester Stallone, Ian McKellen and Danny DeVito. The film is produced by Blue Dream Studios in a partnership with Beijing Wen Hua Dongrun Investment Co. and China Film Co. Australian inde- This 1966 photo shows, from left, Chris Stamp, Pete Townshend of The Who, and Kit This 1966 photo shows, Chris Stamp, left, business manager, and Kit Lambert, manager pendent sales agent Odin’s Eye is representing the Lambert, at Windsor Jazz Festival, included in a scene from the documentary film, (producer on the album, ‘Tommy’) of the English rock band, The Who, going up to international rights. Release is set for mid-2016. ‘Lambert & Stamp.’ Manchester on the train in England, included in the new documentary film, ‘Lambert & Other key credits go to character designer Carter Stamp.’ — AP photos Goodrich, and Jamie Thomason as voice and casting director. Besides Sava, “Animal Crackers” producers are George Lee and Marcus Englefield from Storyoscopic Films, James Thomason and Leiming In ‘Lambert & Stamp,’ the Guan. Financing the movie are exec producers Mu Yedong on behalf of Wen Hua Dongrun Investment Co; La Peikang, board chairman of China Film Co.; and Sam Chi for Landmark Asia. backstage story of The Who “Animal Crackers” is the first independent animat- ed feature for Blue Dream Studios, which has been he teenage revolution was in full force on the fall 1964 Directorial debut unconventional orchestrators. (Daltrey, Townshend says in a producing animation for TV and film for Hollywood’s night that Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp stumbled into the “I loved them immediately,” says Pete Townshend, the gui- way that could only be cutting, was the only “conventional” fig- major studios since 2000. The company has expand- Railway Tavern, a London pub where a band called the tarist and songwriter of The Who, in the film. “They changed my ure of the bunch.) But the film, perhaps inevitably, subsides in ed into publishing its own graphic novels, one of T which, “The Luckiest Boy,” was purchased for produc- High Numbers was playing and mods were gyrating. It was life forever.” Lambert and Stamp would mold The Who (among the second half, as the familiar fallout of fame - drugs, death, London’s Swinging ‘60s, with its subculture explosion and styl- other things they encouraged the songwriting of Townshend) disputes over a film of the rock opera “Tommy” - wrecks the tion by Fox in 2014. — Reuters ish youths. Such is the scene, glimpsed in footage shot that into one of the great rock ‘n’ roll bands. And it all started with an relationships. “Anyway, anyhow, anywhere I choose,” was the night, at the beginning of the riotously entertaining new docu- idea that, as Townshend says in the documentary, was intended anthem The Who sang, and their managers (who signed Jimi mentary “Lambert & Stamp.” Lambert and Stamp were assistant to “blow itself up” in a year or two. Hendrix to a record deal before actually having a record label) film directors, frustrated by not ascending to the director’s chair, “Lambert & Stamp,” the directorial debut of James D Cooper, were perfect representatives of the song. Emily Blunt but full of wild ideas. They wanted to find a band to make a film a veteran cinematographer, is an intimate rock documentary Their genius was in realizing the sea change that was hap- about, but their plans had wider cultural aspirations: “a mad that eludes most of the standard beats of the genre. By focus- pening. “You don’t market TO them. You market THEM,” (expletive) concoction of stuff,” says Stamp in the film. ing on the managers - the band’s so-called fifth and sixth mem- Townshend says of the new audience relationship. Speaking to The frenetic energy and loud rhythm and blues riffs of the bers, “the shell of the egg” as singer Roger Daltrey says - the a skeptical news program, in French no less, Lambert predicts High Numbers hit like a thunderclap, even if they lacked in movie takes a wider view, capturing the composite nature of that the ‘60s Mod scene was no mere fad, but a youth move- looks. (Later, some would worry that they were too ugly to creative invention and cultural change. It’s almost all depicted ment that would regenerate with every generation. Indeed, the make it big.) When Lambert and Stamp became their man- in the film in black and white: gritty in period footage, classy in Who got older; the kids stayed the same age. “Lambert & agers, they urged them to take an earlier, abandoned name: contemporary interviews. Stamp died in 2012, but was inter- Stamp,” a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated R by the Motion The Who. The infatuation was mutual. Lambert and Stamp had viewed extensively before passing away. Lambert, though, died Picture Association of America for “language, some drug con- zero knowledge of the music business, but they were a capti- in 1981. His presence (the more magnetic and fascinating of the tent and brief nudity.” Running time: 117 minutes. Three stars vating duo. Lambert, the son of a famous conductor and an two) hovers over the film from older footage. out of four. — AP Oxford grad, was posh, erudite and gay at a time when homo- sexuality was illegal in Britain. Stamp, the brother of the actor Fame, drugs and death Terence Stamp, was a dashing East End Cockney, the son of a “Lambert & Stamp” hums frantically in the first half with the tug boat captain. Neither cared a lick for convention. spirit of teen rebellion that propelled both The Who and its

Robin Williams heirs agree Iranian filmmaker ‘in good to negotiate over belongings shape’ in Evin prison Canadian-based Iranian writer and tel- “It is accurate that he is in a good physical obin Williams’ widow and his three mitted suicide in August of last year at the evision producer was put into Tehran’s and psychological shape,” said the son. children have agreed to out-of-court age of 63. notorious Evin prison soon after his Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra negotiations in a battle over parts of Schneider’s attorney, James Wagstaffe, A R return to his home country, but is in good Kazemi died in 2003 of a brain hemorrhage the late actor’s estate-including movie told AFP that over the next two weeks he shape, the filmmaker’s son said on Monday. after receiving a blow to the head at Evin. She awards such as his 1998 Oscar for “Good would meet with Williams’ three children Iranian authorities arrested Mostafa Azizi, had been taking pictures outside the prison. Will Hunting.” A judge in San Francisco from two previous marriages Zelda, who has permanent resident status in Canadian foreign affairs spokesman Francois delayed until June a hearing on a suit filed Zachary and Cody Williams-to try to reach Canada, on Feb 1, and charged him with Lasalle said the government was “aware of in December by Susan Schneider, with an agreement. If this fails a mediator will insulting Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali reports” of the arrest of a Canadian perma- whom the comedian and movie star had intervene, he said. The deadline is June, Khamenei, and spreading propaganda nent resident but was unable to provide fur- been married for five years when he com- when the battle could reach court and against the Islamic establishment. ther information. become public. The dispute centers on “I don’t want to speculate as to what evi- He noted that the Canadian embassy in objects related to the actor’s career, his dence is being used against my dad but I am Iran has closed until further notice. “In the childhood and objects from his office, confident he meant no wrongdoing and law- context of heightened regional tensions, except the furniture that was in the house breaking,” said his son Arash Azizi, contacted Iranian-Canadian dual citizens and Canadian he shared with his now widow. by Reuters. Arash, a Canadian journalist who permanent residents with Iranian citizenship The movie awards that Williams won, lives in London, said his father was put into may be particularly vulnerable to investiga- such as his Oscar, would be worth a lot of solitary confinement for the first 14 days but tion and harassment by Iranian authorities,” money to his children, the attorney said. has been able to phone him and his sister he said. — Reuters Schneider said in her lawsuit that the and other people regularly from prison. executors of the fund that the actor created to manage his estate insisted, days after his death, on having access to his home to share out and take possession of some Depp’s ‘Pirates of Mostafa Azizi objects. The widow says all she wants is the suit Williams wore in the ceremony in which he married her and their wedding the Caribbean 5’ gifts. Zelda Williams rejected reports on social media Monday that she and her sib- lings had already removed objects from the home of their late father. — AFP halted in Australia roduction of “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” in Australia has been halted due to the hand injury sustained by Johnny PDepp earlier this month. The film’s star departed Australia for the US on March 10 following an injury that hap- pened in Queensland, though not while shooting. Filming has continued on scenes not involving Depp. File photo shows actor Robin Williams and his But, on Thursday, some 200 crew were told that they wife Susan Schneider upon their arrival for would not be working for the next two weeks, according to the world premiere of the movie ‘Happy Feet multiple Australian media reports. Production is scheduled to Two’.—AFP pick up on April 15. — Reuters Nawazuddin Siddiqui, farmer’s son turned ‘Hindi indie’ star

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 39

In this photograph taken Indonesian models with gas masks wear dresses by Lenny Agustin and Hanna Farhana during a fashion show in a polluted river basin planted mostly with rice in Rancaekek district near Citarum river located in western Java island as part of a campaign by environmental organization Greenpeace for top international fashion brands to remove toxic chemicals from their supply chains in Indonesia and address water pollution. — AFP photos Models in gas masks highlight Indonesian environmental devastation earing gas masks and designer dresses, models getting well-known brands to ensure that their suppliers do range of industries, from manufacturing to mining. More than paraded down a catwalk against a backdrop of pollut- not release hazardous chemicals into the environment. Big 100 million Indonesians, out of a population of 250 million, Wed, rubbish-strewn paddy fields in central Indonesia, names such as Spain’s Zara and Germany’s Adidas have com- have no access to safe water, according to Greenpeace. — AFP a colorful condemnation of the fashion industry’s role in caus- mitted to the campaign. Rivers and crops have been poisoned ing environmental devastation. The women marched up and by pollution across the vast Indonesian archipelago by a wide down in black rubber boots on a runway of wooden planks to dance music, brandishing banners that read “Say no to fashion with a toxic trail”. The show, put on by environmental group Greenpeace and local designers, was aimed at highlighting the destruction caused by textile factories, including many producing clothes for global brands, that have for years been spewing industrial waste into the country’s waterways. “Greenpeace urges the industry to stop polluting the environment with hazardous chemicals,” said the group’s campaigner Ahmad Ashov Birry, who was organizing the show. “We urge the government to take stern action against the polluters and strengthen regula- tions related to the management of hazardous chemicals for a toxic-free future.” Last week’s show took place at Rancaekek, part of the Citarum River Basin on Java island, which is the heart of the Indonesian textile industry. The area was named as one of the 10 most polluted places on Earth in 2013 by environmental groups the Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland. The groups found a wide range of toxins-including aluminum and manganese-in the river, which supplies much of the water to the capital Jakarta. In Rancaekek alone, more than 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of paddy fields have been polluted, according to Greenpeace. The show was part of a Greenpeace campaign called “Detox”, which has been running since 2011 and is aimed at